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Do you live in the world's least active country? - BBC News
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2017-07-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Scientists use smartphones to track and rank activity levels around the world.
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Health
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US scientists have amassed "planetary-scale" data from people's smartphones to see how active we really are.
The Stanford University analysis of 68 million days' worth of minute-by-minute data showed the average number of daily steps was 4,961.
Hong Kong was top averaging 6,880 a day, while Indonesia was bottom of the rankings with just 3,513.
But the findings also uncovered intriguing details that could help tackle obesity.
Most smartphones have a built-in accelerometer that can record steps and the researchers used anonymous data from more than 700,000 people who used the Argus activity monitoring app.
Scott Delp, a professor of bioengineering and one of the researchers, said: "The study is 1,000 times larger than any previous study on human movement.
"There have been wonderful health surveys done, but our new study provides data from more countries, many more subjects, and tracks people's activity on an ongoing basis.
"This opens the door to new ways of doing science at a much larger scale than we have been able to do before."
The findings have been published in the journal Nature and the study authors say the results give important insights for improving people's health.
The average number of steps in a country appears to be less important for obesity levels, for example.
The key ingredient was "activity inequality" - it's like wealth inequality, except instead of the difference between rich and poor, it's the difference between the fittest and laziest.
The bigger the activity inequality, the higher the rates of obesity.
Tim Althoff, one of the researchers, said: "For instance, Sweden had one of the smallest gaps between activity rich and activity poor... it also had one of the lowest rates of obesity."
The United States and Mexico both have similar average steps, but the US has higher activity inequality and obesity levels.
The researchers were surprised that activity inequality was largely driven by differences between men and women.
In countries like Japan - with low obesity and low inequality - men and women exercised to similar degrees.
But in countries with high inequality, like the US and Saudi Arabia, it was women spending less time being active.
Jure Leskovec, also part of the research team, said: "When activity inequality is greatest, women's activity is reduced much more dramatically than men's activity, and thus the negative connections to obesity can affect women more greatly."
The Stanford team say the findings help explain global patterns of obesity and give new ideas for tackling it.
For example, they rated 69 US cities for how easy they were to get about on foot.
The smartphone data showed that cities like New York and San Francisco were pedestrian friendly and had "high walkability".
Whereas you really need a car to get around "low walkability" cities including Houston and Memphis.
Unsurprisingly, people walked more in places where it was easier to walk.
The researchers say this could help design town and cities that promote greater physical activity.
Reporter conflict of interest: I made 10,590 steps yesterday but clocked up only 129 on Sunday, I left my phone on the kitchen table all day - that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40570442
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Lloyds Bank to abolish charges for unplanned overdrafts - BBC News
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2017-07-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Many of the bank's 20 million customers will also face lower charges for authorised overdrafts.
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Business
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Fees for unplanned overdrafts are to be scrapped for the 20 million customers of Lloyds Banking Group, which includes the Halifax and Bank of Scotland.
From November this year, any customer going over their overdraft limit will face no fees at all, Lloyds said.
However, the bank may continue to block payments from the account until the overdraft is paid off.
It follows criticism of high charges by consumer groups and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is also expected to propose measures on overdraft fees within the next few weeks, as part of its inquiry into high-cost credit.
Previously Lloyds customers taking out unauthorised overdrafts faced interest payments at an annual rate of 19.89%, a daily charge of up to £10, the monthly charge of £6, and up to £30 a day for returned (unpaid) items.
These will all now be abolished.
Fees for missed payments from basic bank accounts will also disappear.
Lloyds said that it expected to make less money as a result of the changes, although it said fewer people now use an unauthorised facility than used to be the case.
Barclays has already abolished unauthorised lending. Since June 2014, customers cannot exceed their overdraft limit, unless they obtain permission for emergency lending.
As well as scrapping charges for unplanned overdrafts, Lloyds is also simplifying fees for planned overdrafts, making it cheaper for many customers to borrow.
Those with overdrafts of less than £500 are likely to pay less, while those borrowing more than £1000 are likely to see higher charges.
Anyone who takes out an authorised overdraft with Lloyds Banking Group - in other words the bank has agreed to it - is currently charged a £6 monthly fee, on top of interest at 19.89% a year.
While the £6 fee will be dropped, the interest charge will rise sharply, to 68.4% on an annual basis.
Lloyds said that amounts to 1p a day for every £7 borrowed.
As a result nine out of 10 customers will either be better off, or see no difference, it said.
However, the changes will not make Lloyds the cheapest lender on the market.
Andrew Hagger, personal finance expert with Moneycomms, said there were at least eight banks providing lower cost overdrafts.
Tap on the image above, then pinch and zoom to enlarge
The move by Lloyds to abolish unauthorised borrowing fees was welcomed by consumer groups.
"Lloyds' decision to do away with these fees is a positive step, and its proposed simpler pricing will benefit many of its customers," said Peter Vicary-Smith, Which? chief executive.
"However, not everyone will be better off, so it's critical that Lloyds supports customers to help them avoid high charges and to reduce their level of debt."
The FCA should encourage other banks to follow suit, he added.
As part of its inquiry into current accounts, the CMA ruled last year that banks should introduce a maximum monthly charge - set by each bank - by the end of September 2017.
Lloyds is due to introduce a maximum monthly charge of £95 for unauthorised overdrafts in August, although this will be superseded by the changes in November.
RBS and NatWest will introduce a £80 maximum on 24 July.
HSBC is to remove interest charges on most unarranged overdrafts, but will still charge a £5 daily fee, up to a maximum of £80 a month.
Are you a Lloyds customer? How will you be affected by the changes? Share your views 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:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40555175
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Grenfell Tower 'stay put' advice lasted nearly two hours - BBC News
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2017-07-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The fire service changed its advice an hour and 53 minutes after the first emergency call, BBC finds.
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UK
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Fire service advice to "stay put" inside Grenfell Tower during the fire which destroyed the building lasted nearly two hours, the BBC has learned.
A change in policy recommending residents try to leave was made at 02:47 BST, one hour and 53 minutes after the first emergency call.
At least 80 people are believed to be dead after the blaze on 14 June.
London Fire Brigade said: "The advice our control officers give can change as the fire changes."
Meanwhile, tributes have been laid at a wall in the tower's North Kensington neighbourhood to mark the four weeks since the blaze occurred.
When the fire was first reported at 00:54 BST, residents were initially given advice to "stay put" inside the building.
This is based on the assumption that fire can be contained, but the policy has come under scrutiny after many of the tower's residents became trapped.
Tributes are being paid to mark the four-week anniversary of the fire
Karim Musillhy spoke to his uncle Hesham Rahman, 57, on the phone at 01.30 BST.
He says the emergency services had told him to stay in his flat and put wet towels under the door.
"We all know how it all caught fire very quickly. But even then, for me I would be thinking, 'if you can make it out, make it out. Just get out of the building. Get out.'
"Within 15 minutes, the whole building caught fire. After two hours, it's too late."
Met Police officer Matt Bonner, who is leading the investigation into the fire, was confronted by angry people during a meeting on Wednesday evening at St Clement's Church, a short distance from Grenfell Tower.
Mr Bonner told those gathered he could not discuss the investigation "as it would put the investigation at risk", but this led to cries of "arrest someone" from those gathered.
He also said the police investigation would "not be quick but it would be thorough".
Hilary Patel, from the Grenfell Response Team, also said the building "has never been at risk of falling down".
And Dr Deborah Turbitt, from Public Health England, said the area had been monitored for traces of asbestos, but none had been found.
Elsewhere in the neighbourhood, not far from the church, hundreds of people slowly gathered at a wall covered with tributes, to pay respects to those who died four weeks ago. Many were in tears.
The evening vigil saw pictures, flowers and handwritten messages illuminated by candles left by those paying their respects.
Nabil Choucair fears he has lost six members of his family who lived on the 22nd floor of Grenfell Tower.
He says the stay put policy may have been maintained for too long.
"You take away their only chance of probably escaping. I heard of firemen making it up to the 21st, 22nd [floor] and rescuing people, but choosing who to save, and who not to save because they couldn't carry any more, or help anyone.
"After that time, the chances have dropped for them and for everybody else."
Paul Embery of the Fire Brigades Union said the stay put advice is "broadly sound".
"Clearly this was an unprecedented fire, and people couldn't have foreseen the way the fire was going to spread.
"At some point it was obvious that the advice needed to change. Whether it should have been changed earlier I wouldn't want to speculate on that, but the inquiry clearly needs to look at it."
London Fire Brigade said it cannot comment on its response to the fire due to the ongoing police investigation and public inquiry, but said "the advice our control officers give can change as the fire changes".
Meanwhile, in other developments:
More than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines were involved in battling the blaze that engulfed the block.
The BBC understands 31 firefighters were injured in the fire, almost all through smoke inhalation. One was hit by a person who fell from the tower, but insisted on returning to duty.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40575329
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Madagascar: Where France's maritime history sails on - BBC News
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2017-07-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The craftsmen can all trace their skills back to one family who arrived on the island more than 150 years ago.
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Africa
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Schooners typically have two or three masts with multiple sails
Madagascar's master shipbuilders can all trace their skills back to just one family who arrived on the African island more than 150 years ago, writes Tim Healy in the capital, Antananarivo.
In the 19th Century, schooners were a familiar sight along France's northern coast, their majestic sails fluttering in the wind. Nowadays, they have been replaced by boats which are far faster, more efficient - and less romantic.
But there is still a corner of the world where a new generation of carpenters is keeping old maritime traditions alive by crafting these vessels to original standards.
The mastery shown by carpenters working in the town of Belo-sur-mer on Madagascar's west coast is respected around the world - at least one of their beautifully crafted schooners has been sent to collectors in France in recent years.
And it is all thanks to one family, brought to the island by a king's ambition.
It was King Radama II of Madagascar who decided to bring the schooner to his East African island.
For more than a thousand years, Arab boats moved along the coast of Madagascar trading goods for slaves. They were joined in the 17th Century by European trading vessels. Until the 19th Century, the Malagasy fleet was composed of mainly smaller fishing boats and canoes.
But the Vezo Sakalava - coastal people from the western region - wanted to develop bigger trading boats to move cargo around the island, and King Radama was happy to grant their wish.
The king turned to the French government, asking them to send shipwrights to teach his people.
The Justins, a father-and-son team of carpenters, set to work restoring one of their schooners
Soon, the Joachim family, who were creoles of mixed European and African descent, and fellow marine carpenters from France's neighbouring island of La Reunion were sailing to Madagascar.
But when the family arrived, they discovered that the king had been assassinated. His reign had lasted less than two years, from 1861 to 1863.
The Joachims soon found themselves forced to flee to the east coast and, over the course of several decades, the family circumnavigated and lived in parts of southern Madagascar, eventually settling in the western port of Morondava.
It was here, and in nearby Belo-sur-mer, that Enasse Joachim and his three sons began practicing their craft, building schooners for Madagascar.
Of Dutch origin, the ships can have two or three masts decorated with several sails, and reach up to 22m (72ft) in length. As the vessel does not have a keel, it is ideal for navigating shallow Malagasy lagoons and mooring on sandbanks and beaches.
The tradition of building ships runs through families
By 1904 - some 40 years after they first stepped foot on Madagascar - some of the Joachim family had managed to establish shipbuilding schools. It was done with the approval of France's Governor Gallieni, since the French had colonised Madagascar almost a decade earlier, in 1895.
The Malagasy apprentices of the Joachims became master carpenters and shipbuilders in their own right and passed down their skills through several generations, turning Belo-sur-mer into a major shipyard for Schooners, or Botsy in Malagasy.
More than a century later, their legacy continues in Belo-sur-mer, carried on by families like the Justins, who have built two ships.
"My sons and I come from a long line of shipbuilders going back to my great-grandparents," says the patriarch, known simply as Mr Justin.
Traders have used boats to ferry cargo around Madagascar for centuries
The name of one of their boats, Fagnanarantsoandraza, translates from poetic Malagasy to "let it be known that the fine have no need to stay here". It is a name worthy of the love put into building the boat, constructed with timber painstakingly collected from nearby forests.
The vessel, launched in 2012, is 18m in length and can carry loads of up to 50 tonnes, usually salt or agricultural products, to areas that are often inaccessible by road.
The ships are summoned home for regular maintenance, including the resealing of their hulls, before returning to sea.
Of the three Joachim sons, Albert's influence is perhaps most felt today. The Malagasy diminutive of Albert is Bebe, and the port in Morondava bears this name.
While descendants of Albert and Fernand Joachim are believed to live on in Morondava, less was known about their brother, Ludovic, until recently.
He had married a woman 54km (34 miles) away in the village Belo-sur-mer, where he died in 1902. A century later in 2002, a French woman living locally was determined to locate Ludovic's grave and managed to do so with the help of the mayor, and village elders.
Discovered 400m from the village where it was hidden by undergrowth, the modest grave was marked out with a mound of rocks and a fading wooden cross etched with his name.
Local authorities decided to restore the grave and mounted a miniature wooden schooner upon the tomb, to honour the Joachim family's unique contribution to the island's seafaring traditions.
One of the original shipbuilders, Ludovic Emmanuel Joachim, died in Belo-sur-mer in 1902
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40555125
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President Trump sued for blocking people on Twitter - BBC News
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2017-07-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Seven Twitter users are suing the US president, saying their right to free speech has been violated.
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US & Canada
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President Donald Trump has been party to an eye-watering 4,000 lawsuits over the last 30 years, US media say.
And now the mogul turned commander-in-chief has attracted one more, after seven people sued him for blocking them on Twitter.
Mr Trump is an avid user of the social media forum, which he deploys to praise allies and lambast critics.
The lawsuit was filed by the Knight First Amendment Institute, a free speech group at Columbia University.
The seven Twitter users involved claim their accounts were blocked by the president, or his aides, after they replied to his tweets with mocking or critical comments.
People on Twitter are unable to see or respond to tweets from accounts that block them.
The legal complaint argues that by blocking these individuals, Mr Trump has barred them from joining the online conversation.
It calls the move an attempt to "suppress dissent" in a public forum - and a violation of their First Amendment right to free speech.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and the president's social media director Daniel Scavino are also named in the lawsuit.
Last month, Mr Spicer said Mr Trump's tweets were considered "official statements by the president of the United States".
The president's @realDonaldTrump Twitter account has 33.7m followers, while the official @POTUS account has 19.3m.
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Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, said the president's love of Twitter means it has become "an important source of news and information about the government".
"The First Amendment applies to this digital forum in the same way it applies to town halls and open school board meetings," he said.
"The White House acts unlawfully when it excludes people from this forum simply because they've disagreed with the president."
According to the institute, the account's blocking habit should be a concern for everyone.
Why? Because even if they can read the president's tweets, what they see has been consciously cleansed of criticism.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40577858
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Italian tourist treasure turned into ghost town by earthquake - BBC News
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2017-07-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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As you approach Castelluccio, you can see the shattered buildings more reminiscent of a war zone.
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Europe
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From a distance Castelluccio looks the same as it has done for 1,000 years, a beautiful hilltop town in the midst of one of Italy's most celebrated plains, the Piano Grande.
But even from the road below the village you can see the buildings are shattered, roofs collapsed, more reminiscent of a war zone than the Umbrian countryside.
Nearly a year on from the earthquakes which devastated this region of central Italy, visitors have just been allowed back into the so-called "zona rossa" near Castellucio, although not the village itself.
The red zone marks areas still regarded as too dangerous to visit but an exception was made for people to see "La Fioritura". This is a spectacular showing of wild flowers in the meadows of the Piano Grande.
We joined a convoy of around 40 cars to be taken through army road blocks high up into the Sibillini mountains.
Cornflowers and poppies colour the 16 sq km plain surrounded by the Sibillini mountains
Village after village showed the impact of the earthquakes that hit this region, first in August 2016 and then again in October.
These villages look as if the earthquake had just happened, instead of nearly a year ago. Most of the people who lived there have been moved to hotels on the coast.
We left our cars on top of a high ridge and trekked for two hours down on to the plain, overlooked by the jagged peak of Monte Vettore, which marks the boundary between Umbria and Le Marche.
A deep, black crack could be seen high up on the mountainside which had appeared after the earthquake.
The crack on the mountain, the lower of two lines, is up to a metre wide
As we came down on to the plain, extraordinary splashes of colour came into view, reminiscent of an Impressionist canvas.
Meadows were tinted red with swathes of poppies, others bright blue with cornflowers. Normally there would be 10,000 visitors a day to photograph the splendours of the Fioritura, we were told. This year it is in the hundreds.
There are more beehives than people in the fields.
The Piano Grande's fields are unusually deserted this year
The 16 sq km (6 sq miles) Piano Grande - literally the big plain - was once a glacier lake and is surrounded by mountains.
It is here that the farmers of Castelluccio plant their lentils, a crop that has become famous amongst foodies around the world.
This year they were only allowed in by convoy to prepare for the season ahead. No-one is allowed up into this ghost village at 1,452m (4,760 ft).
Below what has been his home for generations, Lorenzo Caponecchi is selling lentils and wild peas in a stall by the side of the road.
I wondered why it was taking time for rebuilding to begin. Was it because these were such old buildings or was it a question of money?
Lorenzo and Monia run a stall in the shadow of Castelluccio
No, said his partner Monia Falzetti angrily. "It's the state and the politicians. There is plenty of money from the EU but we aren't seeing any of it."
Other former inhabitants of Castelluccio are so angry at the lack of help that they believe visitors should not be allowed into the Piano Grande.
It is the tourism of rubble, they proclaim.
Rubble tourism? The remains of homes in the village of Trisungo
But the local mayor told La Repubblica that the flowers of the Piano Grande do not just belong to the people of Castelluccio. They are the world's heritage and, besides, more tourism will help the local economy.
Side by side in this unique valley, you can see the sublime beauty of nature at its most spectacular but also the forces of nature at its most destructive.
In a few moments here houses that existed for hundreds of years were torn down and reverted to stones.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40554843
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Florida family rescued by beachgoers' human chain - BBC News
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2017-07-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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"I witnessed many brave citizens risking their safety and their lives," one witness said.
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US & Canada
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Eighty beachgoers linked hands at Panama City beach in Florida to rescue a family
In a testament to the true human spirit, 80 beachgoers formed a human chain in Panama City Beach in Florida to help save a family pulled in to the water by strong tides.
Roberta Ursey and her family were at the beach on Saturday when she heard her sons crying out for help.
Luckily, Jessica Simmons and her husband came to the rescue, encouraging people to hold hands and reach out for those who were in difficulties.
Ms Ursey's mother, who was among several others trapped in the rip current, suffered a heart attack and remains in hospital.
Ms Simmons, who is from Alabama and said she was raised in a pool and a lake since she could crawl, posted on Facebook that there were heavy rains at the beach when the incident occurred.
"I can hold my breath underwater and go around a Olympic pool with ease! I knew I could get them to the human chain of people that wanted to help," she stated.
Alongside her husband and the help of those forming the human chain, Ms Simmons shuttled people to safety on her bodyboard.
"To see people from different races and genders come into action to help total strangers is absolutely amazing! People who didn't even know each other went hand in hand in a line, into the water to try and reach them," she continued.
Rosalind Beckton, 38, who is a regular visitor to the beach, was there at the time with her 12-year-old son and witnessed the incident.
She told the BBC that she administered CPR to a woman who looked to be in need and who later suffered a heart attack.
"I witnessed many brave citizens risking their safety and their lives to form this human chain. It was amazing and heart warming to see," she continued.
Ms Beckton added that she didn't see any lifeguards on duty at the time.
Ms Ursey, who was rescued from the water alongside her family, told the News Herald: "I am so grateful... These people were God's angels that were in the right place at the right time.
"I owe my life and my family's life to them. Without them, we wouldn't be here."
• None Home washed away after rescue in Australia
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40572378
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Nottingham woman jailed for 1,800 'abusive' 999 calls - BBC News
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2017-07-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Stacey White "unleashed a tirade of abuse" on call handlers, costing the NHS £31,000 in one year.
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Nottingham
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A woman who called the emergency services 1,868 times is jailed for six months.
An abusive caller who rang 999 more than 1,800 times has been jailed.
Stacey White, 31, from Nottinghamshire, had "unleashed a tirade of abuse" on call handlers since 2011.
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) said her "inappropriate calls" had cost the NHS almost £31,000 last year.
White, who pleaded guilty to persistently making use of a public communications network to cause annoyance, was jailed for 26 weeks at Derbyshire Magistrates Court.
In 2014, White, from Kirkby in Ashfield, was given a 20-week suspended prison sentence for misusing the emergency line and physically assaulting a paramedic.
EMAS said in one year alone, between March 2016 and April 2017, she had called the service 498 times.
Deborah Powell, frequent caller lead for EMAS, said White "demonstrated flagrant disregard" for people experiencing life-threatening emergencies.
"Our emergency call handlers are there to provide life-saving advice over the phone and do not expect to be abused when they come to work," she said.
"We will continue to prosecute those who misuse our service to ensure that the support is there for those who need it in a real medical emergency."
Simon Tomlinson, general manager for emergency operations centres, said: "When you call 999 because someone is unconscious, not breathing, having chest pains or has the symptoms of a stroke, you are making the right call.
"Calling us to abuse our staff is not the right call - someone in cardiac arrest is."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-40581383
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Newspaper headlines: 'Give us hope Johanna' and Brexit 'threat' - BBC News
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2017-07-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Johanna Konta's upcoming Wimbledon semi-final and Labour's Brexit "threat" make the front pages.
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The Papers
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Theresa May is interviewed by the Sun to mark her first year as prime minister
The Times leads on a claim that Google has paid millions of dollars in secret funds to UK and US academics in the hope that their research would sway public opinion and influence government policy.
According to a US watchdog group, payments from the tech giant ranged from $5,000 to $400,000 but were not declared by research teams in two-thirds of cases.
The paper says many of the studies made arguments in Google's favour, such as that collecting large amounts of data was a fair exchange for its free services.
Google tells the paper the Campaign for Accountability's report was "misleading".
You could soon be able to write your will in a text or record it on a voicemail, the Daily Telegraph says.
It reports on a new consultation from the Law Commission for England and Wales, which says it wants to bring legislation on wills into the digital age.
The existing law on wills being written, signed and witnessed dates back to 1839.
The commission admits that the proposals could add to family disputes if people who are seriously ill make last-minute changes to their will on a smartphone or tablet.
The Sun is the only paper to have an interview with Theresa May to mark her first year as prime minister.
She appeals to be allowed to stay on in Downing Street for at least the "next few years", so she can deliver Brexit.
But the paper says Mrs May refused to say if she will fight the next election as leader and thinks her remarks are "the strongest public signal yet" that she is preparing to stand down before 2022.
In its editorial, the paper states "it's not too late for her to rescue her time as prime minister" and her determination to do so is "commendably clear".
"The Great Ambulance Betrayal" is the headline in the Daily Mail.
The paper says health chiefs are being accused of putting lives at risk by sending cars to 999 calls instead of ambulances, to help them meet response targets.
The Mail says there is concern that seriously injured people are waiting longer for treatment because the cars can only take people to hospital if they can sit in the back seat.
An anonymous paramedic is quoted as saying that "care, patient safety and dignity are being badly compromised".
The paper says the NHS is now moving to close the loophole and will give call handlers more time to assess calls and dispatch ambulances.
The Financial Times leads on concerns from financial watchdogs that pension reforms are putting savers in danger of paying too much in fees, or making risky investments.
The paper's editorial says many experts predicted this would happen when former Chancellor George Osborne brought in the changes in 2015 to give savers more choice about what they did with their money.
It concludes that it is too soon to call the reforms "a fiasco", but the early signs "do not look promising".
Most of the papers have pictures of a grimacing Andy Murray on the front and back pages, as the defending champion was knocked out of Wimbledon while being hampered by a hip injury.
"Pain, Set and Match" is the Daily Star's summary, while the Metro and the Daily Mail both go for "Andy's Agony".
Murray's exit prompts the Sun to put another British player on its front page with the headline "Give us Hope Johanna", which it hopes tennis fans will sing when Johanna Konta plays Venus Williams in the semi-final later.
The Times is among the papers to report that the Australian High Commissioner has tried to reclaim the British number one as an Aussie - because she was born there.
But the Telegraph tells him in no uncertain terms "hands off Konta!"
And the Daily Express features a railways fan who has built a replica station, complete with a 60ft platform, in his back garden in East Sussex.
The paper says it was "just the ticket" to house Stuart Searle's collection of rail memorabilia including hundreds of station signs.
He has also built a 50ft-long underground station.
But according to the paper he will not stop there, and now has plans to build a cinema for his large collection of film posters.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40590100
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Trump: I get along 'very well' with Putin - BBC News
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2017-07-12
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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His assessment comes as alleged Russian meddling in the US election continues to cast a cloud.
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US & Canada
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President Trump says he gets along "very well" with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
He was interviewed by the Christian Broadcasting Network days after his much anticipated meeting with Mr Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg.
The US president also said he was sure Mr Putin would have preferred Hillary Clinton was sitting in the White House.
Several investigations are under way into allegations Russia helped get Mr Trump elected.
Mr Trump has denied any knowledge of this and Russia has also repeatedly denied interfering.
On the meeting with Mr Putin, Mr Trump said "people said, oh, they shouldn't get along. Well, who are the people saying that? I think we get along very, very well.
"We are a tremendously powerful nuclear power, and so are they. It doesn't make sense not to have some kind of a relationship."
Mr Trump cited the recent ceasefire in south-western Syria as an example of how co-operation with Mr Putin worked.
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Mr Trump also used the interview to pour cold water on the notion that Russia conspired to get him elected - quite the opposite, he maintained. Russia preferred Hillary Clinton, his Democrat rival, he said.
Why? "If Hillary had won, our military would be decimated," he said.
"Our energy would be much more expensive. That's what Putin doesn't like about me. And that's why I say why would he want me?"
The US president earlier defended his son Donald Jr over a meeting he had with a Russian lawyer in 2016 at the height of the presidential campaign.
Mr Trump's son met Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower in New York in June 2016.
Mr Trump Jr had been told that she would offer Russian-linked information which would put Hillary Clinton in a bad light.
Critics accuse Mr Trump Jr of intent to collude with the Russians, and believe he may have broken federal laws. But others dispute this.
Donald Trump tweeted that his son was "open, transparent and innocent". He also told Reuters he was unaware of the meeting and only learned of it two days ago.
Mr Trump Jr himself told Fox News the meeting was "such a nothing", but he accepted he should have handled it differently.
He has released a series of emails in which he was told he would receive "very high level and sensitive information", to which in response he said "if it's what you say I love it".
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any link to the Russian lawyer, and Ms Veselnitskaya herself has said she was never in possession of information that could have damaged Mrs Clinton.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40590120
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Jail for cocaine driver who killed Newport grandmother - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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He hit seven vehicles before crashing into 70-year-old Christine Rowe's car head-on.
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South East Wales
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Christine Rowe was a full-time carer for her husband Brian
A father-of-two has been jailed for eight years and eight months for killing a grandmother while sniffing cocaine at the wheel of his van.
Ryan Reardon, 34, hit seven other vehicles in his van in Newport before crashing into 70-year-old Christine Rowe's car head-on, killing her and seriously injuring her husband Brian.
Cardiff Crown Court heard he was speeding on the wrong side of the road.
Reardon, from Blackwood in Caerphilly, ran off but police caught him that day.
He was more than six times over the legal drug-drive limit when he jumped red lights and barged through other cars at about 19:00 BST on 5 June near Beechwood Park in bad weather conditions, the court heard.
Reardon, a managing director of an air conditioning company, was driving at 59mph in a 30mph zone.
Prosecutor James Wilson said: "It was the culmination of prolonged, persistent driving by the defendant characterised by aggression and disregard for other road users.
Ryan Reardon was taking drugs at the wheel, the court was told
"His driving was aggravated further by consumption of cocaine, 6.5 times over the prescribed limit. He was consuming the drugs while driving."
Reardon admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop and possession of class A drugs.
Witnesses reported seeing Reardon tailgating and barging into other cars, and he was confronted by other drivers but continued.
One witness said: "I have never seen any driving as bad or dangerous in my life. He was driving like a man possessed."
Mr Rowe, 80, had to be cut out of the crushed car and spent four weeks in hospital with multiple fractures to his ribs.
He also now suffers from short term memory loss.
His wife had been his full time carer.
Reardon was disqualified from driving for 14 years and the court heard that he had previous convictions for dangerous driving.
Mrs Rowe's daughter-in-law Joanne Tracey said: "Christine loved all her children and grandchildren with a ferocity that is hard to explain.
"When we were in the hospital family room, I have never seen such pain, confusion, sadness and shock in one room.
"Christine cared full-time for her husband Brian, who has asked several times where she is despite being told she is dead."
Jailing him, Recorder of Cardiff Judge Eleri Rees said: "Your driving can only be described as appalling.
"You tailgated, undertook and drove at aggressive speeds causing drivers to take evasive action.
"You left a trail of damage and shocked drivers in your wake.
"No sentence this court passes can restore Mrs Rowe to her family or adequately reflect the loss or grief."
Following sentencing, Janine Davies of the Crown Prosecution Service said: "It is sometimes difficult to decide which charge reflects the manner of driving properly in law, but in this instance it was clear. Reardon had collided with several vehicles immediately before the fatal collision where he had simply tried to push his way between two lines of traffic.
"His consumption of cocaine was a factor in this case and the danger he posed to other road users that day was significant.
"Our sympathies are extended to the Rowe family for their loss," she added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-40594704
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Pakistan’s secret atheists - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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How do non-believers get together in a nation where blasphemy carries a death sentence?
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Magazine
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Being an atheist in Pakistan can be life-threatening. But behind closed doors, non-believers are getting together to support one another. How do they survive in a nation where blasphemy carries a death sentence?
Omar, named after one of Islam's most revered caliphs, has rejected the faith of his forefathers. He is one of the founding members of an online group - a meeting point for the atheists of Pakistan.
But even there he must stay on his guard. Members use fake identities.
"You have to be careful who you are befriending," he says.
One man contacted Omar to say he had visited his Facebook profile and printed out pictures of him with his family. "You cannot be safe," Omar says.
In Pakistan, posting about atheism online can have serious consequences.
Under a recently passed cyber-crime law, it is now illegal to post content online - even in a private forum - that could be deemed blasphemous.
The government took out adverts in national newspapers asking members of the public to report any content they believe could constitute blasphemy.
And the law is being enforced. In June this year, in the first case of its kind, Taimoor Raza was sentenced to death for posting blasphemous content on Facebook.
"Zahir" is an online activist who uses social media to express atheist ideas and comment on Pakistani politics
"Dear diary, I've been through four Twitter accounts in one year now. The last one got blocked last night. It doesn't matter how vague my details are or if the pictures I use are generic. It's as if someone is watching me. Every time this happens I feel that I should just give up. They want to silence me."
As a result, atheists feel their ability to publicly question the existence of God is threatened.
Omar believes the government is at war with atheist bloggers. "A good friend of mine used to write against religious fundamentalism," he says.
"We used to run the [online] group together. I came to know he was very severely tortured. Once you are abducted, there is a high chance your body will come in a bag.
"The state is doing it deliberately, so those remaining get a sign that if you go beyond your limits you will also be facing things like this."
This year, six activists have reportedly been abducted after posting on forums that are pro-atheist and anti-government. One of those activists spoke to the BBC but does not want to be identified. He believes that Pakistan's intelligence service wants to stamp out not only criticism of Islam but also criticism of the state.
In his view, the government is trying to enforce the notion that a good citizen must be a good Muslim.
"Hamza" is a blogger and a founding member of an online atheist forum
"Dear diary. Some people have called it an arrest but it was an abduction. I was held for 28 days. They wouldn't identify themselves but I'm sure it was the military. There were eight days of torture and 20 days for healing. My whole body was black. They made me sign a statement that said I regretted what I and done and that I would not engage with political or religious blogging. And that my family could be target if I spoke to the media."
Pakistan is, this year, celebrating its 70th year of independence. Since 1956, it has been an Islamic republic. Many atheists feel the nation is more monolithic than ever before.
In recent years, they say, the Islamic faith has become more visible in public life. Saudi-style dress codes are increasingly enforced. Television evangelists shape pop culture and to be Pakistani is increasingly linked to being a devout Muslim.
Although atheism is not technically illegal in Pakistan, apostasy is deemed to be punishable by death in some interpretations of Islam. As a result, speaking publicly can be life-threatening.
The Atheists of Lahore have monthly get-togethers in guarded buildings or private homes. One of those in attendance explains: "It's like a secret society. It's a bubble where we can talk. It's not all about Richard Dawkins or Sam Harris. We may just talk about how things are going. It's a place where you can let your hair down and truly be yourself."
At these meet-ups, atheists are predominantly affluent, English-speaking city-dwellers. Money does grant a degree of privilege and protection from those who are hostile towards godlessness. But many self-identified atheists also live in Pakistan's villages.
"Dear diary, this afternoon at university an acquaintance approached me and said: 'I want to have a debate with you. I heard you're an atheist.' It was an expression of disbelief, as if to ask: 'How do you function?' She wanted to know where I get my morals from. For her, morality comes from religion and without faith you can't be expected to have morals. Later that afternoon I text all my friends. 'Stop telling people I'm an atheist. I don't want to die.' I must learn that discretion is a good thing."
Zafer was once the muezzin, the man who recited the call to prayer at his village mosque. He used to pray five times a day and was a student of Islamic theology. When he got a job in IT and moved out of his family home, he found his views on religion had changed.
"My family noticed a shift. My mother thought someone had cast a spell on me. I was given holy water to drink and blessed food to eat. She thought it would break the spell.
"These days, I will go along to Friday prayers and celebrate Eid just as a social ritual. My family know I'm not a believer but they give me the space to be myself - as long as I'm not too vocal about being an atheist.
"If you're willing to do certain things - have etiquette, respect your parents and be appropriate in public - you can get away with being a disbeliever."
Mobeen Azhar's documentary Diary of a Pakistani Atheist will be broadcast on BBC World Service's Heart and Soul on Friday 14 July at 13:32 BST and available to listen afterwards on iPlayer.
The Ministry of Information Technology declined my request for an interview, saying the campaign promoting the cyber-crime laws was "simply about raising awareness". They would not comment on the alleged abduction of online activists.
Kunwar Khuldune Shahid is a journalist who has documented the government's response to atheism in the public domain. He believes online atheist activists are being abducted by the government because challenging religion and challenging the state often go hand-in-hand.
"There are two holy cows in Pakistan," he says. "One is the army, the other is Islam. Any person challenging one of these holy cows would, more often than not, be talking about the other as well. The sites whose administrators were abducted were critical of the army and government policy, so blasphemy became a convenient tool.
"In one go, they simply silenced a wide array of critics."
Some of the names in the article have been changed to protect the identity of contributors.
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-40580196
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Charlie Gard has 10% chance of improvement, US doctor claims - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A US doctor offering to treat Charlie Gard agrees to visit him, if the High Court adjourns.
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London
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Charlie has a rare genetic condition and is on life support
An American doctor offering to treat terminally ill Charlie Gard has told the High Court there is a 10% chance he could improve the baby's condition.
The 11-month-old has a rare genetic disorder and severe brain damage which doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) had said was irreversible.
In April, the High Court ruled that life support should be removed to enable Charlie to die with dignity.
The doctor has agreed to assess Charlie in the UK if the court adjourns.
Mr Justice Francis is due to rule on whether Charlie, who is on life support at GOSH, can be given a trial treatment.
The US doctor - who cannot be named for legal reasons - has been giving evidence to the High Court via video link.
The judge said he wanted to hear what the doctor thought had changed since he gave his ruling in April.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The six-year-old US boy who outlived medical expectations
The doctor suggested there was now clinical data not available in April and he thought the therapy was "worth trying".
Although he has not yet seen Charlie in person, he told the judge tests on the boy's brain show "disorganisation of brain activity and not major structural brain damage".
Using nucleoside treatment - which is a therapy and not a cure - he estimated there would be a 10% chance of "meaningful success" for Charlie.
He said early tests on mice with TK2, a slightly different condition to Charlie's, had resulted in some improvements.
He acknowledged that while it would be desirable to conduct further testing on rodents, that could take a minimum of six months to two years.
The small number of people with Charlie's rare genetic condition - mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome - would make robust clinical trials difficult, he added.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alasdair Seton-Marsden read a statement from Charlie's parents that said 'he is still fighting'
Doctors at GOSH - where Charlie is being cared for - say he should be moved on to palliative care but his parents have raised more than £1.3m to take their son to the US for the nucleoside therapy.
The High Court has also been hearing arguments about the child's head size, which UK doctors said indicated of lack of brain function.
Mr Francis said it was "absurd" that a dispute over his head size was "undermining" the case.
Doctors said the baby's skull had not grown in three months.
The lawyer for Charlie's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, told the court Ms Yates had regularly measured her son's head and disagreed with the hospital's measurements.
The court heard Ms Yates had measured her baby's head this morning and there was a 2cm difference with the hospital's measurements.
Mr Justice Francis said he wanted the matter resolved and called for an independent person to measure Charlie's head within 24 hours.
"It is absurd that the science of this case is being infected by the inability to measure a child's skull," he said.
Connie Yates and Chris Gard walked out of the hearing at the High Court
Charlie's parents, from Bedfont, west London, left the courtroom after two hours over a disagreement with the judge about what they had said at a previous hearing on whether their child was in pain.
Mr Gard stood up and said: "I thought this was supposed to be independent."
Mr Justice Francis then offered to adjourn but was told the pair already knew the evidence being given by their legal team.
Ms Yates and Mr Gard returned for the afternoon session.
Supporters of Charlie's parents have been outside the court
Connie Yates and Chris Gard have raised more than £1.3m to fund a treatment trial
The case returned to the High Court following reports of new data from foreign healthcare experts who suggested treatment could improve Charlie's condition.
Doctors at GOSH have said the evidence is not new but it was right for the court to explore it.
Grant Armstrong, who is leading Ms Yates and Mr Gard's legal team, told the judge they wanted to reopen the case on the basis that the treatment is likely to affect Charlie's brain cells.
He said the parents disputed the view that Charlie has "irreversible, irreparable" brain damage.
The couple have already lost battles in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court to allow them to take their son elsewhere for treatment.
They also failed to persuade European Court of Human Rights judges to intervene in the case.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40593286
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Brexit: The UK's key repeal bill facing challenges - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Ministers hail a historic moment - but Labour and the Scottish and Welsh governments are unhappy.
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UK Politics
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The Scottish and Welsh governments have threatened to block the key Brexit bill which will convert all existing EU laws into UK law.
The repeal bill, published earlier, is also facing opposition from Labour and other parties in the Commons.
Ministers are "optimistic" about getting it through and have promised an "ongoing intense dialogue" with the devolved administrations.
No 10 said it had to be passed or "there will be no laws" after Brexit.
Brexit Secretary David Davis called it "one of the most significant pieces of legislation that has ever passed through Parliament".
He rejected claims ministers were giving themselves "sweeping powers" to make changes to laws as they are repatriated.
It will be up to MPs if they want a say on the "technical changes" ministers plan to make to legislation, he told the BBC.
Labour says it will not support the bill in its current form and is demanding concessions in six areas, including the incorporation of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights into British law.
The party wants guarantees workers' rights will be protected and also want curbs on the power of government ministers to alter legislation without full parliamentary scrutiny.
Leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was in Brussels earlier for a meeting with the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier, said: "Far too much of it seems to be a process where the government... will be able to bypass Parliament.
"We will make sure there is full parliamentary scrutiny. We have a Parliament where the government doesn't have a majority, we have a country which voted in two ways on Leave or Remain.
"The majority voted to leave and we respect that, but they didn't vote to lose jobs and they didn't vote to have Parliament ridden roughshod over."
The Conservatives are relying on Democratic Unionist Party support to win key votes after losing their Commons majority in the general election, but could face a revolt from Remain supporting backbenchers.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there could be "parliamentary guerrilla warfare" on the bill, as opposition parties and "Remainer Tories" try to "put their version of Brexit, not Theresa May's, on to the statute book".
The repeal bill is not expected to be debated by MPs until the Autumn, but will need to have been passed by the time the UK leaves the EU - which is due to happen in March 2019.
But the Scottish and Welsh governments have to give "legislative consent" to the bill before it can become law - something they have said they are not willing to do.
In a joint statement, first ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Carwyn Jones, who also met Mr Barnier, described the bill as a "naked power-grab" by Westminster that undermined the principles of devolution.
They say the bill returns powers from Brussels solely to the UK government and Parliament and "imposes new restrictions" on the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.
Ministers at Holyrood will not be able to amend EU rules in devolved areas such as agriculture and fisheries after Brexit until the UK Parliament and Scottish government have reached an agreement on them.
UK Scottish Secretary David Mundell claimed the repeal bill would result in a powers "bonanza" for Holyrood - a comment described as "ludicrous" by the SNP.
Theresa May's official spokeswoman said the repeal bill was a "hugely important piece of legislation" because "we need to have a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU".
The spokesman said First Secretary of State Damian Green had contacted the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the government was confident of gaining their consent.
Asked if there was a contingency plan if he didn't win their backing, the prime minister's official spokesman said "not that I'm aware of".
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, whose party is seeking to join forces with Labour and Tory rebels, said he was "putting the government on warning", promising a tougher test than than it faced when passing legislation authorising the UK's departure from the EU.
"If you found the Article 50 Bill difficult, you should be under no illusion, this will be hell," he said.
Steve Baker, a minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union, said the government was "ready" for a fight over the bill but would also to "listen to Parliament".
Speaking to BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Davies predicted the bill "may get amendments here and there", saying he was open to suggestions from other parties for things that should be included.
"If we've missed something and got something wrong, then we'll debate that in the House of Commons," he said.
Mr Davis also insisted contingency plans were being made in case the UK and the EU cannot agree a Brexit deal.
"We are planning for all options," he said.
"The ideal outcome... right through to it not working at all and not getting a negotiated outcome at all."
Asked why Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had said the government had "no plan" for such a scenario, he said: "That's possibly because it's my responsibility to plan for it."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40589510
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Trump hints at climate deal shift in Paris talks - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Speaking alongside his French counterpart, the US president told reporters "something could happen".
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Europe
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Toned-down Trump: What happened to the tough talk on Paris?
French President Emmanuel Macron said he "respected" Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord but that France would remain committed.
"On climate we know what our differences are," Mr Macron said in Paris on Thursday, adding that it was important to move forward.
Speaking alongside Mr Macron, Mr Trump then hinted that the US could shift its position but failed to elaborate.
"Something could happen with respect to the Paris accord," he said.
Mr Trump added: "We'll see what happens."
The US president said last month that the US would withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, citing moves to negotiate a new "fair" deal that would not disadvantage US businesses.
Mr Macron said it was right to put the climate issue to one side while the two leaders discussed how they could work together on other matters such as the ceasefire in Syria and trade partnerships.
"We have disagreements; Mr Trump had election pledges that he took to his supporters and I had pledges - should this hinder progress on all issues? No," Mr Macron said.
Mr Macron and Mr Trump then talked about their countries' joint efforts to combat terrorism and in particular the so-called Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
"The US is extremely involved in the Iraq war," Mr Macron said, "I would like to thank the president for everything done by American troops in this area".
"We've agreed to continue our joint work," he added, "in particular building the post-war roadmap".
Mr Macron said that France would seek to "undertake several robust initiatives" to help produce greater stability and "control over the region".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The US president told Brigitte Macron she was "in good shape"
Mr Trump, who is in Paris for a two-day visit, was earlier welcomed by Mr Macron with an official military ceremony.
The US president then visited the tomb of Napoleon before Friday's Bastille Day celebrations.
The trip is aimed at reaffirming historic ties but comes amid tension due to the two leaders' different positions over climate change.
Air Force One touched down at Orly airport in Paris earlier on Thursday; Mr Trump and the First Lady emerging from their flight across the Atlantic in an effort to help strengthen US-France relations.
"Emmanuel, nice to see you. This is so beautiful," Mr Trump said as he was met by Mr Macron at the Hotel des Invalides, near the site of Napoleon's tomb.
Despite their clear differences, Paris has emphasised that Mr Macron will work to reaffirm historic ties between the two allies to prevent the US from being isolated.
The two presidents reviewed the troops during the ceremony at Les Invalides
The two-day visit is seen as an opportunity to reaffirm US-France relations
Following the ceremony at Les Invalides the leaders moved on to the Élysée Palace.
Mr Trump will also dine with Mr Macron at the Eiffel Tower and watch the Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Élysées.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of US forces entering World War One, and for this occasion US and French troops will be marching together in the parade.
Speaking to the BBC, the former US diplomat and state department official, William Jordan, said the visit was likely to be viewed by Mr Trump as an opportunity for the US president to be "taken seriously in the world".
"I think that there's a lot of symbolism in this," he said, adding: "I doubt that there's going to be very much more beyond substantive discussion."
The presidents and their partners visited Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb
Demonstrations are expected. French protesters have planned a "No Trump Zone" at the Place de la Republique. The Facebook page for the event states: "Trump is not welcome in Paris".
Mr Trump's visit comes amid fresh allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, with his eldest son admitting he held a "nonsense" meeting that had promised Russian government information about his father's democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Mr Trump has since described the mood in the White House as "fantastic" and told Reuters that the administration was "functioning beautifully".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40597244
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Game of Thrones premiere: Cast 'emotional' as they head for finale - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The seventh season premiered in Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Find out what the cast had to say.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Sophie Turner and Kit Harington were among the stars attending the premiere
Stars including Sophie Turner and Kit Harington traded Westeros for LA, as the seventh season of Game of Thrones received a gala premiere on Wednesday.
Phones were banned as the first episode of the penultimate series was screened at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, said the cast felt "very emotional" at the prospect of the show ending.
"It feels like a death in the family [but] it's also exciting, and liberating," said the British star.
Sophie Turner said the rest of the cast felt "like family" after seven series
Gwendoline Christie, who plays the warrior Brienne of Tarth, gave off ice queen vibes on the blue carpet
Emilia Clarke - who was absent from the premiere, due to filming commitments on the forthcoming Han Solo film - has also talked about the stress of concluding the series.
"I get sleepless nights over it," she recently told Elle Magazine. "The higher everyone places the mantle, the bigger the fall. I don't want to disappoint anyone."
Among the other stars walking the blue carpet on Wednesday night were Alfie Allen, Conleth Hill, Liam Cunningham, Gwendoline Christie and Maisie Williams.
There was also a surprise appearance from British actor Joe Dempsie, who has been absent from the series since since 2013.
It has not yet been confirmed whether his character Gendry, the illegitimate son of King Robert Baratheon, will return to the show this year.
Joe Dempsie was a surprise addition to the guestlist - but it has not been confirmed whether he is returning to the show
Real-life couple Kit Harington (Jon Snow) and Rose Leslie (Ygritte) walked the blue carpet together
The forthcoming season, which adds Jim Broadbent to the cast, returns on 16 July.
It is airing later than its usual springtime slot, after production was delayed to shoot more scenes in the snow.
The cast, who are already used to hardships on set, said they had had to endure bitterly cold conditions for this series.
"Belfast is never not cold," Isaac Hempstead Wright, who plays Bran Stark, told The Hollywood Reporter. "That's the first thing I learned when I arrived, my first day on set - my first day ever on a film set.
"It was a beautiful day in a forest, but it rained all day, and it was muddy, and I remember coming home and telling my mum that I didn't think I could do it. But we've grown accustomed to the chill."
Alfie Allen smiled a lot more than his character Theon Greyjoy does
Jacob Anderson and Maisie Williams were there to drink in the first episode
Richard Dormer, who plays Beric Dondarrion, had fun at the show's after-party
The seventh series of Game of Thrones fulfills the prophecy that "Winter is coming" - and with it, the Night King's army of the undead, and the promise of all-out war.
As the premiere took place, HBO released new images from the show, providing a few clues about the storyline - including Daenerys's return to Dragonstone, and Meera Reed meeting up with the Night's Watch.
The pictures also offer a look at the large painted map of Westeros that featured prominently in a trailer for the season.
"Enemies to the east, enemies to the west, enemies to the south, enemies to the north," said Lena Headey's character, Cersei, during the video. "Whatever stands in our way, we will defeat it."
An eighth and final season is planned for either 2018 or 2019 - but there are already talks of spin-offs and prequels.
What is the purpose of the map?
Game of Thrones returns to HBO on 16 July and will be simulcast at 02:00 BST on Sky Atlantic. It will be repeated the following evening (17 July) on Sky Atlantic and Now TV.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40592766
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Southern Rail work experience Eddie: 'I'm just being me' - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Internet sensation Eddie is back on Southern Rail's Twitter account and appeared on BBC Radio 1.
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England
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"It's definitely been enjoyable, I can tell you that for a fact," said Eddie
Eddie, the work experience teen who took over Southern Rail's Twitter feed on Tuesday, says his new-found fame is an experience he will "carry with me for the rest of my life".
The company earlier posted a picture of the 15-year-old manning the account for a second day.
Instead of the usual complaints, he has been asked questions about duck-sized horses and how to make tea.
Speaking to BBC Radio 1 earlier, Eddie said: "I was just being me".
Talking to Scott Mills about the sensation caused by his tweets, he added: "I just tried to be myself and everything just turned out as it has.
Some did question whether Eddie really is who he says he is
"It's definitely been enjoyable, I can tell you that for a fact. Last week I was answering some tweets with guidance from the social team and so yesterday was the time I put myself out there and just said 'hello this is me'.
"It's been amazing, it's been an experience which I will carry with me for the rest of my life."
He thanked Twitter users who were "nice and forthcoming" but conceded some of the questions directed to him were "very strange".
"One of my favourites was somebody asking me what he should have for tea, Thai curry or chicken fajitas.
"Well, it's got to be chicken fajitas doesn't it?"
Eddie took on controversial issues, which have caused great debate for generations
The furore has transformed the usual fury-filled Southern Rail Twitter feed, where commuters complain of delayed and cancelled services. There has also been a bitter dispute over the role of guards which has affected Southern passengers for more than a year.
Mills said the youngster was "winning at life", taking to the front line of social media while most people spend their work experience photocopying.
Comparing the teen to "the new Ask Jeeves", Mills also toyed with the idea of hiring him for an occasional Radio 1 feature, Ask Eddie.
Eddie said he is not sure on his dream job at the moment, he "just wants to see what interests" him and pursue that when the day comes.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40580704
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Bradley Lowery funeral: Thousands pay respects to youngster - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Footballer Jermain Defoe is among the funeral cortege as it brings Bradley's home town to a standstill.
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England
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Thousands of mourners have lined the streets of Bradley Lowery's home town for his funeral.
The six-year-old Sunderland fan, from Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, died on Friday following a cancer fight.
Footballer Jermain Defoe, who forged a strong bond with Bradley, joined his family in the cortege.
The service, held at St Joseph's Church in the village, paid tribute to an "incredible little boy with a huge personality".
The funeral cortege was led out by a bagpiper
An emotional Jermain Defoe wore an England shirt bearing Bradley's name
Ex Sunderland boss David Moyes was among the high-profile names from football in attendance
Roads leading to the church were decked with balloons and tributes. Messages and mementos were also left outside Sunderland's Stadium of Light.
Speakers broadcast the funeral service to the crowds outside the church who were unable to make it inside.
Bradley's family wore football shirts in honour of his love of the sport.
His mother, Gemma, told the congregation: "He had a smile so big and beautiful it could brighten any room. A real brave superhero, he left us all too soon.
"He touched the hearts of many - the most inspirational boy. A loving, caring son and brother - a beautiful star.
"Although your time with us was short, you must have a job to do in heaven with the angels as God has chosen you.
"For now my baby we'll say goodbye. We'll meet again our superhero high up in the sky."
Tributes to the youngster lined the route of the cortege
Almost every inch of the cortege route was lined with balloons
Mourners wearing football tops decorated the route of the funeral cortege with balloons
Shops along the cortege route were decked with balloons and tribute posters
Hundreds of tributes were left outside Sunderland's Stadium of Light where Bradley was a mascot
Almost all the mourners wore football shirts at the request of Bradley's family
Father Ian Jackson told mourners: "Today the football world stands united, whatever our colours, to pay their respects to this incredible little boy with a huge personality.
"As a big football fan, Bradley saw that sport teaches us the basic life lesson that one must get up after getting knocked down. It taught him to never ever quit."
A vigil and minute's applause were also held at Grey's Monument in Newcastle city centre to coincide with the funeral, while balloons were released at the Sunderland's ground.
A single piper led the funeral procession and the applause down the street could be heard well before the horse and carriage carrying Bradley's coffin could be seen.
It was preceded by a collection of superheroes - including Batman, Spider-Man and Captain America.
Bradley's parents, Gemma and Carl, followed the hearse and behind them came footballer Jermain Defoe - who had flown back in from a pre-season training camp in Spain.
There followed a number of players and staff from Bradley's beloved Sunderland.
At the family's request, hundreds wore football shirts including the red and white of Sunderland, black and white of Newcastle, blue of Everton and green and white of Celtic.
One mourner observed aloud that Bradley had opened the world's eyes to childhood cancer.
Having been in remission following treatment, he relapsed last year and his parents were told in December his illness was terminal.
In the months before his death he struck up a friendship with Defoe, who called him a "little superstar".
Bradley also led out the England team at Wembley, attended the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards and was a special guest at the Grand National.
Tributes poured in from around the world when his parents announced his death on Facebook.
Bradley was invited to the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year event
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40595727
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Newspaper headlines: Brexit bill 'revolt' and Max's law vote - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Opposition to the government's proposed legislation to convert EU law to UK features across the papers.
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The Papers
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The Times considers attempts by French President Emmanuel Macron to shape what it calls a special but critical relationship with the US
The government's repeal bill, which will convert EU legislation into British law, is dismissed by the Guardian as a "bodge-job".
The paper expresses concern about the use of what are known as Henry VIII powers, which it believes will lead to ministers wielding a formidable weapon of executive control without accountability.
The Times shares such concerns, saying ministerial powers are too broad.
The details of Brexit are too important to be left to ministers and civil servants, argues the paper.
Instead, they should be hammered out in Parliament.
The Financial Times describes the government's repeal bill as a largely technical measure that will ensure legal continuity after Brexit.
But it warns that it will become a legislative quagmire when MPs start debating it in the autumn.
The Daily Mirror also takes up the theme, predicting months of parliamentary warfare.
The Daily Mail wonders why the bill has created hysteria, describing the government's approach as common sense.
The paper say it is a straightforward and eminently workable bill.
The Daily Express describes it as entirely necessary and a vital part of the Brexit process, while the Sun says the legislation is harmless.
The Times considers attempts by French President Emmanuel Macron to shape what it calls a special but critical relationship with the US.
It talks of him as trying to portray himself as America's best friend in Europe.
With Theresa May embroiled in Brexit negotiations, the Times says Mr Macron has moved to fill the void with fulsome expressions of support for the US and its president.
The Daily Telegraph suggests that by bringing Mr Trump to Paris, Mr Macron has clearly stolen a march on the embattled Mrs May.
There are many reflections on the life of the Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Liu Xiaobo, who died on Thursday from liver cancer at a heavily-guarded hospital.
For the Guardian, the fact that he was still held over his peaceful call for democratic reform, almost nine years ago, is China's shame and a stain on the world's conscience.
The Telegraph says that although he became a hero to Chinese dissidents, the country's strict censorship of the media meant most people there had probably never heard of him.
The Times sees Mr Lui's death as a reminder that China has a long distance to travel before it can class itself as a free moral nation.
The skeleton of Hope the blue whale went on show in the entrance hall of the Natural History Museum, in London, on Thursday.
For the Mail, it is the attraction's most jaw-dropping exhibit, while the chief art critic of the Times gives it five stars.
Rachel Campbell-Johnston describes how the skeleton seems almost to swoop down upon you.
She concludes: "How can you help but be awestruck?"
The skeleton of the blue whale Hope appears at the Natural History Museum
The sports pages are dominated by Briton Johanna Konta's defeat in the Wimbledon semi-final.
The Telegraph says her hopes were crushed by a ruthless performance by the five-times champion, Venus Williams.
The i talks of Konta being overwhelmed by the power and grace of the ageless US player, while the Mail says she was blown away by a pace attack.
The Daily Mirror says it was a painful loss, but believes it is just the beginning for Konta.
The Sun also strikes an optimistic tone, saying she has vowed to "win it one day".
Greatness, suggests the Guardian, remains tantalisingly within reach, and Konta must believe she can grab it.
The Daily Mail highlights concerns from health campaigners that victims of suspected heart attacks and strokes will have to wait 10 minutes longer for an ambulance.
In its editorial, the paper says health bosses are playing with lives and it predicts they will come to regret the decision.
The Times believes an overhaul is needed, but thinks the unions have a point when they say removing inefficiency will not make problems in the system go away.
The Daily Mirror continues its campaign to change the organ donor rules in England so every person is deemed a donor unless they opt out.
It reports that Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson is planning to introduce a private member's bill to bring in such a change.
The Mirror highlights the case of nine-year-old Max Johnson, who is awaiting a heart transplant, and says the change would give him and other children a better chance.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40603181
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Janet Commins: How police caught her killer after 41 years - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The 1976 killing of a 15-year-old girl had a "profound and devastating" effect on the town of Flint.
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North East Wales
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Stephen Hough was trapped by his DNA after 40 years
The killing of Flintshire schoolgirl Janet Commins made headlines across the UK in 1976. Now, ex-soldier Stephen Hough has been jailed for 12 years for her rape and manslaughter. He was caught by his DNA 40 years on, even though another man spent six years in prison for the crime.
On the evening of 7 January 1976, 15-year-old Janet Commins asked her mother Eileen if she could go swimming with her friends.
Her mother said no, as she thought Janet looked a bit pale, but the teenager sneaked out of the family's bungalow in King Edward Drive anyway, leaving a note to say she would be back by half past eight.
Four days later, Janet's lifeless body was found under a thicket near a school playing field by three girls playing hide and seek. She had been suffocated during a savage sexual assault.
She had bruising under her chin, abrasions to her neck and a wound in her scalp.
Her body had been dragged along the ground and although she was still clothed, both her shoes were missing.
Mud found on Janet's clothing indicated part of the attack took place at the town's Gorsedd Circle, a permanent reminder of when the National Eisteddfod came to Flint in 1969.
The town - at that time a small, close-knit community - went into shock.
"It had a profound and devastating effect on Flint," said local councillor Alex Aldridge.
"It was an extraordinary feeling, I had a daughter who was just under two at the time and to think a young girl had befallen this awful fate, robbed of life.
"It's something you'll never forget. It's still raw and it's still hurtful."
Police mounted a huge manhunt, drafting in about 120 officers to scour the area around the crime scene and conduct house-to-house inquiries.
Journalist Paul Mewies, who covered the story at the time, said it made the headlines across the UK.
Janet's body was found hidden under bushes near Gwynedd Primary School
"I can remember how not just the town of Flint but a much wider area was shocked by this awful case - the fact that a schoolgirl was killed on a playing field," he said.
"It stuck in my mind. I've reported on a number of tragedies over my career but this one does stand out."
Ann Dunn, who lived close to the field where Janet's body was discovered, remembers the town "swarming with policemen".
"It was quite upsetting," she said. "There was a lot of fear at the time. People were frightened it would happen again."
About 10,000 people were quizzed by police and all local men aged 17-22 were asked to account for their movements.
Among them was Stephen Hough, who had turned 17 the day after Janet's body was found and whose grandparents' house overlooked the area where her body had been hidden.
But police ruled him out after he told them he had been stealing petrol on the night of the killing - a crime for which he was later prosecuted and fined.
Police scoured the area around the crime scene for clues
Their attention turned to Noel Jones, a barely literate 18-year-old traveller from Coedpoeth, Wrexham.
He was picked up the day Janet's body was discovered and at first denied all knowledge of the crime.
But later his girlfriend told police he had confessed to killing Janet and had asked her to provide him with an alibi.
After two days of questioning, he signed two detailed confession statements.
On the second day of his murder trial in June 1976, he admitted manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
As Noel Jones served his time, Hough must have thought he had got away with it.
All local men aged 17-22 were asked to account for their movements on the night Janet died
But 41 years on, advances in DNA profiling finally brought him to justice.
In 2006, police carried out a cold case review and DNA from a man was identified in samples which had been taken from Janet's body and stored for three decades.
Ten years after that, police took a sample of Hough's DNA when he was arrested for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl - a crime he later admitted and for which he has been given three years in prison.
In a routine cross-matching exercise, it was linked to sperm cells found on Janet's body.
Mold Crown Court heard there was a billion-to-one chance it did not belong to Hough.
Despite the evidence, Hough insisted he was innocent - repeatedly answering "no comment" in police interviews and telling the court he had "no explanation" for why his DNA was found on Janet's body.
The jury cleared him of murder but convicted him of Janet's rape, sexual assault and manslaughter.
The case also throws a spotlight on policing practices 40 years ago.
Giving evidence by video link, Noel Jones described the six years he spent in prison as a "nightmare" which "absolutely destroyed my life".
He has never challenged his conviction, but says he is innocent and only confessed because police had pressured and coerced him.
The man who led the original investigation, Eric Evans - who later rose to the rank of deputy chief constable - also gave evidence at Hough's trial.
He told the court nobody thought to offer Noel Jones a solicitor during the initial stages of his questioning because he wanted to investigate "properly and thoroughly".
Police could be "impeded" by solicitors representing clients, he said, adding that "there was no requirement in those days for a person to be advised that he could have a solicitor".
It remains to be seen what action will now be taken over Noel Jones' conviction.
Residents laid flowers in Janet's memory on Flint's Gorsedd stones after Hough's arrest in September 2016
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is probing the North Wales force's handling of the original case in 1976 and when it was revisited 30 years later.
Whatever the outcome of that investigation, Janet's family now knows for sure who killed her.
"I hope there is closure for her mum," said councillor Alex Aldridge. "The law has completed its part but no matter what the verdict, the loss is beyond belief."
"This young girl never experienced life, possibly getting married, having children, becoming a grandmother.
"Flint will never forget Janet. It's four generations now - over 40 years - and her memory is as fresh today, in a good way, that we are remembering and honouring her name."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-40568522
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The prison monitor sacked after voicing her concerns - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Why was an independent prison monitor sacked after voicing her concerns?
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Suffolk
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When a letter arrived bearing official Ministry of Justice markings, Faith Spear knew her time monitoring prisons had come to an end
She was the watchdog who was accused of causing "embarrassment" by ministers and driven to the depths of despair after voicing concerns about prison monitoring. Then serious rioting erupted at several English prisons. Was Faith Spear right to blow the whistle on the state of England's jails?
Her fate was sealed with a printed, rather than handwritten, ministerial signature.
Received on a cold morning this January, Faith Spear, the suspended chairman of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at Hollesley Bay in Suffolk, knew what the letter from prisons minister Sam Gyimah would say.
She had, he told her, "repeatedly disclosed classified and other information, often in an inaccurate manner" and had "failed to comply with agreed policies and procedures".
Her role as chairman was terminated and she was told she could not serve on another IMB for at least five years.
To this day Mrs Spear believes she was punished by a system more interested in controlling its own reputation than listening to grave concerns over the state of prisons.
The spark for the Faith Spear case was an article published by The Prisons Handbook in April 2016 entitled "Whistle-blower without a whistle".
Using the pseudonym "Daisy Mallett", Mrs Spear challenged the idea that monitoring boards were truly independent.
"I want to speak out," said Mrs Spear in the article, which named neither individuals nor her own prison. "I am here as the public's eyes and ears, that is my role, but my voice is silenced.
"Prisons today are starved of resources. When I make the prison aware of issues with prisoners I am made to feel like I'm an irritation to them, but I am not here to irritate the prison process."
The repercussions were immediate.
A letter was fired off from the HQ of the Independent Monitoring Boards Secretariat - housed in the Ministry of Justice London HQ - to every IMB member in the country.
In it, president John Thornhill alleged Daisy Mallett's article contained "inaccuracies and misunderstandings".
He warned the Justice Secretary (then Michael Gove) had been alerted and "legal advice" sought.
In less than a year, Mrs Spear would be unmasked, suspended, involved in various hearings and ultimately sacked from her voluntary role as an IMB chairman.
Her experience echoes that of Ray Bewry, who to this day is the only former prisoner (his conviction was eventually quashed) to have served on an IMB.
"Any effective IMB member cannot do their job," claims Mr Bewry who served for a decade on the IMB at HMP Norwich.
"They want them to do what they are told, and not rock the boat."
At no stage did Mrs Spear seek to deny being Daisy Mallett
Having revealed she had three years of service and a degree in criminology, the outing of Daisy Mallett was perhaps inevitable.
Sure enough, within days of publication Mrs Spear, a mother of three, was called at home by then vice chairman Christine Smart asking her if she was behind the article.
Mrs Spear confirmed that she was.
And at the April 2016 meeting of her IMB board, Mrs Spear was made to read out a statement confessing to being the author of the offending article.
She was then expected to resign.
"It had already been planned as to how it was going be," she said. "I was ambushed."
"Faith just walked on to a minefield," says Mr Leech, the Thailand-based founder and editor of The Prisons Handbook.
"She should have refused to answer any questions and just move on with her business as chairman."
Perhaps. But hindsight is a beautiful thing.
Faith Spear is a known regular at Justice Committee meetings in Parliament
"I read my statement then had 50 minutes of every member questioning me, bullying me, taunting me. It was one of the worst experiences I have endured," Mrs Spear says.
Sent outside for 40 minutes, she was then told her board had unanimously decreed she should "step down as chairman".
"If I did not, there was an ultimatum," she said. "They would not work with me."
So what caused such a revolt?
Mr Leech believes the most likely trigger was that Mrs Spear "criticised the recruitment process".
This, he said, was tantamount to suggesting some IMB members were not up to the job.
Ray Bewry is the only former prisoner to have served on an IMB
The IMB Secretariat told the BBC it encourages members "to engage in the national debate on prison standards" though it cautioned "this must be a way that does not compromise their independence and draws upon evidence and experience".
The secretariat would not comment on the "specifics" of Mrs Spear's case, saying "any questions on the termination of an IMB member should be directed to the MoJ press office as these are ministerial appointments".
Something else happened while Mrs Spear was absent from the boardroom. Nomination forms were created for her successor and a new vice chairman.
Mrs Spear only learned of this because a fellow member broke ranks and sent a chain of emails to her.
One, from Mrs Spear's predecessor Dr David Smith to the then vice chairman Christine Smart, concerned "nominees for board positions".
In it, he wrote: "A delicate one, that was devised in the hope or expectation that Faith would resign.
"She has not and if she became aware that nominations had been requested, it would add fuel to the fire.
"I suppose we could always tear up the nomination forms and pretend it never happened."
Mr Leech, who was also sent copies of the leaked emails, said: "What we had here were people saying 'we will just rip it up and pretend it never happened'."
Joseph Spear told how his wife ceased eating properly after the board meeting revolt
The BBC approached Dr Smith and Mrs Smart about both the attempt to get Mrs Spear to stand down and the leaked emails.
Dr Smith declined to explain what he intended by his emails to fellow board members.
However, he said an investigation into the matter had concluded that those "complained about had no case to answer as the allegations against them had not been substantiated".
Mrs Smart too said the matter had been "independently investigated and reported to the minister and a decision taken" adding: "I have nothing further to add."
The Ministry of Justice was asked whether the nomination forms were a contravention of IMB rules and whether it felt Mrs Spear's allegations of bullying behaviour against fellow IMB members had been properly investigated. Neither question was answered.
Both Mrs Smart and Dr Smith subsequently resigned from the IMB of Hollesley Bay.
For weeks after that fateful meeting in April, Mrs Spear continued to carry out prison visits at Hollesley Bay.
And at the May 2016 board meeting, she found herself sitting alone.
"There have been some real lows. Seeing the physical and mental impact on Faith in front of me was remarkable."
During this time, she spoke about her experience to the East Anglian Daily Times (EADT).
In June, she found she had been suspended. A letter from previous prisons minister Andrew Selous cited the EADT article - and not the Prisons Handbook piece - as grounds for the suspension .
A few months after Mrs Spear was suspended, her worst fears about prisons were realised with a string of riots including at Bedford , Birmingham and Swaleside in Kent
The letter told her she was accused of "failing to treat colleagues with respect" and for "acting in a manner which could bring discredit or cause embarrassment to the IMB".
"It was just astonishing what people had engineered against her," says Mr Spear. "I have seen her rebound and find her feet and a place to rearticulate the issues she was concerned about."
Independent Monitoring Boards are "part of the UK's obligations to the United Nations for independent monitoring of prisons", says Mr Leech.
"IMBs need to be fit for purpose. They are not. They are groomed to be quiet."
The Ministry of Justice said: "We value the work of Independent Monitoring Boards which play a vital role in ensuring prisons are places of safety and reform."
A few months after Mrs Spear was suspended, her worst fears were realised with a string of prison riots at places such as Bedford , Birmingham, Lewes and Swaleside in Kent.
At Bedford, £1m of damage was caused while in Birmingham stairwells were set alight and paper records destroyed during trouble on four wings of the category B prison.
The IMB Secretariat issued a statement on the riots. Its irony was not lost on Mrs Spear.
In it, Mr Thornhill claimed: "IMB members have regularly expressed great frustration that their real concerns about the state of prisons has been largely ignored over the years."
He spoke of "serious issues" and "staff shortages", words not too far removed from Mrs Spear's own warnings that prisons were being "starved of resources".
And then, in January, she was sacked as IMB chairman.
"The crisis in our prisons has never been as bad as it is now," says Mr Leech.
"In the case of the Faith, they shot the messenger and they did not read the message."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39113391
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Reality Check: Does the repeal bill repeal EU laws? - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The government has published the bill on how EU laws will be transferred to UK law.
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UK Politics
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The claim: Brexit Secretary David Davis said in March that the repeal bill would allow the UK Parliament and Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland administrations to scrap, amend and improve laws.
Reality Check verdict: The bill will repeal the European Communities Act, but it will not change EU laws - it will turn them into UK laws. The UK could, if it wanted to, make changes to those laws after it leaves the EU, probably in 2019.
Prime Minister Theresa May says that after Brexit, UK laws will be "made not in Brussels but in Westminster".
In order to do this, her government will use its Brexit repeal bill, officially called the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill.
The bill will do two things.
First, the bill will repeal the European Communities Act, the British law that took the UK into the European Community in 1973 and established the supremacy of EU law over domestic legislation.
Second, it will transpose the entire body of EU legislation into domestic law.
The UK Parliament currently has no power to repeal EU legislation.
It is hard to calculate exactly what proportion of UK laws come from the EU - estimates range from 13% to 60%.
Transposing EU legislation into domestic law will not be a simple "copy and paste" job. The House of Commons library says it could be "one of the largest legislative projects ever undertaken in the UK".
Many EU laws, for example on the environment, refer to EU agencies that the UK will no longer be part of when it leaves the Union.
The repeal bill will have to find new ways of making those rules part of UK law. Any rules that cannot be transferred will have to be repealed.
The government has controversial plans to give ministers the power to make changes to some laws without full Parliamentary scrutiny, which could add further complications.
They are known as Henry VIII clauses, after the Statute of Proclamations 1539, which gave the king power to legislate by proclamation.
Some opposition politicians are concerned this could mean an executive power grab - the government changing laws without proper scrutiny by MPs. The government says these powers will only be used to deal with EU-related gaps in the law, not to make substantive policy changes.
After the bill comes into effect, probably in March 2019, the UK Parliament, and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, will be able to amend, scrap or keep laws that originated from the EU.
That process is likely to take many years.
UPDATE 13 July 2017: This article was updated to include the publication of the bill and its official name.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39445825
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Electrical fire closes London Paddington station - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The station was closed for about three hours, with many evening services cancelled or severely delayed.
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London
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The station remained closed for more than two hours
About 2,000 people were evacuated and trains cancelled or delayed due to an electrical fire at London Paddington.
The station was cleared at 19:30 BST due to the fire in an intake room, which London Fire Brigade (LFB) tweeted to say had been put out at 22:00.
Passengers were later let back into the station to wait on the concourse.
Matt Willis, of Arriva Trains Wales, said on Twitter that some services had departed, including the 22:30 to Reading and the 22:45 to Swansea.
A Network Rail spokesman said platforms one to six had reopened.
He said the others would remained closed until firefighters gave the all-clear.
Gavin Fellows, 50, a cyber security consultant from Gloucester, criticised the lack of information.
"I've been waiting for two hours. I was told it was going to reopen at 9.30pm," he said.
"I was in the station when the alarm went off and it said 'emergency situation, please evacuate'. There hasn't been any communication. I'm not happy."
An LFB spokesman said firefighters left the scene after the fire burnt itself out.
Great Western Railway customers were advised to use Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, South West Trains and London Underground.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40589754
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Are tuition fees really heading for scrap heap? - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Tuition fees have become a political battleground. But what's been their impact?
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Education & Family
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Students do not realise how few hours they might get in lectures and seminars
"This is only going to end one way," says Lord Adonis, Labour peer and one of the architects of an earlier version of tuition fees.
"Almost no-one inside or outside government thinks they will survive."
Before last month's general election, the position of tuition fees in England looked unassailable.
The government had rammed through legislation at the last minute, increasing fees to £9,250 per year.
And the proposal by Labour to scrap tuition fees had been met by university leaders with a polite shrug.
But there seems to have been a huge sea-change in attitudes.
So what has made such a difference?
"The straw that broke the camel's back," says Lord Adonis, has been "indefensible" interest rates of 6.1%.
Lord Adonis says tuition fees are now as politically doomed as the poll tax
This has focused attention on the scale of debt from higher fees and interest rates - spinning upwards to £50,000 so far for an average graduate, with fees set to increase every year with inflation.
"It's about as bad a political gambit as you could imagine," says Lord Adonis.
"Can you seriously see the Conservatives going in to the next election with fees at £10,000, interest rates at 7% and debts at £60,000?"
He argues that a reformed version of the fee system could have survived with cross-party support, but now it has become irredeemably toxic.
Even if fees were "cut drastically", he says, it would still not be enough for young people, who will want them to be completely scrapped.
And a partial reduction would still mean a financial black hole, with "lots of political pain for not much gain".
The inescapable outcome, says Lord Adonis, is that an entirely different approach will be needed to fund universities.
The sense of political doom hanging over fees, he says, reminds him of the poll tax.
Lord Adonis is the type of reforming Labour politician the Conservatives like to applaud.
With a minority government hanging by a parliamentary thread, any cross-party push on reforming fees would cause ministers deep problems.
And concerns about fees are emerging.
Justine Greening says removing fees would mean limiting places
Conservative MP Nick Boles, writing in the Guardian, said charging high interest before students had even finished their courses was "simply unacceptable".
The meter on interest charges starts running as soon as courses begin, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies saying students would owe £5,800 in interest charges before they even graduated.
"It is unutterably depressing for hard-working students to see the amount they owe spiralling upwards, before they have even started paying it off," Mr Boles wrote.
The election saw huge swings to Labour in university seats - and any Conservative MP defending a narrow majority might want to review a system that will see tuition fees rising every year.
This is also a very middle-England issue. More than half a million young people start university each year.
According to the IFS, middle earners could end up paying £40,000 in interest charges, on top of what they have borrowed.
Prof David Green, vice-chancellor of the University of Worcester, says the current fee arrangements have "lost credibility" when they become a long-term pay cut for people such as nurses.
For nurses and midwives, he says, it will mean "their debt never diminishes in real terms until it is eventually written off after 30 years".
"Instead, they will simply receive a take-home pay cut of 4.7% and a shackle of a growing £50,000 debt.
"This makes absolutely no sense when there is a significant and growing national shortage throughout England of both nurses and midwives."
The way interest is levied is also under scrutiny.
Estelle Clarke, a former City lawyer on the advisory board of the Intergenerational Foundation think tank, says student loans have less consumer finance protection than a basic product such as a credit card.
She says if they were properly regulated, they would be unlikely to apply the monthly compound interest used for student loans.
And if inflation goes up further - as is entirely possible - interest charges for students will also rise, adding to student loan debts that have already passed £100bn.
This could become even more complicated, as the government is planning to sell off students' debts to private investors.
So what will happen next?
Any rowing back would mean taking a political hit and accusations of a U-turn.
But sticking to the current plans would mean committing to a long upward curve in fees, which would be even more controversial by the next election.
The Education Secretary Justine Greening says there needs to be a more honest debate about the cost of scrapping fees - both in financial terms to the public finances and in removing the funding for extra places.
"I'm someone who was the first person in my family to be able to go to university, and that matters to me a huge amount," says Ms Greening.
"I think the debate has revolved around what's the best way to enable access to our universities.
"We've seen a debate about whether that's no fees or no cap.
"When you bring a cap in, that means fewer students have a chance to go to university.
"We know that when there are fewer places at university, who gets them?
"We know that it's students who are doing better in our school system - and that tends to be students from better-off families.
"I really do feel that the Labour party should come clean to young people about the consequences of its no-fees policy.
"They should be frank with people that what they've said in the run-up to the election about effectively writing off student debt was a false promise."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-40569202
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Italy wildfires: Tourists rescued by boat from Calampiso - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Around 700 tourists are evacuated by boat as wildfires surround the Calampiso seaside resort.
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Europe
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Fire crews battled the flames in the country's south
Around 700 tourists have been rescued by boat from wildfires in Sicily, as swathes of southern Italy battle blazes.
As flames neared the seaside resort of Calampiso, fishermen and boat-owners were drafted in to aid the evacuation.
Matteo Rizzo, the mayor of nearby San Vito Lo Capo, appealed for help from "anyone with safe and reliable boats".
Writing on Facebook, he called the situation at the village west of Palermo "very urgent".
Evacuees were taken to schools in San Vito, and the mayor urged his "friendly and generous" town to pull together.
"We need minibuses and cars to pick people up at the little port and take them to school buildings," he said. "Let's all do something."
The view from Naples as smoke billows from fires around Mount Vesuvius
There are no reports of injuries caused by the Calampiso fire, but witnesses described running to the beach as their accommodation burned.
Italian paper La Stampa quoted one evacuated tourist, Stella Belliotti, as saying: "We fled in swimwear and slippers. Our apartment was engulfed in flames. They were right above us. I took my daughter and I went to the beach. They made us go on the boats that go around Zingaro. First women and children, and then the others."
Temperatures in Italy's arid south have reached over 40C (104F) after months of little rainfall.
Images from the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, in the southern region of Campania, show clouds of smoke over a kilometre high pouring into the air near Naples.
The national fire service said it was engaged in 441 operations across Italy on Wednesday, including 288 wildfires. Those at Vesuvius are among the most serious.
Around 70 firefighters have tackled the huge fire on the ground, alongside Civil Protection volunteers, and three helicopters have been deployed.
Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti said a man had been arrested on suspicion of arson in the area.
"If someone set fire to Vesuvius, I want to see them in jail for 15 years," Italian media quoted him as saying.
Calampiso was safely evacuated, with around 700 tourists rescued by sea
The minister said a decision would be made shortly about whether to send the army to assist the stricken areas.
The World Wildlife Fund has warned that thousands of people, animals, and a nature reserve are at risk around the volcano.
Italy's government declared a state of emergency last week in response to the drought in the northern provinces of Parma and Piacenza, and opposition politicians are demanding the same for the wildfires.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40590090
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Theresa May 'shed a tear' at election exit poll - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Theresa May tells the BBC it was a "complete shock" to see she was set to lose her majority.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Theresa May was talking to BBC Radio 5 Live
Theresa May has revealed she shed a "little tear" when she learned the result of the election exit poll suggesting she would lose her majority.
The prime minister said her husband Philip told her the news - and it came as a "complete shock".
"It took a few minutes for it to sink in," she told BBC Radio 5 Live's Emma Barnett, because "we didn't see that result coming".
"My husband gave me a hug," she added, and she cried a "little tear".
The prime minister said she did not watch the exit poll herself, as "I have a little bit of superstition about things like that".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This is the moment Mrs May missed...
She knew her campaign had not been "perfect", she added, but all the indications she had had were that she would increase her Commons majority.
Mrs May called 8 June's general election to tighten her grip on power and strengthen her hand in Brexit talks by increasing the number of Conservative MPs in the Commons.
But although she started more than 20 points ahead of Labour in the opinion polls she lost most of that lead as well as 22 seats, wiping out the 17 seat majority she had inherited from predecessor David Cameron.
The ITV/Sky/BBC exit poll, which was carried out at polling stations across the UK, was met with surprise and scepticism by MPs from all parties when it was announced as voting ended - the widespread assumption had still been that the Conservatives would at least keep their majority.
But as the night unfolded its prediction that the Conservatives would be the largest party, but without an overall majority, turned out to be accurate.
Talking for the first time about her reaction to the result, she said it took a "few minutes" for it to sink in but she then got on the phone to Conservative campaign headquarters to "find out what had happened".
She said it was "devastating" to watch people she had worked with for years lose their seats but added: "I didn't consider stepping down because I felt there was a responsibility to ensure that the country still had a government."
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Asked about the criticism she faced for failing to acknowledge her lost majority in a speech in Downing Street the following day, Mrs May said: "At that point in time I felt what was important was giving people the confidence of knowing there was going to be a government."
She said she did not regret calling the election because "I think it was the right thing to do at the time".
In her bid to promote strength and stability during the election, Theresa May was often accused of being repetitive and robotic.
Mrs May's candid interview may come too late for those who weren't persuaded by her personality during the election, but no doubt her team will hope it helps garner public support for her still precarious premiership.
But she wished she had put across a more positive message during the campaign and, in particular, addressed the concerns of young people, who are believed to have voted in large numbers for Labour.
The "clear message" that came through from young people was that they feared they could not get on the "property ladder", she told Emma Barnett.
"Looking back on the campaign, I realise now and regret that we were not making more of that," she said.
She insisted her government had the "humility" to "listen to the message we got from people at the election".
One of those messages, she said, was that people wanted to see a "greater consensus" in Parliament, which was why she had appealed for support from Labour on Brexit and other policies.
On Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - who was the target of Conservative attacks on his character and judgement during the campaign - she praised the way he had reacted to the terror attack at Finsbury Park in his constituency.
"I saw a Jeremy Corbyn there who was a good constituency MP, working with those people," she said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40592808
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Is the threat of a copyright lawsuit stifling music? - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Artists and producers are being advised not to mention the inspirations for their music in case they get sued for copyright infringement.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Blurred Lines made more than $5m (£3m) for Pharrell Williams (left) and Robin Thicke
Artists are being advised not to state publicly who they're inspired by on their new music, the Victoria Derbyshire programme has learned. Could this stifle their creativity?
"There is no such thing as a completely original composition," says music producer and songwriter Nile Rodgers.
"We learn music by practising. And what do we practise? We practise patterns. We practise scales.
"The art of music-making is the reinterpretation of those rules that we learned."
You would be hard-pushed to find a musician in the charts whose work hasn't taken inspiration from their idols and contemporaries.
Now though, music experts have told the Victoria Derbyshire programme that artists are being advised not to mention publicly who has inspired them.
This is because of a high-profile copyright infringement case in which US jurors ruled that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, on their song Blurred Lines, had copied Marvin Gaye's Got To Give It Up.
The Gaye family estate was awarded $7.3m (£4.8m) in damages, although an appeal has since been launched.
The verdict sent reverberations around the industry, with particular attention being paid to the fact that in court Pharrell Williams said Marvin Gaye's music was part of the soundtrack of his youth, and that he was "channelling... that late 70s feeling" in Blurred Lines.
According to forensic musicologist Peter Oxendale "everyone's concerned that inspiration can [now be interpreted as] a catalyst for infringement.
"All of these companies are worried that if a track is referenced on another at all, there may be a claim being brought," he explains.
Mr Oxendale says some artists are now having the requirement to name their influences written into contracts by their record labels - although he would not specify names.
"Many of the companies that I work with ask the producers and the artists to declare all of the tracks that may have been used as inspiration for their new tracks," he says.
He also confirmed that he is being sent new music to check the possibility of future copyright infringement claims.
But Richard Busch, the lawyer working on behalf of the some Marvin Gaye family members, says the industry has misunderstood the reasons why the Blurred Lines ruling was made, and that the judgement was not based on the "feel" or the "groove" of the song, as has been claimed.
"That's the story the Pharrell and Robin Thicke camp have been telling to try to drum up support. This 'the sky is falling', 'no-one is going to be able to create music', 'you'll be sued for whistling in public' - it's just not true.
"If anyone was actually aware of the evidence and the facts that they presented, you'll know it went far beyond that.
"In fact, I believe we had 15 different compositional elements that we identified as being significantly similar between Blurred Lines and Got To Give It Up."
Nevertheless, Simon Dixon - one of the lawyers for Ed Sheeran, Sir Elton John and the Rolling Stones - says the judgement has made some people in the industry nervous.
"[The court case] wouldn't have been decided the same way over here [in the UK]," he explains.
"So as a result, everyone felt they knew what the law was, they knew what the parameters were.
"And when you know what the laws are and the rules are you get comfortable. This injects an element of grey into the picture.
"So as a result people are less certain now about what they can and can't do. And as a result, everybody feels a bit nervous."
For singer-songwriter Laura Mvula, however, if a musician is looking to create their own original material, the ruling should not be a concern.
"We're all inspired by something, there are influences in everything," she says.
"But I just think the responsibility of the songwriter is always to push forward."
Fellow singer-songwriter Gary Numan believes it is just a case of musicians ensuring that influences are used to progress their own work.
"We all listen to stuff and we all get ideas from the things we listen to. And the trick of it is to turn those ideas into something new rather than just repeat them or copy them.
"Every fire starts with a spark, every song starts with an idea.
"You're influenced simply by listening to music. Even if you don't like the music, it's going to have some impact on what you do."
In just over two months' time, the Gaye family, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams will be back in court as the appeal process begins.
The Blurred Lines singers will be hoping they will be successful this time around.
But whatever the verdict, the industry is likely to remain extremely wary about copyright when it comes to releasing new music.
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40560477
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Why was Mother Teresa's uniform trademarked? - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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The austere blue-trimmed white sari has long been identified with the nun and her order.
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India
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Mother Teresa wore a simple white sari with three blue stripes on the border
For nearly half a century, Mother Teresa, the Roman Catholic nun who worked with the poor in the Indian city of Kolkata (Calcutta) wore a simple white sari with three blue stripes on the borders, one thicker than the rest. Senior nuns who work for Missionaries of Charity, a 67-year-old sisterhood which has more than 3,000 nuns worldwide, continue to wear what has now become the religious uniform of this global order.
On Monday, news washed up that this "famous" sari of the Nobel laureate nun, who died in 1997, has been trademarked to prevent "unfair" use by people for commercial purposes. India's government quietly recognised the sari as the intellectual property of the Missionaries of Charity in September last year, when the nun was declared a saint by the Vatican, but the order had decided not to make it public.
Biswajit Sarkar, a Kolkata-based lawyer who works pro-bono for the order, says he had applied for the trademark in 2013. "It just came to my mind that the colour-identified blue border of the sari had to be protected to prevent any future misuse for commercial purposes," he told me. "If you want to wear or use the colour pattern in any form, you can write to us and if we are convinced that there is no commercial motive, we will allow it."
The austere blue-trimmed white sari has long been identified with the nun and her order. The story goes that in 1948, the Albanian nun, with permission from Rome, began wearing it and a small cross across her shoulder. According to some accounts, the nun chose the blue border as it was associated with purity. For more than three decades, the saris have been woven by leprosy patients living in a home run by the order on the outskirts of Kolkata.
Nuns say Mother Teresa had issued orders before her death that her name "should not be exploited for commercial purposes".
The austere blue-trimmed white sari has long been identified with the nun and her order
Accordingly, Mr Sarkar helped the order to trademark her name two decades back. Still, nuns of the order have complained that Mother Teresa's name was being exploited for commercial gain: a school being run in her name in Nepal where teachers complained of not receiving salaries; a priest raising funds in Romania using the order's name; shops near the order's headquarters in Kolkata telling customers that proceeds from memorabilia sales were donated to the order; and a cooperative bank in India curiously named after the nun.
"So we decided to do something about it," says Mr Sarkar. "Through this we are trying to tell the world that her name and reputation should not be misused."
Owning a trademark on a colour can be a tricky business. In 2013 Nestle won a court battle against confectionery rival Cadbury, over the latter's attempt to trademark the purple colour - known as Pantone 2865c - of its Dairy Milk bars.
It is also not clear how this trademark on the famous blue striped sari will be enforced. Many online shopping sites already sell variations of "unisex Mother Teresa dress" - blue bordered sari, and a long sleeved blouse.
Also, the move is bound to raise the hackles of the nun's critics - and she has her fair share of them - who have accused her of glorifying poverty, hobnobbing with dictators, running shambolic care facilities and proselytising. "How can anybody appropriate a sari, which has been a traditional Indian dress," one of them asked me, preferring to remain unnamed.
Designers like Anand Bhushan differ. "Some designs of the traditional Indian towel called gamcha, for example, have been trademarked. There's nothing wrong in trademarking a distinctive and iconic design or pattern like Mother Teresa's sari. It's not like anybody is beginning to own the sari."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-40566352
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UK university applications fall by 4%, Ucas figures show - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Figures show 25,190 fewer people have applied to UK universities this year.
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Education & Family
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The number of people applying for UK university places has fallen by more than 25,000 (4%) on last year, data from the admissions service Ucas shows.
The figures show a sharp decline in those applying to study nursing courses - down 19% - and a continued fall in the number of mature students, notably in England and Northern Ireland.
The number of EU students planning to study in the UK has fallen by 5%.
It is the first decline since fees were last increased in England, in 2012.
Fees in England will increase to £9,250 this year, and student loans are subject to an increase in interest rates - rising from 4.6% to 6.1% from this autumn.
University leaders said a number of factors could be fuelling the fall in applicants, including Brexit, higher fees and funding changes for trainee nurses and midwives.
From 1 August, new nursing, midwifery and most allied health students in England will no longer receive NHS bursaries - instead, they will have access to the same student loans system as other students.
The latest Ucas figures show the number of people who had applied to UK universities for the coming academic year by the 30 June deadline was 649,700 - compared with 674,890 in 2016.
There have been reductions in applicants from all four countries in the UK. There were:
Applications from EU students fell from 51,850 in 2016 to 49,250 this year.
However, applicants from overseas countries outside of the European Union are up 2%, from 69,300 in 2016 to 70,830 this year.
There has been a significant drop in mature students (those aged 25 and over) in England and Northern Ireland - down 18% (11,190) and 13% (220) respectively.
Dr Mark Corver, Ucas director of analysis and research, said: "Within the figures, there are contrasting trends.
"How these trends translate into students at university and colleges will become clear over the next six weeks, as applicants get their results and secure their places and new applicants apply direct to Ucas's clearing process."
Prof Les Ebdon, director of Fair Access to Higher Education, said: "The downward trend in mature student numbers is now one of the most pressing issues in fair access to higher education.
"Undoubtedly, the reasons behind the fall are complex and multiple, but universities and colleges should look to do what they can to reverse the decline in mature student applications, as a matter of urgency."
Dame Julia Goodfellow, president of Universities UK, said universities recognised that there were a number of issues to address.
"Continuing to communicate to European applicants that they are welcome and enrich our education system is important," she said.
"The decline in part-time and mature student entrants must also be addressed.
"We recognise also the concern about the total cost of going to university.
"Any analysis needs to cover the cost of maintenance and the interest rate on the loans."
Sarah Stevens, head of policy at the Russell Group, said it would be a concern if EU students were being put off by the uncertainties of Brexit.
"It's positive that applications from overseas students outside the EU have risen slightly," he said.
"International students bring social and cultural diversity to our campuses and this benefits all students, and they contribute £25.8bn to the UK economy."
The Department for Education pointed out that the number of 18-year-olds applying for university was at record levels despite the fall in the overall number of applicants.
A spokeswoman said: "Higher education reforms will give people more choice and universities will be expected to continue improving access and participation in higher education.
"The government is committed to supporting all young people to reach their full potential - whether that is going to university, starting an apprenticeship or taking up a technical qualification."
Pam Tatlow, chief executive of MillionPlus, said the application data from Ucas was "not good news".
"As predicted, the abolition of bursaries has depressed rather than increased applications for nursing and there will be no additional nurses trained in spite of ministers' assurances," she said.
"There is no doubt that the government's approach to Brexit is damaging and is creating huge uncertainties, both for EU students and UK universities."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-40581643
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Trump Russia claims: Mood in the White House is 'fantastic' - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Before flying to France, the president goes on the offensive amid pressure over alleged Russia ties.
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US & Canada
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President Donald Trump says the mood in the White House is "fantastic" despite intense scrutiny of his campaign's alleged dealings with Russia.
He told Reuters the administration was "functioning beautifully".
The president also defended his son, who it has emerged met a Russian lawyer during the election campaign.
US media describe the White House as being in chaos over the story, with a Trump ally calling it a "Category 5 hurricane", the Washington Post said.
Donald Trump Jr met Natalia Veselnitskaya believing she had information that would damage his father's opponent Hillary Clinton.
Mr Trump Jr told Fox News the meeting was "such a nothing", and "a wasted 20 minutes", but accepted he should have handled it differently.
Critics say he may have broken federal laws.
Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley has said he he is asking Mr Trump Jr to testify and will subpoena him if necessary.
US intelligence believe Moscow tried to sway the 2016 election in Mr Trump's favour and there are ongoing investigations into potential links between Mr Trump's campaign team and Russia.
President Trump's latest comments come at the start of his two-day trip to France. He is meeting French counterpart Emmanuel Macron ahead of Bastille Day on Friday, and celebrations will also commemorate the entry 100 years ago of US troops into World War One.
Donald Trump and wife Melania will be guests of honour at France's Bastille Day festivities
Despite early tensions over climate change and trade, President Macron has made more of an effort recently to woo Mr Trump in a bid to boost France's influence on the world stage, says the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Paris.
Before he left Washington on Wednesday, President Trump sought to dispel media reports saying his administration was in crisis over alleged collusion between his campaign team and Russia, telling Reuters it was "a hoax made up by the Democrats".
He has previously suggested other agents may have meddled in the election, despite senior officials in his own administration blaming Russia.
Mr Trump said he had not been aware of his son's meeting with Ms Veselnitskaya until a couple of days ago.
Defending Donald Jr's decision to attend, he added: "Many people, and many political pros, said everybody would do that."
The president described the election campaign as "a wild time" when "we would meet with many people".
He refused to say that he regretted Donald Jr's actions, commenting: "Most of the phony politicians who are Democrats who I watched over the last couple of days... would have taken that meeting in a heartbeat."
In another interview, with the Christian Broadcasting Network, he also said he gets along "very well" with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "Less tweeting, more doing" - views from Trump heartland in Nebraska
His comments came days after his much-anticipated meeting with Mr Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg.
"People said, oh, they shouldn't get along. Well, who are the people saying that? I think we get along very, very well," he said.
Mr Trump cited the recent ceasefire in south-western Syria as an example of how co-operation with Mr Putin worked.
He said he was sure the Russians would have preferred to have Democrat Hillary Clinton in the White House.
Why? "If Hillary had won, our military would be decimated," he said.
"Our energy would be much more expensive. That's what Putin doesn't like about me. And that's why I say, why would he want me?"
He told Reuters he had asked Mr Putin flat-out if his government meddled in the US election.
"I said, 'Did you do it?' He said, 'No, I did not, absolutely not.' I then asked him a second time, in a totally different way. He said, 'Absolutely not.'"
"Somebody did say, if he did do it, you wouldn't have found out about it. Which is a very interesting point."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40590094
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Canadian father struck by lightning at daughter's wedding - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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A Canadian man survives a lightning strike as he gives a speech at his daughter's wedding.
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US & Canada
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"I've had lots of brushes with death," said Mr Nadeau (left), "but death keeps ignoring me"
No one likes a dull wedding, but one father-of-the-bride's speech was a little too electrifying at his daughter's ceremony last weekend.
JP Nadeau was reportedly struck by lightning mid-sentence in his apple orchard in New Brunswick, Canada.
"And just as I told my new son-in-law 'You're a lucky guy' - Boom!" he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Aside from a small scar on his thumb, Mr Nadeau says he was unscathed and the wedding proceeded.
Storm clouds had gathered behind him at the ceremony on 8 July, he said, and his daughter saw lightning strike the ground nearby.
"I had the microphone and the shock jumped into the sound system and my hand just lit up and I saw the spark," he told the CBC.
"And I'm looking at my hand and it's all flared up… It was like I was holding a lightning bolt in my hand, it was amazing."
Everyone was stunned at first, but that didn't stop the happy couple from continuing with the festivities.
"It was a beautiful wedding," Mr Nadeau's wife, Maggy Thomas, told the CBC.
"But that was pretty terrifying for a second."
Mr Nadeau says he's a lucky-unlucky man - in 2015, a cruise ship he was working on near the Falkland Islands caught fire, and he was rescued by the Royal Air Force.
"I've had lots of brushes with death," said Mr Nadeau. "But death keeps ignoring me."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "Le Boreal" had 347 passengers and crew on board
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40585510
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Rhodri Colwyn Philipps jailed over Gina Miller post - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Rhodri Colwyn Philipps wrote the message four days after Ms Miller won a Brexit legal challenge.
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UK
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An aristocrat who wrote an online post offering £5,000 to anyone who ran over businesswoman Gina Miller has been sentenced to 12 weeks in prison.
Rhodri Colwyn Philipps - the 4th Viscount St Davids - posted on Facebook four days after Ms Miller won a Brexit legal challenge against the government.
Philipps, 50, of Knightsbridge, central London, was found guilty of two charges of making menacing communications.
The other count related to his response to a news article about an immigrant.
At his Westminster Magistrates' Court trial Philipps claimed the post about Ms Miller was a "joke" and a "conversation piece for his Facebook friends".
Senior district judge Emma Arbuthnot said she had "no doubt it was menacing".
She told the peer the post effectively put a "bounty" on Ms Miller's head and had left the businesswoman "shocked" and feeling "violated."
Philipps had written: "£5,000 for the first person to 'accidentally' run over this bloody troublesome first generation immigrant."
Describing Ms Miller as a "boat jumper", he added: "If this is what we should expect from immigrants, send them back to their stinking jungles."
Businesswoman Gina Miller campaigned for Parliament to have a say over Brexit
Giving evidence to the trial, Ms Miller - who was born in Guyana - said she had been the subject of death threats since her role in November's legal challenge which ruled the government had to consult Parliament before formally beginning the Brexit process.
The other post Philipps was convicted over was about an immigrant and his family in Luton who were involved in a row over housing.
Before sentencing, defence lawyer Sabrina Felix told the court Philipps understood how his actions had "impacted" on the subjects of his posts, and "he only hopes, wishes and prays that they do accept his sincere apology".
Ms Felix added "he accepts that the comments were wholly disgraceful" and "menacing in character".
But the judge said Philipps was "so clearly showing hostility to Ms Miller based on her race or ethnic origin that I find it ludicrous that he should say otherwise".
Ms Arbuthnot said the the peer had a hatred of anyone who had different views to his and "anyone who has recently arrived in the country".
She added: "You show this hatred by publicly directing abusive threats at others which is a criminal offence in this multi-racial society we are lucky enough to live in."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40599992
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Qatar Airways CEO sorry for calling US air hostesses 'grandmothers' - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Akbar Al Baker called US flight attendants “grandmothers” and boasted his had an average age of 26.
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Middle East
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Akbar Al Baker boasted that the average age of his company's cabin crew was "only 26"
The chief executive of Qatar Airways has apologised for comments he made about flight attendants that were condemned as both sexist and ageist.
In a speech at a dinner in Ireland last week, Akbar Al Baker said US airlines were "crap" and their passengers were "always being served by grandmothers".
He also boasted that "the average age of my cabin crew is only 26".
On Wednesday, Mr Al Baker said the "careless" remarks did not reflect his "true sentiments about cabin crew".
"Competition among air carriers is robust. This is healthy, especially for our passengers, but our competition must remain respectful," he wrote in a letter to the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), a US trade union that has some 50,000 members from 20 airlines.
"For the cabin crew serving aboard all air carriers, professionalism, skill and dedication are the qualities that matter. I was wrong to imply that other factors, like age, are relevant," he added.
The AFA's president, Sara Nelson, said she accepted the apology.
On Monday, after a video of Mr Al Baker's speech was posted online, Ms Nelson accused him of confirming "what AFA has said all along: Qatar Airways thrives on misogyny and discrimination.
"Qatar is not only seeking to choke out US aviation, but also the 300,000 good jobs built through opportunity created on the principle of equality."
She added: "When there's an emergency on board, a flight attendant's gender, age, weight, height, race or sexuality simply do not matter. What matters is effective safety and security training, along with experience on the job."
The vice-president of flight service for American Airlines, Jill Surdek, also said in a message to employees that Mr Al Baker's remarks were "incredibly offensive".
The controversy comes amid a row between US carriers and Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline over alleged state support for them.
On Wednesday, American Airlines announced that it was cancelling a code-share agreement with Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways as "an extension of our stance against the illegal subsidies". The airlines deny receiving state subsidies.
Mr Al Baker said he was disappointed with the decision on Thursday, but that he would proceed with plans to buy a 10% stake in American Airlines.
"Our stock purchase request and filing is going ahead as normal. We had to clarify certain questions of the regulator, which we compiled with," he told reporters.
Qatar Airways already owns a 20% stake in the owner of British Airways, International Airlines Group, and 10% of South America's LATAM Airlines.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40593396
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Grenfell planner’s shock at burnt remains - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Fifty years after helping to design the estate, Peter Deakins revisits the tower after the fire.
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London
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Architect Peter Deakins was horrified to see the burnt remains of Grenfell Tower.
Peter Deakins drew up the master plan for the Grenfell estate in the mid 1960s, a scheme that was hailed at the time as a "spectacular surprise" by the Architects' Journal because of its scale and ambition. He was horrified to see its centrepiece, the tower, burnt out.
"I really can't get to grips with it," he told me. "It's too terrible to think about. And compared to all the high hopes when we started doing it all... it's just too horrible."
When plans were drawn up, more than 50 years ago, he said the area had been very rundown - the houses overcrowded, the gardens just mud, very often full of mattresses, no trees to be seen or planting.
"It was Steptoe and Son territory," he recalled. "Some of it was actually filmed round here."
The aim of the scheme was to build better homes. Much of the housing was low-rise, but he says it was thought logical to include a tower block, with shops and offices on a lower deck. As it would have lifts, the Ministry of Housing would contribute to the cost.
Although Peter Deakins was not the designer of the individual buildings on the Lancaster West estate - which includes Grenfell Tower - he worked on the estate as a whole and as an architect on many others, including the now-listed Golden Lane council estate and the Barbican.
An early conception of the Lancaster West site, where Grenfell Tower is situated
In those days, he says, the process was more closely overseen, which may help explain why the tower is still standing, despite the fierce fire that raged through it.
"It's a very solid building underneath, and would stand up to pretty well anything, I would think.
"The way buildings were detailed, there was so much control, there were so many fire officers involved, and building regulations under the London Building Acts - it was far more strict."
Today many contracts are so-called "design and build". The architects will draw up the design, but hand over to the builder or developer once the project has been approved by the local authority planners.
Contractors will often take over the detailed design, meaning they will be responsible for compliance with regulations, and they will have a building control officer, who can either be employed by the local authority or work independently.
Contractors are responsible for assessing fire risk, instead of the old system where the local authority would inspect and provide a fire certificate.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) has highlighted the potential risk of this approach, and has also raised concerns about the virtual disappearance of the "site architect", who used to oversee the construction, and the "clerk of works" who would be based on the building site and check the work done.
At the time Grenfell Tower was built, Peter Deakins recalls, the job of site architect was often extremely hard work. "The architect in those days was chairman at site meetings and totally responsible for everything that happened," he explains.
Building sites can be dangerous places: he knew of one architect killed in an accident. But he does believe that architects should once again play a more central role and see the whole process through.
Looking up at the tower, its concrete skeleton visible beneath the blackened, blistered remnants of the cladding and insulation, Peter Deakins mused that it might be strong enough to be restored.
But he paused, acknowledging that many people would much rather it came down.
"I wouldn't agree with people who say that all towers should come down. It's a bit like saying blue is better than green. But in this case, you just have to look at it. It's horrific."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40571856
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Janet Commins: Stephen Hough guilty of 1976 rape and killing - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Stephen Hough becomes the second man to be convicted over the killing of schoolgirl Janet Commins.
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North East Wales
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A man has been convicted of raping and killing a 15-year-old girl in 1976.
Janet Commins' body was found on a school field in Flint, north Wales, by three children playing hide and seek.
Stephen Hough, 58, from Flint, was convicted of manslaughter, rape and sexual assault at Mold Crown Court on Thursday. He was cleared of murder.
Janet went missing after leaving her home to go swimming on 7 January 1976 and another man has already served six years for her manslaughter.
Noel Jones, who was aged 18 at the time, admitted killing Janet and served half of 12-year prison sentence.
However, he told the trial he was made a scapegoat by police because he was a Gypsy who could barely read or write.
Speaking after the case, Janet's uncle Derek Ierston said it was "galling" to think the man responsible for her death had been "living in our community for all these years".
Stephen Hough (right) was convicted 41 years after he sexually assaulted and killed Janet Commins
Janet Commins left her house to go swimming with a friend and her parents Eileen and Ted never saw her alive again
Janet made plans to go swimming on 7 January, but her mother said she did not look well so could not go.
She left her house without her parents knowing and left them a note saying she would be back by 20:30.
She left the pool just after 19:30 and told a friend she was heading straight home - but she was spotted with two boys at about 20:10.
A boy who reported seeing them said one of the boys with her was thin and fair-haired, while the other was an older-looking, about 17, and they were laughing and joking with Janet.
Edward Commins reported his daughter missing at about 23:00 that night and her body was found four days later.
Mr Hough was questioned at the time as his grandparents' house overlooked the area where Janet's body was concealed.
He said he was stealing petrol from a vehicle in Flint that night and was subsequently fined for the offence.
In 2006, a review of the scientific evidence in the case was carried out and DNA from a man was identified from samples taken from Janet's body.
In 2016, Mr Hough's DNA was taken by police in an unrelated matter and a match was found, prompting his arrest.
DNA matching Hough's was found on samples stored from the crime scene at the time and the jury heard it was a billion times more likely to belong to Hough than anyone else.
The court heard Janet was killed during a sexual assault and there were signs her body had been left lying face down "for some time" before being moved to where it was found.
Prosecutor Mark Heywood QC said Janet died "as a result of her neck and her external airway being compressed and blocked during that sexual assault".
Hough, who was 16 years old when he raped and killed Janet, will be sentenced at a later date.
Janet's uncle, Derek Ierston, read a statement on behalf of the family after the court case
Janet's father Ted died many years ago after suffering with a long illness - her mother Eileen was hit with what the family described as "a bombshell" when she found out about the new suspect.
In a family statement read outside the court, Mr Ierston said: "It's so galling to think that the person who so maliciously and violently took Janet's life has been living in our community for all these years.
"The difficulty for the family is that he has had a life, been married and had children. But he stole Janet's future and took away the opportunity for Eileen, Ted and the rest of the family to see Janet grow up, get married and have her own children.
"Today's verdict cannot bring Janet back to us, but hopefully the weeks and months to come will provide us with some closure."
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating how North Wales Police handled the original investigation.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-40593656
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Blue whale takes centre-stage at Natural History Museum - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Move over Dippy - Earth's biggest animal is now the star attraction at the Natural History Museum.
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Science & Environment
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The skeleton has been given a diving pose - as if it is feeding on a ball of krill
London's Natural History Museum (NHM) has undergone a major revamp with a blue whale skeleton now forming the main exhibit as visitors come through the front door.
The marine mammal replaces the much-loved Diplodocus dinosaur, "Dippy", which will soon head out on a tour of the UK.
The museum believes the change will give its image a refresh.
It wants to be known more for its living science than its old fossils.
The museum employs hundreds of researchers who engage in active study on a day-to-day basis.
Yes, they use the 80 million-odd specimens kept at the South Kensington institution, but their focus is on learning new things that bear down on the modern world. In that sense, the blue whale is regarded as the perfect emblem.
The specimen is being given the name "Hope" as a "symbol of humanity's power to shape a sustainable future".
Blue whales are now making a recovery following decades of exploitation that nearly drove them out of existence.
The Natural History Museum is closed to the public all day Thursday for final preparations
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Staff have spent months preparing the 126-year-old skeleton for its new role.
First, it had to be removed from its old hanging space in the mammals gallery.
Then it had to be cleaned and in a few places repaired and strengthened. And finally, it had to be re-hung from the iron girders that support the ceiling in the Waterhouse building's spectacular Hintze Hall.
The BBC was given exclusive access to the whole process, and a Horizon documentary, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, will go out on BBC Two at 21:00 BST on Thursday.
The film will air at about the same time as the NHM's patron, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Sir David, inaugurate the new exhibit at a gala reception.
The young female blue whale beached on Wexford sands on 25 March 1891
A great many people were involved in the make-over, but the promotion of the whale represents something of a personal triumph for Richard Sabin, the museum's principal curator of mammals.
He championed the change and suggested the dynamic lunge-feeding pose that the whale now assumes.
It was on a visit to the NHM in 1976, as a boy of 10, that Richard first saw the skeleton in its old display position. He describes that experience as transformative.
"I was absolutely blown away," he told BBC News. "I remember running up the stairs to the balcony and asking an attendant if the whale skeletons in the gallery were real. And she said 'yes, and not only that you can still see these animals in the ocean today'.
"I got home and the very next day I headed down to the public library to try to find as many books as I could on whales. It was, to coin a phase, a defining moment."
For the Horizon film, Richard can be seen tracing the history of the specimen - meeting the descendants of the Irish fisherman who despatched the animal with a makeshift harpoon after it had beached off County Wexford in March 1891. But he also travels to North America, to the Pacific Coast, to join the Cascadia Research Group as they track migrating blue whales.
The group, co-founded by John Calambokidis, attaches tags to the giant creatures. Held on by suction cups, these devices record the behaviour of the whales, even capturing 4K video as they dive underwater.
The team is learning key facts that will help conserve the majestic animals, which went to the brink of oblivion thanks to 20th Century hunters.
"We've discovered that blue whales spend twice as much time at the surface at night than they do in the day," John told Horizon.
"That's the period when they're most vulnerable to ship strikes. That identified right there that we need to be most concerned about ships and their transiting through blue whale areas at night rather than the day."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A timelapse movie captures the erection of the blue whale
Whale flipper: The Wexford specimen got an MOT before being re-hung
For Richard, the observation of whales in the Pacific confirmed his desire to see the conservation icon put centre-stage at his museum back in London.
"It's been an honour and a privilege to work with the specimen that inspired me all those years ago - to breathe new life into it; to inject science from the field into it; to display it in a much more meaningful way.
"I honestly believe it will take people's breath away when they see it.
"Thursday is going to be an amazing day for everyone involved; I am sure there will be plaudits for what we've done. But I can't wait for Friday morning when the first families, the first schoolchildren, walk through the door and I get to hear what they've got to say about what they see."
Fans of Dippy should not despair. After the dinosaur's two-year tour of Britain, it will return to a make-over of its own.
The skeleton, which is actually only a plaster cast, will be fashioned again in bronze and placed in the east garden in front of the museum.
You can watch a trail for Horizon: Dippy and the Whale. After broadcast on BBC Two, the programme will be available on the iPlayer.
Dippy, a copy of an American dinosaur specimen, vacates Hintze Hall after four decades of duty
A new bronze Dippy will eventually feature in the eastern grounds of the museum
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40582046
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Behold Jupiter's Great Red Spot - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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A Nasa probe returns the most detailed pictures ever of one of the Solar System's biggest storms.
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Science & Environment
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Jason Major, a JunoCam citizen scientist and a graphic designer from Warwick, Rhode Island, took the raw images from the probe to create this perspective
An American space agency probe has returned the most detailed pictures ever of Jupiter's Great Red Spot.
The Juno spacecraft passed over the giant storm on Monday as it continued with its series of close passes of the gaseous world.
The pictures of the spot reveal the intricate nature of its swirls which encompass a region bigger than Earth.
Juno's instruments all acquired data during the pass which should now provide fresh insight on the storm.
The raw images that come down from Juno are a lot more washed out. Citizen scientists like to accentuate the colours and contrast to highlight features that might otherwise be overlooked
It has been a particularly long-lived feature on Jupiter, but there is evidence that the 16,350-km-wide oval has actually been shrinking of late.
The Great Red Spot has persisted for centuries. Scientists are keen to learn its secrets and Juno provides the key
"For hundreds of years scientists have been observing, wondering and theorising about Jupiter's Great Red Spot," Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, said in a Nasa statement.
"Now we have the best pictures ever of this iconic storm. It will take us some time to analyse all the data from not only JunoCam, but Juno’s eight science instruments, to shed some new light on the past, present and future of the Great Red Spot."
Scientists describe the storm as something similar to a hurricane - but there are significant differences between that kind of storm on Earth and what we see at Jupiter. Many behaviours are not the same.
For example, hurricanes on Earth quickly lose energy when they leave the ocean surface and pass over land - but on Jupiter, there is no land. Indeed, researchers are not even sure there exists any kind of hard surface under the planet's clouds.
This could be an explanation for why the spot has persisted for centuries. But Juno hopes to resolve such puzzles.
It has the instrumentation to determine the precise chemical composition of the oval's clouds, to sense their temperature and structure, and to measure how deep they go. There is a suspicion that the spot has very deep roots.
The mission should reveal the spot's internal structure and how deep its roots go
Jonathan Nichols, a British science team-member from the University of Leicester, marvelled at the new pictures.
"These images are stunning, and reveal Jupiter's Great Red Spot in all its glory," he told BBC News.
"From the three swirls inside the deep red core to the waves and vortices orbiting it, the images reveal the power and chaos of this iconic storm.
"The light and dark shades reveal the wind flow in the spot and potentially the 3D structure of the cloud decks. But the images are also a perfect convergence of science and art, revealing the awesome beauty of the giant planet.
"The quality of these data are superb, and it bodes well for further Juno data that will reveal how deep into the atmosphere the Great Red Spot extends."
Juno has been at Jupiter for just over a year. It flies large ellipses around the planet, coming in close every 53 days.
Monday’s pass saw it skim just 3,500km above the cloudtops at one point. When it travelled across the spot, it was still a mere 9,000km overhead.
The practice of the mission so far has been to release raw images from JunoCam and invite the public to work on them - to process them in ways that highlight areas of scientific interest, or simply to make some fascinating artwork.
Meanwhile, the science team gets to work on the data-sets from the other instruments. Their findings take a while longer to emerge - at conferences and in journal papers.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40594126
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Scots grandmother, 96, in Australian visa row - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Christina Grant's family believed they had done the right thing to meet the rules of her visitor visa.
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Highlands & Islands
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Christina Grant moved in with family in Australia after the death of a son in Scotland
A 96-year-old woman is preparing to return to Scotland from Australia after a visa wrangle.
Christina Grant's family, who live in New South Wales, flew her to Australia following the death of her son and carer, Robert, in February 2015.
Her family believed they had met the requirements of her visa, which has expired.
Immigration officials said they had been working with the family and made no arrangements to remove Mrs Grant.
However, the grandmother's family told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that they had not found Australia's immigration department helpful and had gone to specialists for assistance.
They could apply for a new visa but were told that this could take 30 years to resolve.
The Grant family had hoped that because of her age and state of her heath that her situation might be treated a special case.
Mrs Grant's surviving son Allan and his wife Diane believe they have done everything to meet the rules of her visa after she moved to live with them in Australia.
Mrs Grant is booked on a flight back to the UK on 26 July.
Her family told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that the alternatives were the possibility of deportation or "years of limbo" while trying to obtain a new visa.
Mrs Grant, who is partially sighted and has dementia, was living near Grantown on Spey in the Highlands.
Her son Robert had been helping to look after her.
Because of the state of her health, Allan and Diane asked her to move to Australia and live with them.
They applied for a visa for her to come to Australia.
A condition of her visa was that she had to depart Australia once every 12 months but could return.
Concerned that Mrs Grant was not fit enough to fly out of Australia to meet this requirement, her family booked her on a cruise into an area of French territory in the Pacific Ocean.
They believed that this trip would meet the visa requirements.
However, after the cruise the Grants were told by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection that the visa rules had not been met.
Diane told Good Morning Scotland that immigration specialists had told the family that applying for a new visa could take up to 30 years to come through.
They are now preparing to fly with Mrs Grant back to Scotland.
Diane said: "We will have to help her find a home over there.
"We have our own life here in Australia and, while I don't want to live there, Mum wants to live here."
The Grants have highlighted their case in an effort to alert other families that may find themselves in the same situation.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection said all visitors to Australia must hold a valid visa for the duration of their stay and comply with the conditions of that visa.
A spokesperson said: "The department is familiar with Ms Grant's case and is not making any arrangements to remove her from Australia.
"The tourist stream visitor visa is normally valid for stays of up to 12 months and, as with all visitor visas, is designed to facilitate temporary visits to Australia rather than long-term stays or residence.
"Conscious of her circumstances, the department has been working with Ms Grant to resolve her visa status, since her visitor visa expired.
"Ms Grant has no current visa applications with the department."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-40593470
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Newspaper headlines: 'Give us hope Johanna' and Brexit 'threat' - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Johanna Konta's upcoming Wimbledon semi-final and Labour's Brexit "threat" make the front pages.
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The Papers
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Theresa May is interviewed by the Sun to mark her first year as prime minister
The Times leads on a claim that Google has paid millions of dollars in secret funds to UK and US academics in the hope that their research would sway public opinion and influence government policy.
According to a US watchdog group, payments from the tech giant ranged from $5,000 to $400,000 but were not declared by research teams in two-thirds of cases.
The paper says many of the studies made arguments in Google's favour, such as that collecting large amounts of data was a fair exchange for its free services.
Google tells the paper the Campaign for Accountability's report was "misleading".
You could soon be able to write your will in a text or record it on a voicemail, the Daily Telegraph says.
It reports on a new consultation from the Law Commission for England and Wales, which says it wants to bring legislation on wills into the digital age.
The existing law on wills being written, signed and witnessed dates back to 1839.
The commission admits that the proposals could add to family disputes if people who are seriously ill make last-minute changes to their will on a smartphone or tablet.
The Sun is the only paper to have an interview with Theresa May to mark her first year as prime minister.
She appeals to be allowed to stay on in Downing Street for at least the "next few years", so she can deliver Brexit.
But the paper says Mrs May refused to say if she will fight the next election as leader and thinks her remarks are "the strongest public signal yet" that she is preparing to stand down before 2022.
In its editorial, the paper states "it's not too late for her to rescue her time as prime minister" and her determination to do so is "commendably clear".
"The Great Ambulance Betrayal" is the headline in the Daily Mail.
The paper says health chiefs are being accused of putting lives at risk by sending cars to 999 calls instead of ambulances, to help them meet response targets.
The Mail says there is concern that seriously injured people are waiting longer for treatment because the cars can only take people to hospital if they can sit in the back seat.
An anonymous paramedic is quoted as saying that "care, patient safety and dignity are being badly compromised".
The paper says the NHS is now moving to close the loophole and will give call handlers more time to assess calls and dispatch ambulances.
The Financial Times leads on concerns from financial watchdogs that pension reforms are putting savers in danger of paying too much in fees, or making risky investments.
The paper's editorial says many experts predicted this would happen when former Chancellor George Osborne brought in the changes in 2015 to give savers more choice about what they did with their money.
It concludes that it is too soon to call the reforms "a fiasco", but the early signs "do not look promising".
Most of the papers have pictures of a grimacing Andy Murray on the front and back pages, as the defending champion was knocked out of Wimbledon while being hampered by a hip injury.
"Pain, Set and Match" is the Daily Star's summary, while the Metro and the Daily Mail both go for "Andy's Agony".
Murray's exit prompts the Sun to put another British player on its front page with the headline "Give us Hope Johanna", which it hopes tennis fans will sing when Johanna Konta plays Venus Williams in the semi-final later.
The Times is among the papers to report that the Australian High Commissioner has tried to reclaim the British number one as an Aussie - because she was born there.
But the Telegraph tells him in no uncertain terms "hands off Konta!"
And the Daily Express features a railways fan who has built a replica station, complete with a 60ft platform, in his back garden in East Sussex.
The paper says it was "just the ticket" to house Stuart Searle's collection of rail memorabilia including hundreds of station signs.
He has also built a 50ft-long underground station.
But according to the paper he will not stop there, and now has plans to build a cinema for his large collection of film posters.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40590100
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Balearic Islands ask EU for alcohol limit on flights - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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The request comes after a series of alcohol-related incidents on the popular party islands.
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Europe
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The request follows a string of high-profile alcohol-related incidents
Local authorities in the Balearic Islands have asked for a limit to be put on drinking alcohol on planes and in airports as they try to crack down on anti-social behaviour.
Pilar Carbonell, head of tourism across the islands, including Mallorca and Ibiza, has pleaded with Spain and the European Commission for the limit.
The proposal was raised in Brussels on Tuesday.
It comes after a series of high profile alcohol-fuelled incidents.
In one particular incident, passengers reported members of a stag do fighting in the aisles of a Ryanair flight on its way from Manchester to Palma, in Majorca.
According to the Manchester Evening News, three people were arrested when it landed on the island.
In a statement, Ms Carbonell said the limit in airports and on flights would "guarantee security... and tackle anti-social tourism". It was not clear whether it was just aimed at flights heading to the Balearic Islands, or the wider European Union.
"The aim of the measure is to improve passenger security and also that of security forces in planes and airports in our islands, who are often faced with drunk passengers," it said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40586293
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Havaianas flip-flop brand sold in $1bn deal - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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The Brazilian firm behind the famous flip-flop is being offloaded by the scandal-hit J&F group.
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Business
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The maker of Havaianas - perhaps the world's most famous brand of flip-flops - has been sold for $1.1bn ($850m).
The Brazilian label has been highly successful at home and internationally, with about 200 million pairs of the footwear sold every year.
Alpargatas, the firm behind the brand, was owned by the scandal-hit J&F group, which manages the fortune of the billionaire Batista family.
It is being bought by three prominent Brazilian banking groups.
The sale of Sao Paulo-based Alpargatas was widely expected, and is part of J&F's strategy to offload businesses after it was involved in a series of corruption scandals.
It is understood proceeds from the sale - to Cambuhy Investimentos, Itaúsa Investimentos and the fund Brasil Warrant - will help repay debt and go towards fines of more than $3bn the company has been hit with.
Flip-flops are known as thongs in Australia, jandals in New Zealand, slops in South Africa and slippers in parts of Asia.
But in Brazil - and elsewhere - they are commonly referred to by the brand name Havaianas.
Famed for their colourful designs and association with the Brazilian beach-lifestyle, the company has also benefitted from celebrity association.
Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez and Sienna Miller are among the stars who have been pictured wearing them.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40590845
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Man trapped in Texas cash machine sends 'help me' notes - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Corpus Christi police took it for a joke, before kicking in a door to withdraw the stuck workman.
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US & Canada
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The man slipped handwritten notes pleading to bank customers to get help
A Texas man who found himself trapped inside a cash machine slipped "help me" notes through the receipt slot.
The man, who police say was working on a renovation of the bank, left his phone in his vehicle before getting stuck in the drive-thru ATM's vault.
The unnamed workman was freed after shouting to ATM users, who continued withdrawing cash throughout his ordeal on Wednesday in Corpus Christi.
Police thought it a hoax before kicking in a door to withdraw him.
"Sure enough, we can hear a little voice coming from the machine, so we're all thinking this is a joke, it's gotta be a joke," said police officer Richard Olden.
One handwritten note slipped by the trapped man to a customer said: "Please Help. I'm stuck in here, and I don't have my phone. Please call my boss." The message included the employer's phone number.
The man was freed after spending more than two hours inside the Bank of America machine.
Officer Olden told local media: "Everyone is okay, but you will never see this in your life, that somebody was stuck in the ATM, it was just crazy."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40589631
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Student death punch man's bail 'fundamentally flawed' - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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An IPCC report also criticises the way the family's complaints about the issue were handled.
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Derby
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Jagdip Randhawa's family appealed the results of an internal investigation into how the case was handled
Bail breaches by a man who killed a student were handled in a "fundamentally flawed" manner, a report has found.
Jagdip Randhawa, 19, from London, was punched by boxer Clifton Ty Mitchell during a night out in Leeds in 2011.
Mitchell, from Derby, had breached bail conditions for a previous violent offence 24 times in the preceding five months but no action was taken.
Derbyshire Police said procedures had been reviewed and made more "robust".
A separate investigation found Mr Randhawa's care in hospital was also below acceptable standards
After being hit, Mr Randhawa, from Hounslow, struck his head on a pavement. He died five days later.
Mitchell, now 26, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to seven years in prison in 2012.
An initial referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission following a complaint by Mr Randhawa's family led to the force carrying out a local investigation.
In March 2015 the IPCC upheld an appeal by the family against the outcome of this inquiry and began its own.
The new report states: "In my opinion, the procedure in place at the time of the incident was fundamentally flawed and was not fit for the control of persons deemed by the court system to require active monitoring.
"This process was in my opinion so flawed that none of the staff operating under it appeared to recognise the ongoing issues with this one individual and see the obvious opportunities missed."
The report also criticised the handling of complaints from the family, with a unnamed superintendent potentially facing misconduct charges if the officer had not retired.
Mr Randhawa's sister Majinder Randhawa said: "Our family will always be haunted by not knowing what might have happened if Mitchell had been arrested as he should have been.
"It's important that the IPCC's report highlights the significant failings of Derbyshire Police - but it's devastating to know that Jagdip's death was avoidable.
"We believe that Jagdip would still be here today, if Derbyshire Police had correctly managed Mitchell while he was on bail. It's impossible for us to ever get over that."
Derbyshire's Deputy Chief Constable, Gary Knighton, said "The IPCC report recognises that following the death of Mr Randhawa, we immediately reviewed the way that the force handled breaches of bail conditions where an individual is required to report to a police station.
"The force now has a more robust system in place to deal with a suspect who has failed to comply with their bail conditions. If someone breaches their bail, an officer is allocated to take action and deal with the breach."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-40597974
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Chuck Blazer, disgraced ex-Fifa official, dies aged 72 - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Blazer, who helped spur the Fifa corruption scandal, was found guilty of bribery and other charges.
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US & Canada
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Blazer was banned from all football activities for life in 2015
Disgraced US football official Chuck Blazer has died at the age of 72, his lawyers say.
Blazer, who was banned from all football activities for life in 2015, had been suffering from cancer.
In 2013 he pleaded guilty to bribery, money laundering and tax evasion but agreed to help investigators expose corruption in Fifa.
A larger-than-life character, he was ex-boss of Concacaf, North and Central American football's governing body.
His information led to charges against 14 other current or former Fifa officials, and contributed to the downfall of Sepp Blatter, the organisation's president.
"We are truly saddened by the passing of our client and friend, Chuck Blazer," his lawyers said in a statement.
"His misconduct, for which he accepted full responsibility, should not obscure Chuck's positive impact on international soccer."
The official served on Fifa's executive committee from 1997-2013, during which time he pocketed millions to fund a globe-trotting VIP lifestyle.
A 2013 report by Concacaf's integrity committee said he had received more than $20.6m (£16m) in commissions, fees and rental payments from the organisation between 1996 and 2011.
His personal excesses included two apartments in New York's Trump Tower, one of which was exclusively for his cats.
Mr Blazer's information helped secure the downfall of former FIFA president Sepp Blatter (C)
He helped develop the game in the US and then across his confederation.
But he also personally enriched himself and was emblematic of the greed and corruption that festered within world football for many years.
However, it was his evidence that was instrumental in the arrest and prosecution of scores of Fifa and marketing executives, a process that became publicly known with dramatic dawn raids in Zurich in 2015 and is still continuing.
In his blog Travels with Chuck Blazer and his Friends..., he was pictured enjoying time with football legends like Pele and Bobby Charlton, and other high-profile names like Prince William and Hillary Clinton.
He also introduced readers to his pet parrot, a blue-and-gold macaw named Max Blazer, even uploading a video of the bird dancing on the basket of his mobility scooter in New York's Central Park.
His luck ran out when he tried to conceal his income after failing to file tax returns from 2005 to 2010.
According to one account, Mr Blazer was arrested by the FBI and an Internal Revenue Service official in 2011 as he rode his scooter to a favourite New York restaurant.
"We can take you away in handcuffs now, or you can co-operate," he was reportedly told.
Mr Blazer made his choice, and agreed to become an informant to help the US government expose corruption in football.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40590960
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How a footballer became Africa's first Cognac maker - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Former Ivory Coast international Olivier Tebily has forged a new career away from football - as Africa's first maker of Cognac.
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Africa
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Footballers have long relied on the terraces for inspiration but when Olivier Tebily does so these days, he is looking at rows of vines - not fans.
While many footballers' post-playing plans involve staying in the game, the former Ivory Coast international has eschewed that to quietly focus on his second passion.
Footballers and alcohol have long gone together, often badly, but the former Birmingham City defender is unique in actually creating the product.
What's more, the treble winner with Celtic is doing so in Cognac, home to some of France's - and the world's - most celebrated vineyards.
For similar to champagne, only the brandy made in the region can bear the prestigious name Cognac.
As for whether the 41-year-old is just another footballer flashing his cash on a pet project, consider this - he bought his first vineyard in his late teens.
"When I signed my first professional contract, I bought two hectares," Tebily told the BBC, standing amidst his vines in the south-western French village of Salles-d'Angles.
"I said to myself: 'If I get an injury and football stops, I will have something to carry on with.'"
Tebily played over 80 matches for Birmingham City, many of them in the top-flight
"I did that because I used to work on this land to get a little bit of pocket money to go on holiday - to the seaside with my friends - before turning professional."
"It's really difficult to become a professional so I bought this straight away to insure myself."
It was 1993 when Tebily signed for second-tier French side Niort, an hour's drive from Poitiers, the south-western city on the edge of the Cognac region where his parents relocated from Abidjan when he was a toddler.
It was the start of a journey that took him, following brief spells with Chateauroux and Sheffield United, to the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations, a Scottish treble in 2001 and a four-year Premier League adventure with Birmingham.
After suffering a bad injury just weeks after joining Canada's Toronto FC, Tebily cut short a four-and-a-half-year contract to return to the vineyards.
There was however a fundamental problem.
Tebily is learning how to distil - a key element in creating Cognac since traditional methods require a double-distillation in copper stills
Land in Cognac is both expensive and seldom available - and Tebily didn't have enough of it.
He ran two local restaurants while waiting for a solution, which was laced with tragedy when it came six years later.
After his neighbour's only son died, the retiring Cognac farmer had to decide who to sell his business to last year.
"His son was my friend and we had the same name - it's maybe because of that that he chose me," says Tebily.
"Around here, all the winemakers are the same," explains the now-retired Jean-Michel Lepine.
"Because I liked football and because Olivier was not unpleasant to me and helped me in tough times - because I've had tough times - I said why not a black man to take over my property? Why not a footballer?
Tebily owns 22 hectares after retiring farmer Jean-Michel Lepine chose to sell his business to the Ivorian, a friend of his late son
"I never changed my mind, even though many people tried to stop me."
Following the deal, the first African maker of Cognac - who says he was initially treated like "a Martian" - was the proud owner of 22 hectares in a prime location.
He also took control of a distillery and although he has yet to master this crucial element of the Cognac process, he is learning from Jean-Michel, now his mentor.
When we meet, Tebily is in his vineyard - wearing a Birmingham City fleece as he goes about his daily business, secateurs in hand, carefully tending to his grapes.
Such sensitivity may seem incongruous for those who remember the burly defender's on-field reputation.
He once finished a match despite rupturing knee ligaments in the first half while he famously thundered into one challenge with an opponent despite having lost a boot seconds earlier.
Tebily scored few goals during his career but managed two with Celtic, with whom he won a Scottish treble in 2001
"The local people were really, really surprised by an African footballer trying to do what they are doing," says Tebily, who played for Ivory Coast between 1999-2004.
"But I work Monday to Sunday and people are really surprised - they didn't think I would do this work because it's really hard.
"But I don't do this to impress people. I love this work and want to go as far as I can," he adds, proclaiming a love of the outdoors.
Like many Cognac farmers, Tebily sells most of his produce - around 90% - to the region's bigger companies but he keeps the rest for his own eponymous range.
He first produced a bottle in 2013 - smooth upon taste - and although he sells it to local restaurants, he ultimately wants to trade only with Africa.
Tebily produced his first brand of Cognac in 2013, five years after quitting football
"That's my dream," he says. "I am already selling to some restaurants in Africa, in Ivory Coast. It's not as much as I want but I'm still happy because it's the beginning and it's working."
After that, and much in the tradition of many of the Cognac farmers, he hopes to hand his business down to his children when he takes a second retirement.
Until then, this gentle giant is revelling in being the only African maker of the world's most famous brandy.
"It makes me feel really, really happy and that's why I am fighting to do my business correctly. I try because I am passionate. I love this like I loved football."
• None How I turned football into wine. Video, 00:02:15How I turned football into wine
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40587894
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Estate agents have lowest stock of homes for 40 years - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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On average, each estate agent in the UK has 42.5 properties on its books, the lowest since 1978.
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Business
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The UK housing market is in a state of lethargy, according to property surveyors, with estate agents reporting the lowest stock of properties for nearly 40 years.
Members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said the market might continue "flatlining" for a while.
New instructions in June fell for the 16th month in a row.
Most surveyors also saw further falls in the number of properties being sold.
The average number of homes on the books of estate agents fell to 42.5 - the lowest number since the survey started in January 1978.
"Political uncertainty" was given by 44% of surveyors as the main reason for the pessimism - nearly double the number who blamed Brexit.
Simon Rubinsohn, RICS' chief economist, said that uncertainty seemed to be "exerting itself on transaction levels, which are flat-lining, and may continue to do so for a while, particularly given the ongoing challenge presented by the low level of stock on the market".
Separately, the Bank of England's latest Credit Conditions Survey of banks and building societies has suggested that home buyers could find it trickier to find mortgage deals with low deposits in the months ahead.
The survey found lenders were likely to rein in lending as they become more cautious about the state of the economy.
Lenders expect a slight reduction in mortgage availability to house buyers with deposits of less than 25%, and "in particular" those with a deposit of below 10%.
The survey also found that unsecured lending - which includes credit cards - had fallen in the second quarter of the year, and was expected to drop further in the third quarter.
Last week, the Halifax, Britain's largest lender, reported that prices fell by 1% in June, with annual growth slipping to 2.6%.
The RICS survey suggests that property values actually rose during the month.
However, that hides an increasing regional divide in price growth.
Five years ago, prices in the south of the country were roaring ahead of prices in the north, but now there has been a reversal.
Prices in London are falling, while they are flat in East Anglia and the South East, according to the RICS survey.
By contrast, property values in the North West, Wales, Northern Ireland and the West Midlands are rising significantly.
"The latest results demonstrate the danger, however tempting, of talking about a single housing market across the country," said Mr Rubinsohn.
"RICS indicators, particularly regarding the price trend, are pointing towards an increasingly divergent picture."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40581912
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King Felipe VI: Spain and UK 'profoundly intertwined' - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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King Felipe VI says they can overcome differences over Gibraltar and Brexit, in his state visit speech.
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UK
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. King Felipe VI said he respected the UK's decision to leave the EU
Britain and Spain can overcome their differences and maintain strong ties after Brexit, the king of Spain has said in a speech at Westminster.
King Felipe VI said he believed they could begin "the necessary dialogue" to form an arrangement over Gibraltar.
But the government of Gibraltar said the king's focus on a dialogue between London and Madrid was "undemocratic".
The start of a three-day state visit to the UK by the king and queen of Spain ended with a Buckingham Palace banquet.
King Felipe made his comments on Gibraltar in a speech in the Palace of Westminster.
King Felipe VI is a distant relative of the Queen
While discussing Britain's decision to leave the EU, he said: "To overcome our differences will be greater in the case of Gibraltar. I am confident through the necessary dialogue and effort, our two governments will be able to work... towards arrangements that are acceptable to all involved."
The government of Gibraltar said it would have to be involved in any discussion between Spain and the UK.
It added that two referenda in 1967 and 2002 showed the people of Gibraltar voted to remain British.
Chief minister Fabian Picardo QC said: "We have no desire to part of Spain or to come under Spanish sovereignty in any shape or form.
"In the times in which we live, territories cannot be traded from one monarch to another like pawns in a chess game."
During the speech, King Felipe said Britain and Spain were "profoundly intertwined" and he respected the UK's decision to leave the EU.
Hundreds of thousands of Britons live in Spain, and a similar number of Spaniards live in the UK, King Felipe told MP and peers.
They "form a sound foundation for our relations," he added.
"These citizens have a legitimate expectation of stable living conditions for their families," he said.
The king highlighted the two countries' important trading arrangements, adding that Britain is "the second largest investor in our country".
The Spanish royals were guests at a lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace
At the banquet later hosted by the Queen and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace, the British monarch acknowledged the two countries had not always seen "eye to eye".
In a speech, she also said: "A relationship like ours founded on such great strengths and common interests will ensure that both our nations prosper now and in the future whatever challenges arise."
The banquet menu began with poached fillet of salmon trout with fennel. It was followed by a medallion of Scottish beef with bone marrow and truffles, with a sauce made from Madeira, and a dark chocolate and raspberry tart for dessert.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl and Countess of Wessex also attended.
The Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen gifted the Spanish monarchs love letters from a mutual relative, Queen Ena of Spain
Earlier the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh greeted King Felipe and Queen Letizia at Horse Guards Parade, in a traditional welcoming ceremony.
The trip is the first state visit by a Spanish king to the UK since Felipe's father, Juan Carlos, came 31 years ago.
The Queen gifted King Felipe copies of love letters from his great-grandmother to King Alfonso XIII.
Queen Victoria's grand-daughter Princess Victoria Eugenie met King Alfonso on a state visit to Britain in 1905.
The pair married and Princess Victoria Eugenie became Queen Ena of Spain, making King Felipe a descendant of Queen Victoria.
The wind died down and the sun broke through the clouds just as the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh stepped on to the dais at Horse Guards.
Every visiting head of state gets the same welcome - their national anthem and the chance to inspect the guard of honour with Prince Philip. With his retirement imminent, this could be the last time he performed that particular public duty.
King Felipe inspected the guard of honour with Prince Philip, on what is expected to be the prince's last state visit before retiring from public engagements this year
Then King Felipe stepped into a carriage with the Queen for the traditional procession down the Mall accompanied by the Household Cavalry. The Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Letizia travelled in a separate carriage.
It was a chance for Britain to show off how well it can do "pomp".
On Thursday, Prince Harry will accompany the royal visitors to Westminster Abbey.
King Felipe will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior and the prince will join them on a short tour of the abbey, including the Tomb of Eleanor "Leonor" of Castile - the 13th-Century Spanish princess who married Edward I.
King Felipe, at 6ft 5in, towered over the Queen as he kissed Her Majesty's hand on Horse Guards Parade
Prime Minister Theresa May attended the welcoming ceremony with Home Secretary Amber Rudd
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40577753
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Australian man's thumb surgically replaced by toe - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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Doctors recommended the eight-hour surgery after his thumb was severed by a bull.
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Australia
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An Australian cattle worker whose thumb was severed by a bull has had his toe surgically transplanted in its position.
Zac Mitchell, 20, was injured in April while working on a remote farming property in Western Australia.
"A bull kicked my hand into the fence," Mr Mitchell said of the incident.
He underwent two unsuccessful operations to reattach his thumb before doctors opted to relocate his big toe in surgery lasting eight hours.
Mr Mitchell said fellow workers had attempted to preserve his thumb immediately after the accident.
"They put it in the esky [cooler] with some ice," he told the BBC.
Mr Mitchell was flown to hospital in the state capital of Perth, but efforts to save his thumb ultimately failed.
Despite initial reluctance, the cattle worker agreed to the transplant operation at the Sydney Eye Hospital two weeks ago.
Lead plastic surgeon Dr Sean Nicklin said he was not surprised it took time to accept.
"It is a bit of a crazy idea - they [patients] do not want to be injured in another part of their body," he said.
"[However] even if you have got four good fingers, if you do not have something to pinch against them, your hand has lost a huge amount of its function."
Mr Mitchell will need more than 12 months of rehabilitation, but he plans to return to farm work.
The Sydney Eye Hospital said it was rare to transplant a complete toe, like in Mr Mitchell's case, although partial toe relocations were more common.
"A lot of people think their balance and walking is going to be significantly affected which it generally isn't," Dr Nicklin said.
Mr Mitchell's mum, Karen, said he was making a good recovery.
"Two weeks since the operation his walking is almost back to normal."
Doctors say Mr Mitchell should eventually be able to return to his hobby of bull riding.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-40577567
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Tube to change 'ladies and gentlemen' announcements - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Underground staff are to say "hello everyone" to passengers in an effort to become more gender-neutral.
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London
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London Underground said the change was to ensure all passengers felt "welcome"
The "ladies and gentlemen" greeting on Tube announcements is to be scrapped, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.
London Underground staff have been told to say "hello everyone" in an effort to become more gender-neutral.
TfL said the move was to ensure all passengers felt "welcome".
LGBT campaign group Stonewall welcomed the decision, which was supported by London mayor Sadiq Khan at a session of Mayor's Question Time last month.
The revised phrasing will be applied to all new pre-recorded announcements made across the capital's transport network.
Mark Evers, director of customer strategy at TfL, said: "We want everyone to feel welcome on our transport network.
"We have reviewed the language that we use in announcements and elsewhere and will make sure that it is fully inclusive, reflecting the great diversity of London."
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he supported the change to gender neutral language
Mr Khan said he was "keen" TfL speak in a "more neutral way".
He said: "TfL serves a vibrant, diverse and multicultural city, and provision of an inclusive transport service is at the heart of TfL's purpose.
"I am aware however, that some customers may not relate to or feel comfortable with the way that certain station announcements are made."
TfL said it had briefed staff on use of the new language "though from time-to-time, well-meaning staff may still use the term 'ladies and gentlemen"."
"If this happens frequently, we will issue reminders to staff," it added.
Stonewall said: "Language is extremely important to the lesbian, gay, bi and trans community, and the way we use it can help ensure all people feel included.
"We welcome gender neutral announcements to be rolled out across TfL as it will ensure that everyone - no matter who they identify as - feels accounted for."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40591750
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Liverpool's Phil Redmond bids for Channel 4 relocation - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Brookside creator Phil Redmond says there is "no better home" for the channel if it leaves London.
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Liverpool
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Phil Redmond says "a lot of Channel 4's DNA" was created through Brookside and Hollyoaks, filmed in Liverpool
The creator of Brookside, Phil Redmond, is leading a bid to bring Channel 4 to Liverpool, saying "there could be no better home".
A government consultation is considering whether the broadcaster should move out of central London.
Mr Redmond said Liverpool was "recognised as the UK's second cultural city" and had always had a "pool of creative talent".
The move could create more than 800 jobs, he added.
A consultation into the broadcaster's future was launched after the government carried out an 18-month review of the publicly owned channel, which has more than 800 staff but fewer than 30 based outside the capital.
Mr Redmond has joined Liverpool John Moores University, the city council and the Liverpool Film Office to try and bring the broadcaster to the city.
He said: "Apart from Liverpool's growing reputation as a cultural centre... we have to remember [that] a lot of Channel 4's DNA was created in this city through Brookside and then through Hollyoaks, which at one stage was providing 60% of Channel 4's income... "
He said Liverpool did not have a "permanent broadcasting centre" like other major cities, adding: "We are talking about rebalancing the UK and rebalancing culture and rebalancing the news agenda outside of London. It seems like an obvious fix to come to Liverpool this time."
There would be huge economic benefits for Liverpool, Mr Redmond says
Liverpool is at the centre of the UK geographically, he said, "so it is closer to all the nations and regions [for commissioning]".
Mr Redmond, who ran Mersey Television for 25 years, added: "[There are] economic benefits obviously, if they bring £650-700m spend into the area - or the jobs attached to that- that is a big economic benefit.
"It would be fantastic for Liverpool but I also think it is the way to reinvigorate Channel 4 for its next 35 years."
Only 30 of Channel 4's staff are currently based outside London
The West Midlands Combined Authority launched a bid for the broadcaster to move to its region last week, with sites proposed in Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and Dudley.
Elsewhere, two Bradford MPs have called on Channel 4 to move its HQ to West Yorkshire.
Joe Anderson, mayor of Liverpool, said: "Aside from world-beating locations and world-class creative talent, the character and the history of the city sits well with Channel 4's brand."
The government said it would consider all bids with the broadcaster "to ensure that Channel 4 maximises its delivery of public value".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-40591447
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Grenfell Tower 'stay put' advice lasted nearly two hours - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The fire service changed its advice an hour and 53 minutes after the first emergency call, BBC finds.
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UK
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Fire service advice to "stay put" inside Grenfell Tower during the fire which destroyed the building lasted nearly two hours, the BBC has learned.
A change in policy recommending residents try to leave was made at 02:47 BST, one hour and 53 minutes after the first emergency call.
At least 80 people are believed to be dead after the blaze on 14 June.
London Fire Brigade said: "The advice our control officers give can change as the fire changes."
Meanwhile, tributes have been laid at a wall in the tower's North Kensington neighbourhood to mark the four weeks since the blaze occurred.
When the fire was first reported at 00:54 BST, residents were initially given advice to "stay put" inside the building.
This is based on the assumption that fire can be contained, but the policy has come under scrutiny after many of the tower's residents became trapped.
Tributes are being paid to mark the four-week anniversary of the fire
Karim Musillhy spoke to his uncle Hesham Rahman, 57, on the phone at 01.30 BST.
He says the emergency services had told him to stay in his flat and put wet towels under the door.
"We all know how it all caught fire very quickly. But even then, for me I would be thinking, 'if you can make it out, make it out. Just get out of the building. Get out.'
"Within 15 minutes, the whole building caught fire. After two hours, it's too late."
Met Police officer Matt Bonner, who is leading the investigation into the fire, was confronted by angry people during a meeting on Wednesday evening at St Clement's Church, a short distance from Grenfell Tower.
Mr Bonner told those gathered he could not discuss the investigation "as it would put the investigation at risk", but this led to cries of "arrest someone" from those gathered.
He also said the police investigation would "not be quick but it would be thorough".
Hilary Patel, from the Grenfell Response Team, also said the building "has never been at risk of falling down".
And Dr Deborah Turbitt, from Public Health England, said the area had been monitored for traces of asbestos, but none had been found.
Elsewhere in the neighbourhood, not far from the church, hundreds of people slowly gathered at a wall covered with tributes, to pay respects to those who died four weeks ago. Many were in tears.
The evening vigil saw pictures, flowers and handwritten messages illuminated by candles left by those paying their respects.
Nabil Choucair fears he has lost six members of his family who lived on the 22nd floor of Grenfell Tower.
He says the stay put policy may have been maintained for too long.
"You take away their only chance of probably escaping. I heard of firemen making it up to the 21st, 22nd [floor] and rescuing people, but choosing who to save, and who not to save because they couldn't carry any more, or help anyone.
"After that time, the chances have dropped for them and for everybody else."
Paul Embery of the Fire Brigades Union said the stay put advice is "broadly sound".
"Clearly this was an unprecedented fire, and people couldn't have foreseen the way the fire was going to spread.
"At some point it was obvious that the advice needed to change. Whether it should have been changed earlier I wouldn't want to speculate on that, but the inquiry clearly needs to look at it."
London Fire Brigade said it cannot comment on its response to the fire due to the ongoing police investigation and public inquiry, but said "the advice our control officers give can change as the fire changes".
Meanwhile, in other developments:
More than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines were involved in battling the blaze that engulfed the block.
The BBC understands 31 firefighters were injured in the fire, almost all through smoke inhalation. One was hit by a person who fell from the tower, but insisted on returning to duty.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40575329
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Madagascar: Where France's maritime history sails on - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The craftsmen can all trace their skills back to one family who arrived on the island more than 150 years ago.
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Africa
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Schooners typically have two or three masts with multiple sails
Madagascar's master shipbuilders can all trace their skills back to just one family who arrived on the African island more than 150 years ago, writes Tim Healy in the capital, Antananarivo.
In the 19th Century, schooners were a familiar sight along France's northern coast, their majestic sails fluttering in the wind. Nowadays, they have been replaced by boats which are far faster, more efficient - and less romantic.
But there is still a corner of the world where a new generation of carpenters is keeping old maritime traditions alive by crafting these vessels to original standards.
The mastery shown by carpenters working in the town of Belo-sur-mer on Madagascar's west coast is respected around the world - at least one of their beautifully crafted schooners has been sent to collectors in France in recent years.
And it is all thanks to one family, brought to the island by a king's ambition.
It was King Radama II of Madagascar who decided to bring the schooner to his East African island.
For more than a thousand years, Arab boats moved along the coast of Madagascar trading goods for slaves. They were joined in the 17th Century by European trading vessels. Until the 19th Century, the Malagasy fleet was composed of mainly smaller fishing boats and canoes.
But the Vezo Sakalava - coastal people from the western region - wanted to develop bigger trading boats to move cargo around the island, and King Radama was happy to grant their wish.
The king turned to the French government, asking them to send shipwrights to teach his people.
The Justins, a father-and-son team of carpenters, set to work restoring one of their schooners
Soon, the Joachim family, who were creoles of mixed European and African descent, and fellow marine carpenters from France's neighbouring island of La Reunion were sailing to Madagascar.
But when the family arrived, they discovered that the king had been assassinated. His reign had lasted less than two years, from 1861 to 1863.
The Joachims soon found themselves forced to flee to the east coast and, over the course of several decades, the family circumnavigated and lived in parts of southern Madagascar, eventually settling in the western port of Morondava.
It was here, and in nearby Belo-sur-mer, that Enasse Joachim and his three sons began practicing their craft, building schooners for Madagascar.
Of Dutch origin, the ships can have two or three masts decorated with several sails, and reach up to 22m (72ft) in length. As the vessel does not have a keel, it is ideal for navigating shallow Malagasy lagoons and mooring on sandbanks and beaches.
The tradition of building ships runs through families
By 1904 - some 40 years after they first stepped foot on Madagascar - some of the Joachim family had managed to establish shipbuilding schools. It was done with the approval of France's Governor Gallieni, since the French had colonised Madagascar almost a decade earlier, in 1895.
The Malagasy apprentices of the Joachims became master carpenters and shipbuilders in their own right and passed down their skills through several generations, turning Belo-sur-mer into a major shipyard for Schooners, or Botsy in Malagasy.
More than a century later, their legacy continues in Belo-sur-mer, carried on by families like the Justins, who have built two ships.
"My sons and I come from a long line of shipbuilders going back to my great-grandparents," says the patriarch, known simply as Mr Justin.
Traders have used boats to ferry cargo around Madagascar for centuries
The name of one of their boats, Fagnanarantsoandraza, translates from poetic Malagasy to "let it be known that the fine have no need to stay here". It is a name worthy of the love put into building the boat, constructed with timber painstakingly collected from nearby forests.
The vessel, launched in 2012, is 18m in length and can carry loads of up to 50 tonnes, usually salt or agricultural products, to areas that are often inaccessible by road.
The ships are summoned home for regular maintenance, including the resealing of their hulls, before returning to sea.
Of the three Joachim sons, Albert's influence is perhaps most felt today. The Malagasy diminutive of Albert is Bebe, and the port in Morondava bears this name.
While descendants of Albert and Fernand Joachim are believed to live on in Morondava, less was known about their brother, Ludovic, until recently.
He had married a woman 54km (34 miles) away in the village Belo-sur-mer, where he died in 1902. A century later in 2002, a French woman living locally was determined to locate Ludovic's grave and managed to do so with the help of the mayor, and village elders.
Discovered 400m from the village where it was hidden by undergrowth, the modest grave was marked out with a mound of rocks and a fading wooden cross etched with his name.
Local authorities decided to restore the grave and mounted a miniature wooden schooner upon the tomb, to honour the Joachim family's unique contribution to the island's seafaring traditions.
One of the original shipbuilders, Ludovic Emmanuel Joachim, died in Belo-sur-mer in 1902
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40555125
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Manchester United and City to wear bee emblem - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The bee is now a symbol of solidarity among those affected by the Arena bombing.
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Manchester
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City chief executive officer Ferran Soriano said players would wear bees with "immense pride"
Manchester United and City players are to honour victims of the Manchester Arena blast by wearing bee emblems on their football shirts in a derby match.
The shirts will be auctioned off after the game and proceeds will go to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.
The charity has raised more than £12m for the victims of the explosion on 22 May, which killed 22.
City's Ferran Soriano said players would wear bees with "immense pride" at the game on 20 July in Houston, US.
The fixture will be the first Manchester derby to take place outside of the UK and the first meeting between the two clubs since the attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.
The bee has become the symbol of solidarity among those affected by the bomb with hundreds of people getting bee tattoos.
City chief executive Mr Soriano said: "The worker bee symbolises everything that makes Manchester such a special city and our players will wear it on their shirts with immense pride, as a demonstration of solidarity with the Manchester community."
Ed Woodward, executive chairman of United, said the city of Manchester has shown "great strength and unity" since the attack and shown the world "how special this city really is".
He added: "Having the worker bee on our shirts... shows the community spirit of our city and football club."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-40602465
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Once suspicious, Trump now embraces France - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Donald Trump was once a harsh critic of France, but this view appears to be changing.
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US & Canada
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The Trumps will watch the Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Élysées
Not long ago Donald Trump said that Paris was a terrible place. Now he's embraced the city and the nation, strengthening US-France relations.
On Thursday morning Mr Trump wore a crisp white shirt, cufflinks and a gold-coloured belt buckle that gleamed. He and the First Lady were arriving in Paris for Bastille Day. On the tarmac at Orly, he kissed his wife on both cheeks, and they headed for separate cars. It was all very French.
"A fun trip," one of his aides told me on Air Force One while we flew across the Atlantic. It was a journey that had once seemed unimaginable - and showed how the president's views about the city have changed since the presidential campaign.
More importantly, his trip was ushering in a new age of US-France relations, a transatlantic partnership that has roots in the history of both countries.
During his two days in Paris, Mr Trump will spend time with Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and dine in a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. He will watch the Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Élysées.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of US forces entering World War One, and for this occasion US and French troops will be marching together in the parade.
During the trip the US president will also have a chance to escape the controversies over Russia and other issues that have dominated the news cycle in Washington.
The American first couple arrived in Paris early on Thursday
It is easy to understand why he would want to get away from Washington. Still the decision to visit Paris and not another city was unexpected - for just about everybody.
Mr Macron invited him several weeks ago, and Mr Trump "was very excited to respond and to accept the invitation," said a senior administration official. It was a surprising development - particularly since the US president had just pulled out of the 2015 Paris climate accord.
Until recently he had a negative view of the city. "Paris is no longer the safe city it was," he said on MSNBC in 2015. "They have sections in Paris that are radicalised, where the police refuse to go there. They're petrified."
During the presidential campaign, he said that a friend, Jim, had visited France and told him not to go there. "France is no longer France," said Mr Trump, quoting "Jim".
He had little evidence for these remarks. Now he seems to have forgotten about them. This morning at the airport he seemed to be having fun.
White House officials said that during the visit Mr Macron was likely to bring up the issue of the environment, and that the two world leaders would discuss the matter. They will also talk about Syria as well as about their shared military history.
The relationship has had its ups and downs.
Under President George W Bush, US-France relations hit a rocky period. Many people in the US criticised the French because they did not support the Iraq war, and some US restaurants stopped serving French fries as a protest against the French nation. "Freedom fries" were offered, and breakfast on Air Force One featured "'freedom toast" instead of French toast.
President Trump angered many in France when he called Paris "unsafe" two years ago
Over time, though, the two nations and their militaries drew close again. Presidents Trump and Macron will build on this relationship, one that allowed the US and France to work together in the campaign against the Islamic State group.
"There were kinks that needed to be worked out in terms of intelligence sharing," said Charles Kupchan, who served as the national security council's senior director for European affairs during the Obama administration. "But the relationship between the US and the French military is extremely close."
Now the relationship is entering a new phase - one in which the French language and culture are celebrated, however briefly. One of President Trump's aides tried gamely to say a few words in French while we flew on Air Force One. Freedom toast is a thing of the past. Spinach quiche, decorated with fresh blackberries, were served for breakfast.
In the end, it is hard to explain the shift in Donald Trump's views of France, and why he has warmed up to Paris. He sometimes acts impulsively and does not fully explain why he has done something. Still he and his aides all seemed happy to leave Washington for a bit - and what better place to go than Paris.
Freedom fries are now a thing of the past
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40593515
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Trump: I get along 'very well' with Putin - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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His assessment comes as alleged Russian meddling in the US election continues to cast a cloud.
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US & Canada
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President Trump says he gets along "very well" with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
He was interviewed by the Christian Broadcasting Network days after his much anticipated meeting with Mr Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg.
The US president also said he was sure Mr Putin would have preferred Hillary Clinton was sitting in the White House.
Several investigations are under way into allegations Russia helped get Mr Trump elected.
Mr Trump has denied any knowledge of this and Russia has also repeatedly denied interfering.
On the meeting with Mr Putin, Mr Trump said "people said, oh, they shouldn't get along. Well, who are the people saying that? I think we get along very, very well.
"We are a tremendously powerful nuclear power, and so are they. It doesn't make sense not to have some kind of a relationship."
Mr Trump cited the recent ceasefire in south-western Syria as an example of how co-operation with Mr Putin worked.
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Mr Trump also used the interview to pour cold water on the notion that Russia conspired to get him elected - quite the opposite, he maintained. Russia preferred Hillary Clinton, his Democrat rival, he said.
Why? "If Hillary had won, our military would be decimated," he said.
"Our energy would be much more expensive. That's what Putin doesn't like about me. And that's why I say why would he want me?"
The US president earlier defended his son Donald Jr over a meeting he had with a Russian lawyer in 2016 at the height of the presidential campaign.
Mr Trump's son met Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower in New York in June 2016.
Mr Trump Jr had been told that she would offer Russian-linked information which would put Hillary Clinton in a bad light.
Critics accuse Mr Trump Jr of intent to collude with the Russians, and believe he may have broken federal laws. But others dispute this.
Donald Trump tweeted that his son was "open, transparent and innocent". He also told Reuters he was unaware of the meeting and only learned of it two days ago.
Mr Trump Jr himself told Fox News the meeting was "such a nothing", but he accepted he should have handled it differently.
He has released a series of emails in which he was told he would receive "very high level and sensitive information", to which in response he said "if it's what you say I love it".
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any link to the Russian lawyer, and Ms Veselnitskaya herself has said she was never in possession of information that could have damaged Mrs Clinton.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40590120
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Dirty Dancing wedding practice knocks out couple - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Andy Price was given a CT scan after his wedding dance practice went badly wrong.
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Bristol
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'We were both flat out on the floor'
A couple knocked themselves unconscious practising a lift from classic 1980s film Dirty Dancing for their wedding.
Sharon Price and fiance Andy Price were trying to recreate its final dance scene in a pub garden in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.
Mr Price said: "I was concussed. I was out. I ended up in a neck brace and had to have a CT scan.
"We were about 30ft apart and Sharon ran and I grabbed her hips and the next thing we knew we were flat out."
Mr Price said he had a mild heart attack several years ago and so the medical experts were "just being careful" with the tests they ran.
They were discharged from hospital six hours later.
The couple were about 30ft apart when Sharon started the run up towards her fiance for the Dirty Dancing lift
"Dirty Dancing" began trending on Twitter as news of the couple's mishap spread around the world.
The 1987 film, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, is one of Ms Price's favourite films.
"I've always watched it and me and my daughter watch it, over and over again," she said.
"We thought it would be something different. Everybody else slow dances, so we thought we'd jazz it up a bit."
Andy said the the next thing he knew they were "flat out on the floor" and he was unconscious
On Saturday, on the "spur of the moment", the couple decided to "get a bit of practice in" and try out the famous Hollywood dance move.
"There was no build up, no warm up and that was it," said Mr Price.
"I think I knocked myself out hitting the floor as hard as I did. I wasn't too aware of what was going on after that."
Ms Price is also unsure: "I can remember running towards Andy and then the next thing just struggling for breath and my back was hurting."
With him "in and out of consciousness" and her conscious but "struggling for breath" - an ambulance and rapid response vehicle were called and the couple were taken to Southmead Hospital.
Sharon and Andy were hoping to recreate a scene from the 1987 film, shown here in a stage musical version
The couple are now going to do a safer slow dance "smooch" when they marry next year
The couple, who coincidentally have the same surnames, said they would rethink their first dance for the wedding.
"I don't think we'll have that one at the wedding, I think we'll go for a traditional slow one and I'll let Andy choose," said Ms Price.
#DirtyDancing was one of the top hashtags in the UK on Twitter earlier.
Worldwide there was a 92% increase in people using the hashtag earlier compared to the previous six hours, according to social media measurement tool Spredfast.
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There was also a spike in people searching for Dirty Dancing online with lots of people searching for "Dirty Dancing Bristol".
The story made the news around the world including in Australia, the US and Ireland.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-40598537
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Sint Maarten jet engine blast kills New Zealand woman - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A New Zealander has died after the force of a jet take-off knocked her down on Sint Maarten.
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Latin America & Caribbean
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The woman was knocked over by the blast of a plane taking off: this file photo shows a plane arriving at Sint Maarten
A New Zealand woman has died on the Caribbean territory of Sint Maarten after the blast from a powerful jet engine knocked her to the ground.
The incident happened at the famous Princess Juliana International Airport, which is just metres from the beach.
Beachgoers can walk up to the airport fence as planes take off.
Police said the 57-year-old woman had been holding on to the fence before the force of the jet engines threw her backwards, causing serious injury.
She was taken to hospital for treatment, but died later.
The particular stretch of beach on the Dutch territory is popular with tourists, partly because the planes fly extremely low over the sand before landing.
The beginning of the runway is just 50m (160ft) from the fence on Maho beach, and about the same distance to the waterline.
There are prominent warning signs in the area instructing beachgoers not to stand near the fence because of the dangerous air blasts.
Despite the danger, a number of videos circulating online show tourists clinging to the fence to prevent being swept away - and in some cases, almost being lifted off the ground.
The island's tourism director, Rolando Brison, told the New Zealand Herald he had spoken to the family of the dead woman.
"I met with the family of the deceased this evening and while they recognised that what they did was wrong, through the clearly visible danger signs, they regret that risk they took turned out in the worst possible way," he said.
The newspaper also said the plane taking off was a Boeing 737, a commercial jet. A number of local media reports said the woman struck her head on concrete when she was blown back from the fence line.
In a statement, Sint Maarten police said they visit the area daily to discourage tourists from clinging to the runway fence.
"The landing and taking off of all types and size of aircraft at the international airport of Sint Maarten is well known worldwide as major tourist attraction," police said.
"Many tourists come to the island to experience the thrills of the landing of approaching aircraft flying low above their heads and the holding on to the airport fence and standing in the jet blast of large aircraft taking off. Doing this is, however, extremely dangerous."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-40591757
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Woman sues Disneyland Paris over crème brûlée 'fireball' burns - BBC News
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2017-07-13
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Victim claims a Disneyland manager told her the injuries were "no different to falling off a bike".
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Bristol
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Erica Osbourne suffered second degree burns and scars in the incident at Disneyland Paris
A woman who was burned when her clothes caught fire in a Disneyland Paris restaurant says she was told it was "no different to falling off a bike".
Erica Osbourne, 37, claims it happened when a chef used a blow torch on a dessert. She lost part of her hair and eyebrows in the incident in February.
She said "a massive fireball came across the counter towards me" as the crème brûlée sugar was lit.
Disneyland Paris said guest safety "is our number one priority".
Mrs Osbourne, from Bristol, said she suffered second degree burns when her jumper caught fire as a chef used the torch on the dessert.
She said the flames narrowly missed her 10-year-old daughter, Abigail, at the Newport Bay Hotel Restaurant.
"I had ordered the crème brûlée and Abigail had gone to get an ice cream when the chef lit the sugar and a massive fireball came across the counter towards me.
"I was so terrified that I froze to the spot but I remember an intense heat on my face.
"Abigail told me later that I was screaming 'help me! I'm on fire'. My jumper and my face were on fire."
She said a chef jumped over the counter and he and another customer "bundled me to the ground and rolled me around to put out the flames".
"Immediately after I was burnt one of the managers said to me that the incident was 'no different to falling off a bike'. I couldn't believe it." she added.
Mrs Osbourne was treated by paramedics and spent several hours in hospital. She is now taking legal action against Disneyland Paris for personal injury.
"Incidents of this type are extremely rare," a spokesman for the attraction said.
"As this is an ongoing legal issue which is in the process of being resolved, it would be inappropriate to discuss this further at this time."
James Griffin, from Slater and Gordon, who is representing Mrs Osbourne, said: "This was a terrifying incident that could have resulted in much more serious consequences."
• None Disney to buy most of Euro Disney
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-40585940
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The Bill TV producer jailed over hitmen plot to kill partner - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Former producer of The Bill wanted his partner killed so he could run off with a sex worker.
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Sussex
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Harris approached three different men to ask them to kill his partner
A retired TV producer who was convicted of trying to hire a hitman to kill his partner has been jailed for 17 years.
David Harris, 68, offered £200,000 for the murder of Hazel Allinson so he could inherit her fortune, sell her £800,000 Sussex home and run off with a sex worker, an Old Bailey trial heard.
Jurors heard he approached two men over the deal but was reported to police.
Harris was later filmed trying to make a deal with a third prospective hitman - but who was an undercover officer.
During the trial, the former producer of the police drama series The Bill said he was researching a spy novel and denied soliciting murder, but jurors found him guilty on three counts.
The court heard he wanted his partner killed in a "mugging gone wrong".
Harris wanted to run off with Ugne Cekaviciute who he met in a brothel
Judge Anne Molyneux QC told Harris: "For your pipe dream, for your obsessive infatuation with a young woman, Ms Allinson, who had protected and nurtured you, was to die a painful and terrifying death in an isolated spot.
"Her death was to fund your life. You had used her until she had outlasted her usefulness to you.
"All that you wanted from her was that she should die and you should inherit her money."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. CCTV and audio of the 'hitman hire' was released by police
The court heard Harris became besotted with Lithuanian Ugne Cekaviciute, 28, whom he met in a brothel.
He had been with Ms Allinson - a retired scriptwriter who had survived breast cancer - for 27 years and the couple shared her home in the village of Amberley.
But during his five-year affair with Ms Cekaviciute, Harris became entangled in a web of lies and debt as he lavished gifts on her.
The court heard he spent £50,000 of Ms Allinson's savings and told elaborate lies that included pretending to umpire cricket matches away from home, and claims he was looking after his sick brother in a mental hospital.
He first approached mechanic Chris May to kill his partner, but he tried to warn Ms Allinson.
Harris was then put in contact with Duke Dean, but he reported him to City of London Police.
After Harris was videoed meeting an undercover officer, police arrested him at a hotel where they found him in bed with Ms Cekaviciute.
David Harris lied to Hazel Allinson about visiting his sick brother, when he was seeing his mistress
Earlier, the court heard Harris had all the hallmarks of "social anxiety and a narcissistic personality disorder" with manipulative traits and a lack of remorse and guilt.
Prosecutor Philip Gee told the court the twice-divorced father-of-one had a "complex and dysfunctional relationship with women", including his partner and girlfriend.
But in mitigation, Anthony Rimmer said Harris had been a "silly old fool" although his infatuation did not excuse the offences.
He said Ms Cekaviciute was now "out of the picture" and his relationship with Ms Allinson remained an "open question".
Giving evidence, Harris had claimed he was writing a thriller and told the court: "I thought what was happening to me at that time, at that particular juncture, might form the basis of a good thriller.
"It was based on a guy based on me, my sort of age, meets a young girl, falls in love, becomes besotted and over development decides he wants to be with her and decides what he has to do about his wife Holly."
Harris used Ms Allinson's good reputation to borrow money from their neighbours
After the hearing, Det Ch Insp Edelle Michaels, from City of London Police, said the offence involved "significant planning and persistence" by Harris.
Describing him as ruthless, she said he had shown to be "calculating" and "intent on causing serious harm".
"His persistence was evident in his approaching not one but three different supposed hitmen," she added.
"This has been a hugely difficult time for the victim, who has been significantly affected.
"The situation could have been far worse had Harris succeeded with his plan and there was an element of good fortune that one of the men Harris approached informed the police, prompting our swift response."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-40605305
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Gay Muslim wedding: Groom receives acid attack threats - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Jahed Choudhury says he has received death threats online since marrying Sean Rogan.
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Birmingham & Black Country
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Jahed Choudhury says he has received death threats online
A man thought to be one of the first UK Muslims to have a same-sex marriage said people have threatened to throw acid in his face since the ceremony.
Jahed Choudhury, 24, married Sean Rogan at Walsall Register Office and shared his story on YouTube.
However, he told the Victoria Derbyshire Show he had been threatened online and in the street.
But the couple said they had also received messages of support and would continue to share their story.
Since their ceremony Mr Choudhury said the couple had received death threats online and abuse on the streets.
"The worst [messages] say 'the next time I see you in the streets, I'm going to throw acid in your face'.
"Even if I walk down the streets, I have people spitting on me and calling me pig - all the nasty stuff. I just keep walking."
The couple say they have received "amazing" support from their followers
The couple said they had not yet reported the incident to police and were considering whether to do so.
Mr Choudhury said he had also received "amazing" support from his online followers, including people who said the couple had inspired them to come out.
"I've been brought up Muslim and the Koran mentions you cannot be gay and Muslim. But this is how I have chosen to live my life. I will never get rid of my faith."
Sean Rogan (left) and Jahed Choudhury want to help other people in similar situations
Mr Choudhury said he had attempted suicide in the past but added his family had been "really supportive" since he came out.
He has now set up a YouTube channel where his story received more than 5,000 views, and says he was motivated to speak out online to encourage support for gay people from religious backgrounds.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-40609482
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Reality Check: Can Scotland and Wales block the repeal bill? - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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First Ministers say it is a "naked power-grab" undermining devolution
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UK Politics
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The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, known as the repeal bill, will convert EU laws into UK laws. Some of these will be in areas such as the environment and agriculture, which are normally the responsibility of the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, Nicola Sturgeon and Carwyn Jones, have described the bill as a "naked power-grab" that undermines devolution. But do they have the power to block it?
The UK government says it will negotiate with the devolved governments and attempt to seek consensus. Ultimately, though, the bill could pass even without the agreement of Scotland and Wales, but not without the potential for severe political consequences.
Devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland transfers the power to make laws in some policy areas from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly.
But there are times when the UK Parliament still legislates in these areas. The Sewel Convention states that when it does so, it should normally seek the consent of the devolved legislature.
And the convention is just that, a political convention, not a legally enforceable rule.
It is named after Lord Sewel, who first set it out when the Scottish Parliament was established.
A system was established whereby the UK government seeks a "legislative consent motion" from the devolved legislatures when it passes laws on devolved matters.
The convention was written into a memorandum of understanding between the UK and devolved governments in 2001.
It states: "The UK government will proceed in accordance with the convention that the UK Parliament would not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters, except with the agreement of the devolved legislature."
The memorandum was intended as a political agreement not a legally binding code. And the word "normally" implies it is not absolutely essential for Westminster to seek consent.
The convention as it applies to Scotland and Wales has recently been written into law.
The Scotland Act 1998 said the power of the Scottish Parliament to make laws "does not affect the power of the United Kingdom to make laws for Scotland". However, the Scotland Act 2016 inserted an extra clause saying that Westminster: "will not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters without the consent of the Scottish Parliament".
A similar clause for Wales was included in the Wales Act 2017.
There has been no such Act of Parliament for Northern Ireland, but the convention still applies there.
Despite the new statutory basis, the Sewel Convention does not give the Scottish Parliament or Welsh Assembly an absolute veto.
That was determined by the Supreme Court in its judgement in the case brought by Gina Miller about the triggering of Article 50, which started the Brexit process.
The Supreme Court found that the new clauses do not mean that the Sewel Convention has been converted into a legally enforceable rule. It remains a political convention - albeit one which is recognised as a permanent feature of devolution.
The devolved legislatures in Scotland and Wales do not have the legal power to block the repeal bill. But if the UK government were to bulldoze it through without their consent, it could be politically explosive.
It may just be a convention but it is regarded by many as a key aspect of the devolution settlement and an important part of the UK's constitution.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40608598
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Pakistan’s secret atheists - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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How do non-believers get together in a nation where blasphemy carries a death sentence?
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Magazine
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Being an atheist in Pakistan can be life-threatening. But behind closed doors, non-believers are getting together to support one another. How do they survive in a nation where blasphemy carries a death sentence?
Omar, named after one of Islam's most revered caliphs, has rejected the faith of his forefathers. He is one of the founding members of an online group - a meeting point for the atheists of Pakistan.
But even there he must stay on his guard. Members use fake identities.
"You have to be careful who you are befriending," he says.
One man contacted Omar to say he had visited his Facebook profile and printed out pictures of him with his family. "You cannot be safe," Omar says.
In Pakistan, posting about atheism online can have serious consequences.
Under a recently passed cyber-crime law, it is now illegal to post content online - even in a private forum - that could be deemed blasphemous.
The government took out adverts in national newspapers asking members of the public to report any content they believe could constitute blasphemy.
And the law is being enforced. In June this year, in the first case of its kind, Taimoor Raza was sentenced to death for posting blasphemous content on Facebook.
"Zahir" is an online activist who uses social media to express atheist ideas and comment on Pakistani politics
"Dear diary, I've been through four Twitter accounts in one year now. The last one got blocked last night. It doesn't matter how vague my details are or if the pictures I use are generic. It's as if someone is watching me. Every time this happens I feel that I should just give up. They want to silence me."
As a result, atheists feel their ability to publicly question the existence of God is threatened.
Omar believes the government is at war with atheist bloggers. "A good friend of mine used to write against religious fundamentalism," he says.
"We used to run the [online] group together. I came to know he was very severely tortured. Once you are abducted, there is a high chance your body will come in a bag.
"The state is doing it deliberately, so those remaining get a sign that if you go beyond your limits you will also be facing things like this."
This year, six activists have reportedly been abducted after posting on forums that are pro-atheist and anti-government. One of those activists spoke to the BBC but does not want to be identified. He believes that Pakistan's intelligence service wants to stamp out not only criticism of Islam but also criticism of the state.
In his view, the government is trying to enforce the notion that a good citizen must be a good Muslim.
"Hamza" is a blogger and a founding member of an online atheist forum
"Dear diary. Some people have called it an arrest but it was an abduction. I was held for 28 days. They wouldn't identify themselves but I'm sure it was the military. There were eight days of torture and 20 days for healing. My whole body was black. They made me sign a statement that said I regretted what I and done and that I would not engage with political or religious blogging. And that my family could be target if I spoke to the media."
Pakistan is, this year, celebrating its 70th year of independence. Since 1956, it has been an Islamic republic. Many atheists feel the nation is more monolithic than ever before.
In recent years, they say, the Islamic faith has become more visible in public life. Saudi-style dress codes are increasingly enforced. Television evangelists shape pop culture and to be Pakistani is increasingly linked to being a devout Muslim.
Although atheism is not technically illegal in Pakistan, apostasy is deemed to be punishable by death in some interpretations of Islam. As a result, speaking publicly can be life-threatening.
The Atheists of Lahore have monthly get-togethers in guarded buildings or private homes. One of those in attendance explains: "It's like a secret society. It's a bubble where we can talk. It's not all about Richard Dawkins or Sam Harris. We may just talk about how things are going. It's a place where you can let your hair down and truly be yourself."
At these meet-ups, atheists are predominantly affluent, English-speaking city-dwellers. Money does grant a degree of privilege and protection from those who are hostile towards godlessness. But many self-identified atheists also live in Pakistan's villages.
"Dear diary, this afternoon at university an acquaintance approached me and said: 'I want to have a debate with you. I heard you're an atheist.' It was an expression of disbelief, as if to ask: 'How do you function?' She wanted to know where I get my morals from. For her, morality comes from religion and without faith you can't be expected to have morals. Later that afternoon I text all my friends. 'Stop telling people I'm an atheist. I don't want to die.' I must learn that discretion is a good thing."
Zafer was once the muezzin, the man who recited the call to prayer at his village mosque. He used to pray five times a day and was a student of Islamic theology. When he got a job in IT and moved out of his family home, he found his views on religion had changed.
"My family noticed a shift. My mother thought someone had cast a spell on me. I was given holy water to drink and blessed food to eat. She thought it would break the spell.
"These days, I will go along to Friday prayers and celebrate Eid just as a social ritual. My family know I'm not a believer but they give me the space to be myself - as long as I'm not too vocal about being an atheist.
"If you're willing to do certain things - have etiquette, respect your parents and be appropriate in public - you can get away with being a disbeliever."
Mobeen Azhar's documentary Diary of a Pakistani Atheist will be broadcast on BBC World Service's Heart and Soul on Friday 14 July at 13:32 BST and available to listen afterwards on iPlayer.
The Ministry of Information Technology declined my request for an interview, saying the campaign promoting the cyber-crime laws was "simply about raising awareness". They would not comment on the alleged abduction of online activists.
Kunwar Khuldune Shahid is a journalist who has documented the government's response to atheism in the public domain. He believes online atheist activists are being abducted by the government because challenging religion and challenging the state often go hand-in-hand.
"There are two holy cows in Pakistan," he says. "One is the army, the other is Islam. Any person challenging one of these holy cows would, more often than not, be talking about the other as well. The sites whose administrators were abducted were critical of the army and government policy, so blasphemy became a convenient tool.
"In one go, they simply silenced a wide array of critics."
Some of the names in the article have been changed to protect the identity of contributors.
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Charlie Gard has 10% chance of improvement, US doctor claims - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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A US doctor offering to treat Charlie Gard agrees to visit him, if the High Court adjourns.
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London
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Charlie has a rare genetic condition and is on life support
An American doctor offering to treat terminally ill Charlie Gard has told the High Court there is a 10% chance he could improve the baby's condition.
The 11-month-old has a rare genetic disorder and severe brain damage which doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) had said was irreversible.
In April, the High Court ruled that life support should be removed to enable Charlie to die with dignity.
The doctor has agreed to assess Charlie in the UK if the court adjourns.
Mr Justice Francis is due to rule on whether Charlie, who is on life support at GOSH, can be given a trial treatment.
The US doctor - who cannot be named for legal reasons - has been giving evidence to the High Court via video link.
The judge said he wanted to hear what the doctor thought had changed since he gave his ruling in April.
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The doctor suggested there was now clinical data not available in April and he thought the therapy was "worth trying".
Although he has not yet seen Charlie in person, he told the judge tests on the boy's brain show "disorganisation of brain activity and not major structural brain damage".
Using nucleoside treatment - which is a therapy and not a cure - he estimated there would be a 10% chance of "meaningful success" for Charlie.
He said early tests on mice with TK2, a slightly different condition to Charlie's, had resulted in some improvements.
He acknowledged that while it would be desirable to conduct further testing on rodents, that could take a minimum of six months to two years.
The small number of people with Charlie's rare genetic condition - mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome - would make robust clinical trials difficult, he added.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alasdair Seton-Marsden read a statement from Charlie's parents that said 'he is still fighting'
Doctors at GOSH - where Charlie is being cared for - say he should be moved on to palliative care but his parents have raised more than £1.3m to take their son to the US for the nucleoside therapy.
The High Court has also been hearing arguments about the child's head size, which UK doctors said indicated of lack of brain function.
Mr Francis said it was "absurd" that a dispute over his head size was "undermining" the case.
Doctors said the baby's skull had not grown in three months.
The lawyer for Charlie's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, told the court Ms Yates had regularly measured her son's head and disagreed with the hospital's measurements.
The court heard Ms Yates had measured her baby's head this morning and there was a 2cm difference with the hospital's measurements.
Mr Justice Francis said he wanted the matter resolved and called for an independent person to measure Charlie's head within 24 hours.
"It is absurd that the science of this case is being infected by the inability to measure a child's skull," he said.
Connie Yates and Chris Gard walked out of the hearing at the High Court
Charlie's parents, from Bedfont, west London, left the courtroom after two hours over a disagreement with the judge about what they had said at a previous hearing on whether their child was in pain.
Mr Gard stood up and said: "I thought this was supposed to be independent."
Mr Justice Francis then offered to adjourn but was told the pair already knew the evidence being given by their legal team.
Ms Yates and Mr Gard returned for the afternoon session.
Supporters of Charlie's parents have been outside the court
Connie Yates and Chris Gard have raised more than £1.3m to fund a treatment trial
The case returned to the High Court following reports of new data from foreign healthcare experts who suggested treatment could improve Charlie's condition.
Doctors at GOSH have said the evidence is not new but it was right for the court to explore it.
Grant Armstrong, who is leading Ms Yates and Mr Gard's legal team, told the judge they wanted to reopen the case on the basis that the treatment is likely to affect Charlie's brain cells.
He said the parents disputed the view that Charlie has "irreversible, irreparable" brain damage.
The couple have already lost battles in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court to allow them to take their son elsewhere for treatment.
They also failed to persuade European Court of Human Rights judges to intervene in the case.
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Brexit: The UK's key repeal bill facing challenges - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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Ministers hail a historic moment - but Labour and the Scottish and Welsh governments are unhappy.
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UK Politics
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The Scottish and Welsh governments have threatened to block the key Brexit bill which will convert all existing EU laws into UK law.
The repeal bill, published earlier, is also facing opposition from Labour and other parties in the Commons.
Ministers are "optimistic" about getting it through and have promised an "ongoing intense dialogue" with the devolved administrations.
No 10 said it had to be passed or "there will be no laws" after Brexit.
Brexit Secretary David Davis called it "one of the most significant pieces of legislation that has ever passed through Parliament".
He rejected claims ministers were giving themselves "sweeping powers" to make changes to laws as they are repatriated.
It will be up to MPs if they want a say on the "technical changes" ministers plan to make to legislation, he told the BBC.
Labour says it will not support the bill in its current form and is demanding concessions in six areas, including the incorporation of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights into British law.
The party wants guarantees workers' rights will be protected and also want curbs on the power of government ministers to alter legislation without full parliamentary scrutiny.
Leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was in Brussels earlier for a meeting with the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier, said: "Far too much of it seems to be a process where the government... will be able to bypass Parliament.
"We will make sure there is full parliamentary scrutiny. We have a Parliament where the government doesn't have a majority, we have a country which voted in two ways on Leave or Remain.
"The majority voted to leave and we respect that, but they didn't vote to lose jobs and they didn't vote to have Parliament ridden roughshod over."
The Conservatives are relying on Democratic Unionist Party support to win key votes after losing their Commons majority in the general election, but could face a revolt from Remain supporting backbenchers.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there could be "parliamentary guerrilla warfare" on the bill, as opposition parties and "Remainer Tories" try to "put their version of Brexit, not Theresa May's, on to the statute book".
The repeal bill is not expected to be debated by MPs until the Autumn, but will need to have been passed by the time the UK leaves the EU - which is due to happen in March 2019.
But the Scottish and Welsh governments have to give "legislative consent" to the bill before it can become law - something they have said they are not willing to do.
In a joint statement, first ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Carwyn Jones, who also met Mr Barnier, described the bill as a "naked power-grab" by Westminster that undermined the principles of devolution.
They say the bill returns powers from Brussels solely to the UK government and Parliament and "imposes new restrictions" on the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.
Ministers at Holyrood will not be able to amend EU rules in devolved areas such as agriculture and fisheries after Brexit until the UK Parliament and Scottish government have reached an agreement on them.
UK Scottish Secretary David Mundell claimed the repeal bill would result in a powers "bonanza" for Holyrood - a comment described as "ludicrous" by the SNP.
Theresa May's official spokeswoman said the repeal bill was a "hugely important piece of legislation" because "we need to have a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU".
The spokesman said First Secretary of State Damian Green had contacted the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the government was confident of gaining their consent.
Asked if there was a contingency plan if he didn't win their backing, the prime minister's official spokesman said "not that I'm aware of".
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, whose party is seeking to join forces with Labour and Tory rebels, said he was "putting the government on warning", promising a tougher test than than it faced when passing legislation authorising the UK's departure from the EU.
"If you found the Article 50 Bill difficult, you should be under no illusion, this will be hell," he said.
Steve Baker, a minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union, said the government was "ready" for a fight over the bill but would also to "listen to Parliament".
Speaking to BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Davies predicted the bill "may get amendments here and there", saying he was open to suggestions from other parties for things that should be included.
"If we've missed something and got something wrong, then we'll debate that in the House of Commons," he said.
Mr Davis also insisted contingency plans were being made in case the UK and the EU cannot agree a Brexit deal.
"We are planning for all options," he said.
"The ideal outcome... right through to it not working at all and not getting a negotiated outcome at all."
Asked why Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had said the government had "no plan" for such a scenario, he said: "That's possibly because it's my responsibility to plan for it."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40589510
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Trump hints at climate deal shift in Paris talks - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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Speaking alongside his French counterpart, the US president told reporters "something could happen".
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Europe
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Toned-down Trump: What happened to the tough talk on Paris?
French President Emmanuel Macron said he "respected" Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord but that France would remain committed.
"On climate we know what our differences are," Mr Macron said in Paris on Thursday, adding that it was important to move forward.
Speaking alongside Mr Macron, Mr Trump then hinted that the US could shift its position but failed to elaborate.
"Something could happen with respect to the Paris accord," he said.
Mr Trump added: "We'll see what happens."
The US president said last month that the US would withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, citing moves to negotiate a new "fair" deal that would not disadvantage US businesses.
Mr Macron said it was right to put the climate issue to one side while the two leaders discussed how they could work together on other matters such as the ceasefire in Syria and trade partnerships.
"We have disagreements; Mr Trump had election pledges that he took to his supporters and I had pledges - should this hinder progress on all issues? No," Mr Macron said.
Mr Macron and Mr Trump then talked about their countries' joint efforts to combat terrorism and in particular the so-called Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
"The US is extremely involved in the Iraq war," Mr Macron said, "I would like to thank the president for everything done by American troops in this area".
"We've agreed to continue our joint work," he added, "in particular building the post-war roadmap".
Mr Macron said that France would seek to "undertake several robust initiatives" to help produce greater stability and "control over the region".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The US president told Brigitte Macron she was "in good shape"
Mr Trump, who is in Paris for a two-day visit, was earlier welcomed by Mr Macron with an official military ceremony.
The US president then visited the tomb of Napoleon before Friday's Bastille Day celebrations.
The trip is aimed at reaffirming historic ties but comes amid tension due to the two leaders' different positions over climate change.
Air Force One touched down at Orly airport in Paris earlier on Thursday; Mr Trump and the First Lady emerging from their flight across the Atlantic in an effort to help strengthen US-France relations.
"Emmanuel, nice to see you. This is so beautiful," Mr Trump said as he was met by Mr Macron at the Hotel des Invalides, near the site of Napoleon's tomb.
Despite their clear differences, Paris has emphasised that Mr Macron will work to reaffirm historic ties between the two allies to prevent the US from being isolated.
The two presidents reviewed the troops during the ceremony at Les Invalides
The two-day visit is seen as an opportunity to reaffirm US-France relations
Following the ceremony at Les Invalides the leaders moved on to the Élysée Palace.
Mr Trump will also dine with Mr Macron at the Eiffel Tower and watch the Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Élysées.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of US forces entering World War One, and for this occasion US and French troops will be marching together in the parade.
Speaking to the BBC, the former US diplomat and state department official, William Jordan, said the visit was likely to be viewed by Mr Trump as an opportunity for the US president to be "taken seriously in the world".
"I think that there's a lot of symbolism in this," he said, adding: "I doubt that there's going to be very much more beyond substantive discussion."
The presidents and their partners visited Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb
Demonstrations are expected. French protesters have planned a "No Trump Zone" at the Place de la Republique. The Facebook page for the event states: "Trump is not welcome in Paris".
Mr Trump's visit comes amid fresh allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, with his eldest son admitting he held a "nonsense" meeting that had promised Russian government information about his father's democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Mr Trump has since described the mood in the White House as "fantastic" and told Reuters that the administration was "functioning beautifully".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40597244
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Charlie Gard: US doctor offers to meet GOSH medical team - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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The US doctor offering to treat Charlie Gard will meet the baby's medical team to discuss his care.
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London
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New York physician Dr Michio Hirano has offered to treat Charlie in the US
The US neurologist Michio Hirano, who offered to treat terminally ill Charlie Gard, is due to meet the infant's medical team in London on Monday.
The High Court has resumed hearing a request to consider fresh evidence that experimental therapy offers a 10% chance of Charlie's health improving.
He has a rare genetic condition and is under the care of Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) doctors who argue that his brain damage is irreversible.
Further tests might settle the dispute.
In April, Mr Justice Francis ruled that life support should be removed and Charlie should be allowed to die with dignity.
He has a rare genetic condition called encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS) for which there is no known cure.
He cannot move, he is on life support, his heart, liver and kidneys are affected and it is unclear whether he feels any pain.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The six-year-old US boy who outlived medical expectations
Charlie's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, from Bedfont in west London, have lost a succession of court cases to overturn the judge's ruling.
The US President Donald Trump and Pope Francis have offered them support, along with New York physician Dr Hirano who has waived his anonymity and offered to treat Charlie in the US.
The case has returned to the High Court following reports of new data from foreign healthcare experts who suggest nucleoside therapy might improve Charlie's condition.
Mr Justice Francis said he intends to give his ruling on 25 July, after GOSH medics and Dr Hirano have had a chance to meet and discuss Charlie's care.
Connie Yates will be allowed to attend the experts' meeting on Monday, the judge has ruled
The size of Charlie's skull remains in dispute.
GOSH doctors previously said its size indicates a lack of brain function, but a lawyer for the family disputed the measurements and the judge said it was "absurd" the discrepancy was undermining the science of the case.
GOSH's lawyer said an MRI scan would allow for more accurate measurement but it would not be for therapeutic reasons. She also said an electroencephalogram (EEG) brain scan might detect whether Charlie was experiencing internal seizures that doctors were currently unaware of.
The judge said any tests would require the parents' consent and must be carried out prior to the medical experts' meeting on Monday.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40610501
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From angel to monster: 'My son was groomed to sell drugs' - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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Middle-class children are in danger of being groomed by criminal gangs to sell drugs, a report says.
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UK
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Children from middle-class backgrounds are in danger of being groomed by criminal gangs to sell drugs, a new report has found. One mother says her son turned from "an angel into a monster".
"I was going out there looking for him myself," Claire - not her real name - explains to the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme. "I was a nervous wreck."
In 2012, her son was exploited by a criminal gang to sell Class A drugs in his early teens, which led to him going missing for long periods of time - in one instance for three months.
"There was one occasion when he came home, and I heard a rustling at my door.
"To my horror, he was actually dealing from my home.
"He was getting calls on his mobile phone and asking whoever it was who was willing to purchase to come to my gate.
"Then it progressed to him being out on the streets most of the time - nowhere to be heard, nowhere to be seen."
Claire describes her son as being a high achiever at school, who "never had any problems with his behaviour".
"He was actually featured in the local newspaper for very good work," she adds.
Her story comes as a report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Runaway and Missing Children and Adults warns that children and young people from "stable and economically better-off backgrounds" are being drawn in, coerced and exploited by criminal gangs.
"Any child can be groomed for criminal exploitation," according to the report
Labour MP Ann Coffey, who chairs the group, told the programme: "People think it's children from a particular group that are vulnerable to this and of course they are vulnerable, but we also forget that it is all children and we have a duty to protect all children, including children from better-off backgrounds who we may not think are vulnerable to this kind of exploitation and may go unnoticed."
The report says children are being used in so-called "county lines" operations - supplying Class A drugs from urban areas to county towns.
It says such grooming of missing children is "very similar" to sexual exploitation, but that those drawn in are effectively being blamed for their own participation in criminal activity, rather than being considered a victim.
Exploited children can be perceived as having "made a choice" and be seen as criminals rather than victims of the gangs controlling them.
The report calls for the risks of grooming and exploitation to be taught in both primary and secondary schools.
"Any child can be groomed for criminal exploitation. It affects boys and girls," it adds.
The National Crime Agency says the issue has spread out from London gangs to the rest of the country, including Liverpool and Greater Manchester.
Claire believes her son was coerced into selling drugs.
"It could be that one of his peers, who had family members who were into criminal activity, asked their brother or sister to recruit within their mates," she says.
"There's the other side, where [he could have been] approached outside the school.
"I think personally he has gone through all of those stages."
Claire says she "screamed and shouted" for support
Asked if she received any help from social services, she says: "Unfortunately with every service I was always told my son would have to have worse problems to have the support that I needed.
"I have screamed, I have shouted, I have done everything possible to try and prevent my son from getting deeper.
"Every way I turned I was backed up in a corner."
Referring to Claire's case, Ann Coffey says: "Her son's missing episodes were perhaps not seen in the way that they should have been because maybe the agencies didn't connect the risk to him in the way they might have done to another child from another different kind of background."
The cross-party report also called for a new national database for missing people, noting a lack of information-sharing that Claire also experienced.
"There has to be a response team that's working together, because I had to be dealing with so many services just for one child," she says.
"There was never anybody who could see what the other person was doing."
The government made tackling county lines one of its priorities in 2016 for ending gang violence and exploitation, saying: "It is essential that police forces and their partners develop an understanding of what this means locally."
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "There is more that all partners can do, which is why we are tackling county lines through a national action plan and reviewing our cross-government strategy on missing children and adults and developing a clear implementation plan for delivery."
Claire says she just feels "fortunate" that her son is still alive.
"He nearly passed away after being stabbed," she explains.
"He's alive and he's in a hospital bed, but when I saw him I broke down.
"His words to me were: 'I'm all right, Mum, I'm OK - it could have been worse.'"
Asked for her advice for any parents in similar situations, she says: "Reach out - reach out for any help you can get."
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40605413
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Trump and Macron: An unlikely friendship is born - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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US President Donald Trump forms a close alliance with President Emmanuel Macron during his Paris trip.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Toned-down Trump: What happened to the tough talk on Paris?
President Trump has made a new friend - Emmanuel Macron, the French president. The alliance, say analysts, is good for both Europe and the US.
Trump and Macron sat next to each other and watched a Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Elysees.
Trump put his hand on Macron's shoulder. A moment later Macron placed his hand on the other man's back, a sign of their new friendship.
French and US troops both marched in the parade, honouring the fact that the Americans helped France survive two world wars. More recently French and US militaries have worked together to combat al-Qaeda in West Africa and the Islamic State group in Syria.
Afterwards Trump headed back to the US, and one of his advisors, Thomas Bossert, who was travelling with him, talked about the importance of the friendship between the two leaders.
While the president was in a private cabin on Air Force One, Bossert told me and other reporters on the aeroplane that Trump and Macron would now be able work together more closely on issues such as counterterrorism and defence.
"The relationship that the two presidents has forged will increase the trust that's required" for intelligence sharing and other delicate matters, Bossert explained.
Their friendship came about in a surprising way.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The US president and his French counterpart shared a handshake that seemed like it would never end
When they met in Brussels in May, Macron gave Trump a manly hand shake, showing he was a force to be reckoned with. Trump also made something clear during his first trip to Europe as president: he expected a lot from his friends.
Trump said that members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) should increase their defence spending. A European official who's close to Macron told me that Trump also shared an idea with them about the contributions to Nato that members make.
The European official said that Trump wanted to present Macron with an invoice on camera as a way of showing that the French should pay more money for their defence.
The Europeans said they did not like the idea of a mini-drama about Nato spending, while a White House official told me the president never suggested it.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The US president told Brigitte Macron she was "in good shape"
The discrepancy in these two accounts hints at a bigger problem: Trump hasn't gotten along with Europeans. He made disparaging remarks about Nato and pulled the US out of the 2015 Paris climate accord.
Afterwards Macron called Trump, asking him to come to Paris for Bastille Day.
"Macron's invitation to Trump was a bold stroke," said Charles Kupchan, who served as the national security council's senior director during the Obama administration.
Macron's invitation was a subtle form of flattery, a national pastime in France, but in this case there was more than a kernel of sincerity too.
"If Macron is seen to be trying to ingratiate himself, that is in itself flattering," said Richard Stengel, who served as an under secretary of state for the Obama administration and is the author of a book called You're Too Kind: A Brief History of Flattery.
Macron did not agree with much of what Trump has said and done since taking office, but still Macron wanted to get along. France's relationship with the US - for military and other reasons - is considered to be a top priority for Macron and his deputies.
The official visit saw a few protesters
"They need to make sure they don't screw it up," said Jeremy Shapiro, former US state department official.
The charm strategy worked - in part because Macron had a willing victim. Trump likes to single people out in hostile-ish groups and turn them into allies. In Europe, an area filled with leaders who resent Trump, Macron offered hope.
Besides that, as the German Marshall Fund's Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, said: "Trump has a lot of respect for Macron."
Trump arrived in Paris on Thursday. That evening he and Macron sat at a table in Jules Verne, a restaurant on top of the Eiffel Tower with a spectacular view of the city, and they talked about food.
Watching the Bastille Day parade, Trump spoke to Macron in an animated way, throwing his arms around. The troops wore white gloves and feathered hats, and they carried swords and marched in lockstep. They looked like tin solders come to life, and Trump clapped exuberantly.
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Trump has said lots of bad things about Europe, but Macron managed to turn things around.
He gave a speech that afternoon with Trump standing next to him. At the end of his remarks, Macron said: "Vive la France."
It was a European sentiment that Trump - at least for the moment - embraced.
• None What is the Paris climate agreement?
• None What has Trump said about your country?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40613719
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Bradley Lowery funeral: Thousands pay respects to youngster - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Footballer Jermain Defoe is among the funeral cortege as it brings Bradley's home town to a standstill.
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England
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Thousands of mourners have lined the streets of Bradley Lowery's home town for his funeral.
The six-year-old Sunderland fan, from Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, died on Friday following a cancer fight.
Footballer Jermain Defoe, who forged a strong bond with Bradley, joined his family in the cortege.
The service, held at St Joseph's Church in the village, paid tribute to an "incredible little boy with a huge personality".
The funeral cortege was led out by a bagpiper
An emotional Jermain Defoe wore an England shirt bearing Bradley's name
Ex Sunderland boss David Moyes was among the high-profile names from football in attendance
Roads leading to the church were decked with balloons and tributes. Messages and mementos were also left outside Sunderland's Stadium of Light.
Speakers broadcast the funeral service to the crowds outside the church who were unable to make it inside.
Bradley's family wore football shirts in honour of his love of the sport.
His mother, Gemma, told the congregation: "He had a smile so big and beautiful it could brighten any room. A real brave superhero, he left us all too soon.
"He touched the hearts of many - the most inspirational boy. A loving, caring son and brother - a beautiful star.
"Although your time with us was short, you must have a job to do in heaven with the angels as God has chosen you.
"For now my baby we'll say goodbye. We'll meet again our superhero high up in the sky."
Tributes to the youngster lined the route of the cortege
Almost every inch of the cortege route was lined with balloons
Mourners wearing football tops decorated the route of the funeral cortege with balloons
Shops along the cortege route were decked with balloons and tribute posters
Hundreds of tributes were left outside Sunderland's Stadium of Light where Bradley was a mascot
Almost all the mourners wore football shirts at the request of Bradley's family
Father Ian Jackson told mourners: "Today the football world stands united, whatever our colours, to pay their respects to this incredible little boy with a huge personality.
"As a big football fan, Bradley saw that sport teaches us the basic life lesson that one must get up after getting knocked down. It taught him to never ever quit."
A vigil and minute's applause were also held at Grey's Monument in Newcastle city centre to coincide with the funeral, while balloons were released at the Sunderland's ground.
A single piper led the funeral procession and the applause down the street could be heard well before the horse and carriage carrying Bradley's coffin could be seen.
It was preceded by a collection of superheroes - including Batman, Spider-Man and Captain America.
Bradley's parents, Gemma and Carl, followed the hearse and behind them came footballer Jermain Defoe - who had flown back in from a pre-season training camp in Spain.
There followed a number of players and staff from Bradley's beloved Sunderland.
At the family's request, hundreds wore football shirts including the red and white of Sunderland, black and white of Newcastle, blue of Everton and green and white of Celtic.
One mourner observed aloud that Bradley had opened the world's eyes to childhood cancer.
Having been in remission following treatment, he relapsed last year and his parents were told in December his illness was terminal.
In the months before his death he struck up a friendship with Defoe, who called him a "little superstar".
Bradley also led out the England team at Wembley, attended the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards and was a special guest at the Grand National.
Tributes poured in from around the world when his parents announced his death on Facebook.
Bradley was invited to the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year event
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40595727
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Newspaper headlines: Brexit bill 'revolt' and Max's law vote - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Opposition to the government's proposed legislation to convert EU law to UK features across the papers.
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The Papers
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The Times considers attempts by French President Emmanuel Macron to shape what it calls a special but critical relationship with the US
The government's repeal bill, which will convert EU legislation into British law, is dismissed by the Guardian as a "bodge-job".
The paper expresses concern about the use of what are known as Henry VIII powers, which it believes will lead to ministers wielding a formidable weapon of executive control without accountability.
The Times shares such concerns, saying ministerial powers are too broad.
The details of Brexit are too important to be left to ministers and civil servants, argues the paper.
Instead, they should be hammered out in Parliament.
The Financial Times describes the government's repeal bill as a largely technical measure that will ensure legal continuity after Brexit.
But it warns that it will become a legislative quagmire when MPs start debating it in the autumn.
The Daily Mirror also takes up the theme, predicting months of parliamentary warfare.
The Daily Mail wonders why the bill has created hysteria, describing the government's approach as common sense.
The paper say it is a straightforward and eminently workable bill.
The Daily Express describes it as entirely necessary and a vital part of the Brexit process, while the Sun says the legislation is harmless.
The Times considers attempts by French President Emmanuel Macron to shape what it calls a special but critical relationship with the US.
It talks of him as trying to portray himself as America's best friend in Europe.
With Theresa May embroiled in Brexit negotiations, the Times says Mr Macron has moved to fill the void with fulsome expressions of support for the US and its president.
The Daily Telegraph suggests that by bringing Mr Trump to Paris, Mr Macron has clearly stolen a march on the embattled Mrs May.
There are many reflections on the life of the Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Liu Xiaobo, who died on Thursday from liver cancer at a heavily-guarded hospital.
For the Guardian, the fact that he was still held over his peaceful call for democratic reform, almost nine years ago, is China's shame and a stain on the world's conscience.
The Telegraph says that although he became a hero to Chinese dissidents, the country's strict censorship of the media meant most people there had probably never heard of him.
The Times sees Mr Lui's death as a reminder that China has a long distance to travel before it can class itself as a free moral nation.
The skeleton of Hope the blue whale went on show in the entrance hall of the Natural History Museum, in London, on Thursday.
For the Mail, it is the attraction's most jaw-dropping exhibit, while the chief art critic of the Times gives it five stars.
Rachel Campbell-Johnston describes how the skeleton seems almost to swoop down upon you.
She concludes: "How can you help but be awestruck?"
The skeleton of the blue whale Hope appears at the Natural History Museum
The sports pages are dominated by Briton Johanna Konta's defeat in the Wimbledon semi-final.
The Telegraph says her hopes were crushed by a ruthless performance by the five-times champion, Venus Williams.
The i talks of Konta being overwhelmed by the power and grace of the ageless US player, while the Mail says she was blown away by a pace attack.
The Daily Mirror says it was a painful loss, but believes it is just the beginning for Konta.
The Sun also strikes an optimistic tone, saying she has vowed to "win it one day".
Greatness, suggests the Guardian, remains tantalisingly within reach, and Konta must believe she can grab it.
The Daily Mail highlights concerns from health campaigners that victims of suspected heart attacks and strokes will have to wait 10 minutes longer for an ambulance.
In its editorial, the paper says health bosses are playing with lives and it predicts they will come to regret the decision.
The Times believes an overhaul is needed, but thinks the unions have a point when they say removing inefficiency will not make problems in the system go away.
The Daily Mirror continues its campaign to change the organ donor rules in England so every person is deemed a donor unless they opt out.
It reports that Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson is planning to introduce a private member's bill to bring in such a change.
The Mirror highlights the case of nine-year-old Max Johnson, who is awaiting a heart transplant, and says the change would give him and other children a better chance.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40603181
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Janet Commins: How police caught her killer after 41 years - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The 1976 killing of a 15-year-old girl had a "profound and devastating" effect on the town of Flint.
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North East Wales
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Stephen Hough was trapped by his DNA after 40 years
The killing of Flintshire schoolgirl Janet Commins made headlines across the UK in 1976. Now, ex-soldier Stephen Hough has been jailed for 12 years for her rape and manslaughter. He was caught by his DNA 40 years on, even though another man spent six years in prison for the crime.
On the evening of 7 January 1976, 15-year-old Janet Commins asked her mother Eileen if she could go swimming with her friends.
Her mother said no, as she thought Janet looked a bit pale, but the teenager sneaked out of the family's bungalow in King Edward Drive anyway, leaving a note to say she would be back by half past eight.
Four days later, Janet's lifeless body was found under a thicket near a school playing field by three girls playing hide and seek. She had been suffocated during a savage sexual assault.
She had bruising under her chin, abrasions to her neck and a wound in her scalp.
Her body had been dragged along the ground and although she was still clothed, both her shoes were missing.
Mud found on Janet's clothing indicated part of the attack took place at the town's Gorsedd Circle, a permanent reminder of when the National Eisteddfod came to Flint in 1969.
The town - at that time a small, close-knit community - went into shock.
"It had a profound and devastating effect on Flint," said local councillor Alex Aldridge.
"It was an extraordinary feeling, I had a daughter who was just under two at the time and to think a young girl had befallen this awful fate, robbed of life.
"It's something you'll never forget. It's still raw and it's still hurtful."
Police mounted a huge manhunt, drafting in about 120 officers to scour the area around the crime scene and conduct house-to-house inquiries.
Journalist Paul Mewies, who covered the story at the time, said it made the headlines across the UK.
Janet's body was found hidden under bushes near Gwynedd Primary School
"I can remember how not just the town of Flint but a much wider area was shocked by this awful case - the fact that a schoolgirl was killed on a playing field," he said.
"It stuck in my mind. I've reported on a number of tragedies over my career but this one does stand out."
Ann Dunn, who lived close to the field where Janet's body was discovered, remembers the town "swarming with policemen".
"It was quite upsetting," she said. "There was a lot of fear at the time. People were frightened it would happen again."
About 10,000 people were quizzed by police and all local men aged 17-22 were asked to account for their movements.
Among them was Stephen Hough, who had turned 17 the day after Janet's body was found and whose grandparents' house overlooked the area where her body had been hidden.
But police ruled him out after he told them he had been stealing petrol on the night of the killing - a crime for which he was later prosecuted and fined.
Police scoured the area around the crime scene for clues
Their attention turned to Noel Jones, a barely literate 18-year-old traveller from Coedpoeth, Wrexham.
He was picked up the day Janet's body was discovered and at first denied all knowledge of the crime.
But later his girlfriend told police he had confessed to killing Janet and had asked her to provide him with an alibi.
After two days of questioning, he signed two detailed confession statements.
On the second day of his murder trial in June 1976, he admitted manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
As Noel Jones served his time, Hough must have thought he had got away with it.
All local men aged 17-22 were asked to account for their movements on the night Janet died
But 41 years on, advances in DNA profiling finally brought him to justice.
In 2006, police carried out a cold case review and DNA from a man was identified in samples which had been taken from Janet's body and stored for three decades.
Ten years after that, police took a sample of Hough's DNA when he was arrested for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl - a crime he later admitted and for which he has been given three years in prison.
In a routine cross-matching exercise, it was linked to sperm cells found on Janet's body.
Mold Crown Court heard there was a billion-to-one chance it did not belong to Hough.
Despite the evidence, Hough insisted he was innocent - repeatedly answering "no comment" in police interviews and telling the court he had "no explanation" for why his DNA was found on Janet's body.
The jury cleared him of murder but convicted him of Janet's rape, sexual assault and manslaughter.
The case also throws a spotlight on policing practices 40 years ago.
Giving evidence by video link, Noel Jones described the six years he spent in prison as a "nightmare" which "absolutely destroyed my life".
He has never challenged his conviction, but says he is innocent and only confessed because police had pressured and coerced him.
The man who led the original investigation, Eric Evans - who later rose to the rank of deputy chief constable - also gave evidence at Hough's trial.
He told the court nobody thought to offer Noel Jones a solicitor during the initial stages of his questioning because he wanted to investigate "properly and thoroughly".
Police could be "impeded" by solicitors representing clients, he said, adding that "there was no requirement in those days for a person to be advised that he could have a solicitor".
It remains to be seen what action will now be taken over Noel Jones' conviction.
Residents laid flowers in Janet's memory on Flint's Gorsedd stones after Hough's arrest in September 2016
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is probing the North Wales force's handling of the original case in 1976 and when it was revisited 30 years later.
Whatever the outcome of that investigation, Janet's family now knows for sure who killed her.
"I hope there is closure for her mum," said councillor Alex Aldridge. "The law has completed its part but no matter what the verdict, the loss is beyond belief."
"This young girl never experienced life, possibly getting married, having children, becoming a grandmother.
"Flint will never forget Janet. It's four generations now - over 40 years - and her memory is as fresh today, in a good way, that we are remembering and honouring her name."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-40568522
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Reality Check: Does the repeal bill repeal EU laws? - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The government has published the bill on how EU laws will be transferred to UK law.
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UK Politics
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The claim: Brexit Secretary David Davis said in March that the repeal bill would allow the UK Parliament and Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland administrations to scrap, amend and improve laws.
Reality Check verdict: The bill will repeal the European Communities Act, but it will not change EU laws - it will turn them into UK laws. The UK could, if it wanted to, make changes to those laws after it leaves the EU, probably in 2019.
Prime Minister Theresa May says that after Brexit, UK laws will be "made not in Brussels but in Westminster".
In order to do this, her government will use its Brexit repeal bill, officially called the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill.
The bill will do two things.
First, the bill will repeal the European Communities Act, the British law that took the UK into the European Community in 1973 and established the supremacy of EU law over domestic legislation.
Second, it will transpose the entire body of EU legislation into domestic law.
The UK Parliament currently has no power to repeal EU legislation.
It is hard to calculate exactly what proportion of UK laws come from the EU - estimates range from 13% to 60%.
Transposing EU legislation into domestic law will not be a simple "copy and paste" job. The House of Commons library says it could be "one of the largest legislative projects ever undertaken in the UK".
Many EU laws, for example on the environment, refer to EU agencies that the UK will no longer be part of when it leaves the Union.
The repeal bill will have to find new ways of making those rules part of UK law. Any rules that cannot be transferred will have to be repealed.
The government has controversial plans to give ministers the power to make changes to some laws without full Parliamentary scrutiny, which could add further complications.
They are known as Henry VIII clauses, after the Statute of Proclamations 1539, which gave the king power to legislate by proclamation.
Some opposition politicians are concerned this could mean an executive power grab - the government changing laws without proper scrutiny by MPs. The government says these powers will only be used to deal with EU-related gaps in the law, not to make substantive policy changes.
After the bill comes into effect, probably in March 2019, the UK Parliament, and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, will be able to amend, scrap or keep laws that originated from the EU.
That process is likely to take many years.
UPDATE 13 July 2017: This article was updated to include the publication of the bill and its official name.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39445825
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'Rooney to China'?: The real impact of fake football news - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Dubiously sourced rumours about transfers spread wildly on social media, but do they actually influence the game?
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BBC Trending
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This spoof news story was widely circulated on Facebook
Dubiously sourced rumours about football transfers spread wildly on social media, and while experts say they don't usually affect where players end up, they can put pressure on clubs and move betting markets.
It's a type of story that long pre-dates the current mania about "fake news". Transfer rumours have long dominated the back pages of newspapers during the summer transfer window, and many commentators view such stories as pure speculation. Take, for instance, Match of the Day presenter and former England player Gary Lineker who recently tweeted: "90% of transfer stories are guesswork in the hope of getting lucky."
But just like in many other areas of the media and entertainment industries, social media is changing the game when it comes to transfer rumours - in this case allowing fake stories to spread wider and faster than ever before.
To take one example, as speculation surged recently around the impending transfer of Wayne Rooney, a satirical story was posted on a popular Facebook group, "Manchester United Dream Team Forever", which has more than 550,000 members.
The story was created by a humour website, "Soccer on Saturday". Most who clicked on it would have picked up on the satire right away - the story was packed with jokes about Chinese politics, Rooney's hairline, his recent form and much else besides.
However, when viewed on Facebook, the article could easily be mistake for a legitimate news headline. It features a Photoshopped image of Rooney standing with a club official, holding a Shanghai shirt with his name and number printed on the back and the headline "Rooney Signs for Shanghai in £700,000 per week Deal".
It's unclear how many people clicked beyond the headline and noticed the jokes and fictitious quotes in the actual story, and of course any misapprehension was quashed when Rooney signed for Everton, his boyhood team. But can fake headlines impact the transfer market while negotiations between clubs are ongoing?
Raffaele Pilo, Head of CIES Football Observatory based in Switzerland, investigates the value of football players. He tells BBC Trending radio that individuals involved in transfer negotiations have an incentive to encourage rumours, regardless of whether they're accurate or not.
"Sometimes, spreading rumours gives an indication that a player is on the market… or if there is a negotiation, it puts pressure on the buying club," Pilo says.
In this vein, players themselves often fuel speculation by posting subtle - or not-so-subtle - hints on social media, possibly in an effort to increase their value.
Wayne Farry, a sports writer for the website JOE.co.uk, says that players are increasingly using their big social media followings to influence transfers. One example from this summer has been Kylian Mbappe, a young Monaco striker who's been linked with moves to Real Madrid, Arsenal and Liverpool. Mbappe recently changed his Twitter header to a photo showing him celebrating a goal in front of an advertising hoarding with the word "Priceless" written on it:
Real Madrid and other clubs are reportedly interested in Mbappe Lotte, who's valued at roughly £100 million
It was a change that, perhaps predictably, fuelled tremendous speculation online. The striker's name has been mentioned more than 800,000 times on Twitter in the last month.
"Even if there had not been any bids, that level of [online] interest would have pushed the hand of the club to have to do something," Farry says. "You either sell and grant the player his move, or you increase his contract."
Rumours also have an impact beyond contracts and transfer fees. Farry says the whispers can have a big effect on betting markets, where punters can gamble on which club a player or manager moves to next.
For instance in June, Spanish-born manager and former Real Madrid defender Fernando Hierro became an unlikely favourite for the vacant Leeds United managerial position, largely due to social media. On 13 June, a Twitter user messaged betting company Sky Bet, asking for Hierro to be added to the Leeds United manager betting market. Sky obliged, and listed Hierro's odds at 33/1.
After seeing Hierro's name appear on the list, many punters began to bet on his appointment, and social media speculation was rampant. This process drove down his odds, which eventually reached 2/1 - leading some publications to label Hierro a favourite for the job.
Farry says he's observed this same process several times. When a potential manager is added to a betting list, Ferry says, people often assume that the betting company has some sort of inside information. Twitter speculation can drive a surge of bets, which can drive down the odds of the new candidate - which generates further rumours that they might be in line for the job.
In the case of Hierro, the fan who requested the bet had no inside knowledge. He later stated on Twitter:
And, as it turns out, all the speculation was wrong. Former Barcelona player Thomas Christiansen has since been appointed as Leeds manager, leaving Hierro punters without a payout.
You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-40574049
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Vogue sorry for Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik 'gender fluid' claim - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Some weren't happy that the magazine said Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid were "gender fluid".
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Entertainment & Arts
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Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid in the US Vogue photoshoot
US Vogue has apologised for "missing the mark" by saying Zayn Malik and his girlfriend Gigi Hadid were "embracing gender fluidity".
In an interview, the former One Directioner and the US model talked about borrowing each other's clothes.
They were photographed in colourful, fairly androgynous clothes.
But readers mocked the magazine for its definition of the phrase, pointing out that what you wear does not make you "gender fluid".
Many on social media pointed out that the term refers to people with a particular transgender identity, who do not conform to societal expectations of male or female or identify as either.
For instance Jacob Tobia wrote in Cosmopolitan: "If you're going to talk about a marginalised community, talk to that community.
"Unlike how this new Vogue cover shoot presents it, the lived experience of being gender-nonconforming is rarely that fun and glamorous."
Vogue describes a conversation between the pair, with Hadid telling Malik: "I shop in your closet all the time, don't I?".
The 24-year-old singer then replies that he borrowed an Anna Sui T-shirt from her, adding: "I like that shirt. And if it's tight on me, so what? It doesn't matter if it was made for a girl."
Hadid, 22, agrees, saying: "Totally. It's not about gender. It's about, like, shapes. And what feels good on you that day.
"And anyway, it's fun to experiment."
Vogue writer Maya Singer comments in the piece, in US Vogue's August issue, that for many young people "gender is a more or less arbitrary distraction" and that there is "a terrific opportunity for play".
She says "this new blase attitude toward gender codes marks a radical break", adding: "For these millennials, at least, descriptives like boy or girl rank pretty low on the list of important qualities - and the way they dress reflects that."
But poet Tyler Ford, who's quoted in the accompanying article exploring gender norms, tweeted (with an eyeroll emoji): "The only mention of the word 'trans' is by me via interview."
Journalist and author Hannah Orenstein said she would have preferred Tyler to have been profiled instead of Hadid and Malik, tweeting: "Zayn and Gigi are profiled in this piece on gender fluidity because... they borrow each other's clothes sometimes?"
Another reader noted on Twitter: "Y'all notice Zayn isn't out here wearing dresses."
And Colette Fahy wrote: "All Z & G say is that they borrow each other's clothes. Such a big jump for the mag to declare gender fluidity."
In a statement issued on Friday, a Vogue spokeswoman said: "The story was intended to highlight the impact the gender-fluid, non-binary communities have had on fashion and culture.
"We are very sorry the story did not correctly reflect that spirit - we missed the mark.
"We do look forward to continuing the conversation with greater sensitivity."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40608053
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Dirty Dancing wedding practice knocks out couple - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Andy Price was given a CT scan after his wedding dance practice went badly wrong.
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Bristol
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'We were both flat out on the floor'
A couple knocked themselves unconscious practising a lift from classic 1980s film Dirty Dancing for their wedding.
Sharon Price and fiance Andy Price were trying to recreate its final dance scene in a pub garden in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.
Mr Price said: "I was concussed. I was out. I ended up in a neck brace and had to have a CT scan.
"We were about 30ft apart and Sharon ran and I grabbed her hips and the next thing we knew we were flat out."
Mr Price said he had a mild heart attack several years ago and so the medical experts were "just being careful" with the tests they ran.
They were discharged from hospital six hours later.
The couple were about 30ft apart when Sharon started the run up towards her fiance for the Dirty Dancing lift
"Dirty Dancing" began trending on Twitter as news of the couple's mishap spread around the world.
The 1987 film, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, is one of Ms Price's favourite films.
"I've always watched it and me and my daughter watch it, over and over again," she said.
"We thought it would be something different. Everybody else slow dances, so we thought we'd jazz it up a bit."
Andy said the the next thing he knew they were "flat out on the floor" and he was unconscious
On Saturday, on the "spur of the moment", the couple decided to "get a bit of practice in" and try out the famous Hollywood dance move.
"There was no build up, no warm up and that was it," said Mr Price.
"I think I knocked myself out hitting the floor as hard as I did. I wasn't too aware of what was going on after that."
Ms Price is also unsure: "I can remember running towards Andy and then the next thing just struggling for breath and my back was hurting."
With him "in and out of consciousness" and her conscious but "struggling for breath" - an ambulance and rapid response vehicle were called and the couple were taken to Southmead Hospital.
Sharon and Andy were hoping to recreate a scene from the 1987 film, shown here in a stage musical version
The couple are now going to do a safer slow dance "smooch" when they marry next year
The couple, who coincidentally have the same surnames, said they would rethink their first dance for the wedding.
"I don't think we'll have that one at the wedding, I think we'll go for a traditional slow one and I'll let Andy choose," said Ms Price.
#DirtyDancing was one of the top hashtags in the UK on Twitter earlier.
Worldwide there was a 92% increase in people using the hashtag earlier compared to the previous six hours, according to social media measurement tool Spredfast.
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There was also a spike in people searching for Dirty Dancing online with lots of people searching for "Dirty Dancing Bristol".
The story made the news around the world including in Australia, the US and Ireland.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-40598537
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Turkey dismisses thousands a year after coup attempt - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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It comes on the eve of the first anniversary of a coup attempt that led to more than 250 deaths.
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Europe
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Turkey has seen mass arrests and dismissals in the public sector since the 2016 coup attempt
Turkey has dismissed more than 7,000 police, ministry staff and academics, ahead of the first anniversary of an attempted coup.
It comes as part of a major purge of state institutions, including the judiciary, police and education, in response to last year's unrest.
On Saturday, Turkey marks one year since rogue soldiers bombed buildings and opened fire on civilians.
More than 250 people were killed in the violence.
The Turkish authorities accuse a movement loyal to the Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, of organising the July 2016 plot to bring down President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Mr Gulen, who remains in the United States, denies any involvement. Washington has so far resisted calls from the Turkish authorities to extradite the cleric.
The latest dismissals came in a decree from 5 June but only published by the official government Gazette on Friday.
It says the employees are people "who it's been determined have been acting against the security of the state or are members of a terrorist organisation".
Among those listed were 2,303 police officers and 302 university academics. Another 342 retired officers and soldiers were stripped of their ranks and grades, Reuters reports.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC speaks to man run over by tanks during the attempted coup
Turkey has already dismissed more than 150,000 officials since the coup attempt, and arrested another 50,000 from the military, police and other sectors.
The government says the measures are necessary given the security threats it faces but critics say Mr Erdogan is using the purges to stifle political dissent.
Istanbul is awash with giant anniversary billboards and posters showing people confronting pro-coup soldiers.
Huge rallies are due to take place, with President Erdogan, who avoided capture last year, addressing parliament at the exact time that it was bombed.
He and his supporters see the defeat of the coup as Turkey's rebirth, but for others it's less triumphant, says the BBC's Mark Lowen.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40612056
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Home Office fined £366,900 for breaking pay cap for abuse inquiry chief - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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Home Office fined £366,900 for failing to get approval for pay cap-busting salary for Alexis Jay.
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UK Politics
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Professor Jay was a panel member before being named chair
The Home Office has been fined £366,900 for breaching the government's senior salary pay cap when it appointed the head of a child sex abuse inquiry.
It was penalised by the Treasury for failing to get clearance in advance before agreeing to pay Professor Alexis Jay £185,000 a year.
Since 2010, all jobs with salaries of more than £142,500 agreed by ministers have had to be signed off in advance.
The Home Office said it had reviewed procedures to avoid future breaches.
Prof Jay became the fourth chair of the troubled inquiry after replacing Lowell Goddard in August 2016.
The fine also relates to the pay of the inquiry's three panel members one of whom, Drusilla Sharpling, received a basic salary of £152,424 in 2015-6.
On becoming chancellor in 2010, George Osborne ruled that public servants directly appointed by ministers should not be paid more than then Prime Minister David Cameron - who was earning £142,500 at the time - unless they were approved by the Treasury.
It was part of an austerity drive which saw the pay of ministers cut by 5% and then frozen for five years.
Prof Jay was named as chair by Home Secretary Amber Rudd at short notice in August 2016. Her predecessor, a leading New Zealand judge, resigned suddenly following criticism of her conduct of the troubled inquiry.
The inquiry is investigating historical allegations of sex abuse against local authorities, religious organisations, the armed forces and public and private institutions - as well as people in the public eye - spanning decades.
The leading academic and child protection expert was already a panel member, working in that capacity alongside Ms Sharpling, barrister Ivor Frank and academic Professor Malcolm Evans.
Details of the "exemplary fine" emerged in the Home Office's accounts for the past financial year.
A Home Office spokesman said the department had been punished for having to secure "retrospective approval" for Prof Jay's salary when she became chair as well as the remuneration of other panel members agreed when the inquiry was set up in 2015.
"The Treasury has the power to consider fines for departments who breach agreed spending control processes, including those relating to senior salary approval," it said.
"The Home Office have since reviewed appointment procedures to prevent further such breaches."
The fine does not relate to Dame Lowell Goddard's remuneration
The Home Office said Prof Jay had been appointed swiftly in order to minimise disruption to the inquiry and this meant getting sign-off for her salary "in parallel" with her appointment - which was subsequently approved.
According to the inquiry's accounts, Prof Jay was paid £118,360 for the period from 18 August 2016 to 31 March 2017. She also received an £27,478 accommodation allowance and expenses of £2,281.
She also received £34,465 for her work as a panel member during the first four months of the financial year before becoming its chair.
The accounts show Ms Sharpling was paid £152,285 in 2015-6, rising to £154,423 in 2016-7. The inquiry has agreed to subsidise 80% of what she was earning in her previous capacity as Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary.
Over the same period, Prof Evans was paid £65,540 while Mr Frank received £96,332,50. In the past financial year, these salaries - which are set at a fixed rate of £565 a day - rose to £76,840 and £138,990 retrospectively.
The Home Office stressed the fine did not relate to Dame Lowell Goddard's remuneration arrangements, which were heavily criticised during her 16 months in the post, but for which officials said "all the necessary approvals" had been granted.
In 2015-6, she was paid £355,000 and received an accommodation and utilities allowance worth £119,207. She also received £29,156 in relocation costs and £75,246 in travel costs including the cost of air fares between the UK and New Zealand.
She was paid £123,871 for the period between 1 April and her resignation on 4 August 2016 while her allowances and expenses for the period totalled more than £80,000.
The inquiry has been beset by problems since its inception with its first two chairs, Lady Butler-Sloss and Dame Fiona Woolf, stepping down before beginning their work. The inquiry's chief lawyer, Ben Emmerson, resigned last year but Prof Jay has insisted it is continuing with its work.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40610167
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Tim Farron: I decided to quit before general election - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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The outgoing Lib Dem leader denies deceiving voters by continuing to campaign.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tim Farron told 5 live's Emma Barnett he "had a cry" when his 15-year-old texted him
Outgoing Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has revealed he decided to quit several weeks before the general election but did not announce his decision publicly.
Mr Farron said he had put the decision "to bed" about two weeks into the campaign, and denied deceiving voters by continuing to fight the election.
"I absolutely threw everything at it," he said.
He announced his departure six days after polling day, saying he was "torn" between the leadership and his faith.
The Liberal Democrats increased their tally of seats from nine to 12 at last month's general election, but their vote share fell from 7.9% to 7.4%.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5 live's Emma Barnett, Mr Farron said that under his leadership, the party had "left intensive care and is back relevant".
"My job was to save the party," he said.
"The Liberal Democrats still exist and we're moving forward."
Mr Farron faced repeated questions about his views on gay sex during the campaign, and when he announced his resignation, said he had found it impossible to be a committed Christian and lead a "progressive liberal party".
Asked about his decision to quit, he said he had not wanted to "become the story".
"I made the decision about two weeks into the election campaign," he said.
"I thought there isn't a way forward out of this without me either compromising or just causing damage to the party in the long run."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tim Farron: Living as a Christian and being a political leader 'has felt impossible'
He said he had told himself to "put that into a drawer, don't talk to anybody else about it, get on and do as good a job as you can during the election".
Mr Farron said this had "not in the slightest" deceived voters, adding that "in every election there is a reasonable chance that leaders will step down".
"I just thought 'I am here to do a job,'" he said.
A leadership contest is under way to replace Mr Farron - and with a week to go before nominations close, just one candidate, former Business Secretary Sir Vince Cable, has come forward.
Mr Farron - who criticised Theresa May's unopposed "coronation" as Tory leader - said Sir Vince had already been subject to "plenty of scrutiny".
"If there's only one candidate, then that's how it is," he added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40598913
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Behold Jupiter's Great Red Spot - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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A Nasa probe returns the most detailed pictures ever of one of the Solar System's biggest storms.
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Science & Environment
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Jason Major, a JunoCam citizen scientist and a graphic designer from Warwick, Rhode Island, took the raw images from the probe to create this perspective
An American space agency probe has returned the most detailed pictures ever of Jupiter's Great Red Spot.
The Juno spacecraft passed over the giant storm on Monday as it continued with its series of close passes of the gaseous world.
The pictures of the spot reveal the intricate nature of its swirls which encompass a region bigger than Earth.
Juno's instruments all acquired data during the pass which should now provide fresh insight on the storm.
The raw images that come down from Juno are a lot more washed out. Citizen scientists like to accentuate the colours and contrast to highlight features that might otherwise be overlooked
It has been a particularly long-lived feature on Jupiter, but there is evidence that the 16,350-km-wide oval has actually been shrinking of late.
The Great Red Spot has persisted for centuries. Scientists are keen to learn its secrets and Juno provides the key
"For hundreds of years scientists have been observing, wondering and theorising about Jupiter's Great Red Spot," Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, said in a Nasa statement.
"Now we have the best pictures ever of this iconic storm. It will take us some time to analyse all the data from not only JunoCam, but Juno’s eight science instruments, to shed some new light on the past, present and future of the Great Red Spot."
Scientists describe the storm as something similar to a hurricane - but there are significant differences between that kind of storm on Earth and what we see at Jupiter. Many behaviours are not the same.
For example, hurricanes on Earth quickly lose energy when they leave the ocean surface and pass over land - but on Jupiter, there is no land. Indeed, researchers are not even sure there exists any kind of hard surface under the planet's clouds.
This could be an explanation for why the spot has persisted for centuries. But Juno hopes to resolve such puzzles.
It has the instrumentation to determine the precise chemical composition of the oval's clouds, to sense their temperature and structure, and to measure how deep they go. There is a suspicion that the spot has very deep roots.
The mission should reveal the spot's internal structure and how deep its roots go
Jonathan Nichols, a British science team-member from the University of Leicester, marvelled at the new pictures.
"These images are stunning, and reveal Jupiter's Great Red Spot in all its glory," he told BBC News.
"From the three swirls inside the deep red core to the waves and vortices orbiting it, the images reveal the power and chaos of this iconic storm.
"The light and dark shades reveal the wind flow in the spot and potentially the 3D structure of the cloud decks. But the images are also a perfect convergence of science and art, revealing the awesome beauty of the giant planet.
"The quality of these data are superb, and it bodes well for further Juno data that will reveal how deep into the atmosphere the Great Red Spot extends."
Juno has been at Jupiter for just over a year. It flies large ellipses around the planet, coming in close every 53 days.
Monday’s pass saw it skim just 3,500km above the cloudtops at one point. When it travelled across the spot, it was still a mere 9,000km overhead.
The practice of the mission so far has been to release raw images from JunoCam and invite the public to work on them - to process them in ways that highlight areas of scientific interest, or simply to make some fascinating artwork.
Meanwhile, the science team gets to work on the data-sets from the other instruments. Their findings take a while longer to emerge - at conferences and in journal papers.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40594126
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Prince Harry's beach photos press complaint upheld - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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The press watchdog rules in favour of Prince Harry after Mail Online published Jamaica beach pictures.
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UK
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A complaint by Prince Harry over photos of him on a beach in Jamaica published by Mail Online has been upheld by the independent press watchdog.
The prince said the images had been taken in circumstances in which he had a reasonable expectation of privacy, as it was on a private beach.
Prince Harry was on the beach with his girlfriend Meghan Markle.
Mail Online said it had been provided with credible information that the prince had been on a public beach.
Prince Harry also complained that he was engaged in private activities unconnected to his public role and was unaware that he was being photographed.
The prince said Mail Online had made no attempt to seek his consent or to establish the circumstances in which the photographs had been taken before publication.
The article, published on 4 March, was headlined: "Time to cool off! Happy (and hunky) Prince Harry enjoys a dip in the ocean as he and Meghan relax on the beach in Jamaica."
It included several photos showing Prince Harry wearing swimming shorts, at a beachside bar and in the sea.
Mail Online said it had relied on the information it received and had published the images in good faith.
It added that it was unfortunate and regrettable that it had been misinformed about the circumstances in which the images had been taken and it had not been its intention to cause distress to the prince.
In its ruling, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) said: "The complainant had been photographed during his leisure time on a private beach at a private resort.
"Indeed, the article itself stated that the complainant was staying at a private resort."
It continued: "The images, which had been taken without consent, showed the complainant wearing swimwear and engaging in private leisure activities in circumstances in which he had a reasonable expectation of privacy.
"Photographing an individual in such circumstances is unacceptable, unless it can be justified in the public interest.
"The publication had not sought to justify the publication of the images in the public interest."
Ipso ordered Mail Online to publish the adjudication on its website.
Prince Harry also complained to the watchdog on the basis of accuracy but this was not upheld.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40608667
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Egypt Hurghada stabbing: Two Germans killed at Red Sea resort - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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A man is arrested after two Germans are killed at the Egyptian resort of Hurghada, officials say.
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Middle East
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Hurghada is a popular resort renowned for its scuba diving
Two German tourists have been killed in stabbings at a hotel beach in the popular Red Sea resort of Hurghada, Egyptian officials say.
At least four other people were injured and a man has been arrested.
The suspect is being questioned by police to determine his motives, the interior ministry said.
The knifeman initially killed the two women before injuring two other tourists at the Zahabia hotel, officials told Reuters news agency.
He then swam to a nearby beach and attacked and wounded two more people at the Sunny Days El Palacio resort before he was overpowered by staff and arrested.
"He had a knife with him and stabbed each of them three times in the chest. They died on the beach," El Palacio hotel Security Manager Saud Abdelaziz said.
Mr Abdelaziz said the injured include two Czechs and two Armenians. All are now being treated in hospital.
The attacker's motive was still under investigation, the interior ministry said.
"He was looking for foreigners and he didn't want any Egyptians," a member of staff at the Zahabia hotel said.
Three foreign tourists were stabbed at the same resort, renowned for its scuba diving, in January 2016 by two suspected militants from the Islamic State militant group (IS).
Emergency services were quick to arrive at the scene of the attacks
Initial reports had said those killed were Ukrainian, but Ukrainian officials denied this.
It is unclear whether the attacker had any links to jihadist groups or whether he was psychologically disturbed, officials said.
Egypt's security forces are dealing with an Islamist uprising in the country's Sinai Peninsula. The tourist industry has been targeted by militants in North Africa over the past few years.
A Russian passenger plane was brought down by a bomb in the peninsula in October 2015, killing all 224 people on board.
In June 2015 at least 39 people, mostly foreigners, were killed and 36 injured in an attack on a beach in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40611921
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Beyonce twins: Sir Carter and Rumi pictured for first time - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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The star posted a picture with the babies a month after their birth - and revealed their names.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Beyonce has shared the first picture of herself with her twins to celebrate them turning one month old.
The US singer also confirmed they are called Sir Carter and Rumi - which had been rumoured after she and husband Jay-Z filed a trademark for the names.
The picture showed the 35-year-old mother-of-three and the twins draped in a purple floral sheet, while she wore a blue veil.
It clocked up more than two million likes on Instagram in an hour.
Beyonce wrote: "Sir Carter and Rumi 1 month today", with a string of emojis of prayer hands and a woman, man, little girl and two babies.
As well as the twins, Beyonce and rapper Jay-Z are also parents to five-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy.
The style of the image, in which Beyonce stands in a garden barefoot in front of a floral archway, echoes the photoshoot she used to announce her pregnancy on the network. That post, in February, became the most-liked in the history of Instagram.
The picture which Beyonce used to share news of her pregnancy
Jay-Z's real name is of course Shawn Carter. Beyonce wrote that their babies' names are "Sir Carter and Rumi". So is Sir Carter actually Sir Carter Carter? Or does Rumi just have one name?
Beyonce's mum Tina cleared things up a little, posting a message saying: "hello Sir Carter and Rumi Carter" and also confirmed their genders: "Boy and girl what a blessing."
Beyonce and Jay-Z aren't the first couple to choose some sort of grandiose honorific as a forename - Kim and Kanye have little Saint, Michael Jackson's eldest son is Prince, and Jackson's brother Jermaine named a son, er, Jermajesty.
Rumi, meanwhile, is a popular Japanese girl's name but some people have suggested Rumi may be named after the 13th Century Persian poet.
The world had been eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of the babies ever since American media reported the Lemonade singer had given birth last month.
But neither she nor Jay-Z had confirmed any details of the twins until now.
Her father Mathew Knowles had tweeted on 18 June, saying: "They're here!" and "Happy birthday to the twins" - but the timing of Beyonce's post suggest they were actually born on 13 June.
It's no surprise that fans were quick to share their thoughts on the picture.
BBC Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo wrote on Twitter: "Soooo extra and I LOVE it."
But dad Lee Simpson reacted to the picture by tweeting: "Our 1st photo was in Jessops with me in the background eating a packet of quavers."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40604732
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Doctor Who: New lead to be revealed after Wimbledon - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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Widespread speculation suggests the 13th Doctor will - for the first time - be a woman.
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Entertainment & Arts
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. It’s almost time to meet the Thirteenth Doctor
The wait is nearly over for Doctor Who fans, as the identity of the 13th Doctor is due to be revealed later.
There is speculation the Time Lord could be a woman for the first time.
A trailer featuring the number 13 in different locations aired on Friday, finishing with the words: "Meet the 13th Doctor after the Wimbledon men's final, Sunday 16th July."
The actor will succeed Peter Capaldi, who took the role in 2013 and leaves in the 2017 Christmas special.
Capaldi announced he was leaving during an interview with BBC Radio 2 presenter Jo Whiley in January.
Peter Capaldi will bow out in this year's Christmas special, featuring David Bradley as the First Doctor
The Glasgow-born star said: "I feel it's time to move on. I feel sad, I love Doctor Who, it is a fantastic programme to work on."
The announcement about the 13th Doctor will come directly after the final - between Roger Federer and Marin Cilic - comes to an end.
David Tennant, the 10th Doctor, is among the audience watching at Centre Court.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge has denied involvement in the sci-fi show
Phoebe Waller-Bridge - the star of hit comedy Fleabag - is among the favourites tipped to become the first female Doctor.
Former companion Billie Piper told the BBC it would "feel like a snub" if the role went to another man - but would Phoebe be able to squeeze the Tardis in around adventures on the Millennium Falcon? The 32-year-old actress recently started filming the new Star Wars Han Solo movie.
The bookies seem confident the role will go to one of the stars of ITV's Broadchurch - even if it isn't Phoebe, who starred in the show's second series as barrister Abby Thompson.
Both Jodie Whittaker and Olivia Colman have been the subject of much speculation, especially as incoming show boss Chris Chibnall was the creator of Broadchurch.
David Tennant - otherwise known as the 10th Doctor and Colman's Broadchurch co-star - told the BBC he thought Colman would be "great" in the role, but added: "Whether that's in her sights at the moment, I suspect probably not."
Olivia Colman won a golden globe for her role in The Night Manager
Former Death in Paradise actor Kris Marshall, Sherlock's Andrew Scott and Ben Whishaw - who plays Q in the James Bond films - also make the list of contenders, should bosses go for a more traditional casting.
Pearl Mackie, who plays current companion Bill Potts, posted a picture of herself with a pink Tardis at Lovebox festival on Sunday, with the message: "Wonder who is inside..?!".
Some of those whose names have been linked to the role posted tongue-in-cheek tweets as speculation mounted over the identity of the Doctor.
The locations in the latest trailer included 10 Downing Street, Beachy Head cliffs and the Statue of Liberty.
The popular sci-fi series features a Time Lord, known only as the Doctor, who travels through time and space in the Tardis, which resembles a 1960s police telephone box.
The main character has the ability to regenerate, a quirk that has allowed a number of actors to have played the role over the years.
The series was first broadcast in 1963. It underwent a relaunch in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor.
Sophie Aldred, who played Doctor Who's companion Ace in the 1980s, said: "I've been lucky enough to meet most of the Doctors and they've all been amazing people. Slightly eccentric in some way... very talented actors.
"They just have to be a person who (has) really got something different about them."
Capaldi, who replaced Matt Smith as the Doctor, was previously best known for his role as foul-mouthed spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker in the BBC series The Thick of It.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40608669
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Newspaper headlines: Acid attacks and Charlie Gard dominate - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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The Times reports that new laws to restrict the sale of corrosive substances will be proposed, while other front pages focus on the case of Charlie Gard.
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The Papers
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Five people were attacked with acid within 90-minutes on Thursday in London
The front page of the Times reports that new laws to restrict the sale and possession of corrosive substances will be proposed "within days", because of the rise in acid attacks.
The plans are predicted to feature tougher sentencing guidelines and a ban on the sale of the chemicals to under-18s.
They will be released in the next 48 hours, the newspaper says.
In an editorial, the paper notes that Britain has one of the highest rates of recorded acid attacks in the world and calls on MPs to make the "liquid weapons" harder to obtain.
It also urges regulators to make readily available products less dangerous.
Two front pages lead on the arrival in Britain next week of the US specialist who will examine the seriously ill baby Charlie Gard to see if an untested therapy can save his life.
Doctors tell the I newspaper that it is a "sensible, ethical solution".
While the Daily Mirror says the intervention has given new hope to Charlie's parents.
Many of the papers carry reports on President Trump's visit to Paris to mark Bastille Day.
The Guardian says Mr Trump revelled in the pomp and ceremony and was beaming from ear to ear as he prepared to fly home.
The Daily Mail calls the parade on the Champs-Élysées - held to mark the centenary of America's entry into World War One - "extraordinary".
But it says from the prominence of the French and American military hardware on display, one might have thought that the two countries had won the conflict without any help.
The Sun says Chancellor Phillip Hammond sparked "sexist fury" when he remarked - in front of the entire cabinet - that driving a modern train is so easy, "even a women could do it".
Mr Hammond then tried to dig himself out of trouble, according to the Sun, earning him this rebuke from Theresa May: "Mr chancellor, I am going take your shovel away from you."
Sources close to Mr Hammond insist to the Sun that he made no such comment and some suggest another minister had unfairly caricatured the chancellor's position.
The governing body of women's tennis, the WTA, is criticised in the Times.
The organisation invited readers of its Facebook page to vote on which female competitor dressed the best at SW19.
In the poll, a dress worn by Heather Watson is praised for creating "a harmony between contemporary sporty elements and feminine flair of the English rose pattern and pleats".
A dress worn by Heather Watson was featured in the poll
Those who commented on the post were more direct. One accused the WTA of asking a "stupid question", which set tennis back 50 years.
The organisation defended its conduct to the Times, saying "there's nothing wrong with promoting athleticism while promoting Wimbledon's wonderful dress code".
The Express features a surreptitious snap taken by a passenger on board an Emirates flight, appearing to show a flight attendant pouring a glass of champagne back into its bottle.
The paper quotes a former flight attendant, who describes the recycling of liquid refreshments which have been exposed to cabin air as "unsanitary and disgusting".
The airline says it has begun an investigation into an apparent breach of its standards.
The Daily Mail warns British tourists about what it calls "the summer car hire rip-off".
The paper quotes a study showing that firms have hiked the insurance excess charges they can impose in the event of an accident.
The average figure is £1,000, even when the driver isn't to blame, with the highest rising to £2,200.
Experts tell the Mail the "astonishingly high figures" are being used to persuade travellers to pay for costly extra cover before they set off.
The Guardian profiles a creature that's likely to be the last organism standing, if an apocalyptic catastrophe threatens life on earth.
The tardigrade, just one millimetre long, is extraordinarily hardy - shrugging off the vacuum of space, absolute-zero temperatures and extreme doses of radiation as if it was nothing.
The Guardian styles them as the "ultimate hope for terrestrial life as we know it", as researchers say they could survive virtually any disaster.
Until the sun eventually enlarges and boils away the oceans, that is.
The Daily Telegraph reports on efforts by the British Museum to boost interest in its forthcoming exhibition about the Scythians - a fierce, horse-back tribe of nomads who roamed central Asia.
On the museum's website, they're likened to the Dothraki - a fictional people from the book and television series Game of Thrones.
In an editorial, the Telegraph laments the need for TV fantasy comparisons.
And while the paper acknowledges some similarities - bloodthirstiness, master bowmanship - it suggests the Scythians, unlike their fantasy counterparts, may have worn a few more clothes.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40615880
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London fire: Most services would have sent high ladder to Grenfell - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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Most fire services would have sent a high ladder to Grenfell Tower, BBC Newsnight has revealed.
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UK
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Most UK fire services would have automatically sent a high ladder to Grenfell Tower had the fire happened in their area, BBC Newsnight can reveal.
A Newsnight investigation last week revealed the London Fire Brigade failed to dispatch a high "aerial" ladder immediately to the west London blaze.
But 31 of the 44 UK fire services with high-rise blocks would have sent a high ladder, the programme has learned.
The Home Office said it was up to each fire authority to manage its resources.
Last week's investigation found that a high ladder had not been included in the London Fire Brigade's "predetermined attendance" plan and it took more than 30 minutes for such an appliance to arrive at the 24-storey west London tower.
The London Fire Brigade is one of several services which has changed its procedures since Grenfell and will now automatically send high ladders to tower block fires as an interim measure.
Newsnight's latest findings came after the programme requested the predetermined attendance plans - or PDAs - for high rise fires from every fire service in the country.
The PDAs detail what each service will do automatically in the moments after a fire is reported.
They show that 70% of the fire services in the UK which have high-rise blocks in their regions would automatically have dispatched a high ladder to a tower blaze before the Grenfell disaster.
Since then, four services, including London, have altered their plans.
Sorry, your browser cannot display this map
However, Newsnight's research reveals that nine brigades still would not immediately send an aerial ladder to a tower blaze.
The investigation also shows significant variations in the number of response vehicles dispatched by services across the country.
In Kent, three fire engines would be sent to a reported fire in a tower block, with no high ladder. Fire services in Hampshire and Surrey - for the same fire in the same tower - would send six fire engines and a high ladder as first response.
A fire engine is expected to carry five firefighters.
Manchester, Humberside, London and Warwickshire have all increased their PDA with fires in tall buildings to include a high ladder since Grenfell.
But Leicestershire, Lancashire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, Kent and Essex fire services will still not automatically send a tall ladder to a fire in a high-rise building unless specifically requested.
The figures have led to calls for the government to implement mandatory minimum requirements for fire services attending high-rise fires.
Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack told Newsnight: "It was absolutely indefensible before Grenfell Tower to have such a postcode lottery of how we respond to fires in residential blocks of flats. After Grenfell Tower it's completely outrageous."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Why did it take so long to get an aerial platform to the tower block? BBC Newsnight investigates
Referring to the Grenfell Tower disaster, he added: "An aerial appliance applying large quantities of water to the outside of the building could have made a big difference. It clearly did make a difference when it arrived."
A Home Office spokesperson said: "It is the responsibility of each fire and rescue authority to manage their resources across prevention, protection and operational response to meet local risk."
"Local areas consider risk through their Integrated Risk Management Plan and over the past 10 years there has been a 52% decrease in the total number of fires attended by fire and rescue services."
Newsnight requested PDAs for tower block fires from all 52 fire services in the UK.
Every service responded and all bar one sent details to the BBC. Seven brigades have no high rise tower blocks in their area.
Last week, a London Fire Brigade spokesman told Newsnight: "It is important to understand that fires in high-rise buildings are nearly always dealt with internally, not usually needing an aerial appliance.
"The fundamental issue of high rise safety remains that buildings are maintained to stop fires spreading."
The spokesman said: "An 'interim' change to pre-determined attendance for high rise buildings was introduced in direct response to the government's action to address concerns of cladding on buildings.
"The brigade's pre-determined attendance to high-rise buildings had already been increased in June 2015 from three fire engines to four as part of our ongoing review of high rise firefighting."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40614220
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How an agoraphobic travels the world - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Jacqui Kenny can't get on a train or bus but has found a way to travel to remote corners of the world.
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UK
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Jacqui Kenny's agoraphobia means a trip to the supermarket can trigger an anxiety attack and fears of impending "catastrophe". But she says her Instagram account is helping her and sufferers like her to explore remote corners of the world.
Jacqui, 43, takes shots from Google Street View - among them a group of nuns in Peru and high-rise flats in Russia - posting images to her 20,000 followers under the pseudonym "Agoraphobic Traveller".
Since her 20s she has feared busy places and public transport - despite living in central London - but says the digital age has helped her travel to places she would otherwise never see.
"I'll go anywhere that feels a little bit magical," she says. "They are places that would be incredibly difficult for me to travel to, so inevitably I'm attracted to them."
Children playing near the Atacama Desert in Chile
Jacqui, who was diagnosed with agoraphobia in 2009, chooses remote, eerie places to capture and says she likes anywhere with an "other-worldly feel".
"There's a lot of isolation in the shots but there is also colour and hope in there," she says. "The photos I take reflect how I feel and my agoraphobia is part of that."
But her "thrill" at discovering faraway places contrasts with her fear of everyday situations.
She describes going to the local supermarket as "a nightmare" and says she has not taken a Tube train in 10 years.
"I'll start to panic - my palms are sweaty, I have a racing heart, I feel that my feet aren't touching the floor," she says.
"Thoughts are racing through my mind - that I'm going to lose control, smash everything in the aisle - and everyone will see."
Jacqui was 23 and living in Australia when she had her first panic attack during a busy day at work.
"No one told me what it was and I thought I was dying," she says. "Later, a doctor said it must've been something I'd had for dinner.
"He blamed it on the black bean sauce - no one was talking about mental health."
Before starting the project in 2016, Jacqui managed to hide her symptoms from everyone except her family.
At work, she ran a digital marketing company but only went to meetings in the office which was two minutes' walk from her house.
She says finding and posting the images has helped her come to terms with being agoraphobic, which she had felt angry about for a long time.
"Before my anxiety set in I dreamed of being a photographer," says Jacqui. "I'd resigned myself to this never happening."
"Now I feel that the condition doesn't define me but is within a part of me," she says.
But does spending hours online posting photos really help her condition?
Jacqui admits she "thought it could be an unhealthy thing to do" to trawl the internet for hours at a time.
But she says it has given her the confidence to speak about the condition and come to terms with it.
"It's only when I started posting these photos I went beyond telling my family and really close friends," she says.
"Before, nobody knew," she says. "Now people from all over the world are coming to me sharing similar struggles - it's amazing."
She says many people misunderstand agoraphobia as a fear of open spaces, but she has discovered how varied people's anxiety can be.
She has been contacted by an agoraphobic journalist who struggles in a busy newsroom and photographers who may fear travelling to a photo shoot.
"Quite a few young women have asked me for advice," she says. "I tell them about my experience, but I can only offer my viewpoint as I'm obviously not a psychologist."
She adds: "Everybody's dealing with something and I'm really starting to realise that."
Jacqui now manages her anxiety with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which aims to change patterns of thinking - recently attending her sister's wedding in New Zealand.
"I had therapy which involved a lot of anxiety and not sleeping for three months," she says.
But she managed the flight after seeing a psychologist, who made her act out her worst fears. "I pretended to bang down the door of the plane, trying to get out of there," she says.
"I realised how funny the situation was, and we both fell around laughing, and when I actually boarded the plane that humour helped me through it."
It was not easy - but she says the trip has given her hope.
"I try to do these things," she says. "There are times when I can't do it and I go home - but I know that is making it worse."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39970205
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Wimbledon 2017: Venus Williams' love of the game aids her remarkable revival - BBC Sport
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2017-07-14
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Venus Williams greets success with a sleepy, oblivious shrug - but her warrior spirit and love of the game still shine through, says Tom Fordyce.
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More than a few people had money on a great former champion now in their sporting dotage fighting through the rounds and years for another tilt at the Wimbledon singles crown.
It just happened to be Roger Federer, rather than a woman two years older than him who had not won a Grand Slam singles title for nine years.
Some elite athletes project an image of impregnability. Venus Williams takes on the world by appearing to be oblivious to it
By taking Britain's Johanna Konta apart in straight sets before a wilting Centre Court crowd, 37-year-old Venus Williams has moved within one match of becoming the oldest ladies' singles champion in more than a century.
If that makes a mockery of time, it is worth considering that when the American turned professional in October 1994, Konta was three years old.
Should Williams beat Garbine Muguruza on Saturday, it would come 17 years after her first Wimbledon singles title. Martina Navratilova, whose own longevity was once considered remarkable, had a stretch of 12 years here, Steffi Graf eight.
This was not supposed to happen.
It is nine years since Venus beat her younger sister Serena in straight sets for the most recent of her five singles title here. It is five since she lost in straight sets in the first round to Elena Vesnina.
She had three and a half years after that when she failed to make it even to the second week of a Grand Slam tournament.
You might expect her to be giddy with adrenaline afterwards, thrilled to be back for one last shot at the title that defined her career.
Being Venus, she instead looked like someone who had just woken from a long restorative nap, as bashful as the teenager who first played on these courts in 1997, as softly spoken as a kid thrust into a news conference for the very first time.
Asked how excited she was, she blinked slowly, thought about it and sighed. "Yeah, um… yeah." Asked about the double-fault Konta had produced on her first service of the match, she had no recollection of it.
Someone suggested there might be lessons to be taken from Serena's defeat of Muguruza in the final of 2015. Venus had no idea when it had taken place.
Some elite athletes project an image of impregnability. Venus takes on the world by appearing to be oblivious to it.
Three years from her fifth decade, she is a warrior who keeps a shield up at all times.
In the Royal Box on Thursday afternoon were two other great veteran entertainers, Shirley Bassey and Elaine Paige. History might be repeating for Venus, but we still don't know her so well.
Some of that comes from a life lived in the spotlight, some from the influence of her sister.
Serena has a name for the personalities she deploys on court: Summer, who is all smiles and thank-you notes; Psycho Serena, the feisty competitor; Taquanda, the one who screams and shouts and says things to line judges that no line judge should expect to hear.
Venus prefers to stay as distant as a planet. Only occasionally does the guard drop, as when she left a news conference earlier in this tournament after being asked about the crash in Florida which led to the death of a passenger in a car that collided with hers.
All other questions are met with a stop volley.
With the years comes experience, not only of these sorts of hype-heavy Grand Slam occasions, but of how to find the holes in the defence of an opponent who has just beaten the world number two and who had beaten Williams herself in three of their past four meetings.
Centre Court was ready to celebrate on Thursday, Henman Hill so packed that spectators were reduced to queuing for a gap in a hedge at the back that was itself 50 metres from the video screen.
Williams had let Konta walk out ahead, comfortable in herself, confident in her chosen tactics.
For a while it was tight. At 4-4 in the first set, Konta had two break points, one of them on a second serve.
Venus slammed shut the fly-trap and then tucked into Konta's serve. Big depth on the first return, more power and depth on the second. She broke the Briton in a run of seven points in a row, and home hopes went south with the set.
Konta would win just a third of the points on her second serve, and just 26% of receiving points. In a second set that accelerated towards its end, the American's groundstrokes pulled her opponent around in a way that shattered the sweet rhythm she had sat in all tournament.
By reaching the final of the Australian Open in January, 20 years on from her maiden US Open final, Williams had already set a record for the longest span between singles Slam finals in the open era.
That seemed like a comeback enough, six years on from being diagnosed with the debilitating autoimmune disease Sjogren's syndrome.
Much of her time has been spent preparing for the next chapter - expanding her fashion label EleVen, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Indiana University East in August 2015.
She puts some of that durability down to her 'chegan' diet (mostly vegan, with the occasional bit of cheating). There has been a sense here too of wanting to compensate for the absence of Serena, away preparing for the birth of her first child.
While she will never show it publicly, there is something else too: a love for the game at a point when most have happily slipped into sporting retirement, an ability to keep fighting when quite enough has already been won.
Federer in the semi-finals on Friday, Venus returning to Centre Court on Saturday. Wimbledon, a championships awash with history, is going back to the future once again.
• None Take on the legends in our interactive game
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/40596481
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Israeli police killed in attack near Jerusalem holy site - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The three gunmen, who were shot dead after fleeing to a sacred site, were Israeli Arabs, police say.
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Middle East
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The attackers were shot dead after being pursued into the sacred compound
Two Israeli policemen have been killed and a third wounded in a shooting attack near a sacred site in Jerusalem.
They were shot by three Israeli Arabs close to the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary).
Police chased the attackers into the site and shot them dead.
There has been a wave of stabbings, shootings and car-rammings of Israelis predominantly by Palestinians or Israeli Arabs since late 2015.
Two of the previous attackers were Jordanians.
Sgt Maj Hail Sattawi (left) and Sgt Maj Kamil Shanan died of their wounds
Identity cards, believed to belong to the attackers, were pictured at the site
Police say the three men who carried out Friday's attack were aged between 19 and 29 and came from the northern Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm. Israel's Shin Bet security agency said that they were not previously known to the security services.
Police say the gunmen opened fire as they made their way from the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif towards Lions' Gate, an opening in the Old City walls about 100ft (30 metres) away.
The attackers were then pursued back to the compound, where they were killed.
Mobile phone footage showed at least one of the attackers in a confrontation with members of the security forces in the holy site before being shot.
The two policemen who died of their injuries in hospital were named as Advanced Staff Sergeant Major Kamil Shanan, aged 22, and Advanced Staff Sergeant Major Hail Sattawi, who was 30. They were Druze from Israel's northern Galilee region.
The Old City has often been a flashpoint in the conflict, which since the autumn of 2015 has seen an increase in violence involving attacks often carried out by lone individuals.
But an attack with guns by multiple assailants in the vicinity of the heavily guarded holy site, a very sensitive location, is highly unusual in recent times.
And the confirmation from Israel's security agency that the attackers were Israeli Arab citizens of Umm Al Fahm, and not previously known to the authorities, will also cause concern about the ability of Israel to prevent such incidents.
For the Israeli government, the event has crossed "red lines" and there will be fears of an increase in tensions following the severity of the attack and the rare decision to close the site.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was "a sad day in which our Druze brothers pay the heaviest price in our joint mission to protect the security of our country. I salute them and their heroism".
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack in a phone call to Mr Netanyahu, the prime minister's office said.
Mr Netanyahu has previously accused the Palestinian leader of failing to denounce such attacks.
Worshippers held Friday prayers outside Lions' Gate after police shut the holy site
In the wake of the incident, police sealed off the site to search it for weapons. It is the first time in decades that the compound, which contains the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque, has been closed for Muslim Friday prayers, which normally draws thousands of worshippers.
The site is administered by an Islamic authority (Waqf), though Israel is in charge of security there. Police are investigating how the attackers managed to smuggle in a handgun, sub-machine gun and knife.
The Palestinian Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammad Hussein, who had urged worshippers to defy the closure, was detained by police, but later released.
His son said the cleric was not facing any charges over his call for Muslims to converge on Jerusalem.
Elsewhere, a Palestinian was shot dead in clashes with Israeli forces at a refugee camp near Bethlehem on Friday, Palestinian sources said.
Barra Hamamdeh, 21, was killed during a raid by troops on the Dheisheh camp, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
The Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif is the holiest site in Judaism and third holiest in Islam and is one of the most politically sensitive sacred places in the world.
It is located in East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war. Israel considers the entire city its sovereign capital, while Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their sought-after future state.
The attack happened despite heightened security around the Old City in Jerusalem
Israel's Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said the attack was "a serious and severe event in which red lines were crossed", adding that security arrangements in and around the site would be reviewed.
No group has said it was responsible, though the militant Palestinian Hamas movement, which runs the Gaza Strip, praised the attack as a "natural response to the Zionist ongoing crimes".
The shooting comes weeks after an Israeli policewoman was killed in a knife and gun attack outside the Old City by three Palestinians from the occupied West Bank.
Forty-four Israelis and five foreign nationals have been killed in nearly two years of such attacks.
At least 255 Palestinians - most of them attackers, Israel says - have also been killed in that period, news agencies report. Others have been killed in clashes with Israeli troops.
Israel says Palestinian incitement has fuelled the attacks. The Palestinian leadership has blamed frustration rooted in decades of Israeli occupation.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40604452
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Man trapped in Texas cash machine sends 'help me' notes - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Corpus Christi police took it for a joke, before kicking in a door to withdraw the stuck workman.
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US & Canada
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The man slipped handwritten notes pleading to bank customers to get help
A Texas man who found himself trapped inside a cash machine slipped "help me" notes through the receipt slot.
The man, who police say was working on a renovation of the bank, left his phone in his vehicle before getting stuck in the drive-thru ATM's vault.
The unnamed workman was freed after shouting to ATM users, who continued withdrawing cash throughout his ordeal on Wednesday in Corpus Christi.
Police thought it a hoax before kicking in a door to withdraw him.
"Sure enough, we can hear a little voice coming from the machine, so we're all thinking this is a joke, it's gotta be a joke," said police officer Richard Olden.
One handwritten note slipped by the trapped man to a customer said: "Please Help. I'm stuck in here, and I don't have my phone. Please call my boss." The message included the employer's phone number.
The man was freed after spending more than two hours inside the Bank of America machine.
Officer Olden told local media: "Everyone is okay, but you will never see this in your life, that somebody was stuck in the ATM, it was just crazy."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40589631
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Student death punch man's bail 'fundamentally flawed' - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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An IPCC report also criticises the way the family's complaints about the issue were handled.
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Derby
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Jagdip Randhawa's family appealed the results of an internal investigation into how the case was handled
Bail breaches by a man who killed a student were handled in a "fundamentally flawed" manner, a report has found.
Jagdip Randhawa, 19, from London, was punched by boxer Clifton Ty Mitchell during a night out in Leeds in 2011.
Mitchell, from Derby, had breached bail conditions for a previous violent offence 24 times in the preceding five months but no action was taken.
Derbyshire Police said procedures had been reviewed and made more "robust".
A separate investigation found Mr Randhawa's care in hospital was also below acceptable standards
After being hit, Mr Randhawa, from Hounslow, struck his head on a pavement. He died five days later.
Mitchell, now 26, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to seven years in prison in 2012.
An initial referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission following a complaint by Mr Randhawa's family led to the force carrying out a local investigation.
In March 2015 the IPCC upheld an appeal by the family against the outcome of this inquiry and began its own.
The new report states: "In my opinion, the procedure in place at the time of the incident was fundamentally flawed and was not fit for the control of persons deemed by the court system to require active monitoring.
"This process was in my opinion so flawed that none of the staff operating under it appeared to recognise the ongoing issues with this one individual and see the obvious opportunities missed."
The report also criticised the handling of complaints from the family, with a unnamed superintendent potentially facing misconduct charges if the officer had not retired.
Mr Randhawa's sister Majinder Randhawa said: "Our family will always be haunted by not knowing what might have happened if Mitchell had been arrested as he should have been.
"It's important that the IPCC's report highlights the significant failings of Derbyshire Police - but it's devastating to know that Jagdip's death was avoidable.
"We believe that Jagdip would still be here today, if Derbyshire Police had correctly managed Mitchell while he was on bail. It's impossible for us to ever get over that."
Derbyshire's Deputy Chief Constable, Gary Knighton, said "The IPCC report recognises that following the death of Mr Randhawa, we immediately reviewed the way that the force handled breaches of bail conditions where an individual is required to report to a police station.
"The force now has a more robust system in place to deal with a suspect who has failed to comply with their bail conditions. If someone breaches their bail, an officer is allocated to take action and deal with the breach."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-40597974
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How a footballer became Africa's first Cognac maker - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Former Ivory Coast international Olivier Tebily has forged a new career away from football - as Africa's first maker of Cognac.
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Africa
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Footballers have long relied on the terraces for inspiration but when Olivier Tebily does so these days, he is looking at rows of vines - not fans.
While many footballers' post-playing plans involve staying in the game, the former Ivory Coast international has eschewed that to quietly focus on his second passion.
Footballers and alcohol have long gone together, often badly, but the former Birmingham City defender is unique in actually creating the product.
What's more, the treble winner with Celtic is doing so in Cognac, home to some of France's - and the world's - most celebrated vineyards.
For similar to champagne, only the brandy made in the region can bear the prestigious name Cognac.
As for whether the 41-year-old is just another footballer flashing his cash on a pet project, consider this - he bought his first vineyard in his late teens.
"When I signed my first professional contract, I bought two hectares," Tebily told the BBC, standing amidst his vines in the south-western French village of Salles-d'Angles.
"I said to myself: 'If I get an injury and football stops, I will have something to carry on with.'"
Tebily played over 80 matches for Birmingham City, many of them in the top-flight
"I did that because I used to work on this land to get a little bit of pocket money to go on holiday - to the seaside with my friends - before turning professional."
"It's really difficult to become a professional so I bought this straight away to insure myself."
It was 1993 when Tebily signed for second-tier French side Niort, an hour's drive from Poitiers, the south-western city on the edge of the Cognac region where his parents relocated from Abidjan when he was a toddler.
It was the start of a journey that took him, following brief spells with Chateauroux and Sheffield United, to the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations, a Scottish treble in 2001 and a four-year Premier League adventure with Birmingham.
After suffering a bad injury just weeks after joining Canada's Toronto FC, Tebily cut short a four-and-a-half-year contract to return to the vineyards.
There was however a fundamental problem.
Tebily is learning how to distil - a key element in creating Cognac since traditional methods require a double-distillation in copper stills
Land in Cognac is both expensive and seldom available - and Tebily didn't have enough of it.
He ran two local restaurants while waiting for a solution, which was laced with tragedy when it came six years later.
After his neighbour's only son died, the retiring Cognac farmer had to decide who to sell his business to last year.
"His son was my friend and we had the same name - it's maybe because of that that he chose me," says Tebily.
"Around here, all the winemakers are the same," explains the now-retired Jean-Michel Lepine.
"Because I liked football and because Olivier was not unpleasant to me and helped me in tough times - because I've had tough times - I said why not a black man to take over my property? Why not a footballer?
Tebily owns 22 hectares after retiring farmer Jean-Michel Lepine chose to sell his business to the Ivorian, a friend of his late son
"I never changed my mind, even though many people tried to stop me."
Following the deal, the first African maker of Cognac - who says he was initially treated like "a Martian" - was the proud owner of 22 hectares in a prime location.
He also took control of a distillery and although he has yet to master this crucial element of the Cognac process, he is learning from Jean-Michel, now his mentor.
When we meet, Tebily is in his vineyard - wearing a Birmingham City fleece as he goes about his daily business, secateurs in hand, carefully tending to his grapes.
Such sensitivity may seem incongruous for those who remember the burly defender's on-field reputation.
He once finished a match despite rupturing knee ligaments in the first half while he famously thundered into one challenge with an opponent despite having lost a boot seconds earlier.
Tebily scored few goals during his career but managed two with Celtic, with whom he won a Scottish treble in 2001
"The local people were really, really surprised by an African footballer trying to do what they are doing," says Tebily, who played for Ivory Coast between 1999-2004.
"But I work Monday to Sunday and people are really surprised - they didn't think I would do this work because it's really hard.
"But I don't do this to impress people. I love this work and want to go as far as I can," he adds, proclaiming a love of the outdoors.
Like many Cognac farmers, Tebily sells most of his produce - around 90% - to the region's bigger companies but he keeps the rest for his own eponymous range.
He first produced a bottle in 2013 - smooth upon taste - and although he sells it to local restaurants, he ultimately wants to trade only with Africa.
Tebily produced his first brand of Cognac in 2013, five years after quitting football
"That's my dream," he says. "I am already selling to some restaurants in Africa, in Ivory Coast. It's not as much as I want but I'm still happy because it's the beginning and it's working."
After that, and much in the tradition of many of the Cognac farmers, he hopes to hand his business down to his children when he takes a second retirement.
Until then, this gentle giant is revelling in being the only African maker of the world's most famous brandy.
"It makes me feel really, really happy and that's why I am fighting to do my business correctly. I try because I am passionate. I love this like I loved football."
• None How I turned football into wine. Video, 00:02:15How I turned football into wine
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40587894
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Legal highs and chemsex drugs targeted in new strategy - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Home Office's new scheme aims to share intelligence on emerging drugs and help users recover.
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UK
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New legislation to tackle "legal highs" was introduced last year
So-called legal highs and chemsex drugs will be targeted in a government move aimed at cutting illicit drug use.
Fewer than one in ten adults in England and Wales now take drugs, according to the Home Office, but drug-related deaths have risen sharply.
The strategy will target psychoactive substances, performance-enhancing drugs and the misuse of prescribed medicines.
Drugs charities praised the strategy's focus on recovery, but raised concerns that budget cuts could affect delivery.
The strategy applies across England, with some elements spreading to Wales and Scotland.
New psychoactive substances (NPS), formerly known as legal highs, mimic the effects of other drugs, such as cannabis.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Harry Shapiro, from Drugwise, says drugs on the streets are "at the highest purity levels"
Last year, laws were introduced to criminalise the production, distribution, sale and supply of them, but they continue to fall into the hands of users.
Chemsex - using drugs as part of sexual activity - often involves crystal methamphetamine, GHB/GBL and mephedrone.
Government studies show the practice increases health risks, both mentally and physically, including aiding the spread of blood-borne infections and viruses.
It comes as the number of drug deaths in England and Wales increased by 10.3% to 2,479 in 2015, following rises of 14.9% in 2014 and 19.6% in 2013.
Home Office statistics show the number of adults aged between 16 and 59 who take drugs is at now at 8% - a 2.5% drop from 10 years ago.
In December 2010, with Home Office priorities centred on police reform and immigration, the last government drug strategy felt like a box-ticking exercise. Just 25 pages long, it contained little detail or original thinking and just one paragraph on the problem that was later to engulf prisons, legal highs.
The theme of the last strategy was supporting people to live a "drug-free life". It emphasised the need for "abstinence" and said too many users were reliant on drug-substitute treatments such as methadone.
The 2017 strategy makes no mention of abstinence or limiting methadone use, but it sets more demanding and wide-ranging measurements of treatment success.
At double the length of the previous document, there is a sense that the Home Office is more focused on the issue than before, prompted perhaps by the recent rise in drug deaths and the need to prevent a new generation of drug users sparking a fresh crime-wave.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd, who will chair a new cross-government drug strategy board, said she was "determined to confront the scale of this issue".
The chief executive of the drug treatment campaign Collective Voice, Paul Hayes, welcomed the fact that recovery was being put "at the heart" of the government's response.
While also welcoming the shift in the government's focus, Harry Shapiro, director of online advice service DrugWise, said he was concerned about a lack of funding.
"It has shifted from the 2010 strategy [when] there was an emphasis that recovery from addiction was just about abstinence," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"Anyone working in the sector knew that that wasn't the case, because if you are going to recover, you have got to have something to recover to.
"The government has recognised that more needs to be done in that area, but it all has to be delivered at a local level and local authorities are struggling with budgets, drug services are suffering from cuts."
Ron Hogg, the Police and Crime and Victims Commissioner in County Durham, said he agreed with a focus on helping users recover, but said it was "shameful" the strategy did not look into decriminalising drugs.
He said that in Portugal - where drugs were decriminalised 12 years ago - drug use, drug-related deaths and the number of people injecting had all fallen.
Home Office Minister Sarah Newton said she had looked at arguments for decriminalisation, but added: "When you look at all the other available evidence, we just don't agree."
The National Police Chiefs' Council's lead for drugs, Commander Simon Bray said police "will play our part" in delivering the plan.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40597941
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Reality Check: Why don't Charlie Gard's parents have the final say? - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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Charlie Gard's parents don't have the final decision on what happens to him so where do parental rights end?
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UK
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Parents, it is generally agreed, are allowed to choose what happens to their children.
Of course, parents may make good or bad choices, but they have the right to make those decisions, whether that is about their child's diet and physical activity, their name, what school they go to, what religion they are raised in or what medical treatment they receive.
Professor of medical ethics at the University of Oxford, Dominic Wilkinson, says: "The principle is that if parents' decisions risk significant harm to their child then they should not be allowed to make those decisions. But the state doesn't intervene every time parents don't make the best decision."
The concept of parental responsibility is set out in law. The Children Act 1989 describes it as "all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which, by law, a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property."
If a public body disagrees with those choices, they must go to court in order to override this parental responsibility.
In the case of terminally ill baby Charlie Gard, medical professionals disagree with his parents over what is in his best interests. They want to stop his parents taking him to the US for experimental medical treatment, something they say is futile. And they want to stop providing his life support and allow him to die.
His parents say they believe that Charlie is "not in pain and suffering" as doctors have claimed, and there is nothing to be lost in trying the experimental therapy.
The team at Great Ormond Street has said Charlie is suffering and that that outweighs the "tiny theoretical chance there may be of effective treatment".
Charlie is unable to move his legs and arms, breathe unaided or hold his eyelids open. He is also deaf, has severe epilepsy and his heart, liver and kidneys are affected.
Undoubtedly, both doctors and parents want the best for Charlie. But in the final analysis, it will be for a judge to decide. This is because in the UK, in the absence of a parent's consent, a hospital needs a court order if stopping treatment would bring about death.
So far, the courts have ruled that Charlie should not be given treatment and that Great Ormond Street Hospital should be allowed to withdraw Charlie's life support.
Chris Fairhurst, children's law expert from Slater and Gordon, explains that in these situations, parents' wishes can only be overridden by going to court because a hospital has no legal right or responsibility to make such a decision without either the parents' or the courts' permission. It takes a judge ruling in favour of the hospital in order for the legal status of the parent's responsibility to be overridden.
The hospital has given evidence that it does not believe keeping Charlie on life support is in his best interests.
Connie Yates and Chris Gard have fought a long legal battle to take their baby to the US for treatment
When it comes to cases involving the medical treatment of children, views range from thinking that the doctor always knows best to the idea that parents should have complete freedom to make all decisions over their children's health. The law in the UK falls somewhere in-between.
In 2006, the parents of a disabled baby boy called Mahdi Bacheikh won their fight against the hospital's request to turn off the ventilator that kept him alive. The 19-month-old had spinal muscular atrophy, was almost totally paralysed and could not breathe unaided, but did not have any sign of brain damage. He died later, aged two.
In 2009, the parents of a baby known only as OT who, like Charlie suffered from a form of mitochondrial disease, lost their right to keep him on life support. The judge heard he had suffered brain damage and was in discomfort and pain. He died the next day.
In the US, though, where Charlie's parents are suggesting he could be treated, the law falls much more heavily on the side of the parents even if this goes against the recommendations of medical professionals.
Charlie is thought to be the 16th baby ever to be diagnosed with his condition
In the UK, while parents have the right to make decisions about their children's medical treatment, their wishes will be overruled if they refuse a reasonable life-saving treatment which has a very high chance of working.
The classic example of this is parents who are Jehovah's Witnesses and refuse blood transfusions due to their faith. There have been many cases where the courts have sided with the doctors against the wishes of the parents.
There is a difference, of course, between parents refusing recommended treatment and parents, as in Charlie's case, asking for treatment against advice.
It is far simpler to prove that a treatment that almost certainly will keep a child alive is in their best interests than it is to argue that keeping a child alive is not in their best interests.
When it comes to disputes between parents and the state, the vast majority involve a local authority going to court to remove a child from the care of their parents. In these cases, the authority must prove that a child is at risk of significant harm.
But because cases like Charlie's are relatively rare, unlike in care cases there is no statutory test for how judges should treat them. This means it varies case by case as to whether a judge decides what is in a child's best interests or uses the more onerous test of whether they are likely to come to significant harm.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40600932
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Terror plots stopped 'within minutes' of success - police chief - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Met Commissioner Cressida Dick says police have thwarted five attacks in the past few months.
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UK
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Eight people died and dozens were injured in the London Bridge attack
Several terror plots that "were very close to an attack" were thwarted "within minutes" of being carried out, London's most senior police officer has said.
Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick told LBC that five terror attacks had been prevented in the last few months.
Four terror attacks have taken place in the UK in 2017 - three in the capital.
Ms Dick, who took charge of the Met in February, said the attacks in London and Manchester had been "horrific".
She said a "very large number of plots" have been foiled over the last few years.
Ms Dick said she could not reveal details about the nature of the terror plots because arrests had been made, but added: "We've had a huge number of successful operations.
"It's well into the teens in the past couple of years, where we know people were intent on attacking and that's been stopped."
Ms Dick told LBC terror culprits were "living in our communities and that's a problem for all of us"
She added: "In addition, [police have made] hundreds and hundreds of arrests of people who are radicalised and are either spreading hatred or supporting terrorism and wanting to carry out a terror attack."
Ms Dick, who was previously the police's lead on counter-terrorism, praised officers for their response to the attacks.
"At London Bridge it was utterly astonishing," she said.
The attackers - who killed eight people on London Bridge and in nearby Borough Market - were shot dead by armed police within eight minutes of the first emergency call.
Ms Dick, who has called for more funding in the wake of recent attacks, said police officers relied on information from local communities to identify terror suspects.
"We clearly need a lot more [information] because what has happened in the last few months alone is horrific," she said.
"We are undoubtedly seeking examples of people who have carried out attacks or people who are violent extremists," she added.
"Essentially they're living in our communities and that's a problem for all of us."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40604543
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'Truly unique' mother lioness nurses leopard cub in Tanzania - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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These beautiful pictures are the first ever taken of a wild lioness feeding a young leopard.
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Africa
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Lion expert Dr Luke Hunter told the BBC the images are a once-in-a-lifetime sight
A baby leopard can't change his spots, but this lioness doesn't seem to mind.
These beautiful pictures are the first ever taken of a wild lioness nursing a cub from a different species - an extremely rare event.
The pair were spotted by Joop Van Der Linde, a guest at Ndutu Safari Lodge in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
The scene is the Serengeti; the attentive mother, five-year-old Nosikitok.
The lioness has a GPS collar fitted by Kope Lion, a conservation NGO, and three young cubs of her own - born around the 27-28 June.
The lioness Nosikitok recently had her second litter of cubs
Dr Luke Hunter, President and Chief Conservation Officer for Panthera, a global wild cat conservation organisation which supports Kope Lion, told the BBC the incident was "truly unique".
"It's not something that I'm aware has ever happened before between large cats like this," he said.
"We know there are cases where lionesses will adopt other lion cubs... But this is unprecedented.
"I know of no other case - between any large cat, for that matter - where the species has adopted or nursed the cub of another species."
Most lionesses would normally kill a baby leopard if they found one, seeing just another predator in a competitive food-chain.
The leopard cub, whose gender is not known, is around 2-3 weeks old
The little cub is lucky it wasn't killed on sight, Dr Hunter says
Dr Hunter says Nosikitok has cubs the same age as the young leopard - two to three weeks.
She was around a kilometre from her den, where her own cubs are hidden, when she found the spotted substitute.
"She's encountered this little cub, and she's treated it as her own. She's awash with maternal hormones, and this fierce, protective drive that all lionesses have - they're formidable mums," the lion expert notes.
It is not clear yet where the baby leopard's mother is, or if the lioness will try to adopt it full-time.
The local safari lodge say there is a resident female leopard there who almost certainly has cubs. And as Nosikitok's pride are unlikely to prove as indulgent as she is, the best outcome for the leopard would be a safe return to mum.
Dr Hunter says his team are on tenterhooks to see what comes next.
"It's a unique thing, it will be fascinating to see how it unfolds. Nature is unpredictable. Up until earlier this week, we would have said 'Nah, that never happens' - and now it happens!"
With luck, the tiny leopard will soon be back with its natural mother
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40603065
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Grenfell Tower: Government to review building regulations - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Civil servants have begun work for a forthcoming review of building safety rules, Newsnight learns.
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UK
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Officials have begun preparations for a major review of building regulations in England, Newsnight has learned.
The decision reflects official alarm at the state of building safety in the wake of last month's Grenfell Tower fire, in which at least 80 people died.
As results of checks on tall buildings have come in, civil servants have expressed shock at how the official rulebooks have been interpreted.
They remain unclear whether the problem is the rules or their enforcement.
Over the past month, officials in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) have sought both to explain how the catastrophe at the Grenfell Tower in west London came about, and why so many other buildings have been found to have problems with fire safety.
It is not clear when the government review will be officially announced, but it is likely that it will be complicated by the ongoing police investigations and the public inquiry.
The three processes may need to investigate some overlapping questions.
The discovery, in particular, that combustible material has been installed on a wide range of tall local authority and housing association buildings has alarmed officials.
While it is permissible to use combustible insulation on buildings of more than 18m in height, it must follow strict guidelines. Cladding must follow principles which are designed to help prevent fires from spreading across the exterior of buildings.
To get cladding signed off by building inspectors, it must follow one of a few routes. Newsnight has identified weaknesses in each of them.
Cladding from tower blocks has been tested in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire
First, the regulations state that materials used in the construction of the cladding can all be either "non-combustible" or of "limited combustibility".
This is the so-called "prescriptive" route to getting sign-off and is the simplest route to compliance. If every part attached to the exterior of the building meets this standard - which, in practice, means they cannot catch or spread fire - no further action is needed.
This, at least, is how the rule is interpreted by the government and sector bodies, such as the Building Control Alliance.
But ambiguous drafting in the building regulations mean that some developers, cladders and architects have assumed that this rule only applied to the insulation on the outsides of buildings, not the exterior of the cladding.
Adrian Buckmaster, director of TetraClad, a cladding company, said: "The government is now... saying that both the insulation layer and the outer layer they believe should be of a... non-combustible class, whereas if I read the documents as they are at the moment, the clauses specifically say just the insulation and the outer layer is a completely different standard."
Second, if you wish to use materials that cannot meet the prescriptive route, you can commission a fire test.
This entails building a mock-up of your proposed design and then lighting a fire beneath it to see what happens.
The evidence gathered by this process can then be used to persuade building inspectors.
But some industry figures have told Newsnight that they fear this process, officially the "BS 8414" test, is not sufficiently robust.
A critical concern is that the test is based on a perfectly installed portion of wall. In reality, items that have been installed imperfectly or suffered wear and tear may be much more vulnerable to fire.
Philip Preston of IF P&C Insurance, a company that has commissioned its own tests, explained "We were concerned that the laboratory tests... didn't really reflect the risk in the real world.
"The buildings are not perfect and the panels are not perfect... Through the lifetime of the building, they get damaged and that exposes the insulating material."
If an engineer believes your proposed design is very similar to something that has already been tested, you need not test it again. The purpose of this route is to avoid testing functionally similar designs unnecessarily.
But Newsnight found engineers arguing that the results of tests using ceramic tiles could be used instead of tests on designs using aluminium composite panels - a very different material. Fire safety experts consulted by Newsnight said that the documents "extrapolated apples into oranges".
There are broader problems, too.
This part of the system also has problems with confidentiality: the fire test results - and any desktop studies - are confidential to the sponsoring organisation, who is usually the manufacturer.
Developers must, therefore, rely on often vague product information that they choose to distribute.
Newsnight also revealed how a major sector body and building inspection agency stated it would sign off the use of combustible insulation and combustible aluminium panels in a range of circumstances without even commissioning a desktop study.
This was, they said, on the basis of the volume of fire-test data and desktop studies that they had reviewed. But NHBC, the body in question, has now suspended this guidance.
Building control officers, industry figures and fire engineers have separately told Newsnight of their concerns about fire safety issues. These range from specific concerns about cladding, fire doors and paints through to whether the materials that are sold to builders are always the same as the materials supplied to laboratories for testing.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40602991
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AirBnB host fined after racist comment - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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"One word says it all. Asian," said host who must now attend a course on Asian-American studies.
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Technology
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Dyne Suh spoke emotionally about the incident after her room was cancelled
An AirBnB host who made a racist comment to an Asian guest has been fined $5,000 - and told she must attend a course on Asian-American studies.
Tami Barker cancelled Dyne Suh’s booking, telling her in a message: "One word says it all. Asian.”
The fine was imposed due to a new agreement between AirBnB and California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH).
It lets the DFEH examine hosts that have had discrimination complaints.
AirBnB is a service that allows members of the public to rent out spare rooms, or entire properties, to visitors.
The measures followed research and anecdotal evidence that suggested certain races found it more difficult to book rooms than others.
AirBnB has acknowledged it faces a challenge to combat racial discrimination on the service
The fine and demand to attend a course, as well as community service with a civil rights organisation, marks the first time the landmark agreement has been used to punish an AirBnB host.
"The host walked into this mediation with an attitude of contribution,” Kevin Kish, director of the DFEH, told the BBC.
"That opened the door to a lot of creative thinking."
Ms Barker cancelled Ms Suh’s booking shortly before the 26-year-old was due to arrive at the location in Big Bear, California, the DFEH said.
In messages sent via the AirBnB app, Ms Barker said: "I wouldn’t rent it to u if u were the last person on earth.”
Later, she added: “I will not allow this country to be told what to do by foreigners” and “It’s why we have Trump”.
In a recording made just after the accommodation was cancelled, Ms Suh gave an emotional account of what had happened.
"It stings that after living in the US for over 23 years, this is what happens,” she said.
"No matter how well I treat others, it doesn’t matter. If you’re Asian, you’re less than human. People can treat you like trash.”
According to the Guardian, a lawyer for Ms Barker said she regretted her behaviour, and that the DFEH’s action will hopefully be a "positive outcome out of an unfortunate incident”.
Ms Suh got in touch with the DFEH to make a complaint. The department is now working with AirBnB to make it clearer to discriminated-against guests that there is a strong complaints procedure.
"Not everybody knows that we’re here,” the DFEH’s Mr Kish told the BBC.
"People don’t intuitively know where to turn. In the agreement that we reached with Airbnb, they will mandatorily provide guests with information about us.”
However, such close ties only currently exist in California, AirBnB’s home state, where regulators have been aggressive in clamping down on various issues that have arisen from the company’s growth.
"There’s nothing to prevent other states - or other countries - from reaching similar agreements. It’s going to create work for AirBnB, but I don’t think people create one of these platforms with the intent that people will discriminate. I think it can come as a surprise to some of these founders,” Mr Kish said.
He added that he was impressed with the way in which AirBnB was dealing with the issue "head on".
In an interview with the BBC last year, AirBnB co-founder Brian Chesky said: "We started this company with the belief people are fundamentally good.
"Mostly everyone is really good, but when you have 100 million people, there are some who don’t believe in what you believe in."
You can reach Dave securely through encrypted messaging app Signal on: +1 (628) 400-7370
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40602926
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BBC Local Live: Updates from North East England on Friday 14 July 2017 - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Bringing you the latest news, sport, travel and weather from across the North East on Friday 14 July 2017.
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Tyne & Wear
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That's all for the day and for this week - thank you for joining us.
To keep up with what's happening over the weekend, head to BBC Tees, BBC Newcastle, Look North, and online.
You can tweet your photos to @BBCNewsNE , email them, or contact us via our Facebook page .
We'll be back on Monday from 08:00.
Our coverage today has been dominated by the funeral of Bradley Lowery. We'll leave you with this video of his school friends celebrating his life.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-tyne-40536137
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Rooney mania grips Tanzania as Everton play Gor Mahia - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Wayne Rooney marks his second debut for Everton with a stunning goal after receiving a raucous welcome from the 35,000 crowd in Tanzania.
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Africa
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Wayne Rooney marked his second debut for Everton with a stunning goal after receiving a raucous welcome from the 35,000 crowd at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Rooney had the first touch of the game between Everton and Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia and scored after 35 minutes, lifting a clever effort over the home goalkeeper from 25 yards.
The goal was even cheered by fans of the opposing team, with one dressed in a Manchester United shirt forcing the game to be stopped after invading the pitch to give Rooney a hug. The former England captain responded by returning the favour before the fan was bundled off the pitch.
Everton ultimately won the match 2-1, with Kieran Dowell scoring a later winner after Jacques Tuyisenge levelled for the hosts.
Many fans - some of whom travelled from the neighbouring East African nations of Kenya and Uganda - chanted "Rooney, Rooney" as the players left the stadium at the end of their two-day stint in Tanzania.
Rooney was replaced at half-time and several Gor Mahia players stopped him to pose for photographs after the final whistle before he was escorted away.
Everton winger Aaron Lennon also made his first appearance since February 11 after receiving treatment for a stress-related illness.
Gor Mahia earned the right to play Everton after winning the regional SportPesa Super Cup, which pitted teams from Tanzania against those from Kenya.
Kenyan betting firm SportPesa sponsors both Kenya's and Tanzania's top-flight leagues and were confirmed as Everton's new shirt sponsor in May.
Everton have been given royal treatment since they arrived in the East African state.
The wild chants for Rooney, along with stomping performances by Maasai cultural dancers, created a spectacle to behold.
Everton's Democratic Republic of Congo winger Yannick Bolasie rivalled Rooney, England's former captain, in the popularity stakes with a band of Congolese fans welcoming him to Tanzania. They were draped in T-shirts emblazoned with his face.
However, Rooney, who has rejoined Everton after 13 years at Manchester United, was the fans' favourite.
Even Tanzania's Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan attested to this.
"Wayne Rooney made me support Manchester United and now I don't know what to do because he has gone back to Everton," she said.
Rooney replied: "Being here, it has been a new experience for me and I hope the vice-president will now be able to support Everton."
On Wednesday, Everton's Mo Besic, Tom Davies and newly-signed Michael Keane joined Albino United in a training session in the coastal city of Dar es Salaam, soon after they landed.
The visit was aimed at helping to break the stigma against people with albinism who risk being killed in Tanzania.
"From spending time with them today, I have learnt that the players go through some tough times. It's not easy for them over here," said Keane, who made his debut in the second half.
"It's good that they can enjoy football and look forward to playing together. You can see their coach is really good with them."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40592856
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Cheeki Rafiki deaths: Yacht firm boss guilty of safety breach - BBC News
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2017-07-14
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Douglas Innes was responsible for the Cheeki Rafiki, which lost its keel 700 miles off Nova Scotia.
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England
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Douglas Innes ran Stormforce Coaching, the company responsible for the Cheeki Rafiki
The boss of a yachting firm has been found guilty of failing to ensure the safety of a boat which capsized in the Atlantic with the loss of four lives.
Douglas Innes had been responsible for the Cheeki Rafiki, which lost its keel 700 miles off Nova Scotia in May 2014.
His company, Stormforce Coaching, was also convicted of the same charge.
The jury at Winchester Crown Court was discharged after failing to reach verdicts on four manslaughter charges, which will be the subject of a retrial.
The guilty verdicts on the safety charges were by a majority of 10-1.
The bodies of James Male, Andrew Bridge, Steve Warren, Paul Goslin have never been found
Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey, James Male, 22, from Southampton, Steve Warren, 52, and Paul Goslin, 56, both from Somerset, had been returning the 40ft (12m) vessel to Southampton from Antigua Sailing Week when it capsized.
The US Coastguard was criticised for calling off its search for the stricken vessel after two days, but it was restarted following intervention by the British government.
The vessel was eventually found with the life raft but no sign of the four men. Their bodies have never been found.
Jurors were told some of the bolts holding the keel in place had been broken for some time
During the trial, Innes, 42, of Whitworth Crescent, Southampton, was accused of cost cutting and failing to get the vessel checked before the voyage.
Prosecutor Nigel Lickley QC told jurors the yacht had been given a "category two" code, which meant it was only authorised to be used commercially up to 60 miles away from a "safe haven", and the code certificate had expired shortly before the tragedy.
The court also heard the vessel, which had grounded three times in three years, had an undetected fault with the bolts which held the keel to the hull.
The vessel had been on its way to Southampton from Antigua Sailing Week
Jurors were told that when Innes was contacted by Mr Bridge to inform him there was a problem on board Innes, who was in a pub at the time, did not inform the coastguard.
Instead, he went to another pub where he was again contacted by Mr Bridge who told him the situation had worsened.
Innes returned home, called the coastguard and emailed the crew suggesting they check the bolts of the keel.
Mr Lickley said it later emerged that some of the bolts had been broken "for some time" before the yacht left the UK in October.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40609661
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