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Porsche to recall 22,000 cars over emissions software - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Germany's transport minister orders move to remove what he says is illegal emissions-controlling software.
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Business
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The German government believes Porsche will quickly address the software problem
Germany's transport minister has announced a recall of 22,000 Porsche cars to remove what he says is illegal emissions-controlling software.
He said that luxury marque Porsche would bear the cost of the recalls of the affected 3-litre Cayenne models.
It comes as Porsche's sister firm Volkswagen says it will refit almost a million more diesel cars in Germany.
VW admitted in 2015 that some of its diesel cars were fitted with a "defeat device" to cheat on emissions tests.
Allegations about Porsche first emerged in German magazine Der Spiegel last month.
It said it was told by a source that the Porsche Cayenne had a "warm up mode" whose true purpose was to comply with emissions requirements. It said tests showed that once the car was confronted with small bends or a slope it switched to a different mode and emissions were higher.
"There is no explanation why this software was in this vehicle," German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Thursday.
"These vehicles are equipped with modern emissions-controlling technology so we think these vehicles are technically able to stick to emissions limits and we therefore believe Porsche will quickly be in a position to bring the software into conformity (with the law)."
Meanwhile, VW will "offer to refit four million vehicles and thereby significantly reduce emissions," chief executive Matthias Mueller said on Thursday after meeting Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks.
Some 2.5 million VW cars are already covered by a recall of diesel vehicles introduced after the firm first owned up to cheating regulatory emissions tests.
Last week it was announced that VW subsidiary Audi would be offering a free software upgrade for 850,000 diesel cars across Europe, some 600,000 of them in Germany.
That leaves close to a million other cars to be included in the new refit plans. These include models from subsidiary Porsche, VW's Touareg sport utility vehicles, and some of its Transporter vans.
Separately, VW has been forced to defend its record after allegations that it teamed up with other German car giants to breach EU cartel rules.
VW said it was normal for manufacturers to exchange technical information to speed up innovation.
However, it declined to comment on specific allegations that five German carmakers colluded on price and technology.
Daimler has also called the allegations speculative.
EU and German anti-trust regulators are looking at allegations that BMW, Daimler and VW, including its subsidiaries Audi and Porsche, collaborated for decades on many aspects of development and production, disadvantaging customers and suppliers.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40740886
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Prince William pilots last East Anglian Air Ambulance shift - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The prince is stepping down from his helicopter pilot role to take up more royal duties and charity work.
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Cambridgeshire
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The Duke of Cambridge has begun his final shift for the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA).
His last duty as a paid pilot for the EAAA is the night shift from its base at Cambridge Airport.
Writing in the Eastern Daily Press (EDP) Prince William said he had a "profound respect" for those who serve in the emergency services.
He is stepping down to take on more royal duties on behalf of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.
A former RAF search and rescue pilot, the duke is part of a team including doctors and paramedics providing emergency medical cover across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and to Essex and Hertfordshire at night.
The duke received a briefing as part of his final shift
He then posed with medics and pilots in front of the air ambulance
Earlier this year, he said: "It has been a huge privilege to fly with the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
"Following on from my time in the military, I have had experiences in this job I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and that will add a valuable perspective to my royal work for decades to come."
After two years in the role, he told the EDP: "I have met people from across the region who were in the most desperate of circumstances.
"As part of the team, I have been invited into people's homes to share moments of extreme emotion, from relief that we have given someone a fighting chance, to profound grief."
Speaking of the "incredibly skilled doctors and paramedics" he has worked with, the prince said: "These experiences have instilled in me a profound respect for the men and women who serve in our emergency services, which I hope to continue to champion even as I leave the profession.
"I am hugely grateful for having had this experience."
Pilot William Wales, as he is known at work, receives a salary for his job which he donates in full back to the EAAA charity.
The duke said he was "proud to have served with such an incredible team of people"
Speaking with colleagues about incidents he had attended was the "best way of dealing" with the "dark moments", Prince William said
While on duty, he works as part of a close-knit team of four, on a nine-and-a-half hour shift, attending the worst medical emergencies of the 2,000-plus calls per day the service receives.
As a prince and as a future king, William has worn and will wear plenty of uniforms.
But the flight suit he'll hang up after his last shift has particular significance.
For two years it's been his "passport" to a life where, on merit, he helped people save lives.
This after all is a man who wishes that when he was younger he could have done more to protect his mother.
He has been exposed to the National Health Service in a way that no other senior royal has been or possibly ever will be.
It's an experience he is determined will shape his future.
The words the East Anglian Air Ambulance has used to describe the pilot prince are warm, not perfunctory.
They are losing someone they call "much-loved", "hard-working" and a "wonderful character".
William is losing something he's cherished - working in a team.
A lonelier destiny, which he's put on hold for so long, now beckons.
The air ambulance charity has attended patients injured by fires, horseback riding accidents, poisoning and road traffic accidents.
"There are some very sad, dark moments. We talk about it a lot, and that's the best way of dealing with some of these situations," Prince William revealed in September.
He pilots a H-145 helicopter, which has a maximum speed of 145 knots (170mph) and can be on the scene of an incident in East Anglia within a matter of minutes.
The prince received a salary for his job which he donated in full back to the EAAA charity
William has been an "integral part" of the service, Patrick Peal, chief executive of EAAA, said.
"He is not only a fantastic pilot, but a much-loved and valued member of the crew. He will be truly missed by everyone at EAAA.
"William... has been a true professional, delivering our doctors and critical care paramedics to patients under testing conditions," he added.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, whose family home has been in Anmer, Norfolk, have taken up residence in Kensington Palace ahead of their eldest child, Prince George, starting school in September.
A statement issued in January by the palace, said the pair wanted to increase their official duties on behalf of the Queen and their charity work - which would mean more time in London.
"As I hang up my flight suit, I am proud to have served with such an incredible team of people, who save lives across the region every day," Prince William told the EDP.
• None Inside the trauma team where Prince William is a pilot
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-40728530
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Herne Bay rail death: Teenager found 'electrocuted' on tracks - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A teenage girl's parents are "desperate for answers" after she was found dead near a station.
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Kent
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Taiyah Peebles was with friends just before she died
A 16-year-old girl has been found dead on the tracks at a railway station.
Officers said Taiyah Peebles was with friends near Herne Bay station in Kent shortly before 23:00 BST on Tuesday.
The teenager was injured between then and 07:00 on Wednesday, when she was confirmed dead by emergency crews.
She is believed to have been electrocuted, but Detective Chief Inspector Paul Langley from British Transport Police said her family were desperate for answers.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of this young girl as they try to come to terms with this awful news.
"We have deployed specially trained officers to the family to provide them with support."
Tributes have been left at Herne Bay station
He added: "Understandably the family are now desperate for answers and my officers are focused on understanding how this girl came to be on the tracks."
Taiyah's death is being treated as unexplained while officers look into the circumstances, he said.
A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Friday but police said Taiyah suffered serious injuries, believed to have been caused by electrocution.
Officers want to speak to anyone who was near the station between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-40731810
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Missing Florida woman found after she bottled her scent - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The sniffer dog used her individual scent, preserved in advance for emergencies, to track her down.
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US & Canada
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A woman with dementia who went missing in Florida was found by a police dog in a matter of minutes, having bottled her scent in advance.
Citrus County Sheriff's Office said the anonymous woman had used a specialist scent preservation kit.
It can hold a person's scent for up to seven years.
In a Facebook post police said she stored the scent two-and-a-half years ago, and a picture of the jar showed it was dated January 2015.
Scent preservation kits involve rubbing a pad on a person's underarm, then sealing it in a sterile jar so police dogs have a reliable scent to smell before looking for a missing person.
Manufacturers say they work better and more quickly than articles of clothing, because they are not contaminated by other people's smells or smells from the environment.
Dogs have a stronger sense of smell than humans and working police dogs are trained to sniff out drugs, people and in some cases corpses.
Some police forces around the world, including in China and Germany, have held scent samples from criminal suspects and crime scenes to help in their investigations.
But there are concerns over a high failure rate; in 2006 it was found that only a quarter of people indicated by dogs in New South Wales, Australia, turned out to be carrying drugs when they were searched.
In this case, though, the missing person was found and the dog earned a celebratory ice cream.
Police said the dog, Ally, was rewarded with an ice cream after finding the woman
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40740503
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Newspaper headlines: Riviera inferno and 'new antibiotics rule' - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Photos of the wildfires in France feature widely, alongside reports doctors are being urged to change their advice on antibiotics.
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The Papers
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There are dramatic images on several front pages of people fleeing the wildfires in south-eastern France by grabbing a few belongings and making for the beach at Bormes-Les-Mimosas.
One woman tells the Daily Telegraph "all we had time to bring was our passports". The paper says dozens of British holidaymakers were preparing for another night sleeping on the sand.
The Daily Mail shows some of those who escaped what it calls the "inferno on the Riviera", covered in blankets and using bags as pillows.
The Sun's travel editor, Lisa Minot, who was among those evacuated from a campsite, writes the British mantra of "keep calm and carry on has turned into despair" as many holidaymakers are likely to lose their cars and possessions.
According to the Times, those caught up in the chaos have been left "with little idea of whether their insurance would cover the disruption". It says the fires have been propelled by strong winds through pine-covered hillsides and officials in Provence believe they were started deliberately.
The government's strategy for tackling air pollution comes under intense scrutiny.
The Daily Telegraph reports that experts predict another 10,000 wind turbines will have to be built to meet the demand of electric-only cars.
For the Sun it is not enough to "blithely announce" a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars "without a co-ordinated, costed national plan for achieving it".
The Guardian warns the government could face further legal action "to force it to produce a more comprehensive plan, with environmentalists, doctors and opposition politicians arguing it is insufficient to deal with a 'health emergency' estimated to be killing 40 thousand people a year".
The paper's environment editor, Damian Carrington, condemns the proposals as a "smokescreen" that hides the "true villains" - car manufacturers. He says they've "dodged the emissions regulations that would have kept air pollution in check".
The Daily Telegraph leads with the call for GPs to be urged to stop telling patients to complete their full course of antibiotics.
Infectious disease experts welcome it, saying that the current guidance is based on a fear of under-treating, but actually increases the risk of bacterial resistance.
The story also features on the front page of the Guardian and Times.
However, the Royal College of GPs expresses concern that advising patients to take the medication only until they feel better would lead to confusion.
The front page report in the i newspaper suggests the "era of designer babies" is a step closer, with scientists in the US succeeding in altering genes in IVF embryos.
It says new technology has been employed to "correct" the genes responsible for inherited disease and could, in theory, be used to enhance those that produce traits such as better eyesight or stronger muscles.
The Times reports the suspected rape of an autistic man by another resident at a private care home was not made public by the regulator, the Care Quality Commission.
It says the incident was left out of a report, produced after an inspection of the home in north London.
The Care Quality Commission defends its decision, explaining that it has to balance its desire to be "open and transparent" with the need to avoid "compromising ongoing investigations".
The chairman of ITV is said by the Daily Mirror to have insisted he will "never discuss" how much the channel's stars earn.
The paper says the intervention of Sir Peter Bazalgette comes as the presenter of Good Morning Britain, Piers Morgan, has been challenged by his BBC rival, Dan Walker, to reveal whether his salary is the same as that of his co-host, Susanna Reid.
Finally, the Daily Mail examines one man who can boast impressive muscles - the world champion swimmer Adam Peaty.
It details the physical attributes that have propelled him from "a lad who used to be afraid of water" to a record-breaker.
His size 12 feet and his double-jointed knees, which help with power and flexibility; his body fat of a mere 6%; and his 46-inch chest, which allows him to lift 30% more than his bodyweight.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40735826
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Should you finish a course of antibiotics? - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Experts are divided over whether people should always finish a course of antibiotics.
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Health
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It is time to reconsider the widespread advice that people should always complete an entire course of antibiotics, experts in the BMJ say.
They argue there is not enough evidence to back the idea that stopping pills early encourages antibiotic resistance.
Instead, they suggest, more studies need to be done to see if stopping once feeling better can help cut antibiotic use.
But GPs urge people not to change their behaviour in the face of one study.
Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard, leader of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said an improvement in symptoms did not necessarily mean the infection had been completely eradicated.
"It's important that patients have clear messages, and the mantra to always take the full course of antibiotics is well known - changing this will simply confuse people."
The opinion piece, by a team of researchers from across England, argues that reducing the use of antibiotics is essential to help combat the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
Prof Martin Llewelyn, from the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, together with colleagues, argues that using antibiotics for longer than necessary can increase the risk of resistance.
He suggests traditional long prescriptions for antibiotics were based on the outdated idea that resistance to an antibiotic could develop when a drug was not taken for a lengthy time and an infection was undertreated.
Instead, he says, there is now growing evidence that short courses of antibiotics - lasting three to five days, for example - work just as well to treat many bugs.
He accepts there are a few exceptions - for example, giving just one type of antibiotic for TB infections - which is known to lead to rapid resistance.
But the team says it is important to move away from blanket prescriptions and, with more research, give antibiotic prescriptions that are tailored to each infection and each person.
The study acknowledges that hospitals are increasingly reviewing the need for antibiotics from day to day and that there is a growing trend towards shorter courses of drugs.
But it questions whether advice such as stopping once feeling better would be beneficial - particularly when patients do not get the opportunity to be reviewed in the hospital every day.
They accept this idea would need more research.
Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard, leader of the Royal College of General Practitioners, says while it is important to take new evidence into account, she "cannot advocate widespread behaviour change on the results of just one study".
She says recommended courses of antibiotics are "not random" but tailored to individual conditions and in many cases courses are quite short.
And she says: "We are concerned about the concept of patients stopping taking their medication mid-way through a course once they 'feel better', because improvement in symptoms does not necessarily mean the infection has been completely eradicated.
Meanwhile, Kieran Hand, spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: "This opinion article from respected NHS infection experts is a welcome opening of the debate in the UK on the relationship between the length of a course of antibiotics, efficacy and resistance.
"As researchers have pointed out, further research is needed before the 'Finish the course' mantra for antibiotics is changed and any alternative message, such as, 'Stop when you feel better,' can be confidently advocated.
"The ideal future scenario would be that the right length of treatment for a specific infection for patients is identified from clinical trials and the exact quantity prescribed and dispensed."
Public Health England says patients should continue to follow their health professional's advice about using antibiotics.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40731465
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Diesel and petrol car ban: Clean air strategy 'not enough' - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The clean air strategy should include a scrappage scheme and clean air zones, campaigners say.
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UK
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The government's £3bn clean air strategy does not go "far enough or fast enough", campaigners have said.
Moves including banning the sale of new diesel and petrol cars from 2040 and £255m for councils to tackle air pollution locally have been welcomed.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the government was determined to deliver a "green revolution".
But environmental groups criticised the decision not to include a scrappage scheme or immediate clean air zones.
The plan to stop all sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040 is part of the government's intention for almost every car and van on UK roads to be zero emission by 2050.
The government report includes the promise of £40m immediately to start local schemes rolling, which could include changing road layouts, retrofitting public transport or schemes to encourage people to leave their cars at home.
The funding pot will come from changes to tax on diesel vehicles and the reprioritising departmental budgets - the exact details will be announced later in the year.
If those measures do not cut emissions enough, charging zones for the most polluting vehicles could be the next step.
While air pollution has been mostly falling in the UK, in many cities, nitrogen oxides - which form part of the discharge from car exhausts - regularly breach safe levels.
Mr Grayling said the new plan showed the government was "determined to deliver a green revolution in transport and reduce pollution in our towns and cities".
But campaigners say these are the measures that need to be implemented now to tackle environmental and health problems, with air pollution linked to about 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK.
Professor Neena Modi, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Hea lth, said air pollution "is a public health emergency" and said it was "frankly inexcusable" that the plans still did not go far enough.
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas welcomed the 2040 announcement, but added: "We also need action that tackles this health emergency in the coming months and years.
"We should use this opportunity to revamp our towns and cities with investment in walking and cycling, and by ensuring that public transport is affordable and reliable."
Greenpeace UK's clean air campaigner Areeba Hamid said 2040 was "far too late" and called for the UK to "lead the world in clean transport revolution".
And ClientEarth - the law firm that took the government to court over pollution levels - said the plans were "underwhelming" and "lacking in urgency".
The shadow environment secretary, Labour's Sue Hayman, said the plan saw the government "shunting the problem on to local authorities" and accused it of having a "squeamish attitude" towards clean air zones.
"With nearly 40 million people living in areas with illegal levels of air pollution, action is needed now, not in 23 years' time," she added.
Liberal Democrat and former Energy Secretary Ed Davey criticised the lack of scrappage scheme as a "shameful betrayal" of diesel car drivers, and said it showed "the utter lack of ambition" of the plan.
And London Mayor Sadiq Khan said people in the capital were "suffering right now" because of air pollution and "can't afford to wait".
The AA also said significant investment would be needed to install charging points across the country for electric vehicles and warned the National Grid would come under pressure with a mass switch-on of recharging after the rush hour.
The government said a new bill would allow it to require the installation of charge points at motorway service areas and large fuel retailers.
The timetable for councils to come up with initial plans has been cut from 18 months to eight, with the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) wanting to "inject additional urgency" into the process.
It follows the government being given its own deadline of 31 July after High Court judges said it was failing to meet EU pollution limits.
Local Government Association environment spokesman Martin Tett welcomed the additional funding, but opposed holding off on a scrappage scheme, arguing "this immediate intervention could help increase the uptake of lower emission vehicles".
BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin said councils were not happy to be taking the rap for the controversial policy when it was the government that had encouraged the sale of diesel vehicles in the first place.
"Today's government plan is not comprehensive - it doesn't address pollution from construction, farming and gas boilers," he added.
"And clean air campaigners say the government is using the 2040 electric cars announcement to distract from failings in its short-term pollution policy."
The UK announcement comes amid signs of an accelerating shift towards electric cars instead of petrol and diesel ones, at home and abroad:
Ford's chief financial officer Bob Shanks told the BBC that he supported the ban and believed that Europe would be "ground zero" in leading a global trend to electric vehicles.
"We certainly see that trajectory being quite feasible, and is something that we support," he added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40731164
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Grenfell-style cladding design fails official fire test - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Government tests reveal the design of cladding at Grenfell Tower was unsafe.
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UK
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An official test of the types of materials used at Grenfell Tower suggest that designs like that used in the tower's cladding are fundamentally flawed, Newsnight can reveal.
A so-called "fire test" is intended to establish whether a design would withstand fire if installed perfectly.
The Grenfell cladding has been blamed for the fire's rapid spread.
The local government department stated they aimed to "publish results as soon as possible".
This test is the first full-scale test of the combination of insulation and cladding of the types used at Grenfell. The test involves setting a fire underneath a large-scale mock-up of the insulation system in a fire laboratory.
Previous tests have only sought to establish what types of materials have been installed on high-rises across England. This test is the first in a series that is intended to work out which combinations of materials can safely be installed together and which cannot.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Chris Cook: "The test was an absolute failure"
The test result makes it more likely that the choice of materials in use at Grenfell Tower, rather than poor installation of the cladding, was to blame for the fire's spread across the face of the building. People familiar with the results stated that it also supports the conclusion that the cladding was the critical component that spread the fire.
This test, conducted by the Building Research Establishment near Watford, will be followed by five others, each of which will use a different combination of insulation and exterior aluminium panelling. This first test used a so-called PIR plastic foam, a type of combustible insulation, and aluminium panels with a combustible polyethylene plastic core.
This is the most flammable of the six combinations of insulation and exterior cladding that will be tested. While other buildings with this combination have been identified, this specific combination of PIR foam and polyethylene-core cladding is not currently believed to be in widespread use.
Most buildings that have been found to have suspect cladding will not be installed with this combination of materials.
A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "We've already issued practical advice so that landlords can make properties safe for residents, and our priority now is informing landlords of the latest results so that they can take any further actions that are necessary."
The test rig at the BRE before the alumnium cladding was installed, showing the interior design of the cladding. The silver foil covers the insulation. The vertical yellow stripes are firebreaks intended to stop the fire moving horizontally. The black stripes are firebreaks designed to stop vertical fire spread
This test result, however, raises major questions about why this combination of materials was actually signed off by building control officers.
The fire test conducted by the BRE is a standard test which is designed to establish whether a specific combination of materials, installed in a specified fashion, will be safe during a fire.
If developers wish to use combustible material on the exterior of tall buildings, it is supposed to be on the basis of data from such a test.
Newsnight has, however, previously revealed how developers have installed combustible elements on tall buildings without having tested the components.
They can commission engineers to write reports arguing that the material is functionally similar to material that has already been tested.
Or, in one case, Newsnight found building inspectors willing to sign off material of the same combustibility as at Grenfell without even that level of evidence.
The publication of this test makes it impossible for this design and combination of materials to be used in future without it passing a further test.
Fire test rig used at the BRE, with reporter for scale
Newsnight has also previously revealed concerns about the adequacy of the testing regime - not least because test data is usually confidential and therefore difficult for fire safety officials to scrutinise.
The test is also conducted on a test bed which has been installed slowly by cladding engineers over several days.
In reality, material may be installed hastily, and may be damaged in installation or use in ways that reduce their fire safety.
Newsnight has also revealed that the government has begun work on a review of building standards.
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.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40735851
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Tories 'wrong' on gay rights in past, Theresa May says - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Theresa May said there would be "justifiable scepticism" about her own position, given her voting record.
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UK
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The Conservative Party has been "wrong" on gay rights in the past - but can be proud of the role it has played in recent years, Theresa May has said.
Speaking to website Pinknews to mark 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales, the PM said she and the party had both "come a long way".
The Sexual Offences Act was introduced on 27 July 1967.
It decriminalised homosexual acts in private between men aged 21 and over.
Mrs May said: "I am proud of the role my party has played in recent years in advocating a Britain which seeks to end discrimination on the grounds of sexuality or gender identity, but I acknowledge where we have been wrong on these issues in the past."
As an MP in 1998, Mrs May voted against reducing the age of consent for homosexual acts from 18 to 16 and four years later opposed allowing gay couples to adopt.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Comedian and radio presenter Peter Price: I was sent for 'gay cure'
Mrs May was also absent for several votes affecting LGBT rights - but in 2004 backed civil partnerships, and as a member of the coalition government supported a succession of measures including same sex-marriages.
In a separate article, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told Pinknews that the anniversary was a time to "recognise the great strides towards equality that have been made".
He said: "I am proud of the role the Labour Party played in these advances... but this progress is not down to MPs in Parliament... these achievements belong first and foremost to the LGBT community who have persevered against prejudice for many years."
Roger Lockyer, who began a gay relationship the year before the law changed, said the reforms offered "a very limited concession" but did improve gay men's lives.
He told BBC Radio 5Live: "Initially many of us thought it won't make any difference, but it made an enormous difference.
"It made one feel one was walking tall and that the big barriers that had been there forever were gradually beginning to dissolve."
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said the 1967 legislation was "progress" but the remaining laws, such as gross indecency, were "policed more aggressively than before".
He said: "Don't be misled by the celebrations on 27 July... The law continued to discriminate homosexual men post-1967."
The government announced in September 2016 that gay and bisexual men convicted of now-abolished sexual offences in England and Wales would receive posthumous pardons.
It followed the pardoning of World War Two code-breaker Alan Turing for gross indecency in 2013.
The amendment, dubbed the "Turing law", led to about 49,000 men being cleared of crimes of which they would be innocent today.
Partners Somchai Phukkhlai and George Montague set up a petition for a government apology
Thousands more living men who convicted over consensual same-sex relationships are also eligible for the pardon.
But some campaigners want an apology from the government, not a pardon.
George Montague, convicted in 1974 of gross indecency, said: "I want an apology to the whole of the gay community for the persecution of us, for so many years.
"The police went out of their way to catch us and persecute and prosecute us.
"What I say is I didn't ask to be gay, I didn't choose to be gay, I was born that way. The law of gross indecency should never have been brought in."
On 27 July 1967, the Sexual Offences Act was passed.
It was the first significant liberalisation of gay law in English history. Female homosexuality had never been a criminal offence.
The legislation stated that "a homosexual act in private shall not be an offence provided that the parties consent thereto and have attained the age of 21 years".
It has been called the decriminalisation of homosexuality, although many more changes have been made since to improve gay men's rights.
Scotland passed similar reforms in 1980, with Northern Ireland the last country in the United Kingdom to do so in 1982.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40736738
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Why does the US military buy so much Viagra? - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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More than a million prescriptions are paid for every year, and many go to retired personnel.
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US & Canada
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The Pentagon spends tens of billions of dollars on healthcare for active and retired service personnel
Amid the fall-out from US President Donald Trump's announcement on Twitter that transgender people will not be able to serve in the US military, one statistic has been frequently raised to draw attention to the comparatively small estimated costs of transgender healthcare.
It refers to the amount the Pentagon spends on erectile dysfunction medication annually: about $84m (£63m), according to the Military Times newspaper.
In contrast, the Rand Corporation think tank estimated last year that gender transition-related health care costs for transgender personnel would increase the military's active duty health budget by $8.4m per year at the most.
But why does the US defence department spend so much on erectile dysfunction drugs?
First, it is worth pointing out that the Military Times' February 2015 report based its figure on 2014 data from the Defense Health Agency.
The spend of $84.2m was for that year, but the newspaper also reported that $294m had been spent on Viagra, Cialis and other such medications since 2011.
It pointed out that this cost the equivalent of more than a few fighter jets.
In 2014, some 1.18 million prescriptions were filled, mostly for Viagra. But who were they for? The answer goes some way in explaining the massive spend.
It is true that some of the erectile dysfunction medication went to active-duty personnel.
But the vast majority went to other groups eligible, including millions of military retirees and their family members. In fact, around 10 million people in total are estimated to be covered by the Pentagon's healthcare system, which cost $52bn in 2012.
It is well known that erectile dysfunction is more common among older men - which would explain a hefty bill for retired service members.
In fact, less than 10% of the prescriptions were for active duty personnel, according to the Military Times.
Still, erectile dysfunction among those currently serving in the US military has been increasing since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began.
A 2014 study by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch (AFHSB) found that 100,248 cases of erectile dysfunction were diagnosed among active service members between 2004 and 2013, with "annual incidence rates" more than doubling in that time period.
Nearly half of all the cases were due to psychological causes, according to the study.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Riley Dosh explains why she wants to defend her country
A study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2015 found that male veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were "significantly more likely than their civilian counterparts to report erectile dysfunction or other sexual problems", according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
One study cited found that 85% of male combat veterans with PTSD report erectile dysfunction, nearly four times the rate among those returning from combat who are not diagnosed with a mental health disorder.
In 2008, the Rand Corporation reported that one in five US veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were suffering from PTSD or major depression.
However, a key statistic buried in the AFHSB study of active duty personnel between 2004 and 2013 suggests one should be cautious of reading too much into the links between America's recent wars, PTSD and erectile dysfunction in relation to the military's massive spend on Viagra.
Personnel who had never been deployed were actually more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction than their counterparts who had been.
Finally, erectile dysfunction is linked to common conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
In 2007, it was estimated that the prevalence of erectile dysfunction among US men was 18%.
In summary: it is a common condition, and the US military pays for the healthcare of millions of men, meaning it spends a lot on Viagra and other such drugs.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40741785
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Charlie Gard parents 'denied final wish' for more time - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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His mother says the couple have had "no control" over their son's life or death.
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England
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Terminally-ill Charlie Gard will be moved to a hospice and have his life support withdrawn soon after, a High Court judge has decided.
Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) said it was not in his best interests to spend a long time in a hospice.
His parents had wanted a private team to care for Charlie so they could have more time with him. "GOSH have denied us our final wish," his mother said.
The judge approved a plan that will see Charlie die shortly after being moved.
Mr Justice Francis added that no details about when he would be moved and where could be made public.
In a statement, the hospital said it deeply regretted "that profound and heartfelt differences" between Charlie's doctors and parents have "had to be played out in court over such a protracted period".
Charlie has been in intensive care since October
Parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, and GOSH had until 12:00 BST to agree Charlie's end-of-life care. However, an agreement was not reached by the noon deadline.
The parents' lawyer, Grant Armstrong said they wanted to spend days with Charlie at a hospice before his death.
But hospital bosses said they could not agree to the arrangement as his parents had not found a paediatric intensive care specialist.
Commenting on the decision, Connie said: "We just want some peace with our son, no hospital, no lawyers, no courts, no media, just quality time with Charlie away from everything, to say goodbye to him in the most loving way.
"Most people won't ever have to go through what we have been through, we've had no control over our son's life and no control over our son's death.
"Despite us and our legal team working tirelessly to arrange this near impossible task, the judge has ordered against what we arranged and has agreed to what GOSH asked.
"This subsequently gives us very little time with our son."
Connie Yates was in court on Wednesday to hear the decision about where her son will spend his final days
The hospital said there was "simply no way that Charlie... can spend any significant time outside of an intensive care environment safely".
It added: "We will arrange for Charlie to be transferred to a specialist children's hospice... who will do all they can to make these last moments as comfortable and peaceful for Charlie and his loved ones."
GOSH said that "while we always respect parents' views, we will never do anything that could cause our patients unnecessary and prolonged suffering".
The High Court order says Charlie will continue to be treated in hospital for a "period of time" before being moved to the hospice, which cannot be named for legal reasons.
It says doctors can then withdraw "artificial ventilation" after a period of time.
Everyone involved has agreed that the "arrangements" will "inevitably result in Charlie's death within a short period thereafter", the order adds.
The High Court order says Charlie will be treated in hospital for a "period" of time before being moved to the hospice
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40745988
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Birmingham's Legs 11 club 'drugged' and 'defrauded' customers - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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A lap dancing club's licence is suspended after claims of fraud and links to organised crime are made.
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Birmingham & Black Country
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The council has temporarily suspended the club's licence
A lap dancing club allegedly drugged customers and charged thousands of pounds of unauthorised transactions to their credit cards, a report claims.
The report, which was compiled by Birmingham City Council's licensing team, contains police allegations that up to £93,042 was taken from customers of Legs 11 on Broad Street.
The council has suspended the club's alcohol licence, pending a full review.
Legs 11 has not responded to a request for a comment.
In the council report Supt Andy Parsons said two men had claimed they were drugged, with one testing positive for methadone with a home testing kit.
The force is also investigating claims large amounts of money was taken from people's bank accounts without their knowledge.
Some customers had paid for dances "in a private area" but additional transactions were taking place that they had not authorised, he said.
One victim claimed he had lost as much as £19,417.
"In this year alone, four fraud offences have been reported totalling £23,965 with two of the victims reporting they had been drugged," he said.
"One of the victims went as far as getting a home drug test kit which indicated he was under the influence of methadone. This victim had £9,000 taken from his credit card."
The club was being investigated over 17 fraud-related allegations since 2013, West Midlands Police said.
Supt Parsons added "intelligence checks" suggested the club was linked to "organised crime groups from Albania".
"These premises are involved in serious criminality and serious offences are being committed at the premises," he said.
The report also contained details of an undercover trading standards investigation, during which officers were offered sexual services in a locked room for a fee of £1,000 and were "rubbed" by naked dancers, contravening the club's licence.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-40738394
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Justin Bieber's car hits photographer - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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The singer was said to be travelling at an "extremely slow speed" when the collision occurred.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Bieber remained at the scene and co-operated with officers, according to police
Justin Bieber has been involved in a car collision in Beverley Hills, police have confirmed to the BBC.
Video footage showed the singer striking a photographer with his car after he left a service at The City Church in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
The Beverly Hills Police Department said the vehicle had been travelling at an "extremely slow speed" when the collision took place.
The BBC has contacted the 23-year-old's team for comment.
"At 21:24 local time [05:24 BST] we received a radio call about a vehicle-pedestrian collision on Hamilton Drive," Sergeant Matthew Stout of the Beverly Hills Police Department told the BBC.
"We arrived on scene and found a 57-year-old pedestrian on the ground. He was transferred to local hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
"Justin Bieber remained on scene, co-operated with officers and was released."
Bieber was seen standing over and speaking to the injured man, who was reportedly a photographer, after the incident.
Sergeant Stout confirmed Bieber "got out of the car and attempted to render aid" after the collision.
The pop star cancelled his remaining world tour dates earlier this week
The pop star was heard asking paparazzi to give the pedestrian some space and offering to help him immediately after the incident.
Bieber was seen kneeling down on the ground and asking the man: "Is there anything we can do to help you?"
The singer has been hitting the headlines in the last week after being banned from China due to "bad behaviour".
He has also cancelled his remaining world tour dates, citing "unforeseen circumstances".
The move affects 14 dates in Asia and North America which were coming up over the next three months.
His Purpose world tour included a date at London's Hyde Park and attracted attention when his rather demanding tour rider leaked online.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40739053
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Facebook flush with advertising money - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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The social media company's profits jumped 71%, amid strong advertising spending and user growth.
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Business
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Facebook revenues and profits soared in the most recent quarter, as advertising dollars poured into the social media company and users continued to flock to the site.
More than two billion people - more than a quarter of the world's population - log into the site every month, a powerful draw for advertisers.
The firm said revenues hit $9.3bn (£7.09bn) over the April to June period, jumping 45% year-on-year.
"We had a good second quarter and first half of the year," said chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook in 2004.
Facebook has been adding more advertising as well as more consumers, as it explores how to monetise its other social networking platforms, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The company said that Instagram was making an increasing contribution to growth, but that the news feed at the heart of Facebook remained the biggest driver.
It was still early days for advertising on Facebook's messenger service, said Mr Zuckerberg, but he told an investor call he was "confident we're going to get this right in the long term".
Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said brands were experimenting with different advertising formats within Facebook's platforms, for example Tropicana had found that six-second ads gave better results than longer versions, she said.
Facebook faces competition from Snapchat, a platform particularly popular amongst young social media users, which pioneered the idea of "stories", a series of messages aimed at a wider audience that lasts for 24 hours.
Instagram and WhatsApp are now offering similar features.
Facebook shares, which have risen steadily this year, bounced 3.6% in after-hours trade.
The company said mobile ads represented 87% of its advertising revenue of $9.16bn, up from 84% a year ago.
The firm now employs more than 20,600 people, up 43% year-on-year.
The firm said the number of monthly active users at the end of June - 2.01 billion - was 17% higher than a year ago and two thirds of those logged onto the site daily.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40732036
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Grenfell Tower to be covered in protective wrapping - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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Grenfell Tower is being covered in a protective wrap while forensic investigations continue.
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UK
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The deconstruction of the tower is expected to begin towards the end of 2018
Grenfell Tower will be covered in a protective wrap to help with forensic investigations, the site manager says.
Michael Lockwood told a public meeting on Wednesday that the charred building, in North Kensington in London, would be covered in August.
He said that he expected the demolition of the tower block, where at least 80 people died in the fire on 14 June, would begin "towards the end of 2018".
He added that some possessions could be retrieved from 33 of the block's flats.
Speaking at the Notting Hill Methodist Church, Mr Lockwood said the recovery operation tower block could last until November this year.
The criminal investigation into the building - which requires material to be collected - could go on until January.
The covering of the 24-storey tower block will use scaffolding, which Mr Lockwood said would aid workers in demolishing the building.
Workers continue to comb through tonnes of debris from the site for remains and evidence
He said: "I think that to be honest, the building will stay up throughout 2018.
"Then towards the end of 2018, I think we could start to bring it down, if that is what the community wants, and the scaffolding will help us to do that because we can do that within the wrap."
Any decision on what happens to the site after its deconstruction would be made with input from the community, he added.
Some flats in the building remain "completely untouched and in perfect condition" he said, while others are devastated.
There are some 33 flats in the block from which some possessions could be retrieved and returned to residents "in the next week or so", he added.
Members of various churches attended the memorial service
A memorial service for five of the residents who perished in the fire was held at St Helen's Church in North Kensington.
The service, attended by the Archbishop of York, remembered artist Khadiya Saye and her mother Mary Mendy, Berktki Haftom and her 12-year-old son Beruk, and a five-year-old boy called Isaac.
Meanwhile, experts who recovered remains after the 9/11 attack in New York are helping police investigators comb through debris from the fire.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey said last week that 200 officers would be sifting through 15 tonnes of debris "until Christmas time".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40739424
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'Overwhelmed' hospital in Worcester missed DNP overdose - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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An "overwhelmed" department led to delays in the overdose being recognised and treated, a report says.
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Hereford & Worcester
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Bethany Shipsey's mother is critical of the hospital care the 21-year-old received
A young woman who had taken slimming drug DNP died after an "overwhelmed" hospital department failed to spot the "potentially fatal overdose".
Bethany Shipsey, 21, was being treated at Worcestershire Royal Hospital when there were delays recognising her condition, a report has found.
Her father, Doug Shipsey, said he had warned a nurse how serious the diet pill was.
The NHS Trust said it would not comment until after Miss Shipsey's inquest.
A five-day hearing is due to take place from 8 January.
Miss Shipsey had a history of mental health issues and had taken overdoses previously, her family said. A man has been convicted of raping her.
On 13 February, while a patient in the hospital's Elgar mental health unit, she was found with DNP, which was confiscated.
Two days later while visiting her family at home, she told a friend on social media she had taken the drug, which her parents believe she had in supply after buying it online.
Miss Shipsey's family believes the overdose was a cry for help and not a genuine attempt to kill herself
An ambulance was called and Miss Shipsey told paramedics she had taken 30 tablets, though her family said she was prone to exaggeration.
Her father said he warned nurses about the DNP and after a delay, his daughter was put in the resuscitation room.
However, she was later moved because other patients were considered more seriously ill, he added.
Worcestershire Royal Hospital is part of a trust which has been in special measures since 2015
Her mother, Carole Shipsey, who is a nurse, said she could not believe the lack of care she had witnessed.
She told staff her daughter was having a respiratory arrest. A tracheotomy was performed to try to get her breathing, but it was too late, she said.
Mr Shipsey believes the overdose was a cry for help and not a genuine attempt to kill herself.
A forensic toxicology report recorded a level of 8 milligrams of DNP per litre. Deaths have been recorded at 28-99 mg/litre.
Doug Shipsey said he had warned staff how serious DNP could be
Worcestershire Acute Trust carried out an internal report into Miss Shipsey's death, which it shared with her family and has been seen by the BBC.
It said "an overwhelmed department led to a delay in recognition of a potentially fatal overdose and delayed implementation of cooling measures" - a treatment used in DNP overdoses.
In its internal report, the trust said it believed Miss Shipsey's death was inevitable.
Another report, a so-called root cause analysis, concluded there had been a "system failure".
Carole Shipsey said she told a nurse her daughter was in respiratory arrest
Miss Shipsey died just weeks after the Care Quality Commission issued the trust, which has been in special measures since 2015, with a warning notice ordering it to make significant improvements.
Concerns raised related to all three main hospital sites - Worcester Royal, Kidderminster and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch - and focused on patient safety, compliance and governance.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-40731711
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Five times food fights have had an impact on trade talks - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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Chlorine chicken isn't the only food that has got politicians in a flap
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Business
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Trade talks, tense affairs at the best of times, often get particularly sticky when it comes to food.
When the UK starts to negotiate new trade deals as it leaves the EU in 2019, food will be one of many areas that will need to be addressed.
The ongoing spat over chlorine chicken highlights how tastes and safety practices around the world can differ hugely.
What might seem normal practice in one country can seem problematic elsewhere.
In the US, it is legal to wash chicken carcasses in chlorinated water to kill germs - but this has been banned in the EU since 1997.
UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove has said the UK should not allow these imports in a post-Brexit trade deal with the US, but Trade Secretary Liam Fox says the practice is "perfectly safe".
Anthony Scaramucci, US president Donald Trump's new communications director, told BBC Newsnight that there would "100%" be a trade deal between his country and the UK - although he confessed he had no idea what was happening about chlorinated chicken.
Here are five occasions when spats over food have made past trade talks tricky.
The US wouldn't import Mexican avocados for many years
For more than 80 years, the US refused to import Mexican avocados on the grounds that the fruit was infested with fruit flies and other bugs.
After the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) in 1994, the US came under pressure to relax its ban, rather than rely on its pricier home-grown avocados.
"Avocados are always used as a pawn in the trading process. Whenever the United States talks to Mexico about opening up other agricultural commodities to US growers... it always comes back to avocados," Jerome Steyhle, who chairs the California Avocado Growers Commission, told the BBC in 2003.
In 1997, the restrictions started to be lifted, and by 2016 the US was importing 1.7 billion avocados across the border each year, according to marketing group Avocados from Mexico.
But the avocado war could be reignited now that President Trump has threatened to renegotiate Nafta - which he described as "the single worst trade deal ever approved [by the United States]".
Earlier this year, there were reports of several Mexican avocado lorries being turned away at the border following an argument about US potato imports.
Some cattle in the US are fed growth hormones
One of the best known food-related trade disputes was over hormone-fed beef.
The use of certain growth hormones in cattle rearing is legal in the US.
But in 1988, the EU banned the use of several major growth promotion hormones, which it said posed a potential risk to human health. This was an effective ban on American beef.
A decade later, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled the EU's refusal to import US beef was not based on scientific evidence and violated its members' obligations.
However, the trading bloc still wouldn't buy the meat, leading the US to retaliate by levying higher trade tariffs on some of its EU imports.
"American ranchers raise some of the best beef on the planet, but restrictive European Union policies continue to deny EU consumers access to US beef at affordable prices. For several years we have been asking the EU to fix an agreement that is clearly broken, despite its original promise to provide a favourable market for US beef," US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said last year.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted assurances that the country would still be able to stockpile food
Several years ago, India blocked the implementation of a 2013 global trade agreement it feared would stop it stockpiling food for the poor.
India refused to back the Trade Facilitation Agreement until it was assured proposed limits to farming subsidies would not affect its $12bn (£9.2bn) food-security programme.
It pays farmers over the odds for grain, some of which it sells to poorer households while the rest is set aside in case of shortages.
The WTO trade agreement simplified customs procedures and was designed to add $1tn to the global economy, and benefit developing countries in particular, so India's defiance was strongly criticised by the global community.
India agreed to lift the veto after WTO members agreed that an arrangement known as a "peace clause" - which protects food stockpiling - would remain valid until the WTO could find a permanent solution.
It was due to expire in 2017, but will now effectively continue indefinitely.
EU negotiators wanted to sell more dairy products to the Japanese, who in turn wanted to sell more cars
Negotiations on a big trade deal between Japan and the EU began in 2013.
Both sides wanted to slash tariffs on a huge range of goods, to boost trade.
This is a sensitive process because domestic producers tend to be wary of foreign competition.
The Japanese side was particularly keen to boost car sales in Europe, while the EU negotiators wanted to sell more dairy products.
Loosening the dairy rules wasn't such a big deal for hard cheeses such as cheddar and gouda, which are not made in Japan.
But Japanese dairy farmers do make softer cheeses, which proved a roadblock in the final stages of the talks, earlier this year.
After some late night haggling, the EU's Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan, secured a compromise.
The EU would have a yearly quota of 31,000 tonnes for soft cheese exports, in exchange for almost complete market access for hard cheese.
A few days later in Brussels, EU leaders and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the completion of the deal, dubbed "cars for cheese".
Some Belgian dairy farmers were worried about the impact of free trade
After years of negotiations, the EU completed its most ambitious free-trade deal to date: the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta) with Canada.
But under EU rules, some far-reaching trade agreements require the consent of all 28 EU countries before they can come into force.
To make things even more complicated, in Belgium seven federal, regional and community bodies had to give their approval as well.
Wallonia, the country's French-speaking region, said no.
Politicians in the staunchly socialist region had concerns about the dispute-settlement mechanism in the agreement, along with something else - milk.
Wallonian dairy farmers worried about the impact of free trade on their sales.
A group of them marched outside the European Commission in Brussels to voice their disapproval of Ceta.
Eventually, Belgian political leaders reached a consensus and broke the deadlock, agreeing an addendum to the Canadian deal, which addressed concerns over the rights of farmers and governments.
The European Parliament approved Ceta in February, although it has not come into force yet.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40732185
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Lloyds sets aside another £700m for PPI insurance claims - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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The bank posts profits of £2.5bn, but sets aside a further £1bn for mis-selling and mortgage failings.
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Business
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Lloyds Banking Group has set aside another £1bn to cover the cost of insurance mis-selling and the treatment of mortgage customers.
Of that, £700m will cover payment protection insurance (PPI) claims and £283m will be used to repay about 590,000 mortgage holders.
The bank had already put away an extra £350m this year to cover PPI costs.
It came as Lloyds posted half-year pre-tax profits of £2.5bn, 4% higher than last year.
The results are the first since the government sold its stake in the bank.
The repayment to mortgage customers comes after they were charged from 2009 to 2016 for going into arrears.
The Financial Conduct Authority had been investigating the issue, concluding that the charges should not have been applied as the bank did not always do enough to understand customers' circumstances and check that their arrears payment plans were affordable and sustainable.
The FCA says Lloyds will refund all fees charged for arrears management and broken payment arrangements, and it will also pay any litigation fees that were applied unfairly to customers who were involved in related legal action.
On top of that, it will also offer payments for potential distress and inconvenience.
The bank will itself approach customers to prompt them to make a claim.
Lloyds became the UK's biggest force in personal banking as a result of its absorption of HBOS - the former Halifax and Bank of Scotland - at the height of the financial crisis and was bailed out by the government at a cost of about £20bn.
Lloyds is also having to compensate some of its small business customers, who suffered as a result of widespread fraud at its former HBOS branch in Reading.
Victims saw their businesses taken over by so-called specialists recommended by the branch between the years 2003-07.
These "specialists" destroyed a number of the businesses, squandering the money they made on prostitutes and luxury holidays.
Lloyds is in the process of paying compensation to the victims of the fraud, for which it set aside £100m in the first quarter.
It is also currently undertaking a review of what happened.
It is the PPI mis-selling scandal, though, that dwarfs all others.
Lloyds has now increased provisions for claims some 17 times. Its chief financial officer, George Culmer, said it was "disappointing" to be having to do it again.
He also offered no guarantee that there would be no further increases in provisions, although he did say the number "looked appropriate in terms of covering us between now and August 2019".
Lloyds alone has now set aside £18bn. In total, UK lenders have been forced to set aside more than £30bn to cover PPI compensation costs.
PPI became controversial after it was revealed that many customers had been sold it without understanding that the cost was being added to their loan repayments.
The bank's chief executive, Antonio Horta-Osario, said of the various pots of money set aside for customer redress: "We have a commitment as a management team of putting these legacy charges behind us as soon as possible."
He admitted, though, that there would "always be redress costs" when running a banking business.
Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at stockbrokers Hargreaves Lansdown, said that despite the size of the provisions for the various types of misconduct, Lloyds' performance was satisfactory.
"It's a sign of Lloyds' strength that it can shrug off £1.6bn of misconduct charges to post a strong rise in profits," he said.
"Overall, this is a strong set of numbers from Lloyds, blighted, but not overshadowed, by misconduct costs. The government has exited the bank and is now no longer selling stock in the market, which removes a significant downward pressure on the share price."
The government had been steadily offloading its Lloyds stake, resulting in about £21bn being returned to the taxpayer.
The government still owns 73% of Royal Bank of Scotland, which was rescued with £45.5bn of taxpayers' cash during the crisis in the world's biggest bank bailout.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40738373
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Trump takes credit for Foxconn's 'incredible investment' - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Taiwanese electronics firm says it will invest $10bn in a Wisconsin factory making LCD panels.
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Business
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Foxconn said it will invest $10bn over the next four years to build a new manufacturing facility in Wisconsin
Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn announced plans to invest $10bn (£7.6bn) in a new factory in the US.
The plant, to be located in Wisconsin, is expected to make LCD panels and employ 3,000 people initially.
President Donald Trump, claimed credit for Foxconn's "incredible investment" which he said would not have happened if he had not been elected.
Foxconn has been promised $3bn in subsidies which would come from the state of Wisconsin.
The firm's chief executive, Terry Gou, made the announcement at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
However he did not give details of when construction would begin or identify where the site would be precisely.
President Trump, who met Mr Gou to discuss the subject and suggested Wisconsin as a location, took credit for the investment during a press conference.
"To make such an incredible investment, Chairman Gou put his faith and confidence in the future of the American economy," the President said.
"In other words, if I didn't get elected, he definitely would not be spending $10 billion."
During the election campaign Donald Trump focused much of his rhetoric on reviving the US manufacturing sector and "making America great again".
Foxconn is part of Hon Hai Precision Industry, one of the largest electronics manufacturers in the world, with about 1 million employees globally and revenue of more than $100 billion in 2016. The firm has invested heavily in automating its production and works with a variety of companies, including Apple, Tesla and BMW.
Foxconn said it employs about 3,000 people in the US currently, including at sites in Indiana and Virginia. But a big investment announced in Pennsylvania has not materialised.
The Wisconsin facility, which Foxconn said could be the first of many investments, marks its biggest expansion into the US yet.
But some observers questioned the business rationale.
"This is clearly a response by Foxconn to pressure from the administration," said Willy Shih, a professor at the Harvard Business School.
Mr Shih said even with the subsidies, the firm faces a challenge since additional supply will keep pressure on prices and many of the other parts required for the screens and factory aren't made in the US.
"Can they make it work? I'm sure they can... The question is, what do the economics looks like? How much money are they willing to lose getting there?"
At the press conference Mr Gou said his goal is to jumpstart a new manufacturing ecosystem in the US. The liquid crystal display panels could be used for televisions, self-driving cars and other products.
Foxconn earlier this year said it was exploring possible locations for an investment, sparking fierce competition among different states to win the facility.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said his state is preparing a package worth $3bn to secure Foxconn's commitment. Further details were not immediately available, but the scale of the incentives has raised eyebrows locally.
Governor Walker said the promise of the campus, which could one day employ as many as 13,000 people and cover 20 million square feet, was worth it.
"This is exciting and transformational," he said.
The plant is planned for south eastern Wisconsin, a part of the state not far from Chicago and Milwaukee.
The state, which has historically leaned Democratic, is politically important for President Trump. He won the state by less than 25,000 votes in the 2016 election.
Republican Paul Ryan, who leads his party in the House of Representatives, represents the area. Other members of the White House also have ties.
The state has seen the number of manufacturing jobs shrink by almost a quarter since 2000, but its economy has remained strong. Wisconsin's unemployment rate is estimated at 3.1%, lower than the US average.
"All of those locations are bouncing back and having Foxconn in the midst of that … is really going to be helpful," said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. "This helps round out the story."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40732035
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Yemen conflict: A nation's agony as cholera and hunger spread - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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The BBC's Orla Guerin sees the suffering of cholera and malnutrition victims in Yemen's civil war.
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Middle East
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Ahmad weighs half what he should at 10 months old - acute malnutrition rates in Yemen have soared since the war
Amid UN warnings of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, the BBC's Orla Guerin has overcome attempts by Saudi Arabia to block her team from entering the country and has seen for herself the depth of the suffering.
Yemen's health, water and sanitation systems are collapsing after two years of war between government forces - backed by a Saudi-led coalition carrying out air strikes - and the rebel Houthi movement.
The conflict and a blockade imposed by the coalition have triggered a humanitarian disaster, leaving 70% of the population in need of aid.
Orla has been tweeting about what she saw.
We reached the Southern port of Aden after 13 hours at sea. Saudis grounded the UN plane due to fly us in
The Saudis prevented us from flying into Yemen though we all had visas from the internationally recognised government
In a hospital in Aden, Orla saw staff battle to save the life of an elderly cholera victim - Abdullah Mohammed Salem - who was brought into the building without a pulse.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera.
Most of those infected will have no or mild symptoms but, in severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated.
Abdullah Mohammed Salem was brought to hospital with no pulse but revived before our eyes. Most cholera victims recover quickly - if treated
His life was saved in minutes
Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis have contracted cholera in recent months, making it the worst outbreak in history.
Hospitals are overcrowded and severe food shortages have led to widespread malnutrition, making people - especially children - even more vulnerable to the infection.
Malak, whose name means angel, is too weak to hold her head up straight so her mother does it for her
Thirteen-year-old Hassan got prompt attention in Aden but one person is dying every hour from this treatable disease
Some 60% of Yemenis do not know where their next meal will come from and the World Food Programme is warning of the danger of famine.
Doctors told the BBC that Yemen was in danger of losing its future, with 500,000 children now severely malnourished.
If you remember nothing of Yemen remember Hussein Mazen Hussein - malnourished and fighting for every breath
In two years of war, houses, hospitals and schools have been destroyed by Saudi airstrikes and more than 3,000 civilians have been killed.
Some people are living in the rubble of what were once their homes.
Yet despite the destruction, no side appears close to a decisive military victory.
The Awal family in the wreckage of their home - hit by two Saudi air strikes. Some of them still live in the ruins
Civilians are under fire from both sides in Yemen. Imad, 10, used to love football but lost both legs to Houthi shelling
Pro-government forces - made up of soldiers loyal to internationally-recognised President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and predominantly Sunni southern tribesmen and separatists - stopped the rebels taking Aden.
Mr Hadi and his government have returned from exile and established a temporary home there. But they have been unable to dislodge the rebels from their northern strongholds, including the capital Sanaa.
The sides have drifted into stalemate - but the human suffering continues unabated.
After two years of war a military stalemate - Yemen’s president still not restored to the capital by Saudi allies
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40744608
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Partition 70 years on: The turmoil, trauma - and legacy - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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Seventy years after India and Pakistan won their independence, why are relations still tense?
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Asia
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As India and Pakistan celebrate 70 years of independence, Andrew Whitehead looks at the lasting legacy of the Partition of British India, and the turmoil and trauma which marred the birth of the two nations.
It's about 700km (430 miles) from Delhi to Islamabad - less than the distance between London and Geneva. A short hop in aviation terms.
But you can't fly non-stop from the Indian capital to the Pakistani capital. There are no direct flights at all. It is only one of the legacies of seven decades of mutual suspicion and tension.
Take another example: cricket.
India and Pakistan played each other a few weeks ago in the final of the Champions' Trophy. Both countries are cricket crazy.
However, the game was played not in South Asia, but in London. India and Pakistan don't play cricket in each other's countries any more, although they have met in one-day matches around the world, including in countries in their region like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
It's almost 10 years since India and Pakistan played a Test match on South Asian soil
But it is almost 10 years since they faced each other on South Asian soil in a Test match. Despite a lot of shared culture and history, they are not simply rivals, but more like enemies.
In the 70 years since India and Pakistan gained independence, they have fought three wars. Some would say four, although when their armies last fought in 1999, there was no formal declaration of war.
The simmering tension between India and Pakistan is one of the world's most enduring geopolitical fault lines. It has prompted both countries to develop their own nuclear weapons.
So the uneasy stand-off is much more than a regional dispute: it is fraught with wider danger.
Indian nationalist leader Jawaharlal Nehru (l), Viceroy of India Lord Louis Mountbatten (c) and the president of the All-India Muslim League Muhammad Ali Jinnah (r) discuss Partition in 1947
India and Pakistan gained their independence at the same moment. British rule over India, by far its biggest colony, ended on 15 August 1947.
After months of political deadlock, Britain agreed to divide the country in two.
A separate and mainly Muslim nation, Pakistan, was created to meet concerns that the large Muslim minority would be at a disadvantage in Hindu-majority India.
This involved partitioning two of India's biggest provinces, Punjab and Bengal. The details of where the new international boundary would lie were made public only two days after independence.
Partition triggered one of the great calamities of the modern era, perhaps the biggest movement of people - outside war and famine - that the world has ever seen.
No one knows the precise numbers, but about 12 million people became refugees as they sought desperately to move from one newly independent nation to another.
Muslim women board a train in Delhi to travel to Pakistan on 7 August 1947
Amid a terrible slaughter in which all main communities were both aggressors and victims, somewhere between half a million and a million people were killed.
Tens of thousands of women were abducted, usually by men of a different religion.
In Punjab in particular, where Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs had lived together for generations and spoke the same language, a stark segregation was brought about as Muslims headed west to Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs fled east to India.
Amritsar saw violent clashes in March 1947 between the city's Muslims, who wanted to be part of Pakistan, and its Sikh and Hindu population, who wanted to stay in India
This was not a civil war with battle lines and rival armies - but nor was it simply spontaneous violence.
On all sides, local militias and armed gangs planned how to inflict the greatest harm on those they had come to see as their enemies.
An estimated 2,000 were killed, and more than 4,000 injured in communal riots ahead of Partition in Kolkata (Calcutta) in 1946
Those wounds have been left to fester. No one has been held to account - there's been no reconciliation process - and for a long time, the full story of what happened has been smothered in silence.
Literature and cinema found ways of representing the horror of what happened. Historians initially focused on the politics of Partition. It took them much longer to turn their attention to the lived experience of this profound rupture.
Big oral history projects have got under way only in the last few years, as the number of survivors dwindles. There are no towering memorials to the Partition dead.
The first museum devoted to Partition opened in 2016 in Amritsar in Indian Punjab.
Partition poisoned relations between India and Pakistan, and has shaped - many would say distorted - the geopolitics of South Asia as a whole.
Pakistan initially consisted of two wings 2,000km (1,240 miles) apart, but in 1971, East Pakistan gained its independence, with Indian military support. Another new nation, Bangladesh, was born.
India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the Muslim-majority Kashmir, which both claim in full but control in part
Among the loose ends of the independence arrangement was the future of Kashmir, a princely state in the foothills of the Himalayas which had a largely Muslim population. The maharaja, a Hindu, decided his state should become part of India.
Within months, Indian and Pakistani troops were fighting each other for control of Kashmir.
The complex conflict remains unresolved and, more than any other issue, has bedevilled relations between the two countries.
India also accuses Pakistan of supporting militant organisations which have carried out terrorist-style attacks in Indian cities. Pakistan says India colludes with breakaway movements in areas such as Balochistan.
The political leaders of the two countries have met from time to time. There have been occasional hopes of a breakthrough in relations but, at the moment, relations are distinctly frosty.
Activists burn a poster showing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during Mr Modi's visit to Pakistan in December 2015
The consequences have been far-reaching.
India has much more trade with countries such as Nigeria, Belgium or South Africa than with its neighbour to the west.
Although India's phenomenally successful Hindi-language film industry - known as Bollywood - is hugely popular in Pakistan, and Pakistan's TV soaps are eagerly watched in India, cultural links are fragile.
When tensions rise, which they do regularly, every aspect of relations suffers.
After a backlash against his film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (Difficulties of the heart), Indian director Karan Johar pledged not to use Pakistani actors
Just a few months ago, one of India's leading film directors Karan Johar felt obliged to promise that he would never again cast a Pakistani actor in one of his movies.
The two countries are not well informed about what is happening on the other side of the border. No major Indian or Pakistani news organisation currently has a correspondent in the other country's capital.
For both Indians and Pakistanis, travelling to the other country is not easy - even if it is to visit family.
It is not the difficulty of getting a visa or the lack of direct flights between the two capital cities. There are very few air links between the two countries at all.
The elaborate daily closing ceremony at the India-Pakistan Wagah border crossing near Amritsar attracts many spectators on both sides
Despite a lengthy shared border, India and Pakistan have hardly any border crossings.
In Pakistan, the army and its intelligence wing are by far the most powerful institutions - and the country has had repeated spells of military rule.
The abiding sense of a military threat from its much larger neighbour has - many feel - boosted the power of the armed forces and hindered the development of a mature democracy.
Pakistan has a population of about 200 million - mostly Muslims. India has almost 1,300 million citizens and about one in seven follow Islam. There are almost as many Indian Muslims as Pakistani Muslims.
One projection suggests that by 2050, India will overtake Indonesia to become the country with the world's biggest Muslim population. But Muslims are under-represented in India's parliament and many other areas of public life.
Some observers believe the perception - however unfair - that Indian Muslims sympathise with Pakistan has fed prejudice and discrimination.
The pride that almost all Indians and Pakistanis feel about their nation is self-evident. Patriotism is a powerful force in both countries.
It is on public display every time they play each other at cricket. But both have been unable to overcome the legacy of the tragedy which accompanied what should have been their finest moment 70 years ago.
And the result of their most recent tussle on the cricket pitch? Well, for the record, Pakistan won a surprise - and emphatic - victory.
Some in India were gracious in defeat. But on social media, and some sections of India's news media, there was anger and anguish - losing face to your old rival remains, for many, almost too painful to endure.
This analysis was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation.
Dr Andrew Whitehead is a former BBC India correspondent. He is the author of a book about Kashmir in 1947 and is currently honorary professor at the University of Nottingham.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40643413
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Does Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk ignore the role of the Indian army? - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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Many believe Nolan's blockbuster war film misses the role of Indian soldiers in the battle.
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India
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Dunkirk tells the story of British and Allied troops trapped on a beach surrounded by enemy forces in 1940
Christopher Nolan's epic World War Two film, Dunkirk, which tells the story of the mass evacuation of Allied troops from the northern coast of France in 1940, has been getting glowing reviews in India.
But many are glowering over Nolan turning a blind eye to the role of Indian soldiers in the battle. The Times of India wrote that their "significant contribution" was missing from Nolan's "otherwise brilliant" work. Writing for Bloomberg View, columnist Mihir Sharma said the film "adds to the falsehood that plucky Britons stood alone against Nazi Germany once France fell, when, in fact, hundreds of millions of imperial subjects stood, perforce, with them".
Few can deny the role of the subjects. Some five million Commonwealth servicemen joined the military services of the British empire during WW2. Almost half of them were from South Asia. Indian soldiers played a key role in major battles like Tobruk, Monte Cassino, Kohima and Imphal. A multinational force of British, Indian and African units recaptured Burma (Myanmar) for the Allies.
What happened with the Indian soldiers in Dunkirk is less clear. Yasmin Khan, historian and author of The Raj at War: A People's History of India's Second World War, says she has often wondered why there is very little factual data on their role in the battle, which many say cost Germany the war.
What is well known, she told me, is that four companies of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps, including a unit of the Bikaner State forces, served in France during the campaign on the Western Front, and some were evacuated from Dunkirk. Among them were three contingents of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps. One contingent was taken prisoner by German forces.
According to one account, India also provided more than 2,500 mules - shipped from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Marseilles - to the war effort as the British animal transport companies had been phased out. An Indian soldier, Jemadar Maula Dad Khan, was feted for showing "magnificent courage, coolness and decision" in protecting his men and animals when they were shelled from the ground and strafed from the air by the enemy.
An Indian soldier who was evacuated from Dunkirk
The Indian soldiers and the mules were eventually ordered towards the coast. Many of the men could not take their animals on the retreat and gave them away to local people in France, according to the same account.
Historian John Broich says the Indian soldiers in Dunkirk were "particularly cool under fire and well organised during the retreat".
"They weren't large in number, maybe a few hundred among hundreds of thousands, but their appearance in the film would have provided a good reminder of how utterly central the role of the Indian Army was in the war," he told Slate.
"Their service meant the difference between victory and defeat. In fact, while Britain and other allies were licking their wounds after Dunkirk, the Indian Army picked up the slack in North Africa and the Middle East.
To be fair, Nolan has said that he approached the story "from the point of view of the pure mechanics of survival rather than from the politics of the event".
"We don't have generals in rooms pushing things around on maps. We don't see Churchill. We barely glimpse the enemy," he told the Telegraph. "It's a survival story."
Historian Joshua Levine, who is also the film's historical consultant, told me that Dunkirk was a work of fiction and "it isn't a film's job to tell the full story of Dunkirk... and nor, in the time available, could it even try to do so".
"This film focuses on a few protagonists whose paths cross occasionally, each one of whom experiences just a tiny corner of the whole story. As Hilary Mantel says about historical fiction, 'The man who is fighting can't see over the hill, out of the trench.' What I'd love to see, though, is an Indian film about Dunkirk, or WW2 generally, and I sincerely hope Indian filmmakers are working on it."
But what about the criticism that the role of Indian and their South Asian counterparts in WW2 has been forgotten?
Two Indian soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk arrive in England in June 1940
Yasmin Khan says that their "sheer scale of the contribution" has become apparent in Britain in recent years. "No longer is it simply an island story of heroic, plucky British fighting against Nazi-occupied continental Europe; it has now become increasingly customary for historians to refer to the contribution made by Asian, African and Caribbean servicemen in the 1940s", she writes in her book.
A memorial to honour the role of these soldiers came up on London's Constitution Hill in 2002. There have been museum exhibitions, oral history projects and TV documentaries to "reveal how crucial they [the soldiers] often were to the action, the sacrifices that they made in the face of terrible odds, and also to divulge individual stories of great bravery and intrepid action".
"It is no longer true to suggest that this is an entirely forgotten story," she says.
Meanwhile, Indians are flocking to watch Dunkirk, which opened at 416 screens, including 10 Imax screens, across the country, on Friday.
Unlike most Hollywood films, Dunkirk hasn't been dubbed in any Indian language for wider viewership. Still, says Denzil Dias of Warner Brothers (India), the film raked in $2.4m (£1.84m) over the weekend. "This is the biggest opening of an English language-only film in India," Mr Dias told me. Clearly, viewers are not fretting about the lack of Indian soldiers in Nolan's tour-de-force.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-40724861
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BBC women let gender pay gap happen, government adviser says - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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A government adviser on equal pay says women are "less proactive" in asking for more money.
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UK
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Emily Maitlis, Victoria Derbyshire, Sue Barker, Clare Balding, Fiona Bruce and Alex Jones were among BBC stars to sign a letter demanding the BBC take action over the gender pay gap
Female staff at the BBC let the gender pay gap happen "because they weren't doing much about it", a government adviser on equal pay has said.
Businessman Sir Philip Hampton told the Evening Standard newspaper in London that in contrast to men, he had "never, ever had a woman ask for a pay rise".
BBC presenter Jane Garvey said he seemed "peculiarly out of touch".
The corporation has faced criticism since it revealed last week that its top earners were largely men.
The list showed that Chris Evans was the the top-paid male star on between £2.2m and £2.25m, while Claudia Winkleman was the highest-paid female celebrity, earning between £450,000 and £500,000 last year.
It also revealed that two-thirds of the 96 presenters and celebrities paid more than £150,000 were men, and director general Tony Hall admitted there was "more to do" on the gender pay gap.
Sir Philip, the co-author of the government's Hampton-Alexander review looking at ways of increasing the number of women in top paid jobs, was asked about the situation by the newspaper.
He said: "How has this situation arisen at the BBC that these intelligent, high-powered, sometimes formidable women have sat in this situation?
"They [the female broadcasters] are all looking at each other now saying: 'How did we let this happen?' I suspect they let it happen because they weren't doing much about it."
Sir Philip, who is chairman of global drugs company GSK, where he earns £700,000 a year, added: "It's just a difference between men and women: men go for promotions and leadership roles, women are less proactive in asking for more money.
"I've had lots of women reporting to me or coming in to talk to me about their careers - either for general guidance or employees of companies where I've been working. I have never, ever had a woman ask for a pay rise.
"There isn't a list long enough for all the men who've asked. Lots of men have trooped into my office saying they are under-paid but no woman has ever done that."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How to ask for a pay rise
But Ms Garvey, who presents Radio 4's Woman's Hour and organised a protest letter from the BBC's top female stars to Mr Hall, told the Standard: "The likes of Sir Philip Hampton can never begin to understand. He seems peculiarly out of touch given the task he has.
"Many women have learnt to question their position in the workplace, partly because of the dominance and success of people like him."
And Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson accused him of heaping "insult on injustice", adding that his comments were "at best, astonishingly ill-judged".
"His remarks that the BBC women 'let this happen' display a worrying lack of understanding of the structural gender, race and class bias across all of society at all levels, including the BBC," she added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40744426
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'Opportunities missed' to stop brothers' Syria deaths - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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Two teenager brothers from Brighton who died fighting in Syria in 2014 were radicalised in the UK.
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Sussex
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Abdullah Deghayes (left) and his brother Jaffar Deghayes died in Syria
Opportunities were missed to spot the radicalisation of two teenage British Muslim brothers who died fighting in Syria in 2014, a report has found.
Agencies had insufficient knowledge and understanding of minority and faith groups, a serious case review said.
Abdullah and Jaffar Deghayes were in a child protection plan before 2010, the report by a senior social worker said.
But the review found their radicalisation was a "total shock and surprise" to authorities in Brighton.
Abdullah, 18, and Jaffar, 17, were both killed having followed their older brother, Amer, to Syria to fight for an Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist group.
Both boys had suffered bullying and racism, and had reported physical abuse by their father.
The report by Edi Carmi said the brothers were taken out of the child protection plan in 2010 because there was professional "helplessness" among social workers about what else to do.
The report said this was expressed by some workers as having "no tools in the toolbox".
It concluded that professionals often lack "effective ways to intervene in families who have suffered long-standing trauma".
Amer Deghayes said he was prepared to suffer the same fate as his brothers
In the years that followed the end of the protection plan, Abdullah, Jaffar and Amer showed signs of radicalisation.
In early 2013, a school reported concerns about some young people including Jaffar.
One of the brothers further came to the attention of social workers over an "emotional" comment he made about "Americans" after he returned from a trip to his family's home country of Libya.
This led to a referral to the "Channel panel" - a de-radicalisation process - but it was decided he was "not at risk of being drawn into terror-related activities".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Graham Bartlett said the report is a "wake-up call"
Graham Bartlett, independent chair of the Brighton and Hove Local Safeguarding Children Board, said: "The system as a whole let these young boys down. It's a wake up call.
"This case has had a major impact on our understanding of the risks posed to children of exploitation through radicalisation."
The report identified 13 key findings, including that professional responsibilities springing from the government's counter-terrorism strategy were not fully understood by all staff.
It also said professionals had no effective ways to intervene in families who have suffered long-standing trauma, and local statutory agencies had "insufficient knowledge about, and understanding of, local minority ethnic and faith community groups and how best to work together to safeguard children".
The Safeguarding Children Board said it fully accepted the report's findings.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-40738392
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Judge writes personal letter to teen after High Court battle - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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Mr Justice Jackson tells the 14-year-old boy why he rejected his plea to move abroad with his father.
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UK
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A judge has written a personal letter to a 14-year-old boy explaining why he has rejected his request to move with his father to Scandinavia.
Mr Justice Jackson said he felt the teenager had brought the case to the High Court "as a way of showing your dad how much you love him".
He told the boy he was "doing well in life" and did not believe that the move abroad would work.
He said: "I am confident that it is the right order for you in the long run."
Mr Justice Jackson, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court in London, wrote the letter to the teenager which laid down his ruling after a hearing in July.
Sam, not his real name, had applied for permission to live with his father in a Scandinavian country, which his mother and step-father opposed.
The application was later taken over by his dad.
In the letter, the judge told the boy he believed "that your feelings are that you love everyone in your family very much, just as they love you".
However, he noted that Sam's parents had "very different personalities" and the fact they found it hard to agree was "stressful for you".
In the letter, the judge said he found Sam's dad to be someone who was "troubled" and had a "lot of influence over you".
"All fathers influence their sons, but your father goes a lot further than that. I'm quite clear that if he was happy with the present arrangements, you probably would be too. Because he isn't, you aren't."
He questioned whether the idea for the proceedings came from Sam or his dad and said he believed the teenager had "brought the proceedings mainly as a way of showing your dad how much you love him".
He told the teenager: "Also, I may be wrong, but when you gave your evidence I didn't get the feeling that you actually see your future in Scandinavia at all.
"Instead, what I saw was you doing your duty by your dad while trying not to be too unfair to your mum. But you still felt you had to boost your dad wherever you could.
"That's how subtle and not-so-subtle pressure works. So I respect your views, but I don't take them at face value because I think they are significantly formed by your loyalty to your father."
The judge said Sam's dad had a "manipulative side" and has "in some ways lost sight of what was best" for his son.
He told the boy he had no confidence that a move to Scandinavia would work and hoped his dad would decide to stay in England "for your sake".
The judge said the evidence showed Sam was doing well in life in England and that he "should make the most of the many opportunities that life here has to offer you".
He went on: "If, when you finish your A-levels, you want to move to Scandinavia, you will be 18 and an adult - it will be up to you."
Mr Justice Jackson dismissed his dad's application to take Sam to live in Scandinavia and for Sam to apply for citizenship there.
He ruled that Sam would have contact with his dad on alternate weekends and any arrangement after he moved to Scandinavia alone would have to be agreed between both parents.
In the letter, he added: "Whatever each of your parents might think about it, I hope they have the dignity not to impose their views on you, so that you can work things out for yourself."
The judge finished by saying he and Sam's dad had enjoyed finding out they loved the film My Cousin Vinny - but for different reasons.
"He mentioned it as an example of a miscarriage of justice, while I remember it for the best courtroom scenes in any film, and the fact that justice was done in the end."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40743341
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'My stomach dropped': Transgender troops hit hard by Trump ban - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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An active duty soldier was preparing for a promotion ceremony, but now his plans are in chaos.
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US & Canada
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President Trump addresses US military personnel in Italy in May
Drill sergeant Kennedy Ochoa was putting on his dress uniform when he heard the news.
President Trump had fired off a series of tweets saying the country would no longer "accept or allow" transgender Americans to serve in the military, citing "tremendous medical costs and disruption".
This was not the way it was supposed to go. For more than a year Sergeant Ochoa had served as a man, following an Obama-era policy change that paved the way for transgender troops to serve openly.
Announcing the change, then-defence secretary Ash Carter called it "the right thing to do" for "talented Americans who are serving with distinction".
Many transgender troops came out to their commanders and their colleagues and won the support of both.
On Wednesday morning, Sergeant Ochoa was proudly putting on his uniform - the male regulation dress blues he has been allowed to wear for a year - and preparing to graduate from a training course that puts him on track for a promotion in September.
Then he saw the president's tweets. "It was heartbreaking, my stomach dropped," he said in a phone interview. "I had to just try and compartmentalise it so I could enjoy today."
Sergeant Ochoa is unwavering in his desire to continue serving his country. In five days he is due to re-enlist.
"Now I don't even know if I can do that," he said. "It just seems like chaos, so many unknowns."
Sergeant Ken Ochoa is due to re-enlist in five days but now does not know if he can
It wasn't just service members that were caught by surprise, the timing of the announcement appeared to wrong-foot the military too. A spokeswoman for the Department of Defense (DOD) referred all questions to the White House, saying only that new guidance would be issued soon.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. At a news conference, President Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the administration would work with the DOD to iron out the details. "I would imagine the Department of Defense will be the lead on that," she said.
For some, the fallout from the president's tweets was more certain. Riley Dosh trained for four years at the West Point military academy, graduating in May this year.
Ms Dosh came out as transgender while at the academy. She was secure in her decision following the Obama-era policy change and she had the full support of her commanders. Then, earlier this month, she was abruptly told she would not be allowed to commission as an officer alongside her peers.
Back at home in Austin, Texas, with no employment and no health insurance, she was awaiting a review of that decision. Now it seems certain that she's headed out of the army for good.
"I was already losing hope that I could commission, now I have absolutely no reason to have any," she said. "It's a final nail in the coffin for my military career."
She would find a Plan B though, she said. The situation was worse for those already in. "This is an absolute nightmare for my trans brothers and sisters who are serving. They now have absolutely no idea what their future is going to be."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Riley Dosh wanted to defend her country but now can't
Mr Trump's tweets may have come out of the blue but they followed a series of attacks on transgender service by Congressional Republicans.
Among them, Vicky Hartzler, Republican for Missouri, introduced an amendment to the near-$700bn armed forces funding bill - currently before congress - which sought to bar any military funds from being used for transgender medical care.
The amendment narrowly failed, but Mr Trump's tweets echoed Ms Hartzler in citing supposedly burdensome costs of transgender medical care - a concern which has riled Republican lawmakers.
An authoritative 2016 study by the Rand Corporation suggests the concern is unfounded. The study estimated that transgender health care costs for the estimated 2,450 active duty transgender troops would increase the health budget by between $2.4m and $8.4m annually - just 0.04% to 0.13% of the overall healthcare budget.
By comparison, the Pentagon spends about $84m annually on erectile dysfunction medication, according to a Military Times analysis - 10 times the upper estimate for transgender related costs.
Many active duty service members are already undergoing medical care related to transition. Sergeant Ochoa receives hormone therapy from his army physician, and was anticipating having a hysterectomy to lower the risk of cervical cancer created by testosterone.
It was unclear on Wednesday whether he would be able to continue with his treatment through the army, whether he would be forced to revert to female dress regulations, or if he could continue his army career at all.
"The thought of going back to serving as someone I'm not... It's just not something I could do and stay true to my character," he said.
LGBT advocacy groups were blindsided, and outraged, by the president's sudden announcement.
"This is a despicable assault on transgender troops who have been serving openly for more than a year," said Aaron Belkin, the director of the Palm Centre, a think tank which studies gender and sexuality in the military.
"You can't force people to go back in the closet, and you can't force them to serve on the basis of a lie if they've already been honest about their identity. It's unworkable for the troops and it's unworkable for the military, and it will compromise military readiness."
Matthew Thorn, executive director of OutServe, warned that discharging thousands of active duty troops would would cause chaos and resentment.
"The most important thing for service members is that the person sitting on their right and their left has their back, particularly in a wartime situation," he said. "When you start stripping away those people, that's what disrupts unit cohesion."
For those actively serving, who came out as transgender with an understanding from their commanders, and from President Obama, that they would no longer be discriminated against, the future is once again clouded by prejudice.
For Sergeant Ochoa, the only sensible response was to put on his dress blues, go to his graduation ceremony, and keep doing his job.
"The only thing I can do is carry on as best as I can, continue to be a professional and a drill sergeant to the best of my ability, and do that for as long as I have the opportunity," he said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40735545
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Signal may be from first 'exomoon' - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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A team of astronomers has potentially discovered the first known moon located beyond the Solar System.
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Science & Environment
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Artist's impression: Where there are exoplanets, there are probably exomoons
A team of astronomers has potentially discovered the first known moon beyond the Solar System.
If confirmed, the "exomoon" is likely to be about the size and mass of Neptune, and circles a planet the size of Jupiter but with 10 times the mass.
The signal was detected by Nasa's Kepler Space Telescope; astronomers now plan to carry out follow-up observations with Hubble in October.
A paper about the candidate moon is published on the Arxiv pre-print site.
To date, astronomers have discovered more than 3,000 exoplanets - worlds orbiting stars other than the Sun.
A hunt for exomoons - objects in orbit around those distant planets - has proceeded in parallel. But so far, these extrasolar satellites have lingered at the limits of detection with current techniques.
Dr David Kipping, assistant professor of astronomy at Columbia University in New York, says he has spent "most of his adult life" looking for exomoons.
For the time being, however, he urged caution, saying: "We would merely describe it at this point as something consistent with a moon, but, who knows, it could be something else."
The Kepler telescope hunts for planets by looking for tiny dips in the brightness of a star when a planet crosses in front - known as a transit. To search for exomoons, researchers are looking for a dimming of starlight before and after the planet causes its dip in light.
The promising signal was observed during three transits - fewer than the astronomers would like to have in order to confidently announce a discovery.
The researchers will conduct follow-up observations with Hubble in October
The work by Dr Kipping, his Columbia colleague Alex Teachey and citizen scientist Allan R Schmitt, assigns a confidence level of four sigma to the signal from the distant planetary system. The confidence level describes how unlikely it is that an experimental result is simply down to chance. If you express it in terms of tossing a coin, it's equivalent to tossing 15 heads in row.
But Dr Kipping said this is not the best way to gauge the potential detection.
He told BBC News: "We're excited about it... statistically, formally, it's a very high probability. But do we really trust the statistics? That's something unquantifiable. Until we get the measurements from Hubble, it may as well be 50-50 in my mind."
The candidate moon is known as Kepler-1625b I and is observed around a star that lies some 4,000 light-years from Earth. On account of its large size, team members have dubbed it a "Nept-moon".
A current theory of planetary formation suggests such an object is unlikely to have formed in place with its Jupiter-mass planet, but would instead be an object captured by the gravity of the planet later on in the evolution of this planetary system.
The researchers could find no predictions of a Neptune-sized moon in the literature, but Dr Kipping notes that nothing in physics prevents one.
A handful of possible candidates have come to light in the past, but none as yet has been confirmed.
"I'd say it's the best [candidate] we've had," Dr Kipping told me.
"Almost every time we hit a candidate, and it passes our tests, we invent more tests until it finally dies - until it fails one of the tests... in this case we've applied everything we've ever done and it's passed all of those tests. On the other hand, we only have three events."
The work by Dr Kipping and colleagues forms part of the Hunt for Exomooons with Kepler (HEK) collaboration.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40741545
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Boy Scouts apologise for Trump's speech - BBC News
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2017-07-27
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The president had encouraged the Scouts to boo Barack Obama as he touted his political agenda.
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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. Donald Trump delivered a speech to remember to the Boy Scouts of America
The chief scout of the Boy Scouts of America has apologised for the remarks made by President Donald Trump at the group's national event this week.
Over 30,000 people attending the event, where Mr Trump promoted his agenda and criticised his political rivals.
Michael Surbaugh says the president's invitation was customary.
"I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree."
He went on to say how the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have tried to avoid taking political positions since its creation.
"We sincerely regret that politics were inserted into the Scouting programme," he said.
He added: "We teach youth to become active citizens, to participate in their government, respect the variety of perspectives and to stand up for individual rights."
During Mr Trump's remarks in West Virginia, he assailed his former opponent Hillary Clinton, touted his election victory, and railed against the "fake news" media.
"Who the hell wants to speak about politics?" Mr Trump asked the audience, before beginning his remarks.
Many parents and members of the Scout community criticised the highly-politicised nature of the speech that followed.
The whoops and hollers ran contrary to some parents' views of boy scout values
On Wednesday, BSA president Randall Stephenson, told AP News that the group had been concerned that Mr Trump may say something controversial during his speech.
But they felt obliged to issue an invitation to him, as they have done previously for every sitting US president, he said.
"If I suggested I was surprised by the president's comments, I would be disingenuous," said Mr Stephenson.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40745875
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Boston airport crash: Taxi mows down pedestrians injuring 10 - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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The cab driver reportedly told police he stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake.
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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. One witness said the crash sounded like a plane exploding
Ten people have been taken to hospital with injuries of "varying severity" after a taxi drove into people at Boston's Logan airport, police say.
The driver jumped the kerb and struck fellow cab drivers who were sitting awaiting their next fares, police said.
According to US media, the driver told police he mistakenly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake.
The incident, on the eve of the Independence Day holiday in the US, was not believed to be terrorism-related.
Major Frank McGinn of Massachusetts State Police said one of the victims remains in serious condition, three had significant injuries and six others suffered less serious injuries.
The driver is reported to be a 56-year-old man from Cambridge, Massachusetts
All the victims appeared to be cab drivers, he added.
The driver, who is reported to be a 56-year-old man from Cambridge, Massachusetts, stayed at the scene to co-operate with police.
Maj McGinn told reporters the crash appeared to be "just a tragic accident".
He said the unidentified driver is known to be a "very nice gentlemen from his peers" and was thought to have been alone in the vehicle at the time.
Police have seized the cab and the cause of the crash remains under investigation, state police said in a statement.
"At this preliminary point in the investigation, there is no information that suggests the crash was intentional," the statement said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40488500
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Newspaper headlines: 'House of horrors' and calls for state pay rise - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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The proposed demolition of a notorious children's home and calls for state pay rises make headlines.
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The Papers
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The public sector pay cap remains top of the agenda for several of Tuesday's newspapers.
According to the Guardian, a report for the government's pay advisers has revealed the scale of salary cuts during a decade of freezes - teachers have seen average pay fall by £3 an hour in real terms and police officers by £2 an hour, while the wages of nurses stagnated.
The paper says the academic analysis was "quietly" published on Monday, and talks of the prime minister facing a "cabinet showdown" over the issue.
The Daily Mirror also predicts a "Tory revolt" and tells Prime Minister Theresa May: "take the cap off".
"Now put your money where your mouth is," says the paper's front-page headline, "give heroes a decent rise".
The Daily Mail says Chancellor Philip Hammond is refusing to budge on the issue.
The Sun reckons Tory MPs and ministers demanding a lift to public sector pay have "lost the plot".
Writing in the same paper, the former Tory chancellor, Lord Lamont, tells his party to "get a grip". Control of public expenditure, he says, is the foundation of jobs growth in the future.
The Times says it's learnt that ministers are pushing to delay or abandon a series of tax cuts to fund an increase in public sector pay.
It reports that the chancellor is being urged to scrap commitments to reduce corporation tax and increase thresholds for the personal allowance and 40% income tax rate.
An editorial in the Daily Telegraph says the "cacophony of Tory opinions must stop", as it is giving the impression of an administration all at sea.
The Daily Mail says it's seen secret files revealing that NHS officials in the 1970s knew for at least five years that haemophilia patients were being given contaminated blood.
Newly unearthed minutes of meetings held in the 1980s are said to show that officials consciously put patients at risk in a scandal which cost 2,000 lives.
Scientists were so sure the blood was dangerous, the Mail says, that they even planned to use victims as guinea pigs to develop a new test for hepatitis.
The Telegraph leads on an article inside by Lord Grade, who heads the new Fundraising Regulator for charities.
Charities that pester donors for cash face being fined up to £25,000 under new rules introduced this week. Lord Grade says many charities are behaving like "laggards", refusing to change their behaviour.
The Sun reports that a man convicted of knife crime who was jailed for nine years has been freed, because court staff wrote nine months on prison forms.
A warrant's been issued for the re-arrest of 25-year-old Ralston Dodd but he's apparently gone into hiding.
A friend tells the paper: "He feels like he's won the lottery". The Ministry of Justice says it is "urgently investigating so we learn the lessons to prevent it happening again".
Finally, the Daily Express tells readers a blast of heat from the continent is on the way, which will send temperatures "rocketing" back to the low 90s Fahrenheit, or more than 30C.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40489617
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Katie Rough death: Girl pleads guilty to manslaughter - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Katie Rough was found with cuts to her neck and chest on a playing field in York.
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York & North Yorkshire
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Katie Rough's parents described seeing their dying daughter after the attack
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
Katie was smothered and slashed with a Stanley knife by the teenager on a playing field in Woodthorpe, York, on 9 January. She died later in hospital.
Leeds Crown Court heard the killer suffered with severe mental health issues and was convinced people "weren't human and were robots".
Katie's family were in court to hear the guilty plea.
Nicholas Johnson QC, defending, asked the court if the charge of murder could be put to the girl again and she wrote her plea on a piece of paper.
Her solicitor told the court: "I can confirm she has indicated not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter."
Graham Reeds QC, prosecuting, said: "We are going to accept that plea of manslaughter by diminished responsibility."
Katie Rough died in hospital after suffering serious injuries to her neck and chest
Katie was found on a playing field near Alness Drive, in Woodthorpe, York, on 9 January
Mr Reeds said the the defendant had developed severe mental health problems during 2016 and had been taken out of school as a result.
He said that she had been self harming since Christmas 2015 and suffering from delusions, believing that people around her "may not be human and may be controlled by a higher and hostile force".
He said that although psychosis was being investigated prior to the killing, it had not been diagnosed.
However, he said since the killing she had undergone four psychiatric and psychological assessments and there was no dispute that her mental health problems meant she was suffering from diminished responsibility at the time she killed Katie, even though the killing was planned.
He told the court that when the teenager was found in the street in York by a member of the public, she told him Katie was dead and asked where she was.
The man then found Katie lying on a nearby piece of land with a cut to her neck.
A post-mortem examination showed Katie had two severe cuts to her body - one to her neck and the other to her torso - but neither caused her death.
The prosecutor said Katie had been smothered before the cuts were made.
The court heard the teenager handed police a blood-stained Stanley knife which she had taken from her grandmother's kitchen.
Police also recovered a number of items from the scene and the teenager's home.
Among the items were drawings of stick-men in various poses depicting killing and death, and a reference to "they are not human".
The paper was blood-stained and the court heard it had been cut with the same knife used to slash Katie.
Mr Reeds said she had displayed "strange behaviour towards other people and herself", and had started to self-harm before she killed Katie.
A friend interviewed by police following Katie's death told them she was "nice but weird" and said she liked to talk about death.
The judge, Mr Justice Soole, said he wanted more questions answering by the medical experts before he could pass sentence. He adjourned the case to 20 July.
Katie was described as a "daddy's girl"
Katie was a pupil at Westfield Primary School in the Acomb area of York.
In the days after Katie's death Tracey Ralph, head teacher at the school, described her as a "kind and thoughtful child who was well-liked by both pupils and staff".
More than 300 people attend Katie's funeral service, which took place at York Minister in February and was led by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.
Her coffin was decorated with characters from the Dr Seuss children's books.
Her funeral service was held at York Minster
During the service Katie's uncle described her as a "smart, fun, beautiful child".
He said she had selective mutism, but that it did not stop her from having fun.
"Her family were her world," he said.
"She loved her mum and dad but she was definitely described as a daddy's girl."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40478679
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Hammond’s public sector pay challenge - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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The Treasury is becoming nervous – as it always does when Cabinet members start talking about spending commitments.
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Business
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The Treasury jealously guards its role as keeper of the public purse.
And far from the mood since the general election easing on the matter of "sound money", the word among senior figures in the department is that now is the time "to hold our nerve".
Sources close to the chancellor point out that plans to balance the books - meaning that the government only spends as much as it receives in revenues, mostly in taxes - have already been delayed three times since 2010.
The present target is for the deficit - that difference between government income and expenditure - to be eliminated by 2025.
Philip Hammond wants to maintain that plan.
He sticks to a pretty well-known script when asked about increasing public spending.
Government wealth, he says, comes from three main areas.
The first is taxes - which, it is pointed out, the chancellor tried to increase in March, only for plans to raise national insurance contributions to be abandoned when it was revealed that it breached the Conservatives' 2015 manifesto pledge not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT.
Is increasing taxes any more palatable now?
Second, borrowing - which the chancellor makes clear means increasing the amount of money that needs to be paid back by future generations.
And, finally, an increase in the ability of the economy to create wealth - called productivity.
It is this last area that is the most important and, conversely, the least open to direct government intervention.
The Treasury - as much as it might want to - cannot simply demand that the private and public sector becomes more efficient at delivering goods and services.
It takes time, money and training in skills - none of which the UK has a particularly proud tradition in.
And anything that is done by the government - such as increasing investment in infrastructure projects like digital broadband or new railway links - takes a long time to feed through to stronger wealth creation, higher economic growth and higher government tax receipts.
It is in within such classically "Treasury" parameters that Mr Hammond would like to see the present debate on increasing public spending considered.
Today, pressure is growing from Cabinet ministers such as Boris Johnson and Michael Gove for the government to relax its approach to the public sector pay cap, as my colleague Iain Watson reports.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that every 1% increase in public sector pay would cost between £1.5 and £2bn a year.
A pay rise for more than five million public sector workers who have seen their real incomes squeezed in the majority of years since the financial crisis is not cost-free.
And private sector workers on average still earn 3% to 4% less than public sector workers - although their wages are now rising more rapidly and the gap is closing.
Two of the major pay review bodies - for the NHS and for schools - have reported increasing problems of recruitment and retention in their sectors.
That warning is likely to be repeated by the schools review body when it reports later this month.
Last July, it said: "If current recruitment and retention trends continue, we expect an uplift to the pay framework significantly higher than 1% will be required to ensure an adequate supply of good teachers for schools in England and Wales."
The police pay review body, also expected to report imminently, sees fewer pressures.
"The general picture on officer recruitment and retention remains healthy," it said last year.
"There are also no issues on the quality of applicants, the number of joiners is meeting requirements and attrition rates are stable."
It does, however, say that "motivation and morale" remain a problem.
The Treasury knows it is in a difficult position - and must be heaving a sigh of relief that the health service pay review body is not due to report until next spring.
Abandoning the pay cap would certainly go some way to alleviating the standard-of-living squeeze felt by so many people.
And would be politically popular for a lot of people.
But Mr Hammond will have plenty of other pleas for increased funding to listen to.
What spending demands might flow from the Grenfell fire tragedy?
Should teachers' pay be increased, or is it more important to focus on raising per-pupil funding?
Tackling both adds to the bill which someone - the Treasury argues - has to pay now, through higher taxes, in the future, through higher borrowing or via further cuts elsewhere.
Such trade-offs are the stuff of politics - and the stuff of Budgets, the next of which is not due until November.
Mr Hammond might prefer a period of silence from colleagues on spending commitments until then.
But, with Parliament finely balanced and a prime minister relying on the good will of others to keep her in power, he knows he is not going to get it.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40478756
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Mike Ashley 'vomited into fireplace at pub meeting' - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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A court hears claims the billionaire Sports Direct boss often held management meetings in pubs.
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England
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Mike Ashley was at the High Court for the hearing
Sportswear tycoon Mike Ashley once hosted a management meeting in a pub where he drank 12 pints and vomited into a fireplace, a court has heard.
The Newcastle United owner is being sued by finance expert Jeffrey Blue at London's High Court.
He claims Mr Ashley often held meetings in pubs, and at one time promised to pay him £15m if he managed to increase Sports Direct's share price to £8.
He said the billionaire only paid him £1m. Mr Ashley disputes the claim.
Mr Justice Leggatt was told the dispute between Mr Blue and Mr Ashley related to an alleged conversation in a London pub called the Horse & Groom in 2013.
Jeffrey Chapman QC, who is leading Mr Blue's legal team, told the judge Mr Ashley's business practices flew in the face of "business orthodoxy".
Mr Blue said he had attended several senior management meetings at another pub, the Green Dragon in Alfreton, Derbyshire.
He said: "These meetings were like no other senior management meeting I had ever attended in all my years of investment banking experience."
Finance expert Jeffrey Blue said Mr Ashley "was like no other client"
Describing it as a "pub lock-in" where fish and chips and kebabs would be brought in after closing time, he said: "On one such evening, in front of his senior management team, Mr Ashley challenged a young Polish analyst in my team, Pawel Pawlowski, to a drinking competition.
"Mr Ashley and Pawel would drink pints of lager, with vodka 'chasers' between each pint, and the first to leave the bar area for whatever reason was declared the loser.
"After approximately 12 pints and chasers Pawel apologised profusely and had to excuse himself.
"Mr Ashley then vomited into the fireplace located in the centre of the bar, to huge applause from his senior management team."
Mr Blue said he first met Mr Ashley while working for Merrill Lynch in 2006.
"Mr Ashley was like no other client that anyone at Merrill Lynch had ever come across," he said.
"By way of example, his ability to express boredom and frustration during client meetings knew no limits, including various episodes where he would lie underneath meeting room tables to 'have a nap'."
David Cavender QC, who leads Mr Ashley's legal team, told the judge Mr Blue's claim was an "opportunistic try on".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40484091
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'I'm swapping nursing for botox' - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The nurse who loves her job but says the work conditions are driving people away.
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Health
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Constantina Antaniou became a nurse because she loves caring for people.
"I want to look after people, I'm that type of person - I wanted a profession where I can do this," Constantina told the BBC.
She left what she describes as the "NHS rat race" to join a GP surgery, where she has been since September 2016. But after 27 years working in hospitals and as a community nurse, she is leaving her nursing career to work in botox.
"It's very frustrating when you want to do a job you love but you're not supported, you're not given the resources, you're not valued," she explained.
For the first time since 2008, more nurses and midwives in the UK are leaving the profession than are joining it, figures reveal.
Meanwhile the number of unfilled posts has doubled in three years to 40,000.
"We work long hours as it is, and on top of that, we hardly get breaks because the lack of staff means we are run off our feet," explains Constantina.
"It was so hard working as a community nurse - I was supposed to work 8am to 5pm, but I often stayed until 8pm and I didn't get overtime.
"We've been working in unsafe conditions - there aren't enough nurses to fill the shifts because staff are off sick with stress.
"I was supposed to see 18 people in four and half hours - it is impossible to do that in a safe way.
The public sector pay cap of 1% a year, in place since 2013 following a two-year pay freeze, has not helped as inflation has outstripped real wages.
"A lot of us work six day weeks just to make ends meet," says Constantina.
"Now the government has stopped paying bursaries to train new nurses - it's put people off joining.
"Why get into huge debt to work in a really stressful job with low pay?"
After completing a course in botox administration this year, Constantina says she hopes a new career in cosmetic surgery will be less stressful and more lucrative.
"I want to work in an area where I can support myself. I might even set up my own business. They told me potential earnings are £50,000 - and I could be my own boss.
"I'd say to anyone thinking of going into nursing, 'don't bother, it's not worth it anymore'."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40481308
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Chris Christie, New Jersey governor, enjoys beach he closed to public - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Aerial photos show New Jersey's Chris Christie at a state beach he ordered closed over a budget row.
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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.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is facing heavy criticism after he was photographed relaxing on a state beach he had ordered closed to the public.
The Republican gave the go-ahead for non-essential services to be shut down - including the Island State Beach Park - over the 4 July holiday weekend because of a budget impasse.
"I didn't get any sun today," he said, before the aerial photos emerged.
The pictures show Mr Christie and his family on an otherwise empty beach.
Other visitors were turned away by police.
The governor defended his actions on Monday morning, telling Fox News that he had said earlier in the week he intended to spend time with his family at his beach property.
"The governor is allowed to go to his residences," he said.
Mr Christie said his family was spending the weekend at the governor's residence there and he was commuting to work by state helicopter.
"That's just the way it goes. Run for governor, and you have can have a residence there," he said at a news conference on Sunday.
"I didn't get any sun today," he added.
After being told of the photographs, his spokesman Brian Murray admitted Mr Christie had "briefly" been on the beach "talking to his wife and family before heading into the office", NJ.com said.
"He did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on," Mr Murray reportedly added.
The image of Mr Christie lounging in a deckchair quickly spawned several memes, as Twitter jokers transplanted the governor to alternative locations.
Submissions included the Oval Office, and the beach from the 1953 classic film From Here To Eternity.
The partial government shutdown arose because New Jersey legislators had not passed a health insurance bill that Mr Christie said had to be approved alongside the state's budget.
The shutdown included the closure of Island State Beach Park, one of New Jersey's few free public beaches, and all other state parks.
Mr Christie had been trying to get the state's largest health insurer, Horizon Cross Blue Shield, to hand over $300m (£230m), some of which Mr Christie wanted to use to battle drug addiction, the New York Times reported.
New Jersey is one of at least nine states that were unable to meet their budget deadlines at the beginning of the month.
Mr Christie and his family had been staying at a residence in the beach park
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40478247
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Jeff Horn rejects 'naysayers' after beating Manny Pacquiao - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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The ex-teacher hits back at claims it was "crazy" to award him victory over Manny Pacquiao.
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Australia
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The former schoolteacher who stunned Manny Pacquiao to win the WBO world welterweight title has dismissed suggestions he did not deserve to win.
Jeff Horn beat Pacquiao, an eight-time world champion, following a unanimous points decision in Brisbane, Australia.
Pacquiao's coaches and celebrities including Lennox Lewis and Kobe Bryant were critical of the judges' call on the result.
But the relatively unknown Australian, 29, said he was worthy of the win.
"There will always be a backlash where people say I got lucky, or whatever," he told reporters on Monday.
"There will always be the naysayers saying I did not win the fight, but I felt like I won the fight. A lot of Queenslanders think I won the fight and people around the world."
Pacquiao's Australian coach, former heavyweight boxer Justin Fortune, had described the referee as "sketchy" and the judges as "crazy" following the bout.
However Pacquiao, 38, congratulated his opponent and said he respected the decision.
Horn celebrates his victory over the eight-time world champion
Pacquiao said he accepted the judges' call
The Australian responded by paying tribute to his rival, describing him as "an absolute warrior, a legend of the sport".
Horn, who taught at a Brisbane school until only recently, said he believed his former students would be proud.
"I have a lot to do with the school still," he said. "I don't go there and teach but I still go to the schools and I know the kids will be proud of what I have done."
Nicknamed "The Hornet", he also drew praise from admirers including Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
"Brisbane school teacher to world champion. Against all of the pundits."
His grandfather, Ray Horn, said he was also very proud.
"If anyone had ever told me I would have a grandchild I would have found it hard to believe," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"But I would think they were nuts if they told me I would be a grandfather of a world champion one day."
More than 51,000 spectators watched the bout at Brisbane's Lang Park stadium.
Horn set up his victory with an aggressive start before both fighters tired in the final rounds.
Reports claim the underdog won a guaranteed A$500,000 (£295,000; $384,000) from his fight against Pacquiao, and he could now be set for even bigger paydays.
Horn has already challenged US boxer Floyd Mayweather to a fight and said he would consider a re-match against Pacquiao.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-40477052
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Andy Murray and Kim Sears 'happy' to be expecting second child - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The news comes as Murray prepares for his opening match at Wimbledon as defending champion.
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Scotland
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The world number one and his wife already have a one-year-old daughter
Tennis star Andy Murray says he and his wife, Kim Sears, are "very happy" to be expecting their second child.
The couple, who married in 2015, already have a one-year-old daughter, Sophia.
The news come as the 30-year-old prepares for his opening match at Wimbledon on Monday as defending champion.
He told reporters: "We're both obviously very happy and looking forward to it."
The world number one also confirmed he was fit to play following his recent hip injury, saying: "It's felt much better the last few days."
Asked if the news of the baby on the way would put any extra pressure on him going into the tournament, he said: "No, I wouldn't have thought so."
Andy Murray spoke to the media at a press conference ahead of the Wimbledon tournament
He said family life was "certainly not a distraction in the slightest".
Regarding his wife, Murray added: "She'll be coming to Wimbledon. And we found out a while ago. But I'm not interested in discussing the dates of that in here."
Andy and Kim were married in Murray's home town of Dunblane in April 2015 and their daughter Sophia was born in February 2016.
The world number one has spoken about how his family is the most important thing in his life and he has said becoming a husband and father has helped his tennis.
Murray said he was feeling "good" after practising three times on Friday as he recovers from a hip injury which saw him pull out of his final warm-up match ahead of the tournament.
He will face Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, who is world number 134, on Centre Court at 13:00 BST on Monday.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-40415275
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Public sector pay: Will they or won't they? - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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While pressure grows to remove the limit on pay rises, the more complicated bit - who or what would pay for the increase - is a conversation that's yet to happen.
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UK Politics
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As we've been reporting in the last few days, there's been a frenzied guessing game, stoked by some cabinet ministers themselves, over the future for the pay of nurses, teachers, police officers, and the rest of the five million or so people who work in the public sector.
In the aftermath of the election, some in cabinet argue that scrapping the pay cap would be a way of showing they had heard the electorate's call, proof they had listened to public concerns. No politician, not least one clinging on in a minority government, wants to appear deaf to the concerns of the public.
One senior figure arguing for a relaxation of the cap argues that the Tories have to get out in front of the issue, to neutralise it, before what could be a long, hot summer of political discontent, claiming that Cabinet is moving towards a consensus position to "scrap the cap", at least showing willing to accept the recommendations of the independent pay bodies as they report over the coming months.
But after a majority-losing election where the Tories ditched their core script on sound money, others are in a very different position.
One minister said, it would be "utter madness" to ditch a central part of their economic programme, their "record for stewardship", questioning whether an "utterly useless" election campaign should result in junking the economic discipline the government should be proud of.
Another questioned "the idea you can just walk away from the cap without serious consequences".
Yes, sticking to the cap causes the Tories political damage, but so might raising taxes, or making cuts somewhere else to do it.
Arguably the simpler part of the debate has been had - many public sector workers are feeling the pinch, and there is more and more pressure to remove the limit on pay rises. The more complicated bit, who or what would pay for the increase, is a conversation that's yet to happen.
Whatever Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have said in the last twenty four hours, don't expect anything to happen in a hurry. The first pay review body is not due to report for another few weeks. It seems unlikely that the government will announce any plan to either ditch the cap or promise to accept the decisions of the review bodies before then.
It's not in either Theresa May or Philip Hammond's DNA to make quick decisions. One of her allies reports there is simply no decision. But how they show they are in tune with volatile public opinion while going through a decision making process is not straightforward either.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40484053
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India woman attacked with acid for fifth time - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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The Indian woman was already under police guard after allegedly being raped and attacked.
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India
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Acid attacks are not uncommon against women in India
A woman in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh who survived an alleged gang-rape and four separate acid attacks has been targeted again by an acid-thrower.
She was attacked outside a women's hostel in Lucknow while getting water from a hand pump, police said.
The woman, 35, had been receiving round-the-clock police protection because of the previous attacks, which were linked to a property dispute.
Anger is growing at the authorities' inability to protect her.
She was allegedly gang-raped and first attacked with acid by two men in 2008, over a property dispute, the details of which are not clear.
The same two men are then accused of throwing acid at her twice more - in 2012 and 2013 - to try and get her to drop the criminal charges against them.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Laxmi Saa was 15 when a 32-year-old man threw acid at her after she rejected his marriage proposal - she spoke to Kinjal Pandya-Wagh from the BBC's Delhi Bureau
In March, she was attacked again while travelling on a train with her daughter. This time she was forced to drink acid.
Two men are facing trial for all of the attacks but were released on bail in April, the AFP agency reports.
According to government figures, there are hundreds of such attacks involving acid each year in India, although campaigners say the real figures are much higher.
The victims, who have to live with terrible disfigurements, are mainly women and are often targeted by jealous partners, campaigners say.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling in 2013 to regulate the sale of acid, critics say it is still widely and easily available.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40474360
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M3 'smart' motorway opens in Hampshire and Surrey - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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The four-lane stretch is expected to benefit the 130,000 motorists who use the M3 each day.
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Surrey
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A 50mph speed limit will remain in place while traffic management systems are tested
A £174m upgrade to turn the M3 into a "smart" motorway in Surrey and Hampshire has opened.
The 13.4-mile stretch between Farnborough and the M25 is now a four-lane carriageway after the main construction work was completed.
Motorists have faced years of disruption since work began in 2014.
Ongoing roadworks and some overnight restrictions will continue to affect motorists with speed limits in place as the system is tested.
Technology is being used to manage traffic flows with variable speed limits and use of the hard shoulder.
Speed limits will remain in place until later this month.
Motorists have faced years of road works on the M3 during the widening work
The M3 passes through Chobham Common, an area of heathland in Surrey.
Before work began, the government said the M3 smart motorway would improve journey times by 15%, but the then Highways Agency raised concerns extra traffic would cause EU air quality rules to be broken.
In June 2014, a plan to impose a 60mph speed limit on that part of the M3 to cut air pollution was put on hold by the then Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, with the Highways Agency asked to look at other ways of tackling pollution.
Maintenance work on the motorway is still to be completed, including the rebuilding of the Woodlands Lane bridge over the motorway near Windlesham, which will continue until later in the year, Highways England said.
Pranav Devale, project manager for Highways England, said: "This new stretch of smart motorway will tackle congestion and improve journey times for the 130,000 drivers who use it every day."
Back in 2014, Highways England said the main project work would be completed by December 2016.
But James Wright of Highways England said: "The reason we are finishing construction now rather than last December is that, shortly after we started work and after a bit of local lobbying, we agreed to do a large amount of maintenance work at the same time as the smart motorway upgrade."
He said the extra work included fully resurfacing the road and replacing a bridge over it.
"This is extra work with extra benefits and we do not consider it a delay," he added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-40473727
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Newspaper headlines: UK 'ditches cake-and-eat-it Brexit stance' - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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British officials have accepted a "painful" trade-off in Brexit talks, and the EU is planning migrant "crisis" talks, according to the front pages.
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The Papers
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UK officials have "quietly abandoned" hopes of securing "the government's promised cake-and-eat-it Brexit deal", the Guardian reports.
According to the paper, government insiders have reported a "dramatic change of mood" in the Department for Exiting the European Union since the general election.
It says the idea of enjoying full trade access to the bloc - without concessions over immigration, courts and a financial settlement - is now being given less credence by officials.
Many of the papers focus on the reported divisions within Conservative ranks about public spending.
"Cabinet split over austerity tax row" is the front page headline in the Daily Telegraph.
It suggests Chancellor Philip Hammond has warned ministers that "unpopular tax rises" will be required to fund possible moves, like lifting the cap on public sector pay increases.
The Mail's editorial says the paper is "deeply troubled by reports that some Tory MPs, including senior ministers, are demanding that the spending taps be turned back on".
According to the Times, Britain's new independent reviewer of counter-terrorism laws is concerned about the way jihadist attacks are covered by the media.
It says Max Hill believes the publication of images of dead terrorists can give, in his words, "the oxygen of publicity in death, to those who apparently craved martyrdom".
But one senior media lawyer, Mark Stephens, tells the paper: "It is extremely unhelpful to make the argument that freedom of speech needs to be curbed, in an effort to fight terror."
The lead in the Financial Times is about a delegation from the City of London travelling to Brussels this week, with what it describes as "a secret blueprint for a post-Brexit free-trade deal on financial services".
The paper says there is concern among bankers that the deadline for the UK to leave the EU, in March 2019, will come before a "credible deal has been struck".
"Blame it on our boys" is the front page headline in the Sun. It claims that Iraqis, who had alleged that they were mistreated by American troops, were told by lawyers to accuse UK forces instead, because the Ministry of Defence was easier to sue.
The paper quotes someone who used to work for a law firm handling such claims, saying it was widely known that many were fake.
The front pages of both the Daily Mirror and the Daily Express report on the latest deaths of migrants who tried to cross the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe.
The Mirror's headline is "Migrants' hell on Costa beaches", while in the Express it is "EU in crisis over boat migrants".
The paper says European Union officials are to hold emergency talks on the matter.
The Mirror's opinion column urges the authorities to "turn the tide on the crisis".
It believes that, faced with such a problem, the UK is "morally right" to spend £13bn on international development, which could help tackle some of the causes of migration.
According to the Times, Donald Trump may "drop in" to the UK in the next fortnight.
It says the US president has a gap in his diary, between a visit to Germany this week for the G20 summit and a trip to France later in July.
The White House will apparently give officials here only 24 hours' notice, if he decides to come.
"Britain braced for snap Trump visit" is the headline.
Finally, amid all the preview coverage of Wimbledon, the Daily Telegraph goes straight to the front of the queue - the queue, that is, of people who have been camping since early on Saturday to get tickets for the first day of the championships.
There the paper finds Des Robson, a middle-aged computer technician from Northumberland, who put a visit to Centre Court on his bucket list, after suffering two heart attacks.
Behind him is Elle-Anne Lee, a 21-year-old dental nurse.
Her father had bet her £100 that she would not be among the first three in the queue.
She tells the paper: "Now I'm quids in."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40476851
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Most US women won't dine alone with opposite sex, survey suggests - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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More than half would not dine alone with the opposite sex, according to a New York Times poll.
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US & Canada
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Mike Pence has said he would not dine alone with any woman who was not his wife, Karen (pictured)
Many eyebrows were raised when it emerged US Vice-President Mike Pence would not dine alone with a woman who was not his wife.
How old fashioned, the internet cried.
Only, now it seems he is not alone.
A surprise poll for the New York Times has discovered more than half of women agree with him - as well as 45% of men.
And as for a drink? Forget about it. Just 29% of women think that would be appropriate in a one-on-one situation.
However, the poll - conducted by Morning Consult, surveying almost 5,300 people - found the numbers shift considerably according to your politics: the more liberal your views, the more likely you were to mix with a member of the opposite sex, one on one.
Just 62% of Republicans found it acceptable, compared to 71% of Democrats.
Similar divides can also be seen according to religion - the more devout you are, the less appropriate you view it - and to education: 24% of male respondents of who did not reach college think it is inappropriate to have a one-on-one working meeting with a woman, compared with 18% who got a bachelor's degree or higher.
Michael, US: Simply ask yourself: would you want your partner to go out for dinner alone with someone else? Most likely the answer is no. Hence, then why should you? It's simply being wise and not naive.
Sandra, US: Not entirely sure why people don't understand that you can have a platonic, working or otherwise relationship with a member of the opposite sex without sexual overtones. To my way of thinking it demeans woman in terms of woman thinking men are only interested in their bodies... If you can't trust your partner or yourself out of sight the problem is you.
Stephen, Australia: I totally agree with Mike Pence. He's protecting his marriage and his reputation. It is not sexist, it is wise. In an era where people look to the Kardashians for their moral standards Mike Pence's policy, in this area at least, is commendable.
Emily, US: These archaic views are just another example of why we shouldn't have been surprised at a Trump/Pence victory last November.
Mario, South Africa: Men who are not sure about their self-control should indeed dine and drink alone. Perhaps dinner and a drink with their mothers should be permitted, but I am not so sure about sisters and daughters after reading some comments uttered by Donald Trump.
Vince, UK: Really? How very Victorian of them. Are they scared they might end up doing something they shouldn't. I can't believe in the 21st century some people think this is an issue.
Sarah, US: I'm a 52-year-old, white, college educated, atheist, left-wing, married woman ... and there's no way I would have a one-on-one meal/drink with a man who was not my husband. Not even a Starbucks.
M.H., Canada: I would definitely lunch or have dinner alone with a man whom I knew and trusted and with whom I had a lot in common. I am also a year away from being 90 and find it hard to believe that there is anything wrong with this.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40473553
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More UK nurses and midwives leaving than joining profession - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The downward trend has been most pronounced among British staff, figures show.
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Health
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More nurses and midwives are leaving the profession in the UK than joining it, for the first time since 2008, figures show.
The number registered in the UK fell by 1,783 to 690,773, in the year to March.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said the downward trend had been most pronounced among British workers. Many leavers cited working conditions.
But the government said there were now 13,000 more nurses working in hospitals in England than in 2010.
In April and May this year, there was a more dramatic fall in those leaving nursing and midwifery, with a further 3,264 workers going.
Other than retirement, the main reasons given for leaving were working conditions - including staffing levels and workload - personal circumstances and disillusion with quality of care to patients, according to an NMC survey of more than 4,500 leavers.
Other reasons included leaving the UK and poor pay and benefits.
Saffron Cordery, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said: "These figures provide further evidence of the severe workforce problems NHS trusts face.
"This goes beyond the concerns over Brexit - worrying though they are.
"The reduction in numbers is most pronounced among UK registrants. And it is particularly disappointing to see so many of our younger nurses and midwives choosing to leave."
She said a new staff retention programme would offer support to those NHS trusts with the highest leaving rates.
"However, until we address the underlying issues driving retention problems, including the pay cap and the unsustainable workplace pressures, these approaches will only have a limited impact."
Nurses protested against the 1% public sector pay cap in June
The figures being flagged up by the Nursing and Midwifery Council are for those registered to work in the UK.
That is, of course, important - without a ready supply, the NHS cannot recruit the staff it needs.
But the figure that is perhaps of most interest to the public is how many are actually working in the health service - and whether that is enough.
The Department of Health in England has made this point, highlighting figures showing there are more than 13,000 more nurses working in hospitals than there were in 2010.
But if you look at the overall number working in the NHS - once you include the likes of district nurses and those working in mental health - the number has risen by only 5,000 to nearly 286,000. That is because the rise in hospital nurses has been partly offset by a fall elsewhere.
What is more, if you consider the number the NHS wants to employ but cannot - by adding on the number of vacancies - you find that the health service is well short of what it needs.
Earlier this year, research by the Royal College of Nursing showed there were 40,000 unfilled posts - double the number from three years ago.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said poor working conditions and the "vicious cycle" of staffing levels had contributed to the number of nurses leaving the profession.
RCN chief executive Janet Davies added that the NHS had resorted to a "quick fix" by bringing in "people from overseas" to fill the gap left by the lack of British nurses. She believes the decision on how much nurses are paid is political.
She added: "[The government is also] removing the funding of the training of our future nurses.
"In September it will be the first time we see nurses coming in and having to take a loan.
"We know that's put people off, we haven't seen the actual figures but we know it's really low in some places and of course that just went into savings."
Nurses and midwives previously received bursaries during their studies, but the government announced it would cease the NHS bursaries system from 1 August 2017, meaning students in many healthcare fields will now have to repay the cost of their degrees.
The RCN called on the government to scrap the 1% public sector pay cap as a matter of urgency to prevent more health workers leaving.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We are making sure we have the nurses we need to continue delivering world-class patient care - that's why there are almost 13,100 more on our wards since May 2010 and 52,000 in training.
"We also know we need to retain our excellent nurses and earlier this week we launched a national programme to ensure nurses have the support they need to continue their vital work."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40476867
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Baby Dove adverts criticised over breastfeeding stance - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Dozens complain to the watchdog about the campaign which some say is against breastfeeding in public.
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UK
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Skincare brand Baby Dove has been criticised by mums who say the company's new adverts support those who oppose breastfeeding in public.
One advert says "75% say breastfeeding in public is fine, 25% say put them away. What's your way?"
The Advertising Standards Authority has received 151 complaints, including concerns the ad perpetuates a negative image of breastfeeding in public.
Brand owner Unilever said it aims to celebrate different parenting styles.
Another Dove advert shows a crying baby accompanied by text that reads: "36% are for feeding him when he cries, 64% are passionately against it. What's your way?"
While the brand's website also reads: "So whether you're among the 66% who think that breastfeeding in public is fine, or the 34% who think otherwise, whatever choice you make, we are with you every step of the way."
But "Unmumsy Mum" blogger Sarah Turner said in an open letter to Dove, posted on Facebook, that supporting the "dangerous" view that it was acceptable to criticise breastfeeding in public could put mums off.
"No woman should be made to feel ashamed for feeding their baby in public," she wrote.
"If you are standing with people who think breastfeeding in public is not okay, are you also with them if they ask a breastfeeding mum to cover up, or if they think she would be better off sat feeding in a restaurant toilet?"
Baby Milk Action, a non-profit organisation, called the "What's your way?" campaign "seriously misguided".
In a Facebook post, it said: "Please do not be intimidated by the Dove marketing campaign condoning those who object to breastfeeding in public.
"It is illegal to discriminate against anyone for how they feed their child in public."
Emma Pickett, from the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, said: "It's not anyone's 'way' to oppose it unless they fancy going to court or criminal action, and it's insulting to imagine that mums who formula feed automatically sympathise with people who dislike breastfeeding in public.
"This message intimidates new mums and that means increased isolation and greater risk of postnatal mental health issues."
Anna Burbridge, from support group La Leche League, agreed that women "need support and protection against unpleasant and aggressive comments, and advertising campaigns which ask what people think are unhelpful".
"Women do not have to 'put them away' and anything which implies they do contradicts the legal right of women to breastfeed."
Unilever responded to the criticisms in a statement, saying: "We believe there are many ways to be a great mum or dad.
"Our campaign simply aims to celebrate the different approaches and opinions around parenting, including whether or not mums choose to breastfeed in public, recognising that it's ultimately what works for you and your baby that matters the most."
Many have voiced their opinions on social media.
Bev Bevster said on Facebook she was "disgusted that Dove supports the discrimination of breastfeeding mothers" and "promotes child cruelty" by allowing babies to cry.
"What has any of this got to do with do with body products?"
Rhiannon Kendrick wrote: "I have just seen your ludicrous, sensationalist and downright upsetting Baby Dove advert. Who wants to see a picture of a crying baby for goodness sake?"
Some complaints have criticised the statistics quoted on Baby Dove's website
In England and Wales, it is illegal for anyone to ask a breastfeeding woman to leave a public place, such as a cafe, shop or public transport.
Scottish law makes it an offence to deliberately prevent or stop a person from feeding milk to a child in their charge in a public place or licensed premises.
Northern Ireland ministers have been considering legislation to protect mothers who breastfeed in public.
Last year, a study published in medical journal The Lancet found that the rates of breastfeeding in the UK were the lowest in the world.
The Advertising Standards Authority said the "general nature" of the complaints it had received were that it was not clear where the statistics were from.
The complaints said one advert encouraged a parenting style that was poor or neglectful, while the other perpetuated a negative perception of breastfeeding in public.
An ASA spokesman said the complaints were being assessed and no decision had yet been made on whether advertising rules had been broken.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40478372
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Tony Hadley cuts ties with Spandau Ballet - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The singer says he "is no longer a member of the band", who scored hits with True and Gold.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Spandau Ballet backstage at Top of the Pops in 1983, with Hadley front and centre
Singer Tony Hadley says he has left 1980s pop group Spandau Ballet, and "will not be performing" with them in the future.
In an oddly-worded statement, the star said: "I am required to state that I am no longer a member of the band".
He did not indicate why he was leaving, but blamed "circumstances beyond my control".
The group, who scored hits with True and Gold, broke up acrimoniously in the 1990s but had reformed in 2009.
The remaining members put the blame for the latest split on Hadley's shoulders.
"Much to our frustration, Tony had made it clear in September 2016 that he didn't want to work with the band anymore," they wrote on their official website.
"This has not changed and 2015 was the last time we were able to perform or work with him. So we have now made the decision to move on as a band."
Formed in 1976 as The Cut, they cut their teeth in the punk era, before emerging as one of the planet's biggest pop bands - engaged in a fierce rivalry with fellow New Romantics Duran Duran.
Following their first hit - 1980's To Cut A Long Story Short - they released six studio albums and had 10 UK top 10 singles, topping the charts with True in 1983.
Spandau's original split came after the five-piece fell out over money.
In 1999, Hadley, saxophonist Steve Norman and drummer John Keeble sued guitarist Gary Kemp for a share of the band's songwriting royalties.
Kemp, who played in the band with his brother Martin, wrote all of the hits, but the other musicians believed they had a gentleman's agreement to share the profits, in recognition of their musical contribution to the songs.
The case went to the High Court, where Kemp won. He later described the battle as "like walking away from a car crash - you're glad to be alive but mortified and shocked by the wreckage".
The band were back in court three years later, arguing over the right to use the name Spandau Ballet. Hadley, Keeble and Norman lost again and had to tour under the humbling name of Ex-Spandau Ballet.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Soul Boys Of The Western World looks at the career of Spandau Ballet in the 1980s
By this point, Hadley was not on speaking terms with the Kemp brothers, and for a number of years a reunion seemed like an impossibility.
In 2007, the singer told the Daily Express: "I know you should never say never, and bands in the past have said hell would freeze over before they got back together, but in our case I think hell is frozen and we still wouldn't do it."
Naturally, they reformed two years later, hosting a press conference on HMS Belfast in London, the scene of a landmark early gig in 1980.
Since then, they have toured the world, headlining the Isle of Wight Festival and producing a documentary about themselves called Soul Boys of the Western World.
They even recorded a handful of new songs for the 2014 album The Story - The Very Best of Spandau Ballet.
More recently, the band have been playing solo shows; while Martin Kemp appeared as a judge on the BBC show Let It Shine.
Hadley's decision to cut ties with Spandau effectively puts an end to any future reunion.
The band last toured together in 2015
His full statement read as follows: "Due to circumstances beyond my control, it is with deep regret that I am required to state that I am no longer a member of the band Spandau Ballet and as such I will not be performing with the band in the future."
Fans on Twitter responded by quoting some of Spandau's more memorable lyrics.
"Say it's not True!" wrote one. "Communication let them down," added another. "He didn't need this pressure on," noted a third.
"You'll notice it [the statement] is only one sentence," said Scott Taylor. "I think @TheTonyHadley found it hard to write the next line."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40479888
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Charlie Gard: Pope and Trump offer parents support - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Pope Francis calls for Charlie Gard's parents to be allowed to "treat their child until the end".
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London
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The Vatican said the Pope was following the case "with affection and sadness"
Pope Francis has called for the parents of terminally-ill Charlie Gard to be allowed to "accompany and treat their child until the end".
Chris Gard and Connie Yates had been expecting their 10-month-old's life support to be turned off on Friday.
But Great Ormond Street Hospital said it will continue Charlie's care to allow the family to spend more time with him.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump tweeted his support on Monday.
He wrote: "If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so."
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The Vatican said the Pope was following the case "with affection and sadness".
A statement released on Sunday said the Pope wished to "expresses his closeness to his [Charlie's] parents".
"For them he prays, hoping that their desire to accompany and care for their own child to the end is not ignored," it said.
Charlie Gard's rare disease has left him unable to cry
Charlie is thought to be one of 16 children in the world to have mitochondrial depletion syndrome.
It is a rare genetic condition which causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage because he is unable to get energy to his organs.
Doctors have said he now cannot see, hear, move, cry or swallow and has irreversible brain damage. His lungs are only able to keep going because of the treatment he is receiving.
They have argued he should be allowed to die with dignity.
But his parents and supporters have been fighting for him to be given an experimental treatment in the US.
The treatment is not a cure - there isn't one - but it has been suggested it could reduce the effects of the disease.
Although doctors in the US have since said the benefits they have seen have not been in cases as advanced as Charlie's.
The statement came on the same day demonstrators gathered outside Buckingham Palace to protest against the decision to allow Charlie's life-sustaining treatment to be withdrawn.
On 27 June, Charlie's parents lost their final legal appeal to take him to the US for experimental treatment.
His parents also said the hospital had denied their final wish to be able to take their son home to die, and felt "let down" following the lengthy legal battle.
Judges at the European Court of Human Rights concluded that further treatment would "continue to cause Charlie significant harm", in line with advice from specialists at Great Ormond Street.
Connie Yates and Chris Gard raised more than £1.3m for experimental treatment for Charlie
President Donald Trump said he would be "delighted" to help Charlie after his parents lost their legal battle.
A spokeswoman for the White House said President Trump had not spoken to the family although members of the administration had.
"The president is just trying to be helpful if at all possible," she added.
Doctors have said he cannot see, hear, move, cry or swallow.
Charlie has been receiving specialist treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital since October 2016.
Charlie's parents raised £1.3m on a crowdfunding site to pay for the experimental treatment in the US.
Ms Yates previously indicated the money would go towards a charity for mitochondrial depletion syndrome if Charlie "did not get his chance".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40479074
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The firms trying to put the glamour back into flying - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Can the exclusive and expensive world of private jets be revolutionised by technology?
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Business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. I wanted to be able to go online and book a private jet, says Sergey Petrossov
In its infancy, commercial air travel was expensive, and seemed like the ultimate in luxury.
Today, that era seems long gone. Delays, strikes, long queues at security checkpoints, packed planes, and incidents like the violent removal of a passenger from a United Airlines flight, are just some of the factors that lead many air travellers to view their next trip with dread rather than delight.
Despite this, there have been attempts over the past couple of decades to bring some of the glamour back to flying, by trying to revolutionise the private aviation market.
Some of these endeavours relied on the use of innovative manufacturing techniques that promised to produce small aircraft at lower costs than previously thought possible, and then to use these aeroplanes to offer new services.
In the 2000s, Dayjet, based in Florida, planned to make use of a fleet of Eclipse aircraft (one of a new breed of "very light jets" or VLJs) to offer "on-demand" flights at cheaper prices than those charged by existing private air charter firms.
Booking a private jet used to involve sending faxes back and forth, says JetSmarter founder Sergey Petrossov
Although this initiative failed, entrepreneurs have continued to try to rethink the private aviation market.
A series of start-ups are now applying new technology to the challenge. This time, however, the focus is on streamlining the booking and scheduling of aircraft, rather than on the process of building them.
Some of these ventures have already failed, whilst others, like Surfair, have begun to expand across the globe.
Another of the new players is JetSmarter, which has headquarters in Fort Lauderdale in Florida. Its founder, Sergey Petrossov, first became interested in the field almost a decade ago, when he was invited to join a friend on a private jet flight.
Many private jets flew one way with no passengers at all, Sergey Petrossov discovered
Mr Petrossov, an entrepreneur who had previously launched businesses involved in education technology, found the private aviation world fascinating. He decided to research the market; what he discovered astonished him.
For one thing, in the late 2000s, booking a private flight often involved using fax machines to send documents back and forth.
"When I heard 'fax' I was thinking [that] this sounds like a stock market transaction in the eighties", he laughs. He was amazed to learn that, at the time, it was not generally possible to book flights online.
JetSmarter aims to make booking a seat on a private plane as easy as booking a taxi
He began to look deeper into the industry.
"The craziest thing about it was the average private airplane was only flying 200 hours a year, when optimally they could be flying 1500 hours a year.
"And out of the 200 hours it was flying, one-third of the hours didn't have a single passenger on them - they were just flying empty," Mr Petrossov recalls.
He saw a big opportunity to create a new business selling empty seats on private jets, with a modernised online booking process.
The use of smartphone apps would make immediate reservations a possibility, in the same way that users of online taxi services like Uber can make instant cab bookings.
Mr Petrossov believes that this approach allows him to offer flights on private jets at lower prices, and to open up the market to a new group of customers.
Private jets are a world apart from the delays and long queues involved in normal flights
The JetSmarter business model involves a membership scheme. Customers pay an annual fee of $15,000 (£11,547; 13,127 euros), which includes access to some flights free of further charges; for an additional cost they can also arrange flights themselves, and in some cases share the cost of these with other members.
The company does not operate any planes itself. Instead flights are provided by various private jet operators in the US and several other countries around the world.
The key to success for his enterprise, says Mr Petrossov, lies in the size of the community of customers.
"It's built on having a core base of members that then start to talk about it, and building that core is by far the most difficult [task]…. it's like any other social network.
"If you don't have the people in it you can't scale it, you can't grow it," he explains.
The key to success lies in the size of the community of customers, says Mr Petrossov
The greater the number of members, Mr Petrossov continues, the greater the number of flights, and the more attractive the proposition becomes to both existing and new customers.
The firm is also starting to offer additional services, such as accommodation, in the hope of providing travellers with a seamless, "end to end" experience.
It is not yet clear whether new approaches to private aviation like the one being pioneered by JetSmarter will be viable in the long term.
But Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at Teal Group which focuses on the aerospace and defence industry, says he finds these new business models "intriguing".
"Maybe this time technology companies can get it right," he says.
Mr Aboulafia adds that applying technology to the booking and scheduling side of the business is a smarter idea than trying to find an innovative way to dramatically cut the cost of building private jets.
The latter approach almost always ends in grief, not least because it can consume vast amounts of capital, he says.
For his part, Sergey Petrossov remains optimistic, although he recognises that there are lots of challenges ahead:
"What really makes an entrepreneur is... perseverance. Being able to find the way no matter what."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40443119
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Two in court after 79 guns seized from car heading to UK - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Joint operation sees two men arrested and 79 firearms seized from UK-bound car at the Channel Tunnel.
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UK
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A haul of firearms has been seized in France from a car heading to the UK.
Seventy-nine "viable" weapons were recovered from the car's trailer when it was stopped by UK Border Force officers at Coquelles near the Channel Tunnel terminal on Saturday.
Two men, a Polish and a Czech national, have been remanded in custody at Uxbridge magistrates' court in connection with the operation.
The guns were concealed in specially-adapted engine blocks.
The seizure follows a joint operation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Metropolitan Police working with Border Force officials in France.
Graham Gardner, the NCA's deputy director of investigations, said: "Our recent threat assessment highlights that handguns are still commonly favoured by some criminal groups in the UK.
"They may not be the largest firearm, but they are easily concealable and lethal in the hands of anyone prepared to use them."
The firearms were concealed in engine blocks
Denis Kolencukov, 23, originally from the Czech Republic but living in the UK, and Polish national Janusz Michek, 59, are each charged with two firearms offences.
No further action will be taken against six other Polish nationals arrested in Coquelles.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40479845
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Hinkley Point: EDF adds £1.5bn to nuclear plant cost - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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French energy firm EDF says the new power station faces further delays and an extra £1.5bn of costs.
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Business
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Construction of the Hinkley Point plant is under way after government approval last year
French energy supplier EDF has estimated that the cost of completing the new Hinkley Point nuclear plant will be nearly 10% more than expected.
The company, which is the project's main backer, said the total cost of the power station was likely to rise by £1.5bn to £19.6bn.
Hinkley Point C would be the UK's first new nuclear plant for decades, but has been beset with budget problems.
An EDF review found the project could also be delayed by up to 15 months.
The firm said that would result in an extra £700m in costs, but that it hoped to avoid delays and finish the first nuclear reactor by the end of 2025.
Climate campaigners said Hinkley Point was "already over time and over budget" only nine months since being approved.
EDF is building two new reactors at Hinkley Point, which are expected to provide 7% of the country's electricity needs for 60 years.
Work is under way on the plant in Somerset after Prime Minister Theresa May formally gave it the go-ahead in September last year.
EDF said the extra costs partly resulted from adapting the project's design to meet the demands of UK regulators.
The French state-controlled energy firm is funding two-thirds of the plant, which is expected to create more than 25,000 jobs, with China investing the rest.
A government spokeswoman said: "Consumers won't pay a penny until Hinkley is built; it will provide clean, reliable electricity powering six million homes."
The cost of building Hinkley Point, including any overruns, will be met by EDF and the other backers, she said.
John Sauven, executive director at Greenpeace UK, said: "Hinkley is already over time and over budget after just a few months of building work.
"Today's news is yet another damning indictment of the government's agreement to go ahead with this project."
EDF said it remained on track to meet the project's first major milestone in 2019 but that delays could come later in the project.
Last month, public auditors called the new nuclear plant "risky and expensive".
The National Audit Office said the government had "increasingly emphasised Hinkley Point C's unquantified strategic benefits, but it has little control over these and no plan yet in place to realise them".
2007: EDF boss predicts UK households will cook their Christmas turkeys in 2017 using power from Hinkley Point C
2008: The project is earmarked by the Labour government as a potential site in a "nuclear renaissance"
2013: The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government approves construction of Hinkley Point C and agrees commercial terms with EDF
2015: EDF signs a deal with China's state-owned nuclear firm CGN to help finance the project
March: EDF finance director quits ahead of a final investment decision on the plant
July: Theresa May delays the final decision on Hinkley shortly after becoming prime minister
September: The Conservative government approves Hinkley and signs a deal with EDF and CGN
July: EDF estimates the project will cost an extra £1.5bn and could be delayed beyond 2025 - eight years after its original target
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40479053
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Jersey care abuse inquiry: Children 'still at risk' - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Live electrical wires were applied to children's legs, according to a report into decades of abuse.
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Jersey
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Children may still be at risk in Jersey's care system, a report into seven decades of child abuse has found.
Live electrical wires were applied to children's legs, one survivor told the The Independent Jersey Care Inquiry.
Victims also reported being beaten with nettles, having their heads dunked in cold water and being sexually abused.
The States of Jersey had "proved to be an ineffectual and neglectful substitute parent", the report said.
Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst apologised and said: "We failed children who needed our care."
The inquiry, led by judge Frances Oldham QC, has recommended demolishing the Haut de la Garenne children's home, where much of the abuse took place.
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Survivor Gifford Aubin who was at the home in the 1950s described his treatment: "They were putting these wires on your legs, that sort of thing...
"And also hitting you with a pre-war army stick, you know, like a sergeant major or officer would have. It had a metal end, so you can imagine how that cut into you."
He also suffered mental abuse from his experiences.
The inquiry, launched in 2014, heard 553 offences took place between 1947 and 2004, with more than half said to have occurred at Haut de la Garenne.
Jacky de la Haye was one of a handful of girls at the home and said she suffered psychological abuse.
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"I have nightmares that I'm still there," she said.
While a lot of the inquiry focused on Haut de la Garenne, a number of other incidents, not previously revealed, came to light.
The revelations of assault, bullying and slavery at the Sacré Coeur Orphanage led to a fresh call for witnesses from the inquiry panel.
A witness, known as "Mrs A" said outside of school hours children were forced to work unpaid in a knitting factory run by the nuns at the orphanage.
In February 2015 one survivor known as "Witness D", now in his 40s, told the inquiry he was too scared to report the abuse he suffered to the authorities while he was at Haut de la Garenne.
He told the hearing he was sexually abused by two members of staff, William Gilbert and Phil Le Bais. They were never charged and have now died.
Former Haut de la Garenne resident, Gifford Aubin said a lack of staff meant older boys were often left in charge
Source: The Independent Jersey Care Inquiry - A 62 page appendix details the abuse suffered in the care system
More than half of the alleged offences took place at Haut de la Garenne children's home
The report said: "Children may still be still at risk in Jersey and children in the care system are not always receiving the kind or quality of care and support that they need."
It said the buildings at Haut de la Garenne were a reminder of an "unhappy past or shameful history" and of the "turmoil and trauma" of the police investigation, which began in 2006.
The report said there was no doubt that "many instances" of physical and sexual abuse were suffered by children in the care of the States of Jersey.
The wellbeing of vulnerable children had been "low on the list" of Jersey's priorities and unsuitable people were appointed to management roles on the basis of local connections.
It also referred to witnesses' use of the phrase the "Jersey way" to describe a system where "serious issues are swept under the carpet" and "people avoid being held to account for abuses".
The report said "As a result, ill-suited carers continued to look after children in unsuitable facilities, using outdated practices.
"The consequences for the children in their care were devastating and, in many instances, lifelong."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "History will be very damning on us if we don't take steps in light of the content of this report," says lawyer
Alan Collins, a lawyer who represented victims, said "systematic failings" allowed a culture to develop where "children's welfare became a secondary issue".
Mr Collins added "Jersey is not alone in this" and "the UK needs to take serious note of this report".
Senator Ian Gorst, Jersey's chief minister, apologised to "all those who suffered abuse in our islands over the years".
He said: "Unpalatable truths were swept under the carpet because it was the easiest thing to do.
"People cared more for the status quo, for a quiet life, than for children.
"We failed children who needed our care who needed to be protected and listened to.
"I am shocked, I am saddened and I am sorry. I accept every recommendation."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40485015
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'Extra strong, Ikea branded' ecstasy pills linked to Kyle Pringle's death - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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A large quantity of "Ikea" branded ecstasy pills were seized after the death of an 18-year-old.
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Jersey
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Police believe the "Ikea" branded tablets are a "particularly strong" batch of ecstasy
An 18-year-old man has died from what is believed to be a "particularly strong" batch of ecstasy tablets.
Jersey Police said Kyle Pringle, from St Helier, died at the General Hospital early on Saturday morning.
His death follows a public appeal about the yellow and blue drugs circulating in the island, stamped with the word IKEA.
Three people have been arrested and a quantity of the branded tablets have been seized.
"Whilst subject to toxicology reports and a post-mortem, evidence at this time suggests the death is as a result consumption of "Ikea" ecstasy tablets," a police statement said.
"We strongly advise members of the public not to take these tablets in the interests of their health.
"Anyone who does take the tablets and becomes unwell is urged to seek medical attention through their GP or in an emergency, attend at the accident and emergency department."
A report into Mr Pringle's death will be submitted to the Deputy Viscount.
Ecstasy is also known as MDMA and last year the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction warned of a resurgence in use of MDMA and an increased availability of high-strength tablets and powders.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-40328534
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Employers 'having to pay more to recruit new staff' - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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A worsening skills shortage is forcing UK firms to pay out £2bn a year in higher salaries, a study says.
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Business
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Many UK employers have had to pay "well above market rate" to attract employees over the past year as a skills shortage intensifies, a survey suggests.
Almost all firms in a survey of 400 by the Open University said it had been difficult to find workers with the skills they needed.
The distance learning university calculated the problem was costing companies more than £2bn a year.
It said uncertainty surrounding Brexit was exacerbating the skills gap.
It found people already in work were reluctant to move employer, while some EU nationals did not want to take a UK role because of the lack of clarity over future immigration rules.
The number of EU workers in the UK fell by 50,000 to 2.3 million in the last three months of last year, according to official statistics.
Meanwhile, unemployment is at its lowest rate since records began in 1975.
This means that it is taking firms more time than usual to recruit new staff.
As a result, many firms are having to hire temporary staff and pay additional recruitment fees, as well as higher salaries, the survey found.
Some 56% of the firms surveyed said they had had to increase the salary on an advertised role to get the skills they needed over the past year.
For small and medium-sized firms, the average increase was £4,150, while for larger firms it was £5,575, according to the survey.
The Open University is urging firms to help solve the issue by training staff internally via apprenticeships.
From May, employers have been able to draw vouchers from a new fund aimed at creating three million new apprenticeships.
The vouchers are being funded from a 0.5% levy on company payrolls of larger firms with an annual wage bill of £3m and above.
Around 59% of the firms surveyed are planning to offer apprenticeships over the next year, almost double the number that currently offer them, probably as a result of the new funding, the survey suggested.
The Open University's external engagement director Steve Hill said firms needed to look at recruitment and retention "differently".
"Now faced with a shrinking talent pool, exacerbated by the uncertainties of Brexit, it is more important that employers invest in developing their workforce," he added.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40475702
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Secret German peacemaker in Northern Ireland's Troubles - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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A German Lutheran peacemaker spent decades hosting secret negotiations and ceasefires during the Troubles.
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UK
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Eberhard Spiecker's secret peace negotiations went back to the 1970s
He died in Germany in May and much of his far-reaching involvement in the labyrinthine politics of the Troubles is likely to go with him to the grave.
His work stretched over several decades, almost entirely unseen, holding meetings between people who refused to meet in public and exchanging messages between people who could deny that they had ever been in contact.
It seems to have included two undisclosed IRA ceasefires and three peace talks, only one of which has ever been fully revealed.
If you find a public reference to Dr Spiecker, it's usually as a "shadowy clergyman", who staged secret peace talks in Duisburg, in the old West Germany, in 1988 between deadlocked unionist and nationalist parties.
This was seen as a symbolically important piece of bridge building across the political permafrost - but it also seemed a strangely isolated event.
Who was this German Lutheran who had pulled off such an unlikely meeting between representatives of the DUP, the UUP and the SDLP with a go-between for Sinn Fein, a decade before the Good Friday Agreement?
What is now apparent is that this was far from a one-off involvement.
Dr Spiecker, born in Duisburg in the last days of the Weimar Republic, had been involved in peace initiatives in Northern Ireland since the early 1970s.
Following a meeting of senior Northern Irish Catholic and Protestant church leaders in Germany, Dr Spiecker was given the role of building contacts in Northern Ireland, in an attempt to resolve the conflict and loss of life.
He was an outsider, a neutral figure, who tapped into a network of religious leaders working across Northern Ireland's divide.
Among his early contacts was Canon Bill Arlow, a Church of Ireland minister who controversially arranged a secret meeting between Protestant church representatives and IRA leaders in 1974, with the aim of establishing a ceasefire.
This meeting ended when the location was raided by the Irish police.
During the republican hunger strikes of 1980 and 1981, Dr Spiecker put together a plan to reverse out of the impasse, with contacts that included the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, the head of the Catholic church in Ireland, Cardinal Tomas O'Fiaich, Irish prime minister Garret FitzGerald and Gaston Thorn, president of the EU Commission.
This was unsuccessful - and Dr Spiecker, writing a few months before his death, said the hunger strikes left a huge "chasm".
His response was to try to build an understanding between politicians across the sectarian divide - through secret meetings held in Germany, which would move from trust building to concrete proposals.
He described a "relaxed meeting" between unionists and nationalists in the town of Boppard on the Rhine in 1985.
The hunger strikes left a political "chasm" that Dr Spiecker wanted to bridge
It was designed to be convivial and away from the violent backdrop of Northern Ireland, where even admitting to such meetings would have been politically impossible.
Later in the same year the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement between Margaret Thatcher and Mr FitzGerald prompted a mass resignation of unionist MPs.
Dr Spiecker said that at his private talks in Germany the "rapprochement was successful".
There were more undisclosed cross-party talks in May 1987, bringing together politicians from the Ulster Unionist Party, Social and Democratic Labour Party and the Alliance Party.
Dr Spiecker brought opposing sides away from the violence to talk secretly in Duisburg
This meeting took place in Essen in a Catholic seminary where Pope John Paul II had stayed a couple of weeks before.
"The participants were no longer only well-known personalities, but also representatives of political and social life," wrote Dr Spiecker.
"As an example, Martin Smyth can be mentioned, the then Grand Master of the Orange Order, who probably took part in negotiations in the rooms of a Catholic seminary for the first time."
Organisers of the Essen meeting identified another very prominent unionist politician who attended.
The talks focused on familiar territory for Northern Irish negotiations - the possible shape of self-government, the roles of the Westminster and Dublin governments, responsibility and cross-community support for policing and the engagement in talks of Sinn Fein.
Further talks followed the next year in a hotel in Duisburg - with Peter Robinson from the DUP joining Austin Currie from the SDLP and representatives of the UUP and Alliance.
Dr Spiecker (right), a campaigner for links between churches, in a meeting with Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict
And significantly they were joined by Father Alec Reid, a priest who acted as a go-between with the "republican movement".
"Eberhard Spiecker's special qualities were shown," according to assistants in Germany who were at the talks.
"He brought people together who, until then, had never sat around one table. He succeeded in getting these people to work on the resolution of the conflict in a constructive and convinced way, in spite of all the differences."
Even if in secret, politicians were engaging with each other - and a door was being opened to Sinn Fein, if there was an end to violence.
"The 1988 talks were significant and part of the 'bridge building' process," says Peter Taylor, documentary maker and author who followed the inside story of the peace process.
"They were around the time of the Hume/Adams talks facilitated by Father Alec Reid of the Clonard Monastery in Belfast. Those talks helped build the ideological platform for the declaration that Britain had no 'selfish or strategic interest' in Northern Ireland."
While the talks in Boppard and Essen remained confidential, the Duisburg meeting was leaked - making international headline news in 1989.
According to the team in Germany who put together the talks, this breach of confidentiality, and the exposure of such secret exchanges, was the "end of the matter" for this strand of negotiations.
Dr Spiecker put forward unionist and nationalist contacts during the Drumcree stand-off
But Dr Spiecker's work continued - this time in his own country.
He held talks with leading republicans, regarding a wave of lethal attacks on British military personnel based in Germany.
According to Dr Spiecker's assistants, an agreement for an IRA ceasefire was reached in 1990, specific to Germany. This was a "Waffenstillstand" or "weapons stand still".
IRA activity moved to neighbouring countries, with the Netherlands being mentioned, before a ceasefire for mainland Europe was agreed two years later.
Although these localised ceasefires would later be breached, these suspensions of violence were seen as part of the "confidence building" during wider negotiations.
But is there any evidence for such ceasefires?
There are sources, close to the peace process, who say they have heard rumours of such unpublicised ceasefires.
Tony Blair responding to the IRA ceasefire in July 1997
There are unlikely to be any official records - and more risks than reward for any of the participating parties to talk about such controversial deals.
Another interpretation has been that a "ceasefire" could have been a cover for what was a forced withdrawal after a failed terror campaign.
Ed Moloney, author and historian of the Troubles and the peace process, says he had "heard about the German and European ceasefires, but not whether Spiecker was involved".
He says the deal had to be approved by the German authorities.
But the German government's political archive says there are no records of such an exchange.
It would not have been unheard of, because in later secret exchanges between Sinn Fein and the British government, ahead of the 1994 IRA ceasefire, there were references to unpublicised temporary suspensions in violence.
But there is more speculation than certainty about such events and more long silences than explanations.
Another curiosity is that Dr Spiecker - invariably recorded as a "clergyman" - was not actually a religious minister.
He was an elder in the Lutheran church and chaired church committees, and deeply involved in ecumenical causes, but by profession he was a lawyer.
Brendan Duddy, the contact between the British government and the IRA, was also in communication with Dr Spiecker
He acted in secret - and was valued for his unshowy trustworthiness - but his work seems to have overlapped with other "secret peacemakers".
Brendan Duddy, who died recently, was the secret "back channel" contact between the IRA and the British government, from the 1970s to the 1990s.
In Mr Duddy's archive of letters there are references to faxes he exchanged with Dr Spiecker.
There were messages from 1997 exchanged about defusing the violent stand-off over the Orange Order march at Drumcree, with Dr Spiecker putting forward representatives of unionists and republicans for talks, with the offer of hosting negotiations in Germany.
There were also confidential messages to the former Irish prime minister, Albert Reynolds, before a round of peace process negotiations in 1997. Dr Spiecker set out unresolved areas for an IRA ceasefire, such as policing, decommissioning of weapons and prisoner release.
He seemed to have had access across the landscape of Northern Ireland politics, meeting with unionists Peter Robinson, Jim Molyneaux and Martin Smyth; the SDLP's John Hume and Austin Currie and senior figures from Sinn Fein.
How much official support was there in the background for his undertakings? How were his freelance efforts linked to wider negotiations?
His assistants remember a man of deep conviction whose "absolute discretion enabled people and groups to trust him".
Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness became symbols of the power sharing agreement
They describe his part in Christmas truces.
"Eberhard was often involved in bringing about ceasefires on Christmas Eve.
"He would come to eat with us that day, then we would go to church and the rest of the day was spent on the phone or by his fax machine in communication with various places."
Those "various places" are likely to remain unknown.
This was a lifetime spent getting distrustful opponents to talk to each other, working out of sight to stop the murderous violence.
With his death, more of the secret efforts of this German peacemaker are being revealed.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40001151
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Reality Check: Is public sector pay higher than private sector? - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Public sector pay has been falling relative to the private sector and is expected to continue falling.
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UK Politics
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The claim: Average public sector pay is higher than private sector, even adjusted for qualifications
Reality Check verdict: It is a difficult comparison to make, but IFS calculations suggest that Lord Lamont is probably right. However, in recent years private sector pay has been growing faster than public sector pay and the gap between public and private pay is expected to continue to narrow in the coming years if current government policies are implemented.
Former chancellor Lord Lamont was on Radio 4 on Monday morning championing the case for continued pay restraint.
He pointed out that public sector pay in Great Britain is above private sector even taking into account qualifications.
The point about qualifications is important, because jobs in the public sector tend to require higher qualifications. Also, there has been a tendency for public sector bodies to outsource lower-paid functions such as cleaning and catering to contractors, which moves them from the public to the private sector. Doing so on a large scale would increase average earnings in the public sector.
There tends to be a wider range of pay in the private sector - there are more low earners and more high earners.
If you look at seasonally adjusted average weekly earnings for regular pay in the public sector, it was £506 a week in April, compared with £464 in the private sector.
But Lord Lamont was talking about earnings adjusted for qualifications. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) made this comparison in May, when it found that average public sector pay was about 3% above the private sector, although it warned that it could only adjust for whether somebody had a degree, for example, and not what the degree was in, or how good a degree it was.
Another thing that makes this comparison tricky is that staff in the public sector tend to have better pension provision, with earnings-related schemes still common in the public sector but unusual in the private. This is not reflected in the average earnings figures.
Bonus payments are more common in the private sector and they are also not included in these average earnings figures.
The gap between public and private sector earnings has been narrowing as a result of two years of frozen public sector pay starting in 2011 followed by 1% caps.
In recent years private sector pay has been growing faster than public sector pay.
Part of this effect has been to catch up with the period around 2009, when, as a result of the financial crisis, private sector average earnings fell substantially, while public sector earnings were much more resilient. During that period the gap between public and private sector earnings grew.
But inflation has been growing faster than both public and private sector pay, meaning that workers have seen their pay fall in real terms.
The IFS has warned that if the government's current plans are implemented, the gap between public and private sector pay will return to levels last seen in the 2000s, when there were considerable difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff.
Public-sector pay growing more slowly than inflation is reflected in a report commissioned by the Office of Manpower Economics published on Monday.
It looked at what had happened to real (adjusted for inflation) median wages for 10 occupations covered by pay review bodies, between 2005 and 2015.
The median wage is the one earned by the person compared with whom half of workers are paid more, and half paid less.
Average hourly pay for doctors has fallen from £38 an hour in 2005 to £30 in 2015, while the average pay of nurses is unchanged at £16 an hour.
Police officers have seen their pay fall from £20 an hour to £18, and teachers' pay is down from £25 to £22.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40480766
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Do passports restrict economic growth? - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Would getting rid of passport controls boost economic growth?
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Business
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"What would we English say if we could not go from London to the Crystal Palace or from Manchester to Stockport without a passport or police officer at our heels? Depend upon it, we are not half enough grateful to God for our national privileges."
So wrote an English publisher named John Gadsby, travelling through Europe in the mid-19th Century.
This was before the modern passport system, wearily familiar to anyone who has ever crossed a national border.
You stand in a queue, you proffer your standardised booklet to a uniformed official, who glances at your face to check that it resembles the image of your younger, slimmer self.
Perhaps she quizzes you about your journey, while her computer checks your name against a terrorist watch-list.
For most of history, passports were neither so ubiquitous nor so routine.
They were, essentially, a threat: a letter from some powerful person requesting the traveller pass unmolested - or else.
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy highlights the inventions, ideas and innovations that helped create the economic world.
The concept of passport as protection goes back to biblical times. And protection was a privilege, not a right.
Gentlemen such as Gadsby who wanted a passport needed a personal link to the relevant government minister.
As Gadsby discovered, the more zealously bureaucratic continental nations had realised the passport's potential as a tool of social and economic control.
A century earlier, French citizens had to show paperwork not only to leave the country, but to travel from town to town.
While wealthy countries today secure their borders to keep unskilled workers out, municipal authorities historically used them to stop skilled workers from leaving.
As the 19th Century progressed, railways and steamboats made travel faster and cheaper. As Martin Lloyd details in his book The Passport, restrictive travel documents were unpopular.
France's Emperor Napoleon III shared Gadsby's admiration for the more relaxed British approach. He described passports as "an oppressive invention", and abolished them in 1860.
France was not alone. More and more countries either formally abandoned passport requirements or stopped enforcing them, at least in peacetime.
You could visit 1890s America without a passport, though it helped if you were white.
The visitors greeted by the newly installed Statue of Liberty in the 1890s did not need passports
Some South American countries enshrined passport-free travel in their constitutions. In China and Japan, foreigners needed passports only to venture inland.
By the turn of the 20th Century, only a handful of countries still insisted on passports to enter or leave. It seemed possible they might soon disappear altogether.
What would today's world look like if they had?
One morning in September 2015, Abdullah Kurdi, his wife and two young sons boarded a dinghy in Bodrum, Turkey, hoping to make it 4km (2.5 miles) across the Aegean Sea to the Greek island of Kos.
But the dinghy capsized in rough seas. Abdullah managed to cling to the boat, but his wife and children drowned.
When the body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi washed up on a Turkish beach and was photographed by a Turkish agency journalist, the image became an icon of the migrant crisis that had convulsed Europe all summer.
Tens of thousands of migrant families have tried to cross from Turkey to Greece
The Kurdis hadn't planned to stay in Greece. They hoped eventually to start a new life in Vancouver, where Abdullah's sister Teema is a hairdresser.
There are easier ways to travel from Turkey to Canada than taking a dinghy to Kos.
Abdullah had money: the 4,000 euros (£2,500; $4,460) he paid a people-smuggler could have bought plane tickets for them all - if they had had the right passports.
Since the Syrian government denied citizenship to ethnic Kurds, the family had no passports. But even with Syrian documents, they couldn't have boarded a plane to Canada. Passports issued by Sweden or Slovakia, or Singapore or Samoa would have been fine.
It can seem natural that the name of the country on our passport determines where we can travel and work - legally, at least.
But it's a relatively recent historical development, and, from a certain angle, it's odd.
Many countries ban employers from discriminating among workers based on characteristics we can't change: whether we're male or female, young or old, gay or straight, black or white.
It's not entirely true that we can't change our passport: $250,000 (£193,000) will buy you one from St Kitts and Nevis.
St Kitts established its "Citizenship by Investment" programme in 1984
But, mostly, our passport depends on the identity of our parents and location of our birth. And nobody chooses those.
Despite this, there's no public clamour to judge people not by the colour of their passport but by the content of their character.
Less than three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, migrant controls are back in fashion.
Donald Trump calls for a wall along the US-Mexico border.
US President Trump insists that Mexico will reimburse the US for the cost of the border wall, estimates of which vary wildly
The Schengen zone cracks under the pressure of the migrant crisis.
Europe's leaders scramble to distinguish refugees from "economic migrants", the assumption being that someone who isn't fleeing persecution - but merely wants a better job or life - should not be let in.
Politically, the logic of restrictions on migration may be increasingly hard to dispute.
Yet economic logic points in the opposite direction. In theory, whenever you allow factors of production to follow demand, output rises.
In practice, all migration creates winners and losers, but research indicates there are many more winners. In the wealthiest countries - by one estimate - five in six of the existing population are made better off by the arrival of immigrants.
So why doesn't this translate into popular support for open borders?
There are practical and cultural reasons why migration can be badly managed: if public services aren't upgraded quickly enough to cope with new arrivals, or belief systems prove hard to reconcile.
The losses also tend to be more visible than the gains.
Suppose a group of Mexicans arrive in America, ready to pick fruit for lower wages than Americans are earning. The benefits - slightly cheaper fruit for everyone - are too widely spread and small to notice, while the costs - some Americans lose their jobs - produce vocal unhappiness.
It should be possible to arrange taxes and public spending to compensate the losers. But it doesn't tend to work that way.
The economic logic of migration often seems more compelling when it doesn't involve crossing national borders.
In 1980s Britain, with recession affecting some of the country's regions more than others, Employment Minister Norman Tebbit notoriously suggested - or was widely interpreted as suggesting - that the jobless should "get on their bikes" to look for work.
Some economists calculate global economic output would double if anyone could get on their bikes to work anywhere.
That suggests today's world would be much richer if passports had died out in the early 20th Century. There's one simple reason they didn't: World War One intervened.
With security concerns trumping ease of travel, governments imposed strict new controls on movement, and they proved unwilling to relinquish those powers once peace returned.
In 1920, the newly formed League of Nations called an "International Conference on Passports, Customs Formalities and Through Tickets", which effectively invented the passport as we know it.
From 1921, the conference said, passports should be 15.5cm (6in) by 10.5cm, 32 pages, bound in cardboard, with a photo. The format has changed remarkably little since.
Like John Gadsby, anyone with the right colour passport can only count their blessings.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40188997
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German bus inferno killed 18 in Bavaria motorway crash - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Eighteen people, mostly pensioners, die after flames engulf a tour bus on a motorway in Bavaria.
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Europe
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Eighteen people died when their tour bus collided with a lorry and burst into flames on the A9 motorway in southern Germany, police say.
Another 30 on the bus were hurt and two of them were fighting for their lives.
The bus was carrying a group of German pensioners at the time of the fire near Stammbach in northern Bavaria.
Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said rescuers were delayed by "gawpers" driving slowly and by the intensity of the blaze.
The cause of the fire is unknown. Traffic was reportedly moving slowly at the time and the collision between the two vehicles was not described as a major crash.
The lorry's trailer was also incinerated and the burnt-out wreck ended up a short distance ahead of the bus. The German news website Frankenpost reports that it was carrying mattresses and pillows.
The lorry driver was unharmed and told police the bus had gone into the back of his vehicle and burst into flames, it said.
The burnt-out wrecks of the bus and lorry trailer ended up a short distance apart
There were 46 passengers and two drivers on the bus. The bus driver was among those killed. The passengers were men and women aged 66 to 81, heading to Lake Garda in Italy for a holiday.
Some of the passengers had got on the bus at Dresden station in the eastern state of Saxony. According to local media in Saxony, the bus had earlier picked up passengers elsewhere in Saxony and also in Brandenburg in the early hours of Monday before going to Dresden and then south-west towards Nuremberg.
By mid-afternoon forensic teams had recovered the charred remains of 15 people and police confirmed that 18 had died.
Firefighters reached the scene within 10 minutes of the accident but were driven back by the intensity of the fire. "Only steel parts are recognisable so you can understand what that meant for the people in this bus," said German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
Motoring safety expert Hans-Ulrich Sander suggested that the fuel line that ran under the bus may have ruptured, prompting the fire to spread fast.
Five rescue helicopters joined emergency workers at the scene.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was distressed by the accident and expressed sympathy for the injured and bereaved relatives.
She thanked the rescuers for looking after people "in an appalling situation".
Forensic experts examined the charred skeleton of the bus and human remains inside
The burnt-out shell of the bus could be seen as emergency teams reached the scene
Five rescue helicopters rushed to the scene
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40479021
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Wimbledon 2017: Finding new fans for a famous tennis brand - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Wimbledon looks to technology to reach new tennis fans.
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Business
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Andy Murray will attempt to retain his men's singles title
When you host what is arguably the most famous tennis tournament in the world - Wimbledon - it would be tempting to rest on your sporting laurels and let things tick along as they always have done.
Not only is it the longest-established of the four Grand Slam tournaments, but the Championships also enjoy sell out crowds and hospitality every year.
The two-week long event is broadcast to millions of fans, and made an operating profit of £42m last year.
So, things certainly look rosy in the green SW19 garden, with further healthy signs being a 12% increase in the prize money pot this year to £31.6m.
But income from broadcasters represents more than half of the event's turnover, and a small number of key broadcast markets, notably the UK and USA, provide the majority of that income.
With this in mind, executives from tournament operator the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), are looking at new ways to grow awareness and interest in the tournament outside their current Anglo-centric heartlands.
"We want to take the Wimbledon brand to new audiences and regions," Mick Desmond, AELTC commercial and media director, tells me.
"It is not just about the people here at Wimbledon, where we have sold out all spectator tickets and all hospitality again.
Mr Desmond says Wimbledon has been on a digital journey
"We want to grow our global fan base, the same as the likes of Premier League football or NBA basketball are doing."
He adds: "Tennis as a sport is in great shape. But we take a long term view in terms of strategy.
"Not just in terms of developing physical infrastructure here on the playing site, but also about building our brand with a younger audience, and also with new audiences in different parts of the world, be it China or Colombia.
"Disruption is everywhere in the modern world, and we always have to be thinking one step ahead."
During the tournament a wealth of information is available via different digital outlets
The financial reward from growing its global fan base, will come when Wimbledon signs new TV deals and sponsorship agreements, and is able to show that it can deliver a large and diverse customer base for its partners.
"It all means that we add more value to our media rights, and it means we also offer more value to our commercial partners such as IBM or Jaguar," he says.
And it is with long-term partner IBM, its official supplier of information technology, that the event is looking to use digital media to spread its message and engage with new fans.
"We have been on a long digital journey over the past seven years," Mr Desmond says.
He says that in 2010 Wimbledon had a very good website, but that it looked the same as the other Grand Slam tournament sites, also created by IBM.
"We wanted to enhance the beauty and grace of Wimbledon. For those who could not be here in person, we wanted to give them the next-best experience," he says.
"The reaction of fans has been very positive. But we are never happy. We wanted to raise the bar for 2017."
Mr Desmond says that Wimbledon wants to provide a rich digital experience that ensures they connect with fans at the event and across the globe.
The Ask Fred app is named after three-times champion Fred Perry
This year the AELTC and IBM have offered a new range of digital features, which include:
"We are democratising data for tennis and sports fans," says Alexandra Willis, head of content and digital at the AELTC.
"We want to get under the skin of tennis matches at Wimbledon, and use digital to deepen engagement with fans."
Graphic showing the differing types and amounts of data analysed and produced for Wimbledon fans
She adds: "We spend a lot of time trying to build our media assets. We are trying to reach a bigger, younger, more engaged audience."
Meanwhile, social media content from the tournament is being adapted into a number of different languages.
There will be Facebook pages for fans in Korea, Japan, India, and the Spanish speaking nations.
And content is being produced for Weibo and Wechat in China, and for Japanese messenger service Line.
"We are trying to inform fans," adds Ms Willis. "We are not just pushing content at them, we are tailoring what we do to different types of fans."
With such a varied digital offering, there had been criticism in the past there was no actual wi-fi at the tournament grounds to help ease access to it.
This year there will be three areas where public wi-fi is available. They are, from the entrance way at Gate 3 and along to the food court, in the ticket resale area, and at the west stand area of court 12.
Organisers say they want to see how well this works, before looking to potentially expand wi-fi access in 2018.
Fans will be able to access a wealth of playing facts and data
"We are not complacent about what we are doing with our media and digital assets," says Mr Desmond.
"Our brand is the most important thing we have, we need to nurture and develop it. The more we can drive our content and brand, as other sports rights holders are doing, the more we can grow our audience.
"And that can ultimately only help us commercially."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40427367
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How one man built a global hospitality empire - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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How Choe Peng Sum launched and grew serviced apartments business Frasers Hospitality.
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Business
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On the first day in his new job, Choe Peng Sum was given a fairly simple brief: "Just go make us a lot of money."
Fast forward about 20 years, and it's fair to say he has done just that.
The business he runs, Frasers Hospitality, is one of the world's biggest providers of high-end serviced apartments. Its 148 properties span about 80 capital cities, as well as financial hubs across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
But it almost didn't get off the ground.
When Mr Choe was appointed to launch and lead the company, Asia was booming; the tiger economies of Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore were expanding rapidly.
But as Frasers prepared to open its first two properties in Singapore, the Asian financial crisis hit.
It was 1997. Currencies went into freefall. Suddenly, people were losing their jobs and stopped travelling.
Mr Choe recalls asking staff if they really wanted to continue working with the firm, because when the properties opened they might not get paid.
"It was really that serious," he says. "I remember tearing up because they said 'let's open it, let's open it whether you can pay us or not'."
Choe Peng Sum (second from left) with colleagues at Frasers Manila opening in 2002
Survival, Mr Choe admits, came through a bit of luck, and the misfortune of others.
He had convinced the board at parent firm, property group Frasers Centrepoint, to open serviced apartments rather than hotels - partly because getting planning permission in Singapore was easier.
But he also sensed it was a big, untapped market. And at the time of the crisis, it proved to be exactly what customers wanted.
"As we were going through this difficult patch, there were protests and riots in Jakarta," he says. "A lot of companies like Microsoft called up looking for rooms for their staff because they were moving out of Jakarta."
Frasers' 412 apartments were quickly in demand. Occupancy soon hit 70%, and then 90%.
Explaining the popularity of serviced apartments, Mr Choe says that if people are staying somewhere for just a few days, they happily stay in hotels, but if they are going to be somewhere for one month to eight months, the walls of hotel rooms "close in on you".
But now, Mr Choe, 57, faces new challenges - the travel tastes of millennials and the disruptive nature of Airbnb.
"The way to tackle Airbnb is not to ignore it. I will never underestimate Airbnb," he says.
There's been no significant impact on Frasers yet. Big corporations still prefer to put employees in big service apartments, he says, because they can guarantee a level of safety and security. But that is likely to change, Mr Choe admits.
A former Edinburgh hospital has been converted into serviced apartments by Frasers-owned Malmaison Hotel du Vin
"I have two daughters who to my chagrin use Airbnb," he says. "We took a family trip to Florence and I stayed in this wonderful boutique hotel, but paid a bundle for it.
"When my daughter joined us, she said, 'I'm just staying next door and paying about 80 euros'. We paid about 330 euros.
"I asked why they stayed at Airbnb. They say 'it's like a surprise, it's part of the adventure'."
And so now, Mr Choe wants to bring some of that vibrancy to Frasers.
While neutral colours, beige curtains and dark wooden chairs dominate its more traditional apartments, many customers want something different, and this is shaping Fraser's strategy.
In 2015 it bought Malmaison Hotel du Vin, a UK hotel group that specialises in developing heritage properties into upscale boutique hotels.
That has taken them beyond financial centres, including to Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. Or, an intrepid traveller with $500 (£325) to spend could have a night in a converted medieval prison in Oxford.
And Frasers has launched the Capri sub-brand - whose website promises "inspiring art and inspirational tech".
On a day-to-day basis Mr Choe says he still draws on his experience as a young man, who - having been given a scholarship by the Shangri-La hotel group to study at Cornell University in the US - came back to Asia to learn about the hospitality industry.
"They put me in every department conceivable. I remember one of the toughest jobs I had was in the butchery. I had to carve an entire cow. For one month, I could not eat meat.
"I'm thankful for those experiences. When you step into a hotel, you immediately pick up what works and what doesn't work.
"When I see the check-in staff walking more than three steps, I know the counter is set up wrong.
"It's like a cockpit. Can you imagine if the pilot had to turn around when he flies?"
More The Boss features, which every week profile a different business leader from around the world:
Mr Choe adds that loyalty is very important to him, and he remains tremendously grateful to staff who have stayed with him.
"I will always respect and remember those who gave up their jobs to join me," he says.
This loyalty is something that Mr Choe has earned, according to Donald MacLaurin, associate professor at Singapore Institute of Technology, and specialist in the hospitality sector.
Frasers is now a global business, with property around the world, including the Suites Le Claridge in Paris
Mr MacLaurin points out that Mr Choe introduced a five-day working week, in a part of the world where six days is common, thereby showing "a focus on quality of life issues for employees".
The associate professor adds says the early success of the business was remarkable given the timing of its launch.
Fast forward to today and the company is now on track to operate 30,000 serviced apartments globally by 2019. That success, say Mr Choe's admirers, should make him something of a visionary.
Follow The Boss series editor Will Smale on Twitter.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40453444
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Donald Trump posts video clip of him 'beating' CNN in wrestling - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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The video showing Mr Trump fighting a human CNN logo incites violence, the network says.
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US & Canada
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The clip was originally submitted to a pro-Trump forum on the social media site Reddit
The US President has tweeted a short video clip of him wrestling a person with the CNN logo for a head.
The clip is an altered version of Donald Trump's appearance at a WWE wrestling event in 2007, in which he "attacked" franchise owner Vince McMahon in a scripted appearance.
The animation appears to have been posted to a pro-Trump internet forum earlier in the week.
CNN later accused the president of inciting violence against the media.
One panellist on ABC's morning show, Ana Navarro - a Republican Trump critic and CNN contributor - said "it is an incitement to violence. He is going to get somebody killed in the media."
But Homeland Security Adviser Thomas Bossert, who had appeared earlier on the same ABC programme, said: "No-one would perceive that as a threat."
The clip was submitted to a Donald Trump forum on the social media site Reddit four days ago, where it became one of the most popular posts.
After the president's tweets, Reddit users expressed disbelief at the president's use of the clip.
It was also retweeted by the official presidential Twitter account, @POTUS, operated by the White House.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Meet the Progressive Liberal: an anti-Trump wrestler in Appalachia
Mr Trump has repeatedly clashed with the CNN news network, which he calls "fake news".
CNN's top White House correspondent Jim Acosta, who has been critical of the White House's attitude to the press, simply tweeted: "Isn't pro wrestling fake?"
Meanwhile, the CNN Communications team tweeted a seemingly sarcastic response quoting White House press officer Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who said on Thursday: "The President in no way form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence. If anything, quite the contrary."
In a later statement, the news network said "clearly, Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied... [he is] involved in juvenile behaviour far below the dignity of this office."
"We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his."
Donald Trump has shown time and time again that he views politics as performance art; another reality television competition where the more drama and conflict there is, the better.
His CNN-wrestling video tweet is just the latest, most jarring example. For Mr Trump the political process is like a World Wrestling Entertainment match. The plot is contrived; the action is fake; the outcome predetermined.
During his campaign, he pulled back the curtain on the show and laughed along with his supporters at the spectacle. He encouraged his crowds to cheer the hero (him) and berate the villains (everyone else).
As president, nothing has changed. CNN has just been chosen as the latest number-one bad guy.
The president's tweet will certainly harshen the level of discourse in the nation. Already there are accusations that Mr Trump is inciting violence.
Most of his supporters, however, will see it as Mr Trump probably intended - the latest episode in the biggest show ever to hit the US political scene; the newest twist in the remaking of the modern US presidency.
Mr Trump's unusual tweet comes a day after he said his use of social media "is not Presidential - it's modern day presidential."
On Thursday, the president launched a crude personal attack on MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough. His tweets were condemned by Democrats and Republicans alike.
Mr Trump has an entry in the World Wrestling Entertainment hall of fame for his appearance in the franchise a decade ago.
In 2007, franchise owner Vince McMahon challenged Mr Trump to a so-called "Battle of the Billionaires" at a Wrestlemania event, with a wager that the loser would have their head shaved.
The US professional wrestling scene is largely pre-scripted and seen as a form of entertainment rather than a sport.
Mr Trump was also a victim in the scripted fight
During the same event, Mr Trump was "thrown" to the mat by wrestler Steve Austin with his signature move, "the stone cold stunner."
Rather than fighting directly, each business magnate backed a performer. Mr Trump's wrestler was victorious.
But on the sidelines of the ring, Donald Trump performed his scripted attack on McMahon, providing the original video for his beat-down of CNN.
Mr Trump then helped to shave McMahon's head on television.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40474118
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Elton John bomb plotter Haroon Syed jailed for life - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Haroon Syed, 19, is thought to have been targeting a concert in Hyde Park or London's Oxford Street.
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UK
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Haroon Syed was caught after trying to buy a bomb from a British security agent
A 19-year-old man has been jailed for life for planning a bomb attack that may have targeted an Elton John concert or Oxford Street in central London.
Haroon Syed, of west London, admitted preparing acts of terrorism after trying to source weapons including a suicide bomb and machine gun.
He was caught after approaching MI5 officers, who were posing as a fellow extremist, via social media.
Syed was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years and six months.
Last year, his brother was jailed for life for plotting to behead someone on Remembrance Sunday.
Judge Michael Topolski QC said Syed wanted to carry out "an act of mass murder" and therefore a discretionary life sentence was warranted.
Prosecutors say Syed's plans ranged from becoming a suicide bomber to staging a gun attack, and while he initially boasted of working with others, those people did not materialise.
Instead, over the summer of last year, he made increasingly urgent efforts to secure weaponry.
After he went online looking for help, a purported jihadist fighting overseas, known only as Abu Isa, introduced him to another extremist going by the name Abu Yusuf.
This second man was, in fact, a group of MI5 officers who were playing the role of a jihadist in what became weeks of social media chat with Syed.
Duncan Penny QC, prosecuting, told the Old Bailey there was initially some "suspicion on both sides" before Abu Yusuf concluded that Syed was a "committed brother" he could deal with.
Syed then began talking about his aspirations and gave his contact a shopping list, saying he wanted "do martyrdom" after first causing "damage" with a machine gun.
"Can you get the gear?" asked Syed. "You will be involved right?
"Two things. Number one, machine gun and we need someone who can make a vest you know the dugma [button] one. So after some damage with machine gun then do itishadi [martyrdom] ... that's what I'm planning to do."
The undercover officer told Syed guns were expensive - but he might be able to get someone to build a bomb. Syed floated the idea of going to fight overseas with his new-found friend - but revealed his passport had been cancelled by the authorities.
He tried and failed twice to get fraudulent loans of thousands of pounds to cover the cost of firearms - and eventually agreed to meet his contact in a coffee shop in Slough, Berkshire, to finalise an alternative plan.
Over two meetings, he talked about his aspirations and then handed over £150, asking for a bomb packed with nails. The conversation was secretly recorded.
"I was thinking of Oxford Street," he told his contact. "If you put those things inside called nails, do you know what that is, nails? Those sharp things - lots of them inside.
"Good man, can't wait akhi [brother]. If I go to prison, I go to prison. If I die, I die, you understand? I have got to get to Jannah [heaven]."
The undercover officer later told Syed a "bomb-making brother" would have the device ready within days - and the suspect went online to narrow his list of targets.
His web searches included "packed places in London" and "Elton John, Hyde Park, 11 September" - a major concert hosted by BBC Radio 2 which also featured Status Quo and Madness.
Prosecutors say Syed's character had begun to change outwardly in late 2014, coinciding with the growing support among British extremists for the self-styled Islamic State group.
During the course of the investigation, detectives found his web searches jumped about as he tried to satisfy himself that an attack on civilians was theologically justifiable.
One of his last searches, a week before his arrest, was: "How can I stop being upset about the UK killing innocent Syrians and get on with my day?"
When counter-terrorist detectives arrested him in September and asked him for the password for his phone, he replied: "ISIS - you like that?"
Syed's was one of 18 terror plots to have been foiled since 2013.
Mitigating, Mark Summers QC said it was a "crude, ill-thought-out" plan made at the behest of others.
The court heard Syed had fallen under the influence of members of banned extremist group Al-Muhajiroun, and that he now publicly rejected his past beliefs and condemned the recent bomb attack in Manchester.
But Judge Topolski told Syed: "You were not lured, you were not enticed, you were not entrapped.
"You became, and in my judgement as shown by your online activities away from your contact with Abu Yusuf, deeply committed to the ideology of a brutal and barbaric organisation that sought to hijack and corrupt an ancient and venerable religion for its own purposes and you wanted to be part of it."
Deb Walsh, deputy head of the counter-terrorism division of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Haroon Syed is clearly a danger to the public who was prepared to carry out indiscriminate attacks against innocent people.
"The compelling evidence presented by the CPS left him with no choice but to plead guilty."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40481325
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No sprinklers in 300 Scottish tower blocks - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Thousands of high-rise homes in Scotland do not have potentially life-saving fire safety systems.
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Scotland
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Thousands of homes in tower blocks across Scotland do not have potentially life-saving sprinkler systems, a BBC Scotland investigation has found.
There are no sprinklers in flats in more than 300 high-rise buildings in towns and cities across the country, including Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Every high-rise built in Scotland since 2005 must have sprinklers, by law.
But there is no obligation on councils or social landlords to fit the systems in older tower blocks.
There were no sprinkler systems in Grenfell Tower in Kensington, west London, when it was engulfed by a devastating fire last month that killed at least 80 people.
It has led to renewed calls from firefighters and politicians to retrofit the devices in high-rise buildings.
And the Scottish government has pledged to review the evidence about the effectiveness of the systems.
An independent report published earlier this year found that sprinklers were 99% effective at controlling or extinguishing fires.
BBC Scotland contacted local authorities and housing associations across Scotland in a bid to determine how many high-rise homes were fitted with sprinklers.
Of those which replied to our request, only South Ayrshire Council said it had fitted the system into flats in its tower blocks.
They were fitted in 234 homes in three tower blocks in Ayr during a refurbishment of the flats in 2003.
Sprinkler systems are in place in flats in three tower blocks in Riverside Place in Ayr
Fife Council, the City of Edinburgh Council and Glasgow Housing Association have sprinklers in their bin stores - a move being considered by Aberdeen City Council.
But there are no sprinklers in high-rise homes operated by the following social landlords:
There is no suggestion that any of the councils or housing associations are breaching fire regulations and they have reassured tenants about fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy.
In response to the BBC Scotland inquiry, a number of landlords said they would act on any of the findings or recommendations made following the London fire.
Brian Sweeney, the former head of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service, called on the Scottish government to act to protect residents of high rise buildings north of the border.
He told BBC Scotland that the Grenfell tower fire was a "game changer" and added that he believed a sprinkler would have prevented the fire, which started in a fridge in a fourth floor flat, from spreading.
"I think the Scottish government have led the way in requiring sprinklers since 2005 in both residential care homes and high rise blocks," he said
"What I want them to do now is go a little bit further and say they now want to work in partnership with the 32 local government authorities in Scotland, they want to prioritise the installation of sprinklers and they want to... to make sure these 300 high rises are fitted with sprinklers in each flat over the next three to five years.
"I think that's do-able. I think that would show a progressive approach to fire safety in Scotland. I think they could take lead in the UK in demonstrating exactly how important public safety is to them, and particularly how important the life safety of those who are most vulnerable is to them."
He added: "If you can put sprinklers in hotels, if you can put them in high rise premises and office premises and commercial premises, well lets take a look at those council estates where people are most vulnerable - like Grenfell - and let's make sure they get them as well."
The BBC Scotland investigation also led to a call for action from Scottish Labour's deputy leader, Alex Rowley.
He said the Scottish government must agree to fund a programme to ensure the "highest safety standards" in all high rise flats.
Graham Simpson, the Scottish Conservative's housing spokesman agreed that the government should work with councils on a sprinkler installation system.
"That's what the people living there would expect, and it's something which has to happen immediately," he said.
The effectiveness of sprinklers - or fire suppression systems- was confirmed in an independent report published shortly before the Grenfell tragedy.
The study, which was commissioned by the National Fire Chiefs Council and the National Sprinkler Network found that they were 99% effective at controlling or extinguising fires when they operate.
Lead author Peter Wood, of Edinburgh-based Optimal Economics, told BBC Scotland he was confident of the effectiveness of sprinklers but he had "no idea" whether they would have prevented the Grenfell Tower fire.
He said they "very, very occasionally" do not work when they are overwhelmed by a fire but he dismissed concerns that sprinklers could be easily triggered, causing flooding, as a "myth".
"Sprinklers don't go off on a whim," he said. "They need heat to go off."
According to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, many sprinklers are only triggered by heats of around 68C - 11C higher than the highest temperature ever recorded in Death Valley in California.
In 2015 a report commissioned by the Scottish government which examined the "cost benefit analysis" of fitting sprinkler systems in homes across Scotland found that it would cost between £1,000 and £3,000 per flat.
It concluded that it was not cost-effective to fit sprinklers in individual houses, but a "targeted installation" would benefit at-risk groups.
People who live in deprived areas, those with drug and alcohol problems, or mental health problems, and elderly people are at greater risk from fire.
The Scottish government has confirmed that the provision of sprinklers will be considered in a review of fire legislation and building regulations - to which the fire service will contribute.
Police fear that around 80 people have died in the fire at the Grenfell tower block
Assistant Chief Officer David McGown said: "The SFRS recognises the value these installations can add whilst acknowledging that they may not be appropriate in all cases when applied on a risk basis."
He added: "The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service works closely with local authorities and housing associations to help ensure the safety of occupants in high-rise buildings. The SFRS is here to support communities, most notably through our free home fire safety visits."
A spokesman for the Scottish government said: "While we continue to be confident that we have stringent building and fire safety regulations which contribute to keeping people safe, following the tragic events at Grenfell Tower it is imperative that we undertake a thorough and critical review of our regulations.
"The Ministerial Working Group overseeing this process will consider all relevant measures to ensure the safety of residents in high-rise domestic buildings, including a review of evidence on fire suppression systems."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-40442398
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Avignon shooting: Eight injured near French mosque - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Two suspects opened fire on people in front of a mosque, but officials have ruled out terrorism.
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Europe
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A seven-year-old girl was reportedly among those injured in the attack in Avignon, France
Eight people have been injured in a shooting outside a mosque in southern France, officials have confirmed.
Worshippers leaving the Arrahma mosque in Avignon were approached by two hooded suspects at about 22:30 local time (21:30 GMT) on Sunday.
The suspects, carrying a handgun and a shotgun, arrived in a Renault Clio before opening fire on the crowd, La Provence newspaper reports.
Police said they were not treating the incident as a terrorist attack.
Four people were wounded outside the mosque and a family of four - including a seven-year-old girl - also suffered injuries from shrapnel while in their apartment, located some 50 metres away, La Provence said, citing a source.
Two of the eight wounded were hospitalised, according to the source, who also said that worshippers leaving the mosque had not been the intended target.
An eyewitness interviewed at the scene said that dozens of people near the mosque started to run when they saw the two suspects exit the vehicle and approach them with firearms.
"It was a black Renault car," the witness said, adding: "There were four individuals, only two of them, who were seated in the back, stepped out and started shooting at everyone."
The Avignon attack is not being treated as a terrorist incident, the prosecutor's office said. "The fact that it happened in the street of the religious establishment was unconnected with it," the prosecutor said.
Laure Chabaud, a district magistrate, said that the incident was likely to be the result of a dispute between youths.
The criminal investigation department has taken charge of the case, AFP news agency reports.
On Thursday, a man was arrested after trying to drive a car into a crowd in front of a mosque in the Paris suburb of Creteil. No-one was injured in the incident.
France remains on alert amid heightened security following a deadly attack on Paris police in April and a series of terrorist incidents in recent years.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40476825
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Counting the dead in Manipur's shoot-to-kill war - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Soutik Biswas on the wave of extra-judicial killing in India's insurgency-ridden north-eastern state.
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India
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police commando Herojit has admitted to more than 100 unlawful killings. Warning: This video contains distressing images
More than 1,500 people were allegedly killed in a wave of extra-judicial executions by security forces in India's insurgency-ridden north-eastern Manipur state between 1979 and 2012. Last year, in a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court asked relatives of the victims and activists to collect information on the killings. The court will rule in July whether to order an official investigation which could lead to convictions. Soutik Biswas travelled to Manipur to find out more.
Neena Ningombam vividly remembers the day her husband disappeared - and ended up a corpse on cable news.
It was a bright, sunny November day in 2008, and 32-year-old Michael was visiting a friend's house in Imphal, the non-descript, mountain-ringed valley capital of Manipur.
At home, Ms Ningombam was doing her chores. Her two boys were fast asleep. At half past three in the afternoon, her mobile phone rang.
Michael was on the line saying that he had been picked up by police commandos on his way home, and that she should quickly pass on the news of his arrest to a senior policeman who was known to the family so that he could help secure his release.
The call disconnected abruptly. Two hours later, a man finally picked up the phone and told Ms Ningombam that her husband was "in the toilet". He said he would inform him that she had called.
Michael never called. When she tried calling again, his phone was switched off.
Tense and confused, Ms Ningombam sat down in front of the TV. Her sister-in-law had gone in search of the police officer known to the family, but he couldn't be found.
So she waited, and waited, for Michael, watching the news on a local channel. At nine in the evening, the screen exploded with breaking news.
They were showing footage of her bloodied husband, wearing blue nylon tracksuit bottoms and a dark green T-shirt, lying dead on a stone floor. A Chinese-made grenade lay next to the body. The news reader breathlessly announced that police commandos had killed another militant.
Ms Ningombam says she looked at the screen and froze. Grief felt so like fear itself.
"I just remember that I cried and cried and cried. Someone came rushing in and yanked off the TV cable wire. My brother-in-law went to the morgue and identified him."
The police defended the killing of Michael Ningombam
The post-mortem report said Michael Ningombam had died of "shock and haemorrhage as a result of firearm injuries to lungs and liver".
The police said Michael and two friends were riding a motorcycle when they were stopped by half a dozen vehicle-borne commandos in a wooded area on the outskirts of the city. The pillion rider was said to have fired at the vehicle and Michael apparently tried to throw a grenade at the commandos who then shot and killed him in an act of self-defence. The police also said Michael was a militant and extortionist.
"My husband was struggling, doing odd jobs. He was a drug user and he was trying to kick the habit. But he was not a militant," Ms Ningombam , 40, told me. They had met in college, fallen in love, eloped and married.
The neighbourhood had erupted in protests after the killing, demanding an investigation.
Ms Ningombam, who holds a masters degree in history, took up a driving school job to support her sons. She also single-handedly launched an arduous battle for justice, filing official complaints, petitioning the government and the court, collecting papers and coaxing a key potential witness to testify.
Every day, for more than a month, she would drive 15km (9 miles) on her scooter to the wooded city outskirts where an ageing shop-owner had spotted the commandos drive by in a SUV with her husband on the afternoon of the killing. Then he had heard the sound of gunfire in the distance.
"After days of coaxing him and interacting with his family, the old man consented to testify and became a key witness. That is how we sometimes get some justice in Manipur. The state doesn't help you," she said.
Kamalini Ngangban's son Naoba was killed outside the family home in 2009
Four years later, in July 2012, the district judge, in a report, concluded on the basis of evidence that Michael had been killed by Manipur police commandos and that there had "been no exchange of fire" between the policemen and the victim.
The high court accepted the report, and ordered that 500,000 rupees ($7,759; £6,115) should be paid in compensation to Ms Ningombam.
Michael Ningombam was not alone in meeting such a fate. Rights groups believe as many as 1,528 people were unlawfully executed - also known as fake encounters - in Manipur between 1979 and 2012.
The overwhelming majority of the victims were men, many of them lower income and unemployed. Among those killed were 98 minors and 31 women. The oldest was an 82-year-old woman; the youngest, a 14-year-old girl.
The most well-known victim was Thangjam Manorama Devi, 32, who was allegedly gang raped and murdered by paramilitary soldiers in 2004, provoking a unique nude protest by mothers and grandmothers that stunned the world.
Some of the killings have been investigated by a federal human rights organisation. Judicial inquiries have resulted in compensation for a few hundred victims' families. But what is unsettling is that not a single policeman or soldier has been put on trial in connection with the killings.
"People have been picked up, called insurgents and killed. The climate of impunity means the police often don't register cases. You have to fix accountability. You cannot just suspend the right to live and kill people," says Babloo Loitongbam, a prominent human rights activist.
Eight years ago, the families of the victims joined hands with activists to do something about this "culture of impunity enjoyed by the police, army and paramilitaries". On a July morning in 2009, they gathered in a room in Imphal, shared their stories and starkly christened themselves the Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association.
The Extra Judicial Victim Families Association works out of a single-room office in Imphal
Last July, responding to a petition filed by the families, the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgement, asked the petitioners to collect more information about the alleged murders. Even if the investigations revealed that the victim was an "enemy and an unprovoked aggressor", the judges said, it had to be determined whether "excessive or retaliatory force was used to kill the enemy".
So the newly empowered civilian "investigators" put out adverts and appeals in the local media, and began gathering information - and potential evidence - on the killings.
Some 900 families responded, bringing with them police complaints, post-mortem reports, funeral records and court orders related to killings. Volunteers - students, relatives of victims - spread out to each of the nine districts of the hilly state, collecting information. A local lawyer, working pro bono, helped with the legal work.
A year later, a dozen grey filing cabinets in the office were overflowing with more than 1,500 files, each devoted to a killing. In April, the victims handed over details of 748 killings to the court even as they worked on other cases. Sometime this month, the top court is expected to rule on investigating these cases.
The banal horror of death in Manipur is possibly unequalled in India. "It takes us a long time to raise our children. Then, when they grow up, they are shot. This cannot go on. We no longer want to look for our children in the morgue," a women's rights activist in the state once said.
There have been countrywide protests against the alleged killings in Manipur
Men disappeared or were picked up by security forces while going to the market to buy fertiliser for their farms, parts for cars, to rent a DVD or while waiting for a passenger bus. Others were killed on their way to meet girlfriends, while fishing in a lake, or simply having food in a restaurant. A woman was shot while she was feeding her baby girl.
Sometimes, security forces would simply break into homes, drag out suspects in front of their families and kill them.
That is what happened to Ngangban Naoba Singh, a 29-year-old theology student, on a still summer night in May 2009.
Naoba had returned home with his sister from a wedding late in the evening. The two were watching a film on TV, when their mother, Kamalini Ngangban, a retired census worker, joined her children.
"These late-night movies are not meant for elders. Go to sleep," Naoba joked.
Those were his last words.
Around midnight, Ms Ngangban woke up to "violent knocking on the door". Then she heard voices. Some people were trying to enter the house.
She rushed to her son's bedroom and woke him up, and tried to take him out of the back door. Did she think that they had coming looking for her son?
"I knew something was wrong. Naoba was so sleepy, I don't think he realised what was going on.
"The moment we stepped out of the back door, someone stopped us."
She saw silhouettes in the moonlight. She thought she saw 10 of them.
One man shouted at Naoba: "Where are you going?" He said his mother had asked him to come out.
Things quickly spiralled out of control in the dark.
The men "took away" Naoba, his parents were pushed back into the house, their phones were removed and the doors bolted from outside.
There was an exchange of words, some orders were barked out, and then shots rang out in the darkness.
"Stop him! Stop him!" somebody screamed. A vehicle was starting up behind the house.
Ms Ngangban hoped her son had managed to run away. It was pitch dark, and the family was confined inside the house for the rest of the night. When dawn broke, they found out that her son had been killed in their backyard and his body taken away in a vehicle.
More than 1,500 people have been allegedly executed unlawfully in Manipur
"Even today, I don't know why he was murdered. I want to know the truth. If we did something wrong and tried to escape, they could have shot him in the leg," she says.
"You know, he was my favourite son. We used to go to the theatre together. My two other children live and work outside Manipur. Naoba was supposed to be the man of the house."
The police said they had cordoned off the house that night to search for Naoba, who they said was a member of an outlawed rebel group and an extortionist.
Three years later, a judicial inquiry report ruled there was no evidence to show he was either.
The judge ruled the police commandos had fired "indiscriminately without any attempt to arrest Naoba by following the rule of law prevailing in this democratic country". The Supreme Court is now hearing the case, and is to decide on compensating the family.
Staying at home was no guarantee that your life was secure. Oinam Amina Devi, for example, was shot by paramilitary soldiers while she was feeding her one-month-old baby girl in her house in April 1996.
The soldiers had chased a suspected rebel who had run into her tin-roof village home and hidden under the bed. Amina, who was on the veranda, panicked and ran inside with her baby when she saw the soldiers running in. When she tried to shut the door, the soldiers opened fire. A bullet pierced her and exited, then entered her baby.
The bleeding daughter was taken to hospital where surgeons removed the bullet. Her mother died instantly.
There were demonstrations in the area and the family refused to accept Amina's body after the post mortem. Her corpse was taken back to the police station and later cremated. Under pressure, the government announced an inquiry.
The investigation concluded that the firing was "unprovoked, unwarranted and indiscriminate". The government submitted the report to the Supreme Court and the family received a compensation of 50,000 rupees.
Today, the daughter, Oinam Sunita Devi, 20, lives with her father who married again.
"I cannot explain my sadness. I miss my mother and I sometimes wonder how I survived. This is my fate," she says.
Oinam Sunita Devi (right) was hit by a bullet fired by soldiers which killed her mother and now lives with her father (left)
The police and security forces have, for the most part, maintained that the encounters are genuine and the victims were militants killed in counter-insurgency or anti-terror operations.
The government told the top court last year that some "5,000 militants were holding some 2.3 million people of Manipur to ransom and keeping people in constant fear". It said 365 police and paramilitaries had been killed by the rebels between 2000 and October 2012.
But things have become murkier after a police commando Herojit Singh admitted to journalists in January last year that he had shot dead an unarmed, suspected rebel inside a bustling Imphal market in 2009. In a chilling interview in July he admitted to killing more than 100 people and that he kept a "tally of his kills" in notebooks.
When I met him last month in a hotel room in the city, the 36-year-old policeman, son of a government worker, said he was battling depression. He said he hadn't slept at all at night for two years. He had also survived a road accident in the city; many feel someone may have tried to kill him as he had made too many enemies.
When I asked him how many people he had killed, he said: "I don't remember the details."
"Was it more than 100 people?" I asked.
He said he felt no remorse for the killings, and he was ready to face any punishment.
"I was simply doing my duty and following the orders of my seniors. I confessed because I thought it was important to tell the truth," he said.
Life has been difficult after his confession. Detectives from the federal Central Bureau of Investigation are investigating the killing of 23-year-old Chungkham Sanjit in the market and questioned the commando more than 10 times. Herojit Singh has been suspended a number of times for "indiscipline and grave misconduct", and then reinstated.
By day, he spends time with his children, helping them with their homework. When his pet chicken fell ill recently, he says he panicked, clasped it to his chest and ran with it to the vet.
Leitanthem Priya Leika's husband Premananda was killed on his way to the market to buy timber in 2006
Nights are brutal. "I dread nights. I wish I had my own sun, which I could put in the sky and there would never be any darkness," he says.
Yumnam Joykumar Singh, the former chief of Manipur police, and now the deputy chief minister of a newly-elected government ruling the state, says Herojit Singh is exaggerating his role in the killings.
"He's bluffing. He was possibly involved in 10-15 encounters. But he's claiming he has killed so many people. Let the courts ask him how many cases he was present in."
Mr Singh, who earned a reputation for being a firm and unyielding policeman, says rights groups are exaggerating the number of fake encounters.
"There might have been a few cases [of] extra-judicial killings, but I don't think the numbers being quoted are that many. If 1,500 people had been killed illegally, there would have been more protests in the state," he told me.
During his time as the chief of police, Mr Singh beefed up the force - from 20,000 to 34,000 policemen - and made it "the leading force" to fight insurgents. He said militancy and extortion had led to a near-collapse of public order in the state, and he told his policemen: "If you have a weapon, you can fire back."
"That is how we fought the insurgency."
Bringing up the dead is not easy. Memories fade. Potential evidence - post mortem reports, police complaints - yellow and crumble with age. Hope waxes and wanes. Time heals wounds, but also allows for reflection, and gives you renewed purpose.
So, emboldened by the Supreme Court's intervention, the families of victims in Manipur have plunged into an unexpectedly fierce fight for justice, in many cases years after they lost their loved ones. The killings have stopped, but there have been no punishments for the crimes yet.
The families have stirred with a newly-found collective courage, not because they have great hope in an egregious and slow-moving criminal justice system.
Many say they don't want their children and families to be permanently tainted by fake allegations about their fathers, brothers, sons, daughters and wives. They know the crimes and misdemeanours of a family member can easily taint all born within it.
"I kept fighting because of my sons. I don't want people to call them children of a militant. I had to clear my dead husband's name to protect them," says Ms Neena Nongmaithem.
"And, yes, the dead should not be completely forgotten."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-40271353
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No 10 says no change on public sector pay policy - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Downing Street insists its policy is unchanged despite ministers' calls to scrap the 1% cap.
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UK Politics
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Downing Street insists its position on public sector pay has not changed despite several ministers calling for the 1% cap on increases to be scrapped.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is the latest senior cabinet minister to put pressure on the chancellor and the PM to change the policy.
No 10 said ministers would respond to pay review bodies in due course.
But 1% rises for dentists, nurses, doctors and the military have already been agreed for this year, it added.
When the matter was raised in the Commons, a minister said the government wanted to ensure "frontline public service workers" were "paid fairly for their work".
Nick Hurd, a policing minister, told MPs how to do this was "under active discussion".
A Whitehall source said Mr Johnson "strongly" believed pay rises could be achieved in "a responsible way", without putting undue pressure on the public finances.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has estimated that increasing public sector pay in line with the private sector would cost an extra £6.3bn a year.
In the Queen's Speech debate last month, Mr Hammond made clear his aversion to higher borrowing.
Are you a public sector worker affected by these issues? Let us know by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
However, on Sunday Mr Gove, the environment secretary, appeared to reject suggestions that taxes would need to go up to meet the cost of any pay rises.
Pay rises for most public sector workers are set by independent pay review bodies, but have effectively been capped at 1% each year since 2013.
Before that, there was a two-year freeze on pay for all but the lowest-paid workers.
In addition to the 1% annual rise, some NHS staff also get incremental increases as they progress in their roles.
The Conservatives went into the election planning to maintain the cap until 2020, but there are growing calls for a rethink after the party lost its majority in the general election.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "If you are taking the government shilling, you need to stick to the government line" says Tory MP Stephen Crabb
The pay review bodies cover a wide range of professions, from prison officers and nurses, to judges and senior NHS managers.
Those covering police and teachers' pay are due to report this month. The cap has been applied across the UK, but the Scottish government has said it plans to end it in Scotland.
Nurses last month held protests against the public sector pay cap
Arguably the simpler part of the debate has been had - many public sector workers are feeling the pinch, and there is more and more pressure to remove the limit on pay rises. The more complicated bit, who or what would pay for the increase, is a conversation that's yet to happen.
Whatever Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have said in the last twenty four hours, don't expect anything to happen in a hurry. The first pay review body is not due to report for another few weeks.
It seems unlikely that the government will announce any plan to either ditch the cap or promise to accept the decisions of the review bodies before then.
It's not in either Theresa May or Philip Hammond's DNA to make quick decisions. Read more from Laura
Former Conservative Chancellor Lord Lamont told BBC Radio 4's Today programme public sector pay was on average higher than in the private sector and controlling it was "extremely important".
He said cases could be looked at where there were specific issues around recruitment but objected to the "general pressure that's being applied, the idea that we should abandon restraint of public expenditure".
He said people should not criticise austerity in the same way they might discuss "too many repeats on television" and said it was not right for cabinet ministers to "gang up" on Mr Hammond, saying they were making the chancellor's position "very awkward".
"This is not a choice," he added.
"It is unavoidable that we have restraint on public spending."
Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson said "within the scale of things" Mr Hammond could "afford a few billions here and there", but added the chancellor would be worried that if he gives money to one part of the public sector he will come under pressure to do the same in other areas.
NHS Confederation chairman and former Tory minister Stephen Dorrell said the pay review bodies should not be "artificially constrained" by the 1% policy, saying health service staff needed to be "properly looked after".
And former cabinet minister Stephen Crabb said ministers who disagreed with the official government policy should not be in the cabinet.
"I don't think it's a great sight seeing different cabinet members giving slightly different messages to the media," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.
Speaking on Sunday, Mr Gove did not call directly for the 1% cap to be lifted, but said ministers should respect the "integrity" of the pay review process.
Last week Labour attempted to scrap the 1% cap but was defeated in Parliament.
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Gove's quick-fire answers on the Andrew Marr show - Brexit and his return to the cabinet
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said reports on the divisions within government over public sector pay revealed there was "turmoil" in the Conservative Party.
"They're saying 'Wait for the pay review bodies', even though they're the ones insisting on a 1% cap," the Labour frontbencher told the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday.
"We're saying to the pay review bodies: 'Get rid of the 1% cap and give a fair pay rise.'"
Asked what level of pay rise Labour thought was fair, Mr Ashworth said the pay review bodies should consider one in line with the rise in average earnings across the economy.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40477136
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Arkansas nightclub shooting rapper in 'unrelated' arrest - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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Rapper Ricky Hampton was held on unrelated charges a day after 25 people were shot in Arkansas.
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US & Canada
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The venue is being shut down by the city in the aftermath
A rapper who was performing at the Arkansas nightclub where 25 people were shot has been arrested on unrelated charges, US police say.
Gunfire was exchanged during a concert at the Power Ultra Lounge nightclub in Little Rock early on Saturday.
Ricky Hampton, known by his stage name Finese 2 Tymes, was detained by police early on Sunday.
Little Rock Police tweeted that the arrest was on outstanding warrants and is unrelated to the shooting.
A total of 28 people were injured, including three in a stampede. The youngest victim was said to be 16.
Two people were in a serious condition, but officials said all were expected to survive.
The mayor of Little Rock, Mark Stodola, said the shooting was the result of a disagreement involving a number of patrons at the club, which quickly escalated because of "the presence of rivalries and weapons".
"I want to reassure our public that this was not an act of terrorism, but a tragedy... It does not appear to be a planned shooting," Mr Stodola told reporters.
Mr Hampton's poster for the event was criticised in the aftermath of the shooting
Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner said the authorities were investigating whether a longstanding rivalry between gangs was to blame for the shooting.
In a post on Facebook, Mr Hampton offered condolences to the injured who came to see him perform, saying "violence is not for the club."
"We all come with one motive at the end of the day, and that's to have fun. Not to be hurt," he said.
The KATV network quoted Mr Hampton's booking agent as saying the rapper had "nothing to do" with the shooting.
Promotional material for Mr Hampton's concert was criticised by Mayor Stodola and others on social media for its image of the rapper holding an assault rifle pointed at the camera.
The city of Little Rock has suspended the Power Ultra Lounge's licence, and officials say they plan to shut down the club permanently. The venue's landlord has also posted an eviction notice at the site, reports said.
Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson thanked the first responders to the scene - but also expressed concern about violence in the city.
"Little Rock's crime problem appears to be intensifying. Every few days it seems a high-profile shooting dominates the news, culminating with this morning's event," he said.
He said a new strategy and extra resources were needed to "take the violent threats off the streets".
A previous version of this article quoted US media reports that inaccurately said Mr Hampton had been arrested in connection with the shooting.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40474117
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Grenfell Tower fire: No prosecutions for subletting of flats, government promises - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The government hopes the promise will encourage more people to come forward to help identify victims.
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UK
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At least 80 people are thought to have been killed in the fire
No-one will be prosecuted for illegally subletting a Grenfell Tower flat, the government says, as work continues to identify all those killed in the fire.
It says its priority is supporting survivors and identifying loved ones and is urging people to help.
At least 80 people are thought to have died in the fire at the west London block and it's feared the full death toll won't be known for months.
Meanwhile cladding on 181 blocks in 51 areas has now failed fire safety tests.
Cladding from as many as 600 tower blocks across England is being tested as it is thought Grenfell Tower's recently-installed cladding may have helped the fire to spread.
All of the material checked so far in the wake of the tragedy on 14 June has failed the tests.
However, the Department for Communities and Local Government said it was testing the buildings it was most worried about first.
Earlier this week, police warned it would not know the final death toll until at least the end of the year and appealed for the public to come forward with any information about those who were inside at the time of the fire on 14 June.
The Metropolitan Police and Home Office have also both said they are not interested in the immigration status of anyone living in the building.
Legal guidance telling prosecutors not to bring charges for subletting given the "public interest" in identifying the victims has been issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders.
"It is a priority for investigators to establish who was in Grenfell Tower on that tragic day and it is crucial that we do everything possible to support them," she said.
The decision was made alongside the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC, who added: "Every piece of information will help the authorities accurately identify who was in the flats at the time of the fire.
"I hope this statement provides some much needed clarity to residents and the local community, and encourages anyone with information to come forward."
Announcing the move, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid added: "Supporting those affected by the tragic events at Grenfell Tower has been the absolute priority of the government - that includes making sure that loved ones still missing are identified.
"Therefore I would urge those with information to come forward without fear of prosecution."
Supporters of Grenfell survivors took part in anti-government protests in London on Saturday
The news follows an announcement by Kensington and Chelsea Council that it would suspend the rents of those forced to leave their homes after the fire.
Residents living in nearby buildings - the so-called finger blocks - have been without hot water since the neighbourhood's boiler was destroyed during the fire.
Now the council has confirmed their rent will be suspended until at least January 2018 and any rent deducted since 14 June will be refunded.
It comes after a victims' group said one resident had had rent deducted from their bank account since the fire.
The west London council has been heavily criticised for its response to the disaster, leading this week to the resignation of its leader, Nicholas Paget-Brown, and his deputy, Rock Feilding-Mellen.
Robert Atkinson, leader of the opposition on Kensington and Chelsea council, told the BBC: "I still have residents who are not housed.
"I still have residents have no hot water and I have got residents living in hotels which they are now sharing with Wimbledon spectators. That is not a satisfactory situation."
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Sid-Ali Atmani, who lived on the 15th floor with his family and is currently in a hotel, told the BBC: "Still we haven't any improvement regarding our situation. Our personal opinion is [that it is] a failure for people who are responsible for that."
A Kensington and Chelsea council spokesman said: "We are focused on the needs of all affected residents, including those from Barandon Walk, Testerton Walk and Hurstway [the finger blocks].
"This group of residents have suffered a huge disruption to their lives as they were evacuated from their homes."
He added that the council expected to have the hot water supply restored in the next week.
He said some had gone back to their homes, but the council would continue to provide temporary accommodation for those who did not want to return.
Meanwhile, Labour MP David Lammy, whose friend Khadija Saye died in the fire, told Sky News that the retired judge leading the public inquiry, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, would have to maintain the confidence of survivors.
"The job is not just to be independent and judicious - I am sure he is eminently legally qualified, of course he is - it is also to be empathetic and walk with these people on this journey," he said.
Yvette Williams, from the Justice 4 Grenfell campaign group, told Sky News they would boycott the public inquiry into the tragedy if it did not have a wide remit and address "systemic issues".
Did you live in Grenfell Tower? Or are you part of the local community? What's your experience of the council's response to the fire? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40471554
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Jacob Rees-Mogg: The Conservative MP who's an unlikely social media star - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Jacob Rees-Mogg is a surprising hit with 'royal' fans around the world.
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BBC Trending
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An eccentric Eton and Oxford-educated Conservative backbencher, well known in Westminster for his unique oratory and sardonic put downs, has become an unlikely cult figure on social media - sparking rumours of an outsider party leadership bid.
Social media cults of personality are common on the left of British politics - think of Corbynistas or the Milifandom. So it should be no surprise that young right-wing activists have been seeking their own social media star. And they seem to have found one in Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Not only are dozens of Facebook pages devoted to Rees-Mogg - the biggest have tens of thousands of likes - but after recently joining Instagram, Rees-Mogg's quips about his life on the campaign trail have built up a huge online following. He's now more popular on Instagram than the personal account of Prime Minister Theresa May.
Rees-Mogg shared this image of him campaigning with his young son with the caption 'We shall have to take our business elsewhere'. It was liked thousands of times.
"I am a late convert to social media and it's turned out to be great fun," Rees-Mogg tells BBC Trending. "We've put up some jolly photographs. You hear a lot about unpleasantness but it's reassuring that there is a lighter touch."
The MP admits that he is surprised by his newfound popularity.
On Facebook, thousands of people have joined public groups which satirise or support Rees-Mogg.
The "Middle Class Memes for Rees-Moggian Teens" is one of the largest, with more than 30,000 followers. It posts daily updates offering a satirical take on the day's news. Its 16 moderators range in age from 16 to 20 and are spread across the UK and Canada.
In addition to celebrating Rees-Mogg, the page includes scathing memes about Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and other politicians. But, speaking to BBC Trending, the group's moderators insist that their main purpose is humour rather than serious politics.
"We only wish to create satire to make people laugh and engage in politics, and if we make a few more conservative voters on the way that would be a bonus," they say. "We believe Mogg appeals because he is the embodiment of traditional British values. It also helps that he is a bit eccentric as this helps us create a slightly satirical image."
In a somewhat bizarre episode, one of the Rees-Mogg-themed groups used their page to call out an online scam artist. The parody account "The Church of Mogg" was approached by a man who claimed to be a Nigerian prince who said he had "worshipped" the Conservative MP "for centuries".
It was an obvious scam, so one of the moderators behind the account engaged the man in conversation. The "prince" asked for an airline ticket and spending money, which the "church" agreed to provide, as long as he sent a bunch of embarrassing pictures.
"It's an extremely funny alternative to those inheritance letters you get promising you money," Rees-Mogg quipped when told the story by BBC Trending.
"But I suppose I should add that as an ardent follower of the real church, I'm not sure the church would really approve of me setting up my own church in the first place," he says.
Many of these Facebook groups have a more serious purpose - namely to persuade Rees-Mogg to stand for leader of the Conservative Party.
Sam Frost is a young Conservative activist from London who set up the Facebook page "Ready for Rees Mogg" after the recent General Election.
He told BBC Trending that what started as a fun group to share memes quickly spiralled into a significant young Tory movement.
"The general election wasn't exciting because Theresa May didn't give people something to believe in," he says.
"My Facebook group got 1,000 likes overnight, and I reached out to other young Conservative activists and we decided to create a website, where people could sign a petition to say they were ready to support Jacob Rees-Mogg when he launches a leadership bid."
"In a matter of days we had gathered more than 10,000 signatures. I was surprised because although there were large numbers from the South of England, there were a lot more than I expected from the North and Scotland."
"There are too many wish-washy politicians in Westminster, I think people like Jacob because he has a rare ability to explain complex issues and he's not afraid to say what he thinks," Frost says.
Jacob Rees-Mogg alluded to his new leadership potential in this popular Instagram post which includes an unscientific poll. His caption read: 'Nanny is more technologically capable than I thought'.
Unfortunately, it appears that these young activists will be disappointed.
"I am fully supporting Mrs May," Rees-Mogg says. "This is all light-hearted banter but it would be a mistake to let it go to one's head."
You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-40432921
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Vagina surgery 'sought by girls as young as nine' - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Many are distressed or embarrassed about the appearance of their genitals, a leading expert says.
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Health
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Girls say they hate their vaginas'
Girls as young as nine are seeking surgery on their genitals because they are distressed by its appearance, the Victoria Derbyshire show has been told.
Dr Naomi Crouch, a leading adolescent gynaecologist, said she was concerned GPs were referring rising numbers of young girls who wanted an operation.
Labiaplasty, as the surgery is known, involves the lips of the vagina being shortened or reshaped.
The NHS says it should not be carried out on girls before they turn 18.
In 2015-16, more than 200 girls under 18 had labiaplasty on the NHS. More than 150 of the girls were under 15.
Some experts fear that pornography and images viewed through social media are leading young girls to have unrealistic perceptions of how their genitals should look.
Dr Crouch, who chairs the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology, said in her work for the NHS she was yet to see a girl who needed the operation.
"Girls will sometimes come out with comments like, 'I just hate it, I just want it removed,' and for a girl to feel that way about any part of her body - especially a part that's intimate - is very upsetting."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Anna' explains why she wanted vagina surgery as a teenager
Anna - not her real name - considered having labiaplasty from the age of 14.
"I just picked up from somewhere that it wasn't neat enough or tidy enough and I think I wanted it to be smaller.
"People around me were watching porn and I just had this idea that it should be symmetrical and not sticking out.
"I thought that was what everyone else looked like, because I hadn't seen any normal everyday [images] before then.
"I remember thinking, 'If there's surgery for it, then clearly I'm not the only one who wants this done, and maybe it won't be that big a deal.'."
She later decided not to pursue having an operation.
"I'm totally glad I didn't get it done. I didn't need it. I look totally normal. Completely and utterly normal."
Paquita de Zulueta, a GP for more than 30 years, said it was only in the past few years that girls had started coming to her with concerns over the appearance of their labia.
"I'm seeing young girls around 11, 12, 13 thinking there's something wrong with their vulva - that they're the wrong shape, the wrong size, and really expressing almost disgust.
"Their perception is that the inner lips should be invisible, almost like a Barbie, but the reality is that there is a huge variation. It's very normal for the lips to protrude."
Paquita de Zulueta says some girls magnify their physical symptoms to improve chances of having surgery
She blames the unrealistic images girls are being exposed to through pornography and social media.
"There isn't enough education and it should start really quite young, explaining that there is a range and that - just as we all look different in our faces - we all look different down there, and that's OK."
NHS England said it did not carry out the operation for cosmetic reasons, only for clinical conditions.
For the past few years clinical commissioning groups have been able to refer only patients who are experiencing physical pain or emotional distress.
But Dr De Zulueta says some girls know they need to overstate their physical symptoms to get the surgery.
"There is awareness that they're more likely to get the operation if they say it's interfering with sex, with sport, they feel that will tick that box."
Dr Crouch believes labiaplasty should be given only to girls who have a medical abnormality.
"I find it very hard to believe there are 150 girls with a medical abnormality which means they needed an operation on their labia," she said.
She added there were uncomfortable parallels between this surgery and female genital mutilation (FGM), which is illegal in the UK.
"The law says we shouldn't perform these operations on developing bodies for cultural reasons. Current Western culture is to have very small lips, tucked inside. I see this as the same thing".
Dr Gail Busby, lead adolescent gynaecologist at St Mary's Hospital, says it is important for girls and their parents to remember:
The majority of labiaplasties are done by private cosmetic surgeons on women over 18.
The industry has been criticised for normalising the procedure.
Plastic surgeon Miles Berry defended the surgery, saying it could improve women's lives.
"It can change people fundamentally, the feelings they have about themselves, their confidence and self-esteem.
"I have seen patients aged between 16 and 21 who have never had a boyfriend because they are so concerned about this."
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said the operation should not be performed until a girl had finished developing, after the age of 18.
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/health-40410459
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McLaren supercar destroyed in crash - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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The driver and passenger walked away from the destroyed 570S, which is worth about £143,000.
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Wiltshire
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The car appeared to have hit the front of the building
A McLaren supercar was reduced to a twisted, burned-out wreck after it struck a building and burst into flames.
The driver and passenger of the 570S, which sell for around £143,000, escaped with minor injuries following the crash at Heywood, near Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
The fire service was called to Westbury Road just before 06:30 BST on Sunday.
Crews found the occupants had made it out of the burning sports car, which was stuck beneath a collapsed wall.
Fire crews were called to the crash site early on Sunday
Images taken by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue show small fragments of the car's distinctive orange paintwork are still visible.
It is not known what speed the McLaren had been travelling at prior to the crash.
Damien Bence, from the fire service, said it was "absolutely amazing" the car's occupants walked away from the scene.
"Prior to hitting the building it snapped an electric pole in half, and forced the top half of the pole through the window of the house," he said.
"We were confronted with a live electrical cable which was strewn across the highway so crews had to negotiate their way through part of a wood in order to get to the incident."
The 563hp super sports car has twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 engine and can accelerate from 0-62mph (100km/h) in just 3.2 seconds.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-40476901
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Why CNN 'assault' tweet should surprise no-one - BBC News
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2017-07-03
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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In Trump's politics, the drama is contrived; the action is fake; the outcome predetermined.
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US & Canada
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Trump's history with wrestling goes back at least a decade
On Saturday, Donald Trump tweeted that he's redefining the social media behaviour of a "modern-day" president. On Sunday he once again proved it.
Mr Trump's CNN-wrestling video, apparently cribbed from a user on the internet message board Reddit, may be unfamiliar commentary coming from the chief executive of the US, but it's classic Trump.
He has shown time and time again that he views politics as performance art; another reality television competition where the more drama and conflict there is, the better.
Candidate Trump belittled his Republican opponents - Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and company - then shrugged it off as part of the game. He turned Hillary Clinton, whom he had once praised and buddied around with at his wedding, into a "crooked" caricature who should be shipped off to prison.
He portrayed the media, and CNN in particular, as cartoon villains that he can rhetorically beat into submission.
Mr Trump's choice of a professional wrestling clip for his latest tweet was particularly apt, as throughout his campaign he treated the political process like a World Wrestling Entertainment match. The drama is contrived; the action is fake; the outcome predetermined.
He pulled back the curtain on the show and laughed along with his supporters at the spectacle. He encouraged his crowds to cheer the hero (him) and berate the villains (everyone else).
Journalists - corralled in their pens - were often singled out for derision, and his adoring legions would turn and jeer, shaking their fists, but also, for the most part, enjoying themselves.
On more than one occasion while covering Mr Trump's campaign, I would have a friendly conversation with someone at his rally - an elderly woman in a homemade Trump t-shirt in Virginia or a leather-jacket-clad rancher in Nevada - then watch as they heartily booed me and my colleagues at Mr Trump's prompting.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Are President Trump's attacks on the media undermining the news?
The press, like Mr Trump's opponents on the debate stage, were all part of his performance; the black-clad villains in his show.
Some in the media have rushed to condemn Mr Trump's wrestling tweet as a thinly-veiled threat of violence against the media. CNN issued a statement calling it a "sad day" and asserting deputy White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied earlier in the week when she said the president had never "promoted or encouraged violence".
Such imagery coming from the president of the US will certainly harshen the level of discourse in the nation, and there is the not insignificant possibility that some may view it as a call for violence.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'I want to upset people', says the Progressive Liberal, an anti-Trump wrestler
Most, however, will see it as the president probably intended - the latest episode in the biggest show ever to hit the US political scene; a new plot twist to keep the audience entertained.
As Mr Trump said in a speech lashing out against his media critics on Saturday night: "I'm president, and they're not."
Donald Trump played by his rules and won. He's going to keep reminding us that it's not the same game anymore.
Welcome to the modern presidency.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40475448
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Philip Larkin: Examining a life in tea towels, poetry and pornography - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Unseen letters and a pair of pink knickers are in an exhibition of poet Philip Larkin's possessions.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Larkin's ties and lawnmower are among the objects in the exhibition
Unseen letters, an extensive collection of tea towels and a pair of knickers bearing the words "do not spank" are going on show in an exhibition of items belonging to poet Philip Larkin.
Books, LPs and ties are among the other possessions that are being put on display at the University of Hull.
Larkin worked in the university library for 30 years until his death in 1985.
Curator Anna Farthing said: "We've tried to piece together a life from objects rather than from words."
The possessions, most of which have never been seen in public before, show "the complications and contradictions of his life, of his body, of his relationships, of his attitudes", Farthing said.
The exhibition, titled Larkin: New Eyes Each Year, opens on Wednesday and is the main celebration of the city's most famous cultural son to be staged during Hull's year as UK City of Culture.
Revelations about Philip Larkin's private life have made him a divisive figure
To some, Larkin was Britain's greatest 20th Century poet. But revelations about his unsavoury views towards race and women have tarnished his reputation for many.
"It's incredible that somebody who had such a contradictory and conflicted world and life managed to produce art that was so clean and clear. It's made me appreciate the artistic work even more," Farthing said.
Many of the exhibits have come from the house where he lived before his death.
He had a collection of Beatrix Potter ceramic figures
And a figure of Hitler that he was given by his father
There is his lawnmower, typewriter, stationery, camera, photographs and briefcase. There are 33 souvenir tea towels, some of which bear comic verses, and a "tree" made of 119 ties.
"They all represent different aspects of his personality," Farthing said. "We presume the past is black and white, but these ties are full of pattern and colour."
There are also exhibits shedding light on his relationship with his mother, including a rare recording of the pair in conversation and examples of the letters that he wrote to her every day.
And there are also items relating to his lovers, including Monica Jones's patterned pink dress and pink lipstick.
The pants were found in his house after his death
Different sides of his personality can be seen in his collection of ceramic Beatrix Potter characters, which go with his Beatrix Potter books; and a miniature Adolf Hitler figure, which was passed down from his father.
And light is shed on more tawdry parts of his inner world. As well as the knickers, there are books with titles like The Rod and The Whip, rude doodles found drawn inside books, and pornography.
"We did find some stuff which is top shelf material, shall we say," Farthing says. "So we've put it on the top shelf and just drawn attention to it with a fairly innocent pair of pink knickers."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40496677
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US says North Korea fired missile into Japanese waters - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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US military officials say it was an intermediate range missile, which flew for about 37 minutes.
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Asia
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There have been 10 other detected missile launches by North Korea this year including this one in February
North Korea has fired an intermediate range missile in the direction of Japan, US military officials said.
The land-based missile was fired from near Panghyon airfield, and flew for 37 minutes before landing in the Sea of Japan, said the US Pacific Command.
Japan has lodged a protest and PM Shinzo Abe said the launch "clearly shows that the threat has grown".
Pyongyang has increased the frequency of its nuclear and missile tests in recent months, raising tensions.
South Korea said Tuesday's projectile was launched at 09:40 local time (00:40 GMT) and flew about 930km (578 miles).
The missile may have landed in waters claimed by Japan as its exclusive economic zone, according to Japanese officials.
The US said it did not pose a threat to North America.
Meanwhile Pyongyang is due to make an "important announcement" later on Tuesday, reported South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
This is the 11th detected missile launch this year.
North Korea last test-launched missiles in May. It fired projectiles on two separate occasions, both towards the Sea of Japan.
While Pyongyang has appeared to have made progress, experts believe North Korea does not have the capability to accurately target a place with an intercontinental ballistic missile or miniaturise a nuclear warhead that can fit on such a missile.
The big question is: What range does this missile have - could it hit the US? One expert already thinks that it might be able to reach Alaska but not the lower states.
David Wright, a physicist with the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said: "If the reports are correct, that same missile could reach a maximum range of roughly 6,700km (4,160 miles) on a standard trajectory.
"That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska."
It's not just a missile that North Korea would need, but also the ability to protect a warhead from the intense heat and vibration as it re-enters the atmosphere, and it's not clear if North Korea can do that.
On the prospect of North Korea being able to strike the US, President Donald Trump tweeted in January: "It won't happen." The truth is that it might - most experts think within five years, probably less. What would President Trump do then?
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Tuesday: "North Korea's repeated provocations like this are absolutely unacceptable."
Mr Abe said Japan would "unite strongly" with the US and South Korea to put pressure on Pyongyang.
He added that he would call on Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin - who are meeting in Moscow - "to play a more constructive role".
US President Donald Trump also responded swiftly on Tuesday to the missile launch.
On his Twitter account he made apparent reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying: "Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?"
"Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"
He has also repeatedly called on Mr Xi to pressure North Korea to end its nuclear and missile programmes. Beijing is Pyongyang's closest economic ally.
The latest missile launch comes a day after Mr Trump spoke on the phone separately with Mr Xi and Mr Abe about North Korea. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a denuclearised Korean Peninsula.
In South Korea, recently-elected President Moon Jae-in has called for an emergency meeting of the country's security council.
Mr Moon also met with US President Donald Trump last week, with the US leader warning Pyongyang of a "determined response".
The US recently started setting up its controversial Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) system in South Korea, which is aimed at protecting against North Korean missiles.
Neighbours such as China have objected to it as they believe it undermines their security and the regional balance.
On Tuesday, Mr Xi and Mr Putin reiterated their opposition to Thaad, reported Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40489750
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BBC making £34m investment in children's services - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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The corporation is investing an extra £34m on children's services between now and 2019-20.
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Entertainment & Arts
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CBBC launched a new logo in 2016, with the help of popular character Hacker T Dog
The BBC is to spend an extra £34m on children's content over the next three years.
The investment comes as plans were announced to reinvent the corporation "for a new generation" and combat competition from media giants like Netflix and Amazon.
Director general Tony Hall said it was "the biggest investment in children's services in a generation".
The funding was unveiled as part of the BBC's first Annual Plan.
Setting out the BBC's ambitions for the coming year, the extra money for children's content is going to be invested across the three years to 2019-20.
Lord Hall said: "Our ambition to reinvent the BBC for a new generation is our biggest priority for next year. Every part of the BBC will need to contribute to meeting this challenge."
The new investment, delivered following savings made across the BBC, will see the budget for children's programming reach £124.4m by 2019-20, up from the current figure of £110m.
In the three years, £31.4m will be spent online on content that will include video, live online programme extensions, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, quizzes, guides, games and apps.
The BBC's children's services are based in Salford
Lord Hall said it was "the biggest investment for a generation" and will "increasingly offer a personalised online offering for our younger viewers".
The BBC said it wants to respond to changes to the way children "are watching and consuming programmes", adding: "Investment in British content - particularly for the young - is vital, unless we want more of our culture shaped and defined by the rise of West Coast American companies."
Over the last six years, children's TV viewing has dropped by more than a quarter.
Youngsters now spend more time online than they do in front of the television, around 15 hours a week. Even pre-schoolers spend more than eight hours a week online, according to Ofcom.
Naturally then, the CBBC channel aimed at six to 12-year-olds has seen a drop in its audience, and increasingly children are choosing to use the BBC's iPlayer.
Viewing habits are changing, but so too is the content they are watching. Shorter video clips, interactive content and games are all going to increase.
The setting for all of this is a long-term decline in spending on British children's programmes by other broadcasters - ITV's programming went from 424 hours in 1998 to 64 in 2013 - and the dominance of US programming.
This will only increase in an online world dominated by the tech giants. Children's culture is being shaped by firms based on the west coast of America.
The annual plan also explains how the BBC is aiming to tackle such challenges as "fake news" with BBC News's Reality Check being expanded to fact-check social media claims, and work being done alongside Facebook to build trust.
It also shows how the corporation will "rise to the challenge of better reflecting and representing a changing UK" and how it is focusing on personalisation.
The BBC's creative plans for the next 12 months also include:
The annual plan is not the same as the BBC's annual report, which looks back over the previous year's performance and publishes details about the corporation's finances and spending. That report is expected later this month.
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/uk-40489812
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Tories drop plan to end universal free lunches for infants - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The U-turn comes after ministers listen "very carefully" to the views of parents and schools.
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UK Politics
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Since September 2014 all infant pupils have been offered a free school meal
Plans to axe free lunches for infant school children from better off families in England have been scrapped.
Schools minister Nick Gibb said the government would "retain the existing provision", having listened "very carefully" to the views of parents.
The Tory manifesto proposed restricting free lunches to infants from poorer homes - with free breakfasts for all primary school pupils funded instead.
It was intended to save £650m a year - but was left out of the Queen's Speech.
And Mr Gibb told MPs: "We have listened very carefully to the views of the sector on the proposal to remove infant free school meals and we have decided that it is right to retain the existing provision."
The Tories have abandoned a host of proposals since failing to win a majority, including plans to means-test winter fuel payments, end the triple lock guarantee on pension increases and to hold a vote on foxhunting.
Free school lunches for all infant children were introduced by the Tory-Lib Dem coalition government in 2014.
Plans to limit their availability again to low-income families had proved controversial, with some parents complaining the offer of a free breakfast was not directly comparable and was merely a cost-saving measure.
Many schools were also unhappy about the move, arguing they had gone to great expense to adapt their facilities to provide hot lunches.
During the campaign, the Conservatives argued that free breakfasts would have equal, if not greater, nutritional benefit for pupils and could be delivered at the fraction of the cost of lunches.
But challenged on the policy by shadow education secretary Angela Rayner in the Commons, Mr Gibb confirmed the government had changed its mind.
"Universal infant free school meals ensure children receive a nutritious meal during the day," he said. "It saves hardworking families hundreds of pounds a year and it boosts educational achievement, especially among children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds."
Labour is pressing the government to clarify whether plans for free breakfasts have now been scrapped.
During education questions, Mr Gibb also promised that no school would have its budget cut as a result of the national funding formula, which aims to make funding fair for schools.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40496770
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Newspaper headlines: 'House of horrors' and calls for state pay rise - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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The proposed demolition of a notorious children's home and calls for state pay rises make headlines.
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The Papers
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The public sector pay cap remains top of the agenda for several of Tuesday's newspapers.
According to the Guardian, a report for the government's pay advisers has revealed the scale of salary cuts during a decade of freezes - teachers have seen average pay fall by £3 an hour in real terms and police officers by £2 an hour, while the wages of nurses stagnated.
The paper says the academic analysis was "quietly" published on Monday, and talks of the prime minister facing a "cabinet showdown" over the issue.
The Daily Mirror also predicts a "Tory revolt" and tells Prime Minister Theresa May: "take the cap off".
"Now put your money where your mouth is," says the paper's front-page headline, "give heroes a decent rise".
The Daily Mail says Chancellor Philip Hammond is refusing to budge on the issue.
The Sun reckons Tory MPs and ministers demanding a lift to public sector pay have "lost the plot".
Writing in the same paper, the former Tory chancellor, Lord Lamont, tells his party to "get a grip". Control of public expenditure, he says, is the foundation of jobs growth in the future.
The Times says it's learnt that ministers are pushing to delay or abandon a series of tax cuts to fund an increase in public sector pay.
It reports that the chancellor is being urged to scrap commitments to reduce corporation tax and increase thresholds for the personal allowance and 40% income tax rate.
An editorial in the Daily Telegraph says the "cacophony of Tory opinions must stop", as it is giving the impression of an administration all at sea.
The Daily Mail says it's seen secret files revealing that NHS officials in the 1970s knew for at least five years that haemophilia patients were being given contaminated blood.
Newly unearthed minutes of meetings held in the 1980s are said to show that officials consciously put patients at risk in a scandal which cost 2,000 lives.
Scientists were so sure the blood was dangerous, the Mail says, that they even planned to use victims as guinea pigs to develop a new test for hepatitis.
The Telegraph leads on an article inside by Lord Grade, who heads the new Fundraising Regulator for charities.
Charities that pester donors for cash face being fined up to £25,000 under new rules introduced this week. Lord Grade says many charities are behaving like "laggards", refusing to change their behaviour.
The Sun reports that a man convicted of knife crime who was jailed for nine years has been freed, because court staff wrote nine months on prison forms.
A warrant's been issued for the re-arrest of 25-year-old Ralston Dodd but he's apparently gone into hiding.
A friend tells the paper: "He feels like he's won the lottery". The Ministry of Justice says it is "urgently investigating so we learn the lessons to prevent it happening again".
Finally, the Daily Express tells readers a blast of heat from the continent is on the way, which will send temperatures "rocketing" back to the low 90s Fahrenheit, or more than 30C.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40489617
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Boston airport crash: Taxi mows down pedestrians injuring 10 - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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The cab driver reportedly told police he stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake.
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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. One witness said the crash sounded like a plane exploding
Ten people have been taken to hospital with injuries of "varying severity" after a taxi drove into people at Boston's Logan airport, police say.
The driver jumped the kerb and struck fellow cab drivers who were sitting awaiting their next fares, police said.
According to US media, the driver told police he mistakenly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake.
The incident, on the eve of the Independence Day holiday in the US, was not believed to be terrorism-related.
Major Frank McGinn of Massachusetts State Police said one of the victims remains in serious condition, three had significant injuries and six others suffered less serious injuries.
The driver is reported to be a 56-year-old man from Cambridge, Massachusetts
All the victims appeared to be cab drivers, he added.
The driver, who is reported to be a 56-year-old man from Cambridge, Massachusetts, stayed at the scene to co-operate with police.
Maj McGinn told reporters the crash appeared to be "just a tragic accident".
He said the unidentified driver is known to be a "very nice gentlemen from his peers" and was thought to have been alone in the vehicle at the time.
Police have seized the cab and the cause of the crash remains under investigation, state police said in a statement.
"At this preliminary point in the investigation, there is no information that suggests the crash was intentional," the statement said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40488500
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Katie Rough death: Girl pleads guilty to manslaughter - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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Katie Rough was found with cuts to her neck and chest on a playing field in York.
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York & North Yorkshire
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Katie Rough's parents described seeing their dying daughter after the attack
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
Katie was smothered and slashed with a Stanley knife by the teenager on a playing field in Woodthorpe, York, on 9 January. She died later in hospital.
Leeds Crown Court heard the killer suffered with severe mental health issues and was convinced people "weren't human and were robots".
Katie's family were in court to hear the guilty plea.
Nicholas Johnson QC, defending, asked the court if the charge of murder could be put to the girl again and she wrote her plea on a piece of paper.
Her solicitor told the court: "I can confirm she has indicated not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter."
Graham Reeds QC, prosecuting, said: "We are going to accept that plea of manslaughter by diminished responsibility."
Katie Rough died in hospital after suffering serious injuries to her neck and chest
Katie was found on a playing field near Alness Drive, in Woodthorpe, York, on 9 January
Mr Reeds said the the defendant had developed severe mental health problems during 2016 and had been taken out of school as a result.
He said that she had been self harming since Christmas 2015 and suffering from delusions, believing that people around her "may not be human and may be controlled by a higher and hostile force".
He said that although psychosis was being investigated prior to the killing, it had not been diagnosed.
However, he said since the killing she had undergone four psychiatric and psychological assessments and there was no dispute that her mental health problems meant she was suffering from diminished responsibility at the time she killed Katie, even though the killing was planned.
He told the court that when the teenager was found in the street in York by a member of the public, she told him Katie was dead and asked where she was.
The man then found Katie lying on a nearby piece of land with a cut to her neck.
A post-mortem examination showed Katie had two severe cuts to her body - one to her neck and the other to her torso - but neither caused her death.
The prosecutor said Katie had been smothered before the cuts were made.
The court heard the teenager handed police a blood-stained Stanley knife which she had taken from her grandmother's kitchen.
Police also recovered a number of items from the scene and the teenager's home.
Among the items were drawings of stick-men in various poses depicting killing and death, and a reference to "they are not human".
The paper was blood-stained and the court heard it had been cut with the same knife used to slash Katie.
Mr Reeds said she had displayed "strange behaviour towards other people and herself", and had started to self-harm before she killed Katie.
A friend interviewed by police following Katie's death told them she was "nice but weird" and said she liked to talk about death.
The judge, Mr Justice Soole, said he wanted more questions answering by the medical experts before he could pass sentence. He adjourned the case to 20 July.
Katie was described as a "daddy's girl"
Katie was a pupil at Westfield Primary School in the Acomb area of York.
In the days after Katie's death Tracey Ralph, head teacher at the school, described her as a "kind and thoughtful child who was well-liked by both pupils and staff".
More than 300 people attend Katie's funeral service, which took place at York Minister in February and was led by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.
Her coffin was decorated with characters from the Dr Seuss children's books.
Her funeral service was held at York Minster
During the service Katie's uncle described her as a "smart, fun, beautiful child".
He said she had selective mutism, but that it did not stop her from having fun.
"Her family were her world," he said.
"She loved her mum and dad but she was definitely described as a daddy's girl."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40478679
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Grenfell Tower fire: Three hospitals fail fire safety checks - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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Round-the-clock fire warden patrols are also under way at 19 "highest risk" NHS trusts.
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Health
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Three hospitals in England have failed fire safety checks ordered in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Buildings at London's King's College Hospital, Sheffield's children's hospital and the North Middlesex Trust have been found to have combustible cladding.
Those three trusts along with another 16 have also introduced 24-hour fire warden patrols to improve safety.
Checks on cladding used at five sites have yet to be finished.
Of the three that failed, one - the building at King's College - is an office block and does not house patients.
The other two sites have failed on buildings that house patients, but do not keep them in overnight.
Steps are under way at all three to improve safety.
But a spokesman for NHS Improvement, which regulates hospitals, said there would be "no disruption to patient services" while changes were being made.
The checks at hospitals were ordered following the Grenfell Tower fire
The urgent checks were ordered by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt following the Grenfell Tower fire.
A total of 38 trusts were identified last week as being of highest risk as they were already known to have been struggling with basic fire standards or had high-rise buildings that had cladding.
The review has now found the cladding at 11 sites passed the checks, while the other 19 sites which flagged up potential fire safety issues have been told they do not need to take further action.
King's College Hospital has already removed the cladding from its office building as a "precautionary measure", while steps are being made at the other two sites to remove it.
In Scotland, health boards have confirmed combustible cladding has not been used on any buildings.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40485726
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Mike Ashley 'vomited into fireplace at pub meeting' - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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A court hears claims the billionaire Sports Direct boss often held management meetings in pubs.
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England
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Mike Ashley was at the High Court for the hearing
Sportswear tycoon Mike Ashley once hosted a management meeting in a pub where he drank 12 pints and vomited into a fireplace, a court has heard.
The Newcastle United owner is being sued by finance expert Jeffrey Blue at London's High Court.
He claims Mr Ashley often held meetings in pubs, and at one time promised to pay him £15m if he managed to increase Sports Direct's share price to £8.
He said the billionaire only paid him £1m. Mr Ashley disputes the claim.
Mr Justice Leggatt was told the dispute between Mr Blue and Mr Ashley related to an alleged conversation in a London pub called the Horse & Groom in 2013.
Jeffrey Chapman QC, who is leading Mr Blue's legal team, told the judge Mr Ashley's business practices flew in the face of "business orthodoxy".
Mr Blue said he had attended several senior management meetings at another pub, the Green Dragon in Alfreton, Derbyshire.
He said: "These meetings were like no other senior management meeting I had ever attended in all my years of investment banking experience."
Finance expert Jeffrey Blue said Mr Ashley "was like no other client"
Describing it as a "pub lock-in" where fish and chips and kebabs would be brought in after closing time, he said: "On one such evening, in front of his senior management team, Mr Ashley challenged a young Polish analyst in my team, Pawel Pawlowski, to a drinking competition.
"Mr Ashley and Pawel would drink pints of lager, with vodka 'chasers' between each pint, and the first to leave the bar area for whatever reason was declared the loser.
"After approximately 12 pints and chasers Pawel apologised profusely and had to excuse himself.
"Mr Ashley then vomited into the fireplace located in the centre of the bar, to huge applause from his senior management team."
Mr Blue said he first met Mr Ashley while working for Merrill Lynch in 2006.
"Mr Ashley was like no other client that anyone at Merrill Lynch had ever come across," he said.
"By way of example, his ability to express boredom and frustration during client meetings knew no limits, including various episodes where he would lie underneath meeting room tables to 'have a nap'."
David Cavender QC, who leads Mr Ashley's legal team, told the judge Mr Blue's claim was an "opportunistic try on".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40484091
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Newspaper headlines: Cost of student debt and public sector pay - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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Students accruing £57,000 in debt, and the continuing debate over state pay, are making headlines.
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The Papers
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The spiralling costs of student debt is the main thrust of several of the day's front pages.
The Guardian says students from the poorest 40% of families entering university in England for the first time this September will accrue an average debt of about £57,000, according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies.
The economic think-tank says the end of maintenance grants in 2015 had disproportionately affected the poorest, while students from the wealthiest 30% of households would run up average borrowings of £43,000.
And the Times reports on how three-quarters of graduates will never repay their student loans. They are liable for repayments once they earn more than £21,000 but after 30 years, whatever debt is left is written off.
Some 77% were not expected to repay their debt, including interest, the IFS said.
A subject "guaranteed to stir local emotions" - as the Times puts it - is the prospect of building new by-passes.
The paper reports that the government is about to spend £1bn a year combating congestion in towns and cities.
Almost 4,000 miles of A-roads will be upgraded, and significant sums will be put into a fund to construct by-passes around built-up areas with the worst jams.
The Telegraph says business groups and road safety campaigners have welcomed the news, but the Times thinks the scheme is bound to provoke opposition, not least from those experts who think building new roads simply creates more traffic.
Interest in pay as an issue has been so strong it's surprising how little notice is taken of the offer to firefighters of a 2% rise. But the i newspaper puts the story on its front page, saying the increase will add to the pressure on Theresa May coming from the police, teachers, the armed forces and civil servants.
The Daily Mail notes that it's local authorities, not central government, which negotiates the salaries of firefighters.
There's a sharply personal tone to the attack by the Daily Mirror on former PM David Cameron for his comments about the need for pay restraint.
Under the headline, "Cam off it, Dave," the paper points out that nurses and teachers have seen their wages fall in real terms while he "coins it round the world", giving lectures for "up to a £120,000 an hour".
The Guardian suggests Mr Cameron's motive may have been to have a go at Boris Johnson and Michael Gove. The Times thinks it more likely he was trying to support the chancellor, and protect his own legacy.
The Mail, rather to its own surprise, finds itself praising Mr Cameron for his "wise words".
It offers sympathy to state sector workers, but argues that "a general spending splurge" would increase debt and cost jobs and growth.
Tackling the shortage of homes in sought-after rural areas is, according to the Telegraph, a nettle the government is determined to grasp.
The paper believes Communities Secretary Sajid Javid will launch "a new assault on homeowners with a nimby attitude", forcing them to accept that more homes must be built.
He says there will have to be "tough decisions" because, as the Telegraph notes, "it could prove controversial with grassroots Tory voters, many of whom live in affluent areas".
The Sun comments that rising prices have brought "joy to homeowners", but it feels that the government has to find speedy ways of helping people in their 20s to find homes.
The Daily Express highlights the plight of patients who have to wait "for crucial knee, hip and cataract operations" on the NHS.
It describes the long delays as a new crisis for the NHS, saying surgery is provided quickly in parts of the country, while in others some patients do not receive any treatment.
According to the Mail, clinical commissioning groups are "having to ration procedures" to meet financial targets.
The result, says the Times, is that "patients are left in pain," and some "are having to beg for treatment that was once routine".
The world, says the Mail, has reached out in sympathy to Charlie Gard, the desperately ill eleven month old boy who suffers from a rare genetic condition.
The paper says it has been profoundly moved by the plight of his parents, as they sought to keep him alive.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40502046
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Scientists explain ancient Rome's long-lasting concrete - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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Researchers unlock the chemistry of Roman concrete which has resisted the elements for thousands of years.
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Science & Environment
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Scientists examined samples from this ancient Roman pier with very high-powered X-rays
Researchers have unlocked the chemistry of Roman concrete which has resisted the elements for thousands of years.
Ancient sea walls built by the Romans used a concrete made from lime and volcanic ash to bind with rocks.
Now scientists have discovered that elements within the volcanic material reacted with sea water to strengthen the construction.
They believe the discovery could lead to more environmentally friendly building materials.
Unlike the modern concrete mixture which erodes over time, the Roman substance has long puzzled researchers.
Rather than eroding, particularly in the presence of sea water, the material seems to gain strength from the exposure.
In previous tests with samples from ancient Roman sea walls and harbours, researchers learned that the concrete contained a rare mineral called aluminium tobermorite.
They believe that this strengthening substance crystallised in the lime as the Roman mixture generated heat when exposed to sea water.
Researchers have now carried out a more detailed examination of the harbour samples using an electron microscope to map the distribution of elements. They also used two other techniques, X-ray micro-diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, to gain a deeper understanding of the chemistry at play.
This new study says the scientists found significant amounts of tobermorite growing through the fabric of the concrete, with a related, porous mineral called phillipsite.
The researchers say that the long-term exposure to sea water helped these crystals to keep on growing over time, reinforcing the concrete and preventing cracks from developing.
"Contrary to the principles of modern cement-based concrete," said lead author Marie Jackson from the University of Utah, US, "the Romans created a rock-like concrete that thrives in open chemical exchange with seawater."
A close up view of the concrete from a scanning electron microscope showing the presence of the tobermorite which adds strength
"It's a very rare occurrence in the Earth."
The ancient mixture differs greatly from the current approach. Modern buildings are constructed with concrete based on Portland cement.
This involves heating and crushing a mixture of several ingredients including limestone, sandstone, ash, chalk, iron and clay. The fine material is then mixed with "aggregates", such as rocks or sand, to build concrete structures.
The process of making cement has a heavy environmental penalty, being responsible for around 5% of global emissions of CO2.
So could the greater understanding of the ancient Roman mixture lead to greener building materials?
Prof Jackson is testing new materials using sea water and volcanic rock from the western United States. Speaking to the BBC earlier this year, she argued that the planned Swansea tidal lagoon should be built using the ancient Roman knowledge of concrete.
"Their technique was based on building very massive structures that are really quite environmentally sustainable and very long-lasting," she said.
"I think Roman concrete or a type of it would be a very good choice [for Swansea]. That project is going to require 120 years of service life to amortise [pay back] the investment.
"We know that Portland cement concretes contain steel reinforcements. Those will surely corrode in at least half of that service lifetime."
There are a number of limiting factors that make the revival of the Roman approach very challenging. One is the lack of suitable volcanic rocks. The Romans, the scientists say, were fortunate that the right materials were on their doorstep.
Another drawback is the lack of the precise mixture that the Romans followed. It might take years of experimenting to discover the full formula.
The research has been published in the journal American Mineralogist.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40494248
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Public sector morale at 'critical levels' - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A police officer, council worker, nurse and prison officer voice their dismay at the proposed 1% pay cap.
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UK
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Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has said the 1% pay cap on public sector workers will not be lifted.
The announcement comes despite several cabinet ministers, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, having called on Downing Street to rethink its position on the 1% cap on public sector pay.
The limit on pay rises affects dentists, nurses, doctors, police and military, as well as those that work for local government bodies.
The majority of public sector workers who contacted BBC News to voice their opinions wished to retain their anonymity, fearing that disclosure would hinder the relationship with their employers.
Steve had been a police officer for over 20 years and commented that he and his colleagues are losing faith in the government.
"I can say on good authority that the lack of staff and low morale is at critical levels," he explains.
"More staff are off sick with stress and every day we just want to get through the shift.
"Pay and pensions have been decimated and people are looking to leave in their droves."
The pay cap also affects local council staff like Adam, from Cambridgeshire, who works for a District Council.
"My pay has effectively stayed the same for over six years.
"I haven't worked for the public sector for that long so my pension is of limited benefit, but better than nothing.
"I will have to work till I'm at least 69-years-of-age to pay off my mortgage."
Another person frustrated with the pay cap is Bianca, a nurse working in the paediatric intensive care unit of a hospital.
"It's important to emphasise that I did not go into nursing for the money, but I did not go in to nursing to be unappreciated and underpaid either," she says.
"Giving up valuable time with my family and friends for £23,500 a year and experiencing what I can only describe as chronic fatigue, starts to seem like too big of a sacrifice.
"I have watched children die and I have held their parents' hands through it. I have held a child's airway open and given them breaths when they were suddenly unable to breathe themselves.
"The sacrifices that we as nurses make for minimal pay and appreciation are demoralising. It will pain me to leave but ultimately I believe it will be better for my better mental health.
The limit on pay rises also affects prison officers such as Nick who has worked in the industry for over 27 years.
"My pay has been frozen since 2010 with the exception of a one-off consolidated payment of £300 in 2014!
"The Prison Service has once again submitted a recommendation of 1% to the Prison Service Pay Review Body for staff on the new 'Fair and Sustainable' conditions.
"I will not sign up to the recommendation as it would be a pay cut as well as reducing my pensionable pay."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40489256
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FGM: More than 5,000 newly-recorded cases in England - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Women and girls born in Somalia make up more than a third of those identified, but 112 were UK-born.
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Health
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The NHS in England recorded 5,391 new cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the past year, data reveals.
Almost half involved women and girls living in London, NHS Digital found.
A third were women and girls born in Somalia, while 112 cases were UK-born nationals.
The practice is illegal in the UK and it is compulsory for family doctors, hospitals and mental health trusts to report any new cases in their patients.
FGM - intentionally altering or injuring the female external genitalia for non-medical reasons - carries a sentence of up to 14 years in jail.
It is the second time that NHS Digital has released annual FGM figures for England.
Most of the cases were spotted by midwives and doctors working in maternity and obstetric units.
The majority had originally had FGM done to them abroad and as a young child.
The NSPCC says more should be done to end the practice: "FGM is child abuse. Despite being illegal for over 30 years, too many people are still being subjected to it and it is right that health services have started to properly record evidence of this horrendous practice.
"It takes courage to report concerns as many feel ashamed or worry they will betray friends and family. But we need to end the silence that surrounds FGM to better protect children."
The National FGM Centre, which is run by the children's charity Barnardo's and the Local Government Association (LGA), tries to prevent the practice, but its director Michelle Lee-Izu is warning it could be at risk of closure if government funding is withdrawn.
Cllr Simon Blackburn, from the LGA, said the government "must act now" to secure the National FGM Centre's "long-term future" by providing guaranteed funding.
He said: "Social work provision to girls and families affected by FGM has been quickly and significantly improved through the intervention of Centre social workers, embedded in council safeguarding teams, and hundreds of referrals have been received in areas that previously only recorded a handful of cases each year.
Mr Blackburn added that the government needed to back its commitment to ending FGM in the UK "with the long-term funding required to make that vision a reality".
Anyone concerned about someone who has suffered, or is at risk of FGM, can contact the NSPCC FGM Helpline anonymously on 0800 028 3550 or visit nspcc.org.uk.
Wendy Preston, from the Royal College of Nursing, said: "Mandatory reporting and compulsory sex-and-relationships education are important weapons in the fight against FGM, and school nurses play a vital role in both educating children and young women, and spotting those who may be at risk.
"The government must act to attract and retain school nurses, to help address the problem at grassroots level, and maintain momentum in the fight to eradicate FGM."
A government spokesman said the start-up money for the centre came from the £200m Children's Social Care Innovation Programme, and was designed to lead to self-sustaining work, not ongoing core funding.
But he added: "Protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims is a key priority for this government and a personal priority for the Minister for Women and Equalities, Justine Greening."
• None 'I can never leave them with anyone'
• None FGM- 'I was crying, I couldn't help her' - BBC News
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40491311
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'I'm a creep': Tech boss Dave McClure resigns after harassment claims - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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Dave McClure of 500 Startups apologised for his "inexcusable" behaviour towards several women.
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Technology
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The founder of Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist firm 500 Startups has resigned following sexual harassment claims by several women.
Dave McClure announced his resignation in a blog entitled: "I'm a creep. I'm sorry."
Entrepreneur Sarah Kunst had claimed in the New York Times that Mr McClure sent inappropriate messages after discussing a potential job offer with her.
Mr McClure apologised directly to her for his behaviour in his post.
He also admitted that he had behaved inappropriately towards other women.
"I made advances towards multiple women in work-related situations, where it was clearly inappropriate," wrote Mr McClure.
"I put people in compromising and inappropriate situations, and I selfishly took advantage of those situations where I should have known better. My behaviour was inexcusable and wrong."
Sarah Kunst claimed Dave McClure said in a message he didn't know whether to "hire her or hit on her" according to the New York Times
After the article, tech entrepreneur Cheryl Yeoh also published claims of an assault in her apartment and claimed there were "dozens" of women who had been sexually harassed by him.
She said she had hosted Mr McClure and some other investors at her home to brainstorm new ideas in 2014. He was the last to leave.
"He pushed himself on to me to the point where I was backed into a corner, made contact to kiss me, and said something along the lines of, 'Just one night, please just this one time,'" she wrote.
Ms Yeoh said she had already told Mr McClure that she had a boyfriend, and that he knew him.
"The fact that I had to say no multiple times, and that he had pushed himself on to me and kissed me without my consent was way more than crossing the line of inappropriateness," she wrote.
In his blog Mr McClure apologised directly to Sarah Kunst and "the women I have hurt or offended" but did not mention Ms Yeoh by name.
He has not commented on her claims.
TechCrunch reported that a female partner in the firm had also resigned, criticising 500 Startup's leadership for its "lack of transparency" regarding Dave McClure.
Co-founder Christine Tsai has now taken on the role of chief executive.
"As much as we want to be part of the solution, we clearly have also been part of the problem," she wrote.
"Undoubtedly there are ways I could have done more or acted sooner."
Dave McClure is undergoing counselling "to work on changing his perspectives", she added.
Silicon Valley has been rocked by sexism scandals in recent months.
Several senior executives at Uber, including founder Travis Kalanick, resigned after a damning report into the organisational culture within the firm which included sexual discrimination.
Last month, Binary Capital co-founders Justin Caldbeck and Jonathan Teo both resigned from the tech investment firm following accusations of harassment carried out by Mr Caldbeck.
In a statement to The Information (which has a paywall) Mr Caldbeck said he was "deeply disturbed" by the allegations.
"There's no denying this is an issue in the venture community, and I hate that my behaviour has contributed to it," he said.
At last week's Female Founders conference, attendees said they were pleased to see action was being taken.
"People are being held accountable - they're not sweeping it under the carpet," Jessica Livingston, co-creator of start-up investment programme Y Combinator, told the BBC.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40493518
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Mike Ashley dismisses £14m claim as 'drink banter' - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A court hears chats with the billionaire Sports Direct boss were "banter and bravado".
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England
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Mike Ashley was at the High Court for the hearing
Billionaire Mike Ashley has dismissed claims he owes a finance expert £14m and said their conversations were "drink banter", a court has heard.
The Newcastle United owner is being sued by Jeffrey Blue at London's High Court.
Mr Blue said he was promised £15m if he managed to increase Sports Direct's share price to £8, but that he only received £1m.
But Mr Ashley said their meetings were drink-fuelled "banter".
Mr Blue says Mr Ashley, who runs Sports Direct, did not stick to a commercial agreement.
But in a written statement, the sportswear tycoon said: "I can't believe that [Mr Blue] is now trying to take me for £14m off the back of some drink banter that he is seeking to engineer into something more."
Finance expert Jeffrey Blue claims he was promised £15m for pushing up the price of shares
Mr Justice Leggatt has heard that the dispute between Mr Blue and Mr Ashley relates to a conversation in a London pub called the Horse & Groom in 2013.
Mr Blue came under attack from Mr Ashley's lawyers as he gave evidence during the second day of the hearing.
David Cavender QC, who leads Mr Ashley's legal team, accused Mr Blue of "making up evidence" and said the claim was an "opportunistic try-on".
Mr Cavender also said Mr Ashley "fairly" said he could not recall details of conversations in the Horse & Groom, "particularly in the light of the amount of drinking".
"He does recall 'that there was a lot of banter and bravado'.
"He does not recall any discussion about whether Mr Blue would be paid a sum of money if the share price reached £8 a share."
Mr Ashley is due to give evidence on Wednesday.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40497091
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North Korean missiles: Can the US defend itself? - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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Investments in missile defence have been made, but critics say the system is far from reliable.
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US & Canada
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Whatever the precise range and capability of North Korea's latest ballistic missile test, there is no doubt that it is making steady progress towards its goal of having a nuclear-capable missile, able to threaten the continental US.
That term "nuclear capable" is important. Pyongyang must both miniaturise a nuclear warhead to fit on the head of a missile and be able to protect it against all the buffeting and forces as it re-enters the earth's atmosphere.
We do not know precisely where the North Koreans stand in this aspect of their programme. But it is possible that North Korea will achieve its goal during the Trump presidency.
This then throws a spotlight on the US ability to defend against such an attack. Huge quantities of money have been invested in ballistic missile defence. There is a global network of satellite sensors and relays able to spot and track a missile launch. Interceptor missiles are already in place.
But critics believe that the US system is far from reliable. The Trump administration is reviewing the whole programme. New generations of interceptor missiles are coming on stream. But in the foreseeable future, only a handful will be available to deal with the potential North Korean threat.
Israel's missile defence system has proved effective against the rockets it has faced
We are a long way from the "Star Wars" dream of President Ronald Reagan, who hoped for the construction of a missile-proof shield over the US and its allies. In those days ballistic missile defences were seen by many as destabilising.
That is why there was a Cold War treaty largely banning them. They would threaten the certainty of a retaliatory nuclear attack getting through, thus increasing the likelihood of a no-warning onslaught, in turn decreasing the effectiveness of nuclear deterrence.
Missile defence viewed as part of the strategic equation between two nuclear-armed superpowers is one thing. Some argued that even a less-than-effective defensive system would alter an opponent's calculations.
But very quickly the idea of a missile-proof screen - like a comic book Captain America's shield protecting the continental US - was seen as science fiction if not fantasy. It would be too expensive and the technology simply did not exist.
Surface-to-air missiles have been deployed outside Japan's defence ministry
Scroll forward a few decades and the threat that missile defence is now ranged against is very different. It is not - despite Russian protests - aimed at weakening Russia's nuclear forces. It is designed to protect against a very specific threat - from Iran or North Korea's developing missile arsenals.
Against this kind of threat, the requirement is not simply to alter an adversary's strategic calculations, but to stop each and every missile getting through.
Technology has advanced dramatically with some of the most significant strides being made by Israel. Its interceptor systems and their associated radars - funded in large part by the US - have shown themselves spectacularly successful, even though against a full-scale onslaught even Israel's system would be sorely tested.
The Thaad defence system will take out missiles considered a threat to South Korea
In contrast the US's own defensive system, according to many critics, is not yet up to the job. Testing has provided mixed results. And there are frequent criticisms that even the most elaborate tests are not conducted in ways which fully resemble real-world conditions.
Even US commanders accept that their defences are not fully missile-proof and that they might quickly be overwhelmed if a country possessed a sizeable arsenal of missiles.
Whatever President Trump decides to do about North Korea and the growing reach of its missiles, time is running out.
One option he may pursue is to step up the US's own defences, just as he has deployed interceptor missiles in South Korea to try to enhance its defences against missile attack.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40492702
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Battle for Mosul: Fierce clashes as IS uses suicide bombers - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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IS militants are using female suicide bombers in the fight for the old city, Iraqi troops say.
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Middle East
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The Iraqi military says it has made some progress recapturing the Old City
Fierce clashes and rising numbers of suicide attacks have been reported in Mosul as Iraqi troops try to recapture the city from Islamic State militants.
The last IS-held quarter, known as the Old City, was rocked by air strikes and artillery salvos, with local commanders expecting to retake full control soon.
However, they are facing more suicide attacks, including several from female bombers, in the battle's final phase.
The major offensive against IS in Mosul was launched in October 2016.
Thousands of Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen, assisted by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers, are involved in the operation.
The government announced the full "liberation" of eastern Mosul in January 2017. But the west of the city has presented a more difficult challenge, with its narrow, winding streets.
"The fighting is becoming harder every day because of the nature of the Old City," Lt Gen Abdulghani al-Assadi, a commander of Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
He added that the same conditions that were beneficial for IS fighters also helped to shield Iraqi troops from snipers.
Civilians have been fleeing the Old City as the offensive continues
Lt Gen Sami al-Aridhi, another CTS commander, told AFP: "The enemy has been using suicide bombers, especially women, for the past three days in some of the neighbourhoods. Before that, they were using snipers and bombs more."
Some of the suicide bombers were reportedly teenage girls.
There were two female suicide attacks on troops on Monday, while seven other women bearing explosives attempted to approach troops but were intercepted, AP news agency reported.
To prevent such attacks, Iraqi commanders said they were now ordering women fleeing from the Old City to remove veils before approaching soldiers. Men were told to remove their shirts.
The UN has said that IS may be holding more than 100,000 people in Mosul as human shields.
The Iraqi army says it believes there are no more than 300 militants left in Mosul, compared with almost 6,000 at the start of the offensive in October.
Brigadier General Yahya Rasool told state TV that "victory is very near", while another commander has estimated that "the battle will end in five days to a week".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40489816
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Feltham boy's solitary confinement breached human rights - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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Denying a 16-year-old offender the chance to mix with other inmates is unlawful, a judge rules.
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UK
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A 16-year-old boy's human rights were breached by his being kept in solitary confinement for 23-and-a-half hours a day, a judge has ruled.
The High Court said the boy, who is referred to as AB, was unlawfully denied access to education and the ability to mix with other inmates.
But it rejected claims his treatment at Feltham Young Offenders Institution was "inhuman and degrading".
The Ministry of Justice said it would "carefully" consider the findings.
The MoJ was contesting the legal challenge by AB, who has "significant" mental health problems. He was detained in December and is due to be released in later this month.
Feltham, in south-west London, provides specialist custodial places for boys aged 15-18.
On Tuesday, the judge ruled that AB's Article 8 rights - the right to private and family life - were breached, but Mr Justice Ouseley rejected claims his treatment amounted to a breach of the human rights laws which prohibit torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The Howard League for Penal Reform, which took forward the case on AB's behalf, said the court had "declared this boy's isolation for certain periods and the denial of adequate education unlawful because it was against prison rules".
But chief executive Frances Crook said the group would appeal against the "disappointing" part of the judgement.
Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said the 16-year-old's confinement was "simply the wrong thing to do".
She said: "To lock up a young child with special educational needs for over 23 hours a day, with little to no education or exercise, is an attack on their rights.
"Isolation of this kind has been widely criticised by experts in the field, both in the UK and internationally."
The MoJ, however, insisted that "proportionate and justified segregation" was essential to managing inmates if they pose a risk to staff and other prisoners, and it was pleased the judge had found in its favour on that point.
The spokesperson added: "The safety and welfare of young people held in custody is our highest priority."
The court was told by a QC for the Justice Secretary that the boy had a history of assaulting prison staff and making "racist taunts", and "poses a very real risk to the good order or discipline" at Feltham.
During a recent inspection, separate to the case, Feltham was found to run an "ineffective" regime for managing bad behaviour.
The HM Inspectorate of Prisons said about 40% of boys were locked up during the school day while 30% were allowed out of their cells for only two hours each day.
Nevertheless, inspectors praised staff for their "impressive" healthcare and mental health provisions.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40491331
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Manchester attack: Saffie Roussos' family pay tribute - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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Eight-year-old Saffie Roussos loved fame and thought of Ariana Grande as her idol, her father says.
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Manchester
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The youngest victim of the Manchester attack was "everything you could wish for in a little girl", her father said on what would have been her ninth birthday.
Saffie Roussos was among 22 people killed in a bombing at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22 May.
Her father Andrew, said Saffie was a "huge character" and was "stunning".
Mr Roussos said he has not thought or asked questions about what happened because he "can't get Saffie back".
Saffie Roussos was a pupil at Tarleton Primary School, in Lancashire
In his first interview since the attack, Mr Roussos, from Lancashire, told the BBC: "She was a joker. She was a huge character.
"She was just everything you could wish for in a little girl."
"She loved dancing, music, gymnastics. If she wanted something, she would do it," he added.
"I knew that Saffie would love her pictures to be on, and to be spoken about on TV."
Saffie's brother Xander and father Andrew met Ariana Grande during her visit to meet those injured in the attack
Saffie Roussos would have wanted her name and images to be remembered through the media, her father said
Saffie had been at the concert with her mother Lisa and 26-year-old sister Ashlee Bromwich.
Mrs Roussos has undergone multiple operations and was placed in an induced coma by doctors.
When she awoke she knew her daughter had died, Mr Roussos explained.
"I was dreading it. She just looked at me and said 'she's gone isn't she?', and I said 'yeah'. She goes, 'I knew'."
Mrs Roussos is improving at a much quicker rate than doctors had expected and the rest of the family were "all strong for each other", he added.
Saffie's sister Ms Bromwich said: "She was Ariana Grande-obsessed.
"She kept on going, 'come on Ashlee you promised me you'd get up and dance' - so we had a little dance. She was so happy, she was elated all night, grinning."
But everything changed at the end of the show when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a home-made device in the foyer of the arena.
"I remember I was thrown to the ground and, my next instinct, I just sort of I rolled over and crawled because I couldn't walk," Ms Bromwich said.
Mr Roussos said "hell broke loose" and he remembered arriving to discover Ms Bromwich being treated at the scene, while Saffie and his wife were missing.
Sister Ashlee Bromwich said Saffie was "obsessed" with Ariana Grande
"We just walked round and all the police were there. It was chaos.
"You're panicking and worrying. You don't know what's going on," he said.
Mr Roussos, with the help of a friend, eventually received confirmation from Salford Royal Hospital that they were caring for his wife. But he heard nothing of Saffie.
"As the hours went on, I thought the worst," he said.
His faint hope, he added, was "that she was in one of the hotels".
He was later informed by a detective that Saffie had died.
"I couldn't take it in. I just sat there looking at him," he said. "It's just your worst nightmare. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to think."
Andrew Roussos said when he was told of Saffie's death he "couldn't take it in"
When asked about their thoughts on Abedi, Mr Roussos said: "It doesn't matter what I think, It doesn't matter what I feel, how much anger I've got, it doesn't matter how much love I've got, it doesn't change a thing.
"It doesn't, so I haven't even thought about it because if I could think about it, analyse it, break it down, sort it out and get Saffie back I'll do it but I can't.
"I've not even asked questions, I don't even know what's happened, I'm not interested."
Ms Bromwich said she "didn't want to know, I'm not interested".
Flowers and tributes flooded in for Saffie after the Manchester attack
Saffie's brother Xander Roussos, 11, said it is "quite hard to cope with", adding there are "times when you're sad and times when you're happy".
"We do a little bit of laughing, a little bit of joking, a little bit of crying and cuddling, and that's how we get through the day," Mr Roussos said.
Mr Roussos said he had met Ariana Grande before her One Love Manchester concert in June.
"I wanted to tell her what she meant to Saffie," he said. "I wanted to tell her from a father's point of view that she's got nothing to be sorry for... It wasn't her fault."
"All she could say to me was, 'I'm sorry', and I said, 'You've got nothing to be sorry for. You made Saffie so happy with what you do'.
"She thanked me," he said. "She appreciated me telling her that."
Mr Roussos said he was thankful Saffie managed to enjoy the entire show before she died.
"I'm grateful she got to see all of it," he said.
Saffie was a "joker and a huge character", her father said
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-40481950
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Prepare yourself for a high-stakes Barclays battle - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The high-profile Barclays case is a big risk for the Serious Fraud Office.
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Business
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John Varley is the first former bank chief executive to face criminal charges over conduct during the 2008 financial crisis
The four defendants made their way through a thick press pack to take their seats - in the dock - at Westminster Magistrates court yesterday. It was a sight many thought they would never see. Senior bank executives inside a criminal court to face charges for their conduct during the great financial crisis.
Former chief executive John Varley and bankers Roger Jenkins, Tom Kalaris and Richard Boath sat, stony-faced, next to each other behind the glass panel as they gave their names, date of birth and addresses and listened as the charges against them were read by the clerk of the court.
In 2008, at the height of the financial crisis - rather than taking a government bailout (and the strings attached to it) - Barclays managed to raise a total of £12bn from Middle East investors.
This case centres around agreements struck to secure around half of that from Qatar state-owned entities.
There are two offences alleged - the first is that Barclays failed to disclose £322m in fees that it paid to its new investors - all four are facing this charge of conspiracy to defraud by misrepresentation. The second is that Barclays lent the Qataris £2bn which helped to fund the £5.3bn investment in Barclays shares. John Varley, Roger Jenkins and Barclays PLC are facing this additional charge of unlawful financial assistance. All four men are expected to contest the charges. Barclays PLC has not indicated how it will plead.
The possibility that the company may enter a different plea is important and ratchets up the stakes in this high profile case - and not just for the defendants.
The four men could face jail terms of up to 10 years if found guilty.
Barclays PLC, the holding company that owns Barclays Bank, could face hundreds of millions in fines for criminal behaviour and open itself to hundreds of millions more in civil suits.
But for the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) this case coincides with a moment of existential anxiety. The Conservative manifesto contained plans to fold the SFO into the National Crime Agency and no-one in government seems clear whether the policy's omission from the Queen's Speech means it has had a reprieve or not. What is clear is that at the time he was deciding to bring these charges, the head of the SFO, David Green, would have assumed the government planned to call time on its 30-year existence. This could be the last hurrah of an organisation with a chequered history.
If it is its goodbye, the SFO has picked a hell of swansong. It's the first time that any senior banking executives have faced criminal charges for their conduct in the great financial crisis nearly a decade ago. Some will say a case like this is scandalously overdue, but legal experts tell me that it also shows you just how difficult it is to bring a case like this and therefore just how high the risks are to the credibility of the SFO if it's unsuccessful.
The biggest complication comes from charging the company - in this case Barclays PLC.
Criminal proceedings against companies are rare. Not only because you have to prove that the knowledge of the offence went right to the very top - to the "controlling minds" of the company - but also, officials are reluctant to punish a company when doing so might result in damaging its prospects, the livelihoods of innocent workers and in the case of big companies, the economy itself.
Public interest considerations like these are the reason the SFO dropped its long-running investigation into BAE Systems infamous Al-Yamamah contract to supply fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. Tens of thousands of UK jobs were at risk for two reasons. One, the investigation risked putting one of BAE's biggest customer's nose out of joint and second, criminal convictions for a company can debar it from bidding for lucrative contracts at home and abroad.
This problem was one of the main reasons behind the adoption of a new mechanism called a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA). Under a DPA, the company admits wrongdoing, gets a whopping fine but is not criminally convicted - and so its business, the livelihoods of its workers and the wider economy are not damaged. Everyone is also spared a lengthy and costly trial that might end up without the SFO securing a conviction.
The SFO has used DPAs to great effect with Rolls Royce (£671m fine) and Tesco (£129m). In fact, these successes led to many thinking the SFO had finally got its mojo back. Holding big companies to account without holding the economy to ransom. The SFO also reserves the right to feel the collars of the individuals involved at a later date.
So why wasn't this lower risk approach used by the SFO in this case?
Mr Green made it clear that DPAs are only for companies who fully co-operate with investigators. Barclays withheld tens of thousands of documents citing legal privilege - behaviour Mr Green described as leading the SFO "a merry dance". Barclays points out that it's unreasonable to punish the bank for exerting legal rights. Nevertheless, a DPA was never put on the table. The SFO has made a concession to the economic importance of Barclays to the UK. It has charged the holding company (Barclays PLC) rather than the operating company, Barclays Bank. This means the ability of this important transatlantic bank to operate in its key markets should not be affected - whatever the outcome.
Many feel that the SFO, after years of mixed results, was just getting into its stride when plans for its demise were hatched and published in the Tory manifesto. Perhaps that contributed to the SFO's decision to go out in a blaze of glory of pressing for criminal convictions of both a bank and its senior management.
Nearly a decade on from a financial crisis and this is the first time any former bank chief executive anywhere in the world has faced criminal charges for alleged conduct during the greatest financial crisis since the 1930s. A society that paid the price of a long recession which scars the economy to this day feels short-changed by that and one insider close to the investigation described SFO chief Mr Green as being on "a crusade" to acknowledge that frustration.
Whether there is any truth in that or not, one thing seems clear. Taking this route is a lot riskier for the SFO than offering a DPA.
Philip Marshall QC told the BBC that it is very difficult to prove that executive actions were dishonest rather than mistaken and other legal sources have told me that this case could last two years or more.
Also, what happens if the company pleads guilty while the human defendants plead not guilty? What kind of reporting restrictions might be necessary given a public company's duty to inform its shareholders of information that could materially affect the value of the company. This is complicated territory.
Let's not forget one more thing. A LOT of bad stuff happened before, during and after the crisis. Reckless lending, irresponsible borrowing, lax regulation, market rigging, financially abusing customers - you can add your own items to this list.
Former City Minister Lord (Paul) Myners has said that the Barclays top brass wanted nothing to do with government money - not least because of the intrusion that would mean into matters like pay (just ask bankers at RBS and Lloyds). Also markets lose their integrity and participants all lose if some break the law - as is alleged here.
But how many people, I wonder, would put a bank - trying to raise money to prevent a taxpayer funded bailout - in the ninth circle of Hades.
The SFO is taking a big risk it could have avoided by exacting a whopping fine through a DPA. The appearance of these executives inside a criminal court may slake the public's thirst for overdue personal accountability. So far, they have only spent an hour in court.
The weeks, months and possibly years to come will determine if the SFO picked the right battle here.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40495471
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Billy Monger crash: Amputee teen racer back behind wheel - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Teen racer Billy Monger gets back behind the wheel after losing his lower legs in a crash.
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England
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Billy Monger has driven a racing car for the first time since his crash
A teenage racing driver who had to have both legs amputated after a high speed crash has got back behind the wheel.
Billy Monger, from Surrey, hit the back of a stationary car at Donington Park in April and lost both of his lower legs, days before he turned 18.
Eleven weeks on, he has now returned to the cockpit of a racing car at Brands Hatch in Kent.
The adapted Fun Cup endurance racer is designed to look like a VW Beetle and has steering wheel mounted controls.
The Formula 4 racer returned to the track with the assistance of Team BRIT, which helps disabled drivers and injured servicemen to compete in motorsport.
The teenager said he still wanted to perfect his technique
He said: "It's been really good just to get back behind the wheel.
And he added: "Team BRIT have got two steering wheels for me to try out today.
"I've decided which one I prefer, now it's just about perfecting the technique."
Dave Player, Team BRIT founder said the aim was to give the teenager his first time out on the track and to get his race licence back.
Monger said his ambition now was to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours with Frenchman Frederic Sausset, who lost both arms and legs through an illness.
Billy was driving a specially-adapted car with similar power to a performance hatchback
"I'm not 100% committed to anything yet, we're just looking at different options to see what's best for me in the future," he said.
"There's a lot of work involved in what's going on with my own rehabilitation, but that's all going well, so hopefully we'll be back out on track soon."
Billy's car is specially adapted with steering wheel-mounted hand controls for the throttle, brakes and clutch
The teenager thanked fans who had overwhelmed him with help: "People keep saying I'm the inspiration but I think all these people coming together to support someone who has gone through an accident like this, they're the true inspiration."
Billy had vowed to race again after turning 18
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40497230
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Baby Dove adverts criticised over breastfeeding stance - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Dozens complain to the watchdog about the campaign which some say is against breastfeeding in public.
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UK
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Skincare brand Baby Dove has been criticised by mums who say the company's new adverts support those who oppose breastfeeding in public.
One advert says "75% say breastfeeding in public is fine, 25% say put them away. What's your way?"
The Advertising Standards Authority has received 151 complaints, including concerns the ad perpetuates a negative image of breastfeeding in public.
Brand owner Unilever said it aims to celebrate different parenting styles.
Another Dove advert shows a crying baby accompanied by text that reads: "36% are for feeding him when he cries, 64% are passionately against it. What's your way?"
While the brand's website also reads: "So whether you're among the 66% who think that breastfeeding in public is fine, or the 34% who think otherwise, whatever choice you make, we are with you every step of the way."
But "Unmumsy Mum" blogger Sarah Turner said in an open letter to Dove, posted on Facebook, that supporting the "dangerous" view that it was acceptable to criticise breastfeeding in public could put mums off.
"No woman should be made to feel ashamed for feeding their baby in public," she wrote.
"If you are standing with people who think breastfeeding in public is not okay, are you also with them if they ask a breastfeeding mum to cover up, or if they think she would be better off sat feeding in a restaurant toilet?"
Baby Milk Action, a non-profit organisation, called the "What's your way?" campaign "seriously misguided".
In a Facebook post, it said: "Please do not be intimidated by the Dove marketing campaign condoning those who object to breastfeeding in public.
"It is illegal to discriminate against anyone for how they feed their child in public."
Emma Pickett, from the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, said: "It's not anyone's 'way' to oppose it unless they fancy going to court or criminal action, and it's insulting to imagine that mums who formula feed automatically sympathise with people who dislike breastfeeding in public.
"This message intimidates new mums and that means increased isolation and greater risk of postnatal mental health issues."
Anna Burbridge, from support group La Leche League, agreed that women "need support and protection against unpleasant and aggressive comments, and advertising campaigns which ask what people think are unhelpful".
"Women do not have to 'put them away' and anything which implies they do contradicts the legal right of women to breastfeed."
Unilever responded to the criticisms in a statement, saying: "We believe there are many ways to be a great mum or dad.
"Our campaign simply aims to celebrate the different approaches and opinions around parenting, including whether or not mums choose to breastfeed in public, recognising that it's ultimately what works for you and your baby that matters the most."
Many have voiced their opinions on social media.
Bev Bevster said on Facebook she was "disgusted that Dove supports the discrimination of breastfeeding mothers" and "promotes child cruelty" by allowing babies to cry.
"What has any of this got to do with do with body products?"
Rhiannon Kendrick wrote: "I have just seen your ludicrous, sensationalist and downright upsetting Baby Dove advert. Who wants to see a picture of a crying baby for goodness sake?"
Some complaints have criticised the statistics quoted on Baby Dove's website
In England and Wales, it is illegal for anyone to ask a breastfeeding woman to leave a public place, such as a cafe, shop or public transport.
Scottish law makes it an offence to deliberately prevent or stop a person from feeding milk to a child in their charge in a public place or licensed premises.
Northern Ireland ministers have been considering legislation to protect mothers who breastfeed in public.
Last year, a study published in medical journal The Lancet found that the rates of breastfeeding in the UK were the lowest in the world.
The Advertising Standards Authority said the "general nature" of the complaints it had received were that it was not clear where the statistics were from.
The complaints said one advert encouraged a parenting style that was poor or neglectful, while the other perpetuated a negative perception of breastfeeding in public.
An ASA spokesman said the complaints were being assessed and no decision had yet been made on whether advertising rules had been broken.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40478372
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How I saved the NHS £22 million, says mum - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A mother says a wasted operation on her son pushed her over the edge and spurred her into action.
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Health
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David, now 17, had to wait almost four months for an ankle foot orthosis
A wasted operation which left her son David unable to walk was what spurred on Rebecca Loo to make a difference to the NHS.
"I was livid. I was so consumed by anger. I thought either I have a nervous breakdown, or I do something," says Rebecca, from Staffordshire.
She is only one of 300,000 people who got in touch with Healthwatch England, an independent health watchdog, to share their experiences of NHS treatment.
Rebecca's disgust with the orthotics service which failed her son has led to a total redesign of how children access braces, boots and callipers to help their mobility.
As a result of her hard work, children right across England are no longer facing the sort of delays which affected her son.
Crucially, NHS England believes the changes have the potential to save hospitals up to £22 million.
Because of muscle abnormalities resulting from cerebral palsy, which left his foot turned inwards, David had needed to wear special, supportive NHS boots to help him walk.
But they were usually ill-fitting, and often so delayed that he had outgrown them by the time he got them - or only a few months later.
David then endured blisters, chaffing and bleeding toes while new boots were made.
In 2009, an orthopaedic surgeon recommended serial casting to set David's foot straight.
David was left immobile and unable to go to school
Immediately after surgery he should have been fitted with an ankle foot orthosis - a brace that keeps the ankle and foot straight - but it took 17 weeks to arrive and, within days of the operation, her son was immobile.
The knock-on effect for nine-year-old David was huge, both in terms of his physical development and his emotional well-being. He missed school for four months because he couldn't access his classroom on the top floor. He was upset and in pain.
"We weren't just back at square one, we were worse than when we started," Rebecca told BBC News.
David later had to undergo complex surgery that Rebecca believes would have been unnecessary if her local orthotics department had worked as it should have done.
And it turned out Rebecca's experience was not unique. She spoke to many other parents who had endured similar experiences - but nothing had been done to improve the system.
Together, they created a dossier of evidence cataloguing the woeful state of her local orthotics department.
Rebecca Loo's son's wait meant surgery ultimately had to be done again
"Nobody cared who was in charge; nobody had looked at how the service was commissioned," explains Rebecca. "The service was neglected and underfunded."
Healthwatch England has launched #ItStartsWithYou to highlight the difference patient feedback can make.
The campaign is encouraging members of the public to share their experiences of the NHS - good or bad - to help improve how things are done.
Imelda Redmond, national director of Healthwatch England, said the NHS was "increasingly keen to find out what people are feeding back".
"It can help the whole health and care sector understand what it is getting right and where things need to improve.
"I urge everyone to speak up and help us make the changes we all want to see," she said.
Rebecca's feedback ultimately changed the way services were commissioned - not only in Staffordshire but across England. And in 2014, those processes were rolled out nationally.
"To have not acted would have been to accept defeat," says Rebecca. "I didn't want another family to go through what we did.
"Unless you listen to patients, you can't have a service that meets needs."
George Rook's input on dementia treatment has helped improve local health and social care services
George Rook wanted to share his first-hand experience of being diagnosed with dementia, which has now led to the creation of two "dementia cafes" in Shropshire.
After struggling with his own diagnosis, George, 63, has spent the past four years working with local doctors to help improve the way they identify and support people with early symptoms of the disease.
Working with his local Healthwatch, George has helped local GP surgeries to become "dementia friendly" and set up a programme to recruit local dementia champions.
He has also been instrumental in establishing the Butterfly Scheme, which sees medical staff pinning a butterfly to people's notes to enable others to quickly and discreetly see that they have dementia.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40454684
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Sir Bradley Wiggins: Can five-time Olympic cycling champion make it as a rower? - BBC Sport
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2017-07-04
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Can five-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Bradley Wiggins make it to Tokyo 2020 as a rower? BBC Sport investigates.
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Sir Bradley Wiggins is a five-time Olympic cycling champion, but will the 37-year-old's plans to swap his racing bike for a rowing boat see him reach a sixth Games?
The 2012 Tour de France winner retired from cycling in December 2016 and has taken up rowing in the gym to keep fit.
He first raised the idea of switching sports in his 2012 autobiography My Time, and has now outlined his intent to compete at the British Indoor Rowing Championships in December.
"I might be being a bit delusional, but the times suggest I'm not," he said. "I'm going to see how far I can take it. Maybe a sixth Olympic gold?"
So can Wiggins turn his rowing dreams into a reality? How does he go about bringing those plans to fruition? And what obstacles stand in his way on the road to Tokyo 2020?
BBC Sport asked three-time Olympic champion Andrew Triggs Hodge what it will take for the mercurial cycling talent to become rowing royalty.
'His last stroke will be his best'
Triggs Hodge, 38, has won gold medals at three different Games, adding four World Championship titles to boot, and the now-retired Great Britain rower is excited to see what Wiggins can offer the sport.
"It's awesome Wiggo has thought about transferring to rowing," he told BBC Sport. "I think that's never been done before, so congratulations for at least attempting it.
"I love the fact that he is trying, and I can't wait to see what he can do.
"He's going to have to do something that hasn't been done before, so I wish him all the luck and he will be welcomed into the sport with open arms."
With the experience of five Olympic Games behind him on a bike, Wiggins appears to have put his hopes of reaching a sixth in a boat.
Rebecca Romero, who became the first Briton to win medals in two sports at a summer Olympics, successfully made the switch in the opposite direction, so how will Britain's most decorated Olympian fare?
"The best advice I can give him is he is going to have to put all that to bed," added Triggs Hodge. "If he comes on to the scene expecting to be an Olympic champion, he will put himself under a lot of pressure.
"If he has got the confidence and the presence to say 'OK, I will start off as a novice rower and expect nothing more' but train with that desire and that passion to put himself in the picture and let his body dictate to him a little bit, then I think he will get the most out of himself.
"I hope everyone will give him the time and space to explore the sport at his own pace, not put any pressure on.
"Give him the respect first for trying, and then give him the few years he'll need to start performing - it will be a long journey and his last stroke will be his best.
"Until that point he is on a trajectory and we should definitely give him the time and space and credit for venturing on this journey."
What will be his biggest challenge?
Wiggins is not averse to attempting new things. He successfully made the transition from winning on the road to winning on the track and back again, clinching world and Olympic titles in both disciplines.
Triggs Hodge says the former Team Sky rider obviously boasts a "great engine", but weight could be an issue for the 2012 Tour de France champion.
Wiggins said himself: "I'm trying to get to 100 kilos, so I'd be 31 kilos heavier than when I went on Tour."
And British Rowing performance director Sir David Tanner echoed those concerns in May: "He's not the biggest of guys, so I'd guess if he did want to do rowing he'd want to be a lightweight, for which we only have two places these days."
"Physiologically he might be up for the challenge," explained Triggs Hodge. "He's got a lot of work to do with his core and his upper body, especially when he gets into the boat, that'll be a big component.
"There's an aspect of retraining his body, retraining his aerobic system, his lactate system with the new muscles, a different capacity on his heart - there is a lot there to work and retrain.
"The tactical side in cycling is also huge. Getting a tactical advantage when you're in the peloton or in the time trial, so his advantage there is probably less so in rowing.
"But his biggest challenge is going to be the technical side. Rowing is a whole different ball game to cycling."
Is Wiggins too old?
One obstacle facing the 37-year-old is his age. By the time the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games arrive, Wiggins will be 40.
Even the likes of Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent bowed out before hitting the same age, and Triggs Hodge says transferring any skills later in life is a challenge.
"Most of the top people retire between 35 and 40," added Triggs Hodge, who announced he was hanging up his oar shortly before his 38th birthday earlier this year.
"The reason being, the training volume really takes a toll on the body. Less specific muscles or bones, more just the metabolism, your kind of 'wholeness'.
"Physiologically, if you are able to take it a bit easier you can go on indefinitely. It depends how his body is going to be able to adapt."
Triggs Hodge says the challenge for a lot of young rowers is coping with the volume of training needed, rather than actually progressing as a rower.
"You tend to see that first when people get into the national team," he added. "They'll take a step back or stay static for a few years. When their body is then able to cope with the training, they will move forward and progress.
"He'll have to cope with some adjustments and it usually takes a youthful body to get over that hump.
"It won't be easy. Everyone is mortal, everyone only has one body and he will to have to take his time like the Redgraves and Pinsents did when they were young."
'Get in a boat, that's where the magic lies'
Wiggins plans to showcase his talent at the British Indoor Rowing Championships in December at Lee Valley VeloPark in London, where competition takes place on static rowing machines.
He has yet to reveal whether he has been in the water, and Triggs Hodge says Wiggins' biggest challenge may be transferring from the gym to the regatta.
"If he's going to give it a go, he needs to get into a boat as soon as possible," said the 38-year-old.
"There's a classic saying in rowing that Ergos (rowing machines) don't float. As much as I know British Rowing are pushing indoor rowing, it simply isn't a water sport - it doesn't have the grace or elegance or even probably the injuries that the water sport has.
"There's no way to get side-by-side than to actually get on the water. He needs to see what it's like to get in a boat, that's where the magic lies in this sport.
"Especially when you are inside of it, you get to really appreciate what the sport has."
What event would suit Wiggins best?
Wiggins is used to competing as part of a team, winning Olympic team pursuit gold medals in 2008 and 2016 and experiencing success on the road, but Triggs Hodge says the tactical element of rowing is different.
"Cycling teams yield to the main guy, the one that is leading and one you want to push to the front," he said. "In rowing, it is a whole new dynamic in the team environment."
So is there a particular event that would suit Wiggins best?
"It's going to be tricky whatever," added the Molesey Boat Club rower. "The best he can do is get himself into the middle of an eight, that's where he'll pick up the skills the fastest.
"The challenge with rowing in an eight is the team aspect is the most different to an individual sport or a sport where you have a leading star. There is a big challenge there to integrate into a top team.
"The smaller the boat class you go, down to the pairs or a single, you rely on more precision technique - it's more about the individual. You have just got to dive in and see where you prefer to be, accept the challenges wherever they may lie.
"All credit to the guy. He's going to have a big challenge but I look forward to seeing him have a go."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rowing/40490883
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Hammond says UK must 'hold nerve' over public pay - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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The chancellor insists a balance must be struck between what is fair for workers and taxpayers.
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UK Politics
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Five million public sector workers have seen their pay capped since 2012
Philip Hammond has insisted pay policy has not changed and the "right balance" must continue to be struck in terms of what is fair for workers and taxpayers.
The chancellor, who is under pressure from colleagues to lift the 1% public pay cap, said he understood people were "weary" after seven years of austerity.
But speaking in London, he rejected calls to "take the foot off the pedal".
Government must "hold its nerve" in the face of calls for a "different path" of higher taxes and borrowing, he said.
Mr Hammond is facing a growing chorus from within his own party for him to reconsider the 1% limit on increases in public sector salaries, which has been in place since 2012.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson expressed his support for a rethink on Monday, with sources suggesting he believed public sector workers could enjoy higher rewards in a "responsible way" that did not damage the public finances.
Rises of 1% for dentists, nurses, doctors and the military have already been agreed for this year and No 10 said ministers would respond to pay review bodies in due course.
Nigel Lawson, a former chancellor to Margaret Thatcher, said it was Mr Hammond's job to keep control of public spending to avoid "economic disaster".
"It's not easy but it is necessary," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "People understand we need to pay our way on the road to economic success."
Lord Lawson called on ministers to formulate the policy behind closed doors, adding: "Stop having this debate in public, it's ludicrous".
Speaking to business leaders at a CBI dinner, Mr Hammond acknowledged there was widespread frustration at the stagnation in real-terms pay growth at a time of rising inflation.
Addressing the current debate over public sector pay, he said government policy had "always been designed to strike the right balance of between being fair to our public servants and fair to those who pay for them".
"That approach has not changed; and we continually assess that balance. But we do, of course, recognise that the British people are weary after seven years hard slog repairing the damage of the great recession.
"They have travelled a long way… but still the sunlit uplands seem stubbornly to remain one further ridge away.
"And once again, some are questioning whether we should abandon the economic plan that has brought us so far… and take a different path."
After the Conservatives' failure to win an overall majority, he said it was up to his party to again make the case for a market-based economy, underpinned by sound public finances.
Arguably the simpler part of the debate has been had - many public sector workers are feeling the pinch, and there is more and more pressure to remove the limit on pay rises. The more complicated bit, who or what would pay for the increase, is a conversation that's yet to happen.
Whatever Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have said in the last 24 hours, don't expect anything to happen in a hurry. The first pay review body is not due to report for another few weeks.
It seems unlikely that the government will announce any plan to either ditch the cap or promise to accept the decisions of the review bodies before then.
It's not in either Theresa May or Philip Hammond's DNA to make quick decisions.
"After seven long and tough years, the high-wage, high-growth economy for which we strive is tantalisingly close to being within our grasp," he added.
"It would be easy to take our foot off the pedal. But instead we must hold our nerve... and maintain our focus resolutely on the prizes that are so nearly within reach."
The country needed "the right Brexit deal agreed in the months ahead… a steady determination to restore our public finances to balance by 2025… and a relentless focus on transforming Britain's productivity performance".
The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there were intense discussions among ministers about the political wisdom of shifting position but while there was "change in the air" there was, as yet, no common position.
Labour said immediate action was needed from the government not "just more empty words or infighting from members of the Cabinet".
But former Conservative minister Sir Oliver Letwin warned that "some modest tax rises" would be necessary to fund any public sector pay rise. "If you want to spend more, then you have to raise some more," he told BBC2's Daily Politics.
He added that decisions like these need "to be made as part of a package".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40487982
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SAS accused of killing unarmed Afghan civilians - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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The Royal Military Police are investigating an allegation of unlawful killing in Afghanistan involving British special forces.
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UK
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One man says members of his family were killed in an SAS night raid
The Royal Military Police is investigating an allegation that British special forces killed unarmed Afghan civilians, the BBC understands.
The BBC has spoken to one man who says four members of his family were killed in a night raid involving the SAS in 2011.
The Sunday Times has also reported other allegations of unlawful killing by British special forces.
An investigation into British troops' conduct in Afghanistan began in 2015.
In 2016, the Ministry of Defence said about 600 complaints against British forces in Afghanistan had been made, relating to a period between 2005 and 2013.
The MoD says 90% of those have already been dismissed, with fewer than 10% still the subject of investigation by the Royal Military Police under Operation Northmoor.
The man, who did not want to be named, told the BBC he was held, blindfolded, in a room overnight.
"Early morning, they came and opened my eyes and said to me that I should not go out until they left the area. When the helicopters left the area we came out of the room.
"As soon as I came out of the room I saw that they had shot my father, two brothers and cousin."
The BBC has been told the raid did involve special forces and is now being investigated.
A former British Army intelligence officer, Chris Green, who served in Afghanistan, said he had been blocked when he tried to look into allegations of abuses by special forces officers.
"British forces, and the troops that I worked with, worked under very very strict rules of engagement and it seemed to me that special forces did not have to apply the same rules in quite the same way," he said.
"My overview of their accountability was - I didn't see any.
"When I sought information from them, this wall of secrecy was put in front of me and I could see no good reason why the information I was asking for was denied from me and nor could they give me a good reason for denying me that information."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the former director of public prosecutions, Lord Macdonald, are among those who have called for an independent inquiry into the claims.
"Our armed forces have a reputation for decency and bravery," said Mr Corbyn.
"If we do not act on such shocking allegations we risk undermining that reputation, our security at home and the safety of those serving in the armed forces abroad."
The former head of the army, General Lord Richard Dannatt, said people shouldn't jump to conclusions.
"No witch hunts, but no cover ups," he said.
"If there is evidence of wrongdoing, it should be investigated, but we should be very, very careful of throwing mud at our very special, special forces."
Allegations of widespread abuse in Iraq have already been mostly discredited and that investigation is now closed.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40501304
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This is why Ed Sheeran quit Twitter - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The pop star is deluged with insults - although the mean tweets are outweighed by more positive ones.
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Entertainment & Arts
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The star was accused of using a backing track at Glastonbury
Ed Sheeran says he's quit Twitter after receiving a stream of abuse.
"I've actually come off Twitter completely," he told The Sun. "I can't read it.
"I go on it and there's nothing but people saying mean things. One comment ruins your day. But that's why I've come off it."
The star, who has 19 million followers, says he'll keep the account open, but it will only share automatic updates from his Instagram page from now on.
A quick scan of Twitter finds a number of negative - although not necessarily abusive - comments directed towards the 26-year-old.
"Irritating ginger busker" is a particularly common insult; while the song Galway Girl has provoked a torrent of anger.
"Revolting, fudged cultural appropriation," wrote David N about the jaunty jig, in which Sheeran describes falling for a girl who "played the fiddle in an Irish band".
Another user described it as "awful 'diddly-eye leprachaun'" music, full of "stereotypical nonsense".
Richard Roche had some helpful advice regarding the lyrics, which he described as: "Full of geographical inaccuracies (there's no pub on Grafton St)."
Most recently, Sheeran had to defend himself against accusations of using a backing track during his headline set at Glastonbury.
The star uses a loop pedal during his performances, which allows him to record his vocal and guitar lines, creating a layered, looped accompaniment live, on the spot.
"Is it a backing track or invisible musicians?!? Who's playing when Ed Sheeran stops?!?" wrote one mystified fan. "Couldn't he get real musicians? I like him but all a bit karaoke," wrote another.
In his last personally-authored tweet, the star sounded exasperated by the accusations.
"Never thought I'd have to explain it, but everything I do in my live show is live, it's a loop station, not a backing track. Please google," he wrote.
Other users took aim at Sheeran's televised Glastonbury show after he suffered guitar problems during the song Bloodstream.
"Ed Sheeran come to my house and I will show you how to tune a guitar you useless mess," wrote one.
Speaking to The Sun, Sheeran said he had "been trying to work out why people dislike me so much" but the simple answer is that he's the victim of his own success.
His third album ÷ (Divide) is the year's biggest-seller, dominating the charts and radio around the world. In the UK, every song on the record made the top 20 of the singles chart, while the lead single, Shape Of You, spent 14 weeks at number one.
That sort of ubiquity draws out the more mean-spirited and aggressive users of Twitter - which has gained a reputation for harbouring trolls.
Stars including Miley Cyrus, Sue Perkins, Stephen Fry, Halsey and Avengers director Joss Whedon have all quit the site after suffering abuse.
Others, including Selena Gomez and Tom Daley, have received death threats. (We saw no evidence of similar tweets to Sheeran, although it is possible such messages would have been deleted for violating Twitter's terms and conditions).
Last year, Bloomberg reported that Disney chose not to pursue an acquisition of the social media network in part because it thought the bullying behaviour of some users might damage the film company's image.
Twitter has since taken action to combat abuse - giving users better tools to mute or block trolls.
Based upon a trawl of Sheeran's account, mean tweets are vastly outweighed by positive ones.
Every time he posts a photo or a comment, the majority of responses are variations of, "I love you", "te amo" and "come to Portugal!"
And if Sheeran ventures back onto the site, he'll find heartwarming messages like this one from Castie Collins, who wrote: "I'm learning guitar because of you."
"Thank u @edsheeran for making great music so studying isn't always SO terrible," said Emily Estopare.
Hannah Robinson added: "I'm sick and feel like crap but I turned on some Ed Sheeran songs and felt better."
And Karen Porter had kind words for Sheeran's Glastonbury slot: "Could tell you were having the best time ever up on that stage," she said. "Amazing to see true talent and a genuine soul. Much love."
Even the star's least-liked song received some (faint) praise from Sadie Lyon, who wrote: "My Uber driver knows the rap bit in Galway Girl."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40491956
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The 'Babypod' carrier that comes with an F1 pedigree - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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F1 tech has influenced sectors from aeronautics to public transport - now healthcare is benefiting.
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Business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Formula 1 technology has had an impact in many other sectors, from aeronautics to cycling, public transport to data analytics, but now Williams has come up with a hi-tech carrier for critically ill new-born babies.
Every year the Williams Formula 1 team spends more than £100m ($130m; 114m euros) trying to make two cars go round a racing track as fast as possible.
Ignore the adrenaline-fuelled appeal of wheel-to-wheel racing, and it might all seem rather pointless. Yet the technology developed in the white heat of competition can turn up in some surprising places.
The materials and techniques used to build Williams' F1 cars, for example, are now being used to make an altogether different type of transport - for new-born babies.
The Babypod 20, as it is known, is a sleek, lightweight box with a sliding transparent lid and a heavily padded interior. It is designed for transporting infants who are critically ill, whether by car, ambulance or helicopter.
It looks pretty basic, but is the result of an intensive development process. The material used in the design is carbon fibre, the same remarkably strong material used in F1 cars.
The "Babypod" is designed to be light, strong and easily accessible
The pod is being built by Williams Advanced Engineering, a sister business to the Formula 1 team, based at the same UK site in Grove, Oxfordshire.
The firm has been working on the new design alongside Advanced Healthcare Technology (AHT), a company that has been building transport systems for babies for a number of years.
Carrying new-born babies from place to place is not easy.
They need to be kept at a constant temperature and protected from vibration and noise, while being monitored closely by medical staff.
In the past, incubators were used. But these are heavy, cumbersome devices, that require an external electricity supply and often dedicated vehicles to carry them as well.
The Babypod was initially developed by AHT as a lightweight and more practical alternative. Williams was then called in to develop a new, more advanced design.
The Williams Babypod 20 infant carrier (foreground) owes at lot to F1 car tech
The result is a device that weighs just 9.1kg (20lb) - about the same as three bricks - takes up relatively little space, and that can withstand an impact of up to 20G (in case the ambulance carrying it is involved in an accident, for example).
To begin with, it is being used by the Children's Acute Transport Service (CATS) of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, though the plan is to market it much more widely.
CATS operational manager Eithne Polke says the service is delighted with the new pod, which costs £5,000 per unit.
Fast and effective transportation can save lives in emergency situations, she says, and the pod "allows for greater flexibility and manoeuvrability when moving critically ill infants ".
Williams Advanced Engineering was set up in 2010 to make broader use of the technology and expertise developed at such huge expense in Formula 1.
Much of what it does is still linked to the automotive sector.
For example, it helped design a hybrid supercar for Jaguar, as well as an electric version of Aston Martin's Rapide sportscar - known as the RapidE.
But it has also branched out into other areas - designing energy storage systems for solar power projects, for example.
Tucked away in a corridor of the factory is what looks like a fairly normal supermarket fridge - except that the edge of each shelf, where you'd normally see a price tag, is a bit broader and curvier than normal.
Williams spends more than £100m a year trying to make its cars as fast as possible
It is, in fact, an aerofoil, designed to channel cold air down the front of the fridge, rather than allowing it to spill out into the supermarket aisle. This makes the fridge more efficient, cheaper to run, and keeps customers warmer.
It may be a world away from Formula 1 - but it uses the same expertise in aerodynamics.
According to Clare Williams, deputy principal of the F1 team, there's plenty of room for F1 know-how to be exploited in this way.
"Lightweight materials, composites, aerodynamics… all of these technologies can be so easily applied to other industries, other sectors, other project and products," she says, "in order invariably to make them better, but most importantly - sometimes safer.
"And that's the case with the Babypod."
Rival F1 team McLaren also has its own engineering and design spin-off - McLaren Applied Technologies - which has contributed its expertise to a diverse range of companies, from cycle-maker Specialized, to deep-sea drilling firm Ecofisk.
Fundamentally though, these applied engineering businesses have one overriding purpose: to generate much-needed money for the F1 team.
Williams teamed up with Jaguar to create the C-X75 hybrid supercar
So far, Williams Advanced Engineering has been moderately successful.
It contributed £37m to the group's revenues last year, out of a total of £167m. And profit - before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation - was £4.2m.
In a sport which guzzles cash as fast as the cars involved use fuel, that may not seem like a great deal. But as Williams struggles to compete with much richer teams like Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull, it needs every penny.
"The F1 team is still at the heart of what we do", says Ms Williams.
"Racing is in our DNA. But we have branched out and diversified - and having that revenue stream from Advanced Engineering will be, one day, hugely important for us."
And if the Babypod is a success, in future there may be a fair few people walking around who owe their lives to technology developed in Formula 1.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40481095
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Tony Hadley cuts ties with Spandau Ballet - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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The singer says he "is no longer a member of the band", who scored hits with True and Gold.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Spandau Ballet backstage at Top of the Pops in 1983, with Hadley front and centre
Singer Tony Hadley says he has left 1980s pop group Spandau Ballet, and "will not be performing" with them in the future.
In an oddly-worded statement, the star said: "I am required to state that I am no longer a member of the band".
He did not indicate why he was leaving, but blamed "circumstances beyond my control".
The group, who scored hits with True and Gold, broke up acrimoniously in the 1990s but had reformed in 2009.
The remaining members put the blame for the latest split on Hadley's shoulders.
"Much to our frustration, Tony had made it clear in September 2016 that he didn't want to work with the band anymore," they wrote on their official website.
"This has not changed and 2015 was the last time we were able to perform or work with him. So we have now made the decision to move on as a band."
Formed in 1976 as The Cut, they cut their teeth in the punk era, before emerging as one of the planet's biggest pop bands - engaged in a fierce rivalry with fellow New Romantics Duran Duran.
Following their first hit - 1980's To Cut A Long Story Short - they released six studio albums and had 10 UK top 10 singles, topping the charts with True in 1983.
Spandau's original split came after the five-piece fell out over money.
In 1999, Hadley, saxophonist Steve Norman and drummer John Keeble sued guitarist Gary Kemp for a share of the band's songwriting royalties.
Kemp, who played in the band with his brother Martin, wrote all of the hits, but the other musicians believed they had a gentleman's agreement to share the profits, in recognition of their musical contribution to the songs.
The case went to the High Court, where Kemp won. He later described the battle as "like walking away from a car crash - you're glad to be alive but mortified and shocked by the wreckage".
The band were back in court three years later, arguing over the right to use the name Spandau Ballet. Hadley, Keeble and Norman lost again and had to tour under the humbling name of Ex-Spandau Ballet.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Soul Boys Of The Western World looks at the career of Spandau Ballet in the 1980s
By this point, Hadley was not on speaking terms with the Kemp brothers, and for a number of years a reunion seemed like an impossibility.
In 2007, the singer told the Daily Express: "I know you should never say never, and bands in the past have said hell would freeze over before they got back together, but in our case I think hell is frozen and we still wouldn't do it."
Naturally, they reformed two years later, hosting a press conference on HMS Belfast in London, the scene of a landmark early gig in 1980.
Since then, they have toured the world, headlining the Isle of Wight Festival and producing a documentary about themselves called Soul Boys of the Western World.
They even recorded a handful of new songs for the 2014 album The Story - The Very Best of Spandau Ballet.
More recently, the band have been playing solo shows; while Martin Kemp appeared as a judge on the BBC show Let It Shine.
Hadley's decision to cut ties with Spandau effectively puts an end to any future reunion.
The band last toured together in 2015
His full statement read as follows: "Due to circumstances beyond my control, it is with deep regret that I am required to state that I am no longer a member of the band Spandau Ballet and as such I will not be performing with the band in the future."
Fans on Twitter responded by quoting some of Spandau's more memorable lyrics.
"Say it's not True!" wrote one. "Communication let them down," added another. "He didn't need this pressure on," noted a third.
"You'll notice it [the statement] is only one sentence," said Scott Taylor. "I think @TheTonyHadley found it hard to write the next line."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40479888
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Ministers 'in the dark' over scale of child vulnerability - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Children's Commissioner found some 670,000 children live in high risk family situations.
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Education & Family
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Ministers do not know how many hundreds of thousands of children in England are living risky or vulnerable lives, says children's commissioner Anne Longfield.
England's children's champion has tried to calculate the total in a report, in the absence of overall official data.
She found some 670,000 children live in high risk family situations, thousands with parents in addiction treatment.
Children's minister Robert Goodwill said support for vulnerable children was being given across government.
But he acknowledged there was more to do.
Ms Longfield highlighted that half a million children are so vulnerable that the state has to step in with support, and 46,000 are thought to be in gangs.
Some 200,000 are judged by the local council to have experienced trauma or abuse and 119,000 children are homeless or living in insecure or unstable accommodation.
Despite widespread concern, the most recent estimate of children suffering from mental health conditions - around 800,000 - is 13 years out of date.
The children's commissioner is clear that despite its researchers' best efforts, the figures it has to draw from may contain lots of overlaps and double counting.
It is the start of a longer piece of work to clarify the scale and nature of child vulnerability and to encourage the government to collect better data and define what counts as vulnerability.
She is also clear that there will be many "invisible" children living in vulnerable situations who have not been reported to services and also because of gaps in data.
Ms Longfield says: "This report should be a wake-up call to the government and policy-makers, who have been in the dark about the level of child vulnerability for too long.
"It is shocking that half a million children need direct intervention or care from the state because they are living vulnerable lives.
"On top of that there are many hundreds of thousands of other children growing up in potentially high risk situations.
"Yet even more shocking is that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Ministers have a wealth of information about children's attainment
"The actual numbers are likely to be much higher. The truth is nobody knows the exact number of vulnerable children."
The report highlights the fact that there are many different indicators used in varied ways by government departments, agencies and others, causing confusion about the scale of the problems among children.
She adds that behind the confusion are unidentified and invisible children, suffering a variety of risks and vulnerabilities.
"We can trace in minute detail the academic progress of a child from four to 18 and beyond, but when it comes to describing and assessing the scale of negative factors in a child's life which will hamper their progress, we are floundering," Ms Longfield says.
Mr Goodwill said that every single child should have their voice heard and receive the care and support that they need to realise their potential.
"Across government, we are taking action to address this issue - whether through reforming children's social care, prioritising mental health, or better protecting victims of domestic violence and abuse.
"For some of the most vulnerable, our new What Works Centre for children's social care will ensure social workers across the country are able to learn from best practice in keeping children safe.
"We recognise the scale of this challenge - and, while the number of children in need has remained relatively stable since 2010, there is always more to do.
"We will look carefully at these exploratory statistics and I am looking forward to working with the children's commissioner as this important work continues."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-40456793
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