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I had to wait 11 days to be told of my daughter's death - BBC News | 2017-06-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | When Sarah Jenkins saw pictures of distraught mothers appealing for information about missing children after the Manchester bombing, it reminded her of her own experience after the 7/7 attacks in London. | Magazine | When Sarah Jenkins saw pictures of distraught mothers appealing for information about missing children after the Manchester bombing, it reminded her of her own experience 12 years ago. After the 7/7 attacks in London she had to wait 11 awful days for confirmation that her daughter Emily had died. She now campaigns for victims' relatives to be kept better informed.
"Emily was my fourth child, so the baby of the family. She could be naughty sometimes, but a great joy. All children are," says Sarah.
On the morning of 7 July 2005, Emily, aged 24, was on her way to work in London.
"She was staying in North London with a new boyfriend and I had no idea she was there so I didn't really prick up my ears or alert to the fact she was missing until my older daughter rang and said, 'We're all absolutely fine, Emily's late for work.' But there was nothing new in that, she was very often late for work," Sarah says.
But when she still hadn't heard from Emily by lunchtime, she began to suspect that something might be terribly wrong.
Sarah had spent the morning drawing in Clapham, south London, and walked with an awful sickness in her stomach towards the station, where she met one of her sons. The two of them went into a bar to watch live coverage of the bombing on a large TV screen.
"The first thing you do is ring helplines," she says.
"They give you very little information because they have no information."
Every time they rang they spoke to a different person, and were asked the same questions.
Sarah was also constantly ringing Emily's mobile phone and leaving messages.
By late afternoon she and all three of her other children had gathered together, but were not quite sure what to do. They called the police, who told them to call the helpline, which they did, constantly.
"I remember phoning all through that first night - of course one didn't sleep - so I was constantly phoning the helpline to get the same, 'Have you contacted her friends?'
Her son James came up with the idea of going to the hospitals to look for Emily, but hospital staff just showed them into a room and asked to wait.
"The last thing they wanted was relatives there," Sarah says.
They also knew that Emily would have been travelling south on the Piccadilly line, so they visited King's Cross and Russell Square stations in the hope of picking up information. Again, without success.
One of the things Sarah remembers most clearly about this period, as the family waited together, was how her son Barnaby would go to buy pizza in the evening, which no-one could eat. Every day they threw away boxes of uneaten pizza. Sarah wondered what the rubbish collectors would think.
Although she knew that the helpline staff were taking her concerns seriously, she says it wasn't made clear to the family that they had been logged as a priority case. So they kept ringing back to check for information, not knowing that they would in fact have been contacted as soon there was something to report.
All this time, Sarah hoped that Emily might still be alive.
"As a mother you have that absolute thing of (a) it should have been me and (b) I should have protected her and so she must be still alive. It can't be my child who's died," she says.
After three days, Sarah's family was finally put in touch with a Family Liaison Officer. This was progress, but Sarah could still not understand why her daughter could not be identified. Emily had been carrying credit cards with her that day and a tube pass. She had been wearing a distinctive ring, and had a tattoo on her back, both of which Sarah carefully described.
"The other victims were identified slowly but not as slowly as us," she says. "Emily was the last to be identified."
Later Sarah found out that her daughter had been one of the first victims to be taken out of the tube carriage.
"The only thing that it (the bomb) had done was it had blown her legs off. She was absolutely fine apart from that," Sarah says.
Finally, a full 11 days after the bombing, the Family Liaison Officer visited the family to give them the bad news about Emily's death.
Sarah later campaigned to improve the information given to victim's families after a major incident, and worked with a government department on plans for an official website that would tell families which hospitals were treating victims, and provide help to arrange funerals and claim compensation.
She says she received a promise that the website would be launched, but after the Manchester bombing it was clear to her that little or nothing had changed.
"People were still visiting hospitals with no results. Mothers were still crying in the streets with photographs of their daughters, saying frantically, 'Has anyone seen this child?'
"I don't think anybody in the day and age of fast communication should be out on the street with a photograph of their daughter or son."
John Ramsbottom, a retired police inspector, says the length of time it takes to identify a body after a bombing has to do with the complexity of the police operation.
"Two people are key at the scene," he says.
"The first one is the Senior Investigating Officer. This person is concerned with investigating the crime and extracting from the scene all the evidence that will enable us to come to the conclusion of what happened that day. The second person at the scene is the Senior Identification Manager. They are responsible with the recovery of the dead and the identification of the dead."
Each time a body part is removed from the scene it must be properly bagged and logged, generating large amounts of paperwork.
Sarah now wears the ring Emily was wearing on the day she died
"A large number of them are going to have fragments of the bomb in them, so we've got to gather from them forensic evidence as well as identification evidence," he says.
In many cases the body parts will be moved to a temporary mortuary, where work will be done to reassemble the bodies of the dead.
The goal is to ensure that no parts are wrongly allocated, and that "the body we give back to the family is absolutely as pure as that body as we can possibly make it".
There are only four ways to definitively identify a body, Ramsbottom says - through fingerprints, DNA, dental records and surgical implants, such as a hip joint or a pace-maker with a unique serial number.
Wallets and ID documents are not considered strong enough evidence. And "if we don't know, we say nothing," he says.
"Do the police say to somebody, 'We are 90% sure we found them'? But then we leave them with 10% hope. Is it worse later if we destroy that 10% hope or not?
"That's not a legal or police question, it's a human-being question and I don't have the answer to it."
He adds: "The only thing we console ourselves with is that when we've done what we've done, we've got absolutely the right body, and that the dead person there has told their story to the police and coroner, and that story becomes part of the narrative of the incident."
Sarah understands that information can be given out only when it is confirmed to be true, and that "wrong information is worse than anything else".
But she says she is angry that families are still going through the enormous stress that she endured 12 years ago.
She would like a central co-ordinating body to be created, to provide families with information after a major incident. "But if they cannot do that, or nobody thinks it's a good idea, then I will compromise with a website."
Until that website exists, she is not going to let it lie, she says. "I expect letters back from the Home Office."
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-40132395 |
Epsom Derby 2017: Wings of Eagles beats favourites Cliffs of Moher and Cracksman - BBC Sport | 2017-06-03 | null | Aidan O'Brien's 40-1 shot Wings of Eagles beats favourites Cliffs of Moher and Cracksman to win the Epsom Derby. | null | Last updated on .From the section Horse Racing
Little-known jockey Padraig Beggy, who served a one-year drugs ban, won the Epsom Derby on Saturday on Aidan O'Brien's 40-1 shot Wings of Eagles.
It proved a debut Derby victory for 31-year-old Beggy, who was given the suspension in Australia in 2014 after a positive test for cocaine.
The outsider came from deep to beat much-fancied stablemate Cliffs of Moher and 7-2 favourite Cracksman.
"It's brilliant, I can't describe it," Beggy told BBC Radio 5 live.
He added: "I got into a bit of trouble in Australia and made a mistake. It is something that I've got to put behind me. I was knocked down then and had to pick myself up and come back fighting, and today I think I've proved that."
With only two horses behind him with three furlongs to run, Beggy led Wings of Eagles on a late charge to beat Cliffs Of Moher in the dying strides. Cracksman, ridden by Frankie Dettori, was third.
"I dreamed of it when I was fairly young. I had nearly given it up," added Beggy.
"Fair play to Aidan O'Brien - it doesn't matter what price you are riding when you are riding for Aidan in a big race."
The result had looked like going with the form book as Cliffs Of Moher (5-1) just got the better of the two Frankel colts, Cracksman and Eminent, inside the final furlong.
But that was not taking into account Wings Of Eagles - the son of 2011 Derby winner Pour Moi - who provided O'Brien with a sixth Derby winner.
"It means the world," added Beggy. "I'll go down in history because I've won the Derby."
It was Beggy's first run in the Derby and trainer O'Brien was full of praise for his jockey.
"He's a brilliant rider, a world-class rider," O'Brien told BBC Radio 5 live. "We're very lucky to have him."
We said that any one of about 10 or 12 might win and though Wings Of Eagles was maybe quite low down that list, he was definitely on it after a promising second at Chester.
If one's honest, the presence of Paddy Beggy on board didn't gain the horse any extra followers because although he's doing well, he's seen as batting down the order for Team O'Brien.
But, along with the winner who swept by his rivals in great style, Beggy was star of this show, clearly delighted to win, but also immensely grateful to O'Brien who's supported him as he's rebuilt his career after the drugs ban.
There were barely one and a half lengths between the first four - there is probably no superstar there, but all four are good solid performers. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/40145392 |
World Cup 2030: Uefa would 'strongly support' pan-British or English bid - BBC Sport | 2017-06-03 | null | An English or pan-British bid for the 2030 World Cup would be "strongly supported" by Uefa, says its president Aleksander Ceferin. | null | A British bid for the 2030 World Cup would be "strongly supported" and the tournament should not be sold to the country "who wants to pay the most", says Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin.
But, with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, that would go against the governing body's continental rotation policy.
Ceferin says rules "cannot change just because we have some big sponsors".
Speaking to BBC Sport in Cardiff before the Champions League final, he added: "It's simply time for us [Europe] to host the World Cup in 2030.
"I cannot say which country will place a bid from Europe, but we cannot just sell the World Cup to the ones who want to pay the most."
Asked about China's commercial grip on Fifa, Ceferin told BBC Sport: "I didn't want to speak just about China, but the most important thing is that the World Cup should go to the country that has the best bid."
Russia will host the next World Cup in 2018, making a European bid for the 2030 tournament viable.
Ceferin says an English or pan-British bid would be welcomed.
"It just has to be a decision not just of the FA, probably also the government and others too. But they deserve to have a World Cup in the near future," the head of European football's governing body said.
"They are capable of organising the World Cup, of that I'm sure. If they decide to go, we will strongly support them."
Cerefin was speaking the day before Cardiff hosts the Champions League final and said Wales hosting the final was "very important for the development of football".
"For Cardiff, it's a fantastic experience," he added. "For us it's a bit of a challenge in terms of infrastructure and hotels but I'm sure Wales will never forget the event.
"It's very important for the development of football. [Wales] made some fantastic results last year [at Euro 2016], they have one of the best players in the world - for a small country it is a fantastic result."
Gianni Infantino, head of world governing body Fifa, has also called for more transparency around transfers, and his Uefa counterpart Ceferin agrees.
The issue of agents' fees has been in the spotlight after claims Mino Raiola earned £41m from Paul Pogba's world record move to Manchester United last summer.
"First of all, there's crazy money around," said Ceferin. "But we have to speak to all the stakeholders and to speak to Fifa and in the end, it has to be a Fifa decision.
"We were the ones who were pushing against third-party ownership [of players] and we succeeded with that, so we will have to work on this as usual. It's a problem."
However, Ceferin says it is "not a simple decision".
"As a lawyer, if somebody agrees to an agreement about a certain amount it's hard to say he cannot get it," he added.
"I don't have a miracle solution but we have to react, otherwise hundreds of millions of money goes out of football."
'Fifa will have to change... or hurt football around the world'
A disagreement between Fifa and Uefa has also emerged over the flow of information between the two, with Uefa saying they were kept in the dark over certain issues.
Although not mentioned by Ceferin, it is understood that previously unknown financial details of TV rights contracts for the 2026 World Cup, which is expected to be held in North America, form part of the complaint.
In addition, a Fifa monitoring committee uncovered evidence last year of North Koreans working in alleged "appalling" conditions on a stadium that will host World Cup games in St Petersburg next summer.
Infantino only confirmed the presence of the workers and concerns over their living and working conditions in a letter to the presidents of the Nordic FAs earlier this month, a copy of which was seen by several media organisations.
Ceferin says he "condemns" such treatment and welcomed the fact follow-up inspections found no evidence of other North Koreans working on World Cup stadiums.
However, Uefa intends to send a letter next week to Fifa outlining its concerns over the lack of information, with Ceferin warning his organisation will refuse to make decisions at key meetings unless they receive timely updates.
"What disturbs me is that we have to read about that in the media," he said. "It's not a criticism towards the president of Fifa, it's a criticism towards an organisation which is the world governing body of football and doesn't give us very important information.
"In the end, Fifa will have to change completely or it will hurt all the football organisations around the world." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40136827 |
The young Japanese working themselves to death - BBC News | 2017-06-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Japan has some of the world's longest working hours, and some young Japanese are literally working themselves to death. | Business | Michiyo Nishigaki lost her only son Naoya to "karoshi"
Japan has some of the longest working hours in the world, and some young Japanese workers are literally working themselves to death. Now there are calls for the government to do more.
Michiyo Nishigaki was a proud mother when her only son Naoya landed a job at a large Japanese telecoms company, straight out of college.
He loved computers, and it seemed like a great opportunity in Japan's competitive graduate jobs market.
But just two years later things started to go wrong.
"He was telling me he'd been busy, but he said he was OK," Ms Nishigaki tells me. "But then he came home for my father's funeral and he couldn't get out of bed. He said: 'Let me sleep a while, I can't get up. Sorry, Mum, but let me sleep'."
Japan has some of the longest working hours in the developed world
Later she learned from colleagues that he'd been working around the clock.
"He usually worked until the last train, but if he missed it he slept at his desk," she said. "In the worst case he had to work overnight through to 10pm the next evening, working 37 hours in total."
Two years later Naoya died at the age of 27 from an overdose of medication. His death was officially rule a case of "karoshi" - the Japanese term to describe death attributed to overwork.
Japan has a culture of long working hours and this is not a new phenomenon - it was first recorded in the 1960s - but recently high-profile cases have thrust karoshi back into the spotlight.
On Christmas Day in 2015, 24-year-old Matsuri Takahashi, an employee at the Japanese advertising agency Dentsu, jumped to her death.
It emerged she had barely slept after working more than 100 hours of overtime a month in the period leading up to her death.
Makoto Iwahashi says that is not unusual, particularly for new starters in a company. He works for Posse, an organisation that runs a helpline for young workers, and says most of the calls are complaints about long working hours.
"It's sad because young workers think they don't have any other choice," he tells me. "If you don't quit you have to work 100 hours. If you quit you just can't live."
Mr Iwahashi says declining job security has made the situation worse.
"We had karoshi in the 1960s and 70s - the big difference is they had to work long hours but they were secured lifetime employment. That's not the case any more."
Official figures put cases of karoshi in the hundreds each year, counting heart attacks, strokes and suicides. But campaigners say the real figure is much higher.
Nearly a quarter of Japanese companies have employees working more than 80 hours overtime a month, often unpaid, a recent survey found. And 12% have employees breaking the 100 hours a month mark.
Those numbers are important; 80 hours overtime a month is regarded as the threshold above which you have an increased chance of dying.
Nearly a quarter of Japanese companies have employees working more than 80 hours overtime a month
Japan's government has been under increasing pressure to act, but the challenge has been to break a decades-old work culture where it's frowned upon to leave before your colleagues or boss.
Earlier this year the government introduced Premium Fridays, encouraging firms to let their employees out early, at 3pm, on the last Friday each month. They also want Japanese workers to take more holiday.
Workers are entitled to 20 days leave a year but currently about 35% don't take any of it.
In the local government offices in Toshima, a district of downtown Tokyo, they have resorted to turning the office lights off at 7pm in an effort to force people to go home.
Hitoshi Ueno says it's important for employees to develop their own interests outside of the office
"We wanted to do something visible," says manager Hitoshi Ueno.
"It's not just about cutting working hours. We want people to be more efficient and productive, so that everyone can protect and enjoy their spare time. We want to change the work environment in total."
In focusing on efficiency he may have a point. While the country may have some of the longest working hours it is the least productive of the G7 group of developed economies.
But campaigners say these measures are piecemeal and fail to address the core problem: that young workers are dying because they are working too hard and for too long.
The only solution they say is to put a legal limit on the overtime employees are permitted to work.
Japan may have some of the longest working hours it is the least productive of the G7 group of developed economies
Earlier this year the government proposed limiting average overtime to 60 hours a month though firms would be allowed to up this to 100 hours during "busy periods" - well into the karoshi red zone.
Critics say the government is prioritising business and economic interests at the expense of the welfare of workers.
"The Japanese people count on the government but they are being betrayed," says Koji Morioka, an academic who has studied the karoshi phenomenon for 30 years.
In the meantime, more young workers are dying and the support groups for bereaved families keep getting new members.
Michiyo Nishigaki, who lost her son Naoya, says the country is killing the very workers it should be cherishing.
"Companies just focus on short-term profits," she says. "My son and other young workers don't hate work. they are capable and they want to do well.
"Give them the opportunity to work without long hours or health problems and the country would be privileged to have them." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39981997 |
Cristiano Ronaldo says that his records stack up after his fourth Champions League win - BBC Sport | 2017-06-03 | null | Cristiano Ronaldo says "people can't criticise me" after his goals helped Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid side beat Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff. | null | Cristiano Ronaldo said that his "numbers don't lie" after his double helped Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid side beat Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff.
A goal in each half took the Portuguese to 105 Champions League strikes as Real became the first side since AC Milan in 1990 to win back-to-back cups.
"This is one of the best moments of my career but it seems I am able to say that every year," he said.
"People won't be able to criticise me because the numbers don't lie."
Juventus were on top for large periods of an entertaining and open first 45 minutes, as Ronaldo's opener was cancelled out by Mario Mandzukic's superb overhead kick.
But Real were dominant after the break as efforts from Casemiro, Ronaldo again, and Marco Asensio sealed a 12th European Cup win and a third in four seasons.
Ronaldo has now scored at least twice as many Champions League goals as any other player in the quarter-finals (20), semi-finals (13) and finals (4).
He has won the Champions League on four occasions and has now scored 11 more goals in the competition than Barcelona's Lionel Messi - his nearest challenger.
• None How did the players rate?
• None 'Ronaldo is in the same bracket as Pele' - BBC Radio 5 live Football Daily Podcast
Success capped an incredible start to management for former Real playmaker Zidane, who last month guided the club to a first La Liga title since 2012 and became the first French coach to win the Champions League twice.
"I feel like dancing," he said. "I consider myself a man of this house [Real Madrid].
"This club is really in my heart and we are going to enjoy this. Today is a truly historic day for Real Madrid, for all Madrid fans."
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, who has now won the Champions League three times with Real and Bayern Munich, praised the impact of Ronaldo after Zidane's side retained the trophy.
"I didn't expect that it was possible to defend this title, it is so difficult to win it once," he said. "To win it three times in four years means a lot.
"Everybody knows that Cristiano is very important. As a team we played very well in the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the final but you need a guy to score the goals and he did it again."
Veteran Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was the focus of many neutral supporters before the game, with the 39-year-old looking to win the trophy at the third time of asking.
But, as with defeats to AC Milan in 2003 and Barcelona in 2015, it was to be another loss for the Italy number one.
"We thought we had enough to win the game," he said. "It is a huge disappointment.
"I cannot explain why we played like we did in the second half. Real Madrid deserved to win in the second half. They showed their class and the attitude needed to play in this kind of game."
Coach Massimiliano Allegri was disappointed with his side's reaction to going 2-1 down to Casemiro's deflected strike but pledged to return next season and "try again".
"I don't think Juventus has reached the end of a cycle at all," he said. "Buffon will still be Juventus's goalkeeper next season and Andrea Barzagli will still be with us.
"Clearly the club knows we can improve our team if we want to achieve a higher technical level.
"We all need some rest and after the holidays we will be ready to get back with new drive and impetus. Football gives you the chance to try again next year."
Zidane has answered questions spectacularly tonight. The way he has handled the big players and the confidence he has shown in the role has been excellent. Not for once in that second half did they ever feel in danger of losing that game.
He has achieved something very special here this evening. To be the first to retain the trophy since 1990 - you can't underestimate that. It's too easy to say he's got amazing players because you have to handle them. He has and he's done it with such good style. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40147044 |
How has the fitness video adapted to the YouTube age? - BBC News | 2017-06-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | In the 1980s, Jane Fonda sold millions of workout videos. Now anyone can be an online fitness guru. | Business | Pilates devotee Cassey Ho has nearly four million YouTube followers
In the 1980s, a Lycra-clad Jane Fonda sold millions of her pioneering workout video cassettes. But videotape gave way to DVDs, then along came the internet and digital streaming. So how has the workout video adapted?
When Cassey Ho, 30, logs on to her YouTube page "blogilates" and uploads her latest workout video, she knows she will soon be inundated with comments from fans across all her social media accounts.
The fitness video blogger, or vlogger for short, has amassed nearly four million subscribers to her YouTube channel, as well as millions of followers on Facebook and Instagram.
She is one of a new breed of fitness vloggers exploiting the internet's ability to beam content to global mass audiences at very low production costs.
It's a far cry from when fitness queen Jane Fonda inspired millions of people around the world to try aerobics in front of their living room TVs throughout the 1980s. She sold more than 17 million tapes.
Jane Fonda (right) was the fitness video queen in the 1980s
Scores of other models, actors and stars followed suit.
But today, you can find more than 30 million fitness videos on YouTube alone, and countless more on other social media platforms.
Budding fitness kings and queens can publish and gain a following without star status, a fancy studio or thousands of pounds' worth of equipment, simply recording workouts on their smartphones at the beach or in their gardens and editing the content on their laptops.
But unlike the traditional workout video, where weight loss and fitness was the goal, consumers are logging on to their favourite fitness vloggers for a more intimate and interactive experience.
"Fitness videos have switched from being functional to being aspirational content that give people a window into the lives of the fitness influencers they look up to," says Richard Wilson, chief executive of Clickon Media, a content creation firm.
For example, Zuzka Light, a 35-year-old Czech fitness vlogger now based in Los Angeles, started her channel in 2012. Her vlog shows short workout videos, with some of them attracting up to 20 million views.
Fitness vlogger Zuzka Light thinks the "personal approach is really key"
Taking her brand on to other social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, has raised her profile, giving her the opportunity to launch a $9.99 a month subscription to her website and her own clothing and food supplement lines.
"I always try to post videos that I would like to watch myself," she tells the BBC.
"Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I've had feedback from my viewers who say they feel connected to me and see me as their friend, their workout buddy.
"I think the personal approach is really key."
She regularly works with brands, but admits she's picky about the products she introduces to her audiences.
"Being an influencer I have a responsibility and I wouldn't want to take advantage of that and promote something I wouldn't use myself or something I wouldn't recommend to my loved ones."
A study by marketing platform MuseFind found that 92% of people preferred hearing about brands from influencers, rather than through paid adverts.
"This switch in perspective provides marketers and advertisers the freedom to develop more authentic content that tells a story as opposed to being purely functional and demonstrating things such as weight loss and technique," says Mr Wilson.
The fitness sector in general is huge, with the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association reporting that global health club industry revenue reached an estimated $81bn (£63bn) in 2015, with around 151 million members worldwide.
And the fitness clothing industry is worth more than $320bn in the US alone, says the NPD Group.
No wonder vloggers are proving very useful for brands trying to reach consumers directly and bypass the growing use of ad blockers on mobiles and desktops.
"The growth of smartphone usage and mobile video viewing lends itself well to a fitness audience," says Mark Brill, lecturer in digital communications at Birmingham City University.
"Not only can content be viewed anywhere, but mobile devices also make the interaction personal and more private.
"In the past, word of mouth has been an important way to recommend brands. That has shifted into the digital word of mouth - social media."
And it's not just fitness vloggers benefiting from taking their workouts online.
Fitness studios are realising the potential of live streaming videos of classes and videos featuring their clients' favourite instructors.
Some fitness studios, such as Barre3, are putting classes online to widen their appeal
Barre3, the ballet-based workout in New York, has a subscription-based fitness video service via its website to allow members to exercise from the comfort of their own homes.
Standalone services, such as Flex TV, which provide online access to live high-intensity interval training workouts and yoga classes, are popping up too.
So the traditional workout video on tape or DVD has adapted to a world in which people are more used to streaming entertainment over services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube. Declining DVD sales bear this out.
"Fewer people are buying DVDs and it reduces the revenue opportunities for a workout video," says Mr Brill.
"The new revenue comes from advertising share, especially on YouTube, and from sponsorship for those with a large enough social media following.
"Looking at it that way, it seems almost inevitable that the fitness vloggers will triumph." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39947943 |
Epsom Derby: Joint-favourite Cracksman leads way for John Gosden - BBC Sport | 2017-06-03 | null | Trainer John Gosden hopes Cracksman will emerge as a "diamond in the rough" in Saturday's Epsom Derby. | null | Last updated on .From the section Horse Racing
Dates: Coverage: Commentaries on BBC Radio 5 live; results and reports on BBC Sport website
Trainer John Gosden hopes joint favourite Cracksman will emerge as a "diamond" on Saturday in what he says will be a "terribly open" Epsom Derby.
Cracksman is one of five runners for Newmarket-based Gosden, who teams up with Frankie Dettori again after victory in the Oaks with Enable.
Gosden also runs Crowned Eagle, Glencadam Glory, Pealer and Khalidi, while Aidan O'Brien has six runners.
Derby outsider Diore Lia was ruled out on Saturday after pulling a muscle.
Apprentice jockey Paddy Pilley was to ride Diore Lia after Gina Mangan was barred from riding the 500-1 shot by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on Wednesday when they deemed her too "inexperienced".
• None Dettori: 'Winning Epsom Derby is the best feeling ever'
Victory for Cracksman would seal Gosden a third Derby success, after Benny The Dip in 1997 and Golden Horn two years ago.
The son of Frankel won his only start as a juvenile at Newmarket and then beat fellow Derby contender Permian in a trial at Epsom in April.
"Cracksman has pleased me a lot, but he's light on experience," Gosden said.
"We'll probably find a champion at the end of it, but at the moment no-one can quite find that diamond in the rough.
"We like this horse a lot, but he is a different type altogether to Golden Horn, who was a very strong favourite."
Dettori said: "He is not Golden Horn by any means, but potentially he could be anything on Saturday and we will find out."
O'Brien, who has saddled five previous winners of the race but had to settle for second in the Oaks with hot favourite Rhododendron, has Dee Stakes winner Cliffs Of Moher leading his team.
"Cliffs Of Moher was a little bit slowly away [at Chester] and Ryan got him into a good position fairly quick," O'Brien said.
"He's a horse that always showed plenty of pace, so we weren't even sure about going up to a mile and a half, but he galloped out well to the line at Chester."
O'Brien's daughter Ana will ride his three-year-old colt The Anvil to become only the third female jockey to ever race in the Derby.
Another of O'Brien's horses, Finn McCool, was the only withdrawal at the final declaration stage.
The total purse is set to be £1.625m, the richest race ever staged in Britain, with the winner receiving £920,913 and prize money then paid down to sixth place, which will net £21,922. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/40140497 |
America's Cup 2017: Great Britain face New Zealand in rearranged challenger play-offs - BBC Sport | 2017-06-03 | null | Great Britain will face New Zealand in the America's Cup semi-final on Monday after Sunday's race was postponed. | null | Last updated on .From the section Sailing
Race coverage: Watch highlights on BBC Two, Red Button, Connected TVs, online and BBC Sport app from 11 June.
Great Britain will face New Zealand in a rearranged America's Cup semi-final on Monday after a lack of wind caused Sunday's races to be postponed.
As the highest scoring challengers, second-placed New Zealand picked their opponents leaving Sweden to face Japan in the other play-off.
New Zealand said they chose Great Britain after studying the forecast.
"The winds simply didn't reach the required six knot strength," said regatta director Iain Murray.
"This is how it is sometimes in sailing. Here in Bermuda we have been spoilt for action so far, and today was just one of those days."
Team USA won the qualifying round with a crucial victory over New Zealand and take a one-point lead into the finals.
Holders USA advance automatically to the first-to-seven America's Cup matches - which begin on 17 June - and will have a bonus-point lead over their challengers.
The first team in each semi-final to win five races progresses to the challenger final for a chance to take on the American team.
Ben Ainslie said his Land Rover BAR team are facing "a real battle" against New Zealand but were "up for it".
Great Britain went into the final day of qualifying with an unassailable lead over bottom-of-the-table France knowing qualification was already guaranteed.
In their first race of the day, the British boat jumped Japan at the pre-start and then dealt well with the conditions to seal their fourth race win of the qualifiers before losing the final race to USA.
Elsewhere, Sweden comfortably beat France, who were eliminated on Friday - all but one of the six teams taking part in the qualifiers advanced to the play-offs.
Standings and how it works
• *Land Rover BAR (GB) started the round-robin qualifiers with two points and Oracle Team USA with one point after finishing first and second in the 2015-16 World Series
• Each team raced the other teams twice in this stage, gaining one point per victory, with the top four progressing
• Defending champions USA skip the next stage and advance automatically to the America's Cup matches. They take a bonus point with them after topping the qualifying group
What happens next?
Holders Oracle Team USA await the winners of the challenger final in the America's Cup.
The first to seven points wins the America's Cup, or the Auld Mug as the trophy is known, with a possible 13 races to be sailed on 17-18 and 24-27 June.
The America's Cup, the oldest competition in international sport, was first raced in 1851 around the Isle of Wight and has only been won by four nations. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sailing/40146247 |
Champions Trophy: Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga drops South Africa's Faf du Plessis - BBC Sport | 2017-06-03 | null | Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga drops a top-edged Faf du Plessis pull shot at fine leg in the Champions Trophy game at The Oval. | null | Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga drops a top-edged pull shot by South Africa's Faf du Plessis in the Champions Trophy game at the Oval.
Available to UK users only. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/40143890 |
Leo Varadkar profile: Ireland's youngest PM - BBC News | 2017-06-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | There is much more to Leo Varadkar than his age, Indian heritage and sexuality. | Europe | Mr Varadkar has come to embody the liberalisation of a country
There have been plenty of international headlines about Leo Varadkar's rise to the top of Irish politics.
Almost all focus on the fact that the Republic of Ireland now has a half-Indian, openly gay prime minister.
Mr Varadkar has come to embody the liberalisation of a country which was once regarded as one of the most socially conservative in Europe.
But, in Ireland, Mr Varadkar's sexuality and ethnic background have not been particularly prominent.
He took over as taoiseach (Irish prime minister) on Thursday, having won the race for the leadership of Fine Gael - the biggest party in the country's ruling coalition.
The leadership contest focused primarily on socio-economic issues and the defining challenges for Mr Varadkar will be how to build on the Republic of Ireland's recovery from the financial disaster of several years ago, and how to manage Brexit.
Mr Varadkar was born on 18 January 1979 in Dublin.
His father Ashok - a doctor from Mumbai - met his mother Miriam, an Irish nurse, while they were both working in Slough in Berkshire.
Mr Varadkar followed his father into medicine
They settled in Ireland in the 1970s.
The country Mr Varadkar grew up in was very different to today.
Until the 1990s, homosexuality and divorce were illegal.
There were few immigrants, and the Republic of Ireland was one of the poorer members of the EU.
Mr Varadkar followed his father into medicine.
He became a councillor aged 24 and, in 2007, he was elected to the Irish parliament, Dáil Éireann.
The so-called Celtic Tiger was a global phenomenon - low corporate tax rates and financial deregulation meant the Irish economy became associated with Apple and Google rather than just agriculture and Guinness.
But the economy crashed amidst the worldwide financial crisis - and Ireland had to accept a £71bn international bailout.
In the aftermath, Fine Gael came to power at the head of a coalition in 2011.
Mr Varadkar was appointed minister for transport, tourism and sport - and then health minister.
In 2015, he came out as gay in an interview with the Irish national broadcaster RTÉ
More recently he has run Ireland's welfare system.
He has built up a high media profile - descriptions of him as a "sharp-shooter" and "straight-talker" are common.
In 2015, he came out as gay in an interview with the Irish national broadcaster, RTÉ.
He said: "It's not a big deal for me any more. I hope it's not a big deal for anyone else - it shouldn't be."
A few months later, Ireland voted in a referendum to legalise same-sex marriage.
When Enda Kenny announced his retirement as taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, Mr Varadkar's supporters launched a "shock-and-awe" strategy which saw most of the party's parliamentarians endorse him within 48 hours.
His opponent, Housing Minister Simon Coveney, was never able to recover.
But he did express "deep concern" at the direction in which his rival would take Fine Gael - suggesting Mr Varadkar's economic policies would pull the party to the right.
Mr Varadkar said Fine Gael should represent those "who got up early in the morning".
He went on to say he was talking about "people working in the public and private sector, the self-employed, carers getting up to mind loved ones, parents getting up to mind children".
But Fine Gael's political enemies have tried to portray him as a rightwing ideologue - pointing to a recent campaign against benefits cheats.
Mr Varadkar's predecessor, Mr Kenny, stood down a year after an election result in which Fine Gael lost seats, and could only form a minority government.
Now officially installed as premier, he is, at 38, the country's youngest prime minister.
He faces what Mr Kenny has described as the biggest challenge the Irish state has ever had - the departure of its nearest neighbour from the EU.
But Mr Varadkar has an internationalist outlook - seeing himself in the same mould as the French President Emmanuel Macron or the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - a youthful, dynamic, centrist leader.
His potent political brand has taken him far- but his toughest tests are still to come.
• None Irish health minister says he is gay | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40134140 |
British and Irish Lions 2017: Owen Farrell leads race for 10 jersey, says Guscott - BBC Sport | 2017-06-03 | null | Owen Farrell has edged ahead of Johnny Sexton in the race to be the Lions' Test fly-half, says legend Jeremy Guscott. | null | In the opening match of the tour of Australia four years ago, the Lions won 59-8.
On their last visit to New Zealand back in 2005, the Lions scored two tries in the first six minutes of their first match on Kiwi soil.
So I was surprised by the heavy weather the Lions made of their 13-7 win over the Provincial Barbarians in Saturday's tour opener.
It was a very scratchy performance. The players seemed like strangers, struggling to get to know each other and work out how they should combine.
Of course the Lions might have had limited preparation time, but the Provincial Barbarians side had only been together for a week or so.
That instinctive handling and offloading game might be part of the Kiwi DNA but the Lions are a team of seasoned internationals.
Individually there were some bright spots. Prop Kyle Sinckler, number eight Taulupe Faletau, flanker Ross Moriarty and centre Ben Te'o took their chance to impress.
Flanker Justin Tipuric and prop Mako Vunipola played with energy and intensity off the bench
But some players need to sharpen up their act.
At full-back, Stuart Hogg looked tense. His sparkling attacking play earned him the Six Nations player of the tournament award in each of the past two seasons.
But against the Provincial Barbarians he was forcing things, attempting a moment of magic as soon as he got hold of the ball.
Second row Iain Henderson and centre Jonathan Joseph just didn't get into the game enough.
On a Lions tour - particularly these ones with a short run-in to the Test series - you have to go looking for the ball. If you wait for the game to come to you, the whole trip can pass you by.
Scrum-half Greig Laidlaw was decent. But he did what we know he can do and no more. He organised well, but rarely is he going to make a break. He was flagging at the end and was not whip-sharp with the pass.
Perversely, however, that underwhelming performance will be quite positive for the squad.
There are 18 players who weren't involved at all in the game on Saturday. The likes of Leigh Halfpenny, George North and Conor Murray will know that some of their rivals for a Test place have missed an opportunity and that they can stake their own claim against the Blues in midweek.
The battle for the 10 jersey
Warren Gatland's decision over the team's fly-half might be the one that defines the tour.
The two main contenders were in competition and, even on the back of 20 minutes as a replacement, Owen Farrell is now the man in possession.
It is a very different prospect coming on after an hour or so when a lot of the hard work has already been done, especially against a side such as this which was high on enthusiasm but low on real top-class quality.
But Farrell made such a difference, just because Johnny Sexton was so average.
Like Hogg, Sexton seemed stifled by the expectation. At Leinster he is used to being the main man in team talks and on the field. He sets the mood music for that side and when you are not playing at your best that is a burden.
Farrell is part of a Saracens set-up that functions like a well-oiled machine.
He kept it simple, getting into organisational mode, zipping off a couple of good passes in the build-up to Watson's score and putting up a good tactical kick from which Rhys Webb almost scored.
There is still a long way to go, but Sexton is playing catch up after the opener.
The template to beat the All Blacks
The good news for the Lions is that you don't have to do anything wonderfully different to beat the All Blacks tactically.
But your standards have to be skyscraper high in everything you do - ruthlessly accurate, relentlessly intense and with the strictest self-discipline to keep the penalty count down.
That was what England did when they won at Twickenham in 2012 and Ireland did in Chicago in 2016.
On both occasions they put the All Blacks under such pressure that the world champions eventually cracked and lost.
Some have been tempted to see if Sexton and Farrell could combine with one at fly-half and the other at inside centre.
To base a Test team around that would be a coaching decision from way out of leftfield by Gatland - particularly given the limited preparation time and the fact that a dual playmaker set-up is not one that he has ever really tried with Wales.
To rattle the All Blacks, you have got to have momentum. Both England and Ireland had powerful ball carrying inside centres - Manu Tuilagi and Robbie Henshaw respectively - in their famous wins over New Zealand.
That is not a template that you can fit both Sexton and Farrell into.
Modern sides are so much more drilled than teams in the past, they have a thick playbook of pre-cooked moves and will have had endless talks through what they should do in certain scenarios.
That makes them stronger overall but it can mean that they end up looking to the sidelines for direction.
With a lot of the great touring sides, the players worked it out themselves. It was the case when the Lions won their only series in New Zealand back in 1971.
Coach Carwyn James told the players to express themselves and helped them come up with solutions themselves rather than instructing them on what to do.
It was the same on the victorious Lions tours I was on with Sir Ian McGeechan as coach in 1989 and 1997.
The class for 2017 have to take responsibility to come up with the answers as well. Otherwise the team can stall. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40144261 |
Novak Djokovic survives scare to reach French Open fourth round - BBC Sport | 2017-06-03 | null | Champion Novak Djokovic survives a third-round scare at the French Open to beat Argentine Diego Schwartzman in five sets. | null | Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Coverage: Listen to live radio commentary and follow text coverage of selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic survived a third-round scare at the French Open to beat unseeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman in five sets.
The Serb came back from two sets to one down to win 5-7 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-1.
Djokovic, 30, finished strongly despite making 55 unforced errors and arguing with umpire Carlos Ramos over a conduct warning.
The second seed goes on to face Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who beat France's Lucas Pouille.
• None Agassi to keep working with Djokovic
The presence of new coach Andre Agassi has yet to inspire Djokovic to rediscover the form that made him a seemingly untouchable world number one this time last year.
An erratic performance saw the 12-time Grand Slam champion hit 21 errors in relinquishing a 4-1 lead in the first set.
However, Agassi's unexpected arrival midway through the second set apparently inspired Djokovic to a break of serve.
"I was focused on the screen and I saw obviously people reacting when he arrived," said the Serb.
"He was not supposed to be here today, because we have finished yesterday with our in-person collaboration here in Paris.
"I appreciate that. I respect that very much that he managed to do things and move his commitments around so he could come and watch."
That late break in the second appeared to have settled the world number two, but Schwartzman - playing his first ever third-round match at a Grand Slam - was his equal throughout the third.
The 5ft 7in Argentine then broke serve for a 5-3 lead and remarkably recovered from 0-40 to serve out the set.
With the crowd now excited by the prospect of an upset, Djokovic finally took a firm grip on the match by quickening the pace and shortening the rallies.
It was not plain sailing, however, and despite racing into a 4-0 lead in the fourth set, Djokovic became embroiled in a row with umpire Ramos after receiving two warnings in a game - one of slow play, the second for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Clearly annoyed, the champion retained his focus on the job in hand and reeled off 12 of the last 14 games as dark clouds above threatened to delay his progress.
"Playing a five-setter at this stage is good," added Djokovic.
"I enjoyed playing, really, even though of course at times I was not playing my best, especially for first three sets, but fourth and fifth sets went completely my way."
• None The victory was Djokovic's 58th in the French Open and means he ties Guillermo Vilas in third place on the all-time list for most matches won at Roland Garros. He has a 58-11 win-loss record behind Rafael Nadal (75-2) and Roger Federer (65-16) while Vilas recorded 58-17. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/40134827 |
Champions Trophy: Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir shine in South Africa win - BBC Sport | 2017-06-03 | null | South Africa come through some tricky moments to see off Sri Lanka by 96 runs in their Champions Trophy opener at The Oval. | null | Last updated on .From the section Cricket
South Africa came through some tricky moments to see off Sri Lanka by 96 runs in their Champions Trophy opener at The Oval.
Hashim Amla stroked a calm 103, but some disciplined Sri Lanka bowling kept the Proteas to 299-6.
Niroshan Dickwella then made 41 from 33 balls to make the chase seem possible.
But after he fell, Sri Lanka lost eight wickets for 98 runs to be bowled out for 203, with leg-spinner Imran Tahir taking 4-27.
World number ones South Africa are favourites to progress from Group B, alongside India, who play Pakistan at Edgbaston on Sunday.
• None Watch all the highlights from South Africa's win against Sri Lanka
On a sluggish surface, South Africa failed to fully capitalise on Amla's 25th ODI ton.
Opting to bowl first, Sri Lanka adapted well to the conditions, restricting South Africa to only six fours and one six in the first 20 overs.
The pressure they created could have earned more rewards, but Lasith Malinga failed to get a hand on a Faf du Plessis top edge when he was on only eight.
Du Plessis made 75 in a second-wicket stand of 145 with Amla, who worked the ball off his pads and guided it behind square on the off side with the minimum of fuss.
However, the Proteas were unable to fully accelerate and Du Plessis' edge behind from the impressive pace bowling of Nuwan Pradeep was the first of four wickets to fall for 43 runs.
It took the late hitting of JP Duminy, whose 20-ball 38 included 10 runs from the final two balls of the innings, to set Sri Lanka a target of 300.
That mark seemed well within reach when the energetic Dickwella was swatting the ball all around The Oval.
The left-hander played whips and drives to some ordinary South Africa pace bowling until he sliced Morne Morkel to third man.
His exit allowed South Africa to squeeze through the brilliant fielding of AB de Villiers and excellent bowling of Tahir.
First De Villiers leapt to remove Kusal Mendis with a one-handed catch at mid-on, then, in Tahir's first over, the South Africa skipper produced a stunning swoop and throw to run out Dinesh Chandimal. Three balls later, Tahir trapped Chamara Kapugedara lbw.
Upul Tharanga, captaining Sri Lanka in place of the injured Angelo Mathews, remained, but when he was caught at deep cover off Tahir for 57, the contest was effectively over.
Tahir underlined South Africa's dominance with a direct hit from mid-on to run out Suranga Lakmal, and it was his bowling that completed the Proteas' eighth successive win against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka captain Tharanga has been suspended from the next two Champions Trophy matches after his side were found guilty of a serious over-rate offence.
Sri Lanka were ruled to be four overs short of their target when time allowances were taken into consideration.
Tharanga pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
He will miss the matches against India on 8 June and Pakistan four days later, while each of his players were fined 60 per cent of their match fee.
'It doesn't matter about winning pretty' - what they said
South Africa captain AB de Villiers: "It wasn't as true a wicket as the England v Bangladesh game so I was happy with our total.
"I thought Sri Lanka could chase it down, but also thought we should have enough. Hashim is a great asset to have. He's a great team man who contributes so much in the changing room, as well as scoring all those runs."
Sri Lanka captain Upul Tharanga: "We bowled well. We kept them down below 300, which is a good effort. We have to come back strongly against India, especially with our batting."
Man of the match Imran Tahir: "Every time I put this jersey on, I feel honoured. I'm working hard and I hope this form continues in the tournament. We stuck to our plans today and won and that's very pleasing and encouraging."
Former England batter Ebony Rainford-Brent on TMS: "Sri Lanka could have taken this deeper, but South Africa were very good. In tournament cricket, it's about building momentum. It doesn't matter about winning pretty. They shut Sri Lanka down today and move on to the next match." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/40145891 |
Sergio Ramos: Real Madrid defender says they have 'appointment with history' - BBC Sport | 2017-06-03 | null | Real Madrid have an "appointment with history" when they face Juventus in the Champions League final on Saturday, says Sergio Ramos. | null | Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC website - and commentary on Radio 5 live from 19:00 BST
Real Madrid have an "appointment with history" when they face Juventus in the Champions League final in Cardiff on Saturday, says captain Sergio Ramos.
Eleven-time champions Real are aiming to become the first team since AC Milan in 1989 and 1990 to retain the trophy.
Italian side Juventus are looking to win the crown for the third time, while Real can extend their own record.
"We never dreamed of this opportunity but the stats are there," said Spain international defender Ramos.
"It is a wonderful chance to take the cup home, then history speaks for itself. We are extremely excited about the chance to have two successive Champions League trophies.
"We have been very solid. Every time we have had the chance to fight for a trophy, we have done that. We are going to be extremely focused, very concentrated so we make as few mistakes as possible."
'We will see a great final'
Real Madrid won La Liga ahead of Barcelona this season and have scored 169 goals in all competitions this season.
In a repeat of the 1998 final, which the Spaniards won 1-0 in Amsterdam, Real come up against a side who are unbeaten in this season's competition
Boss Zinedine Zidane, who played for opponents Juventus between 1996 and 2001, said: "We know all about pressure at Real Madrid.
"We are not favourites, nor are Juventus. It is 50-50. But we are in the final again, and everything is possible. I expect an open game on both sides.
"I have lived and been at Juventus, in Italy there is the famous Catenaccio, but Juve do not just have that.
"We are going to try to play our game, we know we are going to play against a great team. What everyone who likes football wants to see is to see a great final - and I think we will see that."
Zidane must decide whether to choose between Gareth Bale and Isco in what seems like his only selection issue before Saturday's Champions League final.
Bale has not played since 23 April but is fit, while in-form Isco has scored five goals in his last eight games.
"I am not going to tell you who is going to play on Saturday," said Zidane.
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri also has a fully-fit squad to choose from. His side defeated Monaco 4-1 on aggregate to reach their second final in three seasons.
Real knocked out city rivals Atletico with a 4-2 aggregate win and are looking to defend the title they won last year.
'We need to win'
Treble-chasing Juventus clinched a record sixth consecutive Serie A title this season and beat Lazio in the Italian Cup.
Juve have been European Cup winners twice, in 1985 and the last in 1996, but have been defeated finalists on six occasions, most recently against Barcelona two years ago.
They have conceded just three goals in 12 games so far, while Real have scored in every single one of their 12 games - a total of 32 goals.
Manager Allegri said: "We have worked hard all year and the wins this season have been all about reaching this game. But on Saturday we need to win and we need to understand when will be the moments to attack and when to defend.
"We have to have the belief that we can bring the cup home and we have to be fiendish to strike when Real offer us an opening."
Massimiliano Allegri has done a great job at Juventus and has continued the work of Antonio Conte since arriving in Turin in 2014. He has been able to create a strong team spirit and is currently one of the best managers in Europe.
I had the privilege of playing alongside Zinedine Zidane in Italy for two years. He was a fantastic player with amazing technical skills and a strong personality. I was his room mate in hotels before games so I had an opportunity to know him very well.
I expected him to be a great manager because he has all the skills to do the job. I did not expect him to achieve great results so soon though. He has been doing an excellent job for Real Madrid.
Juventus full-back Dani Alves, 34, could win the competition for the fourth time, while 39-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is looking to triumph for the first time and in turn become the oldest winner of the tournament.
Alves, who played in that match for the La Liga side, said: "A player as important and big as Gigi, to not have this trophy, it would not really change much in his career but it would add one more page to his wonderful football history if he won. To win the title with him would be quite something for me before he retires.
"I am not a person who thinks about himself. If everything around me is fine, then I am fine too. The objective is for the whole team to win and for me to be up to the level of my colleagues."
World Cup winner Buffon announced in January 2016 that he will retire from football after the 2018 World Cup and this may be his last shot at winning Europe's elite club competition.
He said: "Dani is a bit like me, he is an optimist. He told me 'I will make you win the Champions League' and he has been a revelation for me. Real Madrid are used to winning finals, we have lost quite a number of them. It is a good match and we will try to overturn our record.
"The emotions I might feel may be different to a younger player. Dani has won this competition and has four or five years left in his career but I have to exclude this possibility. Yes, it will be much more special for me, but I want to play without regrets and without thinking of these issues."
June 2016: Ronaldo's Euro 2016 campaign did not start well - 20 shots, zero goals for Portugal. But a superb, flicked finish against Hungary in the group stages made him the first player to score in four different European Championship finals
Italian football might have looked very different over the last two decades if an impressionable 12-year-old had not been captivated by the Cameroon goalkeeper at the 1990 World Cup.
Buffon played as an attacker back then but the performances of Thomas N'Kono - playing in his third World Cup - inspired him to try life as a goalkeeper.
• None This is the 19th encounter between Juventus and Real Madrid - all in the European Cup/Champions League, making this the second-most played fixture in the history of the tournament after Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (24).
• None Juventus and Real Madrid have eight wins each and two draws. However, their only previous meeting in the Champions League final saw Real Madrid win 1-0 in 1998 thanks to a Predrag Mijatovic goal.
• None Real Madrid have reached the European Cup/Champions League final for the 15th time, four more than any other club (AC Milan have reached 11). They've won 11 of the previous 14 - again more than any other team in history.
• None Juventus have won only two of their eight European Cup/Champions League finals. They have lost their last four - in 1997, 1998, 2003 and 2015. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40138302 |
France's Emmanuel Macron: Birth of the anti-Trump? - BBC News | 2017-06-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Is the new French president the man the world's liberals have been waiting for? | Europe | Emmanuel Macron has just won the rare distinction of being the most re-tweeted French person in history.
In less than 24 hours, his Trump-defying message "make our planet great again" was shared more than 140,000 times, easily ousting the previous record-holder, the rather less high-minded TV presenter Cyril Hanouna. One fifth of the re-tweets were in the US.
It is proof yet again that what we witnessed from the Elysee on Thursday was a master class in communications.
In giving his TV reaction to the US president, not only did Macron break brazenly with longstanding convention, according to which French presidents never speak publicly in English, but he even had the chutzpah to subvert the US leader's personal campaign slogan.
"Make our planet great again" was a provocation dressed up as a call to virtue. As a catchphrase for the faithful, it was irresistible.
By tweeting it, Macron took one more step down his road to investiture as that long-awaited international figure: the anti-Trump.
The French leader has a growing fan club: in France, the US and across the globe, among people who see him as the polar opposite, the perfect antithesis of his counterpart in the White House.
These people love the fact that with the arrival of Macron, the existing order appears to have been turned on its head.
It used to be France that was old, inward-looking and incapable of regeneration, and America that was the land of youth, energy and leadership.
But where is that caricature now?
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Donald Trump's handshakes with world leaders, including President Macron, have been closely watched
And they adore the way that Macron had the nerve to face down Trump in the Brussels handshake. At last, they feel, we have a champion with the guts and the conviction to challenge the Trumpian order.
Macron himself never planned any of this. When he first thought of running for the presidency, the chances of a Trump in the White House seemed too ludicrous to contemplate.
But not for the first time, the stars seem to have aligned for France's boy-prodigy.
Just as in domestic politics doors seemed to open miraculously for President Macron, so in the world of international affairs shifts of power and ideology are also working in his favour - for now.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. French President Emmanuel Macron says Paris agreement will "make the planet great again"
The tilt towards nationalist interests exemplified by Trump's America has created a clear leadership space for someone who will fly the other flag. Providential or not, Macron has come to power just as a reaction sets in against the populist tide of the last few years - and he is poised to reap the reward.
With its perpetual harping on about ideals and morals, France's capacity to irritate is prodigious. Perhaps it will not be long before Macron loses his touch and the world starts panting for his comeuppance.
But right now, with Trump in the White House, French preachiness doesn't appear to raise as many heckles as it used to. Having a quotable charmer for a president certainly helps. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40140113 |
Seven stars who refused to be body shamed - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | From Jennifer Lawrence to Vin Diesel - the celebrities who fought back against the shamers. | Entertainment & Arts | Chloe Moretz wasn't happy with the way her Snow White film was advertised
Stories about "body shaming" are nothing new - but more and more celebrities are starting to fight back against the trend.
Earlier this week, actress Chloe Moretz said she was "appalled and angry" over the marketing for her new animated Snow White film.
A poster for Red Shoes & The 7 Dwarfs showed a tall woman next to a shorter, heavier version of herself.
The caption read: "What if Snow White was no longer beautiful and the 7 dwarfs not so short?"
After plus-size model Tess Holliday tweeted a photo of the poster, Moretz apologised to her fans and said she hadn't approved the marketing.
The film's producers withdrew the ad campaign.
And last week, Modern Family actress Sarah Hyland took to social media after suggestions she looked anorexic in a recent photo.
Here are seven other stars who hit back after criticism over the way they look.
Lady Gaga came in for criticism after she wore a crop top during her performance at this year's Super Bowl.
More than 100 million people watched the legendary half-time show worldwide, but some made cruel remarks about her stomach and said she "wasn't fit enough".
The singer took to Instagram to respond with an empowering message to her fans.
"I heard my body is a topic of conversation so I wanted to say, I'm proud of my body and you should be proud of yours too," she said.
"I could give you a million reasons why you don't need to cater to anyone or anything to succeed. Be you, and be relentlessly you."
The comedian and actress has memorably taken on body shamers on more than one occasion.
When the advert for her film Trainwreck was released in 2015, one critic referred to her as a new member of director Judd Apatow's "Funny-Chubby Community".
Posting a photo of herself almost naked on Twitter, Schumer wrote: "I am a size 6 and have no plans of changing. This is it. Stay on or get off. Kisses!"
At the end of 2016, she responded to social media "fat shamers" who questioned whether she was an appropriate choice to play Barbie in a forthcoming film.
Alongside a photo of herself in a swimsuit, she said she was honoured to be considered to play "an important and evolving icon".
"Is it fat shaming if you know you're not fat and have zero shame in your game?" she asked.
"I don't think so. I am strong and proud of how I live my life and say what I mean and fight for what I believe in and I have a blast doing it with the people I love.
"Where's the shame? It's not there. It's an illusion. When I look in the mirror I know who I am."
In 2016, the singer made her record label take down the new video for her Me Too single after she noticed she'd been digitally altered.
Or to use her words, "they photoshopped the crap out of me".
Trainor took to Snapchat to tell her fans: "I'm so sick of it, and I'm over it, so I took it down until they fix it."
She added: "My waist is not that teeny, I had a bomb waist that night. I don't know why they didn't like my waist, but I didn't approve that video, and it went out for the world, so I'm embarrassed..."
A day later, the video reappeared with Trainor restored to her rightful size.
In March this year, the star and creator of HBO's Girls responded to criticism about her recent weight loss.
Dunham had attracted headlines about her dramatic new look. But in a lengthy Instagram post which referred to her struggle to control her endometriosis, she said: "My weight loss isn't a triumph and it also isn't some sign I've finally given in to the voices of trolls."
The actress said she had made it clear over the years that she didn't care what anyone else felt about her body.
"I've gone on red carpets in couture as a size 14. I've done sex scenes days after surgery, mottled with scars. I've accepted that my body is an ever changing organism, not a fixed entity - what goes up must come down and vice versa."
Back in 2013, Jennifer Lawrence said she thought "it should be illegal to call someone fat on TV" after red carpet criticism of her own figure.
Speaking to US host Barbara Walters, The Hunger Games star said she was worried about how the media's attitude affected young people.
"The media needs to take responsibility for the effect that it has on our younger generation, on these girls who are watching these television shows, and picking up how to talk and how to be cool," Lawrence said.
She added: "I mean, if we're regulating cigarettes and sex and cuss words, because of the effect they have on our younger generation, why aren't we regulating things like calling people fat?"
The actress, who won an Oscar for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook, had previously spoken out against gossip magazines and TV shows which criticise the way women look.
She told the December 2012 issue of Elle magazine that "in Hollywood, I'm obese. I'm considered a fat actress".
The Titanic star and Oscar-winning actress has spoken on occasions about how she was bullied at school and called "Blubber".
"I was even told that I 'might be lucky with my acting, if I was happy to settle for the fat girl parts'," she said during a speech this year for the WE charity at London's Wembley Arena.
"I felt that I wasn't enough, I wasn't good enough. I didn't look right... and all because I didn't fit into someone else's idea of 'perfect.' I didn't have the perfect body."
The star said her love of acting meant she was always auditioning for roles - however small.
"I would often get cast as the crocodile, or the scarecrow, or the dark fairy, I was even a dancing frog once. But it didn't matter. I still loved it... I wanted to be great and I was determined to keep learning."
Kate, who made her film debut aged 17 in 1994's Heavenly Creatures, shot to global stardom three years later as Rose in James Cameron's blockbuster Titanic.
She said: "The most unlikely candidate, Kate from the sandwich shop in Reading, [was] suddenly acting in one of the biggest movies ever made!"
It's not just women who get criticised for how they look.
Vin Diesel found that out in 2015 after the publication of unflattering pap shots of him shirtless in Miami. Some comments on social media referred to his "dad bod".
The Fast and Furious star responded by posting a photo on Instagram which showed off his muscular physique.
He said one journalist, during an interview for his film The Last Witch Hunter, had even asked to see the "dad bod".
"Haha," Diesel wrote. "I am wondering if I should show the picture... Body shaming is always wrong!"
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/40132608 |
French Open 2017: Defending champion Garbine Muguruza & Venus Williams out - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Defending champion Garbine Muguruza is unhappy with a "really tough" crowd after defeat by home favourite Kristina Mladenovic at the French Open. | null | Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Coverage: Listen to live radio commentary and follow text coverage of selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online.
Defending champion Garbine Muguruza was unhappy with a "really tough" crowd after defeat by home favourite Kristina Mladenovic at the French Open.
The Spaniard, 23, lost 6-1 3-6 6-3 on a packed Suzanne Lenglen Court which gave its full backing to Mladenovic.
Seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams' defeat by Swiss Timea Bacsinszky means a new major champion will be crowned in Paris on Saturday.
"It's a very painful defeat here in the French Open," said a tearful Muguruza.
"The crowd was really tough today. I can't really understand. I don't know how to explain.
"If you had been in my shoes on the court, I think you would have understood.
"I don't know what people were expecting. I'd rather not say anything more."
• None Brilliant Nadal into the last eight
Mladenovic, 24, served 16 double faults but came through amid a raucous atmosphere on the second show court at Roland Garros.
"I don't think that they crossed the line," she said of the crowd.
"I mean, I noticed once - and I think it was bad - when they kind of screamed between her first and second serve, but that's because they thought it's a double fault because the first serve was a let or something.
"But that's the only thing that happened. Otherwise, they were quite fair."
No Frenchwoman has won the title at Roland Garros since Mary Pierce in 2000.
Thirteenth seed Mladenovic joins Bacsinszky, Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki and Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in the last eight, with only three of the top 10 seeds still in the draw.
Muguruza, 23, left her media conference briefly because she was so upset, before returning to reveal she was glad to relieve the pressure of being French Open champion.
"I love this tournament no matter what happens," said Muguruza, who claimed not to have been distracted by Mladenovic's cries of "Forza!" after the Spaniard's errors.
"I'm going to be super happy to come back.
"Everybody is going to stop bothering me asking me about this tournament, so it's going to be a little bit like, 'Whew, let's keep going.'"
Second seed Karolina Pliskova, third seed Simona Halep and fifth seed Elina Svitolina will aim to reach the quarter-finals when they play their fourth-round matches on Monday.
Pliskova and Svitolina won their rain-delayed third-round matches on Sunday, while former world number one Wozniacki reached the last eight.
Williams, the 10th seed, fought back from 5-1 down to take the opening set against Bacsinszky.
But 27-year-old Bacsinszky broke Williams' serve in the first game of the second set as she won 12 of the last 15 games in the match.
Wozniacki, 26, reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros for the first time since 2010 with a 6-1 4-6 6-2 win over Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova, the eighth seed and 2009 champion.
Pliskova, the Czech, beat Carina Witthoft of Germany 7-5 6-1, while Svitolina of Ukraine overcame Poland's Magda Linette 6-4 7-5. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/40150388 |
Opioid crisis: The letter that started it all - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A Canadian doctor says one short letter managed to convince doctors that opioids were safe. | US & Canada | Canadian researchers have traced the origins of the opioid crisis to one letter published almost 40 years ago.
The letter, which said opioids were not addictive, was published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in 1980.
Dr David Juurlink says the journal's prestige helped fuel the misguided belief that opioids were safe.
His research found that the letter was cited more than 600 times, usually to argue that opioids were not addictive.
On Wednesday, the NEJM published Dr Juurlink's rebuttal to the 1980 letter, along with his team's analysis of the number of times the letter was cited by other researchers.
"I think it's fair to say that this letter went quite a long way," Dr Juurlink, who is head of clinical pharmacology and toxicology at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mike John said heroin is "one of the biggest challenges" facing Ohio
The original letter, titled "Addiction Rare in Patients Treated with Narcotics", was just a paragraph long. The lone evidence cited was an anecdote that out of 11,882 hospitalised patients were treated with narcotics, only four patients with no history of addiction became addicted.
This paragraph should have triggered a host of red flags, says Dr Juurlink.
The letter only described the effects on hospitalised patients, not on patients who had chronic pain and would need to take painkillers regularly. It also only described the effects of narcotics that are no longer used today - and yet it was cited by many as proof that modern drugs such as OxyContin were safe outside of the hospital setting.
"I don't think it mattered that it didn't say much, what mattered was its title and its publication, and those two things went a long way," Dr Juurlink said.
It is now widely accepted by medical researchers that opioids are highly addictive, he said. In 2016, the British Medical Journal urged doctors to limit opioid prescriptions in order to combat the overdose crisis in the US and other parts of the world.
In 2007, the makers of OxyContin pleaded guilty in federal court to "misbranding" by falsely claiming OxyContin was less addictive and less subject to abuse than other pain medications.
This week, Ohio became the second state after Mississippi to sue opioid manufacturers for unleashing "a health care crisis that has had far-reaching financial, social, and deadly consequences".
The letter's author, Dr Hershel Jick, says he never intended for the article to justify widespread opioid use, and has testified for the government about how these drugs are marketed.
"I'm essentially mortified that that letter to the editor was used as an excuse to do what these drug companies did," Jick told The Associated Press. "They used this letter to spread the word that these drugs were not very addictive."
Dr Juurlink believes that the misinformation that resulted after the letter's publication would not happen today. Back then, he said, if you wanted to read the original letter, you would need to go to a library. Many of the people who cited the 1980 letter were just plain "sloppy" he said and didn't do their diligence.
Now, it's easy to read the original 1980 letter online, as well as Dr Juurlink's rebuttal.
"It would be taken apart overnight on Twitter", he said.
There is now an editor's note on the original letter in the NEJM: "For reasons of public health, readers should be aware that this letter has been 'heavily and uncritically cited' as evidence that addiction is rare with opioid therapy." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40136881 |
French Open: Andy Murray beats Juan Martin del Potro, but Kyle Edmund loses - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Andy Murray reaches the French Open last 16 with a superb win over Juan Martin del Potro, but fellow Briton Kyle Edmund is out. | null | Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Coverage: Listen to live radio commentary and follow text coverage of selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online.
Andy Murray saw off Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro with a superb straight-set win to reach the fourth round of the French Open.
The world number one, 30, won a gripping 84-minute opening set on his way to a 7-6 (10-8) 7-5 6-0 victory.
The Scot, bidding for his first Roland Garros title, goes on to face American John Isner or Russia's Karen Khachanov.
British number two Kyle Edmund's run came to an end with a defeat by big-serving Kevin Anderson in five sets.
The South African, 31, fought back to win 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-1 6-4 in a near four-hour match.
• None Third seed Halep through to last 16
After searching for consistency in his opening two matches, Murray found something approaching his best form to win the most anticipated match of the first week.
Former US Open champion Del Potro, whose ranking has slid after injuries, posed an unusually severe test for the third round and he began strongly.
The Argentine's huge forehand drew regular gasps from the crowd, as well as what Murray later described as "a very manly grunt" from Del Potro.
But once he had levelled in a high-quality first set, Murray edged a thrilling tie-break and then dominated in arguably his best performance of 2017.
"I played some good matches at the beginning of the year, but definitely in the clay-court season, the second or third sets were the best I have played, for sure," Murray said.
He out-scored the powerful Argentine with 41 winners to 35, all the while mixing up his game with deft drop shots and sharp volleys.
The match turned late in the first set when Del Potro failed to serve it out and Murray eventually took the tie-break with his third set point, having saved four.
A distraught Del Potro slumped on the net post for most of the changeover, pausing only to smack down his racquet in anger before moments later dropping serve at the start of the second set.
"I couldn't believe that I lost that set, because I had many opportunities to win," he said.
"But this happens when you play against the number one in the world."
There was no way back, especially after the Argentine - who struggled with a groin injury on the previous round - called for the doctor.
Murray's hopes faltered only briefly when he failed to serve out at 5-4, but the Scot broke serve once again in the following game and then reeled off the last seven games in a row.
"Mentally I feel pretty good just now," he said.
"I'm happy with how the match was today. I'm working things out whilst I'm playing the matches. The really, really important part of my game is making adjustments.
"The tactical side is very important for me."
'Winning the first set gave me momentum'
After that marathon first set, the match quickly turned in Murray's favour as the Scot went on to clinch the final set in just 28 minutes.
"Whoever won that first set had big momentum," said Murray, who beat Del Potro in the Olympic gold-medal match at last year's Rio Games.
"It's slow and heavy, and coming back in these conditions is difficult.
"I thought I played some good tennis towards the end and I expected a tough match.
"It was tough. I think he was playing much better than me in the first set. Both of us hand some chances in the first set, the second set was the same. Both those sets could have gone either way."
Edmund, 22, had hoped to match his best Grand Slam run by reaching the last 16, but Anderson's greater experience told in the latter stages of a hard-fought contest.
Edmund held a slight edge in terms of ranking over Anderson, the Yorkshireman ranked nine places higher at 47th in the world, but the South African was playing in the third round of a Grand Slam for the 17th time.
By contrast, it was only Edmund's second appearance in the last 32 of a major.
"I played a good match and am disappointed to lose," said Edmund.
"I would love to win and get to the fourth round, and especially win that type of match in the fifth set like that.
"But, you know, quality by him. And he just beat me."
Anderson, who was a top-10 player before being hampered by a series of injuries, will now meet 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in the fourth round. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/40143231 |
Antoine Griezmann: Atletico Madrid forward to stay after transfer ban upheld - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Antoine Griezmann says he will stay at Atletico Madrid next season as it would be a "dirty move" to leave the club after their transfer ban was upheld. | null | Last updated on .From the section European Football
Antoine Griezmann says he will stay at Atletico Madrid next season as it would be a "dirty move" to leave the club after their transfer ban was upheld.
The 26-year-old forward had been linked with a move to Manchester United, before their interest in him cooled.
Atletico's appeal against a transfer ban for breaching Fifa rules over the signing of minors was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
"It's a hard time for the club," Griezmann told French television.
The France international told Telefoot he had decided to stay at the Spanish side after discussion with his sporting advisor Eric Olhats.
"It would be a dirty move to leave now - we talked to the leaders and we will be back for next season," he added.
Atletico, together with city rivals Real Madrid, were banned in July 2016 from registering players for two transfer windows and fined after a Fifa investigation concerning players aged under 18 who played in competitions for Atletico between 2007 and 2014, and Real from 2005 to 2014.
Both sides failed in their initial appeals to Fifa, but Real had their ban halved by Cas, while Atletico's suspension was upheld on Thursday, although their fine was reduced.
Atletico called the Cas ruling "unfair" and said it would cause "irreparable damage" to the club.
Later on Thursday, Griezmann posted a message on social media reading: "Now more than ever! #atleti #alltogether."
He had previously told French television show Quotidien there was a "6/10" chance of joining Manchester United this summer.
As Atletico cannot register new players again until 1 January 2018, it is anticipated they will offer Griezmann a new contract - his current deal includes a 100m euro (£86m) release clause. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40148890 |
The man who built his plane using YouTube videos - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Paen Long, a car mechanic from rural Cambodia, built a plane by watching YouTube videos. | Asia | Mr Long is a trained mechanic who runs his own garage
For three years, car mechanic Paen Long stayed up long after his wife went to bed each night, spending countless hours watching videos on YouTube.
But these weren't the viral clips or pop music videos that most people while away hours on. Mr Long, who lives on the side of a highway in Cambodia's rural south-east, had a singular obsession: aeroplanes.
"In the beginning, I typed in the word 'jet'," he says. From there, he was led to videos that showed planes taking off and landing, flight simulations, and virtual tours of factories that produce aircraft.
One of six children of rice farmers, Mr Long grew up in the years when Cambodia was struggling to recover from the devastation caused by the Khmer Rouge and had never been in an aircraft of any kind.
After seeing a helicopter when he was about six years old, he says, the urge to fly preoccupied his mind - for decades. "I always dreamt about aircraft every night. I always wanted to have my own plane," he says.
At first, it remained nothing more than a dream. Mr Long dropped out of school early and trained as a mechanic, one of the few non-farming professions available to young men without a high school education in his home province of Svay Rieng.
By last year his fascination with flight had taken over and Mr Long, now aged 30 and running his own garage in neighbouring Prey Veng province, decided he had saved enough money to realise his childhood fantasy.
"I started building a plane, making it in secret," he says. "I was afraid that people would make fun of me, so sometimes I worked at night."
Believing that a helicopter would be more complex to re-create than a plane, Mr Long based his design on a Japanese plane used in WWII. The one-seater aircraft, which has a wing span of 5.5m, took Mr Long almost a year to produce entirely from scratch out of mostly recycled materials.
The pilot's seat is a plastic chair with chopped-off legs, the control panel a car dashboard, and the body made from an old gas container.
Mr Long has produced many parts of his aircraft from recycled materials
The moment of truth came on 8 March. Just before 15:00, Mr Long started the plane's engine. Three people helped to push it to his "runway": a nearby dirt road leading off the main artery toward rice paddy fields.
According to villagers, about 200 to 300 people (Mr Long generously estimates the crowd size to be around 2,000) turned out to watch their first local aviator in action.
He strapped on a motorbike helmet - his only safety precaution - and sat inside the cockpit. The plane gained speed as he approached take-off before briefly lifting into the air - Mr Long says he reached a height of 50 metres - and crashing unceremoniously to the ground.
The sound of laughter greeted him on his return to Earth. "I was standing there and tears came down [my cheeks]. I felt emotional, because I couldn't bear all the things they were saying to me," he says, blaming the failure on the 500kg weight of his machine.
The setback made him more determined than ever to succeed, and he soon turned his attention to a new project. Now, he is building a seaplane - also largely from scrap materials - which he believes he can make light enough to take to the skies.
To date, his hobby has cost him thousands of dollars
No matter that his village in Prey Chhor commune is located about 200km from the ocean - once it's built, Mr Long plans to transport the new prototype back to Svay Rieng by truck and launch it from the Waiko River.
He estimates that the original model cost him more than $10,000 (£7,700) to build and, to date, he has spent $3,000 on the seaplane - no small sum in a country where the minimum wage is $153 a month and 13.5% of the population lives below the poverty line.
Not to mention the fact that Mr Long could have treated his entire family to a lavish international holiday for that amount. But, for Mr Long, it's no longer about simply flying. It's about making the impossible, possible.
"I never thought about spending money on other things," he says. "I never feel regret about spending all this money."
Mr Long's wife, Hing Muoyheng, says she worries her husband is putting himself in danger
Aside from those who mocked him, many others in the area are in awe of their eccentric neighbour. "I've never met such a person with an idea like this," says Sin Sopheap, a 44-year-old shop vendor.
"It's unusual to me," says 29-year-old Man Phary, who runs a roadside restaurant near Mr Long's house, "because among our Cambodian people, no-one [else] would do it."
Mr Long's wife, Hing Muoyheng, a 29-year-old car parts seller, says she worries about her husband's safety, particularly as the couple have two young sons, but supports him nonetheless.
"I don't know how planes work and he doesn't have any experts to help him," she says of her concerns. "I tried to ask him to stop a few times because I'm afraid, but he said he won't cause any danger, so I have to go along with his idea."
Yet although Mr Long hopes to cut the risks to himself and others by performing his July test flight over water, he's acutely aware that his flight of fancy contains a host of variables, many of them outside his control.
"Danger," he says, "we cannot predict it." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39945650 |
Stockport air disaster: The holiday flight that ended in catastrophe - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Fifty years ago a plane returning from Majorca plunged to the ground in Stockport, Greater Manchester, killing 72 people. | Manchester | The aircraft crashed in open land on the edge of Stockport town centre
Fifty years ago a plane returning from Majorca plunged to the ground in Stockport, Greater Manchester, killing 72 people. Here survivors and eyewitnesses recall what remains one of Britain's worst, but lesser-known, air disasters.
The British Midland flight was full of returning holidaymakers bound for Manchester Airport when, on the morning of 4 June 1967, it suddenly lost power and began to fall.
Terrified residents watched the aircraft hurtling across rooftops, so low they could see people inside, banging on the windows.
Moments later it crashed on a small patch of open ground at Hopes Carr, on the edge of the town centre, striking a garage building and lighting up in a ball of fire.
Of its 84 passengers and crew, 72 died and the remaining 12 were seriously injured. They included a stewardess and the captain.
"We were met with a scene of sheer horror," said retired Stockport firefighter Mike Phillips, who was 21 at the time.
The cause of the crash was found to be a problem with the aircraft's fuel lines
"There were bodies all over the place, and body parts. Members of the public were just screaming for us to do something."
The aircraft had narrowly avoided hitting rows of nearby houses, averting an even greater disaster. Incredibly, no-one on the ground was hurt.
"There was this thick black smoke," Mr Phillips said. "Hundreds of people arrived. I always say the real heroes are the civilians who got stuck in and were a real help to us.
"I saw the body of a young boy, and he just looked like there was nothing wrong with him. That stayed with me."
An air accident investigation found the cause of the crash to be "fuel starvation" due to a fault in the fuel lines and the Canadair C-4 Argonaut propeller aircraft's poor warning system.
It is still considered one of the worst air disasters in British aviation history, alongside Lockerbie in 1988 and Staines 16 years earlier.
There is evidence to suggest the pilot made efforts to steer the aircraft away from homes
Captain Harry Marlow was not blamed, and there were strong indications he made concerted efforts to steer the aircraft away from people's homes.
The former RAF display pilot suffered amnesia and never flew again. He died in 2009.
Survivor Harold Wood was 15 at the time of the crash.
Remembering the flight's final moments, he said: "We were banking quite steeply and I could see a gentleman coming out of a shop and getting into his little Anglia van and looking up at the aircraft. We were that low that I could really at that time tell you the registration.
"I thought to myself at this point 'we aren't going to make this'.
"And at this point this is where I can't remember a thing about the actual flight other than actually waking up in the aircraft itself, surrounded by flames and my brother next to me.
"I saw a hole in the side of the aircraft so I thought, right, let's get out of here."
Mr Wood's brother, Bill, also survived but his father did not.
A plaque was placed at the scene of the crash in memory of the victims
Vivienne Thornber, who was 19 and travelling with friend, Susan Howarth, remembers the plane plunging "as low as the bedroom windows".
The pair later escaped the smouldering wreckage with the help of policemen.
She said: "There was no mention of 'fasten your seatbelts' or anything like that. We were not informed that there was anything wrong and we hadn't realised until we knew that we were too low to go anywhere.
"I woke up after the impact and saw the cabin door swinging backwards and forwards.
"There were flames and I thought 'come on Vivienne, do something or else you are going to get burned alive here."
Emergency services were helped by many members of the public during the rescue effort
Charles Hunt, now aged 95, was a police inspector placed in charge of a makeshift mortuary. He had the upsetting task of dealing with the dead.
"Casualties had been brought in," he said. "They were all dead of course. There were 32 in there.
"The only two that could be identified were a little girl of about six, with hardly a mark on her body, and the co-pilot had a head injury. The rest were all burned beyond recognition.
"It was upsetting to see all the passengers' belongings. They had just been on holiday, and this was the end of it."
Another view of the wreckage shows just how close the crash came to buildings in the town
A service will be held on Sunday at the site of the crash, where two memorials stand in tribute to the victims and the rescuers.
An hour-long documentary has also been made to mark 50 years since the disaster. Six Miles from Home will be shown shown at the Stockport Plaza on 10 June, from 19:30 BST.
Aviation expert Ian Barrie, who produced the film with Roger Boden, said: "I was four years old at the time, and Roger was a boy who cycled to the scene on his bike.
"While we all grew up knowing about the plane crash, it seems to often be forgotten.
"What emerged very quickly was what a human story it was. People were sitting in their kitchens making a slice of toast, there was a huge boom, they looked outside and it was an air liner.
"It's just hard to comprehend."
An hour-long documentary has been made to mark the anniversary of the disaster
Though the flight ended in such horror, some survivors said one thing that impressed them was the response from the people of Stockport.
Ms Thornber said the messages she received while battling severe injuries were "wonderful and very, very moving".
"When I was in hospital there were a lot of letters written to me most of whom I have to say I've no idea who they were, just normal people wishing me all the best.
"The kind people at Stockport Infirmary forwarded more letters. It was just marvellous that people would even think of doing that for somebody they'd never even met." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-40095542 |
Does Trump still think climate change is a hoax? - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The president's team sows confusion when asked about Donald Trump's views on global warming. | US & Canada | For a speech about whether the US should remain a party to the Paris climate accord, Donald Trump's Rose Garden address on Thursday didn't have a whole lot of discussion about, you know, the climate.
There was plenty of talk about jobs and the US economy. He offered more than a few expressions of concern over whether other nations were being given an unfair advantage over the US. And then there was that lengthy opening plug for his presidential accomplishments that had nothing to do with the environment whatsoever.
At one point the president made a somewhat oblique reference to current climate science, asserting that even if all nations hit their self-set, non-mandatory greenhouse gas emissions targets under the Paris agreement, it would only result in a reduction of 0.2 degrees in average global temperatures by the year 2100. (The researchers who conducted the study said the number he cited was outdated and misrepresented.)
Mr Trump's relative silence on the matter has left reporters wondering whether the president still stands by earlier comments - and tweets - expressing serious scepticism about whether climate change is real.
Does he still believe it's a Chinese plot to make the US less competitive, as he tweeted in November 2012? Or that it is a money-making "hoax", as he said during a December 2015 campaign rally?"
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. President Trump says the Paris climate accord "disadvantages" US
He's occasionally backed away from such sweeping denunciations. During the first presidential debate with Hillary Clinton, he denied having ever blamed the Chinese. In a New York Times interview shortly after his election victory, he said he thinks there's "some connectivity" between human activity and climate change.
After Mr Trump announced his Paris agreement withdrawal, reporters posed the almost-too-obvious question once again to White House aides tasked with selling the move to the public. Does the president believe human activity contributes to climate change?
They asked about it during an on-background session with two administration officials on Thursday afternoon. They asked White House advisor Kellyanne Conway during a television appearance Friday morning. They asked Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt during his press conference on Friday afternoon.
Time and time again the answer was some variation of "I don't know", "I can't say" or "that's not relevant".
"We focused on one key issue," Mr Pruitt said during one of the multiple times he was pressed on his boss's views. "Was Paris good or bad for the country?"
On Tuesday Press Secretary Sean Spicer had said he didn't know the president's thoughts about climate change because he hadn't asked him. On Friday he was asked whether he had since had a chance to speak to the president.
"I have not had the opportunity to do that," Spicer replied.
The rest of the press conference was an extended parlour game to try to get the press secretary to slip and perhaps inadvertently shed some light on Mr Trump's views - to no avail.
It's clear at this point that the administration has no interest in clarifying Mr Trump's position on climate change. But why?
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Students from Hazleton, Pennsylvania, are divided on Trump Paris pullout
Confusion can often be a politician's ally. The embattled president needs his core supporters to stick with him through what could be a rough road ahead. Those who don't believe climate change is real can look at the president's past comments as proof their man still stands with them without anyone having to explicitly say so.
That allows the president to insist that he is willing to do something to address climate change - "renegotiating" the Paris accord, perhaps - without saying climate change is a problem. It allows him tell the majority of Americans who believe climate change is a real global threat that he is trying to address their concerns.
It allows administration surrogates like Mr Pruitt to tout that the US has lowered its carbon output without acknowledging the only reason this would be a noteworthy accomplishment - human activity affects the global climate.
It's a fine line to walk for even the most dextrous of White House communications teams - let alone one that has to be concerned that the next time the president is asked the question, there's no telling what he might say. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40128034 |
Reality Check: Can we be self-sufficient in renewable energy? - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron discusses his vision for renewable energy. | Election 2017 | The claim: The UK can make itself energy self-sufficient in renewables.
Reality Check verdict: This is not the policy in the Liberal Democrat manifesto, which pledges to get 60% of electricity from renewables by 2030. Being self-sufficient and having all energy coming from renewables would require considerable development of storage technology to avoid having to use non-renewable sources or energy bought from overseas as back-up sources.
In Wednesday night's debate, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said that the UK could become energy self-sufficient in renewable energy.
It came after he had said: "If it is simply for hair shirt, muesli-eating, Guardian readers to solve climate change... we're all stuffed."
Becoming energy self-sufficient in renewables is not current Liberal Democrat policy, although Mr Farron described it in a speech in February as being a "patriotic endeavour".
The manifesto says the party would: "Expand renewable energy, aiming to generate 60% of electricity from renewables by 2030."
A party spokeswoman described the leader's statement in the debate as "visionary as opposed to completely literal".
The problem with being entirely self-sufficient is that many renewable sources of energy cannot generate power all of the time (the notable exception being the burning of biomass), so if you are using a very high proportion of renewables you rely on interconnectedness (buying electricity from another country where the wind is blowing), storage (batteries in the short-term, some sort of gas storage in the longer term) or a back-up system using gas-fired power stations or nuclear energy.
The Liberal Democrat manifesto talks about investing in interconnectors, which would be unnecessary if the country was to become self-sufficient.
There are already private plans in place to increase the amount of electricity that may be bought from France via interconnectors.
It may be that when he said self-sufficient he meant that we should not have a trade deficit in energy, so it would be OK to buy energy from other countries when we needed it as long as we sold the same amount to other countries when they needed it.
While there have been suggestions that marine energy could make the UK a net exporter of electricity, being self-sufficient and generating 100% of energy from renewables is considerably more challenging than, for example, 90%, mainly because of the challenges of storage.
The development of a smart grid, which co-ordinates renewable energy supplies depending on demand, may also be needed for a 100% renewable system.
Also, while the Liberal Democrat manifesto targets 60% of electricity, Mr Farron was talking about all energy, which means, for example, that all cars have to run on renewable energy and all buildings have to be heated by it.
So in 2016, the UK generated 24.4% of its electricity from renewables, but in 2015 (the latest year available) it was only producing 8.8% of energy from renewables.
The UK has an obligation under European Union rules to derive 30% of electricity from renewables by 2020, which it is on the way to achieving (although the UK is currently scheduled to have left the EU by then). But the other two parts of the targets are 12% of heat and 10% of transport to be powered by renewables, which we are less likely to achieve.
The Labour manifesto pledges to get 60% of energy from zero-carbon or renewable sources by 2030.
The Conservative manifesto looks at it in a different way, saying that "energy policy should be focused on outcomes rather than the means by which we reach our objectives".
So they say that the focus will not be on how the energy is generated but on achieving, "reliable and affordable energy, seizing the industrial opportunity that new technology presents and meeting our global commitments on climate change".
The Green Party would have a target of near-100% renewable electricity generation by 2030 with significant investment in electric vehicles and lower-carbon sources of heating.
It supports self-sufficiency and a decentralised system of communities owning their own generation systems, but would also invest in interconnectors to allow for co-operation with other countries. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-40120184 |
I had to wait 11 days to be told of my daughter's death - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | When Sarah Jenkins saw pictures of distraught mothers appealing for information about missing children after the Manchester bombing, it reminded her of her own experience after the 7/7 attacks in London. | Magazine | When Sarah Jenkins saw pictures of distraught mothers appealing for information about missing children after the Manchester bombing, it reminded her of her own experience 12 years ago. After the 7/7 attacks in London she had to wait 11 awful days for confirmation that her daughter Emily had died. She now campaigns for victims' relatives to be kept better informed.
"Emily was my fourth child, so the baby of the family. She could be naughty sometimes, but a great joy. All children are," says Sarah.
On the morning of 7 July 2005, Emily, aged 24, was on her way to work in London.
"She was staying in North London with a new boyfriend and I had no idea she was there so I didn't really prick up my ears or alert to the fact she was missing until my older daughter rang and said, 'We're all absolutely fine, Emily's late for work.' But there was nothing new in that, she was very often late for work," Sarah says.
But when she still hadn't heard from Emily by lunchtime, she began to suspect that something might be terribly wrong.
Sarah had spent the morning drawing in Clapham, south London, and walked with an awful sickness in her stomach towards the station, where she met one of her sons. The two of them went into a bar to watch live coverage of the bombing on a large TV screen.
"The first thing you do is ring helplines," she says.
"They give you very little information because they have no information."
Every time they rang they spoke to a different person, and were asked the same questions.
Sarah was also constantly ringing Emily's mobile phone and leaving messages.
By late afternoon she and all three of her other children had gathered together, but were not quite sure what to do. They called the police, who told them to call the helpline, which they did, constantly.
"I remember phoning all through that first night - of course one didn't sleep - so I was constantly phoning the helpline to get the same, 'Have you contacted her friends?'
Her son James came up with the idea of going to the hospitals to look for Emily, but hospital staff just showed them into a room and asked to wait.
"The last thing they wanted was relatives there," Sarah says.
They also knew that Emily would have been travelling south on the Piccadilly line, so they visited King's Cross and Russell Square stations in the hope of picking up information. Again, without success.
One of the things Sarah remembers most clearly about this period, as the family waited together, was how her son Barnaby would go to buy pizza in the evening, which no-one could eat. Every day they threw away boxes of uneaten pizza. Sarah wondered what the rubbish collectors would think.
Although she knew that the helpline staff were taking her concerns seriously, she says it wasn't made clear to the family that they had been logged as a priority case. So they kept ringing back to check for information, not knowing that they would in fact have been contacted as soon there was something to report.
All this time, Sarah hoped that Emily might still be alive.
"As a mother you have that absolute thing of (a) it should have been me and (b) I should have protected her and so she must be still alive. It can't be my child who's died," she says.
After three days, Sarah's family was finally put in touch with a Family Liaison Officer. This was progress, but Sarah could still not understand why her daughter could not be identified. Emily had been carrying credit cards with her that day and a tube pass. She had been wearing a distinctive ring, and had a tattoo on her back, both of which Sarah carefully described.
"The other victims were identified slowly but not as slowly as us," she says. "Emily was the last to be identified."
Later Sarah found out that her daughter had been one of the first victims to be taken out of the tube carriage.
"The only thing that it (the bomb) had done was it had blown her legs off. She was absolutely fine apart from that," Sarah says.
Finally, a full 11 days after the bombing, the Family Liaison Officer visited the family to give them the bad news about Emily's death.
Sarah later campaigned to improve the information given to victim's families after a major incident, and worked with a government department on plans for an official website that would tell families which hospitals were treating victims, and provide help to arrange funerals and claim compensation.
She says she received a promise that the website would be launched, but after the Manchester bombing it was clear to her that little or nothing had changed.
"People were still visiting hospitals with no results. Mothers were still crying in the streets with photographs of their daughters, saying frantically, 'Has anyone seen this child?'
"I don't think anybody in the day and age of fast communication should be out on the street with a photograph of their daughter or son."
John Ramsbottom, a retired police inspector, says the length of time it takes to identify a body after a bombing has to do with the complexity of the police operation.
"Two people are key at the scene," he says.
"The first one is the Senior Investigating Officer. This person is concerned with investigating the crime and extracting from the scene all the evidence that will enable us to come to the conclusion of what happened that day. The second person at the scene is the Senior Identification Manager. They are responsible with the recovery of the dead and the identification of the dead."
Each time a body part is removed from the scene it must be properly bagged and logged, generating large amounts of paperwork.
Sarah now wears the ring Emily was wearing on the day she died
"A large number of them are going to have fragments of the bomb in them, so we've got to gather from them forensic evidence as well as identification evidence," he says.
In many cases the body parts will be moved to a temporary mortuary, where work will be done to reassemble the bodies of the dead.
The goal is to ensure that no parts are wrongly allocated, and that "the body we give back to the family is absolutely as pure as that body as we can possibly make it".
There are only four ways to definitively identify a body, Ramsbottom says - through fingerprints, DNA, dental records and surgical implants, such as a hip joint or a pace-maker with a unique serial number.
Wallets and ID documents are not considered strong enough evidence. And "if we don't know, we say nothing," he says.
"Do the police say to somebody, 'We are 90% sure we found them'? But then we leave them with 10% hope. Is it worse later if we destroy that 10% hope or not?
"That's not a legal or police question, it's a human-being question and I don't have the answer to it."
He adds: "The only thing we console ourselves with is that when we've done what we've done, we've got absolutely the right body, and that the dead person there has told their story to the police and coroner, and that story becomes part of the narrative of the incident."
Sarah understands that information can be given out only when it is confirmed to be true, and that "wrong information is worse than anything else".
But she says she is angry that families are still going through the enormous stress that she endured 12 years ago.
She would like a central co-ordinating body to be created, to provide families with information after a major incident. "But if they cannot do that, or nobody thinks it's a good idea, then I will compromise with a website."
Until that website exists, she is not going to let it lie, she says. "I expect letters back from the Home Office."
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-40132395 |
How the Six Day War brought elation and despair - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | How the 1967 Six Day War affected lives on all sides. | Middle East | Rival claims to East Jerusalem remains one of the most burning issues
From a monastery rooftop just outside Jerusalem's ancient walls there is a spectacular view of the Dome of the Rock, rising in gold above the Old City.
The author Meir Shalev was brought to this spot as a boy to look across at the Western Wall - which at the time could not be accessed by Israelis.
He would gaze at the top few bricks of this holy Jewish site while his father told him: "You will grow up, you will become a soldier and you will fight over this city."
At the time Jerusalem was divided between Israeli and Jordanian control.
It followed the 1949 armistice that divided the new Jewish state of Israel from other parts of what had been British Mandate Palestine.
For Meir Shalev's father, a well-known Israeli poet, the exclusion of Jews from their holiest sites represented a tragedy for his people.
The outbreak of war on 5 June 1967 would change many lives - and reshape that part of the Middle East.
Israel launched a pre-emptive attack on Egypt and battled Jordanian and Syrian forces the same day.
Mr Shalev was about to turn 19 - the age of his country at the time - and remembers a national mood of panic before the conflict.
"People were talking about the possibility of Israel being destroyed and us being exiled or killed," he says.
"We were very eager to fight," he remembers. "We thought: 'This is our chance'."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Meir Shalev: We cannot hold on to the West Bank
Mr Shalev found himself in action against Syrian troops on the Golan heights during a series of battles that would lead to Israel's capture of that territory.
But it was the occupation of the West Bank that he believes consumed Israel's energy - something he says it has had to "deal with" ever since its victory in 1967.
He recalls how after the war he told his father in a heated confrontation: "We took a bite we will suffocate on."
Other Israelis saw a divine purpose in the fighting to bring a return to their biblical Jewish lands.
In Jerusalem, the conflict saw Israeli troops involved in close quarters fighting with Jordanians.
Another young soldier, Yoel Ben Nun, was being transported to a checkpoint that separated control of the city.
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He speaks of surrounding the Old City at night, facing a battalion of the Jordanian Legion which rapidly retreated.
"That was a miracle," he says, recalling Israel's victory in six days.
Yoel Ben Nun told his commander at the time that he felt like two millennia of history had passed.
"The meaning was that for 2,000 years the people of Israel were in exile - persecuted, tortured, subjected to anti-Semitism. Those 2,000 years were over," he says.
"This is what I felt on the Temple Mount at the time," referring to the revered hilltop also known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif.
Yoel Ben Nun later became a rabbi and joined the movement building Jewish settlements in the West Bank - the territory that Palestinians want for a future state.
The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
For Palestinians, the war represented the loss of land following what they saw as the catastrophe of the first Israeli-Arab conflict two decades earlier.
Fatima Khadir was eight years old in 1967 when her family - whom she says were already displaced from their village in the previous war - fled Jerusalem's Old City.
She points to the side of her left eye, explaining she was injured by shrapnel from the debris of Israeli bombing.
Fatima Khadir: 'We are still suffering'
"I was looking around me, everyone was grabbing whatever they could - mothers and fathers carrying their babies and children".
She ended up with her parents in a refugee camp in the desert border area of Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Fifty years on, from her home in East Jerusalem, she speaks of her desire to return to her family's village of the 1940s.
"I still feel the hurt, pain and intolerable struggle," she says.
"We were never able to go back. I'm still hurting. We are still suffering."
The outbreak of war had been accompanied by enthusiastic, but false, radio reports of Arab success in the fighting.
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Mahmoud Erdisat was training to be a fighter pilot - and would later become a major general in the Jordanian air force.
"We were very excited that finally we would get the chance to fight the Israelis and get Palestine back," he recalls.
But he says it soon became apparent that Israel was overwhelming its opponents.
The Israeli territorial increase, claims Mr Erdisat, made it harder to negotiate a "just solution" on the issue of Palestinian statehood.
He believes the Arab defeat also had a profound impact on the way Israel's neighbours came to view themselves.
"It was a blow to Arab nationalism," he says.
But its legacy further fuelled Palestinian national aspirations.
Occupation became central to their calls to activism and militancy, placing it firmly on the international agenda for years to come.
• None Why aren't the Israelis and Palestinians talking? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40117270 |
Champions Trophy: Steven Finn replaces injured Chris Woakes for England - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Middlesex bowler Steve Finn replaces injured all-rounder Chris Woakes in England's Champions Trophy squad. | null | Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Coverage: Highlights every evening on BBC Two, ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra; in-play highlights and text commentary on the BBC Sport website
Finn, 28, who has played 69 one-day internationals, was selected ahead of Tom Curran, Stuart Broad and Toby Roland-Jones.
England's next game in the tournament is against New Zealand on Tuesday.
Victory over the Black Caps in Cardiff would put England into the semi-finals, after New Zealand's match with Australia on Friday was abandoned because of rain.
Eoin Morgan's side face Australia at Edgbaston on Saturday in their final Group A game.
Finn took 3-54 and 2-49 for England Lions in back-to-back wins over South Africa A this week, sealing victory in the three-match one-day series that concludes on Monday.
England were already likely to drop a pace bowler to make way for leg-spinner Adil Rashid, so it is now a three-way fight between Finn, Jake Ball and David Willey.
As for Woakes, he now faces a fight to be fit for the first Test against South Africa in July. When James Anderson suffered a similar injury in 2015, he was out for almost two months. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/40146313 |
Cristiano Ronaldo says that his records stack up after his fourth Champions League win - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Cristiano Ronaldo says "people can't criticise me" after his goals helped Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid side beat Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff. | null | Cristiano Ronaldo said that his "numbers don't lie" after his double helped Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid side beat Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff.
A goal in each half took the Portuguese to 105 Champions League strikes as Real became the first side since AC Milan in 1990 to win back-to-back cups.
"This is one of the best moments of my career but it seems I am able to say that every year," he said.
"People won't be able to criticise me because the numbers don't lie."
Juventus were on top for large periods of an entertaining and open first 45 minutes, as Ronaldo's opener was cancelled out by Mario Mandzukic's superb overhead kick.
But Real were dominant after the break as efforts from Casemiro, Ronaldo again, and Marco Asensio sealed a 12th European Cup win and a third in four seasons.
Ronaldo has now scored at least twice as many Champions League goals as any other player in the quarter-finals (20), semi-finals (13) and finals (4).
He has won the Champions League on four occasions and has now scored 11 more goals in the competition than Barcelona's Lionel Messi - his nearest challenger.
• None How did the players rate?
• None 'Ronaldo is in the same bracket as Pele' - BBC Radio 5 live Football Daily Podcast
Success capped an incredible start to management for former Real playmaker Zidane, who last month guided the club to a first La Liga title since 2012 and became the first French coach to win the Champions League twice.
"I feel like dancing," he said. "I consider myself a man of this house [Real Madrid].
"This club is really in my heart and we are going to enjoy this. Today is a truly historic day for Real Madrid, for all Madrid fans."
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, who has now won the Champions League three times with Real and Bayern Munich, praised the impact of Ronaldo after Zidane's side retained the trophy.
"I didn't expect that it was possible to defend this title, it is so difficult to win it once," he said. "To win it three times in four years means a lot.
"Everybody knows that Cristiano is very important. As a team we played very well in the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the final but you need a guy to score the goals and he did it again."
Veteran Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was the focus of many neutral supporters before the game, with the 39-year-old looking to win the trophy at the third time of asking.
But, as with defeats to AC Milan in 2003 and Barcelona in 2015, it was to be another loss for the Italy number one.
"We thought we had enough to win the game," he said. "It is a huge disappointment.
"I cannot explain why we played like we did in the second half. Real Madrid deserved to win in the second half. They showed their class and the attitude needed to play in this kind of game."
Coach Massimiliano Allegri was disappointed with his side's reaction to going 2-1 down to Casemiro's deflected strike but pledged to return next season and "try again".
"I don't think Juventus has reached the end of a cycle at all," he said. "Buffon will still be Juventus's goalkeeper next season and Andrea Barzagli will still be with us.
"Clearly the club knows we can improve our team if we want to achieve a higher technical level.
"We all need some rest and after the holidays we will be ready to get back with new drive and impetus. Football gives you the chance to try again next year."
Zidane has answered questions spectacularly tonight. The way he has handled the big players and the confidence he has shown in the role has been excellent. Not for once in that second half did they ever feel in danger of losing that game.
He has achieved something very special here this evening. To be the first to retain the trophy since 1990 - you can't underestimate that. It's too easy to say he's got amazing players because you have to handle them. He has and he's done it with such good style. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40147044 |
Gareth Bale: Real Madrid forward 'happy' to stay and wants more trophies - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Real Madrid Gareth Bale says he is "happy" at the club and says the team can get better after a third Champions League success in four years. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
Gareth Bale says he is happy at Real Madrid and has committed his future to the Champions League winners.
The Wales forward came off the bench after 77 minutes in Saturday's 4-1 win over Juventus in Cardiff as Real Madrid secured a third title in four seasons.
The 27-year-old, who signed a deal until 2022 in October, has been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu.
"We are winning trophies and I am happy. I have signed a long-term contract at Madrid," said Bale.
• None Listen: 'Bale will stay at Real Madrid' - former president
"My family is happy and I am happy, so yes we will continue what we are doing."
The former Tottenham player joined Real in 2013 for a then world record fee of £85m.
"It's the reason why I came to Real Madrid - to win trophies. We're enjoying winning them at the moment, so we'll continue to do so," Bale added.
"Three Champions Leagues in four seasons isn't too bad.
"I think we can get better. We are still quite young as a whole team and we have a great squad."
Bale was determined to play in the final in his home city despite still being troubled by an ankle injury.
He had surgery in November and suggested that without the Cardiff final in his sights he may have opted for a second operation.
"It's been difficult with my ankle this year," Bale said.
"I obviously came back way too early from my surgery and I suffered a bit.
"We were considering more at one point, but I've worked tirelessly hard to get back and to get ready for this game.
"I need to go on holiday and rest, and come back stronger next season - mainly for my ankle just to get it properly recovered.
"Then I'll obviously do some work in the off-season to get it stronger and ready for next season so I'll be firing on all cylinders."
Bale replaced Karim Benzema with Real leading 3-1 thanks to two Ronaldo goals and a long-range strike from Casemiro.
"I was just happy to get on for the last few minutes," Bale said.
"We just had to go for it. It's always cagey in a final but we're happy with the win.
"To play a final in your home city is incredible, but to win it is even better, a great experience.
"Cardiff has held an incredible event and we've literally not had a problem since we've been here; it's been immaculate.
"I don't think many players have won the Champions League in their home city where they were born, so it's a great memory to have."
Bale became the sixth player to lift the Champions League or European Cup in their home town, and the first since Nicolas Anelka with Real in 2000 in Paris.
The others are Angelo di Livio (Rome 1996), Alex Stepney (London 1968), and Miguel Munoz and Enrique Mateos (both Madrid 1957).
Bale also became the first Welshman to win the trophy three times - he also won it with Real last season and in 2014 - edging ahead of Ian Rush, Ryan Giggs and Joey Jones.
Bale is suspended for Wales' World Cup qualifier in Serbia on 11 June and will rest over the summer in a bid to regain full fitness, having also suffered calf problems along with his ankle injury.
"It's very disappointing to be honest, but I'll be cheering on the boys," Bale added.
"We always stick together, work as a team. We're never scared to battle and fight." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40149887 |
America's Cup 2017: Great Britain face New Zealand in rearranged challenger play-offs - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Great Britain will face New Zealand in the America's Cup semi-final on Monday after Sunday's race was postponed. | null | Last updated on .From the section Sailing
Race coverage: Watch highlights on BBC Two, Red Button, Connected TVs, online and BBC Sport app from 11 June.
Great Britain will face New Zealand in a rearranged America's Cup semi-final on Monday after a lack of wind caused Sunday's races to be postponed.
As the highest scoring challengers, second-placed New Zealand picked their opponents leaving Sweden to face Japan in the other play-off.
New Zealand said they chose Great Britain after studying the forecast.
"The winds simply didn't reach the required six knot strength," said regatta director Iain Murray.
"This is how it is sometimes in sailing. Here in Bermuda we have been spoilt for action so far, and today was just one of those days."
Team USA won the qualifying round with a crucial victory over New Zealand and take a one-point lead into the finals.
Holders USA advance automatically to the first-to-seven America's Cup matches - which begin on 17 June - and will have a bonus-point lead over their challengers.
The first team in each semi-final to win five races progresses to the challenger final for a chance to take on the American team.
Ben Ainslie said his Land Rover BAR team are facing "a real battle" against New Zealand but were "up for it".
Great Britain went into the final day of qualifying with an unassailable lead over bottom-of-the-table France knowing qualification was already guaranteed.
In their first race of the day, the British boat jumped Japan at the pre-start and then dealt well with the conditions to seal their fourth race win of the qualifiers before losing the final race to USA.
Elsewhere, Sweden comfortably beat France, who were eliminated on Friday - all but one of the six teams taking part in the qualifiers advanced to the play-offs.
Standings and how it works
• *Land Rover BAR (GB) started the round-robin qualifiers with two points and Oracle Team USA with one point after finishing first and second in the 2015-16 World Series
• Each team raced the other teams twice in this stage, gaining one point per victory, with the top four progressing
• Defending champions USA skip the next stage and advance automatically to the America's Cup matches. They take a bonus point with them after topping the qualifying group
What happens next?
Holders Oracle Team USA await the winners of the challenger final in the America's Cup.
The first to seven points wins the America's Cup, or the Auld Mug as the trophy is known, with a possible 13 races to be sailed on 17-18 and 24-27 June.
The America's Cup, the oldest competition in international sport, was first raced in 1851 around the Isle of Wight and has only been won by four nations. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sailing/40146247 |
Eden Hazard: Chelsea midfielder to have surgery on broken ankle - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Chelsea winger Eden Hazard will have surgery after breaking his right ankle on Sunday while on international duty with Belgium. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
Chelsea winger Eden Hazard will have surgery after breaking his right ankle on Sunday while on international duty with Belgium.
It is understood the 26-year-old is now back in Chelsea's care.
Hazard will miss Belgium's friendly on Monday against the Czech Republic and their World Cup qualifier against Estonia on 9 June.
The extent of Hazard's injury has not been revealed but it has been reported he will miss the start of next season.
The Belgian Football Association had confirmed on Twitter that the playmaker twisted his ankle and subsequent scans revealed a fracture.
Hazard was instrumental as Chelsea won the Premier League last season, scoring 16 goals in 36 games.
He still has three years to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge but has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40155011 |
India v Pakistan: Virat Kohli leads his side to win in Champions Trophy - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | An unbeaten 81 from captain Virat Kohli steers India to a comprehensive 124-run victory over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. | null | Last updated on .From the section Cricket
An unbeaten 81 from captain Virat Kohli helped steer India to a comprehensive 124-run victory over Pakistan in the opening match of their Champions Trophy campaign at Edgbaston.
Kohli's big hitting - allied to a more patient 91 from opener Rohit Sharma and a blistering half-century from Yuvraj Singh - saw India post a daunting 319-3 from their rain-reduced 48 overs.
Pakistan, chasing a DLS-revised target of 289 off 41 overs, lost wickets at regular intervals, with only Azhar Ali threatening a substantial score.
The result leaves India level on points with South Africa at the top of Group B, with their second of three group matches against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
Pakistan meet South Africa in Birmingham on Wednesday, their struggle to 164 all out underlining how much they will have to improve to make the semi-finals.
It was a disappointingly, one-sided ending to a match which is regarded by many as the 'biggest in sport'. India now have seven successive wins against their rivals in ICC tournaments.
• None Watch highlights of the match on BBC Two at 23:30 BST (00:40 in NI)
With 10 overs of their innings to go, India were 202-2, becalmed by smart bowling and two rain delays in quick succession.
But with Pakistan losing bowlers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz to injury and two straightforward catches going down, the India dream team of Kohli and Yuvraj were able to pile on the runs in stirring fashion.
Yuvraj, dropped badly on eight by Hasan Ali, accelerated to his half-century off just 29 balls, pulling one six from the top of off stump over deep mid-wicket and clubbing eight fours from the denuded attack.
When he fell for 53, Kohli and Hardik Pandya took over, the India captain pulling Hasan over long-on for one six and then driving the same bowler over deep extra cover for six more.
Kohli had been dropped himself on 43, but with a characteristic blend of power and panache went on to an unbeaten 81 garlanded by six fours and three sixes.
A massive 89 runs came off the last 36 balls, 72 from the concluding four overs alone, Pandya hitting Imad Wasim for three consecutive sixes in the final over and Wahab hobbling off with figures of 0-87 off 8.4 overs, the most expensive in Champions Trophy history.
Champions looking impressive once again
With all eight teams now having played one match, it is India who are unsurprisingly shaping up as the most potent threat to pre-tournament favourites England.
With power-hitters throughout the team and a bowling attack that never allowed Pakistan a realistic chance, they seldom looked in trouble on the ground where they won the trophy four years ago.
Ravindra Jadeja's left-arm spin accounted for Azhar on 50 and Mohammad Hafeez for 33, while his direct hit from backward point ran out Pakistan's other big hope Shoaib Malik for just 15.
The accuracy of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and pace of Umesh Yadav had tied Pakistan down early, with the unorthodox Jasprit Bumrah also economical on a pitch that had offered little during India's innings.
While their fielding was sometimes sloppy, the final margin was authoritative, a much-anticipated contest meandering to a close in the most one-sided fashion.
'It was a very complete game for us' - what they said
India captain Virat Kohli: "With bat and ball we were nine out of 10. In the field we were six today.
"If we tune that up to eight or nine we will be a strong side, it was a very complete game for us."
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed: "It was in control in 40 overs but we lost the plot in the last eight overs.
"I think we will sit together and talk about how to control our bowling rate and also our batting as well."
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew on Test Match Special: "A comfortable victory for India. It's a bit of a hiding, frankly.
"It's difficult to assess when games are changed around with rain breaks but that's a thumping win." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/40152548 |
London Bridge attack: What powers do the police have? - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | UK security services have a number of powers at their disposal to stop suspected terrorists, but is it enough? | Election 2017 | Following the London terror attack, which left seven people dead and 48 injured, Theresa May has said the UK must adapt to a "new trend" in terrorism.
There were 255 terrorism-related arrests in the year ending 31 March 2016, according to the latest statistics from the Home Office. The arrests led to 37 prosecutions.
In 2015, 128 terrorist and extremist prisoners were released from custody, the Home Office says.
Reality Check has been looking into the main powers the police and security services have to stop suspected terrorists.
Under Section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000 the police can stop and search a suspect if they have reasonable suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities.
It's difficult to know how many stop and searches are carried out under this power as most police forces don't separate Section 43 from other types of stop and search.
One force that does hold the data is the Met police. They say that 541 people were searched under the Terrorism Act in the 12 months to March 2016 - a rise of 32% on the previous year.
The police also have the power to search suspects even if they don't have suspicion of any links to terrorist activities.
In May 2012 the rules were tightened: the police can only carry out searches in designated places where they have reasonable grounds to believe an act of terrorism will take place.
At present anyone arrested under the Terrorism Act can be held without charge for up to 14 days.
In 2006 the law was changed in order to double the maximum period to 28 days. Only six suspects were ever held for that length.
In 2011 it reverted back to 14 days. This was during the coalition government when it was decided not to proceed with the annual vote in Parliament to keep it at 28 days. Theresa May was home secretary at the time.
In the year to March 2016, 46 people were detained under the powers - 25 of whom were charged. The longest anyone was held for was 13 days, which happened on three occasions during that year.
The police can arrest individuals who they suspect of planning an attack. Section 5 of the 2006 Terrorism Act made it a specific offence to prepare (or help others prepare) for an act of terrorism.
The maximum sentence for this offence is imprisonment for life. According to the CPS, 25 people were convicted under Section 5 in the year ending September 2016, up from 11 in the previous 12 months.
There is no specific offence for carrying out a terrorist act. If a perpetrator was arrested after committing an attack they would be charged with offences such as murder or grievous bodily harm.
It is also an offence for someone not to tell the police about someone they believe is involved in planning a terrorism act. A conviction for this offence can lead to a five year maximum sentence.
Organisations can be banned by the home secretary if they are believed to be participating, promoting or encouraging terrorism.
Being a member - or claiming to be a member - of a banned organisation can lead to a maximum of 10 years in prison and or a fine.
The Home Office says 71 international terrorist organisations are proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000.
A small number of agencies are able to carry out surveillance inside residential premises or private vehicles. The power requires authorisation by the secretary of state. The Office of Surveillance Commissioners provides independent oversight.
The security services also have the power to intercept communication data. The power is available to nine agencies, including GCHQ and MI5.
The Investigatory Powers Act, passed in 2016, compels internet companies to keep records of every website and messaging service UK-based citizens visit for a year.
Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures, or TPims, are a form of house arrest. It applies to people who are deemed a threat but cannot be prosecuted or deported if they are a foreign national. They were first introduced in 2012 and replaced controversial control orders.
Those under TPims can be subjected to electronic tagging, having to report regularly to the police and surrendering travel documents. A suspect must live at home and stay there overnight - possibly for up to 10 hours.
Electronic tags are used to monitor the movements of criminals
The suspect is allowed to use a mobile phone and the internet to work and study, subject to conditions.
In 2015, TPims were toughened by granting the ability to relocate subjects up to 200 miles away from their normal residence.
TPims initially last for one year, although they can be extended to two. It is possible for them to remain beyond the two-year maximum if there is suspicion of further terrorism activity. A breach of the TPims can lead to imprisonment.
As of November 2016, seven people were subjected to TPims - six of whom were British citizens.
Temporary Exclusion Orders (TEOs) were created by the 2015 Counter-Terrorism and Security Act. They apply to British citizens suspected of involvement in terrorist activity abroad. They are designed to stop suspects from re-entering the UK unless they give themselves up at the border.
Those subjected to TEOs are only allowed to return if they make contact with the UK authorities. If they do come back, they are likely to face either prosecution or close supervision under monitoring powers.
The Orders last for up to two years at a time and can be renewed. Breaches could lead to a prison sentence.
The home secretary applies the TEO where they "reasonably suspect that the subject is or has been involved in terrorism-related activity while outside the UK".
The government released details on its disruptive and investigatory powers in February.
In the wake of the Manchester bombing, the Home Secretary Amber Rudd confirmed they had been used once so far.
Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 gives the police the power to stop, search and hold individuals at ports, airports and international railway stations.
Initially individuals could be questioned for up to nine hours - although a change in the guidelines means it is now up to six hours. The police also have the power to inspect electronic devices such as phones and laptops.
The police do not need prior knowledge or suspicion to use Schedule 7 - although the Home Office says it's done after "informed considerations".
A total of 23,717 people were stopped under the power in the year ending June 2016, a fall of 23% on the previous year.
Despite fewer people being stopped, the number detained under the power has increased by 7%, rising from 1,649 to 1,760 in the same period. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-40152190 |
Cristiano Ronaldo after Champions League final triumph: My numbers don't lie - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Cristiano Ronaldo says his "numbers don't lie" after his goals help Real Madrid beat Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final in Cardiff. | null | Cristiano Ronaldo says his "numbers don't lie" after his goals help Real Madrid beat Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final, while Gareth Bale describes playing in his home city of Cardiff as an "incredible occasion". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40150448 |
British and Irish Lions 2017: Owen Farrell leads race for 10 jersey, says Guscott - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Owen Farrell has edged ahead of Johnny Sexton in the race to be the Lions' Test fly-half, says legend Jeremy Guscott. | null | In the opening match of the tour of Australia four years ago, the Lions won 59-8.
On their last visit to New Zealand back in 2005, the Lions scored two tries in the first six minutes of their first match on Kiwi soil.
So I was surprised by the heavy weather the Lions made of their 13-7 win over the Provincial Barbarians in Saturday's tour opener.
It was a very scratchy performance. The players seemed like strangers, struggling to get to know each other and work out how they should combine.
Of course the Lions might have had limited preparation time, but the Provincial Barbarians side had only been together for a week or so.
That instinctive handling and offloading game might be part of the Kiwi DNA but the Lions are a team of seasoned internationals.
Individually there were some bright spots. Prop Kyle Sinckler, number eight Taulupe Faletau, flanker Ross Moriarty and centre Ben Te'o took their chance to impress.
Flanker Justin Tipuric and prop Mako Vunipola played with energy and intensity off the bench
But some players need to sharpen up their act.
At full-back, Stuart Hogg looked tense. His sparkling attacking play earned him the Six Nations player of the tournament award in each of the past two seasons.
But against the Provincial Barbarians he was forcing things, attempting a moment of magic as soon as he got hold of the ball.
Second row Iain Henderson and centre Jonathan Joseph just didn't get into the game enough.
On a Lions tour - particularly these ones with a short run-in to the Test series - you have to go looking for the ball. If you wait for the game to come to you, the whole trip can pass you by.
Scrum-half Greig Laidlaw was decent. But he did what we know he can do and no more. He organised well, but rarely is he going to make a break. He was flagging at the end and was not whip-sharp with the pass.
Perversely, however, that underwhelming performance will be quite positive for the squad.
There are 18 players who weren't involved at all in the game on Saturday. The likes of Leigh Halfpenny, George North and Conor Murray will know that some of their rivals for a Test place have missed an opportunity and that they can stake their own claim against the Blues in midweek.
The battle for the 10 jersey
Warren Gatland's decision over the team's fly-half might be the one that defines the tour.
The two main contenders were in competition and, even on the back of 20 minutes as a replacement, Owen Farrell is now the man in possession.
It is a very different prospect coming on after an hour or so when a lot of the hard work has already been done, especially against a side such as this which was high on enthusiasm but low on real top-class quality.
But Farrell made such a difference, just because Johnny Sexton was so average.
Like Hogg, Sexton seemed stifled by the expectation. At Leinster he is used to being the main man in team talks and on the field. He sets the mood music for that side and when you are not playing at your best that is a burden.
Farrell is part of a Saracens set-up that functions like a well-oiled machine.
He kept it simple, getting into organisational mode, zipping off a couple of good passes in the build-up to Watson's score and putting up a good tactical kick from which Rhys Webb almost scored.
There is still a long way to go, but Sexton is playing catch up after the opener.
The template to beat the All Blacks
The good news for the Lions is that you don't have to do anything wonderfully different to beat the All Blacks tactically.
But your standards have to be skyscraper high in everything you do - ruthlessly accurate, relentlessly intense and with the strictest self-discipline to keep the penalty count down.
That was what England did when they won at Twickenham in 2012 and Ireland did in Chicago in 2016.
On both occasions they put the All Blacks under such pressure that the world champions eventually cracked and lost.
Some have been tempted to see if Sexton and Farrell could combine with one at fly-half and the other at inside centre.
To base a Test team around that would be a coaching decision from way out of leftfield by Gatland - particularly given the limited preparation time and the fact that a dual playmaker set-up is not one that he has ever really tried with Wales.
To rattle the All Blacks, you have got to have momentum. Both England and Ireland had powerful ball carrying inside centres - Manu Tuilagi and Robbie Henshaw respectively - in their famous wins over New Zealand.
That is not a template that you can fit both Sexton and Farrell into.
Modern sides are so much more drilled than teams in the past, they have a thick playbook of pre-cooked moves and will have had endless talks through what they should do in certain scenarios.
That makes them stronger overall but it can mean that they end up looking to the sidelines for direction.
With a lot of the great touring sides, the players worked it out themselves. It was the case when the Lions won their only series in New Zealand back in 1971.
Coach Carwyn James told the players to express themselves and helped them come up with solutions themselves rather than instructing them on what to do.
It was the same on the victorious Lions tours I was on with Sir Ian McGeechan as coach in 1989 and 1997.
The class for 2017 have to take responsibility to come up with the answers as well. Otherwise the team can stall. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40144261 |
London Bridge attack: Timeline of British terror attacks - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The deadly attack in London Bridge is not the first of such terror incidents in the city - or elsewhere in Great Britain. | UK | Britain has been hit by a series of terror attacks in 2017, the most recent being an attack on Muslim worshippers in Finsbury Park.
Here is a list of some major terrorist attacks and attempted terror plots going back to 1996:
A group of Muslim worshippers were hit when a van mounted the pavement and drove into them in Finsbury Park. The attack happened during the holy month of Ramadan after 00:00 BST, when many people were in the area attending evening prayers. One man, who had fallen ill before the attack, died and nine other people were treated in hospital. A 47-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences.
An attack in London left seven people dead and 48 injured. A white van hit pedestrians on London Bridge before three men got out of the vehicle and began stabbing people in nearby Borough Market. The suspects were shot dead by police minutes later.
An attack in Manchester left 22 people dead and 59 injured after a male suicide bomber targeted children and young adults at the end of a concert at the Manchester Arena by US singer Ariana Grande. The bomber, Salman Ramadan Abedi, 22, was born in Manchester to Libyan parents.
Six people, including the attacker, died and 50 people were injured in a terror attack near the Houses of Parliament. Khalid Masood mounted the pavement in a hired car and drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge. He then ran towards Parliament and stabbed a police officer to death before being shot dead by officers.
Thomas Mair shot and stabbed to death Labour MP Jo Cox in Birstall, West Yorkshire. Mair, who accessed extremist websites and was an avid reader of far-right literature, shouted: "Britain first," in the attack. He was given a whole life sentence for the murder.
A man attacked Tube passengers with a knife at Leytonstone station in east London. Muhiddin Mire shouted: "This is for my Syrian brothers, I'm going to spill your blood," before he was finally subdued. Mire, who had a history of mental illness, was jailed for life. The judge at his trial said he had been driven by "Islamic extremism".
British soldier Lee Rigby was murdered in Woolwich, south-east London by Islamic extremists Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale. The men drove into Fusilier Rigby with a car before attacking him with a knife. Adebolajo was given a whole-life term and Adebowale was jailed for a minimum of 45 years.
A failed suicide nail-bomb attack occurred at the Giraffe restaurant in Exeter. Nicky Reilly - a Muslim convert - was the only person injured when the homemade device went off in his hands in the restaurant's toilets. Reilly was found dead in Manchester prison in 2016.
A Jeep was driven into the main terminal building at Glasgow Airport in an attempted suicide attack. Five people were hurt. One of the perpetrators, Kafeel Ahmed, died about a month later from severe burns sustained in the crash. The other, Bilal Abdullah - an Iraqi-born doctor - was sentenced to a minimum of 32 years in prison.
Two car bombs were discovered and disabled in London's West End. The first was left near the Tiger Tiger nightclub - police sources said it would have caused "carnage" if it had exploded. The second was found in a Mercedes after it was given a parking ticket in Cockspur Street and towed to Park Lane.
Four attempted bombings took place exactly two weeks after the 7 July blasts. As with the previous plot, the attacks targeted the public transport system - but the devices failed to explode. In July 2007, four men were each sentenced to life imprisonment.
Co-ordinated suicide bombings targeted London's public transport system during the morning rush hour. Three bombs exploded on separate underground trains and a fourth exploded on a double-decker bus. It was the worst terror attack since the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and left 52 victims dead and 700 injuries.
A car bomb planted by the Real IRA exploded around midnight in Ealing Broadway. Seven people were injured.
The Real IRA detonated a car bomb outside BBC Television Centre in west London. The police received a warning shortly before the blast, and one London Underground worker suffered deep cuts to his eye from flying glass.
David Copeland carried out a 13-day nail bombing campaign that left three people dead and 139 injured in London. The hate-crime killings separately targeted the black, Bangladeshi and gay communities in attacks in Brixton, Brick Lane, and Soho.
A lorry carrying 1,500kg of explosives blew up in Manchester city centre. One of the biggest bombs the IRA detonated on the British mainland, it caused massive damage to the Arndale shopping centre and other buildings within a half mile radius. Nobody died but 212 people were injured. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40013040 |
How to live on an island just 20 minutes from Bond Street - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Residents of the new London City Island live less than 30 minutes away from central London. | Business | Call me pedantic, but London City Island in the capital's Docklands is not really an island at all.
A bird's eye view reveals that it is actually a peninsula, caused by an oxbow bend in the River Lea, shortly before it flows into the Thames.
But before I go too far in pricking the balloon of the marketing team that invented the island concept, it is worth pointing out that whoever named the nearby Isle of Dogs had the same problem; that too is very definitely joined to the mainland.
That said, London City Island - as I shall agree to call it - is a remarkable, if expensive, development.
There is certainly lots of water here, although at low tide there is also quite a lot of mud.
Given that it is corralled by a loop in the river, it also has the appeal of a very individual and separate place.
Hayleigh O'Farrell, head of communications at Ballymore Developments, accepts it may not be a physical island, but says, "It's got that different, kind of island feel."
It also has truly excellent transport links.
After residents walk over the footbridge to the tube station, it is just a 20-minute ride into the very centre of London, according to Transport for London's journey planner.
Within a couple of years the 12-acre island will also be home to the English National Ballet (ENB), and the London Film School. The ENB will base its production facilities there, and stage rehearsals.
Lorries will be able to drive in and out to transport sets all over the world.
For that reason Sean Mulryan, the Irish billionaire behind the development, has described it as his "island of dance".
This is no dormitory suburb. When it is fully finished, it will be a place that some say will be a spectacle in its own right.
Once the site of a margarine factory, the 1,700 flats are being built in double-quick time.
Most of the units were prefabricated in a factory in Holland, and shipped to the UK, enabling the first phase to be finished in less than a year.
"They go up like Lego," says Ms O'Farrell. "It's one of the fastest-paced constructions to go up in London."
The design is modelled after the colourful apartment blocks typical of Manhattan or Chicago.
"They are super-bold colours - so each of the bricks really pops."
So what sort of person will be living here? Given the big gym on-site, one imagines the residents being highly athletic, ballet aficionados who are pretty wealthy. The kind that spend their weekends at Glyndebourne perhaps.
"They've clearly set out to provide a very sophisticated product for what they hope will be a sophisticated - and wealthy - clientele," says property commentator Henry Pryor.
He believes most buyers will be asking the Bank of Mum and Dad for support.
"If asked to help their kids afford these kind of properties, they're going to say, 'Look, it's something that we can justify because not only does it work for you, but darling, we can come and stay there too.'"
However, the developers point out that there are 119 affordable properties in the development, around 7% of the total.
They also say that among the 650 people who've already moved in are artists, writers and animators. Presumably many of the others are wealthy bankers who work at nearby Canary Wharf, just four minutes away by tube.
"It is a young profile, a lot of people working in the area," says Ms O'Farrell.
"What really surprised us is that people have moved from all over London: 10% I think were from Battersea, and there are people who moved from Chelsea and from Tower Hamlets."
By any definition, you have to be wealthy to buy here.
Prices start at £495,000 for a one bedroom flat, rising to just over £1m.
On that basis, anyone putting down a 25% deposit of £124,000 would need to earn £80,000 to £90,000 a year to afford the mortgage.
In a market where central London house prices have fallen by 20% in a year, some experts believe such prices are now too high.
"The question is: will it suffer the same issues and challenges that so many of the shiny developments strung out along the river from Putney Bridge to Greenwich are suffering from now? Are there people who can afford to pay the prices that are being sought here?" says Mr Pryor.
He points out that many of the foreign buyers that used to inflate demand for London properties have now disappeared.
"The prices are clearly going to be incredibly challenging in this market, because they appear to be priced for buyers from 18 months ago."
Ballymore insists the flats are not over-priced.
Since launching in 2014, it says 85% of the properties have already been sold.
Ballymore is about to launch its next development nearby, close to Trinity Buoy Wharf. With its Victorian lighthouse, and surviving brickwork from old shipyards, this too is likely to become an interesting place to live - as long as it does not spoil the area's wonderful industrial heritage.
From both places the views along the river are spectacular.
"As developments go, this has been incredibly well-thought-through, and deserves every expectation that it will succeed," says Mr Pryor.
But if you want to live on a real island, London City Island may not be the place for you.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40131757 |
Champions Trophy: India's Hardik Pandya hits three successive sixes - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Watch as India's Hardik Pandya hits three successive sixes off Pakistan's Imad Wasim in the Champions Trophy game at Edgbaston. | null | Watch as India's Hardik Pandya hits three successive sixes off Pakistan's Imad Wasim in the Champions Trophy game at Edgbaston.
Available to UK users only. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/40150442 |
British and Irish Lions can't use jetlag excuse again - Ian Jones - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | The British and Irish Lions can only use the jetlag excuse once, according to All Blacks great Ian Jones. | null | Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
The British and Irish Lions can only use the jetlag excuse once, according to All Blacks great Ian Jones.
The Lions laboured to a 13-7 win against the Provincial Barbarians on Saturday, three days after arriving in New Zealand.
Head coach Warren Gatland says the players were still struggling to adjust to the time difference.
"It's an easy cop out to say these guys are jetlagged," Jones told the BBC Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
"If you go down the line of [saying it's] a scratch side, with jetlag, you can use that excuse only once on a tour, ever. You cannot go back on that.
"They have known a long time out they were going to play this game, so they had to go through their professional routines to get them into sync."
The Lions already face a decisive week on the tour, with matches against the Blues on Wednesday and the in-form Crusaders on Saturday.
The schedule has been labelled "suicidal" by former New Zealand coach Graham Henry, but Jones says the itinerary is a "non-issue."
"Let's not worry about the brutality of this tour, because they have 41 players," added Jones, who played in 79 Tests for New Zealand between 1990 and 1999.
"So that's a non-issue. Don't even worry about how tough this tour is.
"With 15 players you can call it brutal, but they have 41 players remember, and a huge medical staff, so it shouldn't be raised."
Jones played alongside Lions boss Gatland throughout the 1990s, and was coached by his fellow Kiwi when a player at Wasps at the turn of the century.
"A) because I've been coached by the guy, B) because I've played alongside the guy and know what he means, and C) because he can get things right off the field.
"When you get things right off the field, it just translates to things on the field."
The Lions have embarked on a charm offensive with the New Zealand public so far on this trip, and on Sunday visited the Waitangi Treaty Grounds for an official Maori welcome, or pōwhiri.
Despite fears the Lions are putting too much stall in off the field commitments, Jones feels embracing the Kiwi culture will be crucial to success.
"What he's doing off the field in terms of getting his players out there to meet New Zealanders, understand what New Zealand rugby is all about, learning the culture; it's 100% important," Jones continued.
"Once the Lions players get into the mind of Gats, or get into the minds of the New Zealand public and understand what rugby means to us - playing a home - I think that's actually a really important thing." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40150899 |
Secret Mexican diary sheds light on Spanish Inquisition - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The 16th-Century manuscripts had been lost for eight decades before being rediscovered at an auction. | Latin America & Caribbean | Luis de Carvajal used gold leaf from Bibles to decorate the diary
A story of torture, betrayal and persecution is captivating Mexicans almost 500 years after it happened.
The dramatic life and death of the Carvajal family in 16th-Century Mexico is in the spotlight after a decades-long search for a national treasure came to an unexpected happy ending.
Luis de Carvajal "The Young" came to Mexico - then known as New Spain - with his large, well-to-do family during the early colonisation of the Americas.
His family governed part of northern Mexico and soon made enemies, including a power-hungry viceroy keen to topple them from power.
The ambitious viceroy discovered that Luis de Carvajal was a practising Jew, a crime punishable by death in the times of the Spanish Inquisition
Older relatives had urged Luis de Carvajal to convert to Catholicism for his own safety, but he staunchly stuck to his faith.
When he was first arrested, the authorities let him off with a warning but kept tabs on him.
Far from giving up his religion, Luis de Carvajal became a leader in Mexico's underground Jewish community.
Luis de Carvajal chronicled his fall from governor to being sentenced to death in his tiny handwriting
When the inquisitors caught up with him again a few years later, he was sentenced to death. He was just 30 years old.
Before he was executed, he was tortured so badly that he revealed the names of 120 fellow Jewish people, historian Alicia Gojman explains.
His captors forced him to listen as those "heretics", which included his own mother, were tortured in the cell next to him.
"He tried to commit suicide because he couldn't cope with having told them about his family and friends, but didn't manage it," says Ms Gojman.
We know the excruciating details of Luis de Carvajal's persecution because he managed to keep secret diaries.
But these were not any old notebooks. They were painstakingly crafted, miniature manuscripts with almost microscopic handwriting in Latin and Spanish.
Some pages were intricately decorated with gold leaf he scraped from pages of a Bible.
Each of the three memoirs was no larger than a present-day iPhone, most likely so he could keep them hidden away under his hat.
The small size of the diaries meant they could be hidden easily
Luis de Carvajal wrote about being a young Jew in the New World, about exploring his heritage and practising his beliefs despite the dangers.
But much of the memoirs focus on his final tragic days before he was burned at the stake, with vivid descriptions of him falling to his knees upon hearing his mother's tortured screams as she was pulled on the rack.
Luis de Carvajal found comfort in poetry, writing verses and prayers to reaffirm his faith in the face of so much cruelty.
Luis de Carvajal's memoirs are treasured by Mexico's Jewish population as chronicles of keeping faith despite the ruthlessness of the Spanish Inquisition.
"Children who go to Jewish schools study the Carvajal family history," says Mauricio Lulka, executive director of the Central Committee for the Jewish Community in Mexico.
The history told in the diaries is taught in Jewish schools in Mexico today
For centuries, the delicate manuscripts were kept in Mexico's National Archives. They were treasured as being among the first artefacts documenting the arrival of Jews to the Americas and were studied by researchers from around the world.
But in 1932 they vanished, leading to suspicions among the small group of academics who had access to them that one of them may have stolen the precious diaries. After all, they were small enough to hide under a hat.
With no trace of the documents, the search was eventually suspended and the trail went cold.
More than 80 years after their disappearance, the London auction house Swann in 2016 listed "replicas" of the manuscript at an initial price of $1,500 (£1,150).
But a US collector of Judaica, Leonard Milberg, was suspicious.
Why would someone go to the trouble of recreating the minuscule handwriting of Luis de Carvajal's original to create a replica?
Intrigued, he contacted the Mexican consulate which confirmed that the originals were still missing and sent experts to check the "replicas" out.
Baltazar Brito is the director of the National Library of Anthropology and History in Mexico and one of the experts sent to assess the documents.
"When I got there, something told me they were originals, I knew it in my heart," he says.
Baltazar Brito said he had a "gut feeling" the documents were originals
For Mr Brito, the documents have relevance beyond their time.
"They tell the story of religious intolerance that we shouldn't let happen again in the world," he says. "Despite that, it still happens."
Leonard Milberg felt the manuscripts belonged in Mexico, so the collector made it his mission to deal with all the international agencies involved and covered the costs of sending them back.
Their safe return was welcome news for Mexico's now thriving Jewish community of about 50,000 people, many of whom were drawn to the country by its modern-day commitment to religious freedom.
After they were briefly exhibited in Mexico City they are now safely stored in a special climate-controlled vault in the National Library of Anthropology and History in Mexico, as no one wants to risk the miniature manuscripts disappearing for another eight decades. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-40029453 |
French Open 2017: Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic in Roland Garros quarter-finals - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic reach the French Open quarter-finals to stay on course for a meeting in the last four. | null | Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Coverage: Listen to live radio commentary and follow text coverage of selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online.
Rafael Nadal continued his superb form with a dominant 6-1 6-2 6-2 win over Roberto Bautista Agut to move easily into the French Open quarter-finals.
Second seed Novak Djokovic remains on course to face Nadal in the semi-finals after a 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 6-3 win against 19th seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Nadal, 31, is looking to become the first man to win 10 titles at a single Grand Slam event.
He will face another Spaniard, Pablo Carreno Busta, in the last eight.
• None Not ready for home yet - Andy Murray column
Margaret Court is the only player to have won 10 or more titles at one Grand Slam event, winning the Australian Open on 11 occasions between 1960 and 1973.
Nadal now has a 76-2 win-loss record at Roland Garros with his only defeats coming against Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009 and Djokovic in the 2015 quarter-finals.
Nadal's victory was not quite as simple as Friday's incredible 6-0 6-1 6-0 defeat of Nikoloz Basilashvili but the fourth seed has not dropped a set yet.
It is the 11th time he has reached the quarter-finals at the French Open - a record shared with Roger Federer.
Carreno Busta, 25, reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final with a 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 8-6 win over Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic.
Carreno Busta, seeded 20th, failed to convert six match points in the deciding set before eventually grinding down last year's Wimbledon runner-up.
And a first career win against a top-10 ranked opponent will be rewarded with a meeting against nine-time champion Nadal.
Twelve-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, 30, has not found his way through the draw as easily as old rival Nadal - especially during a gruelling five-set win against unseeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the previous round.
Ramos-Vinolas' resistance in a 73-minute opening set, where Djokovic had his serve broken twice to trail 4-2 before fighting back to win the tie-breaker, indicated it could be another battle for the Serb.
But any fears he might have had were unfounded.
Djokovic won the first four games on his way to wrapping up the second set in 28 minutes, then broke again in the sixth game of the third set - after Ramos-Vinolas saved a break point two games earlier following a thrilling 41-shot rally - before serving out to victory.
Before thinking about the prospect of facing Nadal in the last four, Djokovic's first task is to overcome sixth seed Dominic Thiem.
The 23-year-old Austrian - like Nadal and third seed Stan Wawrinka - has not dropped a set on his way to the last eight, needing little over an hour and a half to win 6-1 6-3 6-1 against unseeded Argentine Horacio Zeballos.
Nishikori through in five sets
Japan's eighth seed Kei Nishikori survived a scare to beat unseeded South Korean Hyeon Chung in five sets.
Nishikori, 27, needed almost four hours to win 7-5 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 0-6 6-4 in a third-round match finished on Sunday after the previous day's rain delay.
"I think the rain helped me a lot, because I was really down in the fourth set and mentally I wasn't ready," said Nishikori, whose only Grand Slam final appearance came when he lost at the 2014 US Open.
"I knew I had to change something to beat him, so I think I made some adjustments to make it a little better than yesterday."
Big-serving American John Isner, seeded 21, was knocked out in his third-round match by Karen Khachanov of Russia, who won 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-3).
The 21-year-old will now face British world number one Andy Murray in the fourth round on Monday.
French 15th seed Gael Monfils reached the fourth round for a seventh time when compatriot Richard Gasquet withdrew from their rain-delayed match with a thigh injury.
Monfils, 30, was leading 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 4-3 when his opponent withdrew, setting up a last-16 meeting with Wawrinka. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/40150919 |
France's Emmanuel Macron: Birth of the anti-Trump? - BBC News | 2017-06-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Is the new French president the man the world's liberals have been waiting for? | Europe | Emmanuel Macron has just won the rare distinction of being the most re-tweeted French person in history.
In less than 24 hours, his Trump-defying message "make our planet great again" was shared more than 140,000 times, easily ousting the previous record-holder, the rather less high-minded TV presenter Cyril Hanouna. One fifth of the re-tweets were in the US.
It is proof yet again that what we witnessed from the Elysee on Thursday was a master class in communications.
In giving his TV reaction to the US president, not only did Macron break brazenly with longstanding convention, according to which French presidents never speak publicly in English, but he even had the chutzpah to subvert the US leader's personal campaign slogan.
"Make our planet great again" was a provocation dressed up as a call to virtue. As a catchphrase for the faithful, it was irresistible.
By tweeting it, Macron took one more step down his road to investiture as that long-awaited international figure: the anti-Trump.
The French leader has a growing fan club: in France, the US and across the globe, among people who see him as the polar opposite, the perfect antithesis of his counterpart in the White House.
These people love the fact that with the arrival of Macron, the existing order appears to have been turned on its head.
It used to be France that was old, inward-looking and incapable of regeneration, and America that was the land of youth, energy and leadership.
But where is that caricature now?
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Donald Trump's handshakes with world leaders, including President Macron, have been closely watched
And they adore the way that Macron had the nerve to face down Trump in the Brussels handshake. At last, they feel, we have a champion with the guts and the conviction to challenge the Trumpian order.
Macron himself never planned any of this. When he first thought of running for the presidency, the chances of a Trump in the White House seemed too ludicrous to contemplate.
But not for the first time, the stars seem to have aligned for France's boy-prodigy.
Just as in domestic politics doors seemed to open miraculously for President Macron, so in the world of international affairs shifts of power and ideology are also working in his favour - for now.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. French President Emmanuel Macron says Paris agreement will "make the planet great again"
The tilt towards nationalist interests exemplified by Trump's America has created a clear leadership space for someone who will fly the other flag. Providential or not, Macron has come to power just as a reaction sets in against the populist tide of the last few years - and he is poised to reap the reward.
With its perpetual harping on about ideals and morals, France's capacity to irritate is prodigious. Perhaps it will not be long before Macron loses his touch and the world starts panting for his comeuppance.
But right now, with Trump in the White House, French preachiness doesn't appear to raise as many heckles as it used to. Having a quotable charmer for a president certainly helps. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40140113 |
Andy Murray column: Beating Del Potro, player box etiquette and life in Paris - BBC Sport | 2017-06-04 | null | In his latest column, Andy Murray tells BBC Sport about beating Juan Martin Del Potro, player box etiquette and life in Paris. | null | Coverage: Live radio and text commentary of every Andy Murray match on BBC Radio, the BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app.
It was really good to work things out on court and come through against someone as good as Juan Martin del Potro, after a couple of tournaments worrying about my game and where it was at.
Sometimes it is the case when you play a top player early in a tournament that you're a bit more focused, a bit more alert.
When you're going through the tactics for the match it's maybe a little bit more precise, because you're aware that if you get it wrong, the best players will make you pay for that.
If you play a guy you don't really know, it's difficult to get the right gameplan, so it also helps that I know Juan Martin's game very well.
We've played each other many, many times from juniors right through to the biggest matches as pros.
But he's still one of the best players in the world, and after struggling with my game and what I was trying to do for a while, rather than actually concentrating on actually trying to beat my opponent, it was great to get things right.
Working things out tactically and making adjustments during matches gives me confidence, so that's been a real positive for me over the last couple of matches.
'It's all about preparing for the next point'
Certain players look up to their box more than others and generally all you would like to see coming back is encouragement.
Everyone's different in how they watch - Ivan Lendl obviously doesn't say a lot, Jamie Delgado's a little bit more vocal, my physical trainer Matt Little and my physio Mark Bender are probably the most vocal in the box in terms of encouragement.
But there's nothing organised, we don't sit down and discuss what they do or hand out different roles within the box.
I guess if they were on their phones or looking completely disinterested, or cracking up and having a laugh up there, I would probably find it a bit difficult to concentrate.
In that respect, what the people in your box do could have an impact on your concentration, but from a player's perspective that time between points is all about preparing for the next one.
What happens during the three or four seconds after a point ends is generally your reaction to winning or losing that point.
You can be very pumped - "great, I've won the point" or "damn, I've lost the point and just got broken, I'm really upset".
But you then have another 15 to 20 seconds to either calm yourself down and think about the next one, or spend that time thinking about what just happened - "why did I just get broken serving for the set?"
I don't feel against Del Potro that was the case at all, and I also feel for large parts of the previous match against Martin Klizan that was a real positive for me as well.
'I can get back quickly to see the family'
Last year was the first time at the French Open that we stayed in a house near to the courts, and we're doing the same again this time.
It's very relaxed, we can eat at home and watch TV, spend family time together.
We've been following all the political debates from home as well the football, like the Europa League and Champions League finals - does that count as watching French TV?
It's very different in New York, for example, because we stay in the city and it's really busy.
You'd sign up for 40 minutes getting to the courts, so there's quite a lot of time spent going to and from the tennis, which makes the days feel a bit longer.
Here, we're five minutes away and it's great. I can arrive a bit later and get back quickly to see the family.
It's not quite Wimbledon, when I get to stay in my own bed every night, but it feels a little bit more like normal home life than the other Slams.
Hopefully I can extend my stay a little longer, I'm not ready to go home quite yet. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/40145344 |
Charlie Gard parents given more time to say goodbye to terminally ill son - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Great Ormond Street Hospital says it is working on plans for terminally ill Charlie Gard's care. | London | Charlie Gard's rare disease has left him unable to cry
Charlie Gard's parents have been told they will be able to spend more time with their terminally ill baby.
Chris Gard and Connie Yates had been expecting their 10-month-old's life support to be turned off on Friday.
Great Ormond Street Hospital has since disclosed it is putting plans in place for Charlie's care to allow his family to spend more time with him.
On Tuesday, Charlie's parents lost their final legal appeal to take him to the US for experimental treatment.
Judges at the European Court of Human Rights concluded that further treatment would "continue to cause Charlie significant harm", in line with advice from specialists at Great Ormond Street.
He has a rare genetic disease as well as brain damage and is believed to be one of 16 children in the world to have the condition; mitochondrial depletion syndrome.
Connie Yates and Chris Gard raised more than £1.3m for experimental treatment for Charlie
Doctors have said he cannot see, hear, move, cry or swallow.
Charlie has been receiving specialist treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital since October 2016.
His parents said they had been denied their final wish to be able to take their son home to die and felt "let down" following the lengthy legal battle.
Alongside a video posted on YouTube on Thursday, Charlie's parents wrote: "We are utterly heartbroken spending our last precious hours with our baby boy.
"We're not allowed to choose if our son lives and we're not allowed to choose when or where Charlie dies.
"We, and most importantly Charlie, have been massively let down throughout this whole process."
A spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital said earlier: "As with all of our patients we are not able to, and nor will we, discuss these specific details of care.
"This is a very distressing situation for Charlie's parents and all the staff involved and our focus remains with them."
Charlie's parents raised £1.3m on a crowdfunding site to pay for the experimental treatment in the US.
Ms Yates previously indicated the money would go towards a charity for mitochondrial depletion syndrome if Charlie did "not get his chance".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40462831 |
Bronx hospital: Ex-employee gunman 'quit after accusation' - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Henry Bello left the hospital in 2015 and had also been convicted of sexual assault in 2004. | US & Canada | Police confirmed this Facebook image to be that of Henry Bello
The doctor who attacked his former New York hospital workplace had resigned in 2015 after being accused of sexual harassment, reports said.
Henry Bello had also been convicted of sexual assault a decade earlier, the New York Times reported.
He opened fire with an assault rifle in the Bronx-Lebanon hospital, killing a female doctor and injuring six other people, five of them seriously.
He then shot himself after attempting to set himself on fire, police said.
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Some New York newspapers quoted a doctor at the hospital as saying Bello had vowed revenge on his colleagues after he left.
"We fired him because he was kind of crazy," Dr Maureen Kwankam told the New York Daily News newspaper. "He promised to come back and kill us then."
In 2004 Bello was charged with sexual abuse and unlawful imprisonment after a 23-year-old woman said he had grabbed her crotch outside a Manhattan building, the New York Times reported.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the shooting was isolated and appeared to be "workplace-related"
Bello walked into the 1,000-bed hospital at about 14:55 local time (18:55 GMT) with an assault rifle hidden inside his white medical coat, reports said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said the attack had been a "horrific situation in the middle of a place that people associate with care and comfort".
Several of the injured are "fighting for their lives," he said.
The attack began on the 16th floor and all the victims were shot on the 16th and 17th floors.
An assault rifle was also discovered nearby, which a local politician separately said appeared to be a military-grade M16 rifle.
Doctors were among those injured
Messages on social media spoke of doctors and nurses barricading themselves inside the building in the Mount Hope district.
One patient in the radiology department, Felix Puno, tweeted: "Building is in complete shut down, I was in the middle of getting an X-ray when security alerted us to the active shooter situation."
Garry Trimble, whose fiancée works at the hospital, said security was not good enough.
He said: "I can walk through the back door with an employee. If the employee opens the door, I can walk in. I think every hospital should have one police officer at each entrance. They only ever do something when something happens."
Bronx-Lebanon is a private, not-for-profit hospital that has been operating for 120 years.
The shootings happened on the 16th and 17th floors
Shootings at hospitals are not common, but there have been several such instances in recent years.
In 2015, a man entered a Boston hospital and asked for a cardiologist by name, shooting him dead when he arrived. During the investigation, it emerged that the man's mother had previously been a patient at the hospital.
In July 2016, another man opened fire in a patient's room at a Florida medical centre, killing an elderly woman and a hospital worker. The suspect was later deemed to suffer from mental health issues, casting doubt over his competency to stand trial.
In July last year, a patient at a Berlin hospital shot a doctor before turning the gun on himself. The city had also seen a shooting outside another hospital earlier in the year, in which no-one was killed. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40466866 |
Thousands march on Parliament in anti-government protest - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Jeremy Corbyn addressed crowds calling for an end to Theresa May's austerity programme. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Protesters listened to speeches from politicians and activists in Parliament Square
Thousands of people gathered in central London to demonstrate against the UK government's economic policies.
The protest was organised by a group called the People's Assembly Against Austerity.
Demonstrators met outside BBC Broadcasting House in Portland Place, before marching past Downing Street and on to Parliament Square.
The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was among the speakers who addressed crowds at The Not One Day More protest.
Speaking in Parliament Square, Mr Corbyn said: "The Tories are in retreat, austerity is in retreat, the economic arguments of austerity are in retreat.
"It's those of social justice, of unity, of people coming together to oppose racism and all those that would divide us, that are the ones that are moving forward."
The crowd chanted "oh Jeremy Corbyn" and "Tories out" during the rally, while many carried banners saying Justice For Grenfell.
One protester told BBC News that "anger" had motivated her to join the protest, saying: "What's going on isn't good enough under the Tory government.
"There have been cuts to every single service you can think of. It's just the pure negligence. How can you be cutting vital services?"
The organisers said on Facebook that they "invite everyone - from campaigns and community groups across the country, from the trade unions, from political parties and any individual - to come together in one massive show of strength and solidarity".
The statement added: "We're marching against a government committed to austerity, cuts and privatisation.
"We're marching for a decent health service, education system, housing, jobs and living standards for all."
Downing Street did not want to comment on the protest. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40468881 |
Silicon Valley's women have spoken. Now what? - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | At a conference for female tech entrepreneurs, a determination to end the harassment of women. | Technology | Jessica Livingston, right, believes women are forcing change in Silicon Valley
"It's been going on for a while."
It's a phrase I've heard a lot since Susan Fowler, an ex-Uber employee, published her explosive blog post that ultimately toppled one of the most powerful chief executives in San Francisco.
"I'll tell you - Susan Fowler kicked off a big thing here," says Jessica Livingston, who co-created Y Combinator, the most highly-respected start-up investment programme in Silicon Valley.
"That's what you have to understand. This stuff was happening all the time and people were complaining to their confidants and sharing it with their family.
"No-one was coming forward on the record with 'here's an account of these horrible things that happened to me'. It just felt too scary, a possible career breaker for people. That was the feeling."
But that may be changing, if the mood at Y Combinator's Female Founders conference is anything to go by. The annual event is a gathering of would-be and successful female entrepreneurs. And this year it has been given added vigour. Call it, the "Uber in the room".
"We couldn't have this conference without referencing it, I mean come on!" Ms Livingston continues.
"It's such crazy stuff. I do think there is an undercurrent in the conference today of 'this is awful stuff that's happening, but it's been going on for a while... and now things are going to change.'"
Change won't come easy, but for the first time it may be in reach.
Avni Patel Thompson says a support network for new entrepreneurs would help
While Uber's crisis has garnered the most headlines, perhaps the more significant fall-from-grace in Silicon Valley this year has been that of Justin Caldbeck, a venture capitalist who just a week ago was accused of several instances of sexual harassment.
In the space of two days he denied the claims, then took a leave of absence, and then resigned. Now the investment firm he founded, Binary Capital, has capitulated - with backers removing their support and, crucially, their money.
"If you look at the way things have played out over the past week at Binary, there's been a change every single day, and it's gotten more dramatic every single day," Ms Livingston tells me.
"To the point where we are feeling like people are responding. People are being held accountable - they're not sweeping it under the carpet."
Abuse often harbours in situations when one individual holds the key to another's dream: an actress desperate to land that first big role, or an athlete wanting to get closer to the big leagues.
In Silicon Valley, it's often an inexperienced entrepreneur, panicking about rent money, and desperate for that first piece of funding that would set them on their way to creating their company.
Those early investments, known as seed funding, are make or break.
Laura Behrens-Wu says female entrepreneurs seeking their first funding round are most vulnerable
"Pre-seed, before you're part of the network, that's when women are most vulnerable," says Laura Behrens-Wu, co-founder of shipping start-up Shippo, which recently raised $7m.
"They don't know anyone here yet, they don't have anyone to turn to.
"If someone harassed me today I'd have people to turn to, people who can stand up for me and make sure that this never happens again."
Without that support network, Ms Behrens-Wu argues, the prospect of speaking out against abusers is terrifying and insurmountable.
"When [investors] Google your name, you don't want stories about sexual harassment to be the first thing that comes up.
"[Women are] worried they're being seen as the trouble makers by other people."
Filling this support and accountability vacuum could perhaps change things here - something that might give new arrivals in Silicon Valley a strong footing from which to protect themselves.
One suggestion, that I wrote about last week, is a "Decency Pledge" - a code of conduct shared across the technology industry. That has been met with a mixed response. Surely, many argue, people shouldn't have to sign a "pledge" to exercise what should be common decency?
Avni Patel Thompson, founder of on-demand childcare start-up Poppy, says the best solution may be to equip new entrepreneurs with the same kind support network that give more experienced women the strength to come forward and confront unacceptable behaviour.
"Everyone talks about backchannel references, right? I think there are those of us that are plugged into certain networks that have access to that.
"But how do we make that accessible to the people that need it the most, which are the folks that are just getting started and don't know up from down and all these type of things. They're just trying to fight the good fight.
"How can we make some of these things available? That's some of the conversations that we, as female founders, are having."
Y Combinator is a tech incubator programme that twice a year takes on a bunch of promising start-ups, gives them about $100,000, and coaches them to potential success. It has spawned several successes, such as Dropbox, Reddit and payments firm Stripe.
And for those lucky enough to get on the programme, it also provides an added layer of protection against possible abuses.
"We will speak up on the founders' behalf, always," Jessica Livingston tells me.
"We've just launched internally an anonymous forum if anyone has faced racism or harassment they can let us know anonymously. We are trying to do things to help."
But looking long-term, a more gender-diverse technology industry is seen as the only genuine solution to this problem.
"I'm always hoping that more women get into the game," Ms Livingston continues.
"We do need to have more female venture capitalists (VCs), and managing director level VCs. Almost all of them are men.
"There are so many things that have to work together to really create change."
You can reach Dave securely through encrypted messaging app Signal on: +1 (628) 400-7370 | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40465519 |
The rock that records how we all got here - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The rise of oxygen was a key transition in Earth history and London museum-goers will soon be able to put their hands on its rock record. | Science & Environment | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Richard Herrington: "It's that free oxygen that gives us the diversity of life we have on Earth today"
You're going to want to touch it; you're definitely going to want to run your fingers over its wavy lines.
This 2.5-tonne lump of rock will be one of the new star exhibits when London's Natural History Museum re-opens its front entrance-space in a couple of weeks' time.
The Hintze Hall has been closed for most of this year to allow the South Kensington attraction to remodel its welcome to visitors. Out has gone "Dippy" the diplodocus dinosaur, and in its place has come a massive skeleton of a blue whale.
From 14 July, as you go into the NHM, you'll be confronted by the largest animal on the planet diving down at you from the ceiling. Your correspondent has had a sneak peek, and it's spectacular.
The NHM's blue whale skeleton is to take centre-stage from now on
But look around the edges of the hall and you'll see its alcoves have also been refreshed. The NHM is calling them the "Wonder Bays".
The Wonder Bays aim to showcase the origins, evolution and diversity of life on Earth
I want you to head for one alcove in particular on the right, just under the whale's tail.
About 2m along the base and 1.5m high, the object represents a wonderful juxtaposition between the animate (whale) and the inanimate (rock) and the very deep connection that exists between the two.
BIFs were laid down on ocean floors more than two billion years ago. They record a key chemical transition in Earth's history when oxygen started to become abundant.
It was a profound change that would ultimately make complex life - such as the giant cetaceans - possible.
Those wavy lines in the BIF are bands of iron oxide (mostly haematite) interspersed with chert (silica).
Rio Tinto donated the BIF, sourcing it from a mine in north-western Australia
Earth's early oceans would have been full of reduced iron in solution that had been washed off the continents, and when it combined with the nascent oxygen being produced by photosynthetic bacteria, the resulting oxides would have precipitated to settle on the seafloor.
The different layers incorporated into the rock probably mark cycles of bacterial boom and bust. Ultimately, all of the right type of iron in the ancient waters was consumed and the free oxygen had nowhere else to go but up and out into the atmosphere.
Earth had become a different place.
"The rock tells a fantastic story," says Prof Richard Herrington, the head of Earth sciences at the NHM.
"This is the prelude to complex life. We're oxygen breathers. An organism needs an energy source and the burning of carbon in the presence of oxygen is largely where we get our energy from. It still took two billion years from this rock to get to multicellular organisms, but that's another story," he told BBC News.
The Imilac meteorite was found in the Atacama Desert in Chile in 1822
Part of the decision to put the whale centre-stage at the museum is to highlight issues of sustainability - to get us all to think a little deeper about how we use Earth's resources.
BIFs are an important commercial material. Their iron content has helped build the modern world. The Wonder Bay rock comes from the Pilbara region in north-western Australia. Rio Tinto identified the block at one of its open-cast mines, and had it cut, polished and shipped to London.
"The piece itself is not actually ore-grade; it's got about 32% iron in it, when most of the product we produce out of the Pilbara is between 58% and 62% iron," explained Stephen McIntosh, a senior executive with Rio Tinto. "But the rock's got all the qualities and textures you'd want to see. And, as you say, it records an amazing moment in time - a time that was incredibly important for the Earth we live on today."
The BIF will be joined by nine other Wonder Bay objects, including a blue marlin, a giant Turbinaria coral and a Chilean meteorite that is regarded as one of the most beautiful ever recovered because of its large olivine crystals.
Seaweeds will feature in a Wonder Bay to highlight the incredible complexity of the Tree of Life
The rock installation is supported by the Claude and Sofia Marion Foundation
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40459602 |
Newspaper headlines: ‘Deadly’ new tower block risk - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The ongoing fall-out from the Grenfell Tower fire, including a warning over flammable insulation, makes the front pages. | The Papers | There is concern for Andy Murray and his hip injury in the papers
The fallout from the Grenfell Tower tragedy continues to occupy many of the front pages.
The Times says Kensington and Chelsea council has been "thrown into chaos" after the resignation of its leader Nicholas Paget-Brown and his deputy.
Britain's richest borough is now "rudderless", says the paper, "with hundreds of people still homeless."
The Sun says the men were forced to step aside after Number 10 "demanded their heads".
Sources tell the paper that Mr Paget-Brown was told by the London minister, Greg Hands, that the government had no confidence in him after his "catastrophically poor handling" of the disaster.
In its editorial, The Sun decries what it calls the "shameful behaviour" of the "rotten" council and says the time has come for it to be taken over by government commissioners.
The Mirror remarks that a "sneering" Mr Paget-Brown has "still failed to apologise" in the wake of the authorities' disastrous response to the tragedy.
In its editorial, the paper says Kensington and Chelsea has become "the most reviled borough in Britain for its callous mishandling of the survivors".
It too calls for the government to take over the running of the council.
The i says there is a "deadly" new tower block risk.
The paper reports that police have warned that insulation in tower blocks is just as flammable as the cladding that is thought to have contributed to the spread of the Grenfell Tower fire, in which at least 80 are believed to have died.
The Telegraph says business sources are warning Theresa May that she risks "crippling the economy" if The City of London is neglected in Brexit talks.
Senior figures have told the paper that financial services are "the backbone of the economy" and must be at the forefront of negotiations.
They fear the prime minister is prioritising other industries - such as manufacturing - which employ fewer people and raise less tax.
It would be "madness", the Telegraph argues, "for Britain to shoot itself in the foot because of popular ignorance about what the City does".
The Express has other concerns.
The paper says Brussels has issued what it calls an "outrageous" demand for "vast swathes" of Britain's post-Brexit rules to be decided by the European Court of Justice.
A spokesman for the Brexit department tells the paper that ending the court's direct jurisdiction over British laws is "a red line in the negotiations".
There is much speculation about the direction of Labour's strategy on Brexit, after the party's leader, Jeremy Corbyn, sacked three members of his front bench for voting in favour of keeping Britain in the single market and customs union.
The shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer has told the Mirror that the party plans to block a hard withdrawal from the EU.
He says the party will push for a "transition arrangement", which would extend the talks and avoid the "cliff edge" if a deal is not reached by the March 2019 deadline.
The Times reports on what it says is the first "care-home nursery" in Britain.
It says a nursery and home for the elderly are to be located on the same site in Clapham, in south-west London.
The move, says the paper, is designed to tackle the "age apartheid that increasingly keeps generations apart".
Thirty children a day will attend the nursery - with young and old taking part in activities together, including singing, cooking, gardening and story-telling.
The Sun reports on the extraordinary antics of Arnie the tortoise, who has been reunited with his owners two years after going missing.
The adventurous reptile was discovered wandering up the driveway of his owners' former home in Shropshire, even though he had never lived there.
The property was just a mile from his owners' current home, where the tortoise had been living.
Tortoises are known to have well-developed homing instincts.
But the Sun has a far simpler explanation for this remarkable feat - concluding that he must be "Shellapathic".
There is anxiety in many papers that Andy Murray's hip injury could thwart his Wimbledon ambitions.
But the Sun offers a possible solution ahead of his first match on Monday.
It asks readers to place their hands on an image of the player at precisely 15:40 BST on Saturday and send him all their positive energy.
The timing has a special significance, says the paper, as it matches the "coveted score" for a double break point. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40465479 |
Young boys left home alone as mum flew to Paris for wedding planning - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A six-year-old and an 11-year-old were left with a pan of soup while their mother made wedding plans in Paris. | Leeds & West Yorkshire | The boys were left at home in Bradford while their mother flew to Paris to organise her wedding
Two young boys were left home alone in Bradford with just a pan of soup to eat when their mother went on a two-day trip to Paris, a court has heard.
The brothers, aged six and 11, were found by police after the younger boy told his teacher his mum was in France.
The single mother had taken the trip to make arrangements for her wedding to a man she met online.
She was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for a year after admitting two charges of child neglect.
Bradford Crown Court heard earlier the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, went to Manchester Airport in March and boarded a flight to Paris leaving the youngsters "home alone".
Prosecutor Philip Adams told the court she intended to fly back the next day, but would not have arrived home until about midnight.
The court was told the younger boy's school tried unsuccessfully to contact his mother before his older brother turned up to collect him.
He was allowed to go with his brother, but the school alerted police and the boys were placed in overnight accommodation.
Their mother was arrested the following day when she returned.
She told police she had travelled to Paris to make arrangements to marry and had initially wanted the boys to stay with a friend.
She said she was then "persuaded" by her older son that he and his brother would be fine at home.
Defending her, Tom Rushbrooke said she realised that she had made a "terrible mistake", and in all other respects was a caring mother.
Sentencing her, Judge Robert Bartfield told her she had put them "in significant danger".
However, he said the case was different from those where people went on holiday leaving small children behind, and fortunately no harm was done.
Judge Bartfield said as the boys had only recently been returned to their mother, this had persuaded him not to impose an immediate jail sentence.
The court also heard that she still hoped to go ahead with her wedding.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-40460877 |
How flammable cladding gets approved - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | BBC Newsnight Chris Cook explains how engineering reports have been used to justify using more flammable materials on more high-rises in England | UK | Newsnight has obtained confidential reports that help explain how flammable material has become more common on tall buildings.
Combustible cladding has been permitted based on reports arguing fires involving combustible aluminium panels would behave similarly to ones with non-combustible ceramic tiles.
Developers use them to persuade inspectors to sign off buildings.
Exova, the company that produced the reports, refused to comment.
The company, also known as Exova Warringtonfire, is a fire testing and engineering company.
It has previously cited client confidentiality in refusing to comment and has not responded to requests since Newsnight obtained copies of the reports relating to two buildings late on Friday afternoon.
The confidential reports obtained by Newsnight contain assessments that persuaded inspectors that a given cladding design was safe and met legal standards.
Part of the engineers' reasoning was that, in a fire test, you would get similar results if you were to use either combustible aluminium panels or non-combustible ceramic tiles.
As a consequence, it argued, you could use successful fire tests involving ceramic tiles as a guide to the likely fire safety of a system using aluminium panels.
The report said: "If this... would be tested... the external flame spread results would be comparable to those with ceramic tile."
While there is no test that contradicts the authors' conclusions about the safety of the proposed cladding system, experts were surprised at the arguments advanced by the authors, which they felt was not strongly supported by evidence.
Aluminium composite panels are two sheets of thin aluminium around a "core" of some other substance. In a fire, these panels can "delaminate": the outer aluminium peels away, exposing the inner core.
If the inner core is combustible, these panels can allow the rapid spread of fire. Ceramic tiles do not contain combustible material and do not have layers that can come apart.
That fire performance is why so much attention has been paid to the use of aluminium panelling with a plastic core on Grenfell Tower. The government is currently demanding local authorities and housing associations send in samples of aluminium panelling for test.
One of the documents obtained by Newsnight was used to approve materials now in use in the Greetham Street student residences run by Unite Students, a student accommodation provider, in Portsmouth.
The two reports both related to a style of cladding system similar to that used at Grenfell Tower: a combustible insulation material underneath aluminium composite panels.
Neither of the reports, though, proposed using the same materials as those used on Grenfell Tower. Both reports related to aluminium cladding containing fire retardants.
While the reports related to slightly different designs and had different authors, both advanced the same technical arguments which concerned experts.
These assessments, one said, "appeared to extrapolate an apple into an orange" and they agreed that this showed up weaknesses in the way that we make sure buildings are fire safe.
These reports - known as "desktop studies" - are a legal alternative to laboratory testing.
There are several regulatory routes to demonstrating to an inspector that cladding is safe on a tall building.
First, all the parts of the cladding can be tested separately and found to be of "limited combustibility", broadly meaning that the parts will not catch alight or spread fire.
If, however, some parts do not meet that standard, developers can arrange for a laboratory to construct a model of the entire proposed wall system and assess what would happen in a fire.
But if a developer wishes to follow plans similar to a setup which has already been fire-tested, they can ask an engineer to perform a desktop study, certifying that the proposed construction would pass the test without the need for one to be carried out.
Unite Students have sent cladding for testing and consulted with local fire authorities to make sure their Greetham Street building in Portsmouth in safe
The scale of the use of desktop studies is actually still unknown: they are not published and are even considered commercially confidential.
But there is now growing concern in government that desktop studies may be an important factor - directly and indirectly - in explaining why so many buildings have been found to have combustible components within their cladding.
Newsnight has applied for documents from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to establish whether desktop studies were used to justify the cladding configuration used on the Grenfell Tower.
Unite, which runs the building in Portsmouth, said: "Fire safety is always a key priority for Unite - which is why we work with the Avon Fire and Rescue Service to ensure that our buildings, policies and procedures not only comply with existing regulations but exceed them.
"As a matter of general practice, we regularly review and assess the fire risk in all of our buildings, using members of the Institution of Fire Engineers."
Both documents were commissioned and paid for by Kingspan, the makers of the insulation used in the cladding.
Kingspan said: "In the instances where Kingspan has commissioned desktop studies, it has always been from the UK's most highly respected fire assessment consultancies.
"These experts put their professional reputations on the line when providing their safety opinion and we are very confident that this is never compromised." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40465399 |
Arkansas nightclub shooting leaves 28 wounded - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A 16-year-old was among those wounded in the incident, which officials say was not terrorism-related. | US & Canada | Police cordoned off the scene following reports of multiple shootings at a nightclub
At least 25 people have been shot at a nightclub in the US state of Arkansas, two of whom are in critical condition, police say.
Three others were injured in a stampede of people fleeing the scene. The youngest victim was said to be 16.
The exchange of gunfire took place at about 02:30 local time (07:30 GMT) at a concert, but there was no immediate information about a suspect.
Police and local officials said the incident was not terrorism-related.
The mayor of Little Rock, Mark Stodola, said it was the result of a disagreement involving a number of patrons at the Power Ultra Lounge nightclub, which quickly escalated because of "the presence of rivalries and weapons".
"I want to reassure our public that this was not an act of terrorism, but a tragedy... It does not appear to be a planned shooting," Mr Stodola told reporters.
He said that all of the 28 people injured in the incident were expected to survive.
Little Rock police chief Kenton Buckner said the authorities were investigating whether a longstanding rivalry between gangs was to blame.
Special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also assisting local police. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40467522 |
Terry Gobanga: 'I was gang-raped on my wedding day' - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | On the day a Nairobi pastor was due to get married a gang of men raped her, stabbed her and left her for dead. But Terry Gobanga is a survivor. | Magazine | When Terry Gobanga - then Terry Apudo - didn't show up to her wedding, nobody could have guessed that she had been abducted, raped and left for dead by the roadside. It was the first of two tragedies to hit the young Nairobi pastor in quick succession. But she is a survivor.
It was going to be a very big wedding. I was a pastor, so all our church members were coming, as well as all our relatives. My fiance, Harry, and I were very excited - we were getting married in All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi and I had rented a beautiful dress.
But the night before the wedding I realised that I had some of Harry's clothes, including his cravat. He couldn't show up without a tie, so a friend who had stayed the night offered to take it to him first thing in the morning. We got up at dawn and I walked her to the bus station.
As I was making my way back home, I walked past a guy sitting on the bonnet of a car - suddenly he grabbed me from behind and dumped me in the back seat. There were two more men inside, and they drove off. It all happened in a fraction of a second.
A piece of cloth was stuffed in my mouth. I was kicking and hitting out and trying to scream. When I managed to push the gag out, I screamed: "It's my wedding day!" That was when I got the first blow. One of the men told me to "co-operate or you will die".
The men took turns to rape me. I felt sure I was going to die, but I was still fighting for my life, so when one of the men took the gag out of my mouth I bit his manhood. He screamed in pain and one of them stabbed me in the stomach. Then they opened the door and threw me out of the moving car.
I was miles from home, outside Nairobi. More than six hours had passed since I had been abducted.
A child saw me being thrown out and called her grandmother. People came running. When the police came they tried to get a pulse, but no-one could. Thinking I was dead, they wrapped me in a blanket and started to take me to the mortuary. But on the way there, I choked on the blanket and coughed. The policeman said: "She's alive?" And he turned the car around and drove me to the biggest government hospital in Kenya.
I arrived in great shock, murmuring incoherently. I was half-naked and covered in blood, and my face was swollen from being punched. But something must have alerted the matron, because she guessed I was a bride. "Let's go around the churches to see if they're missing a bride," she told the nurses.
All Saint's Cathedral is the oldest Anglican cathedral in Nairobi
By coincidence, the first church they called at was All Saints Cathedral. "Are you missing a bride?" the nurse asked.
The minister said: "Yes, there was a wedding at 10 o'clock and she didn't come."
When I didn't show up to the church, my parents were panicking. People were sent out to search for me. Rumours flew. Some wondered: "Did she change her mind?" Others said: "No, it's so unlike her, what happened?"
After a few hours, they had to take down the decorations to make room for the next ceremony. Harry had been put in the vestry to wait.
When they heard where I was, my parents came to the hospital with the whole entourage. Harry was actually carrying my wedding gown. But the media had also got wind of the story so there were reporters too.
I was moved to another hospital where I'd have more privacy. That was where the doctors stitched me up and gave me some devastating news: "The stab wound went deep into your womb, so you won't be able to carry any children."
I was given the morning-after pill, as well as antiretroviral drugs to protect me from HIV and Aids. My mind shut down, it refused to accept what had happened.
Harry kept saying he still wanted to marry me. "I want to take care of her and make sure she comes back to good health in my arms, in our house," he said. Truth be told, I wasn't in a position to say Yes or No because my mind was so jammed with the faces of the three men, and with everything that had happened.
A few days later, when I was less sedated, I was able to look him in the eye. I kept saying sorry. I felt like I had let him down. Some people said it was my own fault for leaving the house in the morning. It was really hurtful, but my family and Harry supported me.
The police never caught the rapists. I went to line-up after line-up but I didn't recognise any of the men, and it hurt me each time I went. It set back my recovery - it was 10 steps forward, 20 back. In the end I went back to the police station and said: "You know what, I'm done. I just want to leave it."
Three months after the attack I was told I was HIV-negative and got really excited, but they told me I had to wait three more months to be sure. Still, Harry and I began to plan our second wedding.
Although I had been very angry at the press intrusion, somebody read my story and asked to meet me. Her name was Vip Ogolla, and she was also a rape survivor. We spoke, and she told me she and her friends wanted to give me a free wedding. "Go wild, have whatever you want," she said.
I was ecstatic. I went for a different type of cake, much more expensive. Instead of a rented gown, now I could have one that was totally mine.
In July 2005, seven months after our first planned wedding, Harry and I got married and went on a honeymoon.
Harry Olwande and Terry on their wedding day in July 2005
Twenty-nine days later, we were at home on a very cold night. Harry lit a charcoal burner and took it to the bedroom. After dinner, he removed it because the room was really warm. I got under the covers as he locked up the house. When he came to bed he said he was feeling dizzy, but we thought nothing of it.
It was so cold we couldn't sleep, so I suggested getting another duvet. But Harry said he couldn't get it as he didn't have enough strength. Strangely, I couldn't stand up either. We realised something was very wrong. He passed out. I passed out. I remember coming to. I would call him. At times he would respond, at other times he wouldn't. I pushed myself out of bed and threw up, which gave me some strength. I started crawling to the phone. I called my neighbour and said: "Something is wrong, Harry is not responding."
She came over immediately but it took me ages to crawl to the front door to let her in as I kept passing out. I saw an avalanche of people coming in, screaming. And I passed out again.
I woke up in hospital and asked where my husband was. They said they were working on him in the next room. I said: "I'm a pastor, I've seen quite a lot in my life, I need you to be very straight with me." The doctor looked at me and said: "I'm sorry, your husband did not make it."
Going back to church for the funeral was terrible. Just a month earlier I had been there in my white dress, with Harry standing at the front looking handsome in his suit. Now, I was in black and he was being wheeled in, in a casket.
People thought I was cursed and held back their children from me. "There's a bad omen hanging over her," they said. At one point, I actually believed it myself.
Others accused me of killing my husband. That really got me down - I was grieving.
The post-mortem showed what really happened: as the carbon monoxide filled his system, he started choking and suffocated.
I had a terrible breakdown. I felt let down by God, I felt let down by everybody. I couldn't believe that people could be laughing, going out and just going about life. I crashed.
One day I was sitting on the balcony looking at the birds chirping away and I said: "God, how can you take care of the birds and not me?" In that instant I remembered there are 24 hours a day - sitting in depression with your curtains closed, no-one's going to give you back those 24 hours. Before you know, it's a week, a month, a year wasted away. That was a tough reality.
I told everybody I would never ever get married again. God took my husband, and the thought of ever going through such a loss again was too much. It's something I wouldn't wish on anybody. The pain is so intense, you feel it in your nails.
But there was one man - Tonny Gobanga - who kept visiting. He would encourage me to talk about my husband and think about the good times. One time he didn't call for three days and I was so angry. That's when it hit me that I had fallen for him.
Tonny proposed marriage but I told him to buy a magazine, read my story and tell me if he still loved me. He came back and said he still wanted to marry me.
But I said: "Listen, there's another thing - I can't have children, so I cannot get married to you."
"Children are a gift from God," he said. "If we get them, Amen. If not, I will have more time to love you."
I thought: "Wow, what a line!" So I said Yes.
Tonny went home to tell his parents, who were very excited, until they heard my story. "You can't marry her - she is cursed," they said. My father-in-law refused to attend the wedding, but we went ahead anyway. We had 800 guests - many came out of curiosity.
It was three years after my first wedding, and I was very scared. When we were exchanging vows, I thought: "Here I am again Father, please don't let him die." As the congregation prayed for us I cried uncontrollably.
A year into our marriage, I felt unwell and went to the doctor - and to my great surprise he told me that I was pregnant.
As the months progressed I was put on total bed rest, because of the stab wound to my womb. But all went well, and we had a baby girl who we called Tehille. Four years later, we had another baby girl named Towdah.
Today, I am the best of friends with my father-in-law.
I wrote a book, Crawling out of Darkness, about my ordeal, to give people hope of rising again. I also started an organisation called Kara Olmurani. We work with rape survivors, as I call them - not rape victims. We offer counselling and support. We are looking to start a halfway house for them where they can come and find their footing before going back to face the world.
I have forgiven my attackers. It wasn't easy but I realised I was getting a raw deal by being upset with people who probably don't care. My faith also encourages me to forgive and not repay evil with evil but with good.
The most important thing is to mourn. Go through every step of it. Get upset until you are willing to do something about your situation. You have to keep moving, crawl if you have to. But move towards your destiny because it's waiting, and you have to go and get it.
Listen to Terry's interview on Outlook on the BBC World Service
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-39795047 |
Adele cancels final two Wembley shows - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The singer uses a social media post to express her devastation after damaging her vocal cords. | Entertainment & Arts | Adele has cancelled the final two shows of her world tour, due to take place at London's Wembley Stadium this weekend, after damaging her vocal cords.
The "devastated" singer said she had taken the decision on medical advice.
"To say I'm heartbroken would be a complete understatement," London-born Adele wrote in a Twitter post in the early hours.
She had been due to perform at Wembley on Saturday and Sunday, ending a four-date run at the venue.
In her post, the 29-year-old said her first two Wembley shows this week had been "the biggest and best shows of my life", but that she had struggled vocally.
Despite the voice problems, Adele's performances on 28 and 29 June were well-received by critics, with the Guardian describing her as "instinctively charismatic", the Times as "poignant", while the Telegraph wrote: "She is such a natural on stage."
Adele explained: "I had to push a lot harder than I normally do... it turns out I have damaged my vocal cords.
"On medical advice, I am simply unable to perform over the weekend.
"I've considered doing Saturday night's show, but it's highly unlikely I'd even make it through the set and I simply can't crumble in front of you all and walk out on you in that way."
She added that she was so desperate to be with her fans that she had even considered miming at the final two shows.
"But I've never done it and I cannot in a million years do that to you. It wouldn't be the real me up there," Adele said.
"I'm sorry for your disappointment... You know I would not make this decision lightly."
She concluded by saying refunds would be available if the shows could not be rescheduled.
"There will be more information over the next few days. I'm sorry, I'm devastated... please forgive me x."
It is not the first time Adele has experienced problems with her vocal cords. In 2011, she underwent throat surgery to remove a benign polyp.
Wednesday's Adele concert at Wembley was attended by 98,000 fans - a stadium record for a UK music event.
In a message in the programme, the singer indicated her four Wembley shows could be her last ever tour dates.
"I wanted my final shows to be in London because I don't know if I'll ever tour again," she said.
"I've done 119 shows and these last four will take me up to 123, it has been hard but an absolute thrill and pleasure to have done."
When Adele opened her world tour in Belfast in February last year, it was her first UK concert in four-and-a-half years. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40465871 |
Reality Check: How long will Theresa May's majority last? - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | How many seats have governments lost in Parliaments since World War Two? | UK Politics | The deal struck this week between the Conservatives and the DUP gives the government a majority in the House of Commons on certain votes, enabling it to win the vote on the Queen's Speech.
With the DUP, it has a majority of six across all 650 MPs - but with the seven Sinn Fein MPs not taking their seats, in practice it is a working majority of 13.
That's still an uncomfortably small number. It would only take a rebellion of seven people to defeat the government if all opposition MPs were to vote together.
We have already seen how the government has had to be more responsive to its backbenchers, conceding to demands that women from Northern Ireland should be able to receive free abortions in England.
But it is not just rebellions that the government needs to worry about. The majority could be eroded over time if the Conservatives or DUP were to lose seats at by-elections.
Jim Callaghan (left) and Sir John Major both lost their majorities
Seven losses might sound a lot but if we look back at previous parliaments it is by no means unprecedented. Just ask Jim Callaghan or Sir John Major. Their governments lost their majorities because of illness, defection and death.
The Conservative government suffered a net loss of eight seats at by-elections between 1992 and 1997; and seven seats between 1987 and 1992.
The 1974-79 Labour government also lost seven seats, eliminating its wafer-thin majority and ultimately leading to defeat in a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons.
These turbulent times were dramatised on the West End stage in the play This House, which showed how, in 1978 and 1979, MPs were taken to votes in ambulances. Government whips also had special keys to unlock toilet doors to ensure drunken MPs weren't napping on the toilet.
Between 1966 and 1970 Labour's net loss was 15 seats. That was a particularly tough Parliament for the Labour Party because 20 sitting MPs died, as those elected two decades earlier in the 1945 landslide fell to ill health and old age.
In the 1960s, many Labour MPs had endured harder lives than their Conservative counterparts because they often came from manual professions such as mining or factory work.
The table below shows how many seats governing parties have gained or lost at by-elections over the course of each parliament since World War Two.
In four of those 19 parliaments, the government lost at least seven seats.
It means that Theresa May doesn't just have to fear backbench rebellions; she also has to fear illness, defection and death. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40447121 |
Newspaper headlines: PM faces 'chorus of Tory demands' - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The prime minister is facing demands from senior Conservatives to overhaul state funding, according to several papers. | The Papers | The papers report on a growing battle within the cabinet over austerity and public spending
The Sunday Telegraph says a new front has opened up in the cabinet battle over austerity.
The paper says Education Secretary Justine Greening has told Prime Minister Theresa May the Tories should abandon plans to cut per-pupil funding, with the change in direction being announced soon so that schools know where they stand.
According to the paper, senior figures at Number 10 admit they are braced for "a big battle" over spending this summer.
The Sunday Times reports that more than 20 MPs cornered the Conservative chief whip last week, demanding change, and more than double that number are threatening to rebel over spending plans unless the 1% public sector pay cap is lifted.
University tuition fees are the focus in the Mail on Sunday, which leads with the suggestion by Mrs May's most senior minister, Damian Green, that a national debate may be needed on the issue.
The paper also highlights what it describes as fading public support for austerity policies, but it notes that lifting the pay cap, and linking it to inflation instead, would cost the Treasury an extra £1.4bn a year alone.
The Sun on Sunday reports that Ms Greening and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt are leading the charge for public sector workers to get a pay rise.
"There are very good arguments for continuing to bear down on the deficit," a cabinet source tells the paper, "but the case on public sector pay is becoming irresistible."
According to The Observer, Mr Hunt may press for the lifting of the public sector pay cap for NHS workers, citing a pay review body report that suggests the costs of plugging gaps caused by staff shortages could soon be greater than the savings.
It refers to a "chorus of Tory demands" facing Mrs May.
Writing in The Sunday Mirror, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth says nurses and paramedics should not have to wait until the autumn Budget to learn whether the pay cap will be lifted.
But The Sunday Times is having none of it.
Describing it as "a government in danger of losing its financial wits," the paper warns that a Conservative Party that stands for nothing, including fiscal discipline, will flounder.
The Telegraph, likewise, urges Chancellor Philip Hammond to resist the calls for change, saying the government is in danger of giving up on financial prudence as though it is a television programme we have got bored with.
The country as a whole, it says, should have the moral fibre to face the financial reality in front of us.
But The Observer argues that capping public sector pay has fuelled recruitment and retention problems.
It is not just mean, the paper says, it is a false economy.
The news that British fishermen are to have the exclusive rights to a 12-mile zone around the coastline leads The Sunday Express.
The paper welcomes it as a first step towards taking control of the country's fishing policy.
The new Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, tells The Sunday Times that his father's fishing business was hit by the EU, and pulling out of the London Fisheries Convention was "a chance to put things right".
The Sunday Times also has what it calls "awkward" scientific findings.
Researchers in Rotterdam have apparently found that men's average IQ is four points above women's - because they typically have bigger brains.
The paper describes the finding as the latest twist in a debate with powerful political implications.
It notes that in the 19th Century, the view that women's smaller brains made them less intelligent was used to justify denying them rights such as voting.
Finally, the day before the start of Wimbledon has brought with it the inevitable exhaustive analysis of Andy Murray's chances.
"It's been brutal but I'm ready," is the headline in The Mirror, which describes how a hip injury has wrought havoc with the player's preparations.
The Express says the man who it describes as "Battler Andy" has grown into a dignified champion, and it wishes him good luck in defence of his Wimbledon title.
Reporting that Murray has now declared himself fit, The Sun recalls how it urged millions of its readers on Saturday to collectively lay their soothing hands on a front-page picture of his troublesome hip.
"It Was The Sun Wot Rubbed It!", the paper declares. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40471145 |
Student travels from Newcastle to London via Menorca to save cash - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Student Joe Furness, 21, says travel in the UK has become "ridiculously expensive". | Tyne & Wear | Joe Furness slept in a hire car during his 12-hour stopover in Menorca
A student discovered it was cheaper to fly from Newcastle to London via Menorca than to take the train.
When Joe Furness, 21, decided on a last-minute trip to see friends, the lowest rail fare he found was £78.50.
But after an internet search the trainee marine officer found the same journey, including a 12-hour stopover on the Spanish island, for £26.98.
He said it showed train travel in the UK had become "ridiculously expensive".
Mr Furness, from Oldham, is a trainee cadet with shipping firm Maersk and is studying at South Shields Marine College.
As well as the flights, he also spent £7.50 on a hire car, which he slept in, and splashed out on a £4 cocktail - meaning his entire trip was £40 cheaper than taking the train.
Mr Furness admitted the trip was "no good for anyone who needs to do a commute".
"But it does show how cheap it can be to travel and have a bit of fun at the same time," he added.
"I had a great time, saw a festival, drove around the island for a bit and met loads of people.
"Trains in the UK have become ridiculously expensive. I've never once got on a train and got off at the other end thinking I've had value for money."
Mr Furness made a video of his trip, which took a total of 22 hours and consisted of a flight out of Newcastle to Menorca with Thomas Cook on 23 June for £15.99.
His return flight to London Gatwick the next day cost £10.99 with the same airline.
Mr Furness uses comparison sites to find the cheapest flights
This is not the first time Mr Furness claims to have found cheaper flights than trains. He said he recently travelled from Newcastle to Manchester via Geneva by air at a cost of £39 when the cheapest train ticket he could find would have cost £64.
He added: "I use comparison sites to find the cheapest flight from my departure point to anywhere in the world. Then find the cheapest from there to my destination.
"This time I found it was way cheaper to go via Menorca. It took a lot longer, but I think it's still better than sitting on a train for four hours."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-40457453 |
Facing jail: Spanish 'stolen baby' who searched for her mother - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Ascensión López cannot pay a fine and faces prison for accusing a nun of taking her from her mother. | Europe | Ascension Lopez says she has found documents indicating that her adoption was illegal
"Even if I go to jail, I will remain freer than those who are prisoners of their own lies," says Ascensión López, who faces five months in prison for slandering a nun. "They cannot take away what I know in my mind."
Lopez is too poor to pay €40,000 (£35,000; $46,000) in damages after a court ruled she had wrongly accused the nun of taking her from her biological mother and handing her to ageing adoptive parents in 1962.
If the government does not pardon her, the 55-year-old will be the first person to be jailed over Spain's enormous baby-snatching racket stemming from the Franco era.
Protesters have presented a 30,000-strong petition to Spain's justice ministry calling for her to be let off.
"I have a bone-wasting disease, I have not been able to work for three years and my two children are unemployed and have no contact with their father," a tearful López told the BBC.
According to López, her adoptive father, a senior figure in Gen Francisco Franco's regime in Almeria whose marriage was barren, bought her for 250,000 pesetas (about €50,000, £44,000 , $57,000 in today's money) via his niece, Dolores Baena, a nun working in a Seville hospital at the time. Her father was 67, and her new mother around 60. Dolores became her cousin.
When she was eight, she came home from school to find local dignitaries in her parents' bedroom. Before her lay her father's body. He had suffered a stroke and died.
"I went to my room to cry, and a member of the family came to see me and asked why I was crying for that man who had nothing to do with me, but had only bought me when I was a new-born."
Ascension's adoptive father died when she was eight
Asking for information from her mother and relatives, López began to suspect there was something not quite right about her adoption, long before the issue of babies being stolen from poor or politically suspect parents became a public issue in Spain.
For a start, she had different names on the various bits of paperwork that confirmed her identity.
On the first sheet from the Seville hospital nursery where she was kept for a few days, she was called Consuelo.
As a small child, her name was María Dolores - "I was always Loli at home" - but her first identity card named her officially as María Ascensión.
"Whatever happened to my mother, I am very clear that my identity was stolen."
Ascensión López believes she was bought by a senior figure in Gen Francisco Franco's regime
López asked the nun, her cousin, if she could help her trace her background.
"She told me that, try as she might, I would never find my biological parents. When I was 15 she took me to an orphanage in Almeria and showed me all the babies there. 'If we hadn't done what we did for you, you'd have been left alone, like these children with no family'."
López's investigation has uncovered an adoption sheet signed by Sister Dolores, but the Seville authorities cannot find any document in which her biological mother surrendered her child.
As an activist and president of SOS Stolen Babies Almería, representing other possible victims of the stolen baby scandal that stretches over half a century from the 1930s to the 1990s, López spoke of her case in the media, naming Sister Dolores as the person who "organised" her illegal adoption.
The nun sued her cousin for defamation, winning a 2015 trial. López was ordered to pay a €3,000 fine, plus €40,000 in damages to Sister Dolores and costs.
No documents have been found indicating that Ascensión López was given up by her birth mother
During the trial, Sister Dolores declared: "There was nobody behind the adoption; it was all legal and nobody charged any money."
The judge said Ascensión López had utterly failed to prove that her adoption had been illegally carried out by her cousin and had falsely accused her.
Sister Dolores did not reply to requests by the BBC to comment for this article.
López admits she may have been "careless" in her wording when accusing the nun, but feels let down by the legal system. "I was judged as a daughter, as a mother and as a woman; my whole life was put on trial."
Estimates of the number of cases of stolen babies in Spain range from 30,000 to 300,000.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Manoli Pagador told the BBC in 2011 how her baby son was taken away from her in 1971
Almost all of thousands of cases reported to the courts have led nowhere. But later this year, Eduardo Vela, an 82-year-old Madrid gynaecologist, is due to become the first person to go on trial accused of baby snatching.
López, who cared for her adoptive mother before she died in 1990, says that she too has fallen into bad health and economic ruin. She suffers from a rare bone condition and an inherited blood disorder.
"They have erased my memories. I look at my son and wonder who he looks like. I look at my daughter and wonder if she could have the same disease as me because it's genetically transmitted.
"I just wonder what happened and how did I end up here?" | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40447215 |
Princes William and Harry attend service at Diana's grave - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The private rededication was held on what would have been their mother's 56th birthday. | UK | It is nearly 20 years since William and Harry lost their mother, Diana.
Prince William and Prince Harry have attended a private service to rededicate the grave of their mother, Princess of Wales, almost 20 years after her death.
The service was held at Diana's family home in Northamptonshire on what would have been her 56th birthday.
The ceremony was also attended by the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are in Canada.
The service, at Althorp House, was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
The Princess of Wales died on 31 August 1997 in a car crash in Paris, when the Duke of Cambridge was 15 and his brother was 12.
This is the start of a difficult few months for Prince William and Prince Harry as they remember their mother who, they say, smothered them in love.
They were traumatised children when she died.
Harry has spoken of how he shouldn't have been made to walk behind Diana's coffin.
William has expressed his considerable regret that they weren't old enough to do more to protect her.
Twenty years on, together, they're taking control of how she will be remembered.
They've commissioned a statue. Its unveiling, in the future, will be public.
Today's service was to be very private, with no media present.
The princes, like their mother, have a complex relationship with the press.
They will never forgive the paparazzi who pursued their mother's car in Paris.
Also absent from the graveside was Prince Charles.
It's fortuitous he's in Canada and it's probably a relief for all concerned.
The princes have commissioned a statue of Princess Diana to mark the 20th anniversary of her death.
The sculpture will be placed in the public grounds of her former residence, Kensington Palace. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40470217 |
Grenfell Tower fire: Government to 'keep eye' on council - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Sajid Javid says the process to select a new council leader "will be independent of government". | UK | Supporters of Grenfell survivors took part in anti-government protests in central London on Saturday
The government will keep "a close eye" on Kensington and Chelsea council after its leader quit over the Grenfell Tower fire, the communities secretary says.
Sajid Javid said it was "right" that Nicholas Paget-Brown stepped down and said the process to select a successor would be "independent of government".
London mayor Sadiq Khan has called for commissioners to take over the council.
Earlier, a victims' group said one resident had had rent deducted from their bank account since the fire.
At least 80 people are believed to have died as fire engulfed the Grenfell Tower block, in west London, on 14 June.
Mr Javid said: "It is right the council leader stepped down given the initial response to the Grenfell tragedy," adding: "If we need to take further action, we won't hesitate to do so."
Mr Paget-Brown resigned following sustained criticism of the council and an aborted meeting of its cabinet on Thursday, from which leaders had tried to ban members of the public and press.
The council is due to elect a leader next week.
Yvette Williams, co-ordinator of the Justice4Grenfell campaign, said one former Grenfell Tower resident had had rent deducted from their bank account since the tragedy.
The survivor, who is housed in a hotel, got her bank card back and only realised that the rent had been taken when she went to withdraw funds from a cash point, Ms Williams said.
"It's just disgusting," she added.
Kensington and Chelsea council said to the best of its knowledge rent charges for Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk had been stopped.
"We are very sorry if this has happened and we are working to find out who has been affected so we can offer reassurance and an immediate refund," a council statement said.
"But if anyone has had money inadvertently taken as part of a direct debit or standing order we will make arrangements to have it immediately refunded."
Catherine Faulks, Conservative councillor for Kensington and Chelsea council, told the BBC: "It obviously is a mistake and I'm sorry that that has happened."
She said they would try to put it right.
Supporters of the Grenfell survivors joined anti-government protests through central London on Saturday, calling for an end to austerity measures.
Council leaders claimed on Thursday that an open meeting would "prejudice" the forthcoming public inquiry into the disaster.
But angry protests followed and Labour councillor Robert Atkinson, whose ward includes Grenfell Tower, branded the abandoned meeting a "fiasco".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nick Paget-Brown: "I have to accept my share of responsibility"
In his resignation statement, Mr Paget-Brown said he had received legal advice not to "compromise" the public inquiry into the fire by having the meeting open to the public and press.
But he added this decision "has itself become a political story".
"It cannot be right that this should have become the focus of attention when so many are dead or still unaccounted for," he said.
Reacting to Mr Paget-Brown's resignation, Mr Khan said it had been "clear that the local community in and around North Kensington has lost trust in the council and that the administration is not fit for purpose".
He had earlier called on the prime minister to appoint "untainted" commissioners with "a genuine empathy for local people and the situation they face" to take over the running of the council until the next local council elections.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Council tries to ban press and public from meeting
Deputy council leader and cabinet member for housing, property and regeneration, Rock Feilding-Mellen, has also stood down.
The fire at the 24-storey block in North Kensington destroyed 151 homes, both in the tower and in surrounding areas.
Documents obtained by the BBC suggest cladding fitted to Grenfell Tower during its refurbishment was changed to a cheaper version, which was less fire resistant.
The tower's cladding has been the focus of attention, amid suggestions it was why the flames spread so quickly.
The head of Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation has also stepped aside so he can focus on "assisting with the investigation and inquiry".
Did you live in Grenfell Tower? Or are you part of the local community? What's your experience of the council's response to the fire? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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/uk-40468235 |
Theresa May has 'hamstrung' David Davis in Brexit talks - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | UK Brexit chief David Davis's job is made more difficult by PM's "red lines", his ex-adviser says. | UK Politics | Theresa May has made David Davis's job more difficult by setting "red lines" for him in Brexit talks, his ex-chief of staff has told the BBC.
James Chapman said the Brexit secretary had been "hamstrung" by the prime minister's stance on the European Court of Justice (ECJ), among other things.
He said Mrs May would not get a Brexit deal through Parliament unless she showed more "flexibility".
Downing Street and the Department for Exiting the EU declined to comment.
Mrs May has insisted the ECJ will have no jurisdiction over the UK.
But the EU insists that the ECJ must continue to offer legal protection for its citizens in the UK, just as it does now.
The ECJ's main role is to uphold the rules of the single market, rather than rule on criminal matters like the European Court of Human Rights.
Mr Davis has said a new international body will have to be set up to settle disputes between the UK and the EU after Brexit, a job currently done by the ECJ.
Mr Chapman accused Mrs May of taking an "absolutist" position on the ECJ, saying: "She's set a red line effectively for a conference speech that hamstrung these negotiations in my view."
He added: "There have been red lines that have been set for him that make the job he has to do very difficult."
Mr Chapman also warned, in an interview with The Week in Westminster to be broadcast on Saturday at 11:00 BST on BBC Radio 4, that Mrs May would struggle to get her version of Brexit past MPs.
"If she doesn't, in my point of view, show more flexibility, show more pragmatism than she did demonstrate in the Home Office, she won't get this stuff through Parliament."
A former Daily Mail journalist, Mr Chapman was George Osborne's director of communications before becoming Mr Davis's chief of staff at the new department for exiting the EU.
Theresa May and Spain's PM Mariano Rajoy at a G20 summit
He also revealed that cabinet ministers wanted Mrs May to do a U-turn over plans to pull the UK out of Euratom, the pan-European atomic energy regulator.
Euratom is a separate legal entity from the EU and gives Britain's nuclear industry access to technology and fissile material.
Mr Chapman said the reason for wanting to withdraw from Euratom was to prevent the free movement of nuclear scientists, which is governed by the ECJ.
"Now I would have thought the UK would like to continue welcoming nuclear scientists, who are all probably being paid six figures and are paying lots of tax," he said.
"But we're withdrawing from it because of this absolutist position on the European Court."
He added: "If she doesn't shift on this I think Parliament will do it for her."
He also took a swipe at the ability of ministers in Mrs May's top team, which he said was "not groaning with talent".
"I think a political party is in a bad place when there's more talented people on its back benches than there are on the front benches."
He said the cabinet's leading "Brexiteers", David Davis and Boris Johnson, were "actually pretty liberal on issues like immigration" and would like to "recalibrate" Mrs May's position, "but at the moment she is showing no willingness to do this".
Mr Chapman stopped working for David Davis at the election and is now a partner at lobbying company Bell Pottinger. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40461496 |
Grenfell fire: Council leader quits over fire response - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Kensington and Chelsea Council leader Nick Paget-Brown said he had to accept "perceived failings". | England | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nick Paget-Brown: "I have to accept my share of responsibility"
Kensington and Chelsea Council leader Nick Paget-Brown has resigned following continued criticism of the council's handling of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Mr Paget-Brown faced calls to resign from London Mayor Sadiq Khan and a number of other senior politicians.
It comes after an aborted meeting of the council's cabinet in which leaders had tried to ban members of the public and press.
At least 80 people are believed to have died in the blaze on 14 June.
Announcing his resignation, Mr Paget-Brown said he had to accept responsibility for "perceived failings" by the council after the tragedy..
"I have therefore decided to step down as leader of the council as soon as a successor is in place," he said.
Members of the public and press had been barred from the council meeting until a court order overturned the decision minutes before it was due to start
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said: "This is clearly a personal matter for the leader of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, as well as the council.
"However, given local people had lost confidence in the leader, it is right that he has stepped aside."
He said the government's priority "remains focussed on the ongoing response efforts and providing all necessary support to those affected by this tragic incident".
Deputy council leader and cabinet member for housing, property and regeneration, Rock Feilding-Mellen, also announced his resignation.
The decision to adjourn Thursday night's meeting led to a rebuke from Downing Street on Friday.
A Number 10 spokesman said: "The High Court ruled that the meeting should be open and we would have expected the council to respect that."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Council tries to ban press and public from meeting
Council leaders claimed an open meeting would "prejudice" the forthcoming public inquiry.
But angry protests followed and Labour councillor Robert Atkinson, whose ward includes Grenfell Tower, branded the abandoned meeting a "fiasco".
Mr Atkinson, the Labour group leader on Kensington and Chelsea, told the BBC he was "ashamed" of the authority.
He accused leaders of "hiding from residents, they have been hiding from backbench councillors for over a week".
The London mayor demanded the resignation of the entire council leadership on Friday morning, adding the council's decision to scrap the meeting "beggars belief".
Mr Khan welcomed Mr Paget-Brown stepping down, saying: "Ever since the awful events of two weeks ago, it has been clear that the local community in and around north Kensington has lost trust in the council and that the administration is not fit for purpose.
"Last night's decision to abandon the council's cabinet meeting has merely compounded the misery for local people who are grieving, traumatised and desperate for answers."
Mr Khan later tweeted a letter he sent to the prime minister, asking her to appoint commissioners to take over the running of the council until next May's council elections.
The fire at the 24-storey block in North Kensington destroyed 151 homes, both in the tower and surrounding areas.
Documents obtained by the BBC suggest cladding fitted to Grenfell Tower during its refurbishment was changed to a cheaper version, which was less fire resistant.
Mr Paget-Brown said many "questions about the cause of the fire and how it spread so quickly" would need to be answered by the public inquiry.
He added: "The scale of this tragedy was always going to mean that one borough alone would never have sufficient resources to respond to all the needs of the survivors and those made homeless on its own.
"We have been very lucky to have the support of other London boroughs, the emergency services and community associations based in north Kensington and I'm very grateful to them."
Mr Paget-Brown said the council had been criticised for not answering "all of the questions people had". He said that was "properly a matter for the public inquiry".
But he said his decision to accept legal advice that he "should not compromise the public inquiry by having an open discussion in public" on Thursday night had "itself become a political story".
"It cannot be right that this should have become the focus of attention when so many are dead or still unaccounted for," he added.
Announcing his resignation, Mr Feilding-Mellen said it had been suggested several times since the blaze that he should step down but he had felt it was his "duty" to back the council's efforts to help the victims.
"It will be for others to judge whether it would have been better for me to resign immediately, but I would have found it hard to forgive myself if I had ducked out at such a moment of crisis for the borough," he said.
Cladding on at least 149 high-rise buildings across 45 local authority areas in England has failed fire safety tests.
Last weekend, Camden Borough Council evacuated five tower blocks which were found to have the same flammable cladding as that of Grenfell Tower.
• None 'I have to accept my share of responsibility' Video, 00:02:10'I have to accept my share of responsibility' | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40461581 |
Oil tanker and cargo ship collide in English Channel - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Both ships were damaged in the collision about 15 miles north east of Dover. | Kent | An oil tanker and a cargo ship have collided in the English Channel.
The collision happened 15 miles north east of Dover at 02:00 BST, the coastguard said.
The 183m (600ft) tanker Seafrontier, which is loaded with petrol, has a hole above the waterline and damage to the superstructure, the RNLI said.
The 225m (740ft) Huayang Endeavour was also damaged. None of the crew on board either ship was injured.
"Although both vessels have been damaged, there is no water ingress and no pollution," a coastguard spokesman said.
Huayang Endeavour was en route to Lagos in Nigeria and Seafrontier was travelling to Puerto Barrios in Guatemala. The vessels have Chinese and Indian crews on board, the UK coastguard said.
The Huayang Endeavour was on its way to Nigeria when the collision happened
The Seafrontier was damaged above the waterline, the RNLI said
A tug from Boulogne was called and the Seafrontier was taken under tow. The Huayang Endeavour is anchored mid-Channel between the two shipping lanes.
Both ships are registered in Hong Kong.
Weather conditions at the time of the callout showed a moderate wind and the state of the sea was calm, the RNLI said.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-40467221 |
Rocking the Stasi - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | When music captures the spirit of freedom it can cross any border. It crossed the Berlin Wall and eventually helped to bring it down. | Magazine | When music captures the spirit of freedom it can cross any border. In 1961, Communist East Germany built a wall across Berlin, and tried to seal itself off from the West. But new research shows how concrete, barbed wire and a huge effort by the secret police, the Stasi, failed to silence the seductive beat of rock and roll and punk.
The rise of Beatlemania in the 1960s brought a scathing response from Walter Ulbricht, the leader of the German Democratic Republic (GDR).
"Do we really have to copy all the rubbish that comes from the West… with all the monotony of their 'Yeah, yeah, yeah,'" he sneered during one of his turgid speeches to the Communist Party faithful.
He was 70 years old and in some ways his comments weren't so different from those of many Western politicians, says Dagmar Hovestaedt, a senior figure at the BStU, the organisation investigating the archives of the East German secret police, the Stasi.
"The older generation, the war generation, was aghast at what youth was doing," she says.
But for East Germany's leaders, much more was at stake. They feared that love of Western music would lead to love of Western politics. So they desperately tried to develop "their own version of cool youth culture".
There were state-planned dance steps, such as the Lipsi, an attempt to prevent the rise of rock and roll dancing. There was also a ludicrous and much ignored quota system restricting how much Western music could be played at parties. But "you can't organise a youth culture," Hovestaedt says. "That's not how it works."
Which is why many young East Germans remained glued to their radios, trying to catch the latest tunes beamed in by Western stations, and the Stasi did what it could to stop them.
If there's one story that symbolises GDR paranoia about music - and the tragedy of being a young music fan there - it's the story of a Rolling Stones concert that never happened.
It all began in 1969 with a throwaway comment by a DJ on the radio station RIAS - based in West Berlin but much listened to on the other side of the Berlin Wall. Imagine, he said, if the new publishing house built by entrepreneur Axel Springer in the West, right next to the Wall, staged a concert featuring the Stones on its roof so Easterners could come and listen too.
Stasi photographs of crowds in East Berlin gathering to hear the Rolling Stones
In East Germany the DJ's notion quickly became rumour and then widely believed fact. Thousands of young East Germans convinced themselves that the Stones really would play. And, what's more, on the same day their rulers were planning a day of celebrations in East Berlin to mark the 20th anniversary of the GDR's founding.
Cue panic among the Stasi. They hated Springer - seen as a capitalist ogre bent on luring young people away from the communist faith. Their files from the time are full of things like photographs of slogans chalked on roads in East German towns telling Stones fans to come to Berlin - and reports detailing how the Stasi tracked down and arrested the subversive sloganisers.
But hundreds did still come to Berlin on the day. I met Eckart Mann, then a 16-year-old, at the same spot opposite the Springer building where he'd waited in 1969. He'd heard the rumour, and thought, "Stones, play here. Wow, wow, wow!"
In fact, the Stones never appeared, but the GDR authorities did. As the crowd moved towards the Brandenburg Gate the policed arrived, and Mann was beaten and arrested.
He was convicted of being an "anti-socialist element". In his files I discovered that the head of the Stasi, Erich Mielke, had taken a personal interest in his case. Mann was given two years in prison, then expelled to the West, away from his family.
Eckart Mann, near the spot where he was arrested 48 years ago
"What was prison like?" I ask. He shrugged. "Not OK, but what could I do?" he says. And so a teenager paid a bitter price for his love of music.
That kind of brutal reprisal was meant to deter all young East Germans from dancing to Western "imperialist" tunes.
But the hunger for Western music just grew - reaching places a long way from the big cities.
Young people suspected of listening to Western music, secretly snapped by the Stasi (1969)
Another teenager, Alexander Kuehne, was desperate to bring more music into his life in a remote village hours from Berlin. What about getting hold of the latest Western records? As pensioners - not seen as vital to the state - were allowed by the GDR regime to visit the West, he'd give his grandmother shopping lists. It didn't go well. She misread The Clash and came back with Johnny Cash - you can still see the pain in Alexander's face as he recalls this "huge nightmare".
So instead he decided to turn his village into a major music venue.
It happened to be near a major rail junction, and he persuaded all kinds of music fans and bands to head for the room behind the village pub.
"This place is where we made the biggest parties in East Germany," he says, as he shows me round. Farmers at the bar would look on bemused as hundreds of New Wave fans or Glamrockers headed past them - with up to 1,000 packing a hall meant, according to police regulations, to hold only 100.
As it was so remote the police and Stasi were slow to react to these huge gatherings - apart from on one occasion when Alexander was arrested, taken to a police station and told the Stasi would come for him the next day. "I was very frightened," he says.
Luckily for him his mother had once taught the local police officer. She ordered him to release her son, and then dealt with the Stasi when they arrived. She never told her son exactly what happened. "She's my hero" is all he says now, with quiet admiration.
But back in the big cities pressure from the Stasi was relentless on music fans seen as "subversive" and "anti-social".
I remember visiting East Berlin in the early 1980s, seeing a few punks on the streets, and thinking you've got to be brave wearing slashed clothes, safety pins and spiky hair when the regime wanted you parading in a socialist youth group uniform.
Berlin's Stasi Museum displays the police mugshot of an arrested punk
But how could the secret police deal with or even understand something like punk? The archives contain recordings of Stasi meetings where the organisation's boss Erich Mielke tried to get his brain - and his tongue - around such utterly baffling concepts as punks and heavy metal fans.
I managed to track down Jürgen Breski, then a Stasi officer ordered to monitor and infiltrate the punk scene. He agreed to meet in a discreet corner of a city-centre restaurant and tell me what his bosses had wanted him to do.
"They wanted to bring a kind of socialist lifestyle to the people so we tried to combat anything that didn't belong to that," he says. "The aim was to control 'the scene' as it expanded, to stop it from becoming too well known."
In the end the Stasi did what it always did -recruited as many informers as possible.
Other tactics including calling up members of illegal bands for compulsory military service and sending them to different parts of the country. "Suddenly the band had no musicians," Breski says.
But many were determined to resist. Dirk Kalinowski from the punk band Zerfall told me how the Stasi put heavy pressure on him and his band.
They survived as performers thanks to an extraordinary alliance with a Berlin church which gave them shelter. The GDR authorities, mostly ruthless, were wary of attracting international attention by interfering directly with church activities.
The church, he says, was a "protected space".
"They could arrest you as you arrived in front of the door or as you left. But here inside you were safe."
So his group - banned by the state from normal concerts - was able to perform in the middle of Evangelical church services. The pastor would pause… and then ask his mostly elderly congregation to listen to something just a bit different.
"It was mad," Kalinowski remembers. "As front man I could see right into the faces of the congregation who were completely shocked. The only ones who were laid back about it were the children who jumped up straight away. I'll never forget it - one old couple covered their ears and then walked out."
A church also provided the venue for another extraordinary concert, when British music producer Mark Reeder managed to smuggle a West German punk band, Die Toten Hosen, across the Berlin Wall to play a concert.
Mark Reeder before the fall of the Wall
"I told my friends, 'If I get caught I get thrown out of the country. If you get caught your lives will change because you'll be classed as enemies of the state,'" recalls Reeder. "They said, 'We don't care we'll do it anyway.'"
Campino, lead singer of Die Toten Hosen, remembers how the band disguised themselves to get through border controls between West and East Berlin. "We had to comb our hair, get proper clothes on." He knew why the East German authorities would stop them if they recognised them. "Punk rock didn't officially exist in the East, they didn't want to spread the virus in any form."
Only around 25 could come to the secret concert in an East Berlin church. But "everyone in the room know this was something very special and maybe would never happen again".
Campino performing with the Toten Hosen in 2015
He was very impressed, he says, with the way young East Germans created their own cultural space in spite of - or perhaps because of - all the regime's pressure.
"They had a certain kind of pride, a belief. They said, 'You in the West you've got the best clothing, the fashion, all those things. But we've got friendship and we help each other and we're not superficial,'" he says.
Their friendships "meant more because they had to pay a bigger price for everything that went wrong", as he puts it.
And so this amazing musical life rocked on - soundtrack to a kind of freedom that few outsiders ever realised was possible. Yes, the regimes could impose all kinds of restrictions. But still music fans created free spaces, a unique state of mind across communist-ruled Europe.
Mikhail Gorbachev and East German leader Erich Honecker sing the International in East Berlin (1986)
From the mid-1980s, as a new leader in Moscow, Mikhail Gorbachev, began loosening the Soviet grip on East Germany, Western music was reverberating more and more strongly around the Berlin Wall itself.
In 1987 no less a figure than David Bowie played a concert right by the Wall on the Western side - Bowie a global star who'd lived in Berlin, knew its surreal Cold War atmosphere and musical energy well. And fans from the East gathered near the Wall to try and listen.
For the relatively young deputy police chief of East Berlin, Dieter Dietze, this posed a professional and personal dilemma. He knew a brutal police response - like that against those who'd come hoping to hear the Rolling Stones in 1969 - would be counter-productive. And as a rock fan himself who'd once played in a band, he told me he had much sympathy with the young fans. But GDR bosses still wanted order above all.
"It was clear to me that music, rock music belonged to young people, that there was no way you could deny that to young people. So I and a couple of others began to argue - why don't we do something like this?" he says.
The GDR authorities were persuaded to allow concerts on their territory by global superstars including Bob Dylan and, in 1988, Bruce Springsteen. It was meant as a safety valve to appease the younger generation. But the concerts just amplified a new spirit of freedom.
A Stasi report on the Dylan concert struggles with the name of Tom Petty's band
Concerts like Bruce Springsteen's, says Dagmar Hovestaedt, "became a rallying point for demands for human rights, for access to travel and to express yourself. Imagine - 100,000 young East Germans singing 'Born in the USA'."
Whereas in the 1960s Rolling Stones fans hoping to hear their heroes had faced persecution, "in the 80s that fear had gone, the state had lost control".
There are many reasons, political and economic, why the Cold War came to an end. But that spirit of freedom that brought thousands on the streets in 1989 to challenge communist regimes was also vital.
And that spirit had been sustained - for many - by music.
After the Wall came down and the GDR disappeared so too did the Stasi. Former officers like Jürgen Breski have had much time to reflect on their attempt to control everything - and why it failed.
"From today's perceptive much seems pointless, a waste of effort," he told me. When it came to punk music "sometimes we had influence, but in the end there were no results" .
And what about the young people persecuted, sometimes imprisoned, for their love of music?
"Today I'd be against doing something like that. But you grow up in a society, grow with this society's norms, you profit from them. And when later you have the chance to see that from a different perspective you say: 'OK - it shouldn't have been that way.'"
Concrete borders, machine guns and barbed wire could stop some things. But not music.
"Music comes into your spirit and your head and you listen," says Dagmar Hovestaedt. For her, it all goes back to an old German proverb: Die Gedanken sind frei - thoughts are free.
"Music that can't be stopped by borders reminds you constantly there is joy in self-expression."
Click here for the BStU report on the 1969 Rolling Stones concert that never was (in German)
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-40447191 |
New York hospital: Ex-employee opens fire in Bronx - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The gunman killed one doctor at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital before shooting himself. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
A gunman has opened fire with an assault rifle inside a hospital in the Bronx borough of New York, killing one doctor and injuring six other people, five of them seriously.
The gunman, a former doctor at the hospital, killed himself in the attack.
The shooting began at about 14:55 local time (18:55 GMT) at the 1,000-bed Bronx-Lebanon Hospital.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said the shooting was not an act of terrorism, but rather workplace-related.
He said the attack had been a "horrific situation in the middle of a place that people associate with care and comfort".
Several of the injured are "fighting for their lives," he said, adding that the doctor killed in the attack was a woman.
Police said the suspect was wearing a white medical coat when found. An assault rifle was also discovered nearby, which a local politician separately said appeared to be a military-grade M16 rifle.
Police confirmed this Facebook image to be that of Henry Bello
Police Commissioner James O'Neill said the attack began on the 16th floor and all the victims were shot on the 16th and 17th floors.
The gunman has not been officially named but police sources told US media he was Henry Bello, 45, a former family-medicine doctor at the hospital. Sources quoted by NBC said he had resigned in 2015 in lieu of termination.
Mr O'Neill said the gunman had tried to set himself on fire and died of a self-inflicted wound.
Messages on social media spoke of doctors and nurses barricading themselves inside the building in the Mount Hope district.
New York police urged the public to avoid the area around the hospital at 1650 Grand Concourse
Doctors were among those injured
One patient in the radiology department, Felix Puno, tweeted: "Building is in complete shut down, I was in the middle of getting an X-ray when security alerted us to the active shooter situation."
Garry Trimble, whose fiancée works at the hospital, said security was not good enough.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the shooting was isolated and appeared to be "workplace-related"
He said: "I can walk through the back door with an employee. If the employee opens the door, I can walk in. I think every hospital should have one police officer at each entrance. They only ever do something when something happens."
Bronx-Lebanon is a private, not-for-profit hospital that has been operating for 120 years.
Shootings at hospitals are not common, but there have been several such instances in recent years.
In 2015, a man entered a Boston hospital and asked for a cardiologist by name, shooting him dead when he arrived. During the investigation, it emerged that the man's mother had previously been a patient at the hospital.
In July 2016, another man opened fire in a patient's room at a Florida medical centre, killing an elderly woman and a hospital worker. The suspect was later deemed to suffer from mental health issues, casting doubt over his competency to stand trial.
In July last year, a patient at a Berlin hospital shot a doctor before turning the gun on himself. The city had also seen a shooting outside another hospital earlier in the year, in which no-one was killed.
Are you in the area? If it's safe to do so, please share your pictures, videos and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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/world-us-canada-40461573 |
Grenfell Tower fire: Sadiq Khan calls on PM to appoint commissioners - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Sadiq Khan says commissioners should be appointed to run the local council and reach out to "neglected" residents of Grenfell Tower. | UK | London's mayor has urged Theresa May to appoint commissioners to run Kensington and Chelsea council after its leader resigned over the Grenfell Tower fire.
Sadiq Khan welcomed Nicholas Paget-Brown's decision to stand down, but said public trust could not be restored by other members of the council.
He said residents "quite rightly feel desperately neglected".
Mr Paget-Brown resigned on Friday, saying he had to accept his "share of responsibility for perceived failings".
At least 80 people are believed to have died as fire engulfed the Grenfell Tower block, in west London, on 14 June.
Mr Paget-Brown resigned following sustained criticism of the council and an aborted meeting of its cabinet on Thursday, from which leaders had tried to ban members of the public and press.
The decision led to a rebuke from Downing Street, which said it would have expected the council to respect a High Court ruling that the meeting be open to the public.
Reacting to Mr Paget-Brown's resignation, Mr Khan said it had been "clear that the local community in and around North Kensington has lost trust in the council and that the administration is not fit for purpose".
He called on the prime minister to appoint "untainted" commissioners with "a genuine empathy for local people and the situation they face" to take over the running of the council until the next local council elections.
Yvette Williams, co-ordinator of the Justice4Grenfell campaign, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the community was "very, very angry" and would not accept commissioners without consultation.
"I do support the mayor in terms of a commissioner-led borough, but how are those people going to be selected?" she said.
She added that one former Grenfell Tower resident had had rent deducted from their bank account since the tragedy.
The survivor, who is housed in a hotel, got her bank card back and only realised that the rent had been taken when she went to withdraw funds from a cash point, Ms Williams said.
"It's just disgusting," she added.
Kensington and Chelsea council said to the best of its knowledge rent charges for Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk had been stopped.
"We are very sorry if this has happened and we are working to find out who has been affected so we can offer reassurance and an immediate refund," a council statement said.
"But if anyone has had money inadvertently taken as part of a direct debit or standing order we will make arrangements to have it immediately refunded."
Catherine Faulks, Conservative councillor for Kensington and Chelsea council, said: "Of course we weren't immediately quick off the ground, it was an enormous tragedy... I challenge any borough in the whole country to immediately have had an action plan that they could put into place."
When asked whether commissioners should take over the council, she said: "It's a decision for government."
The council will elect a leader next week, she said.
But shadow housing secretary John Healey told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he backed Mr Khan's call because the council had "demonstrated they are not up to the job".
"The public and residents' trust can't be restored by simply replacing the leader and deputy leader by other politicians from the same political group and this is where ministers need to step in," he said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nick Paget-Brown: "I have to accept my share of responsibility"
The former head of the civil service, Lord Kerslake, a cross-bench peer, told Today commissioners were "not brought in lightly" and it had "only happened on very few occasions".
"The test for me about whether commissioners come in - I wouldn't like to make that judgement not being close to the detail - is really, essentially, can the council do the job that is necessary to make the building safe and in particular to support those who have been affected?" he said.
"The pace of response has been the issue and also I have to say the communication. The public have a right to know what's going on."
Council leaders claimed on Thursday that an open meeting would "prejudice" the forthcoming public inquiry into the disaster.
But angry protests followed and Labour councillor Robert Atkinson, whose ward includes Grenfell Tower, branded the abandoned meeting a "fiasco".
In his resignation statement, Mr Paget-Brown said he had received legal advice not to "compromise" the public inquiry into the fire by having the meeting open to the public and press.
But he added this decision "has itself become a political story".
"It cannot be right that this should have become the focus of attention when so many are dead or still unaccounted for," he said.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Council tries to ban press and public from meeting
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said the resignation was a "personal matter" for Mr Paget-Brown, but added that it was "right that he has stepped aside".
Deputy council leader and cabinet member for housing, property and regeneration, Rock Feilding-Mellen, also stood down.
The fire at the 24-storey block in North Kensington destroyed 151 homes, both in the tower and surrounding areas.
Documents obtained by the BBC suggest cladding fitted to Grenfell Tower during its refurbishment was changed to a cheaper version, which was less fire resistant.
The tower's cladding has been the focus of attention, amid suggestions it was why the flames spread so quickly.
Meanwhile, the head of Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation has stepped aside so he can focus on "assisting with the investigation and inquiry".
Did you live in Grenfell Tower? Or are you part of the local community? What's your experience of the council's response to the fire? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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Bradley Lowery: Jermain Defoe visits terminally ill youngster - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Bradley's mother said her son was finding breathing difficult "but is fighting it". | Tees | Defoe pledged to keep in touch with the family after his move to Bournemouth
Footballer Jermain Defoe has visited terminally-ill Bradley Lowery after his family revealed the six-year-old is having difficulty breathing.
Former Sunderland star Defoe has struck up a close friendship with the avid Black Cats fan and club mascot.
Bradley, from Blackhall Colliery, near Hartlepool, has neuroblastoma and is receiving palliative care at home.
Defoe, 34, made the trip to County Durham on Friday, the day after he joined Premier League club Bournemouth.
Bradley's parents have already said they believe he has just a short time to live.
Bradley has been Sunderland mascot several times with his "best mate" Defoe
In a statement, his mother Gemma said: "Brad is very weak and finding breathing difficult, but he is fighting it.
"Last night, his best friend Jermain came to visit him and it was so heart warming seeing how Bradley reacted.
"He was so happy and laid for ages getting cuddles. Bradley was really relaxed with him."
Defoe, who pledged to keep in touch with the family after his move to Bournemouth, has described his relation with the ill youngster as the "highlight of his season".
"Away from football the relationship I've managed to develop with Bradley and what I've brought to his life and what he's brought to mine has been really special," he said.
"It's just been sad to see him go through what he has been and he's only six. But I still feel blessed that I'm able to be in his life."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-40467110 |
Venus Williams faces lawsuit for car death - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The man who died suffered "massive" organ damage and bleeding in the collision, says a lawyer. | US & Canada | Venus Williams had recently been eliminated from the French Open when the crash occurred
Venus Williams faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of a man who died in a Florida car crash involving the tennis star, says a lawyer.
The 78-year-old man suffered "massive" fatal injuries from the 9 June collision in Palm Beach Gardens city, an attorney for his widow says.
According to police, Ms Williams was at fault for the traffic accident, which caused the death of Jerome Barson.
The 37-year-old is due to make her 20th appearance at Wimbledon on Monday.
According to the police report, Linda Barson told police she was driving with her husband, Jerome, in the passenger seat of their 2016 Hyundai Accent at the time of the collision.
Mrs Barson told police that as they passed through an intersection on a green light, Ms Williams' 2010 Toyota Sequoia cut across in front of their car.
The Barsons had been married for over 30 years
Ms Williams told police she became stuck in the middle of the intersection because of other traffic, according to the report.
"Mrs Barson is suffering intense grief and doesn't know how she will go on," her lawyer, Michael Steinger, told ABC television's Good Morning America.
"Her husband of 35 years was struck by Venus Williams, who was at fault in a car accident, which ultimately resulted in Mr Barson being hospitalised 14 days with multiple surgeries which resulted in his death."
The lawsuit, filed by the couple's daughter, Audrey Gassner-Dunayer, asserts that her father's injuries included "severed main arteries, massive internal bleeding, a fractured spine, and massive internal organ damage".
The Barsons' car was "crushed, the front windshield shattered, the airbags deployed, there was crush damage to the rear on the driver's side, and the back window was shattered", the lawsuit states.
The lawyer added: "At this point, we are attempting to both preserve the evidence and gain access to evidence."
Mr Barson died in hospital on 22 June, his wife Linda's 68th birthday.
Mrs Barson was also admitted to hospital after the crash.
According to a police report obtained by US media, Ms Williams "is at fault for violating the right of way of" the Barsons' vehicle.
Ms Williams' car suddenly darted into their path and was unable to clear the junction in time due to traffic jams, witnesses told police.
The police incident report says that the estimated speed of Ms Williams' vehicle at the time was 5mph (8km/h).
In a statement to US media, the tennis star's lawyer, Malcolm Cunningham, said: "Ms Williams entered the intersection on a green light.
"Authorities did not issue Ms Williams with any citations or traffic violations.
"This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one."
The accident occurred just days after the seven-time Grand Slam champion was eliminated from the French Open.
She has not been criminally charged.
Ms Williams is currently in London to train for the Wimbledon tournament, which she has won five times - most recently in 2008.
The All England Club tournament begins on Monday. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40462246 |
Celebrity names you're probably saying wrong - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Just how do you say Charlize Theron, Shia LaBeouf, Susan Sarandon or Martin Scorsese? | Entertainment & Arts | As Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot can do anything - apart from getting people to pronounce her name correctly.
You've probably been calling her Gal Gah-dote or Gal Gah-doh all this time. Or maybe you're not at all sure and have been mumbling her surname, hoping no one will notice.
But the Israeli actress recently cleared up the confusion by telling Jimmy Kimmel it's actually pronounced Gal Gad-dott.
She's not the only one who's struggled with name issues. Here are a few other famous faces whose name you may have been saying wrong.
Twenty years ago, no one had heard of Harry Potter author JK Rowling. But with great fame comes great name mispronunciation.
Is it Roe-ling or Rowl-ling? The author once corrected an interviewer saying: "It's Rolling - as in Stone."
Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried is constantly correcting people on how to say her name.
Sieg-freed, Sigh-freed, Sieg-fred and Say-freed have all been said to her face, and every time she cringes.
She cleared it up once and for all in a 2012 interview - it's Sigh-fred.
Everyone knows it's Scor-say-zee, right? Wrong. It's Scor-sess-see.
The director says so himself in the fifth series of Entourage.
Last year Barbra Streisand made headlines after she complained to Apple boss Tim Cook about the way Siri says her name.
How is that? Well, it's pretty much the way everyone pronounces it: Strei-zand.
"She pronounces my name wrong," the singer told NPR. "Streisand with a soft S, like sand on the beach."
So that's Strei-sand to you and me.
Shia LaBeouf famously wore a paper bag on his head at the Berlin Film Festival in 2014, saying he wasn't famous anymore.
But in talking about the incident, people were forced to say his name - which was a little tricky for some.
The South African actress has had a rough time getting people to say her surname right.
It's not Ther-on or Ther-own (rhymes with Throne) - she goes by Ther-in.
To make things even more confusing, that's not even her actual name either. In Afrikaans, it's pronounced Shar-leeze Thrawn, but she's opted for Ther-in as she thinks it's easier to say.
Here she is telling Piers Morgan how to say it properly.
Simpsons creator Matt Groening has one of those names whose spelling instantly flummoxes you.
But it's not Groan-ing or Green-ing - it's Gray-ning.
If you've merrily been living your life calling her Susan Sarun-dun you're wrong.
The Oscar winner once helpfully explained to interviewers how to pronounce her name: "It's Sa-ran-don - rhymes with abandon."
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-40417509 |
Going viral: When YouTube stunts turn deadly - BBC News | 2017-07-01 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Why do some aspiring YouTubers risk their lives for online hits? | World | "They were in love, they loved each other," Pedro Ruiz's aunt said of the aspiring YouTubers
Monalisa Perez, 19, and her boyfriend Pedro Ruiz, 22, wanted to be famous on YouTube.
But until a dramatic stunt on 26 June involving a gun and a hardcover book that left Pedro dead, there was little indication in their videos how far they were prepared to go in order to attain online celebrity.
The couple from the US state of Minnesota had been uploading videos for less than two months documenting their everyday lives.
Though they had filmed some minor pranks - Monalisa dusting a donut with baby powder before feeding it to Pedro, for example - they seemed relatively harmless.
In one video filmed in a hospital, they learn their new baby is going to be a boy.
"Imagine when we have 300,000 subscribers," Monalisa pondered in a video uploaded at a fun fair on the day Pedro was killed. "People will be like 'oh my god, hi!'"
Now she faces a second-degree manslaughter charge over a reckless stunt that was said to be her boyfriend's idea to boost their profile. She fired a Desert Eagle handgun from close range, as he held an encyclopaedia in front of his chest.
He had experimented previously and thought the thick book would protect him, but the couple's three-year-old child and nearly 30 onlookers watched as she fired a fatal bullet.
She told police the stunt had been Ruiz's idea, and that he had to convince her to do it
Since YouTube launched in 2005, it has attracted people willing to do things on camera for a slice of minor online fame.
But in 2012, the company made it easier for contributors to obtain a chunk of the advertising revenue they generate from videos. Studios were created and grants given out to groom a stable of stars who need to make fresh, compelling content to keep the clicks - and advertising dollars - rolling in.
They are often media personalities in their own right, with agents and slickly produced videos.
Hundreds of thousands of others, like the Minnesota couple, sit below them and are trying to gather followings. Many have little success.
But the rewards of becoming one of the few who make it big can be a huge motivation to keep trying. (According to Forbes, the top 12 highest-earning YouTube stars made a combined $70.5m from June 2015 - June 2016.)
And while stunts are merely one genre of an extremely diverse landscape of videos made by YouTubers - from cooking to comedy and music to beauty - they do get millions of views.
Dr Arthur Cassidy, a British psychologist specialising in social media, says videos of dangerous stunts can inspire teenage copycats who "haven't got the cognitive function to figure out this could be very fatal".
"It's perceived as being 'fun' or 'exciting' or 'high-risk'. Anything that is high risk is intriguing, gets adrenaline going and sets up highly competitive game playing within the fraternity of late adolescence."
But what the Minnesota couple tried to film is "one of the most horrific cases" he has come across.
Fears that young people watching from home could try it, but with a less powerful weapon to see if it could work, are "salient and highly profound", Dr Cassidy says.
Doing dangerous things for online attention is nothing new.
In 2011, Australian Acton Beale fell to his death after trying to "plank" on the balcony of a seventh floor flat in Brisbane.
The planking craze - which involved people lying down straight-bodied in unusual, but mostly safe, places - was largely confined to still images uploaded to Facebook.
But the Australian case signalled how a growing internet "stunt" culture for attention could lead to tragedy, and since then several online trends have reportedly caused deaths worldwide.
Russian Alexander Chernikov set his trousers on fire before jumping into snow. Video of the stunt went viral
Of course, YouTube has no borders, and stunt videos from anywhere can go viral globally.
Russia's Interior Ministry recently launched a "safe selfie" campaign in response to a growing local culture of amateur daredevils filming their stunts.
In one video watched by millions of people, Alexander Chernikov lights his trousers on fire and jumps off a nine-storey building into the snow.
These kinds of stunts make the antics of TV pranksters from a pre-YouTube era, like those of the MTV reality show Jackass, seem tame.
Critics say that YouTube, owned by Google, needs to do more to take down videos of extremely dangerous stunts.
The company said it was "horrified to learn of the tragedy in Minnesota" and that its thoughts were with the family. No video of the incident is believed to have been uploaded.
A spokesperson told the BBC that it removes content flagged by users that breaks its rules.
Its policy on harmful and dangerous content says it draws the line at content "that intends to incite violence or encourage dangerous or illegal activities that have an inherent risk of serious physical harm or death".
Examples of what would be banned include videos depicting "bomb making, choking games, hard drug use, or other acts where serious injury may result". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-40459493 |
Rory Cowan: 'Unhappy' Mrs Brown's Boys actor quits - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Cowan, who plays Mrs Brown's camp son Rory, says he's been "unhappy" for a couple of years. | Entertainment & Arts | Rory Cowan, who plays Mrs Brown's hairdresser son Rory in hit sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys, has left the programme.
Cowan said he had been "unhappy", and left his co-stars after a Mrs Brown show at London's O2 Arena on Sunday.
He has worked with the comedy's creator Brendan O'Carroll for 26 years.
"I hadn't been happy working for the Mrs Brown's Boys company for the last 18 months to two years," he said. "I feel that 26 years is enough so I decided it was time to go."
Cowan told O'Carroll last month that he wanted to quit, but was persuaded to stay for the latest part of the Mrs Brown tour.
"I told Brendan on 16 June about my decision to leave," Cowan told the Irish Daily Mail. "That's when I handed in my notice.
Cowan and his co-stars have been on a sold out UK arena tour
"I was supposed to leave at the end of that week, but Brendan said that would be impossible and asked if I'd stay on until the end of the London O2 gigs. So I agreed to that."
He said there was "no bad blood" between the pair.
"I'm not going into details about why I was unhappy. I did the final show, packed my stuff into a small Waitrose plastic bag and just left the venue."
In a statement, O'Carroll described Cowan as "a legend".
"To all of us it feels like Ronaldo leaving Manchester United," he said. "But Ronaldo went on to amazing success which I know Rory will too.
"I can't even quantify the contribution Rory has made to our success and the well-being of me and my family, not just on screen or stage but way before that as a friend and a driving force in getting us here."
Cowan started off as O'Carroll's publicist - a job he took after being made redundant as a marketing manager for EMI Records.
He only became part of the Mrs Brown's Boys cast when an actor dropped out during a tour and O'Carroll couldn't find anyone else who could learn the lines in time.
The success of the stage show led to the BBC TV series, which began in 2011.
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40557869 |
The billionaire trying to make the world's best Pinot Noir - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Californian billionaire trying to make the best Pinot Noir in the New World. | Business | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Californian trying to make wine like the French
Tech entrepreneur TJ Rodgers made billions of dollars founding silicon chip maker Cypress Semiconductors, now he has turned his sights to wine-making, and is on a quest to make the best Pinot Noir in the New World.
A collapse in the roof of a gigantic tunnel being driven into a hillside sounds like a pretty dramatic event.
But the entrepreneur TJ Rodgers is calm as he recalls what happened.
"It's not like you see in the movies with rocks flying, and stuff like that.
"It will kill you but it's kind of a slow motion thing, and you can walk [away] and stay in front of it," he explains.
He is speaking inside one of three giant caves that house his winery high in the Santa Cruz mountains in California.
The construction of the facility was a monumental task, taking years and requiring advice from experts in digging tunnels under the Austrian Alps.
Occasional cave-ins were just one of many challenges.
The location was so remote that it was impossible for concrete to be driven in without it setting first. Instead, they had to drive in a concrete-making plant which they assembled on site.
And the reason for all this intense effort? "Our mission statement is to make the best Pinot Noir [wine] in the New World," says Mr Rodgers.
TJ Rodgers became interested in wine in his youth
He is certainly not someone to do anything by halves. He founded the huge silicon chip maker Cypress Semiconductors in 1982, and subsequently built it into an enterprise worth billions of dollars.
The silicon chips that Cypress makes are found in millions of mobile phones and many other devices. Chips are also found on the bottles produced at the winery, which is called Clos de la Tech.
TJ Rodgers, who recently stood down from Cypress, first became interested in wine in his youth. Pinot Noir proved to be his favourite, in particular that made in Burgundy.
He wanted to know more, so he travelled to France, visiting vineyard after vineyard in Burgundy.
Despite the bemused responses from some vineyard owners, Mr Rodgers says he learnt a lot from his time in France.
TJ Rodgers has tried to replicate Burgundy's wine-making process in California's Santa Cruz mountains
Back in California, his interest blossomed into a passion. He set about trying to make wine himself, and he enlisted the help of his wife, Valeta Massey, who now spends much of her time on wine-making.
Mr Rodgers first experimented with a vineyard at his home. Later, after the purchase of the site in the Santa Cruz mountains, the venture became more ambitious.
The plan was to aim for the highest possible quality. The best way to do that, Mr Rodgers decided, was to copy the wine-making process used in Burgundy in the 1830s.
This meant using techniques such as foot-crushing the grapes, and being as gentle as possible with the wine at every stage.
Pumps are avoided. Instead, the facility is a "gravity winery", explains Mr Rodgers. The three enormous caves are arranged one above the other, so after fermentation in the topmost cave the wine flows through pipes downhill into barrels in the second cave for the next stages of the process.
Some technology is still involved in the wine-making process
Despite the emphasis on traditional methods, technology also plays a role. For example, many real-time measurements are taken during fermentation, and special devices are used to measure moisture levels in the field, helping to ensure the crops get exactly the right amount of water.
But Mr Rodgers is quick to add that modern techniques are only used where appropriate: "the technology is not to supplant the old process, the old guys were pretty smart."
TJ Rodgers is far from the only wealthy individual to try his hand at pushing the boundaries of wine-making in California. But are ventures like his little more than the wine-making equivalent of vanity publishing?
Not necessarily, says Aaron Pott, a wine-maker and consultant who has worked at the top end of the industry in France and California. With the right vineyard, and skilled staff, he says, it is perfectly possible to make excellent wine.
Mr Pott adds it would also be a mistake to assume that only ancient vines can produce good output. "Great wine can be made from young vineyards," he says.
The French oak barrels used at Clos de la Tech cost $1,000 (£774; 876 euros) each
But while it may be feasible to make high quality wine, making money in the process is more difficult, according to both Mr Rodgers and Mr Pott.
For one thing, there is the high cost of setting up facilities like those built by Mr Rodgers and other wealthy people in California. Quite apart from the cost of the land and buildings, the equipment can be expensive.
Take, for instance, the French oak barrels used at Clos de la Tech - these cost $1,000 (£774; 876 euros) each.
Then there is the question of yield. The downside of aiming for high quality, says Mr Rodgers, is that output will be small.
"Our yield up here is one tonne per acre. If you go to a commercial farm in Napa you see five tonnes per acre, and if you go to Modesto you see 12 tonnes per acre. Ok so right there, the war's over with regard to economics. Your wine's going to be expensive," he explains.
The grape is the most important part of the wine-making process
Nevertheless, although economics may present a challenge, benefits can flow from what Mr Rodgers and others like him are doing, says Mr Pott.
Whilst in some ways it may make it harder for smaller concerns like his own to compete, Mr Pott believes that the emergence of wealthy wine-makers in California has helped "to raise the bar" of quality - and that ultimately is a good thing for the industry.
TJ Rodgers and Valeta Massey say they have enjoyed their venture immensely, and that they have learnt a lot about wine in the process.
Perhaps the biggest lesson for them has been the prime importance of the starting point - the grape.
"The French have a phrase - 'the wine is made in the field'.
"The wine has a certain potential defined by the grapes in the field and… the best you can do is take 100 per cent grapes and make 100 per cent wine. And all wine making is downhill from there," he says.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40496904 |
The couple who started a theatre - and are now having their wedding there - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Joseph Houston and William Whelton opened the award-winning Hope Mill Theatre on a shoestring. | Entertainment & Arts | William Whelton (left) and Joseph Houston are celebrating their first London transfer and their wedding in the same week
Two struggling actors who opened their own theatre on a shoestring, doing everything from collecting the tickets to cleaning the toilets, have won a string of awards and are transferring two shows to London. And the theatre's about to host its biggest event yet - their wedding reception.
There's a job Joseph Houston and William Whelton shouldn't be doing on the day I meet them in the shabby chic cafe that they've set up in the foyer of their theatre in Manchester.
It's been 18 months since the pair cleaned the soot from the floor of the former cotton mill, and since Will's mum tiled the bathrooms and Joseph's grandfather gave the doorframes a lick of paint, after which they threw open the doors to Hope Mill Theatre.
They have just finally taken on a cleaner to give the loos a proper once-over. Except today the cleaner has called in sick.
"We still do everything," Joseph says. "Last week was the first day we took on a cleaning service because we thought we would get them in one day a week and at least it makes it a bit easier for us.
"It's only the second time and they've phoned in sick. They should have been cleaned today by someone, but now we're going to have to do it."
Hope Mill Theatre's production of Yank! is now at Charing Cross Theatre
Joseph and William are used to multi-tasking - whether that's scrubbing the loos, serving behind the bar, or talking to investors to raise funds to transfer their shows to London.
In October, their co-production of the classic musical Hair, which was seen at Hope Mill in 2016, will move to The Vaults underneath Waterloo Station for the show's 50th anniversary.
Before that, their staging of Yank!, a musical about two gay US servicemen during World War Two, has transferred to Charing Cross Theatre, where Monday is opening night.
Shows like Hair and Yank! have helped Hope Mill make its name since it opened in October 2015.
Last October, Joseph and William beat Kenneth Branagh and National Theatre artistic director Rufus Norris to win the theatre prize at the Hospital Club awards.
The venue also received two prizes, including a special achievement honour, at the Manchester Theatre Awards in March.
Hair will transfer to The Vaults in London in October
Joseph and William's biggest celebration is still to come, though. This weekend, the theatre will be transformed into the venue for their wedding reception.
The couple met as actors, but their own dreams of West End stardom faded as they struggled to get auditions and as William needed vocal surgery.
After having the idea to open their own theatre instead, they spotted an ad for Hope Mill on Gumtree.
"I had proposed to Will on the UK tour of Pirates of Penzance," Joseph, 27, says. "We were going through the process of trying to secure this [building], so we said, well, if we get the venue then we'll get married there."
The couple had been living in London, working as waiters between acting jobs. "We were struggling to pay the rent, and there was not much happening," 28-year-old William says. "So it makes you lose faith."
Realising that it wasn't worth staying in the capital just to attend occasional auditions, they moved to William's home town of Macclesfield, 20 miles from Manchester.
Parade was Hope Mill's first full musical - and ended up selling out
As they got to know the city's theatre scene, they realised there might be a gap in the market for a fringe venue where people could see full productions of musicals up close.
Hope Mill was modelled on London venues like the Menier Chocolate Factory, Southwark Playhouse and Union Theatre. The pair had worked for the Union's owner Sasha Regan as actors, and she encouraged them to find a venue.
"We were like, 'Well, we don't really have any money,'" William recalls. "She said, 'Just do it. You never will.' That gave us the spark and the confidence."
Joseph adds: "We genuinely didn't have any money. We thought we'd just see what's out there and worry about the money afterwards."
So after finding the building to rent, they drummed up a £10,000 Business Finance Solutions loan, a crowdfunding campaign to buy the 120 seats and a loan from William's mum ("Which we still owe her to this day").
The pair ran a crowdfunding campaign and borrowed money from family
Their plans soon attracted the attention of theatre producer Katy Lipson, whose company Aria Entertainment has staged shows like The Addams Family musical, and who hails from Manchester. She went to meet the pair before Hope Mill opened.
"She came in one day and we were in overalls painting away," Will says. "It was a total mess but she said, 'What an incredible space.'
"She's used to the kinds of spaces you get in London. Compared to that, this is quite big. She said, 'I'd love to bring some work up here.' In hindsight, she wanted to bring some work back to near home. She'd never produced work in Manchester before."
William and Joseph's ambition of staging full musicals like Yank!, Hair and Parade and taking them to London was part of a five-year plan, but with Lipson's help it has all come to fruition much sooner than expected.
The next show the team are staging at Hope Mill is the Tony Award-winning musical Pippin in late August and September.
William and Joseph could never have started a venue like this in London, they believe.
"It would have cost way too much," William explains. "The way we opened this place, we pretty much did it on our own with limited funds.
"It was totally naive and pretty stupid when we look back. It so could have gone terribly wrong. But we just soft opened and as money came in we carried on."
The biggest challenge, Joseph reflects, has been learning how to work together.
"That's been hard," he says. "We're a couple, so [we have been] learning what our roles are, learning how to leave work at work and not take it home.
"It doesn't really happen," William chips in. "We take work everywhere we go."
But it's all been worth it, and Joseph says it's "incredible" to look back at their achievements over the last 18 months.
"We've had a lot of people who have come on board and really supported us and cheered us," he says.
"But ultimately, Will and I have single-handedly set this place up. So there's something very satisfying when someone walks in and goes, 'Wow, this is beautiful', or, 'That show was incredible.'"
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-40529890 |
Trump spars with Chelsea Clinton over Ivanka's G20 seat - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | US President Donald Trump invoked Hillary Clinton's daughter, triggering an online rebuke. | US & Canada | Ms Trump accompanied her father to earlier sessions before sitting in for him later
US President Donald Trump and former first daughter Chelsea Clinton have sparred over his decision to seat his daughter at a summit of world leaders.
Mr Trump tweeted that his decision to allow his daughter to take his seat at the meeting in Hamburg was "very standard".
He also said the media would have cheered "CHELSEA FOR PRES!" if Hillary Clinton had made the same choice.
Chelsea Clinton tweeted back that her parents would never have done so.
Ivanka Trump was criticised online after taking her father's seat between the British prime minister and the Chinese president at the G20 summit in Germany on Saturday as her father sat for a one-on-one meeting with the Indonesian president.
The US president tweeted on Monday morning: "I asked Ivanka to hold seat. Very standard.
In a follow-up tweet he wrote: "If Chelsea Clinton were asked to hold the seat for her mother, as her mother gave our country away, the Fake News would say CHELSEA FOR PRES!"
Chelsea Clinton, who was 12-years-old when her father Bill Clinton was sworn in as US president, responded to say: "Good morning Mr President.
"It would never have occurred to my mother or my father to ask me. Were you giving our country away? Hoping not."
White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr Trump's tweet was not about attacking the Clintons, but rather "this was about responding to an outrageous attack against a White House senior adviser".
"If she didn't have the last name that she has I think that she would be constantly celebrated instead of constantly attacked" she added, saying that "I think we should be proud" of Ms Trump.
The younger Clinton has become a frequent social media critic of Mr Trump and his administration's policies ever since her mother's failed 2016 presidential campaign.
Last month Mr Trump sent out a series of tweets accusing the Clinton family of having inappropriate ties with Russia.
She and Mr Trump's first daughter, Ivanka, have said they are "very good friends" despite their family's political rivalry. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40561077 |
Police leave light-hearted note after Oxford cannabis find - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Thames Valley Police tweeted that they had "kindly left a note to the owner". | Oxford | Thames Valley Police left the light-hearted note in woodland near Oxford
Police left a light-hearted note saying "sorry we missed you" after digging up a cannabis plantation.
Thames Valley Police received a tip off the drugs were in woodland near Oxford on Saturday.
Officers left a notice which read: "Ooops! Sorry we missed each other, but feel free to call me on 101 so we can discuss a deal. Lots of love, TVP xx."
The force tweeted that they had left the note because "#WeveGotManners".
The drugs were discovered in woodland between Wolvercote Mill Stream and the A34 near Oxford.
Thames Valley Police said the drugs were "seized and destroyed". No-one has been arrested.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-40548746 |
Vatican warns over gluten-free bread for Holy Communion - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Bishops given reminder as Communion bread can now be bought in supermarkets and online. | Europe | There are about 1.2 billion Roman Catholics around the world
Bread used to celebrate the Eucharist during Roman Catholic Mass must not be gluten-free - although it may be made from genetically modified organisms, the Vatican has reminded its bishops.
In a letter, Cardinal Robert Sarah said the bread could be low-gluten.
But he said there must be enough protein in the wheat to make it without additives.
The cardinal said the reminder was needed because the bread was now sold in supermarkets and on the internet.
Roman Catholics believe bread and wine served at the Eucharist are converted into the body and blood of Christ through a process known as transubstantiation.
The letter reiterated advice first given in 2004.
The wine used must also be "natural, from the fruit of the grape, pure and incorrupt, not mixed with other substances", said Cardinal Robert Sarah of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The ruling was issued at the request of Pope Francis, the letter said.
There are about 1.2 billion Roman Catholics around the world.
Correction 24 July 2017: This story has been revised to make clear that the letter reiterates advice previously given in 2004.
• None Catholics focus on the art of dying well | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40545023 |
Brexit may never happen - Sir Vince Cable - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Labour and Tory divisions are "enormous" and the economy is "deteriorating", says Sir Vince Cable. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Vince Cable: "I'm beginning to think Brexit may never happen"
Sir Vince Cable - the likely next Lib Dem leader - says he is "beginning to think Brexit may never happen".
He said "enormous" divisions in the Labour and the Tory parties and a "deteriorating" economy would make people think again.
"People will realise that we didn't vote to be poorer, and I think the whole question of continued membership will once again arise," he said.
He was speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show.
His comments were dismissed by leading Eurosceptic Conservative MP Owen Paterson, who said Sir Vince was just "chucking buckets of water around" and ignoring the "huge vote" in favour of leaving in the referendum and at the general election, where the two main parties backed Brexit.
"Vince Cable's party went down in votes, as did the other little parties who want to stay in the European Union," he told the BBC's Sunday Politics.
He added: "I am afraid Vince is behind history. We are going to leave. We are on target."
Sir Vince conceded that the Lib Dem policy on a second referendum on the terms of a Brexit deal "didn't really cut through in the general election".
But he said it could offer voters "a way out when it becomes clear the Brexit is potentially disastrous".
The former business secretary looks set to be crowned Lib Dem leader. He is the only candidate following the resignation of Tim Farron.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Sir Vince told the BBC he wants to work with Labour and Tory MPs to block what he regards as Theresa May's "hard Brexit" policy.
"A lot of people are keeping their heads down," he said, and "we'll see what happens" when MPs returned from their summer break.
But he added: "I'm beginning to think that Brexit may never happen.
"The problems are so enormous, the divisions within the two major parties are so enormous. I can see a scenario in which this doesn't happen."
MPs are set to vote on the Repeal Bill, a key piece of Brexit legislation, in the autumn.
Sir Vince has said he wants to form a cross-party coalition including like-minded Tory and Labour MPs to oppose Britain's exit from the single market - the official policy of both the Conservative and Labour parties.
He said Labour MPs who disagreed with their leader's position were welcome in his party, and predicted Labour's divisions on the issue would get worse.
"Jeremy Corbyn had a good election, for sure, but there is an element of a 'bubble' about it," he told Andrew Marr.
"He managed to attract large numbers of people on the basis that he was leading opposition to Brexit.
"Actually he is very pro-Brexit, and hard Brexit, and I think when that becomes apparent, the divisions in the Labour Party will become more real and the opportunity for us to move into that space will be substantial."
Sir Vince has come under fire for saying Theresa May's comment, in her 2016 Conservative Party conference speech, that "if you believe you're a citizen of the world, you're a citizen of nowhere," was like something out of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.
Quizzed by Andrew Marr on this, Sir Vince said he had got the wrong dictator: "I got my literary reference wrong - I think it was Stalin who talked about 'rootless cosmopolitans'."
Sir Vince, who won back his Twickenham seat at the general election, is not expected to face a challenger for the Lib Dem leadership but he said would still produce a manifesto. He suggested he would back income tax rises to pay for improvements to health and social care. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40547733 |
Theresa May urges rival parties to 'contribute and not just criticise' - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The PM signals a change in her style of government - by calling for other parties to contribute ideas. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Theresa May met her Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull in Downing Street
Theresa May is to call on rival parties to "contribute and not just criticise" as she signals a post-election change in her style of government.
In a speech on Tuesday the PM will say she still wants to change the country, but will say that losing her majority means a new approach is needed.
Labour says it shows the Conservatives have run out of ideas.
But First Secretary of State Damian Green said it was a "grown-up way of doing politics".
Ministers loyal to Mrs May have dismissed reports of plots to remove her as drink-fuelled "gossip", but Labour remains on an election footing, with leader Jeremy Corbyn saying he hopes for a fresh poll in September.
Mrs May will return to the message from her first day in Downing Street last July, when she succeeded David Cameron, and vow to lead what she called a "one nation" government that works for all and not just the "privileged few".
The speech is being seen by some as a "re-launch" or "fightback" after Mrs May lost her majority - and much of her authority - in the snap election last month.
"Come forward with your own views and ideas about how we can tackle" the challenges the country faces, Mrs May will say, adding: "We may not agree on everything, but ideas can be clarified and improved and a better way forward found."
Bluntly, it is an explicit acknowledgement of her fragility; her authority and majority shrivelled.
Government sources say it is a mature approach that maintains a commitment to taking on big, difficult and complex challenges; not just Brexit but reform of social care, too, for instance.
Labour says Mrs May's speech proves the Conservatives have "completely run out of ideas" and were reduced to "begging" for policy proposals from them.
In her speech, the PM will say that although the result of June's election was not what she wanted, "those defining beliefs remain, my commitment to change in Britain is undimmed".
Her "belief in the potential of the British people and what we can achieve together as a nation remains steadfast, and the determination I have to get to grips with the challenges posed by a changing world never more sure", she will say.
She will unveil a review - of casual and low-paid work - by Matthew Taylor, a former top adviser to Tony Blair, which she commissioned when she became prime minister.
Matthew Taylor will publish his employment review on Tuesday
It is thought Mr Taylor, who has been examining the use of zero-hours contracts and the rise in app-based firms such as Uber and Deliveroo, will stop short of calling for a compulsory minimum wage for those employed in the so-called gig economy, who do not have guaranteed hours or pay rates.
But he is expected to propose a series of extra rights for those in insecure jobs and could also recommend shaking up the tax system to reduce the gap between employees and the self-employed.
He is also likely to call for measures to improve job satisfaction for people working in minimum wage jobs, according to The Guardian.
In her speech, Mrs May will say: "When I commissioned this report I led a majority government in the House of Commons. The reality I now face as prime minister is rather different.
"In this new context, it will be even more important to make the case for our policies and our values, and to win the battle of ideas both in Parliament as well as in the country.
"So I say to the other parties in the House of Commons... come forward with your own views and ideas about how we can tackle these challenges as a country.
"We may not agree on everything, but through debate and discussion - the hallmarks of our parliamentary democracy - ideas can be clarified and improved and a better way forward found."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The PM has a programme for Britain that will spread prosperity, the first secretary of state tells Today
She will acknowledge the fragile nature of her position in the Commons but insist it will not stop her taking "the bold action necessary to secure a better future".
Speaking at a press conference with Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull on Monday, Mrs May said she had sought input from other parties in the past on issues like counter-terrorism and modern slavery.
She also said she was happy to work with Labour's Yvette Cooper and others in a cross-party approach to tackling intimidation and online abuse of MPs and others involved in the political process.
Asked if her desire for co-operation extended to Brexit, including on the government's Repeal Bill when it is published later this week, the prime minister said she was seeking the "broadest possible consensus" surrounding the terms of the UK's exit.
But former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said people would take the calls for cross-party working with "a lorry load of salt" - and he questioned why Mrs May had not raised the issue a year ago when she entered Number 10.
"The reason she wasn't asking for it then was she didn't need to," he said.
Damian Green: This is a grown up way of doing politics
Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake said: "A call for Labour to contribute is superfluous. On the single biggest issue of our generation, Brexit, Corbyn isn't contributing, he is cheerleading."
Scottish Government Brexit minister Michael Russell said: "If the prime minister is genuinely interested in creating a consensus then Scotland should have a seat at the negotiations to leave the EU."
But Mr Green, who has known Mrs May since university and is effectively her deputy prime minister, said the public would welcome a move away from politics in which parties "just sit in the trenches and shell each other".
"Politicians of all parties are invited to contribute their ideas - that's a grown up way of doing politics," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
He said Mrs May was motivated by "her duty" to carry on, adding: "She still has the same ambitions for this country as she had a year ago and she's determined to put them into practice for the good of this country - that's what drives her."
Asked if the PM could be tempted to step down after her summer holiday, he said: "No. She thinks not just that it's her duty, but she has a programme for Britain that encompasses not just a good Brexit deal, but also a domestic agenda that will spread prosperity around this country, make this a fairer society, tackle some of the injustices that we still have in our society - and that fire burns within her as strongly as ever."
The BBC's assistant political editor, Norman Smith, said that the Conservatives and Labour were "poles apart" on many significant policy areas.
He told BBC Radio 4's The World at One: "More brutally, Jeremy Corbyn is not minded to help Theresa May. He smells blood in the water.
"He wants to do everything he can to stampede Mrs May into another election, so the idea he might somehow seek to cooperate with her, I think, is bordering on the fanciful." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40549253 |
Beauty queen wearing gloves at orphanage 'not racist' - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | An orphanage defends the reigning Miss South Africa after a barrage of social media criticism. | BBC Trending | Photos of Miss South Africa wearing gloves while visiting black children at an orphanage in Soweto sparked a online outcry - but the orphanage staff say any insinuation that Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters is racist is "ridiculous".
"Of course it wasn't because she didn't want to touch black children," says Carol Dyantyi, a spokesperson for the Orlando West Community Centre Ikageng.
Nel-Peters was volunteering to feed orphans at the centre, and the gloves were a health and safety measure.
"We told her, and all other volunteers, to wear them while they were handling food around the children," Dyantyi tells BBC Trending. "It was purely to protect the children from the risk of contaminated food. This social media reaction is ridiculous."
Thousands of Twitter users criticised Nel-Peters after photos of her at a soup drive on Wednesday began to circulate on social media.
Many accused the beauty queen of wearing the latex gloves "because she didn't want to touch black children" and shared images of her hugging dogs and white children with bare hands.
In a video posted to her Twitter account, Nel-Peters said that she wore the gloves for sanitary reasons and denied that were any racial undertones to her actions.
"All the volunteers on site wore gloves today because we honestly thought that it's the right thing to do while working with food and while handing out food to young kids," Nel-Peters said. She also apologised to those who were offended.
Claudia Henkel, a spokesperson for the beauty queen, also sent images to BBC Trending of Nel-Peters gloveless and playing with the children after the food had been served.
However, not everyone was satisfied with her response. The hashtag #MissSAChallenge began to trend on Twitter on Thursday, as South Africans poked fun of the "hygiene" reason cited for the gloves.
More than 18,000 tweets used the hashtag, and some users posted pictures of themselves doing mundane tasks whilst unnecessarily wearing gloves.
Not all of the responses were critical and others defended Miss South Africa.
Henkel tells Trending that whilst the social media backlash had "saddened" Nel-Peters, she is adamant about doing more soup drives in the near future.
"And if she is asked to wear gloves for the safety of the children, then she will again," Henkel adds.
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-40496532 |
UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia ruled lawful - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | UK government arms sales to Saudi Arabia are lawful, the High Court rules, after seeing secret evidence. | UK | Thousands of civilians have died as a result of air strikes in the Yemen civil war
UK government arms sales to Saudi Arabia are lawful, the High Court has ruled, after seeing secret evidence.
The court rejected campaigners' claims ministers were acting illegally by not suspending weapon sales to the kingdom, which is fighting a war in Yemen.
The UN claims strikes on Houthi rebels caused thousands of civilian deaths.
The government said defence exports would continue to be reviewed but the Campaign Against the Arms Trade said an appeal against the ruling was planned.
The group had claimed the UK has contravened humanitarian law, and it attacked the refusal of the Secretary of State for International Trade to suspend export licences for the sale or transfer of arms and military equipment.
Lord Justice Burnett and Mr Justice Haddon-Cave, sitting in London, said the decision to carry on the arms trade was not unlawful.
The judges said "closed material", which had not been made public for national security reasons, "provides valuable additional support for the conclusion that the decisions taken by the secretary of state not to suspend or cancel arms sales to Saudi Arabia were rational".
Equipment sold to Saudi Arabia includes Typhoon and Tornado fighter jets, as well as precision-guided bombs.
The sales contribute to thousands of engineering jobs in the UK, and have provided billions of pounds of revenue for the British arms trade.
Saudi Arabia has been supporting Yemen's internationally-recognised government after a civil war broke out in 2015.
Houthi rebels, loyal to deposed president Ali Abdullah Saleh, began an attack in 2014, forcing leader Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee the country for a time.
Since then the Saudi kingdom, and eight other mostly Sunni Arab states, have supported an air campaign aimed at restoring Mr Hadi's government.
Andrew Smith, of Campaign Against Arms Trade, said: "This is a very disappointing verdict, and we are pursuing an appeal.
"If this verdict is upheld then it will be seen as a green light for government to continue arming and supporting brutal dictatorships and human rights abusers like Saudi Arabia that have shown a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law.
"Every day we are hearing new and horrifying stories about the humanitarian crisis that has been inflicted on the people of Yemen."
Rosa Curling, of law firm Leigh Day, which represented the campaign group, said: "Nothing in the open evidence, presented by the UK government to the court, suggests this risk does not exist in relation to arms to Saudi Arabia.
"Indeed, all the evidence we have seen from Yemen suggests the opposite: the risk is very real. You need only look at the devastating reality of the situation there."
James Lynch, Amnesty International's head of arms control and human rights, said the ruling was "deeply disappointing".
"Irrespective of this ruling, the UK and other governments should end their shameless arms supplies to Saudi Arabia," he said.
"They may amount to lucrative trade deals, but the UK risks aiding and abetting these terrible crimes."
The government said UK defence exports would continue to be "under careful review" to ensure they meet the standards of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
"We welcome this judgment, which underscores the fact that the UK operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world," a spokesperson said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40553741 |
East London acid attack: John Tomlin arrested - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Two cousins suffered "life-changing injuries" in an acid attack in east London. | London | John Tomlin handed himself in at an east London police station
A man named as the chief suspect in an acid attack in east London has handed himself in to police.
Two people suffered "life-changing" injuries when a corrosive substance was thrown on to them through their car windows.
Cousins Resham Khan and Jameel Muhktar, 37, had been celebrating Ms Khan's 21st birthday before the attack.
John Tomlin, 24, has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent, the Metropolitan Police said.
He walked into an east London police station on Sunday and remains in custody.
Resham Khan has been left with damage to her left eye
Ms Khan, a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, and Mr Muhktar suffered severe burns to the face and body in the attack on 21 June.
Police said they had stopped at traffic lights when a man approached them and threw the toxic substance at Ms Khan through the window.
The attacker then threw more of the acid at Mr Muhktar before fleeing the scene.
Jameel Muhktar was temporarily placed in an induced coma to treat his injuries
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40552021 |
Phillip Harkins loses fight against US extradition - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Phillip Harkins faces trial in the US over an attempted robbery in which a man died. | Glasgow & West Scotland | Phillip Harkins has always denied being involved in the robbery in 1999
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled a Scottish man should be tried for murder in the US following a record-breaking extradition battle.
It said Phillip Harkins' human rights would not be breached if he was jailed for life without parole in Florida.
The 38-year-old has been in jail in the UK since 2003, after being accused over a 1999 drugs-related attempted robbery.
He has always denied being involved in the killing and returned to Scotland in 2002 after being released on bail.
After his return to the UK, he was convicted and jailed for dangerous driving after killing a 62-year-old woman in a car crash in Greenock.
Following that sentence, the US authorities sought his extradition for the 1999 murder of 22-year-old Joshua Hayes - triggering the unprecedented legal battle that has been before the European Court twice.
The ruling was made by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg
This has been an unprecedented 14-year extradition battle which has gone on until today. It has been extraordinary.
Phillip Harkins has been all the way through the British courts - not once, but twice - and up to the European Court.
In essence, he was saying there were two issues. The first was the possibility of the death penalty. The Americans said they wouldn't seek the death penalty in this case if he is convicted. That is a standard procedure which they always offer in British extradition cases.
But then Mr Harkins said, well if I'm going to be jailed for life without parole, it is a breach of of my human rights - it's cruel and it's degrading.
This has been a long-running row between the European Court and the British authorities about the nature of life sentences.
A couple of years ago, even though he had lost his case in Strasbourg, he got a second chance because there was a little bit of doubt in the European Court's mind. That's why he went back today. This morning, he lost.
US prosecutors assured the UK that it would not seek the death penalty for Mr Harkins were he to be convicted of the murder.
But his lawyers have argued for years that the prospect of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole once reformed constituted inhuman or degrading treatment contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights.
Mr Harkins lost all stages of his legal battle in the British courts, and the Strasbourg judges previously ruled against him until a legal twist meant he could try to make a second appeal in 2015.
In a short statement on Monday morning, the Grand Chamber of the court said that the case would not be re-opened, meaning it would no longer stand in the way of the extradition.
Under the usual procedures, the UK is now expected to inform the US that the extradition can go ahead, so that its authorities can make arrangements to transfer Mr Harkins to American custody.
Mr Harkins moved to the US with his family when he was 14.
Shortly before his 21st birthday he was accused of shooting dead Joshua Hayes in Jackonsville, Florida, during an attempted robbery.
Mr Harkins returned to Scotland after being released on bail in 2002 and was involved in a car crash in his native Greenock, which claimed the life of 62-year-old Jean O'Neill.
He was jailed for five years at the High Court in Edinburgh in 2003 after he admitted causing death by dangerous driving.
While in custody, Harkins was transferred to Wandsworth Prison in London, while proceedings got under way to extradite him to the US.
The final ruling by the European Court has been welcomed by Joshua Hayes' mother Patricia Gallagher.
Speaking from her home in Florida, she told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme: "It's been a long time and he has had appeal after appeal, but the day that he leaves Scotland is the day that we'll believe it's over.
"This has been pure hell - honestly, it's been a fighting battle. We just want to get him back for justice. He should never have been over there - he should have been here.
"I really don't understand how he was ever allowed that many appeals. That's way too many. He says that he's a victim, but he is not." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-40548646 |
Philip Morris: Tobacco giant ordered to compensate Australia - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Philip Morris owes millions in fees over its failed challenge to plain packaging laws, a court says. | Australia | Australia's cigarette plain packaging has been adopted elsewhere
Tobacco giant Philip Morris has been ordered to pay the Australian government millions of dollars after unsuccessfully suing the nation over its world-first plain-packaging laws.
In 2012, Australia legislated that cigarettes must be sold in unappealing packets with graphic health warnings.
Philip Morris had tried to force the laws to be overturned, but a court dismissed its claim in 2015.
The tobacco giant has now been ordered to pay the government's legal costs.
The exact sum was redacted from the international Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) decision, but the Sydney Morning Herald reported it was as high as A$50m (£30m; $38m).
In May, Bloomberg reported that the World Trade Organization (WTO) had decided Australia's laws were a legitimate public health measure - making them more likely to be adopted overseas.
After plain packaging was introduced, Philip Morris, Imperial Tobacco and Japan Tobacco launched a constitutional challenge in Australia's highest court.
When that bid failed, Philip Morris went to the PCA to claim the legislation breached Australia's Bilateral Investment Treaty with Hong Kong.
It sought an end to plain packaging, or billions of dollars in compensation.
The court dismissed the company's case, calling it "an abuse of rights".
Philip Morris then argued the government's claim for legal costs was unreasonable, saying it was well above claims made by Canada ($4.5m) and the US ($3m) in comparable cases.
However, the court ruled the costs were reasonable because they did "not go beyond what is usual in other investment cases". It also acknowledged the "significant stakes involved" regarding public health.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Under the new law, brand names will appear in the same position, font, size and colour on packets
The document, marked 8 March 2017, was only made publicly available on the weekend.
Since Australia's laws were introduced, similar policies have been announced in other countries including the UK.
• None How Australia is stubbing out smoking | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-40552304 |
Child almost falls through floor of moving train in Devon - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The toilet floor had been removed on the South Devon Railway train, exposing the carriage wheels. | Devon | South Devon Railway has apologised to the family
A small boy almost fell from a moving train carriage on to the track below because the toilet floor was missing.
His mother was able to catch him before he fell when she took him to the toilet on the Totnes Riverside to Buckfastleigh train in Devon.
Investigators said the floor had been removed for repairs to the carriage's brakes but had not been replaced.
South Devon Railway (SDR), which runs the steam train, said it is taking the investigation "extremely seriously".
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said the 13:00 BST train was running between Staverton and Buckfastleigh on the South Devon Railway when the mother took her child to the toilet in the fourth carriage on 22 June.
The train was travelling at about 20mph (32 km/h) when they opened the door and saw the floor of the compartment was missing, exposing the carriage wheels below.
She reported the matter to the train guard and the door was locked.
The carriage understood to contain the missing floor
The mother and child were left shocked and the boy suffered minor bruising.
Staff had previously placed a notice on the door and tried to secure it to prevent it being opened, but those measures were not effective, the RAIB said.
Its investigation, which will look at the repairs to the carriage, the adequacy of the measures to secure the door and the railway's systems for assuring the safety of rolling stock in service, will be published in due course.
The South Devon Railway has been open for 50 years
An investigation has also been launched by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
A registered charity, SDR is a seven-mile former Great Western Railway branch line which runs steam trains and heritage rolling stock as a tourist attraction.
In a statement, SDR apologised and said: "On the day in question, something clearly went wrong with our safety control and hazard monitoring systems as evidenced by the incident having taken place - it simply should not have happened." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-40555782 |
Rail strikes on Northern, Southern and Merseyrail - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The RMT union is in dispute with the companies over driver-only-operated trains. | England | Merseyrail plans to introduce a new fleet of driver-only trains from 2020
Workers at three train companies have gone on strike, causing travel disruption across England.
Northern rail staff are on the last day of a three-day strike, while Merseyrail staff are on strike for the day and also plan action on 23 July.
RMT union members at Southern have walked out on a one-day strike.
The union is in dispute with the companies over driver-only-operated trains, which it says would be unsafe and lead to widespread job losses.
"The threat to abolish guards and introduce driver-only-operated trains is only part of the wider attack on rail services," said the RMT.
The union said the dispute is not about pay or conditions but strike action is over "concern about passenger safety".
In April RMT members demonstrated against the proposals and to mark the one-year anniversary of its dispute with Southern rail.
Rail workers from across the country attended the protest outside Parliament
Northern said it expected to run more than 40% of its timetable and it would have additional rail replacement buses.
Sharon Keith, regional director at Northern, said: "We are doing everything we can to keep our customers on the move during the three days of industrial action affecting our network."
However, all services are expected to be extremely busy and travellers should allow extra time for their journeys, the company added.
Most services are timetabled to run between 07:00 and 19:00 BST with many routes winding down from late afternoon.
Commuters have been taking to social media to say how their working days are being affected by the strike.
Kitty tweeted: "I was all ready to go this morning. Then I realised there is a #NorthernRail strike. So I get a half an hour lie in!"
Charlotte posted: "Last train home at 5.32 - don't usually leave the office until 6! #earlyfinish #trainstrike #northernrail"
Arriva runs its Northern services across the north-west and north-east of England, Cumbria and the East Midlands
Merseyrail trains are running from 07:00 to 19:00 but some stations will be closed. There are no trains scheduled to run on the Ellesmere Port, Hunts Cross and Kirkby lines.
Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde, managing director, said customers were urged to check before travelling.
He added: "The team has put together the best possible timetable that we can to provide a limited train service on both strike days."
But passenger Thomas George tweeted: "Beautiful day for a rail strike! I'm wet, late and fed up. #RailStrike #MerseyRail"
Southern's services are not expected to be affected, the company said
According to Southern, the industrial action on 10 July is "not expected to have any further affect on services".
Passenger DoctorY tweeted: "Another day, another packed sardine train journey with #southernrail"
An ASLEF union driver overtime ban is in force and a revised timetable axing a quarter of services, was brought in on 28 June.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40534911 |
Men shot in large scale disturbance at play park - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Police are treating the incident involving up to 15 men at a play park in Glasgow as attempted murder. | Glasgow & West Scotland | Six men were found with injuries near a children's play area in Ballantay Terrace
A 23-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital after being shot in a large scale disturbance in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow.
Six men were taken to hospital following the incident near a children's play area in Ballantay Terrace at about 20:00 on Saturday.
Police said up to 15 individuals were involved in the incident, which they described as attempted murder.
A 25-year-old man is also in a stable condition in hospital.
Officers said that on arrival at the scene they found six men with various injuries.
Det Ch Insp Martin Fergus said children and other members of the public were in the area at the time of the attack.
He told BBC Scotland: "The call that we received was that there was a large scale disturbance, upwards of 12 to 15 individuals of various age groups engaged in a large scale disturbance using weapons.
"It's [too] early to say exactly what the motive behind this was, we are working on the hypothesis that this may be a localised feud between families, we don't know at this stage.
DCI Martin Fergus said children and other members of the public were in the area when the disturbance broke out
"What I can confirm is that two individuals received injuries consistent with gunshot wounds, one of which is critical and fighting for his life as I speak.
"The other male also received critical injuries, however, they are not thought to be life threatening at this time.
"Other males that were also involved in the disturbance have received an array of injuries all believed to be serious."
Since the six men were admitted to hospital in the city, four have been discharged.
Supt John McBride said officers would be patrolling the area to reassure the local community.
He said: "It happened in a sunny Saturday evening when children were undoubtedly out playing in the area and if you're a parent there and you've got a young kid, you probably want that feeling of safety."
He added: "It is important for people to know that this was not a random attack, it was a targeted attack involving two separate factions."
"It was such a large incident. We have got six people seriously injured, one of whom is still in a critical condition in hospital, one in a stable condition, and four with serious injuries."
The area where the attack took place is largely overlooked by housing and officers believe many people will have witnessed the incident as a result.
They have urged anyone with information to come forward. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-40548641 |
Tesla's Elon Musk tweets new photos of latest car, the Model 3 - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Tesla boss Elon Musk tweets the first pictures of the electric car firm's latest, the Model 3. | Business | Tesla co-founder Elon Musk tweeted the first image of the Model 3 after it rolled off the production line
Tesla co-founder and chief executive Elon Musk has shared the first images of the electric car company's Model 3 after it came off the assembly line.
The entrepreneur followed it up with another Model 3 photo, this time in colour, outside the Tesla factory site in California.
The Model 3 is Tesla's first mass-market car and the first 30 owners will get in the driver's seat on 28 July.
The four-door Model 3 will then be available to the public, with a base price of $35,000 (£27,100), almost half that of the Tesla's next-cheapest model.
Tesla's share price more than doubled between December and late June as investors backed Mr Musk's strategy to transform the low-volume luxury electric car maker into a producer for the crowded mass-market, but has since fallen back.
Registrations for new Teslas in California, the car maker's largest market, were down 24% in April compared with April 2016, according to IHS Markit data. The company responded by calling the figure "cherry-picked" data.
Tesla reported that first-half 2017 global deliveries for all its models rose to 47,100. That was at the lower end of its predicted sales range of 47,000 to 50,000.
In its last full financial year results the company made a loss of $889m (£689m).
Mr Musk's tweeted images follow news last week that Volvo would become the first traditional vehicle manufacturer to phase out the petrol and diesel powered combustion engine, in a move toward hybrid and electric car production.
Elon Musk tweeted this image of the Tesla Model 3 production unit | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40548022 |
Newspaper headlines: Conservative MP's 'N-word shame' - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Racist language used by a Conservative MP and the decision to cap teachers' pay feature on the front pages. | The Papers | The parents of Charlie Gard appear in many of the newspapers
Several papers report the warning from a pay review body that schools in England are struggling to recruit teachers, after the government decided to cap their pay rises at 1%.
The story makes the lead in the Daily Telegraph, which says the prime minister is likely to face more challenges from her own MPs on the issue.
The paper says the pay review body's warning will add to mounting pressure on Chancellor Philip Hammond to ease the pay cap in his Budget later this year.
The Guardian says Mrs May has been accused of insulting teachers.
It also believes pressure is building on the government to announce a review of public sector pay in the autumn Budget.
In other education news, ministers are considering scrapping the Conservative programme to build hundreds more free schools, as they struggle to fund a manifesto promise to boost education budgets by £4bn, according to the Times.
The paper also reports the decision to continue the 1% cap on pay rises for teachers, calling it another real-terms salary cut for half a million staff in England and Wales.
The grim-faced parents of Charlie Gard are pictured on the Daily Mirror's front page, after a hearing at the High Court on Monday.
The Times reports how they shouted at the judge and a lawyer as they were told to provide fresh evidence that their terminally-ill baby should be taken abroad for treatment.
The Daily Mail says that after the hearing, many were left pondering the same simple clash of arguments.
It was the medical establishment versus a family not prepared to admit defeat, as long as someone, somewhere, was saying that something might be done.
The main story in the Financial Times is that the drugs industry is going to court to try to stop the NHS imposing new limits on the price it will pay for medicines.
The FT says the industry has complained that the policy might prevent patients from securing cutting-edge medicines for the most serious diseases.
The paper says the rules also affect drugs for very rare illnesses, which often affect children, and will be subject to a cost limit for the first time.
The Guardian's front page, meanwhile, highlights a warning from scientists that the sixth mass extinction of species in the earth's history is well under way.
The paper says the new study analysed both common and rare species and found that billions of regional or local populations had been lost, mainly because of human overpopulation and over-consumption.
Animals affected include lions in South Africa, Guatemalan bearded lizards, as well as red squirrels and barn swallows.
A front-page report in the Financial Times says the government has conceded that the European Court of Justice could continue to have sway over Britain for a limited time after Brexit.
The paper sees the move as a "blurring" of one of Prime Minister Theresa May's red lines over negotiations with the EU, and says it could pave the way for a softer Brexit.
The FT calls it the most consequential concession since the referendum.
Mrs May's call for a cross-party approach to tacking the challenges facing the UK is given short shrift in the Telegraph.
The paper says that instead of prompting a great coming together, the idea seems to be falling apart almost immediately.
The Conservatives sometimes appear to have lost their bearings, the paper says, and the prime minister will not find the right path by following Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
But the Sun believes it was honest and brave of Mrs May to offer other parties a say.
What it calls Jeremy Corbyn's "graceless" rebuff was predictable, it says.
Amid all the Wimbledon coverage, the Telegraph highlights complaints of sexism in the tournament's scheduling.
It says critics have pointed out that the show courts at the All England Club are routinely hosting two men's games, but only one women's match, each day.
It says Andy Murray has entered the fray, urging Wimbledon to begin play earlier on Centre Court to allow four matches and an equal split.
And finally, there is widespread coverage of two new studies, which conclude that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of dying early.
The findings make the lead in the Daily Express, which says three cups a day can cut the risk of cancer, heart disease and strokes.
The Times adds that while coffee has been blamed for health problems such as insomnia, heartburn and weak bones, the new findings appear to show that the benefits outweigh the risks.
Fill the cafetiere, it advises, but ditch the cigarette. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40564307 |
MP Anne Marie Morris suspended for racist remark - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Anne Marie Morris has the whip withdrawn for using a racist phrase during a public event on Brexit. | UK Politics | Ms Morris has been MP for Newton Abbot since 2010
A Conservative MP has been suspended from the party after it emerged she used a racist expression during a public discussion about Brexit.
Anne Marie Morris, the MP for Newton Abbot, used the phrase at an event in London to describe the prospect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
She told the BBC: "The comment was totally unintentional. I apologise unreservedly for any offence caused."
The Conservative Party later confirmed she had had the whip withdrawn.
Announcing the suspension, Theresa May said she was "shocked" by the "completely unacceptable" language.
"I immediately asked the chief whip to suspend the party whip," she said in a statement.
"Language like this has absolutely no place in politics or in today's society."
The BBC understands the prime minister and Conservative Chief Whip Gavin Williamson met to discuss the matter once Mrs May finished her Commons statement on last weekend's G20 summit.
According to a recording published on the Huffington Post website, Ms Morris was discussing the impact of Brexit on the UK's financial services industry at an event organised by the Politeia think tank, which was attended by other MPs.
Suggesting that just 7% of financial services would be affected by Brexit, she reportedly said: "Now I am sure there will be many people who will challenge that but my response and my request is look at the detail - it isn't all doom and gloom."
She went on: "Now we get to the real nigger in the woodpile, which is in two years what happens if there is no deal."
The phrase originated in the American Deep South in the mid-19th Century and is thought to have referred to slaves having to conceal themselves as they sought to flee north and secure their freedom.
It was subsequently used in the 20th Century - including by a number of leading novelists - as a metaphor to describe a hidden fact or problem.
The Lib Dems had called on Theresa May to withdraw the whip from Ms Morris, who was first elected to Parliament in 2010 and was subsequently re-elected in 2015 and earlier this year.
Leader Tim Farron said he was "shocked" and called for her to be suspended from the parliamentary party.
"This disgusting comment belongs in the era of the Jim Crow laws and has no place in our Parliament," he said.
Labour's Andrew Gwynne said Ms Morris had used "outrageous and completely unacceptable" language.
Green Party leader Caroline Lucas called on Ms Morris to resign as an MP, telling Sky News: "There is no place for her in the House of Commons."
She also claimed that other Conservative MPs at the meeting "apparently did not bat an eyelid" at Ms Morris's language.
"At the very least, there ought to be a conversation between Theresa May and the others in that room so that they're very clear going forward that if ever that kind of language is heard in the earshot, it has to be condemned immediately," Ms Lucas said.
Labour MP Chuka Umunna tweeted: "Speechless, not just at the remark being made but also at the reported lack of a reaction from the Tories there. Utterly appalling."
Politeia's website said MPs Sir William Cash, Kwasi Kwarteng and John Redwood also took part, though Mr Kwarteng told the BBC he was not there. The BBC has contacted the other MPs for comment.
Ms Morris did face criticism from Tory colleagues, one of whom, Heidi Allen, tweeted: "I'm afraid an apology is not good enough - we must show zero tolerance for racism. MPs must lead by example."
Fellow Conservative MP Helen Grant tweeted: "Inconceivable for an MP using that expression to be incognisant of its history, impact and complete unacceptability. So ashamed!"
In 2008, Conservative peer and party spokesman Lord Dixon-Smith apologised for using the same phrase in the House of Lords, saying that it was not appropriate and that he had "left his brains behind".
The peer was not dismissed. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40555639 |
Mosul battle: Haunted faces of families freed from IS - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | People rescued from Mosul's Old City get a taste of freedom - but the misery is far from over. | Middle East | Smoke billowed over Mosul on Sunday as airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) group continued
Even while the Iraqi prime minister was on his way to Mosul to declare the liberation of the city, there was still the occasional sound of gunfire and coalition warplanes flying overhead.
Earlier in the morning we saw a number of airstrikes in the Old City. Iraqi forces were still pinned down by snipers from the group that calls itself Islamic State.
Colonel Jabbar Abad told us it was the last pocket of resistance. He claimed they would be defeated within hours.
His troops helped a steady stream of civilians fleeing to safety. Mostly women and children. Their faces were haunted and some had to be helped.
The children didn't even flinch when there was more sound of gunfire. An older woman was so weak she could barely walk. A few babies being carried looked almost lifeless.
Children in Mosul have been prisoners of IS for much of their short lives
The families were given food and water. This, their first taste of freedom after three years of living under IS control. The battle briefly forgotten in their own fight for survival.
If this is victory it has come at a huge cost. Not just in human life. Nearly everyone rescued had to leave dead relatives behind.
Almost every building in the old city has been scarred or completely destroyed.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'The is still a lot of misery in Mosul'
Search and rescue teams are still pulling bodies from the rubble. The heat has contributed to the stench of decaying corpses.
We met Ali, who had come to find his brother's family. Hoping against hope that some may have survived.
He said IS fighters had been using their house when it was hit by a coalition airstrike a few weeks ago. Iraqi security forces had only recently taken the area.
With tears streaming down his face, Ali held up his mobile phone and told me he'd spoken to his brother trapped under the rubble. But over the last few days there had been no reply.
Ali helped the search and rescue teams make their way through the tonnes of rubble.
They tried to console him when all they could find was what must have been their remains, which they carried off in a black zipped bag. We watched them do the same at several other sites.
Ali is among those searching for loved ones in the rubble
Contrast that with the jubilation of the Iraqi security forces who mobbed Prime Minister Abadi as he arrived in the city to declare victory over IS.
This is still a significant moment. The extremists have held the city for three years. It's taken nine months of brutal street to street fighting to dislodge them.
This was their stronghold in Iraq. It was here, in the city's now flattened Great Mosque of al-Nuri, where their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, made his one and only public appearance as Caliph of their so-called state.
For many IS fighters Mosul is their graveyard, though it is still likely that some have escaped.
The misery of Mosul is far from over. The UN estimates it will cost at least $1bn (£0.77bn) to restore the city's basic infrastructure - such as clean water and electricity.
It will take tens of billions more to rebuild this city. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40551256 |
Horsemeat plot exposed by equine ID chips in beef, court told - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Andronicos Sideras, 54, is accused of deliberately mixing up the meats before they were sold. | London | Andronicos Sideras allegedly mixed up the meats before sale
A plot to pass horsemeat off as beef fell apart after horse identification chips were found in the meat by inspectors, a court has been told.
Andronicos Sideras, 54, has been accused of deliberately mixing up the meats before they were sold in 2012.
Mr Sideras was one of the owners of meat company and sausage manufacturer Dinos & Sons.
The businessman, from Southgate, north London, denies conspiracy to defraud between 1 January and 30 November 2012.
Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay said alarm bells were raised after Dinos "messed things up" when assembling an order.
A surprise inspection was triggered when the wrong size of shipment was sent to a company called Rangeland in Newry, Northern Ireland, in 2012, Inner London Crown Court was told.
The 12-pallet load was analysed and four of them contained horse.
Mr Polnay said: "Some of them were found to contain significant amounts of horsemeat; roughly about a third contained horse."
It is alleged Mr Sideras mixed meat in this way before it was sold on to manufacturers making products for "a vast range of well-known companies".
Mr Sideras's fingerprints were found on "fake" labels, the court heard.
Mr Polnay added: "The final piece of the jigsaw is that when the meat was analysed, three horse ID chips were found in some of it."
The chips were roughly the size of a 1cm grain of rice - two of which were Polish and one Irish.
It is alleged Danish-owned company Flexi Foods would buy horsemeat and beef from suppliers across Europe and then deliver to Dinos & Sons in Tottenham, north London.
Mr Polnay said the fraud could not have worked or taken place without the "connivance" of Mr Sideras.
He said: "The meticulous records kept by FlexiFoods caused their undoing. They also provide compelling evidence of the guilt of this defendant."
He told the court that two men, Ulrik Nielsen, 58, the owner of FlexiFoods, and his "right-hand man", Alex Beech, 44, have already pleaded guilty to the same charge.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40559740 |
Charlie Gard evidence not new, hospital claims - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A judge says it would take something "dramatic" to make him change his mind about treatment in the US. | London | Charlie Gard has been in intensive care since October
A lawyer for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has dismissed claims of "fresh" medical evidence in the case of terminally ill baby Charlie Gard.
GOSH referred the case back to the High Court after reports of "new" data from foreign healthcare experts suggested treatment could improve his condition.
Charlie's parents have made several unsuccessful challenges to a decision to end the 11-month-old's life support.
GOSH told the hearing the evidence was not new but it was right to explore it.
Mr Justice Francis is overseeing the preliminary hearing in the Family Division of the High Court.
In April he ruled that Charlie's life support should be ended and said earlier it would take something "dramatic and new" to make him change his mind.
Mr Justice Francis is due to resume hearing the case on Thursday.
On Sunday, Charlie's parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates handed in a 350,000-signature petition calling for him to travel to the US for treatment.
Charlie's parents are seeking permission to remove their son - who has the rare condition mitochondrial depletion syndrome - from the care of Great Ormond Street Hospital so he can undergo experimental treatment abroad.
The judge said: "There is not a person alive who would not want to save Charlie."
A lawyer for the family said new and unpublished data was recently shared with the hospital that suggested treatment could produce a "dramatic clinical improvement" in Charlie's condition.
Previously doctors had indicated Charlie had irreversible structural brain damage.
Lawyers representing the family have now said using "cutting edge genetic science" there was a "small chance" of brain recovery and that it was a chance "worth taking".
They questioned whether Mr Justice Francis was the correct person to assess the latest medical evidence, given that in April he had ruled Charlie's life support should be withdrawn.
In reply, the judge said: "I did my job. I will continue to do my job."
At the hearing, a lawyer for GOSH said the alleged "new research" had been available for the judge's consideration in April and was purely lab-based anyway, and related to patients with muscle problems only rather than brain damage.
Charlie inherited the faulty RRM2B gene, affecting the cells responsible for energy production and respiration and leaving him unable to move or breathe without a ventilator.
GOSH describes proposed experimental therapies as "unjustified" and said the treatments being offered are not a cure.
However, the hospital's decision to go back to court came after researchers at two international healthcare facilities said they had "fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment".
Charlie's parents, from Bedfont in west London, want their son to have nucleoside therapy.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Ms Yates described the situation as a "living hell".
"I couldn't sit there and watch him in pain and suffering, I promise you I wouldn't," she said, adding: "I think parents know when their children are ready to go and they've given up, and Charlie is still fighting.
"It's horrible that this decision has been taken out of our hands. It's not just about us knowing best, it's about having other hospitals and doctors saying we want to treat [Charlie] and we think it's the best thing to do."
Ms Yates said they were not criticising Great Ormond Street Hospital as "they do great things".
She said she hoped the judge would take into account new evidence as when the decision was made previously, Charlie's chance was rated at being close to 0% but now this has increased to 10%.
Charlie is thought to be one of 16 children in the world to have mitochondrial depletion syndrome.
It is a rare genetic condition which causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage because he is unable to get energy to his organs.
Doctors have said he now cannot see, hear, move, cry or swallow and has irreversible brain damage. His lungs are only able to keep going because of the treatment he is receiving.
They have argued he should be allowed to die with dignity.
But his parents and supporters have been fighting for him to be given an experimental treatment in the US.
The treatment is not a cure - there isn't one - but it has been suggested it could reduce the effects of the disease.
Although doctors in the US have since said the benefits they have seen have not been in cases as advanced as Charlie's.
Charlie's parents have launched a high-profile campaign in the hope of getting their son further treatment abroad
US President Donald Trump and the Vatican have supported the parents' campaign for Charlie to be treated abroad, but a leading expert has described interventions from high-profile figures as "unhelpful".
Prof Neena Modi, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said in an open letter that Charlie's situation was "heartbreaking" for his parents, but added that even well-meaning interventions from outsiders could be unhelpful.
Mr Gard said: "If we won the court case and we got to America, and then within the first week of treatment he started suffering and he was in pain, we would let him go.
"This isn't about us. This is about Charlie and giving him the chance he needs."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40552026 |
Birmingham pub bombings: IRA suspect Hayes issues apology - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Bombs planted in two Birmingham city centre pubs killed 21 people in November 1974. | Northern Ireland | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michael Hayes said he was speaking out to give 'the point of view of a participant'
A self-confessed IRA bomb maker who has said he was part of the group responsible for the Birmingham pub bombings has issued an apology.
Twenty-one people were killed on 21 November 1974 when bombs exploded in two city centre pubs.
Six innocent men were wrongfully convicted. No-one has ever been brought to justice for one of the worst single losses of life in the Troubles.
Michael Christopher Hayes said he was sorry innocent people were killed.
The 69-year-old, who now lives in south Dublin, refused to say who planted the bombs in the Mulberry Bush and the Tavern in the Town, but said he was speaking out to give "the point of view of a participant".
The bombs had not been intended to kill people, he said, adding that there had been a crucial eight-minute delay before police were warned of the bombs' location.
Once he became aware of the death toll from the two bombs, he personally defused a third bomb left on Birmingham's Hagley Road, said Mr Hayes.
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Relatives of those killed have rejected the apology as "gutless and spineless".
An inquest into the bombings has been re-opened following a campaign by victims' families, who feel they have been denied justice and that their loved ones have been forgotten.
Victims' relatives have always wanted the names of the suspects to be disclosed at the inquest.
But just last week the coroner ruled that suspects' identities would not be discussed - a ruling denounced by the families as a "whitewash".
West Midlands Police said their investigation remained open and they would respond to "any new significant information to bring those responsible to justice".
"An inquest is due to start and we will not be providing any further comment until the proceedings have concluded," said a police spokesperson.
In 1990, Michael Hayes was named in a landmark Granada TV programme as one of the men who placed the bombs in the two pubs.
He said he was arrested and questioned by West Midlands Police about the bombings in 1974, but was released.
When asked last week if he planted the bombs, he told BBC News NI: "No comment. No comment.
"I've been accused of a lot of things, without one shred of forensic evidence, without one statement made, without one witness coming out against me."
He said the bombs were made of gelignite, and were planted by two individuals.
Asked if he was one of the two, he replied: "I'm not telling you."
Twenty-one people died in two explosions in Birmingham in November 1974
However, he said he took what he called "collective responsibility" for all the IRA's actions in England - including the Birmingham pub bombings.
He said he was in the IRA for more than 30 years in both Ireland and England, adding that he was "a participant in the IRA's activities in Birmingham".
Ten people were killed in the Mulberry Bush explosion
He said: "We were horrified when we heard because it was not intended. I personally defused the third bomb."
Asked what expertise he had that allowed him to do that, he said: "Quite a lot. I specialised in explosives. I knew what I was doing."
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Michael Hayes said the IRA unit in Birmingham had been shocked by the scale of the death toll.
"It was not the intention of the IRA to kill innocent people," he told BBC News NI.
"That wasn't meant. It wouldn't have been done if that was the case."
He said he thought they had given sufficient time for the police to evacuate the buildings.
"We believed that we gave adequate warnings," he said.
"It was only later on that we realised there was eight valuable minutes missed. We were going to give them a half-hour warning.
"Out of that half hour, eight minutes elapsed - eight priceless minutes."
He said that as he understood it one of the phone boxes used for the telephone warnings was broken and another one was being used.
The former IRA man said he was sorry for the hurt caused to the relatives of those killed.
The families of the victims have campaigned for legal aid
"My apologies and my heartfelt sympathy to all of you for a terrible tragic loss that you have been put through," he said.
"In all these years that you have been trying to find closure, I hope at last God will be merciful and bring you closure.
"I apologise not only for myself, I apologise for all active republicans who had no intention of hurting anybody and sympathise with you."
Julie Hambleton, whose 18-year-old sister Maxine was killed in the explosions, said an apology from the IRA would be offensive.
"He's a coward, as simple as that," she told the BBC.
"He'll take collective responsibility for those unarmed, innocent people, but won't say who done it?
"He's gutless and spineless," she added. "He's told us nothing, he's admitted nothing."
The bombs were widely acknowledged to be the work of the IRA
Michael Hayes has said he would not be attending the inquest into the bombings.
"I would not go along to it. Why should I? What reason would I have to go there? I am just kind of giving this interview.
"That is sufficient. I'm not going back to England."
Meanwhile, the former IRA man insists he has a clear conscience.
"Very much so," he said. "I can sleep at night. Because I am not a murderer."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A couple caught up in the Birmingham pub bombings relive horror
He said he would rather die than become an informer by naming the real bombers to help free the Birmingham Six, who served 16 years in prison before their sentences were quashed by the Court of Appeal in 1991.
He said: "You would want me to go in and give the name of other men, to become an informer? I'd sooner die in front of you than become an informer." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-40553803 |
Colorado teen camper heard 'crunching' as bear bit his head - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The teenage wilderness survival specialist poked the bear in the eyes as it tried to drag him away. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
A Colorado teenager has described awaking to find his head clamped in the jaws of a bear that was dragging him away from his campsite.
The 19-year-old, a survival instructor at Glacier View Ranch summer camp, felt "immense pain" as he heard the beast's teeth "crunching" on his skull.
The black bear dragged the boy for more than 10ft (3m) before being scared away by other campers early on Sunday.
Officials say the animal remains a threat and are currently hunting it.
"There's four spots where its claws dug into me," he told KTVB-TV, while gesturing to the teeth marks on the back of his head from the animal, which is estimated to weigh 400lb (181kg).
"And then it pulled me into its mouth and then it grabbed me with its teeth right back here.
"And when it pulled it tore the skin and scraped along my skull which was like the cracking noise that I heard."
He added: "The crunching noise, I guess, was the teeth scraping against the skull as it dug in."
Dylan said he could feel the bear's breath on the back of his neck.
He had been sleeping outside in a teepee alongside four other camp counsellors when the attack occurred around 04:15 local time (11:15 GMT) in Ward - about 20 miles (32km) from Boulder, Colorado.
"I thought I was dreaming for a second and then I thought this hurts too bad to be dreaming," he continued.
He fought back against the bear, striking it the face and poking its eyes, before it let him go.
He was taken to hospital with minor injuries, and came away with just nine stitches.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Jen Churchill told local media no food or scented items had been left out which could have attracted the bear.
"This is really a bear that could be a continual threat to people in this community," she said, adding that bloodhounds were being used to locate the ursine raider.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40559343 |
Dale Pike jailed over Gareth Pugh's golf lake death - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Dale Pike "stood and watched" as Gareth Pugh dived into a golf club lake with a weighted belt to fish out balls. | South East Wales | Players and staff raised the alarm when Mr Pugh got into difficulty
A golf company director has been jailed after a ball collector drowned in a freezing course lake.
Dale Pike, 25, of Glynneath, Neath Port Talbot, "stood and watched" as Gareth Pugh dived into the lake with a weighted belt to fish out balls.
Mr Pugh's body was found in the water at Peterstone Lakes Golf Club, near Newport, after he lost his breathing equipment and drowned in February 2016.
Mr Pugh was using a flotation device and air compressor while searching the lake for balls
Cardiff Crown Court heard Pike raised the alarm when he noticed a constant stream of bubbles rising to the lake's surface and a flotation device carrying Mr Pugh's air supply floating towards the edge.
Emergency service staff pulled him from the water 70 minutes after he first entered and he was found with his feet pointing upwards, weighed down by a weighted belt and a 16kg (35lbs) bag of 341 golf balls he had retrieved.
The court heard Pike, who ran Boss Golf Balls which sells balls retrieved from lakes, should have hired trained divers to carry out the work, at a cost of about £1,000 a day.
But instead he employed Mr Pugh, who had ADHD and learning difficulties, and paid him £20-40 a day.
Dale Pike was told he had "a cavalier attitude towards safety"
David Elias QC, defending, said Pike "naively and foolishly believed that all would be well with the use of that equipment in that lake".
Sentencing Pike, Judge Keith Thomas said: "Mr Pugh was an unsuitable contender for the diving work you employed him to undertake, but you allowed him to take those risks to make a quick buck.
"The risk of death or serious injury was obvious to you, but your cavalier attitude towards safety was the cause of Mr Pugh's death.
"With hindsight you bitterly regret what happened."
Speaking after the hearing, Iwan Jenkins, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Pike "stood by and watched" as Mr Pugh entered the water "knowing that safety regulations were being breached".
"His deceit and callousness resulted in Gareth losing his life," he said.
"There was clear evidence Pike had made enquiries with legitimate dive operators to cost this activity but he chose not to use them, instead falsely claiming to the golf club that he was a qualified commercial diver with his own equipment."
Mr Pugh's partner Mayree Worton said: "What upsets me the most is the bond that our daughter and Gareth had together is no longer there.
"The sentencing of Dale Pike is a relief, however it doesn't make what has happened any less painful, upsetting or distressing and it does not bring Gareth back."
Mr Pugh died after becoming separated from his breathing device in the 8ft-deep lake | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-40557650 |
Minimum wage push for gig economy workers - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A government review will recommend "dependent contractors" receive minimum wage rights. | Business | Deliveroo's takeaway food riders could be in line for the minimum wage
A government review of the rapidly changing world of work is to demand a radical overhaul of employment law and new guarantees on the minimum wage.
The review is set to call for a new category of worker called a "dependent contractor".
Those workers - likely to cover riders for firms like Deliveroo and Uber - should receive benefits such as sick pay and holiday leave, it will say.
And they will be covered by some of the minimum wage requirements.
This will help clear up the present grey area between a fully employed and a self-employed person - presently called a "worker" in employment law.
The review by Matthew Taylor, the head of the Royal Society of Arts and a former Tony Blair adviser, will outline a structure obliging firms to show that a person working for them can earn at least 1.2 times the present national living wage of £7.50 an hour for over-25s.
The companies will do that by modelling the number of tasks - or "gigs" - an average person working at an average rate can achieve.
An estimated 1.1 million people work in the gig economy.
I understand the review, due to be published on Tuesday, has looked at the agriculture sector where "piece work" calculations - how much a crop picker can pick in an hour, for example - work in a similar way.
The review has seen evidence that hourly rates in the sector are set at 1.2 times the national minimum wage.
The review will call for the new "dependent contractor" payment system to be overseen by the Low Pay Commission, the official body which sets the minimum wage.
The review of the new world of work - set up by Theresa May before the last election - has also looked positively at models where gig workers can log on at any time and see "real time" earnings potential.
If the company can only offer enough work to earn, say, £5 an hour, because it is a quiet period, then it is up to the gig worker whether they accept that rate.
They would not subsequently be able to take action against the gig company for not paying the minimum wage, the review will suggest.
Uber drivers could be classed as 'dependent contractors'
Sources have told me that Mr Taylor and his review panel have been impressed by how many gig firms have transformed the economy both for workers and for consumers.
But Mr Taylor wants to ensure that the relationship between the worker and the digital platform firm is a fair one, offering "two-way flexibility" so that workers receive benefits while at the same time retaining the ability to work when they want.
Firms like Uber, Deliveroo and CitySprint at present insist that their drivers and riders are self-employed and therefore can work when they want.
In return for that flexibility, the workers do not receive the same benefits as full-time employees, such as the guaranteed minimum wage, sick pay, holiday entitlement and pension provision.
The companies also avoid paying national insurance contributions for the people who work for them.
They have been criticised for exploiting the law on "self-employment" to keep costs down.
Though firms like Deliveroo point out that their riders earn on average between £9.50 and £10 an hour - well above the minimum wage.
Critics say their model also undermines the government's tax base as self-employed people pay lower taxes than the fully employed.
A report by the Trades Union Congress suggested that the Treasury could be losing up to £4bn a year in revenue due to the rapid growth of "insecure" work.
Last week Will Shu, the founder and chief executive of Deliveroo, told me he wanted to offer a wider range of benefits to delivery riders but believed that he was constrained by present-day employment law, which he described as "out of date".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Shu says the law needs to change to catch up with the modern economy
In the BBC interview, Mr Shu said the company would consider paying holiday and pension rights as well as sickness and injury benefits if the law changed.
Sources say that Mr Taylor's report will not name firms but will recognise that the gig economy has raised challenges for the way employment law works.
Uber and the courier firm CitySprint have lost court cases over whether their drivers are truly self-employed or are in fact "workers" who are employed largely by one firm, and therefore should receive more rights.
Turning down work is often not seen as an option by riders and drivers.
It is this category which will become "dependent contractors" if the review's recommendations are implemented.
It could also mean gig firms are obliged to pay national insurance contributions, which they avoid at the moment.
The report goes far wider than the "gig" economy, and also looks at the quality of work on offer.
In an earlier interview with me, Mr Taylor said that the UK had been very good at creating a large number of jobs - which was an economic good - and that now the question was how to make those jobs of a high, and rewarding, quality.
The report will say that the quality of work and enhancing skills should be at the heart of the debate on employment in the UK.
Controversies such as the overuse of zero-hours contracts, for example, also have to be tackled, it will say.
But it will not back Labour's policy of banning zero-hours contracts, saying they are useful for some forms of work where demand fluctuates rapidly, such as organising conferences or in the retail sector. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40550864 |
Grenfell Tower fire: Patients 'still hear screaming', says GP - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Three weeks on from the Grenfell Tower fire, many local people are still suffering "acute stress". | Health | At least 80 people are believed to have died in the fire in the Kensington tower block
"In those first few days, I couldn't sleep at all. I couldn't stop thinking about the tower and I couldn't stop thinking about the people in need."
Chahine, who lives near Grenfell Tower in north Kensington, is one of a team of local volunteers working with the NHS to help residents struggling to deal with the psychological impact of the fire that killed at least 80 people.
He has been visiting people who were affected and making sure they are aware of the services available to them.
"I live in a tower too. It was like, 'that could have been me, that could have been my neighbours'," Chahine adds.
"I think the mental health side of things is an issue that is going to last much longer than, say, the housing issue."
Chahine believes the mental health issue could have long-lasting consequences
Medical evidence suggests symptoms of serious post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often only surface four to six weeks after an incident. Three weeks on from the Grenfell Tower fire, local doctors report that many people are continuing to suffer "acute stress".
"We're seeing lots of patients coming in who are now obviously displaced, living in hotels and B&Bs all around - and it's starting to have an effect on them now, in terms of anxiety symptoms, not being able to sleep at night," says local GP Dr Oisin Bannick, who co-ordinated the first response on the morning following the fire.
"I've had patients in who wake up at night-time hearing the screaming from the building and it's very, very distressing for these patients."
His colleague, Dr Ahmed Kazmi, who lost 11 patients in the fire, said that while 10-30% of the population were likely to develop PTSD after any similar event, the make-up of the local population put his patients at particular risk.
"When you look at some of the factors for an event, that make PTSD more likely to arise from that, Grenfell has a lot of those factors - so, for example, man-made, involves children, lasted several hours, was unexpected - these are all features in an event that mean PTSD rates are likely to be higher."
He suggested practical matters, such as rehousing, can also play a vital part in the recovery process.
"Give these people suitable adequate permanent housing as soon as possible,," he tells BBC News. "It's going to be really difficult to expect to get well, engage in therapy, to start to try and heal, when something as fundamental as housing is still in the air."
The fire in the 24-storey tower has devastated the local community and left many residents anxious and fearful
In the wake of the fire, and the recent terror attacks in London and Manchester, NHS England has sent out a letter to all GPs offering practical advice on how to help people affected by a traumatic event.
People suffering ongoing panic attacks and flashbacks four weeks on are being advised to seek support from their doctor.
"We must remember that for those people who were affected by these horrific tragedies, the journey is not over and many will continue to face difficulties," said Claire Murdoch, National Clinical Director for Mental Health.
"We want everyone who has been affected to know that there is always support available and how and when they should access it. "
And it is not only members of the public. NHS staff who worked during recent mass casualty emergencies, including Grenfell Tower and the London Bridge terror attack, also need help dealing with the aftermath of such tragedies.
"People have been in shock up until now," says the Reverend Mia Hilborn, who leads the chaplaincy team at Guy's & St Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust. "There hasn't been time to find out if people do have any mental health issues.
"We're still trying to process what happened - and to remember what happened, because your mind blanks things out.
"People's memories are beginning to come back." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40530230 |
Brexit: Theresa May's offer to EU citizens 'falls short' - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The European Parliament's lead negotiator on Brexit calls the UK PM's proposal a "damp squib". | UK Politics | Theresa May's offer to give EU citizens in the UK "settled status" after Brexit has been described as being "far short of what citizens are entitled to".
MEPs, including European Parliament chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt say the proposal is a "damp squib".
It offers Europeans in the UK fewer rights than Britons in the EU, they say in a joint letter to newspapers.
Cabinet Office minister Damian Green said the "basic rights" of EU citizens living in the UK would be "preserved".
He urged Mr Verhofstadt to "read our proposal", which the UK government insists would allow about three million EU citizens to stay on the same basis as now.
EU migrants who had lived in the UK for five years would be granted access to health, education and other benefits.
But the prime minister's proposals would be dependent on EU states guaranteeing Britons the same rights.
The leaders of the four political groups who have signed the joint letter account for two-thirds of the votes in the European Parliament.
Their letter points out that that they have the power to reject any Brexit deal before it can go ahead because the parliament must approve the withdrawal agreement.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Guy Verhofstadt says the European Parliament is unhappy with the current UK plans
The leaders said they would not endorse anything that removed rights already acquired by citizens.
They said the UK proposal "falls short" because it would take away rights citizens currently have, and create new red tape and uncertainty for millions of people.
The letter said this contradicted promises made by the Leave campaign that EU citizens would be treated no less favourably after Brexit.
By contrast, the letter said the EU's offer - already on the table - was simple, clear and fair because it promised that all citizens, including UK nationals living in Europe, would be treated equally and lose no current rights.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Verhofstadt said EU citizens in the UK - and Britons living on the continent - should keep their current rights, rather than the government "inventing a new status".
What the UK is offering EU citizens?
In full: Safeguarding the position of EU citizens
What is the EU offering UK citizens?
"It creates a type of second class citizenship for European Citizens in the UK," he added. "We don't see why their rights should be diminished and that would be the case in the proposal.
"In the end, it is the European Parliament that will say yes or no, and I can tell you it not will be a yes if the rights of European citizens - and also the rights of UK citizens living on the continent - will be diminished [and] cut off, like it is at the moment."
Guy Verhofstadt says the EU's offer - already on the table - is simple, clear and fair
The letter stated: "The European Parliament will reserve its right to reject any agreement that treats EU citizens, regardless of their nationality, less favourably than they are at present.
"This is a question of the basic fundamental rights and values that are at the heart of the European project."
It added: "In early 2019, MEPs will have a final say on the Brexit deal. We will work closely with the EU negotiator and the 27 member states to help steer negotiations."
A spokesperson for the UK government said the letter contained a "number of inaccuracies" which could cause unnecessary and needless concern to UK and EU citizens.
Mr Green, who as first secretary of state is a close ally of Theresa May's, told BBC Radio 4's Today that it was clear that EU citizens would have to comply with "basic" immigration rules after the UK leaves the EU to establish their identity and nationality.
But he insisted: "That is not an insuperable barrier. We all fill in forms when we go on holiday and have to get visas and all that."
He suggested the UK was doing "precisely" what the EU was calling for.
"Somebody who is here now will keep the rights they already have and we hope that British citizens living in other EU countries will keep the rights they already have...the basic rights will be preserved so that should not be an obstacle to a final deal." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40552318 |
Theresa May 'quit' stories blamed on 'warm prosecco' - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Tory minister David Lidington dismisses speculation about Theresa May's future as drinks party "gossip". | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. David Lidington MP: "Too much sun and warm Prosecco leads to gossipy stories in the media"
Justice Secretary David Lidington has dismissed speculation about Theresa May's future as the product of "too much sun and too much warm Prosecco".
He said summer drinks parties produced "gossipy stories" and the public wanted the PM to get on with her job.
Stories have suggested the PM is under pressure to name a departure date after losing her Commons majority.
There are also reports Tory MPs are unhappy with the deal Mrs May did with the DUP to prop up her government.
Mr Lidington, who was promoted to the job of justice secretary by Mrs May in her post-election reshuffle, described stories about Mrs May's leadership as "gossip".
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I have been in Parliament 25 years and almost every July a combination of too much sun and too much warm Prosecco leads to gossipy stories in the media.
"But the key thing is this - the public's had an election and I think they want politicians to go away and deal with the real problems this country is facing".
Former Conservative chief whip Andrew Mitchell has, meanwhile, sought to play down comments about Mrs May, reported in the Mail on Sunday.
He reportedly told a private dinner for Tory MPs that Mrs May was dead in the water and should go.
A Conservative MP present at the gathering told the paper: "He said she was weak, had lost her authority, couldn't go on and we needed a new leader.
"Some of us were very surprised and disagreed with him."
Mr Mitchell, who was described as a key ally of Brexit Secretary David Davis, one of those being tipped as a future Tory leader, said the Mail story was "an overheated report of a private dinner conversation".
Mr Mitchell is alleged to have made the comments at a dinner on 26 June, the day Mrs May struck a deal with the DUP to prop up her minority government.
He did not mention Mr Davis in his comments at the One Nation Commons dining club of Tory MPs, of which he is the secretary, the newspaper added. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40547731 |
Labour 'aim' to wipe £100bn student debt - Angela Rayner - BBC News | 2017-07-10 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Its "ambition" is to write off all student debts when "we can afford to", says a shadow minister. | UK Politics | Labour's "ambition" is to write off all student debt, which would cost £100bn, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has said.
The Labour MP said it was a "huge amount" and the party would not commit to doing it "unless we can afford to".
The Conservatives said it was a "shambolic" proposal, which Labour had no idea how to fund and would lead to higher taxes.
Labour has pledged to scrap university tuition fees if it wins power.
But leader Jeremy Corbyn went further in an interview with the NME during the election campaign, suggesting existing debts could be wiped.
He told the music magazine: "There is a block of those that currently have a massive debt, and I'm looking at ways that we could reduce that, ameliorate that, lengthen the period of paying it off, or some other means of reducing that debt burden.
"I don't see why those that had the historical misfortune to be at university during the £9,000 period should be burdened excessively compared to those that went before or those that come after. I will deal with it."
The Greens were the only party at the general election to include a commitment to wipe all student debt in their manifesto.
Quizzed by the BBC's Andrew Marr on how much it would cost, Ms Rayner said: "It is a huge amount, it is £100bn, which they estimate at the moment, which will increase.
"It's a huge amount of money but we also know a third of that is never repaid."
Lord Adonis has called for tuition fees to be scrapped
Ms Rayner said Mr Corbyn had said it was an "ambition", but she added "we will not announce that we're doing it unless we can afford to do that".
She added: "I like a challenge, Andrew, but we've got to start dealing with this debt crisis that we're foisting on our young people. It's not acceptable.
"They are leaving university with £57,000 worth of debt, it's completely unsustainable and we've got to start tackling that."
Last month, the Student Loan Company said that outstanding debt on student loans had increased by 16.6% to £100.5bn at the end of March.
Only about a third of the students who have taken out £9,000-a-year loans are expected to pay them back fully, meaning the government will have to pick up part of the bill.
Lord Adonis, who came up with the student fees policy as Tony Blair's policy director, has called for them to be scrapped or vastly reduced, saying in an article for the Guardian that he had never meant to create a "Frankenstein's monster of £50,000-plus debts for graduates on modest salaries".
He blamed "greedy" university vice-chancellors, who successfully lobbied the coalition government to increase the £3,000 cap on fees to £9,000.
Conservative First Secretary of State Damian Green, who is effectively Theresa May's second-in-command, has called for a "national conversation" on tuition fees, to consider whether they should be paid out of taxes.
Angela Rayner has previously called on the government to reverse the abolition of student maintenance grants to help the most disadvantaged students.
She also wants to reduce the interest rate that students have to pay on their loans, which has gone up to 6.1%.
Asked by Andrew Marr if fewer working class youngsters were getting into university education as a result of tuition fees, she said: "I don't believe that that's the case actually, but I do believe that many working class and part-time and older mature students are actually leaving university."
Conservative MP Luke Hall said Ms Rayner's comments contradicted Mr Corbyn's claim that fewer people from disadvantaged backgrounds were going to university.
He said: "The truth is that the number of people going to university from disadvantaged backgrounds has never been higher.
"Now Labour are making shambolic promises to spend £100bn extra, without any idea of how to fund it, that could only be paid for through higher taxes on families.
"This government is committed to making sure that everybody has the chance to go to university no matter their background, so that we can build a country that works for everyone." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40547740 |
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