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Charlie Gard: Pope and Trump offer parents support - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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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".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40479074
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Gurls Talk: Adwoa Aboah on creating a 'safe space' for women - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Gurls Talk is an online community, founded by model Adwoa Aboah, that offers a space for young women to talk.
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Newsbeat
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Gurls Talk is an online community for young women to discuss things like mental health, sex, and social media.
Its first real-life festival has taken place in London, with talks and workshops.
"I told other girls they could open up to me, so I'm not leaving," says founder and model Adwoa Aboah, who's had her own struggles with depression.
"The moment I opened my mouth I took on that responsibility."
"A lot of the time people put up a front. Events like this allow people to break that down," says Ellie
Hundreds of young women and men came along to the free event.
"I think it's important that girls can speak to each other about their problems because sexism is at all levels of society," says 18-year-old Clara.
"I'm in high school, and it's still very obvious that the guys get to talk more, and get to take more places than the girls."
Umi and Hodaya customised their Gurls Talk bags with embroidery
Gurls Talk began as an Instagram account in 2015, encouraging women to share their stories.
Since then it's grown into something bigger, with Adwoa giving talks in schools, and lots of women writing in for advice.
"These are my girls, these are my tribe. Having them all here was amazing," says Adwoa.
She spent much of Saturday hugging the girls who went along, and even started a conga line with them at one point.
Photographers took portraits of everyone to take home
"I think it's important for women to know that they're not alone," says Umi, who is 17. "We're always stigmatised with words like 'bossy', or [people will say] 'That's not ladylike', or 'slut.'"
She feels teenagers are often not listened to.
"Young girls experience sexual harassment in ways that we don't talk about enough, or people don't take seriously. From age 13 onwards, I've been catcalled in the street. That's not OK."
Adwoa was among the speakers at Saturday's event, alongside top model Hanne Gaby Odiele, feminist columnist Laurie Penny, doctors and relationship experts.
"Hearing someone that you put on a pedestal talk about their experiences in such a raw way is really nice. You realise that all the people you idolise are just people," says Lauren, 19.
"I was very worried that as a guy this wasn’t a space for me, but it’s important that everyone’s included in these discussions," says Matt
Many girls at the event asked Adwoa about how to cope with the pressure they feel from social media to look a certain way.
"I completely understand because I was in that place of projecting this very fake image of who I was," Adwoa tells Newsbeat.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm adding to that worm hole of imagery that's so detrimental to how women look at themselves.
"The people at the top of the social media game don't always take on that responsibility. They show a life that's out of many people's reach."
Seventeen-year old Isra tells Newsbeat she wants to see more diverse images of beauty promoted.
"When you look at television adverts, when you look at magazines, you see the models and they're all of one body type, one colour type, and it does get to you," she says.
"You're like, 'Why do they epitomise white European features so much? Am I not beautiful?'
"They're embracing diversity only through [skin] colour, not through facial features, body features. Diversity's so much more than colour."
"It’s a safe space for girls. For me that means all girls, regardless of colour, sexuality, style," says Lola, with her friend Lauren
Adwoa is often credited with helping to increase diversity in modelling.
She appeared on the March cover of American Vogue, alongside six models of differing skin tone and body shape, and in the new Gap advert, directed by new Vogue editor Edward Enninful, with the slogan 'Unified in harmony'.
"Social media makes being a woman all the more complex," says Alexa, "you start to seek validation through these negative ideals."
She says she hopes campaigns like these signify real change in the industry.
"I am only one type of girl as well. It shouldn't just be, 'OK we put Adwoa in so we've hit that quota.' It's not good enough."
Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/40482108
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Jersey care abuse inquiry: Children 'still at risk' - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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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."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40485015
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Fox Sports fires top executive Jamie Horowitz - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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US media say the sacking comes amid claims of sexual harassment at Fox Sports.
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US & Canada
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Fox's treatment of Jamie Horowitz (pictured) had been appalling, his lawyer said
Fox Sports has sacked Jamie Horowitz, head of sports programming at the US company.
It gave no reasons for the dismissal, but stressed on the importance of "professional conduct".
Meanwhile, US media report that Mr Horowitz's departure comes amid claims of sexual harassment at Fox Sports.
Mr Horowitz's lawyer said "the way Jamie has been treated by Fox is appalling" and that the executive had worked "in an exemplary fashion".
In the memo to sent to employees, Fox Sports President Eric Shanks wrote that everyone should "adhere to professional conduct at all times".
Mr Horowitz's lawyer Patricia Glaser said in response to his dismissal: "At no point in his tenure was there any mention by his superiors or human resources of any misconduct, nor an inability to adhere to professional conduct.
"Jamie was hired by Fox to do a job, the job that until today he has performed in an exemplary fashion. Any slanderous accusations to the contrary will be vigorously defended."
However, Fox Sport's lawyer Daniel Petrocelli said that "Mr Horowitz's termination was fully warranted and his lawyer's accusations are ill-informed and misguided".
Fox Sports is part of 21st Century Fox, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch.
The Los Angeles Times and the New York Times reported that about a week ago Fox began an investigation into claims of sexual harassment at its sports division. The newspapers quoted a person briefed on the matter.
Fox has not publicly commented on the media reports, which could not be independently verified.
In April, prime-time presenter Bill O'Reilly was dropped from Fox News over sexual harassment claims. He described the claims as "completely unfounded".
Last July, Roger Ailes, a long-time boss of Fox News, resigned after a number of female employees had accused him of sexual harassment.
At the time he said he was resigning because he had become a "distraction". Mr Ailes died in May.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40489822
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Where is 'Islamic State' leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi? - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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What has happened to IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who last appeared in public three years ago?
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Middle East
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Baghdadi's 2014 appearance in Mosul was the last time he was seen in public
Three years ago, video emerged of the leader of so-called Islamic State (IS), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, commanding allegiance in a sermon at the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul. The Iraqi city had been freshly captured by the jihadist group and a "caliphate" declared.
At the time, IS controlled a region the size of the United Kingdom - but since then a global war against the jihadists has sent them into retreat, and the whereabouts of Baghdadi - a man with a $25m US bounty on his head - are a mystery.
On the third anniversary of Baghdadi's first - and last public - public appearance, IS no longer controls most of the land it once held. Its leader has been conspicuously silent since addressing followers in a recorded audio message last November, after the battle to dislodge the group from Mosul began.
Amid this silence, unconfirmed reports of Baghdadi's death have recently surfaced. Russia's deputy foreign minister said it was "highly likely" Baghdadi was killed in a Russian air force strike on Raqqa on 28 May, and an Iranian official asserted last week that he was "definitely dead". However, both claims were questioned by American officials.
In a video released from Raqqa a week after the Russian report surfaced, IS members referred to "our sheikh" without mentioning Baghdadi by name, leaving a question mark over his fate. After all, the Taliban and al-Qaeda hid the death of Taliban leader Mullah Omar for two years.
For both his supporters and enemies, Baghdadi's absence at such a critical moment is perplexing.
The answer to the question about Baghdadi's whereabouts might be related to his claim to legitimacy as caliph, or "commander of the faithful".
According to a contentious religious rule, a candidate can (among other criteria) claim the title if he has "ardh tamkeen", or "land to rule".
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Today, the ardh tamkeen is shrinking. IS is all but a spent force in Mosul and is under immense pressure in Raqqa, its two de facto capitals in Iraq and Syria.
(In recognition of the defining moment in Iraq, IS blew up the al-Nuri mosque two weeks ago before security forces could seize the site).
Baghdadi might be in hiding in what could be described as IS's "third capital", namely the areas currently controlled by the group on the two sides of the Syrian and Iraqi borders.
IS calls this area Wilayat al-Furat, or "Euphrates Province", which mainly comprises the Iraqi town of al-Qaim and the Syrian town of Albu Kamal.
In 2014, the rise of IS began in Wilayat al-Furat and surrounding areas. According to the group's own accounts, in videos produced recently from Anbar province in Iraq, the militants used the region as a launchpad for its blitzkriegs in Iraq and Syria.
Russia says Baghdadi might have been killed in an air strike on this building (right-hand image)
The region also has relatively weakly armed militias and tribes, which could hold and secure the region if and when it is recaptured.
Even in supposedly liberated areas like Rutba, a town to the south, IS has still managed to carry out frequent deadly hit-and-run attacks.
No campaign has been launched yet to liberate these remote towns. Discussions as to whether the US or the Syrian government and its allies should lead the offensive on the Syrian side of the border are still being held in Washington.
If the US conducts the campaign, questions remain as to whether rebel fighters or the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) should lead the fight.
In Iraq, places like Tal Afar, west of Mosul, appear to be a current priority for the pro-government forces.
Hisham al-Hashimi, an adviser to the Iraqi government and an expert on Iraqi jihadist groups, suggests that Wilayat al-Furat is where al-Baghdadi is likely to be hiding.
The Iraqi government has carried out several air strikes in Albu Kamal over the past two years. Iyad al-Jamili, one of al-Baghdadi's closest aides has been spotted in the Syrian town, according to Mr Hashimi.
A number of other close associates of the IS leader have also been seen in Albu Kamal and Mayadin, another key IS town in the Syrian province of Deir al-Zour, Mr Hashimi says.
Wilayat al-Furat is the only remaining region where IS can claim ardh tamkeen.
The campaign to clear the region might take many months to begin and much longer to conclude.
Even after these areas are liberated, IS is likely to use the desert, river valleys and border zones as hideouts and to launch attacks on urban centres.
Baghdadi, unlike other jihadist leaders, tends to speak or appear only when there is an extreme need for it - as seen with the announcement of the caliphate and the appeal to followers to stand and fight in Mosul.
The higher up the IS chain of command, the more communication with superiors becomes restricted to a small number of trusted loyalists.
Less than a handful people would therefore know Baghdadi's whereabouts. That makes it hard for the US, which has dedicated special forces constantly on the look-out for any traces of the world's most wanted man.
The borderlands of Syria and Iraq provide Baghdadi with relatively secure and familiar terrain, in which he can hide and circumvent attempts to capture or kill him.
They also provide him with the ability to continue to claim legitimacy as commander of the faithful.
Hassan Hassan is a senior fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, Washington, and co-author of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror. Follow him on Twitter @hxhassan
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40479361
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EU's Juncker calls empty European Parliament 'ridiculous' - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The head of the European Commission launches a bitter attack on MEPs for failing to show up.
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Europe
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Juncker: I will never again attend a meeting of this kind
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has launched a bitter attack on members of the European Parliament for failing to show up.
Standing up in almost empty chamber in Strasbourg, he denounced the body as "ridiculous, totally ridiculous".
Estimating the number of MEPs present at about 30, he said it proved that the parliament was "not serious".
Parliament President Antonio Tajani reacted furiously, accusing him of a lack of respect.
"You can criticise the Parliament, but it's not the Commission's job to control the parliament, it's the Parliament that has to control the Commission," he said.
But the clash continued. Mr Juncker, who is in charge of the EU's executive body, angrily rebuked MEPs for failing to attend the session reviewing the six-month presidency of Malta, the bloc's smallest member state.
It was one of the most acrimonious public rows between top EU officials in recent years. A Parliament spokesman said later that the two men had met and Mr Juncker had expressed regret for the words he had chosen.
The vast majority of MEPs were absent from the morning debate
It is rare for the head of one European institution to take such a public swipe at the legitimacy of another.
I counted fewer than 100 people in the chamber this morning, and that included the officials accompanying Mr Juncker and the Maltese prime minister.
"People can't be bothered to turn up," a British MEP told me. "Some have started their seven weeks of paid holiday already."
Others point out that much of the work in this place is done in low-profile committees, and that the building has become busier throughout the day. Nevertheless, parliamentary authorities will be unhappy they have been criticised so publicly by such a high profile figure as Mr Juncker.
Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat looked on with a broad grin as the argument unfolded. The debate was due to focus primarily on the EU's struggle to relocate 160,000 refugees from Italy and Greece.
"There are only a few members in the plenary to control the commission. You are ridiculous," Mr Juncker repeated. In total, the parliament has 751 deputies.
Ignoring a further objection by the Parliament president to his choice of language, Mr Juncker told the few MEPs in the chamber: "I will never again attend a meeting of this kind."
Antonio Tajani (R) took over as president of the Parliament in January
Mr Juncker complained that if Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel or French President Emmanuel Macron had been in the chamber, it would have been full.
The spat overshadowed Mr Muscat's own assessment of the EU's response to the migrant crisis.
Describing the situation as a "fiasco", the Maltese leader called for an honest debate on Europe's values.
The vast majority of the 101,000 migrants entering Europe in 2017 so far have crossed the Mediterranean towards Italy. According to latest figures, 2,247 people have died or are missing at sea.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40492396
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Grenfell fire: MP calls for inquiry chairman to quit - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The local MP says the judge is "a technocrat" who lacks "credibility" with affected families.
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UK
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The judge heading the Grenfell Tower inquiry should stand down because those affected need "somebody we can trust", the local MP for Kensington has said.
Labour's Emma Dent Coad said Sir Martin Moore-Bick was "a technocrat" who lacked "credibility" with victims.
On Monday, lawyers representing some of the families called for him to quit.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Sir Martin should "listen to residents", but minister David Lidington said he had "complete confidence" in him.
The Tory MP and Lord Chancellor said Sir Martin would lead the inquiry "with impartiality and a determination to get to the truth and see justice done".
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned the retired Court of Appeal judge must urgently improve relations with local residents.
The fire on 14 June is thought to have killed at least 80 people, although police say the final toll will not be known until at least the end of the year.
Meanwhile, official figures from the Grenfell Response Team show 139 offers of accommodation have been made to families left homeless, but just nine have been accepted.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the prime minister promised that 158 families would be offered a good quality temporary home within three weeks - a target the response team said has now been met.
The remaining 19 families do not want to be contacted, or are out of the country, it added.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Grenfell Tower survivor Antonio is living in a hotel and has turned down two flats.
One tenant from the 10th floor of Grenfell Tower, who only gave his name as Antonio, is among those who turned down the offer of temporary accommodation.
"We want to move to a permanent accommodation so we can remake it and then we can call it home," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
Speaking after his appointment as chairman of the inquiry, Sir Martin said he understood the "desire of local people for justice" following the disaster, but warned he was "doubtful" the process would be as wide-ranging as some residents hoped.
On Monday, however, a source told the BBC he was prepared to be "open-minded" in his "very broad" inquiry.
Although the remit will be decided by the prime minister, the source said he would consider in detail whether the nature of the building regulations contributed to the fire.
Despite that attempted reassurance, Ms Dent Coad said she had spoken to hundreds of people affected by the fire who were unhappy with his appointment.
"We need somebody who can do the detail but we need somebody who can actually understand human beings as well and what they've been through..." she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"I don't think he should do it. I don't think there will be any credibility.
"Some people are saying they are not going to co-operate with it, so it's not going to work."
Her call for Sir Martin to stand down has been backed by shadow fire services minister Chris Williamson.
"I think it's important that we listen to the survivors... local people are saying they don't have faith in him," he told BBC Radio Derby.
He said he agreed with shadow chancellor John McDonnell's comment that the victims were "murdered by political decisions".
"If you look at decisions taken over the last three or four decades, it's all about unbridled market economics - essentially deregulation - using public services as a cash-cow and cutting corners," he said.
On Sunday, Labour MP David Lammy said a "white, upper-middle class man" who had "never" visited a tower block housing estate should not have been appointed.
Grenfell residents have also questioned whether Sir Martin's background in commercial law is appropriate.
And they have been angered by his decision to allow Kensington and Chelsea Council - which was criticised for its slow and ineffective response to the disaster - to contribute to the inquiry.
Elsewhere, Met Police Commander Stuart Cundy and Westminster coroner Fiona Wilcox - who will lead will the inquests of the victims of the fire - will hold a private meeting with relatives later.
Sir Martin visited the scene of the tragedy last week and spoke to residents and the police
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40491449
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Ascension Islanders left stranded after RAF halts flights - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The RAF say they can no longer fly to the British overseas territory because of problems with the airport runway.
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UK
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Caroline Yon says this runway is so old and fragile planes can't land
Ascension Island, home to around 800 people, is even more cut off than it used to be after weekly flights linking the island to the UK were stopped - due to a dodgy runway and the wrong kind of RAF aircraft.
The British overseas territory is the tip of an old volcano in the Atlantic Ocean, mid-way between Africa and Brazil.
It's so remote, that when the Portuguese discovered it on Ascension Day in 1501, they didn't even bother colonising it.
"Half of the island looks like the surface of the moon, the other half looks like Mars, but in a good way," says Caroline Yon, station manager for the European Space Agency tracking station on Ascension.
"But I wouldn't want to put anyone off. We do have gorgeous white sandy beaches, and pristine clear blue seas absolutely jam-packed with marine life - it's a very unique place."
The island, which covers around 45 square miles just south of the equator, is formed by around 40 volcanic peaks.
It is rough and rugged - barren in parts - but at its heart has a lush peak known as Green Mountain, home to rare bird colonies which are the result of a unique botanical experiment led by Charles Darwin.
"We have the second largest turtle colony in the Atlantic Ocean," says Johnny Hobson, the island's dentist who has lived on the island for 31 years.
"Outside our house at the moment there are baby turtles erupting on a beautiful golden beach," he says.
"Everyone's finding it hard to get to and from Ascension at the moment.
"Currently the only real way off for most of us is an eight or nine day journey by sea to Cape Town and to fly back to the UK that way - at a cost of £3000-4000 for the round trip and the ship, the RMS St Helena, only passes by every three weeks."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Residents Jacqui Ellick and Johnny Hobson say the island's economy could be potentially destroyed over the runway closure
Johnny, who also owns a hotel and car hire business, tells me visitors to the island have increased steadily over the past few years. Some were going to St Helena, the nearest landmass some 700 km to the southeast, while others included deep sea fishermen, conservationists and people arriving to see the turtles.
"Last year we had five or six thousand visitor nights," he says.
But with the end of the weekly flights all that has changed and businesses are quickly collapsing.
The runway, designed as an emergency landing strip for the Space Shuttle, is maintained by the US military.
It used to be one of the longest in the world but now badly needs maintenance, and while there's a plan to have the tarmac repaired by 2020, the Airbus A330 Voyager aircraft the RAF uses to land on the island is no longer suitable.
The Ministry of Defence says it is committed to running an air bridge between the UK and the Falkland Islands, but not necessarily to Ascension.
The plane was very convenient as it stopped off on the island to refuel, but now it lands on Cape Verde, and the residents have been left somewhat stranded.
Ascension Island was the major staging post in the Falklands War in 1982
"Well basically it was the hub, so all the flights came here before they went on to the Falklands - the planes, the ships came here," said Jacqui Ellick whose husband's job brought them to the island 22 years ago.
She's an elected island councillor, volunteers for the local newspaper and manages the interns who come each year to monitor the turtles.
"There are other planes that can land here, just not the A330. At the moment the American planes still land here and the MoD have a C17 once a month for their own people, but for the rest of us there is no way off except for the ship."
"It's such a big question. I don't think there's anyone in the foreign office or the government with the time and inclination to sit down and sort it out," says Caroline Yon.
"But it would be a shame if the island couldn't continue."
A UK government spokeswoman said: "We know that the rerouting of the South Atlantic air bridge flights has caused difficulties for those on Ascension Island and we are working closely with relevant parties to find and agree alternative access arrangements as quickly as possible."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40442318
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Primary tests: Two-fifths fail to meet standard - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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Figures show 39% of primary pupils in England fail to reach the expected level in reading, writing and maths.
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Family & Education
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Could you answer the questions in a Sats exam?
Two-fifths (39%) of primary school pupils in England have failed to meet the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, figures show.
The results are from national curriculum tests, often known as Sats, sat by 11-years-olds earlier this term.
In total, 61% did reach the expected level in the "three Rs", an improvement on last year's score of 53%.
Ministers praised the hard work of schools, but head teachers said the results showed only a partial picture.
This year's cohort was the second to sit new tougher tests in line with a new national curriculum introduced in 2014.
Last year, the percentage of primary school leavers making the grade fell to 53% from 80% in 2015.
The results of the tests are used by the government to measure primary schools' success, in so-called league tables.
School Standards Minister Nick Gibb told BBC News the new curriculum had "significantly higher expectations of pupils than the previous one".
"Schools and pupils have responded extremely well," he said.
"Today's results show sustained progress in reading, writing and maths and are a testament to the hard work of teachers and pupils across England.
"Thanks to their commitment and our new knowledge-rich curriculum, thousands more children will arrive at secondary school having mastered the fundamentals of reading, writing and maths, giving them the best start in life."
But the National Association of Head Teachers said the results should be taken "with a pinch of salt".
General secretary Russell Hobby said: "Sats data only gives parents part of the picture when judging a pupil's success or a school's effectiveness.
"League tables are the least helpful way of knowing if a school is the right place for your child.
"At the moment, parents and schools know that these results have to be taken with a pinch of salt."
He added that simply looking at data missed most of the real work being done to help youngsters achieve their full potential.
Mr Hobby added: "Schools do need to be held to account, but inspectors should look at more than just data.
"That way, when parents are reading Ofsted reports they can have more confidence that the report properly reflects how good the school actually is."
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said the results showed children and teachers had "worked extremely hard to get to grips with these new-look Sats".
"But Sats continue to have a negative impact on children's education, and the exams are not fit for purpose," she said.
"Preparing for Sats takes up too much class time, with schools focusing on getting children through the tests."
Kevin Courtney, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said the results told 39% of 11-year-olds that they were not ready to begin secondary education.
"This demoralising situation says less about the efforts of teachers and pupils than about the deep flaws of our current system," he said.
"Designed to hold schools to account, it treats primary children as collateral damage."
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said pupils and teachers should be congratulated for their achievements.
"That this has been achieved despite the confusion created by the chaotic introduction of the new assessment framework, which barely a year after introduction is already under review by government, is of great credit to the resilience of the teaching profession," he said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-40481689
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Green Day 'distraught' after Glasgow show cancelled - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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Promoters said the show had been cancelled because "adverse weather conditions" meant it was no longer safe.
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Glasgow & West Scotland
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Promoters have blamed bad weather for the decision to cancel a concert by Green Day in Glasgow, only hours before it was due to begin.
The American band had been set to perform in Bellahouston Park on Tuesday.
However, promoters PCL said the show had been cancelled because "adverse weather conditions" meant it was "no longer safe" for the bands to perform.
In a statement on their website Green Day said they were "very distraught".
They said the stage was deemed "unsafe for the fans and everyone involved".
The band added: "We are very distraught about this as we are in Glasgow now and were very much looking forward to this show as one the highlights of our tour.
"We have been playing in extreme weather conditions throughout this European tour, and the last thing we want to do is see a show cancelled.
"We love our Scottish fans and we don't care if it's raining... sideways, although the safety of our fans and our crew is always our top priority.
"We love you Scotland, we love the city of Glasgow and it goes without saying that we will be back."
Signs have been put up at Bellahouston Park advising that the Green Day gig is cancelled
Police Scotland said officers were at the park making sure ticket holders were able to get home safely
In a strongly worded post on Instagram, the band's bassist Mike Dirnt posted a video of himself next to a Saltire.
He said: "We are devastated and it... sucks that the show today has been cancelled due to safety issues.
"I know today's show would have been insane! I'm at a loss for words and so disappointed right now, but please know we will be back ASAP! Rage & Love."
Bassist Mike Dirnt posted a video on Instagram of himself next to a Scottish flag
Disappointed fans have also voiced their anger at the last-minute announcement.
Charlotte Durcan, from Lincolnshire, said she and her family had travelled nearly four hours to attend the concert.
"We arrived safely, paid for parking, paid for our hotel, and at 13:45 received an e-mail to say that the concert has been cancelled," she said.
"We could have saved our money," she added.
"The hotel won't reimburse us as there is a 72-hour notice period. We will be staying there for one night only as we just came for the concert. We're not really sure how to pass the time now.
"It's my first time in Glasgow and it has ruined my Glasgow experience."
The promoters announced the cancellation of the gig just half an hour before the gates were due to open
The last-minute decision to cancel has raised questions over how well prepared the organisers were for the concert.
Many ticket holders took to social media to express their disappointment.
One said she was "absolutely devastated" by the decision, after waiting seven years to see the band perform in Scotland.
Others raised questions over the weather conditions, claiming that T in the Park and Glastonbury often go ahead in heavy rain.
It also led to queries about how well prepared the organisers were for the sell-out concert.
Glasgow City Council, which operates Bellahouston Park, said they did not tell the promoters to cancel the gig.
They said the decision was taken by the promoters and the band's management, who informed the council of the move.
The promoters announced the cancellation on Twitter shortly before 13:30. The gates were due to open at 14:00. They said fans would receive refunds.
In a statement, they said: "Adverse weather conditions overnight and throughout the morning, during the bands scheduled load in, led to issues on stage.
"A meeting between the on site health and safety, event management, the artists representatives and promoters concluded that it would be unsafe in the timescale to proceed with the event."
Police Scotland said they had officers at the park advising fans that the gig was cancelled and ensuring that they got home safely.
Green Day were due to be supported by Rancid, Slaves and Skids.
Slaves hastily arranged a replacement gig, announcing on Twitter that the "good people of Glasgow still need a gig". It quickly sold out.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-40491878
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Cameron says fiscal discipline not 'selfish' amid austerity debate - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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The former PM says opponents of austerity are wrongly portraying the government as "uncaring".
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UK Politics
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The former PM says leaving debts to future generations is wrong
David Cameron has said opponents of fiscal discipline are "selfish" not "compassionate", as the debate within the Tories over austerity continues.
The ex-prime minister, who introduced the public sector pay cap, said those who believed in "sound finances" were wrongly being painted as "uncaring".
"The exact reverse is true," he said at an event in South Korea. "Giving up sound finances isn't being generous."
Chancellor Philip Hammond has urged ministers to "hold their nerve".
As a growing number of Tory MPs, as well as opposition parties and unions, call for the 1% cap on public sector pay increases to be reviewed, the chancellor has said the "right balance" must be struck in terms of fairness to workers and taxpayers.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson expressed his support for a rethink on Monday, while Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he sympathises with the millions of NHS workers whose pay has been squeezed since 2010 - firstly through a two-year pay freeze and then through the cap, which was imposed in 2012.
But Mr Cameron, who as prime minister of the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition oversaw six years of cuts to public spending, defended his government's record on cutting the multibillion pound annual deficit and suggested it would be a mistake to now loosen up efforts.
Five million public sector workers have seen their pay capped since 2012
"The opponents of so-called austerity couch their arguments in a way that make them sound generous and compassionate," said the former PM, who stood down as an MP last year, at a conference in Seoul.
"They seek to paint the supporters of sound finances as selfish, or uncaring. The exact reverse is true.
"Giving up on sound finances isn't being generous, it's being selfish: spending money today that you may need tomorrow."
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 next recommendations in due course.
Nigel Lawson, a former chancellor to Margaret Thatcher, said it was Mr Hammond's job to keep control of public spending and urged ministers to formulate the policy behind closed doors.
"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."
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said increasing pay in line with inflation next year could cost about £5bn and to do so for the rest of the Parliament could "easily cost twice that".
However, director Paul Johnson told the BBC that Mr Hammond had a range of options to ease the constraints on pay without breaching his immediate financial targets.
"If that were the government's biggest priority then it could probably afford to do it," he said. "The country would hardly be bankrupt if the government were to borrow a few billion more than currently planned."
But he said it was not clear how much "headroom" Mr Hammond would have given uncertainty over the performance of the economy and other spending pressures.
After the Tories' failure to win a majority, the chancellor has said it is up to his party to again make the case for a market-based economy, underpinned by sound public finances, and oppose those calling for a "different path".
Labour said immediate action was needed from the government not "just more empty words or infighting from members of the cabinet".
"The fact that some of the pillars of our community and the public sector such as teachers, doctors and police officers are seeing their pay cut exposes the double standards of a government that likes to praise their work but will not actually truly reward it," said shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40496775
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Minister: Immigration detainees 'benefit from £1-an-hour work' - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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A minister defends low pay rates for immigration detainees, saying it "relieves boredom".
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Baroness Williams was answering a question in the Lords
Detainees benefit from being able to work for £1-an-hour at immigration centres, a minister has insisted.
Lib Dem Baroness Hamwee had asked if the £1 pay rate "for people who have committed no crime" was "something that as a society we can be proud of".
Baroness Williams of Trafford told the Lords the work by inmates was voluntary and was a way to "relieve boredom".
She said it helped meet "recreational and intellectual" needs - and was not a scheme designed to save money.
Baroness Williams, who faced jeers as she answered questions in the House of Lords, argued that any rights detainees had to work were curtailed, so their pay rights were "not the same as people who are not subject to immigration detention".
Baroness Boothroyd was the House of Commons Speaker between 1992 and 2000
Labour frontbencher Lord Rosser argued that a Freedom of Information request in May 2014 suggested that hundreds of detainees had been paid £45,438 for 44,832 hours work.
"The saving of using detainees for £1 an hour, compared to paying employed staff on minimum wage, would be in the region of £300,000 a month.
"Who gets the benefit of this apparently considerable saving each month by using detainees at immigration centres on just £1 an hour to do necessary work, as opposed to using employed staff on the minimum wage? Is it the government or is the firm running the centre who reap treat financial benefit?"
Baroness Williams insisted the work at immigration removal centres was not about supplementing contractors, who she said were obliged to provide a minimum number of opportunities for detainees to participate voluntarily in paid activities.
But after Lib Dem Lord Paddick received a similar reply, former Commons Speaker Lady Boothroyd pressed the minister: "The question that's being asked is who benefits? That was the original question and that's the question we're all waiting to hear the answer."
Lady Williams replied: "Who benefits is the detainee."
She said that "this money is not wages as the ordinary working population would see it", adding that the rate is "being reviewed" and a report is expected at the end of the year.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40492305
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Cuba love hotels to make comeback, state announces - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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State-run love hotels disappeared in the 1990s when they became hurricane shelters.
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Latin America & Caribbean
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Havana's Malecon seafront has always been a haven for couples
The authorities in the Cuban capital, Havana, say they are restoring a network of hotels where rooms are rented by the hour to lovers.
State-run "posadas", or love motels, disappeared during Cuba's economic crisis in the 1990s, when they became hurricane shelters.
Private householders filled the gap in the market, but at exorbitant prices.
Officials say the posadas will be cheaper and will help end the practice of love-making in Havana's open spaces.
Private renters usually provide air-conditioning, a fridge and a comfortable bed and cost about $5 for three hours.
But that is around a sixth of the average monthly Cuban salary (£22.90; $29.60) and unaffordable for most people.
State housing officials at the Provincial Housing Company of Havana say the new network of five posadas will be highly lucrative and will help people struggling with Havana's overcrowded and scarce housing.
Many families in Havana have to share apartments. Divorced couples are often forced to remain together because of the housing shortage.
The officials said they hoped the new chain would provide cheaper options for love-making in the city.
Couples making love are a common sight in Havana's parks, on the beach and on the famed Malecon seafront.
A commentator in the Trabajadores newspaper (in Spanish) recalled that the first posadas opened at the end of the 19th Century in central Havana and that most Cubans had vivid memories,
"Of memorable kisses and of the porter calling to the lovers when their time had finished".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-40489157
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Elton John bomb plotter Haroon Syed jailed for life - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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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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Sandwich chain Subway plans expansion in High Street war - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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It's aiming for 3,000 shops in the UK and Ireland by 2020, almost twice as many as rival Greggs.
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Business
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Subway's first new look store opened in Manchester in March
Sandwich chain Subway is planning to open another 500 stores by 2020 as it seeks to cement its place as the UK's largest High Street fast food chain.
That would bring its total to 3,000 across the UK and Ireland - almost double that of closest rival Greggs, which has 1,698 outlets.
Subway said growing customer demand for its sandwiches had driven the decision.
The firm is also in the process of overhauling its stores with a revamped menu and a new look for the shops.
It said its expansion plans would create 5,000 new jobs.
Subway's UK boss Peter Dowding also said it had taken steps to ensure staff were paid the minimum wage.
Seven Subway franchisees were found by HMRC to be failing to pay staff the minimum wage, he said.
Mr Dowding told the BBC: "They are contracted to abide by the laws of the land, and if not, then there are things in their contract that we can implement, and we can take action."
Their franchises were not taken away from them, he added, declining to say what sanctions were imposed.
A six-inch Subway sandwich is one of your five a day, according to its boss
The firm overtook McDonald's as the world's largest restaurant chain more than six years ago, but Mr Dowding said the fast food giant was not its only competitor.
"It's everyone. It's a very competitive world out there," he said.
The chain's main menu is still "subs" - long, US-style baguette-like sandwiches made with soft bread - but it also now offers salads.
Mr Dowding said it was also looking at overhauling its breakfast and evening menus.
"We already have a breakfast menu, but it's a part of the day we need to work on," he said.
The firm's UK boss said the chain's most popular sandwiches varied according to location, but were typically the Italian BMT sandwich containing salami, pepperoni and ham, the meatball marinara and the tuna sandwich.
He said it was "a misconception" that fast food was unhealthy, noting that six of the nine sandwiches on its core menu contained under 400 calories.
One of its six-inch subs provides customers with one of their five-a-day for fruit and vegetables, while its salads provide two, he said.
Subway's distinctive smell comes from baking bread three times a day - Mr Dowding says
All of Subway's stores are independently owned and operated as franchises of the US brand, with three-fifths of its UK and Irish outlets located on traditional high streets.
Mr Dowding said the firm had so far seen no impact from the UK's decision to leave the European Union.
"It's business as usual. Like any other business we're waiting to see what the government does and will tackle it from there," he said.
Mr Dowding joined the firm just nine months ago, but said he'd eaten at the company for the past 20 years.
"When they offered me the job I almost bit their arm off. I'm delighted to be taking their evolution forward."
Subway, which was founded in the US just over 50 years ago, now has 44,000 stores in 112 countries.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40488135
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Grenfell fire: Many survivors still in hotels - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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All who want it have been offered temporary housing, officials say, but only nine have accepted.
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UK
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All Grenfell Tower fire survivors who want to be rehoused have been offered temporary accommodation, officials say, but only nine offers have been accepted and many are still in hotels.
Theresa May promised housing would be offered to those in need by Wednesday.
The Grenfell Response Team says 139 formal offers have now been made.
But North Kensington Law Centre, which represents many victims, said some had been offered homes in other towers, other areas, or without enough rooms.
The fire on 14 June killed at least 80 people, although police say the final toll will not be known for many months.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the prime minister said 158 families would be "found a home nearby" within three weeks, later saying they would be offered "rehousing" within three weeks.
The Grenfell Response Team said that target had now been met.
It said the remaining 19 families did not want to be contacted, or were out of the country.
However, a spokesman for North Kensington Law Centre - which represents more than 100 Grenfell victims - said many of the offers had been unsuitable.
Some of the firm's clients had been offered homes in other high-rise blocks, while some had gone to view a three-bedroom home only to discover it was a two-bedroom flat.
Many had been offered a year-long tenancy and would need to be permanently rehomed afterwards.
Many victims were "concerned the decision they make now could affect their long-term tenancy", he added.
"Doing that from a hotel room is difficult at the best of times, let alone when you are fairly traumatised."
He added: "These people do have various complex issues.
"We are dealing with very traumatised people, we have a limited housing stock, we are working to a tight schedule and there is also a sense of scepticism among some residents."
Only three of the firm's clients had accepted accommodation offers, he added.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Grenfell Tower survivor Antonio is living in a hotel and has turned down two flats.
Connie Cullen, from the homelessness charity Shelter, said people had often been unsure whether to take up residency agreements.
"It is often very difficult for people to know what the offer they are being offered means. So how long they might be there, what terms they are on, what rent they are paying.
"We are keen to see people offered like-for-like tenancies, housing and rent, so people retain the same security of tenure that they had before."
Ms Cullen said the demand for social housing following the fire was "unprecedented" but had highlighted a general lack of affordable housing in the area.
One tenant from the 10th floor of Grenfell Tower, who only gave his name as Antonio, is among those who has turned down the offer of temporary accommodation.
"We want to move to permanent accommodation so we can remake it and then we can call it home," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
It comes amid growing pressure for Sir Martin Moore-Bick - the judge leading the inquiry into the fire - to stand down.
Earlier, Labour's Emma Dent Coad, MP for Kensington, said he was "a technocrat" who lacked "credibility" with victims.
She said she had spoken to hundreds of people affected by the fire who were unhappy with Sir Martin's appointment.
On Monday, lawyers representing some of the families also called for him to quit.
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn stopped short of demanding his resignation, but said he should "listen to residents", while Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned he must urgently improve relations with the area.
But one senior minister, Lord Chancellor David Lidington, said he had "complete confidence" in Sir Martin, whom he believed would lead the inquiry "with impartiality and a determination to get to the truth and see justice done".
Former Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales, Lord Judge, also defended claims that Sir Martin was a "technocrat", saying it was his job to look at the evidence "unemotionally".
"He can't come and make an emotional finding. He's got to look at the facts and decide what happened," he told BBC Radio 4's PM programme.
"That does not mean he's unaware of the emotional impact on those who were involved in it, but a judge can't make emotional decisions."
On Sunday, Labour MP David Lammy said a "white, upper-middle class man" who had "never" visited a tower block housing estate should not have been appointed.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40497345
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Chief medical officer calls for gene testing revolution - BBC News
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2017-07-04
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Offer NHS patients DNA tests to pick the best cancer and rare diseases treatment, England's top doctor says.
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Health
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Cancer patients should be routinely offered DNA tests to help select the best treatments for them, according to England's chief medical officer.
Prof Dame Sally Davies says in her annual report that the NHS must deliver her "genomic dream" within five years.
Over 31,000 NHS patients, including some with cancer, have already had their entire genetic code sequenced.
Dame Sally wants whole genome sequencing (WGS) to become as standard as blood tests and biopsies.
Humans have about 20,000 genes - bits of DNA code or instructions that control how our bodies works.
Tiny errors in this code can lead to cancer and other illnesses.
Sometimes these mistakes are inherited from a parent, but most of the time they happen in previously healthy cells.
WGS - which costs about £700 - can reveal these errors by comparing tumour and normal DNA samples from the patient.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Dame Sally Davies says DNA testing should not be ruled out on the basis of cost
Dame Sally says that in about two-thirds of cases, this information can then improve their diagnosis and care.
Doctors can tailor treatments to the individual, picking the drugs mostly likely to be effective.
And WGS can also show which patients are unlikely to benefit, so they can avoid having unnecessary drugs and unpleasant side-effects.
Dame Sally wants DNA testing to become standard across cancer care, as well as some other areas of medicine, including rare diseases and infections.
"I want the NHS across the whole breadth to be offering genomic medicine - that means diagnosis of our genes - to patients where they can possibly benefit," her report says.
People with rare diseases could benefit from having greater access to the technology, speeding up diagnosis.
Doctors are already using genetic tests to identify and better treat different strains of the infectious disease tuberculosis.
Dame Sally said patients could be assured that their genetic data would be stored securely and "de-identified" so that their privacy would be protected.
Over 10 years ago, international scientists reached a breakthrough in DNA work - sequencing the entire genetic blueprint of man. The Human Genome Project meant experts now had a catalogue of DNA code to explore and refer to.
They began to understand which genes controlled which processes in the body and how these could go wrong.
Doctors then started to "read" a patient's DNA to get a better idea of what might be causing their symptoms and how best to treat their illness.
Genomic medicine - tailoring care based on an individual's unique genetic code - is now transforming the way people are cared for by the NHS.
Genes can predict if a woman with breast cancer might respond to certain drugs, or whether radiotherapy is likely to shrink a tumour, for example.
Currently, genetic testing of NHS patients in England is done at 25 regional laboratories, as well as some other small centres.
Dame Sally wants to centralise the service and set up a national network to ensure equal access to the testing across the country.
A new National Genomics Board would be set up, chaired by a minister, to oversee the expansion and development of genomic services.
Dame Sally told BBC Breakfast that a lot of money was being spent because it was currently operating like a "cottage industry".
By having centralised laboratories, more could be done with the money, including keeping up with the latest technology, she said.
She said one hurdle could be doctors themselves, who "don't like change", and she urged cancer service patients to press their doctors to move from a local to a national service.
She also said patients must understand they needed to allow use of their data, alongside other data, in order to get the best diagnosis, and therefore the best treatment.
Phil Booth, from campaigning organisation, MedConfidential, said this move had "huge potential" for patients and the NHS, but there were "great risks with large collections of sensitive data".
"Every single use of patient data must be consensual, safe and transparent," he told BBC Radio Four's Today programme, and patients should be able to opt-out if they so wish.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40479533
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Philip Larkin: Examining a life in tea towels, poetry and pornography - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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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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Bijan Ebrahimi: Police 'failed' murdered man for years - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Bijan Ebrahimi was considered an "attention seeker" when he reported crimes against him, the police watchdog says.
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Bristol
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Bijan Ebrahimi was considered an "attention seeker" - he was told to "shut up" by a police officer
A disabled Iranian refugee repeatedly reported death threats and racial abuse to police for seven years before being brutally murdered, a report has found.
Bijan Ebrahimi was beaten to death and set alight on a Bristol estate amid false claims he was a paedophile.
The IPCC said he had been treated "consistently differently from his neighbours" in what could be "racial bias, conscious or unconscious".
Avon and Somerset's police chief said "we failed him in his hour of need".
Mr Ebrahimi's sisters, Mojgan Kahayatian and Manisha Moores, said the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) report showed "how terrible a life he had during those last few years".
Mr Ebrahimi was killed by his neighbour Lee James in Brislington in July 2013.
Bijan Ebrahimi was brutally murdered outside his flat in Brislington in July 2013
Three days before his death, police arrested Mr Ebrahimi following complaints he had taken pictures of children near his home. However nothing suspicious was found and he was released without charge.
These false allegations led to what Mr Justice Simon called during James's sentencing "a vigilante crime" and "an act of murderous injustice".
During the fatal attack, James repeatedly stamped on the victim's head shouting "have some of that".
Evidence gathered by the IPCC uncovered "poor responses" by police for at least seven years before the murder and repeated failures to protect him or record crimes against him.
In 73 of the calls Mr Ebrahimi made between 2007 and 2013, he reported incidents of racial abuse, criminal damage and threats to kill.
But police failed to record crimes on at least 40 occasions, the watchdog said.
The report also found there was "consistent systematic failure" by call handlers, who breached standards on recording crimes, identifying hate offences and repeat victims.
IPCC commissioner Jan Williams said: "Bijan Ebrahimi self-identified as a victim of race hate crime, but was never recognised as a repeat victim of abuse who needed help.
"Instead, his complaints about abusive neighbours were disbelieved and he was considered to be a liar, a nuisance and an attention seeker."
His sister Mojgan said the family had been "devastated" by his death and the police had "failed" him.
"It was so hard to see Bijan all these years suffering and his voice never listened to," she said.
"He was always waiting on police, he was thinking it's their duty to care for him and protect him so he didn't think it was up to us.
"He never gave up and he always thought he was in a country that police was there to protect people and he couldn't see anything beyond that."
Bijan Ebrahimi was murdered near his home in Brislington, Bristol
2007 - 9 reports made, the number recorded as a crime is unknown
Ms Williams said police accepted the neighbours' versions of events at face value and viewed Mr Ebrahimi as the culprit rather than the victim.
She described Mr Ebrahimi's faith in the force despite their repeated rejection of his version of events, as a "sad, poignant fact".
The commissioner added: "We found evidence that Bijan Ebrahimi had been treated consistently differently from his neighbours, to his detriment and without reasonable explanation.
"Some of the evidence has the hallmarks of what could be construed as racial bias, conscious or unconscious."
PC Kevin Duffy and PCSO Andrew Passmore were convicted of misconduct and jailed
PC Kevin Duffy and PCSO Andrew Passmore were jailed last year for misconduct over their dealings with Mr Ebrahimi. They and two other police officers were also dismissed from the force.
Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: "We failed [Mr Ebrahimi] in his hour of need and I am unreservedly sorry for the pain his family have suffered in the last four years.
"Some of these failings were systematic but it's important to acknowledge that the actions of a very small number of individuals had a catastrophic effect."
Bristol's elected mayor, Marvin Rees said this was "a horrific case which highlighted the need for many things to change". He said the city council is "very sorry for any shortcomings that are identified".
Mr Rees added he had been assured the council's current practice "meets the needs of vulnerable people" and that the authority would be looking "very closely" at the IPCC report.
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Avon and Somerset Police has since implemented changes across its systems relating to culture, anti-social behaviour and vulnerability.
Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said: "There is nothing that can do justice to the collective failure to protect Mr Ebrahimi and to treat him as a victim of hate crime.
"Over the past four years I am satisfied that the constabulary has recognised the mistakes that were made and put in place wide-reaching changes which are already embedded today."
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Call for a ban on child sex robots - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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A report looks at the impact of sex robots on society and calls for more debate about the topic.
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Technology
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Abyss makes dolls for clients around the world, but does not release figures on how many it sells
There should be a ban on the import of sex robots designed to look like children, the author of a new report into the phenomenon has said.
Prof Noel Sharkey said that society as a whole needed to consider the impact of all types of sex robots.
His Foundation for Responsible Robotics has conducted a consultation on the issue.
Only a handful of companies were currently making sex robots, said Prof Sharkey.
But, he added, the upcoming robot revolution could change that.
The report, Our Sexual Future With Robots, was written to focus attention on an issue barely discussed at the moment, he said.
The report acknowledged that finding out how many people actually owned such robots was difficult because the companies that made them did not release the numbers.
But, said Prof Sharkey, it was time society woke up to a possible future where humans and robots had sex.
"We do need policymakers to look at it and the general public to decide what is acceptable and permissible," he said.
"We need to think as a society what we want to do about it. I don't know the answers - I am just asking the questions."
Companies making sex robots include Android Love Doll, Sex Bot and True Companion. Most have previously made realistic, silicone-skinned sex dolls and are now considering or starting to ship dolls that can move and speak.
The most advanced of these is San Diego-based Abyss Creations, which ships a product known as Real Doll and is due to release a sex doll with artificial intelligence later this year. Called Harmony, the robot moves its head and eyes and speaks via a tablet-enabled app.
The company has already released the app, which allows users to program moods and voices for an existing doll.
The report considers a few options for how such robots could be employed as:
The last of these was the most problematic, said Prof Sharkey.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Aimee Van Wynsberghe, co-director of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics on the pros and cons of sex robots
Sex dolls that resemble children do exist, and a court in Canada is currently determining whether owning one is illegal.
The company is on a Canadian watch-list, and the doll was intercepted at the airport. Mr Harrison was charged with possessing child pornography but has pleaded not guilty.
In Asia, there are already brothels that use adult sex dolls. And there are reports that a doll-maker operated one in Barcelona, although this has not been verified.
The report examines the nature of a human-robot relationship, but would women want a male sex robot?
Dr Kathleen Richardson, a robot ethicist at De Montfort University, agreed with the report authors that child sex robots should be banned but stopped short of calling for a ban on all such sex dolls.
"The real problem here is not the dolls but the commercial sex trade. Sex robots are just another type of pornography," she said.
She believes such robots would inevitably "increase social isolation".
She also criticises the report for what she said is a failure to address the issue of gender.
"Why does the report have a picture of a male robot on the cover when we know that the doll market - which is driving this - is mainly female dolls?
"It is perpetrating the idea that this is gender-neutral, but the truth is that there are not many women buying such dolls, it is largely driven by men and male ideas of sexuality."
Prof Sharkey said that there was currently a mismatch between what those selling such dolls wanted their customers to believe about the dolls and the reality of what they offered.
"The manufacturers of sex robots want to create an experience as close to a human sexual encounter as possible," he said.
"But robots cannot feel love, tenderness or form emotional bonds. The best that robots can do is to fake it."
Sex robots are a relatively new phenomenon and an obvious next stage for sex dolls, which have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years. Most have silicone skin, articulated metal skeletons and realistic features such as hair and eyes.
In the main, these dolls are designed in female form, although Sinthetics has had some commercial success with its male sex dolls.
But Prof Sharkey has doubts about how human-like such dolls will become.
"I can't see them as being like humans in the next 50 years. They will always be slightly spooky, and their conversation skills now are awful," he said.
Dr Richardson also questioned whether such robots would become mainstream or even be possible technologically.
"The report assumes that you can create a functioning robot that can respond to humans, but in fact it is incredibly complex," she said
One of this year's big TV series - Westworld - explored the idea of people paying to have sex with human-like robots
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40428976
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Newspaper headlines: Cost of student debt and public sector pay - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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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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Volvo goes electric across the board - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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The Swedish carmaker says all its new models will be electric or hybrid by 2019.
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Business
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Carmaker Volvo has said all new models will have an electric motor from 2019.
The Chinese-owned firm, best known for its emphasis on driver safety, has become the first traditional carmaker to signal the end of the internal combustion engine.
It plans to launch five fully electric models between 2019 and 2021 and a range of hybrid models.
But it will still be manufacturing earlier models that have pure combustion engines.
Geely, Volvo's Chinese owner, has been quietly pushing ahead with electric car development for more than a decade.
It now aims to sell one million electric cars by 2025.
"This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car," said Hakan Samuelsson, chief executive of Volvo's carmaking division.
"People increasingly demand electrified cars, and we want to respond to our customers' current and future needs," he said.
Volvo's announcement sounds dramatic, but the reality is it simply reflects the direction much of the auto industry is travelling in.
The internal combustion engine is not dead - and won't be for a while at least. It still offers a relatively cheap and well-proven means of getting around.
The problem is that emissions regulations are getting much tighter. From 2021, for example, carmakers in the EU will have to ensure that across their fleets, average CO2 output is no higher than 95g of CO2 per kilometre. That's a lot lower than current levels.
Carmakers are reacting by developing fully-electric models. Some are already pretty impressive. But developing mass market cars that are affordable and have the right levels of performance is a research-intensive and expensive process, while persuading consumers to buy them in large numbers may also be time consuming.
In the meantime, hybridisation - fitting electric motors to cars which also have conventional engines - offers a convenient way to bring down emissions without harming performance. And there are plenty of different kinds of hybrid systems to choose from.
Volvo is making headlines, but other manufacturers are doing much the same kind of thing.
Tim Urquhart, principal analyst at IHS Automotive, said the move was a "clever sort of PR coup - it is a headline grabber".
"It is not something that moves the goalposts hugely," he said.
"Cars launched before that date [of 2019] will still have traditional combustion engines.
"The announcement is significant, and quite impressive, but only in a small way."
It comes after US-based electric car firm Tesla announced on Sunday that it will start deliveries of its first mass-market car, the Model 3, at the end of the month.
Elon Musk, Tesla's founder, said the company was on track to make 20,000 Model 3 cars a month by December.
His company's rise has upset the traditional power balance of the US car industry.
Tesla, which makes no profits, now has a stock market value of $58bn, nearly one-quarter higher than that of Ford, one of the Detroit giants that has dominated the automotive scene for more than a century.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40505671
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Scientists explain ancient Rome's long-lasting concrete - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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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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Grenfell tower: Scenes in flats 'apocalyptic', says coroner - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Dr Fiona Wilcox described the flats in a tense private meeting with residents angry at lack of details.
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UK
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Grenfell Tower survivors gathered at the Olympia conference centre in London for the meeting
The scene inside Grenfell Tower is "apocalyptic", a coroner told angry survivors calling for more details.
During a three-hour meeting with Dr Fiona Wilcox, survivors asked for information about the missing, but were told the "recovery phase" could last until the end of the year.
Police also faced questions as to why there had not as yet been any arrests.
It comes after officials said all survivors who want to be rehoused had been offered temporary accommodation.
The fire on 14 June killed at least 80 people, although police say the final toll will not be known for many months.
The meeting was held at the Olympia conference centre in West Kensington on Tuesday evening.
Lotifa Begum, from the Grenfell Muslim Response Unit (GMRU), told the Press Association some of those in attendance were "very upset and angry", while several became overwhelmed and had to leave.
Ms Begum said many families "would have appreciated a lot more time and notice" before the meeting was held.
Nabil Choucair fears he has lost six members of his family who lived on the 22nd floor of Grenfell Tower.
Three adults - Nadia, Sirria and Bassam - are believed to have been in the flat, as well as children Zainab, Fatima and Mierna, aged three, 10 and 13.
He told the BBC: "We personally asked where is our family? We want to know are our family's bodies still there and is there anything from them?
"Whatever it is we want to know exactly what it is, do not hide anything. But the answers that were coming back were 'we don't know, we don't know, we don't know'."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Grenfell Tower survivor Antonio is living in a hotel and has turned down two flats.
It has been reported that people were told before the meeting they would not be allowed to directly question Dr Wilcox or Met Police Commander Stuart Cundy. They were also told to email their questions in by 11:00 BST on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Grenfell Response Team says 139 formal offers of housing have now been made to survivors, after Prime Minister Theresa May promised housing would be offered to those in need by Wednesday.
However, only 14 offers have been accepted and many are still in hotels.
A spokesman for North Kensington Law Centre - which represents more than 100 Grenfell victims - said many of the offers had been unsuitable.
Sid-Ali Atmani said the accommodation his family had been offered was too far away from his daughter's school and not big enough.
"They need to deal with us as victims in an appropriate way and with dignity," he told BBC Breakfast. "We become numbers and we don't have names. This is so frustrating… in three weeks they haven't found any solution."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sid-Ali Atmani and daughter Hayam lived on the 15th floor in Grenfell Tower
Antonio, who lived on the 10th floor of Grenfell Tower, has turned down two offers of accommodation, saying they do not meet his needs.
"I had a very comfortable and nice flat on the 10th floor," he told the BBC. "I had a very comfortable life, I had a very comfortable home.
"Now the feeling is that they are trying to put us into places just to say 'we have complied with what we said we were going to do'."
Eleanor Kelly, chief executive of Southwark Council and spokeswoman for the Grenfell Response Team, told BBC Breakfast there was an "enormous emotional impact" on the families, so it would take time for permanent moves to take place.
"It is going to take people a long time to really work through where they want to go," she said. "That's why many of the families are choosing to stay in the emergency hotel accommodation for the moment and then make a permanent move.
"We have to understand that and we have to deal with each individual family and their circumstances as appropriately and as sensitively as we can."
Robert Atkinson, leader of the Labour Party at Kensington and Chelsea Council, said decisions about accommodation should be taken by survivors when they are ready - and not just to meet government deadlines.
"It's very important that the survivors are allowed to make their decisions in their own good time and I'm somewhat annoyed at the focus on getting this target met so that the prime minister can say that she has fulfilled her promise," he said.
"I want these arrangements to be made in the timescale and at the pace at which the victims and survivors wish to make these decisions."
It comes amid growing pressure for Sir Martin Moore-Bick - the judge leading the inquiry into the fire - to stand down.
Labour's Emma Dent Coad, MP for Kensington, has described him as "a technocrat" who lacked "credibility" with victims.
On Monday, lawyers representing some of the families also called for him to quit.
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn stopped short of demanding his resignation, but said he should "listen to residents", while Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned he must urgently improve relations with the area.
But one senior minister, Lord Chancellor David Lidington, said he had "complete confidence" in Sir Martin, whom he believed would lead the inquiry "with impartiality and a determination to get to the truth and see justice done".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40502495
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HMRC wins Rangers 'big tax case' ruling - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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More than £47m was paid to players, managers and directors between 2001 and 2010 in tax-free loans.
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Scotland
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The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in its fight with Rangers over the club's use of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs).
More than £47m was paid to players, managers and directors between 2001 and 2010 in tax-free loans.
However, HMRC argued the payments were earnings and should be taxable.
The court's decision is not expected to have any material or financial impact on Rangers now as the club is owned by a different company.
Rangers' use of EBTs and the subsequent appeals by HMRC became known as the "big tax case".
Two tribunals in 2012 and 2014 had previously found in Rangers' favour, but the Court of Session found in favour of HMRC after an appeal in 2015.
Liquidators BDO were then allowed to appeal to the Supreme Court in London as the ruling has implications for future cases.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed RFC's appeal and ruled in favour of HMRC.
There will undoubtedly be calls for the football authorities to act following this judgement.
A Scottish Premier League investigation headed by Lord Nimmo Smith found Rangers guilty of not registering players properly and the company was fined in 2013.
Nimmo Smith's judgement was made at a time when the EBT scheme was deemed acceptable by a tax tribunal and he resisted calls for the club to be stripped of honours won during the years the scheme was in operation, saying "Rangers FC did not gain any unfair competitive advantage from the contraventions of the SPL Rules."
It's unlikely the football authorities will have much appetite to sanction another investigation but that won't stop some calling for just that.
A spokesman said the Scottish Premier Football League will "take time to examine the judgement in detail and to consider any implications."
The result is a major victory for HMRC in its attempts to recoup tax from thousands of other companies which ran EBTs and similar schemes, which were the subject of a crackdown in legislation enacted in December 2010.
HMRC could now issue "follower notices", which would demand payment from companies who ran similar schemes.
A number of football clubs in England fall into this category.
A settlement opportunity in light of the 2010 legislation ran out in July 2015 and other firms could now be liable for major sums.
In a written judgment, the judges said: "The sums paid to the trustee of the Principal Trust for a footballer constituted the footballer's earnings. The risk that the trustee might not set up a sub-trust or give a loan of the sub-trust funds to the footballer does not alter the nature of the payments made to the trustee of the Principal Trust.
"The discretionary bonuses made available to RFC's employees through the same trust mechanisms also fall within the tax charge as these were given in respect of the employee's work.
"Payment to the Principal Trust should have been subject to deduction of income tax under the PAYE regulations."
Sir David Murray took control of Rangers in 1988 and sold the club in 2011
The EBT scheme was administered by the Murray Group, then majority shareholder of the Glasgow club, from 2001 to 2009.
In February 2012, Rangers, which was then run by Craig Whyte, went into administration over a separate tax debt and the tax authority rejected a creditors agreement in June of that year.
The supreme court decision is in relation to Murray Group companies, including the liquidated company RFC 2012, and not the current owners at Ibrox.
The result will mean the creditors of RFC 2012 will receive less money from the pot collected by liquidators BDO, as HMRC will now be owed more money.
Former Rangers chairman Sir David Murray said he was "hugely disappointed" with the verdict, which he said ran counter to the legal advice which was consistently provided to Rangers Football Club.
He said: "It should be emphasised that there have been no allegations made by HMRC or any of the courts that the club was involved in tax evasion, which is a criminal offence.
"The decision will be greeted with dismay by the ordinary creditors of the club, many of which are small businesses, who will now receive a much lower distribution in the liquidation of the club, which occurred during the ownership of Craig Whyte, than may otherwise have been the case."
In a statement, HMRC said: "This decision has wide-ranging implications for other avoidance cases and we encourage anyone who has tried to avoid tax on their earnings to now agree with us the tax owed.
"HMRC will always challenge contrived arrangements that try to deliver tax advantages never intended by parliament."
Rangers liquidators BDO said it believed taking the case to the Supreme Court had been the correct course of action "given the significance of the matter".
It said: "We will now engage with HMRC on adjudicating its claim.
"Further advice and guidance will be provided to creditors in due course."
The Scottish FA said that, after examining the judgement, it would take no further disciplinary action.
It said it had been advised it was unlikely the Scottish FA would be successful pursuing a complaint about whether disciplinary rules could have been breached.
It added that, even if successful, any sanctions available to a judicial panel would be limited in their scope.
Meanwhile, Celtic said they were sure that the football authorities would review their findings that Rangers gained no sporting advantage from the tax-avoidance scheme.
A league commission fined Rangers in 2013 but did not strip the club of any titles they had won during the years the scheme was in operation.
Celtic disagreed with that ruling at the time, and said the Supreme Court judgement "re-affirms that view."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-40501361
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PMQs: Jeremy Corbyn says government 'floundering' on pay cap - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Theresa May hits back at the Labour leader by saying he would "bankrupt" the UK if elected.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jeremy Corbyn: I hope the prime minister is proud of her record
Jeremy Corbyn has accused the government of "flip flopping and floundering" over public sector pay.
During PMQs, the Labour leader said that through the 1% pay cap the government was "recklessly exploiting the goodwill of public servants" and called for it to be scrapped.
Theresa May said the government would study pay review recommendations "very carefully" when they are made.
And she said Labour would "bankrupt our country" if Mr Corbyn became PM.
Several ministers have suggested they want the public sector pay cap, introduced in 2013 following a two-year pay freeze, to be lifted, and some Conservative MPs have called for a change of direction after the Tories lost their majority in the general election.
Mr Corbyn focused on the subject during Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, saying there was a "low pay epidemic" in the UK, and that pay levels were causing a "real shortage" of NHS staff.
In a reference to the Conservatives' deal with the Democratic Unionists, he said: "The prime minister found £1bn to keep her own job - why can't she find the same amount of money to keep nurses and teachers in their own job - who after all serve all of us."
Mrs May said she valued public sector workers' "incredibly important work", adding: "I understand why people feel strongly about the issue of their pay."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. May: Corbyn's 'Waiting to put up taxes'
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. James Duddridge is the first MP to take advantage of relaxed dress rules and speak at PMQs without a tie.
The government would balance future decisions with "the need to live within our means" she said, adding that the policy had to be "fair to those who pay for it".
She also mounted a fierce defence of the Conservatives' record in cutting the deficit and increasing wages and employment.
And she referred to Mr Corbyn's description of Labour as a "government in waiting".
"We all know what that means," she said. "Waiting to put up taxes, waiting to destroy jobs, waiting to bankrupt our country. We will never let it happen."
Labour continued the pressure on the pay cap after PMQs, tabling an urgent question in the Commons.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell compared cabinet ministers to children "scrapping in the school playground" over what should happen to the policy.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss said the cap remained in place "because it is the responsible thing to do".
Earlier one union described the 1% cap as "dead in the water" after receiving an offer of a 2% increase for its workers.
Nonetheless, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said the offer was "simply not good enough".
"It does not recognise the extra work firefighters have been doing, it fails to address their falling living standards and, despite hints at improvements, does not make clear what they will be earning in future years," said FBU general secretary Matt Wrack.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling rejected the suggestion the offer to firefighters had "busted" the 1% cap, saying they were the responsibility of local authorities rather than central government.
The wages of public servants the government is responsible for "will be a matter that's addressed in future Budgets", he said.
The Fire Brigades' Union has criticised the 2% offer but says it shows the cap is "dead in the water"
Most public sector workers' wages are set by ministers after receiving recommendations by independent pay review bodies, which are delivered at different points in the year.
Teachers and police are expecting a government response to their pay bodies' recommendations later this month.
Downing Street has insisted the policy has not changed, with Chancellor Philip Hammond urging ministers to "hold their nerve".
Asked about the debate within government, Mr Grayling said: "There is always going to be a debate around the cabinet table about what to do - and we are not all clones - but the bottom line is that we are a team."
Some ministers have called for the 1% pay cap to be scrapped
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, former Conservative Party chairman Lord Patten called on Theresa May to tell "others who've got their own opinion to shut up".
"There is a sense you have at the moment of everybody doing their own thing," he said.
"Nobody actually asserting very clearly what they want to do in the national interest.
"We can't go on living from hand-to-mouth in this sort of shambolic way."
Meanwhile the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, has written to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson along with other cabinet ministers who have indicated they support easing pay restraint, calling on them to follow up their "warm words" with action.
"Each of these ministers will have sign off on the pay settlement for their staff this year. They cannot hide behind pay review bodies with restricted remits. Failure to act will demonstrate these warm words were little more than meaningless platitudes," said general secretary Dave Penman.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said increasing pay in line with inflation next year - rather than 1% - could cost about £5bn.
Speaking at a conference in South Korea on Tuesday, former prime minister David Cameron said people calling for an end to austerity were "selfish".
"The opponents of so-called austerity couch their arguments in a way that make them sound generous and compassionate," he said.
"They seek to paint the supporters of sound finances as selfish, or uncaring. The exact reverse is true.
"Giving up on sound finances isn't being generous, it's being selfish: spending money today that you may need tomorrow."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40504088
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Billy Monger crash: Amputee teen racer back behind wheel - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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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
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40497230
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Prepare yourself for a high-stakes Barclays battle - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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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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US congressman condemned for Auschwitz gas chamber video - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Memorial officials criticise Clay Higgins for his five-minute film partly shot inside a gas chamber.
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Europe
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Mr Higgins made points about US national security during his video
Officials at Auschwitz have criticised a US congressman for making and voicing a video inside a gas chamber at the former Nazi death camp.
The memorial and museum tweeted that the gas chamber was "not a stage" but was a place for mournful silence.
Republican Clay Higgins said in the video that the horrors of the WW2 death camps were the reason why the US military should be "invincible".
Some 1.1 million people, mainly Jews, died at the Nazi-occupied Poland camp.
Mr Higgins made a five-minute video showing him in different parts of the museum talking about the atrocities in the death camp.
At one point, he goes inside a gas chamber and explains how the victims were gassed.
The museum posted a picture of the plaque outside the gas chamber building on Twitter
"This is why Homeland Security must be squared away, why our military must be invincible," he says.
But the museum responded that it was inappropriate to speak inside the gas chambers.
"Everyone has the right to personal reflections. However, inside a former gas chamber, there should be mournful silence. It's not a stage," it tweeted on Tuesday.
Later it posted a picture of the entrance to the building showing a plaque asking for silence.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lt Clay Higgins is known to call out the criminals directly on camera
The Louisiana congressman has not yet responded to the criticism. His offices were closed for the Fourth of July holiday.
However, the video was not being displayed on his website and social media users suggested it had been removed.
The Anti-Defamation League, an American-Jewish anti-discrimination organisation, said the video was "incredibly disrespectful to the hallowed ground" of the memorial and museum.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40503565
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How I saved the NHS £22 million, says mum - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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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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Charlie Gard: Boris Johnson says baby cannot be moved to Vatican - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Boris Johnson says the terminally ill baby cannot be transferred to the children's hospital in Rome.
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London
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Charlie Gard has been in intensive care since October
It is impossible for terminally ill Charlie Gard to be transferred to the Vatican's children's hospital for treatment, Boris Johnson has said.
The foreign secretary told Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano legal reasons prevented him from being moved.
The president of the Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome had asked British doctors if 10-month-old Charlie could be transferred to his care.
It comes after the Pope tweeted his support for Charlie on Monday.
Charlie has been receiving specialist treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital since October.
Mr Johnson has told his Italian counterpart it is "right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts", in line with Charlie's "best interests."
Charlie has mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare genetic condition which causes progressive muscle weakness. Doctors say he cannot see, hear, move, cry or swallow.
During questions to the prime minister, on Wednesday, Theresa May said she was "confident" Great Ormond Street Hospital "have, and always will, consider any offers or new information that has come forward with consideration of the well-being of a desperately ill child".
Connie Yates and Chris Gard raised more than £1.3m for experimental treatment for Charlie
Charlie's parents raised £1.3m on a crowdfunding site to pay for experimental treatment in the US.
But they lost a legal battle with the hospital last month after judges at the European Court of Human Rights concluding further treatment would "continue to cause Charlie significant harm".
The Vatican's paediatric hospital stepped in after Pope Francis called for Charlie's parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, to be allowed to "accompany and treat their child until the end".
The hospital's president Mariella Enoc said: "I was contacted by the mother, who is a very determined and decisive person and doesn't want to be stopped by anything."
Renowned scientist and genetics expert Robert Winston told ITV's Good Morning Britain that courts and doctors should not be interfering with the parents' wishes, saying the loss of a child was "about the worst injury that any person can have".
However, he said "interferences from the Vatican and from Donald Trump" were "extremely unhelpful and very cruel".
Lord Winston added: "This child has been dealt with at a hospital which has huge expertise in mitochondrial disease and is being offered a break in a hospital that has never published anything on this disease, as far as I'm aware."
Lord Winston said "interferences from the Vatican" were "unhelpful"
The Vatican said the Pope was following the case "with affection and sadness".
A statement added: "For [Charlie's parents] he prays, hoping that their desire to accompany and care for their own child to the end is not ignored."
US President Donald Trump also tweeted about Charlie on Monday, writing: "If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the UK and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so."
Charlie's parents, from Bedfont, west London, have spent the last days of their son's life with him, after being given more time before his life-support is turned off.
On Thursday they said the hospital had denied them their final wish to take their son home to die.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40503842
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Sir Bradley Wiggins: Can five-time Olympic cycling champion make it as a rower? - BBC Sport
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2017-07-05
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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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SAS accused of killing unarmed Afghan civilians - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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2017-07-05
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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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Robert Trigg guilty of killing two girlfriends five years apart - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Robert Trigg had claimed Caroline Devlin in 2006 and Susan Nicholson in 2011 had both died in their sleep.
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Sussex
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Jurors were told there were similarities between the cases of Caroline Devlin (left) and Susan Nicholson
A man has been found guilty of killing two girlfriends five years apart.
Robert Trigg, 52, was convicted of the murder of 52-year-old Susan Nicholson in 2011, and the manslaughter of Caroline Devlin, 35, in March 2006.
Trigg, of Park Crescent, Worthing, West Sussex, had denied the charges, claiming they had died in their sleep.
He will be sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday after a jury took six-and-a-half hours to reach its verdicts following a 10-day trial.
The women's deaths at their homes in Worthing were initially treated as not being suspicious.
The death of Ms Devlin, whose body was found by one of her four children on Mother's Day, was originally recorded as an aneurysm.
An inquest into Ms Nicholson's death ruled she died accidentally after Trigg claimed he inadvertently rolled onto her in his sleep while they were on a sofa.
Robert Trigg failed to call the emergency services after the deaths of both women
Trigg, who declined to give evidence in his defence, blew out his cheeks as the verdicts were announced.
Jurors were told both causes of death were re-examined years later by pathologist Dr Nathaniel Cary who concluded Ms Nicholson was suffocated by having her head forced into the bed.
Dr Cary found Ms Devlin's death was caused by a blow to the back of her head.
The trial heard both women suffered violence at the hands of Trigg during their relationships with him.
After one such incident, Ms Devlin said: "I won't be here for my 40th."
He was described as a "possessive, controlling and jealous" man and by one former girlfriend as a "Jekyll and Hyde" character who drank heavily.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The parents of Susan Nicholson suspected Robert Trigg was guilty
The trial heard of "striking similarities" between the deaths, with both victims found in an unusual position and Trigg failing to call the emergency services, and getting other people to do it for him.
The family of Ms Nicholson refused to accept foul play did not play a part in their daughter's death, and launched a six-year campaign to get to the truth.
Elizabeth and Peter Skelton said getting justice had been "mental torture".
"We knew right from the start... there's no way two people could sleep on that sofa," Mrs Skelton said.
Mr Skelton added: "At the inquest they said Susan was lying on her back all night.
"There would be no room for anybody to sleep on their back or even lie on the rest of the sofa."
He criticised Sussex Police, saying: "Their first investigation wasn't very good.
"That's why we had to get a barrister and a pathologist to back up our case because they wouldn't listen to us.
"We told them all the facts, even the facts that came out in court but the police still wouldn't listen, but in the end they had to listen," Mr Skelton said.
Brandyn McKenna, the youngest son of Ms Devlin, said outside court: "We have always said that it was all down to the Skelton family that we finally got justice."
Following the verdicts, Nigel Pilkington, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said Trigg had "a history of violence and controlling behaviour towards his partners".
"In the face of this, it was extremely unlikely that two of Trigg's partners had died of natural causes while sharing a bed with him," he said.
Det Supt Tanya Jones from Sussex Police said both deaths had been investigated at the time and post mortem examinations carried out.
"The forensic information available on each case at the times of the deaths did not provide any avenues for further investigation."
The parents of Susan Nicholson commissioned a review by a third pathologist and new evidence was presented to police, she said.
"On this fresh information we carried out a new thorough investigation including both deaths.
"Sussex Police are sorry that we had not presented all the facts before the CPS previously but we have now thoroughly investigated both cases."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-40511194
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Saudi Arabia has 'clear link' to UK extremism, report says - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Individuals and groups are involved in exporting "an illiberal, bigoted Wahhabi ideology", a report says.
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UK Politics
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The Saudi Arabian embassy in London says Saudi itself has been subject to attacks by al-Qaeda and so-called Islamic State
Saudi Arabia is the chief foreign promoter of Islamist extremism in the UK, a new report has claimed.
The Henry Jackson Society said there was a "clear and growing link" between Islamist organisations in receipt of overseas funds, hate preachers and Jihadist groups promoting violence.
The foreign affairs think tank called for a public inquiry into the role of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.
The Saudi embassy in London says the claims are "categorically false".
Meanwhile, ministers are under pressure to publish their own report on UK-based Islamist groups.
The Home Office report into the existence and influence of Jihadist organisations, commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015, has reportedly yet to be completed amid questions as to whether it will ever be published.
Critics have suggested it could make uncomfortable reading for the government, which has close and longstanding diplomatic, security and economic links with the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said he understood the report was "largely finished and sitting on Theresa May's desk", but there was probably a reluctance to publish it because of "embarrassing" content.
The Henry Jackson Society is a foreign policy think tank that advocates the robust spreading of liberal democracy, the rule of law and the market economy.
Their report says a number of Gulf nations, as well as Iran, are providing financial support to mosques and Islamic educational institutions which have played host to extremist preachers and been linked to the spread of extremist material.
At the top of the list, the report claims, is Saudi Arabia, the UK's closest ally in the Middle East and biggest trading partner.
It alleges individuals and foundations have been heavily involved in exporting what it calls "an illiberal, bigoted Wahhabi ideology", quoting a number of examples.
In a minority of cases, the report alleges institutions in the UK that receive Saudi funding are run directly from Saudi Arabia, although in most instances the money appears to "simply buy foreign donors' influence".
Why the UK is so close to Saudi Arabia
Britain has a close, long-standing and sometimes controversial relationship with Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Islam and today the world's biggest oil producer and exporter.
Annual bilateral trade is worth billions of pounds, UK exports to Saudi Arabia, notably in defence, employ thousands of people in both countries, and there is close co-operation on counter-terrorism.
But UK and US-supplied warplanes and munitions are being used by the Royal Saudi Air Force to bomb targets in Yemen, sometimes resulting in civilian casualties.
Saudi Arabia also has a much-criticised human rights record. This has prompted calls from some, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia.
But Theresa May has spoken of the economic and security benefits of this alliance and has pushed for closer ties with Britain's Gulf Arab partners.
In a statement, the Saudi embassy in London said any accusations that the kingdom had radicalised "a small number of individuals are baseless and lack credible evidence".
And it pointed out that the country has itself been subject to numerous attacks by al-Qaeda and so-called Islamic State.
It added: "We do not and will not condone the actions or ideology of violent extremism and we will not rest until these deviants and their organisations are destroyed."
The Home Office said it was determined to cut off the funding of extremism but it declined to comment on the think tank's report.
The BBC's Frank Gardner said the report's release comes at a sensitive time with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt all accusing Qatar of supporting extremism - a charge the report says is hypocritical.
The think tank also accuses Qatar of links to terrorism, which it denies.
Arab foreign ministers are meeting in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss possible further sanctions on Qatar, while the Qatari foreign minister will be making his own country's case at a press conference in London.
Endorsing the report, Labour MP Dan Jarvis said it shed light on "very worrying" links between Saudi Arabia and the funding of extremism and he called for the government to release its report on foreign funding.
"In the wake of the terrible and tragic terrorist attacks we have seen this year, it is vital that we use every tool at our disposal to protect our communities," he said.
"This includes identifying the networks that promote and support extremism and shutting down the financial networks that fund it."
He said the proposed Commission for Countering Extremism, a new body intended to expose examples of extremism in civil society, should make the foreign funding of UK institutions a priority.
Prime Minister Theresa May, who visited Saudi Arabia in April, has insisted the UK's historic relationship with the desert kingdom is important for British security and trade.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for the immediate suspension of UK arms exports to Saudi Arabia because of its human rights record and involvement in military action in Yemen.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40496778
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Jeremy Corbyn attacks 'zero-hours' Glastonbury contracts - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Labour leader is "happy" to raise the issue of laid-off workers with the festival's organisers.
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UK Politics
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Jeremy Corbyn is to speak to the organisers of the Glastonbury festival about their use of zero-hours contracts, his spokesman has said.
The Labour leader appeared on stage at last month's event to speak about employment rights among other issues.
Most of the workers hired, from around Europe, to clean up after the festival were reportedly laid off early.
But organisers said the litter pickers had "temporary" agreements which guaranteed at least eight hours work.
In a statement, Glastonbury festival said the "unusually dry" weather was partly responsible for reducing the amount of work after this year's festival.
According to the Independent, about 700 workers had travelled to Somerset from the Czech Republic, Spain, Poland and Latvia to help with the post-festival clean-up operation, on zero-hours contracts.
They were reportedly promised two weeks' paid work but were laid-off after two days because there was less litter than expected, leaving them stranded and out of pocket.
In a video filmed by the Independent, a supervisor is heard telling sacked workers obstructing vehicles in protest that they should be grateful for two days' work.
Mr Corbyn used his appearance on the festival's Pyramid stage to say young people should not have to "accept low wages and insecurity as just part of life".
Asked whether he would boycott Glastonbury in future, Mr Corbyn's spokesman said: "Jeremy and the Labour Party have taken a very strong stand against the use of zero-hours contracts and the exploitation of migrant and other workers, and we would take that view wherever it happened.
"How Glastonbury runs its event and runs its finances is entirely a matter for them.
"But these contracts should not be in place and shouldn't be used.
"We oppose them, and next time we are in government we will ban them."
Asked whether Mr Corbyn would raise the issue with organisers next time he visits the festival, the spokesman said: "He is happy to raise it right now.
"This kind of contract and these kinds of employment conditions are unacceptable."
In a statement, Glastonbury festival denied they had used zero-hours contracts, saying: "We would like to state that Glastonbury festival's post-event litter picking team are all given temporary worker agreements for the duration of the clean-up.
"The length of the clean-up varies considerably from year to year, based largely upon the weather conditions before, during and after the festival.
"This is something the litter pickers - many of whom return year after year - are made aware of in their worker agreements (which assure them of a minimum of eight hours' work).
"This year was an unusually dry one for Glastonbury. That, coupled with a fantastic effort from festival goers in taking their belongings home, meant that the bulk of the litter picking work was completed after 2.5 days (in 2016, a very wet year, the equivalent period was around 10 days)."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40498235
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Hidden disabilities: Pain beneath the surface - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Imagine knowing you have to inject yourself 1,000 times - three people with hidden disabilities reveal the internal demands of living with an illness which can't be seen.
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Disability
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Georgia took part in a campaign as a child to show life is not restricted by diabetes
Imagine having to inject yourself thousands of times over the course of your lifetime, but never talking about it to anyone.
Many people live with hidden disabilities - conditions which don't have physical signs but are painful, exhausting and isolating. Sympathy and understanding from others can often be in short supply.
Simon Magnus, Georgia Macqueen Black, Erika North and Natasha Lipman explain what it's like to have a hidden disability, which some of your friends and family may silently be dealing with.
He is the artistic director of arts charity Root Experience.
It's taken me some time to properly "own" my dyslexia. It has been a source of shame and embarrassment for most of my life. In trying to conceal my condition, I have let people think I am lazy and disorganised. The truth is, I really can't get my ideas onto paper, and my fear and anxiety around "being unable to write" has stopped me from achieving things I wanted.
I had a meeting recently and it was going well, then they asked me to do a written evaluation. It made my heart sink. I had to tell them that I couldn't do it. Eyebrows were raised, but I told them about my dyslexia and owned it. The outcome might not have been what I wanted, but it was a huge step for me.
Provision for dyslexic people in everyday life is not available across the board yet, and nor is provision for those of us with anxiety or other hidden disabilities, but I hope they thought about it afterwards and perhaps, in the future, they might consider how they could work with someone like me.
Invisible conditions are just different to how we think the world operates, but the more of us that 'come out' the more we realise how many people live with these experiences and that a simple change in a process can mean all the difference.
Georgia Macqueen Black has Type 1 Diabetes and was diagnosed at the age of 11.
She works for Shape Arts on the National Disability Arts Collection and Archive.
Type 1 Diabetes cannot be seen until I take out my insulin pen and inject myself, but the mechanical parts - blood tests and injections - are only the surface layers of what I have to manage.
Someone may see me inject, but there's an isolating exhaustion I take with me afterwards. There will always be another injection and it can generate a disconnection between myself and other people.
Every day I gather the willpower to be a "good" diabetic, but when I follow the rules and still have high blood sugar I feel alone. It makes me feel foggy with a limited ability to concentrate. And the side-effects of too much or too little sugar in your blood can lead to you turning in on yourself.
The biggest challenge is accepting the monotony of managing diabetes. There are days when I'm tired of having a weaker immune system - a lesser know side-effect of diabetes - or when I find lumps under my skin from injections, but then I have to put those feelings to one side and carry on.
Some people might not think diabetes deserves the label "disability", but if unmanaged it affects my ability to carry out tasks and I have to think how exercise, stress or dehydration will impact my blood sugar levels.
I often worry about how life will be when I'm older. This feeling of uncertainty hangs over me from time to time, and can make me feel lonely and a bit lost.
But I know there's a silent solidarity out there. Someone with an impairment could be having a day where everything has become derailed and they feel ill, but I bet you they won't show it. It's that resilience that I really connect to.
Erika North has multiple sclerosis (MS). She is a broadcaster.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Erika North presents a show on Radio Kent and has multiple sclerosis
It's a connective tissue disorder that causes dislocations, chronic pain and fatigue.
She is a blogger and podcaster.
If you've got an invisible disability, you've got to look convincingly stricken because people often don't believe it's there.
If you were to meet me on the street, you'd probably think I was a pretty average 20-something. You'd certainly take for granted that I can stand, walk up the stairs, work and move without pain. But I can't.
I suffer from severe chronic pain, my joints pop out at will and I'm often too fatigued to get out of bed. If someone knocks into me in the wrong way I could end up in hospital or wiped out from high pain levels for weeks. Standing makes me dizzy and worsens my fatigue, and being squished against other people sends me into a panic.
I'm legally entitled to the same support that other disabled people get, yet I often find myself ignored or told those resources "aren't for you".
One week, five people refused to let me sit down on the Tube - three of whom told me a healthy young girl like me should give up her seat. The only time people ever gave up their seat was when I passed out on the floor - a pretty visible sign something was wrong.
I often feel humiliated when I have to beg for help and I've been lectured more times than I can count for using disabled toilets. I'm told over and over that I'm "not disabled enough". Over the years I've become too scared to ask for help.
Things change when I show "evidence" of my disabilities. I use an Access Card, which states any difficulties I might face and the adjustments that could be made, and I purchased a Radar Key, which unlocks accessible toilets across the country without me having to ask permission.
Despite proof, some people only take me seriously when they see me struggling. I realise most people don't understand what they can't see, but my disabilities shouldn't need to be displayed to be believed.
For more Disability News, follow on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to the weekly podcast.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-39732505
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Petya hackers issue fresh ransom demand - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Funds raised by the perpetrators of a huge cyber-attack are moved out of their Bitcoin account.
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Technology
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Ukrainian cyber-security researchers have been trying to uncover the secrets of the malware's code
The perpetrators of a recent cyber-attack that disrupted businesses across the world appear to have accessed the ransom payments they raised.
Just over £7,900-worth of virtual currency has been moved from the Bitcoin address listed in the blackmail demand that appeared on hacked PCs.
One expert said there was little doubt the funds had been tapped by those responsible for the crime.
And it seems they have now made a fresh ransom demand.
However, analysts suggest the move is intended to confuse investigations into the matter.
In other related developments, Ukraine's interior minister has said the police managed to prevent a second wave of attacks by shutting down and confiscating computer servers used by a local software company, which is thought to have unwittingly helped the Petya-variant virus to spread.
Ukrainian police issued this image of the confiscated computer servers
And after having repeatedly denied any involvement in the transmission of the malware, the developer Intellect Service has acknowledged an upgrade to its MeDoc tax software was indeed "contaminated", allowing the attack to be carried out.
"As of today, every computer which is on the same local network as our product is a threat," the company's chief executive Olesya Bilousova told reporters.
She added that one million computers in Ukraine had MeDoc installed on them.
The police have recommended that everyone stops using the program and turns off computers that have it.
Hacked computers were forced to reboot, after which they displayed this ransom demand
Although the majority of the detected attacks occurred within Ukraine, according to analysis by security firm Eset the malware also affected businesses across the world.
Their computers became inaccessible after the code spread over their internal networks, scrambling a part of the PCs' operating systems used to locate where files are stored.
High-profile casualties included Nurofen-maker Reckitt Benckiser, Oreo cookie manufacturer Mondelez International, the shipping group Maersk and the advertising agency WPP.
Most of those struck did not, however, pay the ransom demand. This was in part because the email address given by the attackers to contact them was shut down by its German operator.
And until Tuesday, the funds that were raised lay dormant.
The Bitcoin address used in the ransom demand has been emptied of most of its contents
But at 22:32 BST on Tuesday, three transfers were triggered.
Two of these were sent to Bitcoin wallets used to collect donations to the PasteBin and DeepPaste text-sharing services - platforms often used by hackers to announce their activities.
The third and largest of the transfers went to an address that had previously been empty.
A little later, a post appeared on DeepPaste demanding 100 bitcoins ($256,300; £198,500) for a "private key to decrypt any hard disk" affected by the attack.
This message appeared on DeepPaste shortly after funds were transferred to the site's Bitcoin account
"Unless the hackers gave away the Bitcoin account linked to the original ransom demand, only they could have moved the funds," Prof Alan Woodward from the University of Surrey told the BBC.
"People are gobsmacked they have gone anywhere near it - they can't be daft enough to try and cash it out.
"As far as we can tell, there's no way to actually decrypt affected PCs even if you paid the new demand.
"So, it may be that they are trying to lead a false trail away from themselves."
Ukraine has accused Russia of being involved in the attack, but the Kremlin has denied any responsibility.
The news site Motherboard said it spoke to someone claiming to be one of the hackers on a dark web chatroom.
The supposed criminal offered to demonstrate that they could decrypt any file scrambled by the Petya-variant. And Motherboard reports that they did indeed manage to decrypt a test file after a two hour wait.
But Prof Woodward said this did not necessarily mean the key could be used to recover all the lost data.
"Once the PC's MFT [Master File Table] is corrupted the files on that disc are lost," he explained, referring to the fact that the virus had scrambled a critical part of the PCs' operating systems and not just individual documents.
"And as far as we can tell, there is an error in the encryption they used, so larger files can't be decrypted."
Update 6 July 2017: This article was updated to reflect the fact the hackers demonstrated their private key could decrypt files
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40506616
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Jacob Rees-Mogg announces baby Sixtus - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Conservative MP's sixth child is called Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher.
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UK Politics
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The backbencher announced the new arrival on Instagram, where attention focused on the eye-catching name.
The name Sixtus is shared with five popes, most recently in 1590.
"Helena and I announce with great joy that we have a baby Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher, a brother for Peter, Mary, Thomas, Anselm and Alfred." Mr Rees-Mogg said.
The other children's full names are Alfred Wulfric Leyson Pius, Thomas Wentworth Somerset Dunstan, Peter Theodore Alphege, Anselm Charles Fitzwilliam and Mary Anne Charlotte Emma Rees-Mogg.
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The MP has previously shared this family photo
This one was taken on the general election campaign trail
The MP captioned this photo: "We shall have to take our business elsewhere"
The Tory MP for North East Somerset, who recently joined Instagram, has become something of a cult figure on social media, with dozens of Facebook pages devoted to him.
"I am a late convert to social media and it's turned out to be great fun," he told BBC Trending recently.
"We've put up some jolly photographs. You hear a lot about unpleasantness but it's reassuring that there is a lighter touch."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40506109
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Museum of the Year: Hepworth Wakefield gallery wins £100,000 prize - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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The Hepworth Wakefield beats the Tate Modern to the £100,000 Museum of the Year prize.
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Entertainment & Arts
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The Hepworth Wakefield is named after sculptor Barbara Hepworth and has some of her works
The Hepworth Wakefield gallery in West Yorkshire has beaten the Tate Modern to be crowned the UK's Museum of the Year.
The venue, which opened six years ago, will receive a £100,000 prize from The Art Fund as well as the kudos that comes with winning the annual award.
The Art Fund director Stephen Deuchar said it had been "a powerful force of energy from the moment it opened".
Tate Modern had been nominated after a year in which it attracted a record 5.8 million visitors and opened a new wing.
But that was not enough to earn it the award at a ceremony at the British Museum in London on Wednesday.
The other nominees were the Lapworth Museum of Geology in Birmingham, Sir John Soane's Museum in London and the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art in Suffolk.
The Museum of the Year judges (with Hepworth director Simon Wallis) got tangled up in the JW Anderson exhibition
The gallery sits on the banks of the River Calder
The Hepworth, which is named after sculptor Barbara Hepworth, impressed the judges by increasing its visitor numbers by 21% and launching a major new award for British sculpture last year, among other things.
Mr Deuchar praised the way the gallery had "kept growing in reach and impact" since it opened in a £35m building designed by David Chipperfield in 2011.
He also complimented the "determined originality" of the curatorial team, and said it served its local community "with unfailing flair and dedication".
Last year saw it stage exhibitions of painter Stanley Spencer, photographer Martin Parr and art-pop installationist Anthea Hamilton.
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So far this year, it has had an exhibition curated by designer Jonathan Anderson, who brought together the worlds of fashion and sculpture.
And it has just opened a show focusing on the late painter Howard Hodgkin's fascination with India.
It also recently took receipt of 50 artworks donated by collector and former BBC radio news journalist Tim Sayer, while a 65,000 sq ft (6,000 sq m) riverside garden is due to be created in its grounds.
The Museum of the Year prize is the largest single arts prize in the UK. Last year's winner was the V&A in London.
The Art Fund aims to reward an institution that has shown "exceptional imagination, innovation and achievement across the preceding 12 months".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40505227
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As it happened: Prime Minister's Questions - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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How Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn's weekly clash in the Commons unfolded.
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UK Politics
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BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said Theresa May came under pressure during Prime Minister's Questions over the public sector pay cap.
He said there had been growing criticism from the "big beasts" of her Cabinet - Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Environment Secretary Michael Gove - that it could be eased without any tax rises.
Mrs May had tried to "douse down" any momentum or expectation that there is going to be any "early give" on public sector pay, he said.
Her message was the government needed to bring down the deficit, live within its means, because to do anything else would be "going down the road of Greece", he said.
Norman Smith said it was striking the PM had echoed the words used by Chancellor Philip Hammond in his speech to the CBI, that he would push back on easing off austerity.
He said she had told MPs there was a need to strike the right balance between taxpayers and public sector workers.
A key development on public sector pay was that firefighters are to to get a rise of up to 3%, which Norman said would prompt other public sector unions to think 'why can't we have 3%?'.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-40504458
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Is there institutional racism in mental health care? - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Statistics suggest black people are four times more likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
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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. Eche explains how he was Tasered when sectioned under the Mental Health Act
Black people are being failed by the UK's mental health services because of "institutional racism", it has been warned. How does this affect those who experience it?
When Eche Egbuonu, who has bipolar disorder, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act, he should have been taken to a safe environment - usually a hospital - for a medical assessment.
Instead, he was taken straight to a police station.
"Being in the police cell was probably the worst thing they could have done to me in the state of mind that I was in," he tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
Under the Mental Health Act, a person can be detained if they are considered to be suffering from a mental disorder and in immediate need of care or control.
Eche was released two days later. But shortly after, following an altercation at his home, his parents called the police.
This time, after he refused to go willingly, one of the officers used a Taser.
Eche says: "I'm in my room, and I'm like, 'I'm not going [with police].' The first time, I was compliant.
"Physically they tried to get me down, that didn't work. So they brought the Taser out, 50,000 volts.
"Before I know it, I'm back in handcuffs.
"It's made me more resistant and distrusting of the system in general because it felt like a prison experience. I feel like a criminal."
The matter of black overrepresentation within the mental health system is a complex one.
Statistics suggest a black man in the UK is 17 times more likely than a white man to be diagnosed with a serious mental health condition such as schizophrenia or bipolar.
Black people are also four times more likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
Issues such as unemployment and poverty play a part in the inequality, but there are fears that institutional racism also has a role.
Councillor Jacqui Dyer says mental health services must change for black communities to trust them
Jacqui Dyer - a councillor in Lambeth, London, the borough with the biggest black population in the country - believes this is the case.
She is vice-chair of the government-appointed Mental Health Taskforce for England.
"What we find is that there's a differential experience so these I might describe as structural inequalities, unconscious bias, institutional racism, whatever you're more comfortable with in terms of terminology which means decisions that are made in these structures, sort of biases those communities," she says.
Ms Dyer says there is a belief within some black communities that if you go into mental health services, "it's not that you get recovery, it's that you die [there]".
This, she says, leads to people "presenting later" for treatment, when their case is more severe.
"We have to change the narrative, by actually changing the services," she says.
The Reverend Freddie Brown says the church is "indispensible to the solution"
According to the Reverend Freddie Brown, from Tooting New Testament Assembly, the Church could play a vital role in creating this change.
He is part of the Pastor's Network, set up because of concern about the number of parishioners presenting with mental health problems.
Church leaders in the network have taken accredited family therapy courses to try to improve the situation.
He believes - by working with other mental health services - they can be "indispensable to the solution".
Lorraine Khan, from the Centre for Mental Health, also believes "institutional racism" is embedded in the system.
A new report from the think tank found when black people tried to access help, they were less likely to receive the support they wanted.
They are now calling on the government to overhaul its approach to mental health to tackle the issue, which she says has been overlooked:
"I think there is a problem with institutional racism in the way we take action and try to improve things. This problem doesn't affect the majority of the country so it becomes a minority issue as far as commissioners are concerned.
"We find there's not the investment in research to improve the programmes that young men and women say they want. It's not considered the priority. The priority is, all the services are geared towards white people."
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We want to make sure that everyone, regardless of ethnicity, age or background, gets the mental health treatment they need.
"Work to consider reform of mental health legislation will begin to ensure mental health is prioritised in the NHS in England - and in part reflecting concern about the disproportionate rate of detention of black people under the existing system."
Maitreya, a singer-songwriter, was sectioned for a second time a few weeks ago, following an argument with a family member.
She says she found it difficult to access mental health care from the NHS in the year before she was detained.
"I was actually trying to tell them, 'I feel very much suicidal at the moment.'
Maitreya says she was not taken seriously when she reported suicidal thoughts to doctors
"I took myself into a hospital. I took myself into A&E. I've called ambulances."
But Maitreya says she was not taken seriously.
"It's made me lose trust in the mental health service.
"Now I've gone through a whole process of being sectioned - and I need more help to deal with the trauma - I'm scared because I'm like, 'How will the help come now?'"
After being sectioned, Maitreya has now been diagnosed with psychosis, something she disputes.
When she was detained she rejected medication, saying she had developed her own coping mechanisms.
According to some experts, black people are more likely to be medicated while admitted to mental health services.
Donald Masi, a psychiatric doctor, believes this is the result of a wider cultural perception that black people are more dangerous.
"Say there's a petite 50-year-old white lady with a mental illness and a 6ft [1.8m] black guy with the same illness," he says.
Donald Masi says there is a societal perception of "black people being the aggressor"
"Both may be calm but may have episodes of irritability, frustration or aggression because they're distressed from their mental illness.
"People are more likely to think that the black guy is going to do something and hurt them, because essentially there is a cultural idea of black people being the aggressor."
Dr Masi says, however, that the problem is more of a wider societal issue, rather than one specific to the health service - adding that the NHS was "a lot better than it used to be".
Eche believes in his case "there could have been a subconscious [racial] bias".
He says: "When I think about some of the other people that I saw in the ward, I'm like, 'What that person was doing was definitely more aggressive than me - but they stayed in that open ward, they didn't come into intensive care.'"
Eche says "it was basically all BME [black and minority ethnic]" in the intensive care unit.
And the "whole system needs an overhaul" to deal with the ingrained bias.
"How race impacts your experience in the mental health system, how painful it is, I think something needs to be done," he says.
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-40495539
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Business Live: Inflation divides US Fed - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Minutes from the US central bank's June meeting reveal concern at softer inflation growth.
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Business
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There was little change on Wall Street on Wednesday following the release of the Federal Reserve's most recent minutes.
They revealed that the Fed's policymakers were split on the outlook for inflation and how it might affect the future pace of interest rate rises
Investors had been hoping for insight on the central bank's plans for interest rate hikes or possible balance sheet reduction. "I see a murky, opaque message," Stephen Massocca, senior vice president at Wedbush Securities in San Francisco, said of the Fed minutes.
The Dow Jones edged down to 21,478.17, a fall of 1 point or 0.01%.
The S&P 500 was at 2,432.54, up 4 points or 0.15%.
And the tech-heavy Nasdaq closed up 41 points or 0.67% at 6,150.86.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/business-40455617
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Student debt rising to more than £50,000, says IFS - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Rising tuition fees and interest rates mean higher costs for graduates, says the IFS.
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Education & Family
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Students will have accrued £5,800 in interest charges before they graduate, says the IFS
Students in England are going to graduate with average debts of £50,800, after interest rates are raised on student loans to 6.1%, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Those from the poorest backgrounds, with more loans available to support them, will graduate with debts of over £57,000 says the think tank.
Interest charges are levied as soon as courses begin and the IFS says students on average will have accrued £5,800 in interest charges by the time they have graduated from university.
Report author Chris Belfield describes the interest as "very high", but the Department for Education declined to comment on the increase in charges.
Universities Minister Jo Johnson says that more disadvantaged students than ever are going to university.
The study from the IFS compares England's current student finance system introduced in 2012, where fees were raised to £9,000, with the previous system introduced in 2006, when fees were about £3,000.
Because the level at which graduates have to repay also increased, to £21,000, it meant that those with low incomes were initially better off, says the IFS.
But the repayment threshold has been frozen since 2012 - and the IFS report says that graduates on all income levels are now worse off than under the previous fee regime.
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds can borrow more in maintenance support - but because these are now loans rather than grants, it means that the poorest students will leave with the highest debts.
The increase in interest rates and tuition fees going up to £9,250 per year will push up the cost of loans for all graduates - and higher earners will pay interest of £40,000 on top of the amount borrowed.
Mr Belfield says the 6.1% being charged on loans is "very high compared with current market rates".
But if loans are not repaid after 30 years, they are written off - and the IFS forecasts that about three-quarters of students will not pay off all their debt, despite making payments from their earnings into their 50s.
The government also wants to sell off student loans to private investors - with some pre-2012 loans having already been put up for sale.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Universities minister refuses to say on Today whether student loan interest rates will go down
The report says there have been two main beneficiaries from the current fee system - universities and the government's finances.
Universities have increased per-student funding by 25% since fees rose to £9,000, says the IFS, after taking into account the money they no longer receive directly from the government.
Last week, Mr Johnson warned against university leaders being paid excessive salaries - with some vice-chancellors earning over £400,000.
Replacing grants with loans and freezing the earnings threshold for repayment has made the system less expensive for the government.
The IFS says that the lowest-earning third of graduates are paying 30% more than in 2012, when the £21,000 threshold was introduced.
The switch in costs to students will mean cutting government borrowing by £3bn in the long term.
Tuition fees became a high-profile issue during the general election - with Labour promising to scrap tuition fees.
The big swing to Labour in university seats was seen as suggesting that young people were concerned about tuition fees - and plans for them to begin rising each year.
Senior Conservative minister Damian Green, speaking last week, recognised that fees had become a big issue, particular for young voters, and that universities needed to show they were providing value for money.
The IFS analysis says scrapping tuition fees would cost £11bn per year. But it also warns that continuing on the current trajectory of "high debts, high interest rates and low repayment rates" would mean problems both for "graduates and the public finances".
The report says that the overall trend has been to increase university funding, reduce government spending on higher education, "while substantially increasing payments by graduates, especially high-earning graduates".
Labour's shadow education minister, Gordon Marsden, said: "This report shows that any argument that the current fee system is progressive is absolute nonsense.
"From scrapping the maintenance grant to freezing the repayment threshold, this government has increased the debt burden of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who will graduate with debts in excess of £57,000."
"Under the Tories, student debt continues to rise with no end in sight, and students in the UK will now graduate with a shocking average of over £50,000 in debt."
Mr Johnson said: "The government consciously subsidises the studies of those who for a variety of reasons, including family responsibilities, may not repay their loans in full.
"This is a vital and deliberate investment in the skills base of this country, not a symptom of a broken student finance system.
"And the evidence bears this out: young people from poorer backgrounds are now going to university at a record rate - up 43% since 2009."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-40493658
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Women graduates 'desperately' freeze eggs over 'lack of men' - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Graduate women are struggling to find educated men who want to start a family, research suggests.
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Health
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Professional women are freezing their eggs due to a "dearth of educated men to marry", a US study has claimed.
Yale University researchers suggested an "oversupply" of graduate women left them struggling to find a partner and "desperate" to preserve fertility.
They said the "man deficit" was worse in countries where more women were going to university, as in the UK.
The researchers interviewed 150 women who had frozen eggs, of whom 90% said they could not find a suitable partner.
Author Prof Marcia Inhorn said the research challenged perceptions that women put off having a baby so they could prioritise their job.
"Extensive media coverage suggests that educational and career ambitions are the main determinants of professional women's fertility postponement, especially as they 'lean in' to their careers," she said.
"Rather, they were desperately preserving their fertility beyond the natural end of their reproductive lives, because they were single without partners to marry."
Speaking at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Prof Inhorn thought there were "not enough graduates for them".
In the majority of cases the women, who were treated at eight IVF clinics in the US and Israel and interviewed between June 2014 to August 2016, said they could not find an educated man who was willing to commit to family life.
"Women lamented the 'missing men' in their lives, viewing egg freezing as a way to buy time while on the continuing - online - search for a committed partner," Prof Inhorn said.
Prof Adam Balen, president of the British Fertility Society, said that he had noticed a "big shift" in UK society, with many university-educated women delaying starting a family.
"In my clinic I certainly see more older women seeking fertility treatment than in the past," he said.
The research comes amid a sex imbalance at British universities. In the academic year 2015-2016, 56% of UK students were women and 44% men, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
Prof Balen warned that freezing eggs can be a painful and costly process.
"Freezing eggs for a future pregnancy is not a decision to be taken lightly," he said.
"The technology in egg freezing has improved a great deal but it is still no guarantee of a baby later in life.
"Women choosing to 'bank' eggs until they are ready to start a family have to go through painful procedures and what can be a difficult regime of medications - this is not without potential risks to the woman undertaking the procedure."
In the UK, the number of women storing their eggs has increased substantially despite success rates remaining low.
In 2014, 816 women froze some eggs for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) later, up 25% on 2013, according to the latest figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates the industry.
Eggs are more fragile than embryos, and less likely to survive the freeze-thaw process. The pregnancy rate for transferring frozen embryos was 21.9% in 2013, and 22.2% in 2014.
The law allows for eggs to be frozen for up to 10 years, and in some circumstances up to 55 years.
Egg-freezing can cost several thousand pounds, with added costs for storing the eggs, while one cycle of IVF treatment may cost up to £5,000 or more.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40504076
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Venezuela National Assembly stormed by Maduro supporters - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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About 100 government supporters force their way into Venezuela's opposition-led National Assembly.
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Latin America & Caribbean
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About 100 government supporters have burst into Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, where they beat up several lawmakers.
Witnesses said the confrontation came after an assembly session to mark the country's Independence Day.
Military police guarding the site stood by as intruders brandishing sticks and pipes broke through the gate, AFP news agency said.
The government has vowed to investigate.
"I will not be complicit in acts of violence," said President Nicolás Maduro.
About 350 people were besieged for hours, including journalists, students and visitors, according to the assembly's speaker Julio Borges.
Mr Borges also named five of the lawmakers injured. Some were taken away for medical treatment, including Deputy Américo De Grazia, who was carried out on a stretcher.
Venezuela has been shaken by often violent protests in recent months and is in economic crisis.
"This does not hurt as much as seeing every day how we are losing our country," deputy Armando Armas told reporters as he got into an ambulance, his head swathed in bloody bandages.
The US state department condemned the violence, calling it "an assault on the democratic principles cherished by the men and women who struggled for Venezuela's independence 206 years ago today".
AFP, whose journalists were at the scene, said reporters were ordered to leave by the attackers, one of whom had a gun.
The assembly was holding a session to mark the country's Independence Day
Before the intruders rushed the building, Vice-President Tareck El Aissami made an impromptu appearance in the congress with the head of the armed forces, Vladimir Padrino López, and ministers.
Mr El Aissami gave a speech urging the president's supporters to come to the legislature to show support for him.
A crowd had been rallying outside the building for several hours before breaking into the grounds.
A statement from the the ministry of communication said, the government had ordered an investigation "to establish the whole truth, and on that basis, to apply sanctions to those responsible".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Your video guide to the crisis gripping Venezuela
Just hours before, the attorney general was facing suspension for refusing to appear in court.
Luisa Ortega Díaz has been accused of committing errors in her job, but critics believe she is being targeted after speaking out against the president's reform plans.
Last week, she also criticised Mr Maduro after an incident in which a stolen police helicopter flew over Caracas, dropping grenades and firing shots.
The president called it a "terrorist attack" but Ms Ortega said the country was suffering from "state terrorism".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The helicopter circles buildings before gunshots and a bang are heard
While Venezuelan security forces later found the abandoned helicopter near the coast, parliamentary speaker Julio Borges said there was a possibility that the incident was a hoax.
On Tuesday, the fugitive policeman who piloted the helicopter, Oscar Pérez, posted a video online saying he was still in Caracas.
He urged Venezuelans to stand firm in the streets in protests against the president.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-40509498
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Green Day 'distraught' after Glasgow show cancelled - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Promoters said the show had been cancelled because "adverse weather conditions" meant it was no longer safe.
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Glasgow & West Scotland
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Promoters have blamed bad weather for the decision to cancel a concert by Green Day in Glasgow, only hours before it was due to begin.
The American band had been set to perform in Bellahouston Park on Tuesday.
However, promoters PCL said the show had been cancelled because "adverse weather conditions" meant it was "no longer safe" for the bands to perform.
In a statement on their website Green Day said they were "very distraught".
They said the stage was deemed "unsafe for the fans and everyone involved".
The band added: "We are very distraught about this as we are in Glasgow now and were very much looking forward to this show as one the highlights of our tour.
"We have been playing in extreme weather conditions throughout this European tour, and the last thing we want to do is see a show cancelled.
"We love our Scottish fans and we don't care if it's raining... sideways, although the safety of our fans and our crew is always our top priority.
"We love you Scotland, we love the city of Glasgow and it goes without saying that we will be back."
Signs have been put up at Bellahouston Park advising that the Green Day gig is cancelled
Police Scotland said officers were at the park making sure ticket holders were able to get home safely
In a strongly worded post on Instagram, the band's bassist Mike Dirnt posted a video of himself next to a Saltire.
He said: "We are devastated and it... sucks that the show today has been cancelled due to safety issues.
"I know today's show would have been insane! I'm at a loss for words and so disappointed right now, but please know we will be back ASAP! Rage & Love."
Bassist Mike Dirnt posted a video on Instagram of himself next to a Scottish flag
Disappointed fans have also voiced their anger at the last-minute announcement.
Charlotte Durcan, from Lincolnshire, said she and her family had travelled nearly four hours to attend the concert.
"We arrived safely, paid for parking, paid for our hotel, and at 13:45 received an e-mail to say that the concert has been cancelled," she said.
"We could have saved our money," she added.
"The hotel won't reimburse us as there is a 72-hour notice period. We will be staying there for one night only as we just came for the concert. We're not really sure how to pass the time now.
"It's my first time in Glasgow and it has ruined my Glasgow experience."
The promoters announced the cancellation of the gig just half an hour before the gates were due to open
The last-minute decision to cancel has raised questions over how well prepared the organisers were for the concert.
Many ticket holders took to social media to express their disappointment.
One said she was "absolutely devastated" by the decision, after waiting seven years to see the band perform in Scotland.
Others raised questions over the weather conditions, claiming that T in the Park and Glastonbury often go ahead in heavy rain.
It also led to queries about how well prepared the organisers were for the sell-out concert.
Glasgow City Council, which operates Bellahouston Park, said they did not tell the promoters to cancel the gig.
They said the decision was taken by the promoters and the band's management, who informed the council of the move.
The promoters announced the cancellation on Twitter shortly before 13:30. The gates were due to open at 14:00. They said fans would receive refunds.
In a statement, they said: "Adverse weather conditions overnight and throughout the morning, during the bands scheduled load in, led to issues on stage.
"A meeting between the on site health and safety, event management, the artists representatives and promoters concluded that it would be unsafe in the timescale to proceed with the event."
Police Scotland said they had officers at the park advising fans that the gig was cancelled and ensuring that they got home safely.
Green Day were due to be supported by Rancid, Slaves and Skids.
Slaves hastily arranged a replacement gig, announcing on Twitter that the "good people of Glasgow still need a gig". It quickly sold out.
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Cameron says fiscal discipline not 'selfish' amid austerity debate - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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The former PM says opponents of austerity are wrongly portraying the government as "uncaring".
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UK Politics
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The former PM says leaving debts to future generations is wrong
David Cameron has said opponents of fiscal discipline are "selfish" not "compassionate", as the debate within the Tories over austerity continues.
The ex-prime minister, who introduced the public sector pay cap, said those who believed in "sound finances" were wrongly being painted as "uncaring".
"The exact reverse is true," he said at an event in South Korea. "Giving up sound finances isn't being generous."
Chancellor Philip Hammond has urged ministers to "hold their nerve".
As a growing number of Tory MPs, as well as opposition parties and unions, call for the 1% cap on public sector pay increases to be reviewed, the chancellor has said the "right balance" must be struck in terms of fairness to workers and taxpayers.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson expressed his support for a rethink on Monday, while Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he sympathises with the millions of NHS workers whose pay has been squeezed since 2010 - firstly through a two-year pay freeze and then through the cap, which was imposed in 2012.
But Mr Cameron, who as prime minister of the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition oversaw six years of cuts to public spending, defended his government's record on cutting the multibillion pound annual deficit and suggested it would be a mistake to now loosen up efforts.
Five million public sector workers have seen their pay capped since 2012
"The opponents of so-called austerity couch their arguments in a way that make them sound generous and compassionate," said the former PM, who stood down as an MP last year, at a conference in Seoul.
"They seek to paint the supporters of sound finances as selfish, or uncaring. The exact reverse is true.
"Giving up on sound finances isn't being generous, it's being selfish: spending money today that you may need tomorrow."
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 next recommendations in due course.
Nigel Lawson, a former chancellor to Margaret Thatcher, said it was Mr Hammond's job to keep control of public spending and urged ministers to formulate the policy behind closed doors.
"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."
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said increasing pay in line with inflation next year could cost about £5bn and to do so for the rest of the Parliament could "easily cost twice that".
However, director Paul Johnson told the BBC that Mr Hammond had a range of options to ease the constraints on pay without breaching his immediate financial targets.
"If that were the government's biggest priority then it could probably afford to do it," he said. "The country would hardly be bankrupt if the government were to borrow a few billion more than currently planned."
But he said it was not clear how much "headroom" Mr Hammond would have given uncertainty over the performance of the economy and other spending pressures.
After the Tories' failure to win a majority, the chancellor has said it is up to his party to again make the case for a market-based economy, underpinned by sound public finances, and oppose those calling for a "different path".
Labour said immediate action was needed from the government not "just more empty words or infighting from members of the cabinet".
"The fact that some of the pillars of our community and the public sector such as teachers, doctors and police officers are seeing their pay cut exposes the double standards of a government that likes to praise their work but will not actually truly reward it," said shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40496775
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Minister sparks anger by suggesting 'Waspi women' start apprenticeships - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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A minister is heckled for suggesting women over 60 affected by pension charges can start apprenticeships.
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UK Politics
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A minister has been heckled by MPs for suggesting women over 60 facing poverty could start an apprenticeship.
The government has been accused of failing to do more to help 2.6 million women born in the 1950s who have lost out because of changes to pension law.
The SNP's Mhairi Black said it was "laughable" the problem could not be fixed when the government had found £1bn to fund its deal with the DUP.
Minister Guy Opperman said he would look at cases of financial hardship.
But he faced shouts of "shame on you" when he said the government was "actually doing a significant amount" to address the individual difficulties of older workers trying to enter the labour market - including by offering them apprenticeships.
Mr Opperman, setting out the government's work on "lifelong learning" said: "The reality is over 200,000 people over 60 have entered further education since 2014/15.
"We have also extended apprenticeship opportunities as one of the best routes to skilled employment for people of all ages and gender.
"Such apprenticeships in England, for example, in 2014/15... 12% of the starting apprenticeships were for those aged 45."
Mr Opperman was heckled by MPs as he outlined the details.
SNP MP Mhairi Black said it would cost £8bn over five years to fix the anomaly
Labour's Graham Jones, raising a point of order, said: "I'm struggling to hear the debate, did the minister just say that women aged 64 could go on an apprenticeship course?"
The debate centred on the plight of the so-called Waspi women - Women Against State Pension Inequality - whose aim is to achieve fair transitional arrangements for women born in the 1950s, for whom the state pension age is being raised from 60 to 66 by 2020.
Ms Black said she had been contacted by a woman who said her friend had committed suicide after the general election result "because she could not face what was going to happen to her".
"Citizens committing suicide over an issue that could be solved like that - an issue the government could do a U-turn on at any given moment," she said.
Ms Black said it was "an absolute disgrace" that a debate on the issue was having to be held again.
Turning to Mr Opperman, a pensions minister, she said it was "laughable" that the government "can find a billion pounds for a deal to cling on to power, but we cannot find the money to give women the pensions that they are due".
"The only other two things they are guilty of is being born in the 50s and the fact they are women."
Labour's Carolyn Harris said the government "has betrayed these women - they've stolen their security and they've shattered their dreams without time to prepare and make the necessary alternative arrangements".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40511545
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Why people believe the myth of 'plastic rice' - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Viral videos of 'bouncing rice balls' have fuelled fake rumours of "plastic" rice being sold in Africa.
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BBC Trending
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A video which falsely claims to "prove" the existence of fake plastic rice in the food supply
Despite little evidence that it's a widespread problem, rumours of "plastic" rice being sold in Africa and elsewhere persist on social media - driven in particular by viral videos which show bouncing rice balls.
The rumours spread over the last few weeks in Senegal, The Gambia and Ghana - and reached such a pitch that the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority decided to carry out an investigation.
They invited consumers and traders to submit samples of any rice brands they suspected of being made of plastic - and eventually concluded that there was no plastic rice being sold on the Ghanaian market.
Originating in China, rumours on social media have circulated since about 2010 of plastic rice being manufactured and mixed in with the real rice supply in order to trick consumers. The rumours were originally prompted by "fake rice" scandals, although they didn't involve food made entirely out of plastic.
In one case, companies were passing off ordinary but edible rice as premium "Wuchang" grains. Then in 2011, reports emerged that rice was being produced with potatoes and an industrial sticky resin. The rumours were further compounded when a Chinese restaurant association official warned that eating three bowls of "plastic rice" was the equivalent of eating one plastic bag.
At no point, however, were there confirmed cases of large amounts of plastic chips being passed off as rice. "Plastic rice" is manufactured for use in shipping boxes, but it's likely that in most cases the cost of the chips would actually be more expensive than real rice.
The story had reached social media in Africa by 2016 when Nigerian customs authorities confiscated 2.5 tonnes of rice. Customs officials initially claimed that the rice was plastic - and were later forced to backtrack when the country's health minister said there was no evidence for the claims. Tests showed that the rice did however contain a high level of bacteria, Nigeria's National Agency For Food and Drugs said.
But rumours have persisted that plastic is being sold as rice, fuelled by videos which show people bouncing rice balls. Some also purport to show how the rice is made in factories.
Alexander Waugh, director of the Rice Association, a UK-based industry group, says the videos may be authentic - but not because the grains are plastic. Rice - when prepared in the right way - can actually bounce, Waugh told BBC Trending radio.
"The natural characteristics of rice are carbohydrates and proteins and you can do something like that with rice," Waugh says.
It could be that protectionism and a distrust of foreign imports is behind the persistence of the rumours, according to journalist Alexandre Capron of France 24's, The Observers.
Capron has worked extensively to debunk the myths around plastic rice and says some people are deliberately sharing fake videos to encourage consumers to buy more locally grown rice.
"The rumour is more popular in countries which are dependent on imported rice like Ivory Coast or Senegal," he says. "The rumour is so huge that governments are compelled to make statements... as to why there is no plastic rice."
Hassan Arouni, editor of the BBC's Focus on Africa, has looked into the "fake rice" rumours and says he's not sure whether people in West African countries are deliberately targeting food exporting countries such as China. But he does think food safety authorities in West Africa are doing the right thing by addressing the rumours head-on.
"I think that's the way to go and demonstrate to the public this [rumour] is not true," he says. "I think it will reassure people that this is fake news and probably somebody being naughty on the internet."
You can find BBC Trending on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @BBCtrending. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.
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Newspaper headlines: 'Failing' care homes and Volvo goes electric - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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One in three nursing homes fail an official inspection, and Volvo plans a switch to electric cars.
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The Papers
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A warning about care home safety makes several of the day's front pages.
The Daily Telegraph says choosing one is like "Russian roulette" and quotes officials who advise that people should check how homes smell before making a commitment.
The paper thinks it's particular depressing that care home standards are getting worse. It argues that amid the political debate about ending austerity, elderly provision has to be regarded as a priority.
The Guardian says those in the east of England have the best overall results, while those in the north-west are the worst - with smaller homes also likely to achieve a higher rating.
In its lead, the Daily Mirror warns of a dementia time bomb - with the number of people with the disease expected to reach 1.2 million by 2040 - a 60% rise.
The research by University College London and the University of Liverpool also predicts the bill for their care will rise to £36bn.
The Alzheimer's Society says the study is a "wake up call... showing the social care system, already on its knees from decades of underfunding, needs urgent attention".
Many papers assess car manufacturer Volvo's announcement that from 2019 all new models will be hybrids or powered exclusively by electricity.
"Volvo death knell for petrol cars" is the Daily Mail's front page headline.
The Times sees Volvo's move as the first big bet on the electrification of cars based on consumer demand, rather than a mixture of hope and subsidies.
The Guardian believes if the whole car industry were to follow suit then it would begin to make a serious difference, as transport accounts for 14% of greenhouse gas emissions.
But the Financial Times points out the environmental advantages of the electric car peter out if the batteries are charged from coal-fired power stations.
Many of the papers ponder how the world should respond to North Korea's missile test.
The Financial Times has been hearing from several experts who believe the US has only limited military options, without risking a retaliation which could destroy the South Korean capital, Seoul.
A major problem, according to the article, is that North Korean missiles are hidden in underground bunkers.
The i paper believes pressuring China to cut off trade isn't working because Beijing is determined to undermine efforts to isolate Kim Jong-un.
The Times thinks China has one last chance to show it's a globally responsible player and the paper calls for sanctions to be imposed on all Beijing institutions which profit from the Kim regime.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40515085
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Britain’s wealth problem – we don’t create enough of it - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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Productivity figures are shockingly bad, and unless that changes then funding changes to public services becomes all the harder
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Business
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Today's productivity figures are bad to the point of shocking.
A fall of 0.5% in the first three months of the year takes the UK economy's ability to create wealth back below the level of 2007.
If an economy cannot create wealth efficiently, then the debates about government spending, public sector pay and austerity become all the harder.
If an economy cannot create wealth, then tax receipts - the mainstay of government income - weaken.
There is plenty of data which suggest that the government's inability to "balance the books" is not because targets to reduce spending have been missed.
Rather, it is down to disappointing tax income because economic growth is weak.
Poor business performance and falling real incomes appear to be leading to a stagnating economy.
How motivating is work when at the end of the year you are earning, given the impact of higher inflation, less than you were at the beginning of the year?
Demotivated workforces tend not to work more efficiently.
And if productivity is falling and labour costs are rising, as they are, then that leads to a profits squeeze.
And means that the prospect of pay rises recedes - creating something of a vicious circle and going someway to explaining why wage growth is falling.
I interviewed Lord Adair Turner, the former head of the Low Pay Commission, yesterday and he made a rather startling - but correct - admission.
"The UK over the last 10 years has created a lot of jobs, but today real wages are below where they were in 2007," he said.
"That is not the capitalist system delivering its promise that over a decade or so it will raise all boats, and it is a very fundamental issue.
"There is something about the economy which - left to itself - will proliferate very, very low paid jobs."
Until that is solved, our productivity problem, our wealth problem, will continue.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40506570
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Inside the secret and lucrative world of 'the super tutor' - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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The tutors charging thousands of pounds to help secure a British education for wealthy overseas children.
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Business
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Mark Maclaine, dubbed "a super tutor" due to his students' success rate, charges from £150 to £1,000, an hour
Education services bring in £17.5bn a year to the UK economy, but what is driving the demand for a British education and why are some parents willing to spend thousands of pounds to secure a "super tutor" for their child?
"It was on the plane over I realised I'd made a mistake," a 25-year-old private tutor tells me.
He was flying to New York to spend the summer helping to prepare a 12-year-old boy for the Common Entrance exam - a test taken by children applying to private secondary schools.
The boy's mother had insisted he sat next to the boy so he could spend the flight time teaching him.
He did an hour and then given they were spending the next three weeks together, decided to take a nap.
The next thing he knew, he was being woken up by the mother standing over him, shouting "You think this is some kind of holiday?".
Given the high fees charged by such tutors and the intense competition for places at top British schools it's perhaps not surprising that tensions can sometimes run high.
"In an already privileged world, tutoring is an extra level of pushing," he says.
Foreign students often use British tutors to prepare them for private school entrance exams
The Londoner uses the job's flexibility to fund his real passion of film production and acting. He is unwilling to be named in this article in case it jeopardises future jobs.
Yet he says the money easily makes up for the occasional difficulties. He charges anywhere from £40 to £90 an hour in the UK, although the agencies he is hired through take a 25% to 50% cut of this.
When he takes an overseas job, the fees are much higher to compensate for the fact that he can't do any other work. Typically he earns between £800 and £1,500 a week.
In three years as a tutor he's worked in India, Indonesia and Costa Rica, as well as the US.
Hiring an English tutor is increasingly common in many countries, particularly for those who want their children to go to an overseas private secondary school, he says.
The fact that he "sounds a bit posh" and went to a top London school are "valuable trading cards" in an international industry which is "a lot about image as well as actual background," he says.
This kind of tutoring is one of the British education services that makes a valuable contribution to the UK economy. Collectively, education exports were worth a whopping £17.5bn in 2011, the most recent figure available. This includes education products and services, income from international students in higher education as well as schools and English language lessons.
The tradition of a British education is appealing to many wealthy overseas families
Those working in the industry suggest the value is likely to have grown since then.
Mark Maclaine, who co-founded the agency, Tutorfair, in 2012 after over a decade of tutoring, says overseas demand is enormous and growing. His overseas customers are mostly from Asia, the Middle East, eastern Europe and Russia.
Dubbed "a super tutor" due to his students' success rate, he charges fees on a sliding scale, anywhere from £150 an hour up to a staggering £1,000.
At the upper end of the scale, he says it's typically consultancy. A short time to teach someone how to study and prepare for an exam independently as opposed to a continuing arrangement.
Word of mouth recommendations have seen him hired by US actors and actresses and he's taught in a variety of exotic locations from a yacht sailing around the Caribbean to private islands in luxury holiday resorts.
He admits that the high pressure can create a toxic environment, and says experience has taught him to interview a family before he commits to a job.
We're speaking over the phone while he's in Bali, where he has tagged a holiday onto the end of a tutoring job.
"The British private education system is seen as one of the best in the world. Royal families, rulers of countries are very very keen that their kids get some form of education in Britain," he says.
The demand is high enough that two to three times a year Mr Maclaine will get an "emergency call" from a family desperate for his immediate services.
Normally these calls come when a child has failed a practice exam for a UK school and "everyone panics".
Often he'll offer to tutor by Skype, but occasionally when he's offered a "stupid amount of money" he'll agree to fly out.
"I'm a human being. I've got a mortgage to pay".
To help address the balance, Tutorfair says that for every child whose parents pay for its service it gives tutoring to another boy or girl whose mother and father, or other guardian, cannot afford to pay.
It's not just tutoring agencies cashing in on the foreign demand for a British education.
The teaching at Dulwich College, Beijing, is based on the English national curriculum
Many private schools have opened branches overseas: Harrow has schools in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Bangkok; while Dulwich College and Wellington College both have overseas franchises in China.
Such extensions create a handy extra revenue stream for private schools as the domestic market slows.
But Charles Bonas, founder of Bonas MacFarlane, which offers tuition and also advises on choices of schools from nursery to university, says many families still prefer to send their children to school in the UK.
He says partly it's because it's a way for wealthy families with drivers and nannies to help their offspring become more independent.
But he says the main reasons that parents choose the UK is because English is spoken as a first language, and the education is deemed well-rounded - teaching children how to think critically and take risks.
More from the BBC's series taking an international perspective on trade:
Often parents only want the top name schools, he says recalling the time two years ago when the parents of a five-year-old girl said they wanted her to go to Eton next term. "They didn't take no as an immediate answer," he says.
But this is where the firm uses its consultation skills, a process costing from £3,000 to £12,000 with a relationship that can last years.
"I took on a parent last year whose children weren't even born yet. They're going to need a nursery, pre-prep, prep and a senior school," he explains.
Whether or not these arrangements are simply perpetuating inequality, Mr Bonas argues that they are of long-term benefit to the UK, and not just because of the economic boost.
"These children have often got a family business to take over and will be the movers and shakers in their world.
"If they have an affinity for Britain then that can only be a good thing," he says.
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Immigration 'amnesty' for Grenfell fire residents - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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The temporary measure means foreign nationals affected by the fire can stay in the UK for 12 months.
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UK
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kensington and Chelsea Council's new leader, Elizabeth Campbell, spoke after attending a residents' meeting
Foreign nationals directly affected by the Grenfell Tower fire are to be allowed to stay in the UK for 12 months regardless of their immigration status.
The Home Office said it would not conduct immigration checks on survivors and those coming forward with information.
Meanwhile, ministers have ordered a taskforce to help run Kensington and Chelsea Council, which has faced heavy criticism for its handling of disaster.
The specialist team will take over the running of key services, including housing and the longer term recovery of the area in North Kensington.
At least 80 people died in the fire on 14 June.
The Home Office said its priority was to see residents "deal with the extremely difficult circumstances" so they could start to rebuild their lives.
In a written statement to Parliament, Home Office minister Brandon Lewis said: "Everyone affected by this tragedy needs reassurance that the government is there for them at this terrible time and we will continue to provide the support they need to help them through the difficult days, weeks and months to come."
He said extending the period of leave to remain for foreign residents affected by the fire would also allow them to assist the police and other authorities with their inquiries.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said the government should give permanent residency to the residents.
"Some survivors have literally lost everything in this horrific tragedy, all their possessions, homes and loved ones," she said.
"The idea that on top of this they could be deported later is grotesque."
A statement from the Met Police said 250 specialist investigators were working on the inquiry into the fire and the last visible human remains were removed from Grenfell Tower on Monday.
Met Police Commander Stuart Cundy said there had been a total of 87 "recoveries" but, due to the "catastrophic damage" inside, that did not mean 87 people.
So far, 21 people have been formally identified and their families informed.
More inquests into the deaths of victims have been opened, with the Westminster coroner hearing the body of one of the oldest people to have been killed was identified by dental records.
Dr Fiona Wilcox was told the body of 84-year-old Sheila, formerly known as Sheila Smith, was found on the 16th floor, while Vincent Chiejina, 60, was recovered from the 17th floor and identified by DNA.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alok Sharma was close to tears when making a statement
Earlier, housing minister Alok Sharma fought back tears as he told the Commons of hearing "harrowing accounts" from survivors, saying it had been the most "humbling and moving experience of my life".
Only 14 out of the 158 affected families have accepted offers of temporary accommodation but ministers say no-one will be forced to move.
Mr Sharma said 19 families "have not yet been ready to engage" in the process of being rehoused, while others were waiting for offers of permanent tenancy and many were still in hotels.
But he acknowledged some residents still had a "lack of trust" in the authorities.
Elizabeth Campbell, who is taking over as the new Kensington and Chelsea Council leader, denied the council was "being taken over by outside commissioners" after the government sent in a taskforce to run some of its services.
"We have asked people to come because we need more help because this is something on a national scale," she said.
"We will do absolutely everything we can as a council to help our community and to help our community heal."
The mood is tense in the area surrounding Grenfell Tower.
Many residents have been living in small hotel rooms, with four people crammed into each room.
They are desperately trying to carry on with their lives by taking their children to school and going to work. But the stark reality is that they are not in a place they can call home.
Both adults and children are having trouble sleeping, waking up to nightmares of the tower burning. One parent explained that his daughter kept drawing pictures of the building on fire.
Despite counselling sessions on offer at local community centres, residents say they want people to visit them at their hotel.
They feel the help should be coming to them. They say they should not be going in search of help.
Many are traumatised and feel they are not being treated like victims. This is causing hostility and anger towards the services.
Many have also turned down offers of temporary accommodation.
Residents say they want to move into somewhere permanent and nearby. Many explain they have been offered numerous places that simply are not suitable due to the size, location and disabled access.
The newly-elected Labour MP for Kensington, MP Emma Dent Coad, told Mr Sharma that some residents were being offered "totally unsuitable accommodation".
The retired judge chairing the public inquiry into the fire has promised to hear from people directly affected.
The judge leading the inquiry has vowed to listen to the concerns of residents
Sir Martin Moore-Bick, who has faced calls to stand down, initially suggested the inquiry may not be broad enough to satisfy survivors.
Launching a consultation document, the retired judge said: "I am determined to establish the causes of the tragedy, and ensure that the appropriate lessons are learnt.
"To produce a report as quickly as possible, with clear recommendations for action, I will listen to people and consider a broad range of evidence, including on the role of the relevant public authorities and contractors, in order to help me answer the important questions."
Earlier, the government said 190 buildings in England that underwent fire tests on their cladding - a renovation that is thought to have contributed to the spread of the Grenfell Tower fire - have failed. It also announced that cladding from one building had passed the test - the only sample to do so to date.
In the afternoon, emergency teams working on the shell of Grenfell Tower were temporarily withdrawn after sensors in the building showed it had shifted more than 5mm.
The public were said to be at "no risk" and the work later restarted.
But the use of air horns to alert crews was reported to have "upset" some neighbours of nearby blocks, prompting officials to say the practice would not be repeated in future.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40512382
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North Korea new missile test: A game-changer? - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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With Alaska now possibly within range, the US has to accept that the North is a "real" danger.
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Asia
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "One expert says the missile could reach Alaska"
North Korea's confident announcement that it has successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the US is another iteration in the high stakes game of international poker that Pyongyang appears to excel at.
Carefully timed to coincide with the 4 July holidays in the US, Kim Jong-un's triumphal blast has simultaneously allowed the North Korean authoritarian leader to make good on his promises of military modernisation to his own people while exposing the hollow overconfident tweets of President Donald Trump that an ICBM launch "won't happen".
The launch of the North's Hwasong-14 rocket is in practical terms merely an incremental step forward from an earlier launch in May, when a similar rocket flew for 30 minutes, to a height of some 1,312 miles (2,111km) over a distance of some 489 miles.
The most recent missile added seven to nine minutes of flight time, an extra 400 miles or so in height and a further 88 miles in overall distance.
Superficially this is simply more of the same pattern of provocation and tactical sabre-rattling that the North has been pursuing for decades, whether through its longstanding quest to acquire nuclear weapons (dating from the 1960s) or its missile testing programme, sharply accelerated in the course of last year.
Yet, by bringing Alaska within range, the new test is an unambiguous game-changer in both symbolical and practical terms.
US territory (albeit separate from the contiguous continental US) is now finally within Pyongyang's cross-hairs and for the first time a US president has to accept that the North poses a "real and present" danger not merely to north-east Asia and America's key allies - but to the US proper.
How would Donald Trump respond to the North's latest test?
President Trump's weakness lies in having overplayed his hand too publicly and too loudly.
His initial gambit of deploying a US "armada" to the region in the form of the USS Carl Vinson battle group, not only involved a poor use of historical analogies (the ill-fated 16th Century Spanish fleet was probably the least auspicious of reference points), but also signally failed to intimidate the North Koreans.
Similarly, openly pressuring the Chinese to impose punitive sanctions on North Korea in return for economic restraint from the US through a Trumpian concession not to list Beijing as a currency manipulator also appears to have failed.
President Xi, notwithstanding the positive mood music of the April Mar-a-Lago summit, appears to have avoided being boxed in by Trump, and China's reaction to the North's latest provocation is likely to be limited to a familiar pattern of rhetorical condemnation and a call for calm from all parties.
Military action - notwithstanding the hawkish recommendations of Republican senators such as John McCain and Lindsay Graham - is next to impossible given the risks involved to Seoul and the poor prospects of success, either in terms of removing the North's strategic assets or its political leadership.
Sanctions are likely to be revisited, through a reconvening of the UN Security Council, but the political process is slow and enforcement is at best a partial and therefore ineffectual approach.
Talks are one way forward and the convergence of views between Washington and Seoul on the back of President Moon's recent visit to the US suggest that some sort of partial re-engagement with the North might be on the cards, albeit within a framework of reinforced deterrence.
Yet, for now the momentum is all with Pyongyang, which has little incentive to sit down with the US and can afford to play for time in accelerating its military modernisation efforts while capitalising on divisions within the international community.
While the US, South Korean and Japanese leaders will be united in pushing for tough measures at this week's G20 summit in Germany, they will be hard pressed to secure the support of either China or Russia for anything beyond a bland, condemnatory declaration.
The dangers of the present crisis are two-fold.
A more confident Kim Jong-un, emboldened by his latest success may become less risk-averse, engaging in conventional military brinkmanship which, while not going as far as pre-emptive attacks on his neighbours, might spill over into conflict through miscalculation rather than through design.
Alternatively, the US confronted by the unpalatable reality of seeing the North cross yet another supposedly non-negotiable "red line" may simply choose to avert its eyes.
For a president wedded to his own version of "fake news", the easiest way to cope with an inconvenient truth may be to redefine or simply ignore the original "red line".
This would be a major mistake since it will do nothing to deter the North while encouraging other states in the region to pursue their own military modernisation plans, storing up even greater problems for the future.
Ultimately, Mr Trump, if he wishes to demonstrate that he is indeed master of the "art of the deal", will need to give up the bully pulpit of megaphone diplomacy via twitter and pivot towards a more enlightened approach.
This could involve the imaginative despatch of a high-profile US senior statesman to negotiate with and appeal to the ego and amour propre of the young North Korean leader.
It could also involve closer co-ordination with America's allies, most notably South Korea, in offering some high-profile political concessions to the North - whether the establishment of a US liaison mission in Pyongyang or a sequenced pattern of asymmetric conventional force reductions on the peninsula.
Right now, Washington (for the sake of the region and the wider world) urgently needs a long-term, sustained and calibrated strategy for dealing with the North that is more than a reactive game of eye-ball to eye-ball posturing.
An impulsive, attention deficient and hyper-active President Trump would be better advised to switch from playing poker to chess.
Dr John Nilsson-Wright is a Senior Research Fellow for Northeast Asia, Asia Programme, Chatham House and Senior Lecturer in Japanese Politics and the International Relations of East Asia, University of Cambridge
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40502031
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Mike Ashley dismisses claim he offered expert £15m as nonsense - BBC News
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2017-07-05
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A banker claims Mike Ashley promised to pay him £15m if he increased Sport's Direct share values.
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England
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Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley (left) arrives at the High Court to give evidence
Billionaire Mike Ashley said a claim that he agreed to pay a finance expert £15m during a drinking session in a pub is "nonsense".
Investment banker Jeffrey Blue said the Newcastle United owner promised to pay him £15m if he increased Sports Direct's share price to £8 each.
He was paid £1m but is suing Mr Ashley for the rest at London's High Court.
Mr Ashley said it "would be obvious" to anyone at the pub where they were drinking that he "was not serious".
Mr Ashley told Mr Justice Leggatt, in a witness statement, he met Mr Blue and three other finance specialists at the Horse And Groom pub in central London in January 2013.
"When we got to the pub we started drinking heavily at the bar and consumed a lot of alcohol during the evening," Mr Ashley told the judge.
"We must have had four or five rounds of drinks in the first hour.
"I can't remember the detail of conversations but I do remember that we had a lot of drinks and a lot of banter.
Finance expert Jeffrey Blue claims he was promised £15m for pushing up the price of shares
"We were pulling each other's legs about what hypothetical value my shares would be worth 'on paper' at different share prices.
"It was a fun night, as it was intended to be, and everyone was on good form."
Mr Ashley said the group went to another bar afterwards but could not remember which one.
He said: "I find it incredible that Mr Blue is actually suggesting that I made a binding agreement for £15m.
"If I did say to Mr Blue that I would pay him £15m, it would be obvious to everyone, including Mr Blue, that I wasn't being serious."
Mr Ashley said the inference that Sports Direct had senior management meetings in a pub was "100% incorrect".
He said he occasionally made decisions in a pub.
"Definitely not as a norm," he said. "Otherwise I would have to live in a pub."
He added: "I take business decisions all day every day, from home, from the bath."
Mr Ashley told the judge: "Serious, serious decisions are not done on drunken nights out."
What Mr Blue called "senior management meetings" at pubs was actually just a "drink after work", Mr Ashley said.
He also said "going for a drink" was "what we do after work" and Shirebrook, Derbyshire, where Sports Direct is based, was a "very boring, lonely place".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-40510882
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Grotbags actress Carol Lee Scott dies aged 74 - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The entertainer appeared in children's programmes in the 1980s and early 1990s.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Actress Carol Lee Scott, who was best known as Grotbags the witch, has died at the age of 74.
She appeared in children's programmes in the 1980s and early 1990s, including ITV's Rod Hull's Emu's World.
Her family confirmed the news on social media, with her niece Gina Mear writing on Facebook on Wednesday that the actress had "lost her brave fight against cancer".
"To many of you she was Grotbags - a legend!" she said.
Lee Scott appeared in a TV show with Rod Hull and Emu
"To me she was just aunty Carol. I shall miss her hugely, rest in peace Carol."
The actress was warmly remembered by comic and performer Rufus Hound, who described her as "an icon for folk of my generation".
Hull's son Toby added his voice to the tributes, tweeting: "Sending our thoughts to the family of Carol Lee Scott, what great memories we have of her. Xx"
David Lee, from Pantoni Pantomimes, told the BBC: "I was saddened to receive news of Carol's passing. She appeared in two pantomimes for me; Aladdin in Canterbury in 1984 and Aston Under Lyne with the late Ken Goodwin.
"She was a real trooper and in the time honoured tradition of showbiz, 'the show must go on!'. During the Canterbury panto run we had agreed she could take a cabaret appearance on Xmas Day near London.
"That day she badly injured her ankle but she was back on stage on Boxing Day and completed the run pushed around in a wheelchair by her sidekick in the show who played a Dragon.
"She was also a tremendous cabaret artist and great rock and roll performer. Thanks for some fabulous memories. RIP Carol."
Her character Grotbags was a dastardly pantomime witch, with a bright green wig and face to match. She famously hated "brats" and did her best to spoil the fun of children, using her "Bazazzer" - a pointy stick with a gold hand on the end of it.
Fans of the show flooded Twitter with comments, with Gary Dewar writing: "Daleks. Zelda. Skeletor. Nothing - NOTHING - terrified me quite like Grotbags. Bravo!"
Noob added: "Rest in peace Grotbags. You made my early years awesome. I was so scared of you!"
Lee Scott, who was born in Somerset, began her career with cabaret performances touring clubs in the north of England, as well as stints as a London pub singer and as a Pontins Blue Coat.
She worked for the holiday park for 19 years before she began collaborating with Hull on a series of children's 1980s TV shows. They created the character Grotbags during a summer season in Cleethorpes and stayed friends until his death in 1999.
Grotbags first appeared in Emu's World before going on to get her own eponymous show, which ran on ITV for three series between 1991 and 1993.
It featured Lee Scott alongside characters including Colin the Bat, Doris the Dodo and Grumble the cauldron.
The show, set in the Gloomy Fortress, also starred puppeteer Richard Coombs.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40516754
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Love Island: Why are viewers complaining? - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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It isn't the sex scenes that viewers have been getting in touch with Ofcom about.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Marcel Somerville and Camilla Thurlow are among the contestants
Viewers have been complaining about Love Island - but not for the reason you might think.
The ITV2 show sees single men and women put together in a Majorcan villa to find love and win a £50,000 prize.
So far this series, there have been several instances of, shall we say, intimate behaviour taking place.
But broadcasting regulator Ofcom says it has actually received far more complaints about scenes that show the contestants smoking.
The series airs after the 21:00 watershed but has still attracted 46 complaints to date.
More than half of those - 24 - were from viewers objecting to the portrayal of smoking.
Fifteen of the complaints were made about the promotion of "sexual material and promiscuity".
The remaining complaints were for bad language, grievances about a racial slur and violence (for the time when a contestant threw a cushion "aggressively").
Ofcom has said it will assess the 46 complaints before deciding whether to investigate further.
The ITV2 show has a large following and an audience that includes pop singer Adele.
Speaking at the second of her Wembley dates last week, she labelled one of the contestants a "tramp" for taking part in a show in which "real people have real sex on real TV".
Falling in love isn't easy - let alone falling in love on national television, writes entertainment reporter Genevieve Hassan.
But that's what 13 sexy singletons hope to do on Love Island, which is halfway through its third series on ITV2.
If you've never seen it before, the premise is to couple up and convince the public to keep you on the island in order to win £50,000 - all while trying to find your perfect match.
Think Big Brother but with board shorts, bikinis and more under-the-sheets shenanigans than you can shake a stick at, as the couples chop and change throughout the series.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40518856
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Business Live: Tesla shares plunge - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Traders sell stock after the electric car maker's Model S is rated 'acceptable' in a key test.
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Business
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US stocks are still trading down, but why?
Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Cornerstone Financial Partners, says: "It's the lull before earnings. There's not as much enthusiasm for buying.
"Investors don't think companies will surprise as positively as they did in the first quarter."
Jan Dehn, fund manager at Ashmore, said investors may be spooked for other reasons.
"One is the Middle East and the Qatar-Saudi situation and even the oil market doesn't know how to handle that one," he said. "The second is North Korea, which is classic geopolitical risk, and finally, and probably most importantly, there has been the recent hawkish tilt from the major central banks and it seems to be coordinated."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/business-40455621
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Is humour the way to keep an office happy? - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Using humour in the workplace can help make it a more enjoyable place to work, but you need to proceed with caution.
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Business
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Have you heard the joke about the humourless office worker who went for a promotion? He didn't get it.
In workplaces around the world a bit of humour can go a long way towards making it a more enjoyable place to spend eight or so hours a day.
But for every genuinely funny employee or boss, there are others whose unfunny or inappropriate jokes make colleagues wince.
So treading carefully, how exactly does humour help both improve a workplace and the standing of the person who is good at it?
When Steve Carlisle, president of General Motors of Canada, walks around the firm's Ontario headquarters he shares jokes, and uses humour to bond with his staff.
"I believe having a sense of humour is part of the leadership package," Mr Carlisle says. "It can help people feel more relaxed, more comfortable and thus be more effective at what they do."
Steve Carlisle says President Donald Trump has been a rich source of material
What Mr Carlisle brings to his role at the car giant is exactly what a business professor called Maurice Schweitzer cautiously recommends.
It found that a worker or boss who successfully use humour is seen as both confident and competent, which in turn increases his or her status.
"In the workplace context, people look up to those who are confident," says Prof Schweitzer, who works at the University of Philadelphia's Wharton School.
"Being funny is taking a risk, and being risky shows confidence."
Prof Schweitzer urges any would-be office humorist to be cautious
But do workers think that a humorous colleague is more competent at his or her job?
Prof Schweitzer says that telling a good joke requires both intellect and empathy, which makes colleagues believe that the person has a greater level of competency across the board.
"Being funny requires us to take into consideration other people's points of view, and what they may find funny," he explains.
"And being funny means you understand effective timing, and how to straddle a fine line between what is humorous and what's offensive."
Prof Schweitzer adds that if a person tells inappropriate jokes, be they insulting or unfunny, they are still regarded as more confident, but - perhaps unsurprisingly - also incompetent.
The study says: "Telling inappropriate jokes signals low competence, and the combined effect of high confidence and low competence harms status."
Ricky Gervais' toe-curling character David Brent, in The Office, regularly over-stepped the mark when it came to office humour
Essentially, you don't want to be like David Brent, the cringeworthy fictional boss from The Office, the TV comedy series that was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
"Humour creates a flattening of relationships in a hierarchal company," says Jennifer Moss, co-founder of Toronto's Plasticity Labs, which conducts research on emotional intelligence and happiness for businesses.
"To create stronger engagement with your staff, it helps to be humorous."
One example Prof Schweitzer cites of a good use of humour is a tweet sent out back in 2009 by former Twitter chief operating officer Dick Costolo.
Mr Costolo tweeted: "First full day as Twitter COO tomorrow. Step one, undermine CEO, consolidate power."
As it happened, Mr Costolo did actually go on to become Twitter's chief executive a year later, holding the role for five years before ultimately leaving the company.
Prof Schweitzer says: "Mr Costolo's not a seasoned veteran when it comes to comedy, he's not a comedian but he endeared himself to the company."
In fact, having some fun in the office can combat negative side effects of intense jobs.
In a 2006 study published in The Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management, researchers found that for healthcare workers, emotional exhaustion was significantly lower among those who experienced greater levels of fun at work.
Will someone please file a complaint with HR
Also, research out of Vrije University Amsterdam concluded that teams that share more jokes gave more supportive and constructive statements to each other, such as "that's a great idea" or "we could solve this problem by doing X".
When it comes to the type of humour you might want to try out on your workmates, Prof Schweitzer says that self-deprecation "can be effective" because it humanises the joke-teller.
Sarcasm can also be effectively used, according to Prof Adam Galinsky of Columbia Business School, but he urges a cautious approach.
He says sarcastic humour works best when trust and playfulness has been established between parties, otherwise a wrongly-placed sarcastic comment can appear flippant or cruel.
"Sarcasm requires a cognitive capacity to understand flexibility of thinking and how words can be interpreted," says Prof Galinsky. "It is a particular type of social intelligence that not everyone uses or grasps."
More stories from the BBC's Business Brain series looking at quirky or unusual business topics from around the world:
Barbara Plester, senior lecturer at the University of Auckland Business, says it is simply vital for jokes to not cause offence.
The author of The Complexity of Workplace Humour: Laughter, Jokers and the Dark Side of Humour, also cautions about high-ranking managers bringing comedy to the office.
"While some managers do retain and use their sense of humour, the potential for causing distress is even greater when you add a power differential," she says.
"Therefore, a manager joking with a subordinate risks not only offending the worker if the humour is taken poorly, but may come in for other accusations, such as sexual harassment, if the humour backfires."
Workplace expert Barbara Plester wonders if staff just laugh at jokes to please the boss
Ms Plester also warns that senior staff sharing jokes "can never be sure if they are really funny, or if others laugh because the manager has power and so subordinates laugh strategically to please the boss."
Connecticut resident Tim Washer never shied away from being the "funny guy at work", thanks to growing up appreciating comedians and even trying some stand-up.
Now a comedy writer and consultant, Mr Washer says the right wisecrack will ease tension and help bonding.
He says: "If I tell a joke and you laugh, then we've shared a moment and we have something in common."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40415555
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British tourist found safe after search in Melbourne - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Bath man Benjamin Wyatt is reunited with relatives after a high profile public search.
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Australia
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A British tourist who went missing from a beach in Australia has been found safe and well.
Benjamin Wyatt, from Bath, had been the subject of a police search in Melbourne after he disappeared on Tuesday while on holiday with his parents.
Relatives had pleaded for help to find the 34-year-old man, who has autism.
On Wednesday night, the family said that Mr Wyatt had returned to his sister's home in Melbourne, about 28km (17 miles) from where he was last seen.
"We are pleased to announce that Ben has just walked through the door," they wrote.
"We want to thank everyone who has helped us find him. A big thank you to Victoria Police with everything they did for us!"
Police confirmed he was safe and well.
The Herald Sun newspaper reported that Mr Wyatt is believed to have walked 5km from Half Moon Bay beach to a shopping centre, where he caught a bus across the city then walked a further 5km to his sister's home.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-40515364
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How virtual reality may change your life - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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From film-making and music to mental health care, could the use of virtual reality now truly become the norm?
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Entertainment & Arts
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The band Miro Shot explored virtual reality with their audience in Amsterdam in May
Virtual reality (VR) is being touted as a big growth area for film-makers, engaging audiences in ways traditional film can't. But it is also being explored everywhere from rock music to psychiatric treatments. Is it all just a passing fad - or could VR really change the way we see the world about us?
In film-making it's hard to avoid talk of VR as the next big thing. A report this April claimed it could add $7bn (£5.4bn) to film-industry revenues this year and by 2021, that figure might have risen 10-fold.
However, performer-composer Roman Rappak and his new band Miro Shot are at the forefront of bringing VR to rock music.
In May, Rappak premiered a VR show at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Amsterdam, funded by a Dutch grant.
Around 10 people at a time took their seats as Rappak and the other musicians stood ready to perform on stage. Before a note of his composition Lifeforms was played, audience members were helped into VR headsets through which they experienced a performance of around eight minutes.
The band became graphic versions of themselves before the audience was suddenly flying over an empty landscape and then a giant blue head of a woman emerged.
The show is designed to appeal to every sense: Electric fans wafted specially-concocted fragrances over the audience. Some people were quicker than others to work out that the event is 360 degrees: It's a good idea to look up or down and turn to see what's behind you.
"It's everything that's exciting about a concert but more intense. There are the colours, the sense of place, the aromas, the beats. If you're at a gig and love it that will transform you. With virtual reality it's magnified."
Rappak is impressively ahead of the game in his ambitions for VR and music - but some non-performance uses are surprisingly well-established.
Prof Daniel Freeman of the University of Oxford says using VR to treat anxiety disorders goes back to the early 1990s.
"VR has the potential to revolutionise how we treat certain mental health problems and phobias," he says.
"Many of the problems are linked to our environment in some way, such as a fear of enclosed spaces. With virtual reality we can now put people in the physical situation which disturbs them. Then we coach them in the best way to overcome these anxieties."
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Prof Freeman says VR could potentially help people deal with conditions like acrophobia (fear of heights) and even depression.
"Therapists have been using VR to treat patients with claustrophobia," he explains. "We can use a headset gradually to populate a lift, allowing the patient to control their tension level. What we're working on in Oxford is a programme which doesn't even require a therapist to be there. VR could bring the benefits of therapy to more people.
"With depression, therapy would for now probably complement evidence-based treatment with a skilled therapist. But VR can certainly help people re-engage with the world and be stimulated by it."
The VR recreations were of everyday situations. A London Tube train and a lift could each be made more or less crowded in a carefully controlled experiment.
"There's still research to be done but for certain patients the potential benefits are great."
If clinical psychologists were quick off the mark, journalism is coming late to the VR party. Zillah Watson of the BBC has just written a report for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism called VR for News: The New Reality?
"The Reuters Institute was keen to cut through some of the hype about VR and ask some difficult questions: How can VR ever be monetised for news and how compelling is it currently for audiences?" she says.
"What really got newsrooms excited was when, in November 2015, the New York Times decided it was getting into VR and launched an app.
"The newspaper wanted to discover new and exciting ways to tell stories. VR compels you to think in a completely different way about journalism which has to be a good thing - but the practicalities are complicated."
Watson says there are problems even with what is meant by VR. "Full VR - at least at this stage - involves putting on a headset which is tracked and, as you look around, the scene you see is rendered in real time and you feel you are there.
"For now, what is branded VR in news is in fact largely 360 video which people watch on their computer screen or on a phone. People watching news basically don't want to put on a headset. It's a problem - though technology will develop."
Notes on Blindness was released in 2016
Watson thinks the best VR material available is often at the features end of the news spectrum.
"A fantastic piece to seek out is Notes on Blindness, which isn't hard news at all. It illustrated the audio diaries of the academic John Hull who, in the 1980s, had to come to terms with blindness.
"Virtual reality is a challenge for TV news where traditionally it's assumed a story is mediated through the reporter. But if an editor wants to hear from refugees somewhere, then for VR it could work just as well - or better - if the refugees tell their own stories."
Watson says journalistic VR is in a fusion period. "Virtual reality is taking baby steps and no one yet is sure what the public demand is."
Toby Coffey, head of digital development at London's National Theatre, is convinced that VR will become part of what its audience expects.
"Twenty-two years ago I wrote a dissertation about virtual reality in the treatment of repeat offenders - so it's all older than people think," he says.
"But about four years ago it was clear modern VR was becoming important and when Rufus Norris arrived to run the National he wanted to explore it as a storytelling mechanism."
The theatre had rave reviews this year when it co-presented the VR piece Draw Me Close at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
Written by Jordan Tannahill, it's an extraordinary one-on-one piece where the viewer - wearing a headset - moves through a physical set of a child's bedroom and interacts with what may be a memory of Tannahill's own mother.
The mother is played by an actress in a motion-capture suit (which means purists would say the piece isn't VR but augmented reality).
Draw Me Close involves an actress in a motion capture suit who interacts with you live
Coffey says he still doesn't know what the National will offer in terms of VR. "Like everyone, we're feeling our way and we're still not at the mass adoption stage.
"I'm looking forward to when someone will buy a National Theatre ticket and VR will be a major part of the experience. But I can't say if it will physically be in one of the National Theatre auditoriums.
"There's one-on-one storytelling, such as Draw Me Close, but also there's social VR. That can be where a group of people wear individual headsets and see the same thing but are cut off from everyone else.
"Or there's what I call social social VR, where people are aware of one another even with the headset on and that's really what I'm looking at."
Almost everyone in VR talks of how quickly technology is changing and how ambitions are changing too.
Rappak says a huge part of the attraction of VR is that for now, nothing is certain.
"In 2017, VR is about a headset which you strap to your skull. But a couple of years from now it could be glasses or some new kind of contact lens. It's important not to get obsessed with the technology because the one certainty is it will change within months.
"There's lots being written about virtual reality and I'm sure some predictions will prove completely wrong. But VR is almost totally unexplored which is why it's an amazing opportunity."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40484246
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BBC Daily Politics editor Robbie Gibb to join No 10 - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Robbie Gibb is Prime Minister Theresa May's new director of communications, the BBC announces.
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UK Politics
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The head of the BBC's Westminster political programmes team has been named as Prime Minister Theresa May's new director of communications.
Robbie Gibb, who edits the Daily Politics, replaces Katie Perrior, who quit before the general election.
He worked for the Conservative MP Francis Maude in the 1990s, as well as Michael Portillo.
He tweeted it had been "a privilege to work for the BBC " and he would "always be a supporter" of the corporation.
Mr Gibb has edited several BBC political programmes during a long career at the Corporation, including the Daily Politics, This Week and the Andrew Marr Show, and is a former deputy editor of Newsnight.
The BBC's director of news, James Harding, said he had been "an innovator in story-telling on television and an unrelenting advocate of the BBC, its independence and our public service role".
"The signal quality he and his programmes have shown is the willingness to speak truth to power - I suspect it will come in handy," he added.
Following reports that he had been interviewed for the job, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Landale tweeted that he had been asked to consider it but decided not to apply.
Ms Perrior, a former PR executive, resigned as Mrs May's director of communications when the PM called a snap general election in April. She went on to criticise Mrs May's closest advisers Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, who were forced to stand down when the PM lost her majority.
Her predecessor in the Downing Street communications role, Sir Craig Oliver, was also poached from the BBC, where he was editor of the Ten O'Clock News.
Mr Gibb's brother is the Conservative MP and schools minister Nick Gibb.
The position of Downing Street director of communications, which was first held by Alastair Campbell under Labour PM Tony Blair, has normally been held by a former newspaper or TV journalist.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40517721
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Andy Murray column: 'It can be good to let your emotions show on court' - BBC Sport
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2017-07-06
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World number one Andy Murray on an impressive - and unusually impassioned - Johanna Konta, and the "different" challenge of his next opponent Fabio Fognini.
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Live: Coverage across BBC TV, BBC Radio and BBC Sport website with further coverage on Red Button, Connected TVs and app. Click for full times.
When you get the chance to play in front of a home crowd on Centre Court, you've got to use the support and the atmosphere to your advantage as much as you can.
I saw the end of Jo Konta's win over Donna Vekic in the gym while I was waiting to go on, and her calmness in such a tense finish really impressed me.
A number of times she was pretty close to getting broken at the end - she was 0-30 down - and she stayed focused and managed to get through it.
You saw right at the end just how much emotion she had inside her. You don't see Jo react like that too much and certainly not during a match, but it's obviously in there.
She can go a long way here. She's certainly good enough, and hopefully Wednesday's match was the first of many on Centre Court.
• None Konta thrilled at British success but Murray wants more
• None Edmund to face Monfils on day four
It's difficult to give other players advice because playing on that court is obviously a great experience but everyone deals with those things differently; everyone has different personalities.
I found for myself that when I've been in tight matches like Jo's on Wednesday, maybe engaging the crowd a little more can help - but that might not be something she's comfortable doing.
She remains very calm on the court and that's a positive thing, but there can be times out there when it's good to let the emotions out as well.
'You need to try and block that out'
Playing with the crowd on your side is not a regular experience for most tennis players and it can take some getting used to.
We play all over the world and I'd say 90% of the time in matches it's a fairly neutral crowd.
Obviously when you play against Roger or Rafa or Novak in different places they have huge, huge fanbases and people may want them to win, but most of the time people just want to see a great match. They want to be entertained.
But when we're playing at Wimbledon, pretty much all of the crowd want the Brits to win, and using that to your advantage and enjoying it and embracing it can really make the difference.
It always feels a little bit different out on Centre Court, not just because of the crowd but also the history there.
You can tell how much they want you to win because they live every point from the very first game, often groaning or sighing when you make a mistake. You need to try and block that out for sure, but then it's part of the Centre Court experience.
Maybe the first few times it can be frustrating to hear that, or you can worry a little bit, but now I know exactly what to expect when I go out on that court.
Jo is top 10 in the world, she's British and looking to get into the second week for the first time here.
She will play more and more matches on that court and hopefully over time become more and more comfortable. Wednesday's match will have done her a lot of good, that's for sure.
'Fabio can be a little different out there'
Fabio Fognini is one player who does let his feelings show on court.
I expect a really serious test when we play on Friday because he's good off both forehand and backhand, and can hit a lot of winners. This will be our first meeting on grass, so we'll see how that changes things.
We're the same age and we grew up playing each other pretty much since we were 12, so I've known Fabio a long time as well as his family, because his dad, mum and sister have come to a lot of tournaments over the years.
On the court he can sometimes be a little bit different out there and show his emotions a lot - but then so can I.
Despite the extrovert competitor you see on court, he's nice and friendly off it and I've always got on well with him. I'm looking forward to seeing him out on Centre Court.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/40508516
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CBI urges single market until Brexit deal - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The business group says it is "impossible" all details of an EU trade deal will be ready by March 2019.
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Business
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The UK should stay in the single market and customs union until a final Brexit deal is in force, according to the CBI business lobby group.
CBI head Carolyn Fairbairn said it was "impossible" for all the details of a new trade deal with the European Union to be in place by March 2019.
That is when talks about the UK's withdrawal are due to formally finish.
To minimise disruption, UK businesses need a "bridge" instead of a "cliff edge" for the new deal, she said.
Businesses are delaying investment because of the uncertainty, according to the CBI, whose members employ nearly 7 million people.
The CBI's comments come ahead of a government conference on Friday with business figures from sectors across the UK.
The event, to be hosted at Chevening House in Kent, is part of government plans to work more closely with industries over Brexit.
"While we will be leaving the single market and the EU customs union, we want to achieve a comprehensive free trade agreement that allows for the most frictionless possible trade," a government spokesman said.
In her speech at the London School of Economics, Ms Fairbairn said it was "common sense" to stay in the single market and customs union until a trade deal was in place.
"This is not about whether we are leaving the EU, it is about how," she said.
"Once the Article 50 clock strikes midnight on 29 March 2019 the UK will leave the EU."
Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, the founder of the Wetherspoons pub chain and campaigner for Brexit, Tim Martin, said constant talk about the UK "falling off a cliff and standing on the top of buildings" was the re-emergence of Project Fear again.
"The desire expressed by the doom-laden comments of the head of the CBI, Carolyn Fairbairn is to stay in the customs union and the single market and of course that is the equivalent of staying in the EU for now and perhaps forever.
"I don't know what the motivation is but it certainly doesn't speak for a business as a whole, 93% of which doesn't even trade with the EU," he added.
He suggested after the meeting at Chevening, the Brexit Secretary David Davis should "have a cup of tea, listen to everything that has been said and give me a bell and I'll put him straight".
Those who successfully voted to leave the EU, fear that prolonged transitional arrangements could be used by Remainers as a way of reversing the Brexit vote by stealth.
But the CBI said businesses feared they could be forced to adapt twice - first to a transitional arrangement, and then to the final trade deal.
That would be "wasteful, difficult and uncertain in itself," Ms Fairbairn said.
She told the BBC that a survey of CBI members found that 40% had reduced investment plans due to Brexit uncertainty.
"The urgency is simply growing. March 2019 is tomorrow for a lot of businesses. They are having to make their plans now," she said.
Her comments were backed by Labour, which said it wanted an early commitment to "strong transitional arrangements" on similar terms to those currently in place.
Ms Fairbairn says it's "time to be realistic" about Brexit
The CBI's proposal was backed by a range of business bodies, including from retail, aerospace and manufacturing.
Terry Scuoler, chief executive of the manufacturers' body EEF, said: "The absence of any clarity for businesses makes this a sensible approach to transition."
The TUC also supported the move, saying "it's crucial that we get the transition right as we leave the EU".
However, Patrick Minford, chairman of the Economists for Free Trade and an economics professor at Cardiff University, said it was not clear what the CBI wanted.
"They are constantly arguing for remain through the back door and this sounds like the same thing," he told the BBC.
He said the UK and EU would have to reach some kind of deal by the end of March 2019 and that would involve transitional arrangements.
Business groups have increased their calls in recent weeks for the UK to maintain existing trading relations with the EU.
After last month's election, five business bodies - including the CBI and EEF - called for the government to maintain the economic benefits of the single market and the customs union.
The CBI has now gone further by urging that the UK stay in those trading arrangements until a final deal is in place.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40519331
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Chicago holiday weekend shootings claim 101 victims - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Nearly half of the shootings during the four-day holiday weekend happened over 12 hours.
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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. The BBC's Ian Pannell and Darren Conway report on life - and death- on the streets of Chicago
At least 101 people were shot in Chicago over the Fourth of July weekend, 15 of them fatally, according to a city newspaper.
Nearly half of the shootings during the four-day holiday happened over 12 hours, reports the Chicago Tribune.
The youngest victim was a 13-year-old boy and the oldest a 60-year-old man.
US President Donald Trump recently said he was sending in federal agents to help local police contain the Illinois city's gang wars.
About half of the shootings happened between 15:30 on Tuesday and 03:30 on Wednesday, mainly in Chicago's south and west sides.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. In September last year, the toll for homicides in Chicago passed 500
Not even the deployment of more than 1,000 extra officers by Chicago police department could staunch the violence.
The casualties are significantly higher than 2016, when 66 people were shot in Chicago over the Independence Day weekend, which lasted three days.
It brings the total number of people shot in Chicago so far in 2017 to more than 1,800, reports the Tribune.
But that figure is not as severe as last year when 2,035 people had been shot by this point.
At the weekend, Chicago police said shootings this year had declined 14% compared with the first six months of last year.
Crime scene tape stretched around the front of a home where a man was shot in Chicago in May
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40514995
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The brother and sister with a £15,000 student debt gap - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Ben Jones is graduating two years after his sister Florence - but he's in about £15,000 more debt than her.
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Newsbeat
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Students are facing debts rising to more than £50,000 when they leave university.
The poorest will owe around £57,000 when they graduate, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
Interest rates on student loans will be 6.1% from September 2017, and tuition fees are also rising to £9,250.
It means that, on average, students will graduate having already built up £5,800 in interest.
Ben Jones, 22, finished his course this summer with more than £40,000 of debt. His sister Florence, 25, graduated in 2015 with around £15,000 less to pay back.
"I'm just annoyed about it," says Ben, who studies TV and radio production at the University of Salford.
"It's such a small age difference but it's such a huge difference in money."
Ben says that he and his sister don't talk about the difference too much, because it annoys him.
"She'll brag about it - I would if I was her too - and I'm just annoyed about it."
But Florence says that she feels bad that her younger brother has to pay more.
She says she would have "thought twice" about going to university if she had to pay £9,000 a year in fees.
Although she trained to be a teacher, Florence now works in the charity sector.
For her, the lower debt means that she feels less under pressure to do a job where she has to earn a lot of money.
She pays off £22 a month of her total debt, which began at just over £25,000 - an amount she "doesn't notice at all" when it comes out of her payslip.
"I work in the charity sector which is lower-paid, so I was lucky to not need to pay back as much."
She doesn't think she'd be able to do the job she does now if she was in the same amount of debt as her brother.
Florence is worried that Ben's higher debt will weigh heavily on his shoulders once he graduates.
"I think he'll be a lot more concerned about [jobs] that are higher paid rather than ones that he might be interested in doing," she tells Newsbeat.
And it seems that she's right - Ben says: "if I was on three times less of a student debt, it would make it a lot easier to start out in life."
Most people never pay off their student loans in full, according to the IFS.
But for Ben, the fact that the debt is "such a huge amount of money" means that "it's just at the back of your mind all the time that you're going to be slowly paying it off".
"I feel like the government doesn't really realise how much difference it is.
"It's not a small margin - it's not like they went up by a grand or so - it's three times the amount.
"It's OK for people to pay for university, but it shouldn't be such a huge cost."
Florence thinks that as well as changing peoples' career decisions, such a heavy debt burden means that going to university has become more of a transaction than anything else.
According to her, people feel under pressure to pick a course which will earn them more money, rather than something purely out of interest.
"I didn't really have the issue of the higher loans, so I could just decide to go to uni whenever I wanted," she says.
"Whereas with my brother... he debated it a lot more than I did."
Ben shows this change in attitude when he says: "You go to university to try to increase your chance of getting the job that you want.
"It felt like an investment - I think that's how most people see university."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/40511234
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UK terror convictions rising, BBC Jihadist database shows - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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More than 100 people have been convicted of terrorism offences related to Syria and Iraq since 2014.
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UK
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Imran Khawaja, 27, of west London, was jailed in 2015 after travelling to fight in Syria
More than 100 people in the UK have been convicted of terrorism offences related to Syria and Iraq since 2014, research by the BBC has revealed.
The youngest is a schoolboy from Blackburn who was 14 when he incited an act of terrorism in Australia.
The figures also show there are growing numbers of women and girls being prosecuted.
Police say five terror plots have been foiled since March and 18 thwarted since 2013.
For the last two years the BBC has tracked the numbers of people from the UK who have been drawn into the conflict in Syria and Iraq.
The most comprehensive online record of its kind, it shows the rapidly escalating number of prosecutions since 2014.
Those convicted come from a wide cross section of society and include former prisoners, a hospital director and the son of a police officer.
Married couples, siblings and a mother of six have also been prosecuted.
Of the 109 people convicted, 18 (16%) were women and girls and interestingly, over 85% of those convicted have never been to Syria or Iraq.
That's because some of the offences relate to those who have plotted to go and fight but who were arrested before putting their plans into action.
Others have been convicted of using social media to encourage support for banned groups such as Islamic State.
Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders told the BBC: "We need to be acutely aware that if people can't go to Syria - and we have certainly seen this in some of the cases we have prosecuted - they may plan a sort of an attack here instead or they may do more to radicalise other people here to attack so we need to be very aware of that."
The DPP says the Crown Prosecution Service has the resources it needs to deal with the increased number of cases.
After the London Bridge attack in which eight members of the public were killed, the prime minister called for a review of Britain's counter-terrorism strategy to make sure the police and the security services have the powers they need.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that some of the country's most dangerous extremists have been moved to a "prison within a prison".
The inmates have been relocated to what the MoJ has called 'separation centres' within HMP Frankland in County Durham.
The move was promised by the then-Justice Secretary, Liz Truss, after a report into Islamist extremism in prisons.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40483171
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Rob Newman and David Baddiel pictured together for first time since 1990s - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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The former comedy duo had an acrimonious split but have made up and now been pictured together.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Former duo David Baddiel and Rob Newman as they look today
It's no big deal for comedians to play sold-out arena shows these days - just look at Peter Kay and Michael McIntrye.
But it was unheard of before 1993, when Rob Newman and then comedy partner David Baddiel became the first comics to sell out Wembley Arena.
With Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, they formed The Mary Whitehouse Experience in the 1990s, before getting their own show, Newman and Baddiel in Pieces.
It was such a success the pair went on tour - but by then the cracks were showing.
They later admitted that for part of the tour, the only time they spoke to each other was to deliver lines.
Baddiel said in an interview: "It was incredibly acrimonious. I remember people saying at the time that it was a publicity stunt, but it really wasn't. We weren't speaking at times, except on stage... It's interesting in terms of fame, in that it's quite toxic, and it certainly was in that relationship."
And how they were in their 1990s heyday
Newman - now a writer as much as a comedian - was "affected by fame" and became a "difficult person to work with", he said at the time. Baddiel went on to further fame on Fantasy Football with Frank Skinner, while Newman pretty much retreated from the limelight.
So imagine fans' delight when Newman got back in touch with his former partner earlier this year.
In a slightly clunky tweet, he requested free tickets to Baddiel's show about his father's dementia (inspiring one reply of "See that freeloader? That's you, that is", in a nod to their catchphrase).
He said the show was "heart-warming" and "very, very funny". It was the first time they'd been in the same room since 1993 - though Baddiel said they'd bumped into each other a few times "in various parks and streets".
And now, they've been publicly reunited at the Harper Collins summer party - leading to many fans (and some fellow celebs) pinning their hopes on them getting back together.
Others said they hoped it meant they were getting back together for a one-off series - but Baddiel has previously vowed they would never work together again.
While that might dash the hopes of comedy fans, at least they're on speaking terms.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40519854
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Charlie Gard: Boris Johnson says baby cannot be moved to Vatican - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Boris Johnson says the terminally ill baby cannot be transferred to the children's hospital in Rome.
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London
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Charlie Gard has been in intensive care since October
It is impossible for terminally ill Charlie Gard to be transferred to the Vatican's children's hospital for treatment, Boris Johnson has said.
The foreign secretary told Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano legal reasons prevented him from being moved.
The president of the Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome had asked British doctors if 10-month-old Charlie could be transferred to his care.
It comes after the Pope tweeted his support for Charlie on Monday.
Charlie has been receiving specialist treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital since October.
Mr Johnson has told his Italian counterpart it is "right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts", in line with Charlie's "best interests."
Charlie has mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare genetic condition which causes progressive muscle weakness. Doctors say he cannot see, hear, move, cry or swallow.
During questions to the prime minister, on Wednesday, Theresa May said she was "confident" Great Ormond Street Hospital "have, and always will, consider any offers or new information that has come forward with consideration of the well-being of a desperately ill child".
Connie Yates and Chris Gard raised more than £1.3m for experimental treatment for Charlie
Charlie's parents raised £1.3m on a crowdfunding site to pay for experimental treatment in the US.
But they lost a legal battle with the hospital last month after judges at the European Court of Human Rights concluding further treatment would "continue to cause Charlie significant harm".
The Vatican's paediatric hospital stepped in after Pope Francis called for Charlie's parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, to be allowed to "accompany and treat their child until the end".
The hospital's president Mariella Enoc said: "I was contacted by the mother, who is a very determined and decisive person and doesn't want to be stopped by anything."
Renowned scientist and genetics expert Robert Winston told ITV's Good Morning Britain that courts and doctors should not be interfering with the parents' wishes, saying the loss of a child was "about the worst injury that any person can have".
However, he said "interferences from the Vatican and from Donald Trump" were "extremely unhelpful and very cruel".
Lord Winston added: "This child has been dealt with at a hospital which has huge expertise in mitochondrial disease and is being offered a break in a hospital that has never published anything on this disease, as far as I'm aware."
Lord Winston said "interferences from the Vatican" were "unhelpful"
The Vatican said the Pope was following the case "with affection and sadness".
A statement added: "For [Charlie's parents] he prays, hoping that their desire to accompany and care for their own child to the end is not ignored."
US President Donald Trump also tweeted about Charlie on Monday, writing: "If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the UK and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so."
Charlie's parents, from Bedfont, west London, have spent the last days of their son's life with him, after being given more time before his life-support is turned off.
On Thursday they said the hospital had denied them their final wish to take their son home to die.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40503842
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Manager jailed for stealing £46,000 of school dinner money - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Finance manager Jacqueline Robb spent the cash on holidays and clothes during a four-year period.
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Manchester
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Jacqueline Robb used the money to buy holidays and clothes
A finance manager who stole £46,000 of school dinner money has been jailed.
Jacqueline Robb, 54, of Laburnum Avenue, Manchester, used the funds to buy foreign holidays and clothes.
The school where she worked spotted that £952 was missing from its bank account after an audit in autumn 2016. It later identified a loss of £46,011 between April 2012 and December 2016.
Robb was jailed for 10 months at Manchester Crown Court after she pleaded guilty to theft.
She had been employed at a school in Openshaw since April 2009, where her duties included the administration and accounting of the school meals income.
The audit identified an annual deficit of about £10,000 missing from the school's bank account between 2012 and 2016.
Det Con Laura Watson, from Greater Manchester Police, said Robb had been initially considered as a "respected and trusted member of staff".
"She made the decision to breach the trust instilled in her by the school, improving her financial wellbeing through illicit means, which is absolutely unacceptable."
A proceeds or crime hearing is due to be held on 26 October.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-40518433
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Robert Trigg guilty of killing two girlfriends five years apart - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Robert Trigg had claimed Caroline Devlin in 2006 and Susan Nicholson in 2011 had both died in their sleep.
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Sussex
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Jurors were told there were similarities between the cases of Caroline Devlin (left) and Susan Nicholson
A man has been found guilty of killing two girlfriends five years apart.
Robert Trigg, 52, was convicted of the murder of 52-year-old Susan Nicholson in 2011, and the manslaughter of Caroline Devlin, 35, in March 2006.
Trigg, of Park Crescent, Worthing, West Sussex, had denied the charges, claiming they had died in their sleep.
He will be sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday after a jury took six-and-a-half hours to reach its verdicts following a 10-day trial.
The women's deaths at their homes in Worthing were initially treated as not being suspicious.
The death of Ms Devlin, whose body was found by one of her four children on Mother's Day, was originally recorded as an aneurysm.
An inquest into Ms Nicholson's death ruled she died accidentally after Trigg claimed he inadvertently rolled onto her in his sleep while they were on a sofa.
Robert Trigg failed to call the emergency services after the deaths of both women
Trigg, who declined to give evidence in his defence, blew out his cheeks as the verdicts were announced.
Jurors were told both causes of death were re-examined years later by pathologist Dr Nathaniel Cary who concluded Ms Nicholson was suffocated by having her head forced into the bed.
Dr Cary found Ms Devlin's death was caused by a blow to the back of her head.
The trial heard both women suffered violence at the hands of Trigg during their relationships with him.
After one such incident, Ms Devlin said: "I won't be here for my 40th."
He was described as a "possessive, controlling and jealous" man and by one former girlfriend as a "Jekyll and Hyde" character who drank heavily.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The parents of Susan Nicholson suspected Robert Trigg was guilty
The trial heard of "striking similarities" between the deaths, with both victims found in an unusual position and Trigg failing to call the emergency services, and getting other people to do it for him.
The family of Ms Nicholson refused to accept foul play did not play a part in their daughter's death, and launched a six-year campaign to get to the truth.
Elizabeth and Peter Skelton said getting justice had been "mental torture".
"We knew right from the start... there's no way two people could sleep on that sofa," Mrs Skelton said.
Mr Skelton added: "At the inquest they said Susan was lying on her back all night.
"There would be no room for anybody to sleep on their back or even lie on the rest of the sofa."
He criticised Sussex Police, saying: "Their first investigation wasn't very good.
"That's why we had to get a barrister and a pathologist to back up our case because they wouldn't listen to us.
"We told them all the facts, even the facts that came out in court but the police still wouldn't listen, but in the end they had to listen," Mr Skelton said.
Brandyn McKenna, the youngest son of Ms Devlin, said outside court: "We have always said that it was all down to the Skelton family that we finally got justice."
Following the verdicts, Nigel Pilkington, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said Trigg had "a history of violence and controlling behaviour towards his partners".
"In the face of this, it was extremely unlikely that two of Trigg's partners had died of natural causes while sharing a bed with him," he said.
Det Supt Tanya Jones from Sussex Police said both deaths had been investigated at the time and post mortem examinations carried out.
"The forensic information available on each case at the times of the deaths did not provide any avenues for further investigation."
The parents of Susan Nicholson commissioned a review by a third pathologist and new evidence was presented to police, she said.
"On this fresh information we carried out a new thorough investigation including both deaths.
"Sussex Police are sorry that we had not presented all the facts before the CPS previously but we have now thoroughly investigated both cases."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-40511194
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Malawi football stadium stampede kills eight - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Despite the death of seven children and an adult, the friendly match is still played.
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Africa
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Thousands queued to get into the stadium, even after the earlier stampede
Eight people - including seven children - have died in a stampede ahead of a football match in Malawi, police say.
Dozens more were injured in the crush at Lilongwe's Bingu national stadium.
The stampede happened as thousands of people rushed for seats ahead of a friendly between top sides Nyasa Big Bullets and Silver Strikers.
Despite the deaths, the match did go ahead in a packed stadium, although President Peter Mutharika did not attend as planned.
He offered his condolences and said the government would do all it could to assist the families of the bereaved.
He said he was shocked to learn of the tragedy.
The BBC's Frank Kandu in Malawi said gates at the 40,000-capacity stadium were supposed to open at 06:30 local time (04:30GMT) to allow free entry of people - but there was a delay of about three hours.
However, thousands had already turned up, and some tried to force their way in, prompting the police to fire tear gas.
Inspector General of Police Lexan Kachama told Reuters news agency he expected the number of casualties to rise.
The football match was being held as part of events to mark the 53rd anniversary of Malawi's independence from British colonial rule.
When the match did go ahead, Nyasa Big Bullets won 2-1.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40519230
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Manchester attack: Salman Abedi 'carried bomb for hours' - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Salman Abedi walked around the city centre but the Arena was his only target, police say.
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Manchester
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Abedi was walking around Manchester city centre with the bomb for several hours before he detonated it
The Manchester Arena bomber carried the device through city centre streets for "several hours" before the attack, police believe.
Salman Abedi detonated the home-made bomb, with metal nuts used as shrapnel, at an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May.
Abedi was not part of a larger network, the head of the North West Counter Terrorism unit has said.
Ch Supt Russ Jackson said others may have been "aware or complicit" in the attack that killed 22 people.
He said further arrests may follow.
More than 250 people were hurt in the blast and have injuries ranging from paralysis and loss of limbs to internal and facial injuries, he said.
Abedi was walking around Manchester city centre with the bomb before he detonated it, but police do not believe he had any target other than the Arena in mind.
Hashem Abedi, the bomber's 20-year-old brother, was detained in Tripoli
The bomb had a "devastating" impact and gouged out a section of the concrete floor.
Ch Supt Jackson confirmed officers want to interview the bomber's younger brother, Hashem Abedi, who continues to be held by special deterrence forces in Tripoli.
He would not comment on whether officers had travelled to the country, but said the force was engaged with the Libyan authorities and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Briefing reporters at the headquarters of Greater Manchester Police on Thursday, Ch Supt Jackson said it was "hard to get inside [Abedi's] head" in terms of how he was radicalised.
"Salman Abedi travelled to Libya a number of times in his life. What we are looking at is the number of ways he learned the skills to build the device," he said.
Officers are still searching for a blue suitcase used by Abedi
Abedi left no note or video explaining his actions, he said.
Ch Supt Jackson said officers were still searching for a blue suitcase in a landfill site, and this was a "key line in the inquiry".
The investigation was expected to continue for "many, many months to come", he said.
It will not be quick, as police have 16,000 hours of CCTV footage and 755 statements to analyse, he added.
"Significant forensic evidence" was also found in a Nissan Micra in Rusholme, Greater Manchester.
Police earlier said Abedi may have used items stored in his car "to help assemble the device" he used to kill.
Ch Supt Jackson said "digital exhibits" containing more than three million files and 15 terabytes of data have also been recovered.
Asked if Abedi was involved in gang activity in Manchester, Ch Supt Jackson said he may have known "people who would be identified as being in gangs", but there was no suggestion of a link to gang activity in the attack.
Police are not looking for any particular suspects.
Ch Supt Jackson said people who were arrested then released without charge had "not reached the threshold" [for further investigation].
"It should be noted that terrorism offences do not carry the option of bail. They can only be released without charge."
Forensic officers who were working at the arena in the days after the attack laid roses next to name plates at each spot where the 22 victims were killed, Ch Supt Jackson revealed.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-40519495
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Jeremy Corbyn attacks 'zero-hours' Glastonbury contracts - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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The Labour leader is "happy" to raise the issue of laid-off workers with the festival's organisers.
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UK Politics
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Jeremy Corbyn is to speak to the organisers of the Glastonbury festival about their use of zero-hours contracts, his spokesman has said.
The Labour leader appeared on stage at last month's event to speak about employment rights among other issues.
Most of the workers hired, from around Europe, to clean up after the festival were reportedly laid off early.
But organisers said the litter pickers had "temporary" agreements which guaranteed at least eight hours work.
In a statement, Glastonbury festival said the "unusually dry" weather was partly responsible for reducing the amount of work after this year's festival.
According to the Independent, about 700 workers had travelled to Somerset from the Czech Republic, Spain, Poland and Latvia to help with the post-festival clean-up operation, on zero-hours contracts.
They were reportedly promised two weeks' paid work but were laid-off after two days because there was less litter than expected, leaving them stranded and out of pocket.
In a video filmed by the Independent, a supervisor is heard telling sacked workers obstructing vehicles in protest that they should be grateful for two days' work.
Mr Corbyn used his appearance on the festival's Pyramid stage to say young people should not have to "accept low wages and insecurity as just part of life".
Asked whether he would boycott Glastonbury in future, Mr Corbyn's spokesman said: "Jeremy and the Labour Party have taken a very strong stand against the use of zero-hours contracts and the exploitation of migrant and other workers, and we would take that view wherever it happened.
"How Glastonbury runs its event and runs its finances is entirely a matter for them.
"But these contracts should not be in place and shouldn't be used.
"We oppose them, and next time we are in government we will ban them."
Asked whether Mr Corbyn would raise the issue with organisers next time he visits the festival, the spokesman said: "He is happy to raise it right now.
"This kind of contract and these kinds of employment conditions are unacceptable."
In a statement, Glastonbury festival denied they had used zero-hours contracts, saying: "We would like to state that Glastonbury festival's post-event litter picking team are all given temporary worker agreements for the duration of the clean-up.
"The length of the clean-up varies considerably from year to year, based largely upon the weather conditions before, during and after the festival.
"This is something the litter pickers - many of whom return year after year - are made aware of in their worker agreements (which assure them of a minimum of eight hours' work).
"This year was an unusually dry one for Glastonbury. That, coupled with a fantastic effort from festival goers in taking their belongings home, meant that the bulk of the litter picking work was completed after 2.5 days (in 2016, a very wet year, the equivalent period was around 10 days)."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40498235
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Trump tells Russia to stop 'destabilising' Ukraine - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The US leader says Russia should "join the community of responsible nations" in a speech in Poland.
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Europe
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Trump: Russia should join "the fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself"
US President Donald Trump has called on Russia to stop "destabilising" Ukraine and other countries and end support for "hostile regimes" such as those in Syria and Iran.
Speaking in the Polish capital Warsaw, Mr Trump urged Russia to "join the community of responsible nations".
The US leader has travelled to Hamburg for the G20 summit, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time.
He also faces differences with other leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said last week that the G20 would focus on the Paris climate deal - which the US has withdrawn from.
Up to 100,000 protesters are expected over the two-day event and police have warned of potentially violent clashes. They have already confiscated a number of homemade weapons.
The "Welcome to Hell" protest march is under way
"It's important because you have the biggest meeting of all of the leading rulers of the main countries in the world - the G20 - and I don't like some of the politics that they're doing, especially that of [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, of Putin and of Trump," one protester told the BBC.
In Warsaw, Mr Trump argued that the future of Western civilisation itself was at stake and asked whether the West had the "will to survive".
He urged Russia to join the "fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself".
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Mr Trump referred to Russia's "destabilising" behaviour twice in one day in Poland. But the Kremlin spokesman has shrugged that off, saying simply that Moscow "does not agree". It's all part of the wait-and-see approach here.
Russia once had great hopes that Donald Trump could rescue relations from the pit into which they were plunged after it annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Almost six months into the Trump presidency, there may be increasing pessimism.
But the Kremlin is calling Mr Trump's meeting with Mr Putin on Friday an important chance to get acquainted. Perhaps it is betting that personal dynamics will help overcome policy differences.
After all, officials here insist that it is simply "Russophobia" in the US that has prevented President Trump "getting along" with Russia as he said he wanted.
They have certainly noted how in Poland he shied away from accusing Russia unequivocally of meddling in the US elections. Moscow has argued all along that there is no proof. In public at least, Mr Trump appeared to agree with that.
The US leader also hailed Poland as an example of a country ready to defend Western freedoms.
Poland's conservative government shares Mr Trump's hostile view of immigration and strong sense of sovereignty.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Donald Trump's handshake is left hanging by the Polish president's wife
Giving a news conference ahead of his Warsaw speech, Mr Trump also:
NTV correspondent - "After the icy reception [Trump] was given in Europe in May, what he needs now are comfortable and favourable surroundings, a picture along the lines of 'look at how they adore us here'."
Ren TV presenter - Trump was keen to play on differences within Europe and help Poland "cobble together an Eastern European bloc opposed to EU leaders... Trump is only too happy to pour oil onto the fire of European discord."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40522296
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Purged: The officers who cannot go home to Turkey - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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After last year's botched coup in Turkey, thousands were arrested or fired in a far-reaching purge - including some Turkish military officers and their families stationed abroad.
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Magazine
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Last July, a botched military coup led to fighting on the streets of Ankara and Istanbul. Quickly peace was restored, the perpetrators were arrested - and a purge began of thousands of people, from judges to teachers, accused of links with the plotters. As Maria Psara in Brussels explains, the purge reached as far as Belgium, where its effects are still being felt.
Sitting at the back of a small cafe in Brussels, the two men were looking around to check whether they had been followed. The two women who accompanied them were silent, waiting for a signal that it was safe to talk.
Ibrahim had already told me that they all feared for their lives.
"The Turkish media call us 'terrorists' and say that Turkish or even Russian intelligence should kill us," he said. "Turkish officials describe us as traitors and advise people to attack us if they meet us."
A year ago, Ibrahim and Abdullah (not their real names) were high-ranking members of the Turkish military delegation to Nato. Now they are jobless and de facto stateless - two of the myriad casualties of a purge that followed an attempted military coup in Turkey a year ago.
Ayse and Deniz (also pseudonyms) are the wives of two other purged Turkish Nato officers. All their lives have changed dramatically. They have lost their homes and their incomes and may never be able to return to the country of their birth.
After the unsuccessful coup on the night of 15 July 2016, tens of thousands of civil servants, judges, teachers, journalists, and others were arrested, suspected of being followers of Fethullah Gulen, the exiled cleric who is supposed - although he denies it - to have orchestrated the attempt to overthrow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Among them were hundreds of military officers, but those serving abroad felt safe. It was clear, at least, that they had not taken any active role in the fighting.
"The Turkish army has more than 600,000 personnel," says Ibrahim. "If an army of this size has decided to carry out a coup, it does not need the few officers it has abroad to execute it. The ones in Turkey would suffice."
One of the officers holds his cancelled passport
In August, however, lists of names began to arrive in Brussels every Friday after business hours - they were the names of officers who had been suspended or dismissed without explanation.
At the end of September, a long document with 221 names arrived at Turkish missions abroad, including the Nato headquarters in Brussels and in Mons, nearby. In it, the Turkish General Staff ordered the officers to return to Turkey immediately, again without explanation.
"My name was in the list. We called Turkey in an attempt to understand the accusations against us," says Abdullah.
"Take the first flight back," was the only response.
Those who didn't comply were purged in a decree issued on 22 November, accusing them of links with a "terrorist organisation", a reference to the Gulenist movement.
Their assets in Turkey were frozen and their passports were cancelled.
By this stage it had long become clear that obeying the summons to Turkey was fraught with danger.
A group of officers who were quick to sell their furniture and their cars, and close their contracts with electricity and gas suppliers, returned in early October and almost all were arrested - some on arrival at the airport, others when they reported to headquarters.
Around the same time, a Navy officer was called from Brussels to an emergency meeting on "standardisation" at the general staff in Ankara.
"Anyone in the armed forces knows that standardisation is not a subject that one would ever classify as emergency. Even though everything about this meeting was fishy, the officer went because there was no reason to be afraid," says Ibrahim.
It turned out to be a set-up. He was arrested and has been in jail awaiting trial ever since. "Up until now, he has not been informed about any evidence against him," Abdullah says.
His wife and three children, who were not officially notified of his arrest, remain behind in Belgium, trying to survive without him.
Describing these family tragedies, and their own, the officers and officers' wives are understandably grim-faced. One story, though, evokes a bitter smile. The men explain that a colleague was involved in a serious road accident in the days before the coup. At the time it happened he was in intensive care in a Belgian hospital. "He was unconscious," Ibrahim says. But he too was accused of being involved in the coup.
Overall, more than 700 officers out of 950 officers serving at Nato and in Turkish diplomatic missions around the world are estimated to have been purged. Most have applied for asylum in their host countries, and some - in Germany and Norway, for example - have already received it.
Most of the Turkish officers in Belgium were living with their families in military housing. Many were ordered to move out at the end of September, though those in Mons were allowed to stay until the end of the school year, because their children went to school on the base. Some left early anyway, to start adapting to their new life as soon as possible. Others stayed, on the grounds that they had nothing to hide and were not afraid.
"However hard the Turkish national military representative tried to make us leave the base and make life harder for us, Nato put up a stance against his illogical arguments," says Abdullah.
The head of Nato's allied command headquarters in Mons, Gen Curtis Scaparotti, dismissed the idea that these officers could have been involved in the planning of a coup, Abdullah says. Foreign colleagues tried to help in different ways. Some offered monetary help, others invited the Turkish families to Christmas dinner, some even offered their personal houses in their homelands.
"Unanimously, all advised against going back to Turkey."
For children, moving from the Nato school to a Belgian school is a huge change. Suddenly, instead of studying in English, they are in an environment where everyone speaks either Flemish or French.
The families have so far been surviving on their savings. They will soon need to find work - but they are barred from employment until, or unless, they are granted asylum.
They are also hesitant about leaving the house, afraid of being targeted by pro-Erdogan zealots. More than three-quarters of Turks in Belgium who cast a ballot in a referendum held last April voted in favour of granting sweeping new powers to the president. Clashes between the president's supporters and opponents, as voting took place, left several in hospital.
Since they were teenagers the officers have been at military schools, and have always been reluctant to express political views. They deny any connection with Fethullah Gulen. At the same time, they are clearly deeply alarmed by the direction President Erdogan is leading the country - away from the West, as they see it, closer to the Muslim world and to Russia.
The role of the Turkish Army as the guardian of a modern secular republic is under threat, they argue, while the purge has resulted in pro-Western officers being replaced with officers who either support political Islam or have a "pro-East, pro-Russia ideology".
Privately, Nato sources admit that the quality of the new officers is nowhere near that of those who were forced out.
The patriotism of the former officers is visible in their anger.
"See this?" asks Abdullah, showing his passport. "Throughout my whole life I have served my country, my flag, and now I have to hide my identity, although I did nothing wrong."
"Our husbands sacrificed their daily life, their family life for their work. They were married with their work, not with us," says Ayse.
Abdullah says his greatest wish for the future is for Turkey to "return to normality" as he puts it.
"To be again a country we would be proud of," he adds.
"And we want to go back."
Maria Psara is Brussels correspondent for the Ethnos newspaper
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-40500182
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Dirty laundry: Are your clothes polluting the ocean? - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Our clothing and laundry are polluting the marine environment, UK research reveals.
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Science & Environment
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In an indoor "Manchester-drizzle-simulating" rain room at the University of Leeds, and in a laundry lab in Plymouth, research is revealing the unexpected environmental cost of the very clothes on our backs.
"Not many people know that lots of our clothes are made of plastic," says Imogen Napper, a PhD student at Plymouth University, "polyester, acrylic."
Ms Napper and Prof Richard Thompson study marine microplastics - fragments and fibres found in the ocean surface, the deep sea and the marine food chain.
And in a recent lab study, they found that polyester and acrylic clothing shed thousands of plastic fibres each time it was washed- sending another source of plastic pollution down the drain and, eventually, into the ocean.
"My friends always make fun of me because they think of marine biology as such a sexy science - it's all turtles, hot countries and bikinis," says Ms Napper.
"But I've been spending hours washing clothes and counting the fibres."
It might not be exotic, but this painstaking "laundry-science" has revealed that an average UK washing load - 6kg (13lb) of fabric - can release:
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Some of the plastic found in the ocean has come from clothing, scientists say
That is from every load of synthetic laundry from every UK washing machine. "A lot more fibres were released in the wash than we expected," Ms Napper says.
"They're going down the drain, so they are making their way into the sewage treatment works and maybe, from there, into the marine environment."
Prof Thompson says washing clothes could be a "significant source" of plastic microfibres in the ocean.
"When we sample, we find plastic fibres less than the width of a human hair - in fish, in deep sea sediments, as well as [floating] at the surface."
Changes need to happen "at the design stage", he says; better, harder-wearing and less "disposable" clothing would last longer and be good for the environment.
"The garments [we washed] were similar fleecy garments, and some were shedding fibres much faster than others," Prof Thompson says.
"We need to understand why some garments wear out much more quickly than others, so we can try to minimise unnecessary emissions of plastic."
And scientists now have the backing of possibly the most wholesome of British organisations; the Women's Institute, decided just last month to campaign for what they called "innovative solutions" to the problem of microplastic fibres in the ocean.
Our plastic rubbish has floated to islands that are thousands of miles from the nearest human population
Prof Richard Blackburn, head of the sustainable materials research group at the University of Leeds, agrees that textile-makers need to think about what happens "in use", when we wear and wash our clothes.
"People don't consider it," he says. "So, potentially, the pollution could be caused by us - the consumers - rather than the manufacturers."
Prof Blackburn's colleague in Leeds, Philippa Hill, was also drawn to the subject of laundry - by chemical coatings being washed off outdoor clothing.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Chemical coating make our nylon raincoats repel water - but they could come off in the wash
The waterproofing most high-end, rain-proof jackets are treated with consists of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), which are persistent and potentially toxic pollutants.
Coating textiles and other materials with PFCs makes them resistant to stains, grease, and water. They are also used in some non-stick pans and food packaging.
These molecules sit on top of the (usually nylon) outer fabric like a protective layer of chemical barbed wire - the tip of every barb pushes away water molecules, which are too large to pass through the spaces in between. Air molecules can pass through freely, resulting in a non-sweaty, breathable, waterproof jacket.
Fluorochemical coatings have been used for decades to make nylon jackets water-repellent, but breathable
But, as Dr Andrew Sweetman, from the Lancaster Environment Centre, points out, lab and field studies have shown that some PFCs can accumulate in the tissues of fish and other wildlife as they consume contaminated food and water - building up a dose that can become harmful.
Essentially, they don't degrade," he explains to BBC News. "So if we take samples from waterways, as a result of their widespread use and persistence, we basically find them wherever we look."
Scientists report finding fluorinated chemicals in waterways 'wherever they look'
And while textiles manufacturers have to abide by regulations to limit the pollution they release into waterways, Prof Blackburn says, "there are no limits on what we can release from our own homes".
Prof Blackburn and Ms Hill compared PFC-coated fabric with that treated with more benign oil-based coatings that also repel water.
"We took samples of fabrics that had been coated with the different treatments," says Prof Blackburn.
"And we'd carry out industry-standard tests - showering them with water and measuring their performance.
"We demonstrated that new coatings - that are not based on [fluorochemicals, or PFCs,] give just as good water-repellency as the fluorochemical coatings that have been around for decades."
A campaign last year by Greenpeace spurred several outdoor brands to promise to end their use of PFCs in their clothing
And a representative of the European Outdoor Group (EOG) - the body that represents the outdoor industry - said of Prof Blackburn and Ms Hill's research: "This is the kind of data we need to make decisions on.
"It's a real challenge, but brands are very keen to have this information and to move away from PFCs."
However, Prof Blackburn also makes the point that in comparison with the environmental footprint of the natural fibre cotton, many synthetics are actually "pretty clean".
"I always tell my new students that to grow 1kg of cotton consumes the amount of water you've drunk in your lifetime," he says.
And bringing into the mainstream what are currently relatively niche "bio-plastic" fabrics could help clean up the industry further.
These bio-synthetics are available and gradually becoming more popular:
But, Prof Blackburn says, "these never received the research focus or attention, with the advent of the petrochemical synthetic fibre industry".
He cites further examples, of fibres made from fermented food waste and fruit skins.
"Poly[lactic acid] fibre or PLA is made by fermenting waste corn to make lactic acid, which is then polymerised to make this bio-polyester," he says.
"That's a great fibre, but has largely been used for packaging - the [fabric research] has fallen by the wayside."
But while the new research puts pressure on the textile and clothing manufacturers to clean up their act, there is something we can all very easily do to reduce the impact of what we wear on the environment.
"We are unsustainably addicted to consumption," says Prof Blackburn.
"I cannot emphasise enough how much of a step-change it would be for sustainability if we bought fewer items of clothing per year, wore them for longer and threw them away less often."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40498292
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Who are Britain’s jihadists? - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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At least 800 people from the UK have travelled to support or fight for jihadist organisations in Syria and Iraq, according to British officials. But what do we know about them?
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UK
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Approximately 850 people from the UK have travelled to support or fight for jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq, say the British authorities.
This BBC News database is the most comprehensive public record of its kind, telling the story of over 100 people from the UK who have been convicted of offences relating to the conflict and over 150 others who have either died or are still in the region.
This interactive content is optimised for modern, javascript-enabled web browsers. Please ensure you have javascript enabled and a current browser.
The information above has been compiled from open sources and BBC research. Some details have been withheld for legal reasons or are unavailable.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32026985
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Tupac blamed race in Madonna breakup letter - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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The rapper also apologised for saying "a lot of things" because the Material Girl singer "hurt" him.
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US & Canada
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Madonna confirmed two years ago she had a relationship with Tupac (R)
Tupac Shakur suggested to Madonna he broke up with her because of race, in an emotional letter attributed to the doomed rapper.
The 1995 missive, addressed to "M", said being with a black man could only help her career, but that he might let down his fans.
Madonna confirmed two years ago they had had a relationship, though it is unclear how long it lasted.
The letter is up for auction with a starting bid of $100,000 (£77,000).
Dated 15 January 1995, it was penned while Tupac was serving a prison sentence for sexual assault and 18 months before he was shot dead. Both artists were then at the height of their fame.
"For you to be seen with a black man wouldn't in any way jeopardize your career, if anything it would make you seem that much more open and exciting," Tupac, then 23, wrote from New York's Clinton Correctional Facility.
"But for me at least in my previous perception I felt due to my 'image' that I would be letting down half of the people who made me what I thought I was.
"Like you said, I haven't been the kind of friend I know I am capable of being," he wrote, adding: "I never meant to hurt you."
Rolling Stone magazine said it had confirmed the authenticity of the document, which was first published by TMZ.
Tupac - whose parents were both Black Panthers - also suggested Madonna, then 36, hurt him by saying in an interview that she was "'off to rehabilitate all the rappers and basketball players' or something to that effect".
"Those words cut me deep seeing how I had never known you to be with any rappers besides myself," he wrote.
"It was at this moment out of hurt and a natural instinct to strike back and defend my heart and ego that I said a lot of things."
He added: "Please understand my previous position as that of a young man with limited experience with a extremely famous sex symbol."
Tupac concluded: "It's funny but this experience has taught me to not take time for granted." He signed off with a heart symbol.
On 7 September 1996, the rapper - who sold over 75 million records worldwide - died in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas after watching a Mike Tyson boxing match.
The letter will be up for auction at the Gotta Have Rock and Roll sale, which is scheduled for 19 - 28 July.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40525347
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Jacob Rees-Mogg announces baby Sixtus - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Conservative MP's sixth child is called Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher.
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UK Politics
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The backbencher announced the new arrival on Instagram, where attention focused on the eye-catching name.
The name Sixtus is shared with five popes, most recently in 1590.
"Helena and I announce with great joy that we have a baby Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher, a brother for Peter, Mary, Thomas, Anselm and Alfred." Mr Rees-Mogg said.
The other children's full names are Alfred Wulfric Leyson Pius, Thomas Wentworth Somerset Dunstan, Peter Theodore Alphege, Anselm Charles Fitzwilliam and Mary Anne Charlotte Emma Rees-Mogg.
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The MP has previously shared this family photo
This one was taken on the general election campaign trail
The MP captioned this photo: "We shall have to take our business elsewhere"
The Tory MP for North East Somerset, who recently joined Instagram, has become something of a cult figure on social media, with dozens of Facebook pages devoted to him.
"I am a late convert to social media and it's turned out to be great fun," he told BBC Trending recently.
"We've put up some jolly photographs. You hear a lot about unpleasantness but it's reassuring that there is a lighter touch."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40506109
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Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley is a 'power drinker' - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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The billionaire Newcastle United owner tells the High Court he enjoys binge drinking.
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England
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Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has told a High Court judge he is a "power drinker" who likes to get drunk.
The Newcastle United owner was giving evidence on the fourth day of a trial in London where he is being sued by investment banker Jeffrey Blue.
Mr Blue says the sportswear tycoon promised to pay him £15m if he used his expertise to increase Sports Direct's share price to £8 each.
However, the finance expert claims he was paid only £1m.
Mr Ashley denies the claim and says Mr Blue is talking "nonsense".
Mr Justice Leggatt has heard the dispute relates to a conversation in a central London pub, called the Horse and Groom, four years ago.
Mr Ashley told the judge he would have had four to five pints within an hour, after being asked how much he had drunk by a lawyer representing Mr Blue.
"It was a fun evening, drinking at pace," he said. "I like to get drunk. I am a power drinker."
Mr Ashley added: "My thing is not to drink regularly. It is binge drinking. I am trying to get drunk."
Jeffrey Blue claims he was promised £15m by Mr Ashley in a London pub
Mr Ashley also said he had been trying to "have a good night out".
Asked how much Mr Blue had drunk, he replied: "He would never have been able to keep up. He's a lightweight when it comes to drinking."
Mr Ashley went on say he had "never taken a penny out of Sports Direct - salary or otherwise".
He added that he was the "last person to know" at Newcastle United, saying: "They are really not interested in my opinion."
The court was previously told Mr Ashley would regularly hold management meetings in pubs and on one occasion vomited into a fireplace after drinking 12 pints.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40517276
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Superstars plan next career with Harvard course - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Sports and movies stars sign up for a Harvard course to help them build a business after their fame fades.
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Business
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Katie Holmes is among the famous names signing up as students for the Harvard course
The football superstar, the actress and the rapper walk into a classroom.
This is not the set-up for a joke, but a four-day executive education course held at Harvard Business School in the United States last month.
Among the students taking the Business of Sport, Media and Entertainment course were Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, actress Katie Holmes and Irish rugby union player Jamie Heaslip.
Rapper LL Cool J is another former graduate.
"Many of the participants want to know how to monetise their brand and build a business around it, to launch a second career after their current one is over, or to enter new careers," says course leader Professor Anita Elberse.
Celebrities are not used to being told what to do - or that they have got something wrong.
But she insists none of them receives special treatment.
Get me a raise: Prof Elberse with actress Katie Holmes and sports stars CJ McCollum, Gerard Pique, Rashean Mathis and Jamie Heaslip
"They know that if they say something that makes no sense, then I or someone else in the class will tell them they are wrong," she says.
"This might actually be quite refreshing for them and one of the reasons they enjoy the course so much."
During the course, they eat meals together and sleep in the Harvard dormitories.
When a celebrity applies to the course, Prof Elberse often phones them up to make sure they know what to expect.
"So far all of them have been very engaged," she says. "I have not been disappointed."
The reason so many big names from sports and entertainment apply for the course is to capitalise on the growing importance of individual superstar brands in these fields.
The trend was identified by Prof Elberse in her book, Blockbusters.
She argues that building a business around "blockbuster products" - a small number of high impact, big investment films, TV shows, books or star names - is "the surest path to long-term success".
Barcelona and Real Madrid football clubs are claimed as examples - gaining sporting and commercial success by spending a large proportion of their budgets on a few stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr.
The rise of the superstar has been accelerated by social media, which allows individuals to connect directly with fans, rather than work through publishers or agents.
Rapper LL Cool J has been a fan of the course at Harvard
Irish rugby union player Jamie Heaslip might have been setting off for New Zealand with the Lions tour last month, but a serious injury in March meant he had time to attend this year's course.
He hopes to apply what he learned to his own sport.
"I was fascinated by the blockbuster theory and how it can be implemented in rugby, which has only been professional for 20 years, so is a relatively young sport in that sense," he says.
"We looked at how other sports have sold themselves as entertainment products, and how everyone involved in a sport is a stakeholder who can have a role in growing the game."
"I had some interesting discussions with [basketball player] C.J. McCollum about the differences between the business side of rugby and the NBA."
He says he would be interested in working to grow rugby in new markets after he retires from playing.
Prof Elberse's course could have an impact on the future of sport and entertainment, if her students go on to become leaders in these industries.
Gerard Pique has been suggested as a future president of Barcelona. Will he apply the blockbuster theory to running the Spanish club?
"I don't know, but I told him if he's president then I insist on being vice-president," she says.
Ideas for the Global education series? Get in touch.
The course is taught using Harvard Business School's case study method. Students look at 10 recent examples of success and failure in the sports, entertainment and music industries.
These include Beyonce's gamble to release an album in 2013 without any prior marketing and promotion, and the decision by a production company to sell the TV series House of Cards to Netflix rather than a traditional TV network in 2011.
Students are divided into small groups to discuss the case studies, then the groups present their findings to the rest of the class.
"I ask questions and hope they come up with the answers, and I provide models for how they can think about or frame the discussion," says Prof Elberse, who also teaches the MBA at Harvard Business School.
Jamie Heaslip has an undergraduate degree in medical engineering and a master's in business. He says the case study method was "very different to what I've experienced in my own education" but "very insightful".
This was partly because of the backgrounds of his fellow students - only 10 were from the "talent" side of sport and entertainment and the rest were from the management and business side.
"There were high-up executives running TV companies and studios in the room so it was really interesting to get their perspective," he says.
The course costs $10,000 (£7,700) per head and no prior educational qualifications are required.
With around 60 students attending each year, cynics could say that it is an easy source of income for Harvard.
Prof Dan Sarofian-Butin, dean of the school of education and social policy at Merrimack College in Massachusetts, says the course benefits from Harvard's prestige.
"This type of course allows students to say they went to Harvard, were taught by a famous professor, and interacted with other cool students," he says.
He says most students on executive education courses are already "insiders" who may know more about their industries than a professor.
But he says they can still benefit from the wider view provided by teachers.
"This is what a good teacher can bring to the table - the ability to point things out that are obvious, but only once you are able to see the bigger picture," he says.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40487639
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Museum of the Year: Hepworth Wakefield gallery wins £100,000 prize - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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The Hepworth Wakefield beats the Tate Modern to the £100,000 Museum of the Year prize.
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Entertainment & Arts
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The Hepworth Wakefield is named after sculptor Barbara Hepworth and has some of her works
The Hepworth Wakefield gallery in West Yorkshire has beaten the Tate Modern to be crowned the UK's Museum of the Year.
The venue, which opened six years ago, will receive a £100,000 prize from The Art Fund as well as the kudos that comes with winning the annual award.
The Art Fund director Stephen Deuchar said it had been "a powerful force of energy from the moment it opened".
Tate Modern had been nominated after a year in which it attracted a record 5.8 million visitors and opened a new wing.
But that was not enough to earn it the award at a ceremony at the British Museum in London on Wednesday.
The other nominees were the Lapworth Museum of Geology in Birmingham, Sir John Soane's Museum in London and the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art in Suffolk.
The Museum of the Year judges (with Hepworth director Simon Wallis) got tangled up in the JW Anderson exhibition
The gallery sits on the banks of the River Calder
The Hepworth, which is named after sculptor Barbara Hepworth, impressed the judges by increasing its visitor numbers by 21% and launching a major new award for British sculpture last year, among other things.
Mr Deuchar praised the way the gallery had "kept growing in reach and impact" since it opened in a £35m building designed by David Chipperfield in 2011.
He also complimented the "determined originality" of the curatorial team, and said it served its local community "with unfailing flair and dedication".
Last year saw it stage exhibitions of painter Stanley Spencer, photographer Martin Parr and art-pop installationist Anthea Hamilton.
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So far this year, it has had an exhibition curated by designer Jonathan Anderson, who brought together the worlds of fashion and sculpture.
And it has just opened a show focusing on the late painter Howard Hodgkin's fascination with India.
It also recently took receipt of 50 artworks donated by collector and former BBC radio news journalist Tim Sayer, while a 65,000 sq ft (6,000 sq m) riverside garden is due to be created in its grounds.
The Museum of the Year prize is the largest single arts prize in the UK. Last year's winner was the V&A in London.
The Art Fund aims to reward an institution that has shown "exceptional imagination, innovation and achievement across the preceding 12 months".
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France set to ban sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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After Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate deal, France doubles down on pollution.
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Europe
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Hybrid and electric cars, like this Renault, make up about 5% of the French car market
France is set to ban the sale of any car that uses petrol or diesel fuel by 2040, in what the ecology minister called a "revolution".
Nicolas Hulot announced the planned ban on fossil fuel vehicles as part of a renewed commitment to the Paris climate deal.
He said France planned to become carbon neutral by 2050.
Hybrid cars make up about 3.5% of the French market, with pure electric vehicles accounting for just 1.2%.
It is not yet clear what will happen to existing fossil fuel vehicles still in use in 2040.
Mr Hulot, a veteran environmental campaigner, was appointed by new French President Emmanuel Macron. Mr Macron has openly criticised US environmental policy, urging Donald Trump to "make our planet great again".
President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement in June was explicitly named as a factor in France's new vehicle plan.
"France has decided to become carbon neutral by 2050 following the US decision," Mr Hulot said, adding that the government would have to make investments to meet that target.
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Poorer households would receive financial assistance to replace older, more polluting vehicles with cleaner ones, he said.
Earlier this week, car manufacturer Volvo said all of its new car models would be at least partly electric from 2019, an announcement referenced by Mr Hulot.
He said he believes French car manufacturers - including brands such as Peugeot-Citroen and Renault - would meet the challenge, although he acknowledged it would be difficult. Renault's "Zoe" electric vehicle range is one of the most popular in Europe.
However, traditional fossil fuel vehicles account for about 95% of the European market.
Other targets set in the French environmental plan include ending coal power plants by 2022, reducing nuclear power to 50% of total output by 2025, and ending the issuance of new oil and gas exploration licences.
Several French cities struggle with high levels of air pollution, including Paris, which endured several days of peak pollution in March.
The capital has implemented a range of measures to cut down on cars, but air pollution is also a problem in picturesque mountain regions.
Last month, a woman took the French state to court over what she said was a failure to protect her health from the effects of air pollution in Paris.
Norway, which is the leader in the use of electric cars in Europe, wants to move to electric-only vehicles by 2025, as does the Netherlands. Both Germany and India have proposed similar measures with a target of 2030.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40518293
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Tony Blair 'not straight' with UK over Iraq, says Chilcot - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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The former PM was "emotionally truthful" but relied on beliefs rather than facts, Sir John Chilcot says.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Blair 'not straight' with country over Iraq, says Sir John Chilcot
Tony Blair was not "straight with the nation" about his decisions in the run up to the Iraq War, the chairman of the inquiry into the war has told the BBC.
Speaking for the first time since publishing his report a year ago, Sir John Chilcot discussed why he thinks the former PM made those decisions.
He said the evidence Mr Blair gave the inquiry was "emotionally truthful" but he relied on beliefs rather than facts.
A spokesman for Mr Blair said "all these issues" had been dealt with.
They added that Sir John had also made clear that he believed Mr Blair had "not departed from the truth".
In a wide-ranging, exclusive interview with the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Sir John also talked about Mr Blair's state of mind during the inquiry and his relationship with the then US President George W Bush in the build-up to the 2003 conflict.
Sir John also admitted that at the start of the inquiry he had "no idea" how long it would take, but defended its conduct and the seven years it took to complete.
The inquiry concluded that Mr Blair overstated the threat posed by Iraq leader Saddam Hussein and the invasion was not the "last resort" action presented to Parliament, when it backed the action, and the public.
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When the inquiry finally emerged in its full two million words, in the chaotic aftermath of the EU referendum, its analysis was polite, but firmly critical of the decision-making process and behaviour of the UK government both in the run-up to, conduct of, and aftermath of one of the most controversial conflicts in British foreign policy - what many now regard as one of the UK's biggest foreign policy mistakes.
In the immediate aftermath of the inquiry itself, Sir John, a former Whitehall permanent secretary who had worked for decades at the highest level of government, declined to take further part in the debate, as his and his panels' conclusions were digested.
But in the run-up to the report's anniversary, he agreed to speak for the first time about the inquiry's conclusions, its criticisms and consequences for us all.
Asked if the former prime minister had been as straight as he could have been with the country and the inquiry, Sir John told the BBC: "Any prime minister taking a country into war has got to be straight with the nation and carry it, so far as possible, with him or her. I don't believe that was the case in the Iraq instance."
He went on: "Tony Blair is always and ever an advocate. He makes the most persuasive case he can. Not departing from the truth but persuasion is everything. Advocacy for my position, 'my Blair position'."
He said the former Labour leader gave the case for war based on his own assessment of the circumstances, saying Mr Blair made the case "pinning it on my belief, not on the fact, what the assessed intelligence said."
"You can make an argument around that, both ethical and - well, there is an ethical argument I think."
Asked by the BBC whether Mr Blair gave the fullest version of events, Sir John replied: 'I think he gave an - what was - I hesitate to say this, rather but I think it was from his perspective and standpoint, emotionally truthful and I think that came out also in his press conference after the launch statement.
"I think he was under very great emotional pressure during those sessions… he was suffering. He was deeply engaged. Now in that state of mind and mood you fall back on your instinctive skill and reaction, I think."
The UK's seven-year involvement in Iraq resulted in the deaths of 179 British personnel
Sir John criticises Tony Blair's "with you whatever" memo to US President George W Bush in 2002
Sir John also talked at length about Mr Blair's relationship with the US president in the build-up to the war.
"Tony Blair made much of, at various points, the need to exert influence on American policy making," he said.
"To do that he said in terms at one point, 'I have to accept their strategic objective, regime change, in order to exert influence.' For what purpose? To get them to alter their policy? Of course not. So in effect it was a passive strategy. Just go along."
Commenting on the documentation revealed when the Iraq Inquiry was published, Sir John revealed that his first response on reading a note sent by Mr Blair to Mr Bush in 2002 in which he told him 'I shall be with you whatever', was "you mustn't say that".
His reaction was: "You're giving away far too much. You're making a binding commitment by one sovereign government to another which you can't fulfil. You're not in a position to fulfil it. I mean he didn't even know the legal position at that point."
Asked if the relationship between Mr Blair and Mr Bush was appropriate, Sir John says the former prime minister was running "coercive diplomacy" that clashed with the settled position of the government.
"I think that the fundamental British strategy was fractured, because our formal policy, right up to the autumn of 2002 was one of containment. That was the concluded decision of cabinet.
"But the prime minister was running one of coercive diplomacy. With the knowledge and support of the foreign secretary, but the foreign secretary hoped that diplomacy would win and not coercion. I think to the prime minister it probably looked the other way round.".
Residents fled the city of Basra in March 2003
Speaking after the publication of the Iraq Inquiry report last year, Mr Blair said he felt sorrow and regret at the deaths of 179 British personnel in Iraq between 2003 and 2009 and those of countless Iraqi civilians.
He accepted the intelligence had been wrong and post-war planning had been poor.
But he insisted that he did what he thought was the "right thing" at the time and he still believed Iraq was "better off" without Saddam Hussein.
In response to Sir John's interview, a spokesman for Mr Blair said on Thursday: "A full reading of the interview shows that Sir John makes clear that Mr Blair had not 'departed from the truth'.
"Sir John also makes clear that on the eve of the invasion Mr Blair, 'asked the then Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee, can you tell me beyond any reasonable doubt that Saddam has weapons of mass destruction. To which the answer was, yes I can. He was entitled to rely on that'.
"Five different inquiries have all shown the same thing: that there was no falsifying of the intelligence."
Maj Gen Tim Cross, who was involved in post-war planning in Iraq and gave evidence to the inquiry, said Mr Blair was "an emotional guy" and that he was "sure" his emotions affected the decision to go to war.
He told BBC Breakfast: "When I briefed Tony Blair, it was quite clear that he felt this was a necessity, that there was a just cause, that we had to do something about this. How he portrayed that politically… I do not think he played it very well."
Current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was an opponent of the Iraq War, said various reports into it had concluded "there was an interpretation placed on advice that Tony Blair was given that was simply not correct and we ended up going to war with Iraq and the consequences are still with us".
Lord Menzies Campbell, who was foreign affairs spokesman for the Lib Dems at the time they were opposing the war, said: "In truth, Mr Blair's decision was fundamentally wrong.
"A bad decision, even if made in good faith, is still a bad decision."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40510540
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EU and Japan reach free trade deal - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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The European Union and Japan conclude a landmark free trade deal in Brussels, EU officials announce.
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Business
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The European Union and Japan have formally agreed an outline free-trade deal.
The agreement paves the way for trading in goods without tariff barriers between two of the world's biggest economic areas.
However, few specific details are known and a full, workable agreement may take some time.
Two of the most important sectors are Japanese cars and, for Europe, EU farming goods into Japan.
The EU and Japan have done two deals for the price of one: a trade deal and a complementary "Strategic Partnership". One will create a major free-trading economic bloc, the second will see them co-operate in other areas like combating climate change.
Both are "in principle" deals, some details to be agreed, so there could still be hurdles. But the signal this sends, bringing two of the world's biggest economic powers together, is unmistakeable.
EU-Japan negotiations began in 2012 then stalled. It was Donald Trump's election, and the inward turn America is taking, that spurred the EU and Japan to overcome their differences. Both want to show domestic audiences they can deliver signature deals that promise new economic opportunities.
They also want to send a clear message internationally that the EU and Japan, highly-developed democracies, remain committed to a liberal, free-trading, rules-based world, and they will seek to shape it even if the US won't.
The outline plan was signed in Brussels after a meeting between the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and the European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, on the eve of a meeting of the G20 group of leading economies in Hamburg.
It comes hard on the heels of the collapse of a long-awaited trade agreement between Japan, the US and other Pacific ring countries, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which was scrapped in January by US President Donald Trump.
The president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said the agreement showed the EU's commitment to world trade: "We did it. We concluded EU-Japan political and trade talks. EU is more and more engaged globally."
Mr Tusk also said the deal countered the argument put forward by some of those in favour of Brexit that the EU was unable to promote free trade: "Although some are saying that the time of isolationism and disintegration is coming again, we are demonstrating that this is not the case."
He added that the deal was not just about common trade interests, but reflected "the shared values that underpin our societies, by which I mean liberal democracy, human rights and the rule of law".
Japan is the world's third-largest economy, with a population of about 127 million.
As it stands, the country is Europe's seventh biggest export market.
One of the most important trade categories for the EU is dairy goods.
Japan's appetite for milk and milk-based products has been growing steadily in recent years.
The EU's dairy farmers are struggling with falling demand in its home nations and an ultra-competitive buying climate, which farmers say means they are paid less than the cost of production.
Even once the agreement is fully signed, the deal is likely to have in place long transition clauses of up to 15 years to allow sectors in both countries time to adjust to the new outside competition.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40520218
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Boy, 5, 'killed in Catford park after losing his trainer' - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Marvyn Iheanacho is accused of battering his partner's son to death in south-east London.
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London
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Marvyn Iheanacho is accused of killing his partner's son in Mountsfield Park, Catford
A five-year-old boy was battered to death by his mother's boyfriend in a south-east London park after he lost his trainer, a court has heard.
Marvyn Iheanacho, 39, is accused of causing fatal head and stomach injuries to Alex Malcolm in Mountsfield Park, Catford, on 20 November last year.
Witnesses in the park heard a "child's fearful voice", loud banging and a man screaming about the loss of a shoe, Woolwich Crown Court was told.
The jury heard the 39 year old, of Hounslow, was in a relationship with Alex's mother Lilya Breha and would often stay in her flat in Catford.
CCTV captured Mr Iheanacho taking Alex on three separate buses to the park where they arrived at about 17:12 GMT.
Prosecutor Eleanor Laws QC said the pair then went to the play area because Alex lost one of his trainers and Mr Iheanacho "lost his temper and violently assaulted the boy."
She told jurors there were no witnesses or CCTV footage of the attack but said there was "clear evidence...the defendant lost his temper with Alex before he sustained his injuries."
One witness described how she saw Mr Iheanacho bending down and "raging at the child who was very quiet", the court was told.
Ms Laws said the witness's partner also heard "loud banging and a male voice screaming about the loss of shoes and a child's fearful voice saying 'sorry'".
"At some point, whether during this confrontation or between this confrontation and the next sighting of the defendant... the boy had received extreme injuries," she said.
Judge Mark Dennis QC told jurors the main issue in the case was how Alex sustained the injuries.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40522224
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Bell Pottinger row: PR boss sorry for S Africa campaign - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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UK-based firm Bell Pottinger responds to accusations its work inflamed racial tensions.
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Africa
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A protest outside the Gupta family compound in Johannesburg earlier this year
A UK public relations firm has apologised over a controversial social media campaign in South Africa that critics say inflamed racial tensions.
Bell Pottinger is accused of using a strategy that stressed the power of white-owned businesses and promoted the #WhiteMonopolyCapital hashtag.
The company has sacked one employee and suspended three, admitting the campaign was "offensive".
Critics say it worked to the advantage of President Jacob Zuma.
Bell Pottinger was hired by Oakbay, a company owned by the wealthy Guptas family.
The South African president has faced corruption allegations and suspicion over his ties with the Guptas. Mr Zuma and the Guptas have consistently denied all allegations.
The campaign sought to emphasise the continued "existence of economic apartheid", according to leaked emails, published in the local press.
Opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA) is among those to have voiced objection, filing a complaint to the London-based Public Relations and Communications Association.
On Friday, the DA said the apology was a PR stunt in itself.
The governing ANC insists it has played no role in the row.
Critics in South Africa and media outlets had for some time accused the PR firm of presenting opponents of President Zuma and the Guptas as agents of "white monopoly capital".
In a statement on Thursday, Bell Pottinger Chief Executive James Henderson said: "We wish to issue a full, unequivocal and absolute apology to anyone impacted."
Bell Pottinger said it had ended its contract with Oakbay three months ago.
The PR firm also said it had asked an independent law firm to review "the account and the work done on it", and that executives had been "misled" about the campaign.
There has been an outcry on social media in the country about the original campaign and the statement.
Some South Africans are also angry because Bell Pottinger had an account representing the national tourist board, which is funded by tax-payers.
The tourist board ended the three-year contract in June, with the PR company blaming the way its other work had been "misrepresented" in the local media.
South African Tourism told PR Week that the Gupta connection had no bearing on its decision to switch to another firm.
Last month, Bell Pottinger temporarily changed the settings on its own Twitter account to make it private, meaning critics could no longer hijack its other posts with views on the company's work in South Africa.
South Africa "managed to force a PR company to make their Twitter account private. A PR company", wrote one incredulous tweeter.
On Friday, critics were still on the attack online, doctoring the company's Wikipedia page and accusing it of a "weak, meaningless and pathetic" apology.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40527344
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Robert Trigg jailed for life for killing two girlfriends - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Robert Trigg had claimed both women died in their sleep but was convicted of their killings.
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Sussex
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A man who killed two girlfriends five years apart has been jailed for life.
Robert Trigg was convicted of murdering 52-year-old Susan Nicholson in 2011 and of the manslaughter of Caroline Devlin, 35, who died in March 2006. Both were treated as not suspicious at the time
Trigg, 52, was told he would serve a minimum of 25 years in prison.
In a statement in court, Ms Nicholson's elderly mother questioned why she had been able to gather enough evidence to bring the case to court but not police.
Despite initial investigations into both deaths, in Worthing, West Sussex, finding nothing suspicious, Ms Nicholson's family refused to believe them.
They started what would be a five-year campaign to get to the truth.
Ms Nicholson's parents Elizabeth and Peter Skelton complained on three occasions to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) but were unsatisfied with its response.
Jurors were told there were similarities between the cases of Caroline Devlin (left) and Susan Nicholson
In 2014 they hired a barrister and a forensic pathologist, Dr Nathaniel Carey, to re-examine the original pathologist's report.
He concluded that Ms Nicholson was suffocated by having her head forced into the bed.
In Ms Devlin's case, he found her death was was caused by a blow to the back of her head.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mrs Skelton said the family wanted answers over why she and her husband, now both in their 80s, were able to bring Trigg's case to court and not the police.
She said the fight for justice had caused "mental torture" which triggered a mild heart attack in her and caused depression in Ms Nicholson's brother.
During the sentencing hearing, judge Mrs Justice Ingrid Simler said Mr and Mrs Skelton had "fought doggedly and continuously since their daughter's death for the police to re-investigate her death".
She added: "The efforts of Ms Nicholson's family led to a review and re-investigation of her death and its cause."
Addressing Trigg, the judge said: "The grief and sadness of these two families will never leave them.
"These were senseless deaths and nothing can now restore their lives, nor can any part of this sentencing process restore them either."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The parents of one of two women murdered by Robert Trigg speak out
During the trial the court heard both women suffered domestic violence at the hands of Trigg during their relationships with him.
He was described as a "possessive, controlling and jealous" man and by one former girlfriend as a "Jekyll and Hyde" character who drank heavily.
The Skeltons said officers had never warned their daughter about Trigg's history of domestic violence.
Sussex Police has apologised to both families of Trigg's victims for not presenting all the facts to prosecutors following the original investigation.
Asst Ch Con Laurence Taylor said: "I am sorry it has taken so long to get the justice they wanted."
The IPCC said it upheld two complaints into the way Sussex Police dealt with complaints about its investigation into Ms Nicholson's death. A third appeal was not upheld, a spokeswoman said.
Sussex Police has now referred the case to the IPCC for "an independent view and advice", Mr Taylor said.
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Brandyn McKenna, the youngest son of Ms Devlin, said outside court on Wednesday: "We have always said that it was all down to the Skelton family that we finally got justice."
During his trial Trigg was described as "no more than a drunken slob who could act in a loutish way".
The court heard in both cases after the women died, a neighbour called 999 after Trigg failed to do so despite knowing they were dead.
In the case of Ms Devlin, Trigg had gone out for milk and made a coffee before telling one of her four children - then aged 14 - to go upstairs and check on his mother, knowing she was already dead.
In Ms Nicholson's case, he bought cigarettes before phoning his brother and then phoning a neighbour who lived upstairs.
Duncan Atkinson QC, prosecuting, told the jury Trigg's presence, actions and inaction after the deaths of both women bound them together.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-40519705
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Venezuela National Assembly stormed by Maduro supporters - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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About 100 government supporters force their way into Venezuela's opposition-led National Assembly.
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Latin America & Caribbean
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About 100 government supporters have burst into Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, where they beat up several lawmakers.
Witnesses said the confrontation came after an assembly session to mark the country's Independence Day.
Military police guarding the site stood by as intruders brandishing sticks and pipes broke through the gate, AFP news agency said.
The government has vowed to investigate.
"I will not be complicit in acts of violence," said President Nicolás Maduro.
About 350 people were besieged for hours, including journalists, students and visitors, according to the assembly's speaker Julio Borges.
Mr Borges also named five of the lawmakers injured. Some were taken away for medical treatment, including Deputy Américo De Grazia, who was carried out on a stretcher.
Venezuela has been shaken by often violent protests in recent months and is in economic crisis.
"This does not hurt as much as seeing every day how we are losing our country," deputy Armando Armas told reporters as he got into an ambulance, his head swathed in bloody bandages.
The US state department condemned the violence, calling it "an assault on the democratic principles cherished by the men and women who struggled for Venezuela's independence 206 years ago today".
AFP, whose journalists were at the scene, said reporters were ordered to leave by the attackers, one of whom had a gun.
The assembly was holding a session to mark the country's Independence Day
Before the intruders rushed the building, Vice-President Tareck El Aissami made an impromptu appearance in the congress with the head of the armed forces, Vladimir Padrino López, and ministers.
Mr El Aissami gave a speech urging the president's supporters to come to the legislature to show support for him.
A crowd had been rallying outside the building for several hours before breaking into the grounds.
A statement from the the ministry of communication said, the government had ordered an investigation "to establish the whole truth, and on that basis, to apply sanctions to those responsible".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Your video guide to the crisis gripping Venezuela
Just hours before, the attorney general was facing suspension for refusing to appear in court.
Luisa Ortega Díaz has been accused of committing errors in her job, but critics believe she is being targeted after speaking out against the president's reform plans.
Last week, she also criticised Mr Maduro after an incident in which a stolen police helicopter flew over Caracas, dropping grenades and firing shots.
The president called it a "terrorist attack" but Ms Ortega said the country was suffering from "state terrorism".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The helicopter circles buildings before gunshots and a bang are heard
While Venezuelan security forces later found the abandoned helicopter near the coast, parliamentary speaker Julio Borges said there was a possibility that the incident was a hoax.
On Tuesday, the fugitive policeman who piloted the helicopter, Oscar Pérez, posted a video online saying he was still in Caracas.
He urged Venezuelans to stand firm in the streets in protests against the president.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-40509498
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Grenfell fire: Inquiry head faces angry residents' meeting - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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Sir Martin Moore-Bick met survivors of the west London tower block fire on Thursday evening.
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UK
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "You don't respect me": Footage from the meeting shows Sir Martin Moore-Bick defending his position
The retired judge who will head the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower block fire has faced angry residents and survivors in a three-hour long meeting.
A video of the meeting shows Sir Martin Moore-Bick saying he would "find the facts as I see them from the evidence".
Joe Delaney, of the Grenfell Action Group, told the BBC that Sir Martin was not jeered or booed, but people were sceptical about him.
He has already faced calls to step down just days after being appointed.
Sir Martin said he had been invited to the meeting on Thursday by the Lancaster West Residents Association.
He described it afterwards as a "very useful meeting".
Mr Delaney told BBC Radio 5 live that Sir Martin: "You could hear people sighing and tutting."
"It got a bit loud before the end. I have heard public speakers who can shut up a stadium full of thousands of people. This man couldn't hold a room with 200 or so people."
Local resident Melvyn Akins, 30, said there had been "frustration, anger and confusion" in the meeting.
"People firmly believe that arrests should be made as a result of the outcome of all of this. If arrests are not made, people are going to feel justice may not be being done."
Melvyn Akins says local residents want to see people arrested
A short video of Sir Martin, recorded at the meeting, shows him telling those present: "I can't do more than assure you that I know what it is to be impartial.
"I've been a judge for 20 years, and I give you my word that I will look into this matter to the very best of my ability and find the facts as I see them from the evidence.
"That's my job, that's my training, and that's what I intend to do. Now if I can't satisfy you because you have some preconception about me as a person, that's up to you."
A consultation with residents to help define the scope of the inquiry into the 14 June fire in west London, in which at least 80 died, is due to end next Friday.
Some survivors are calling for a delay of up to six weeks so they can seek legal advice.
However, government officials said Sir Martin was not currently "minded" to extend the consultation period.
Sir Martin has previously faced calls to step down as head of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry
Kensington's Labour MP Emma Dent Coad has described Sir Martin as "a technocrat" who lacked "credibility" with victims and should step down.
But Prime Minister Theresa May said she believed it was "important" that the inquiry was "judge-led", and said it would "address the issues that the residents and victims of this terrible fire want to see addressed".
Labour councillor Robert Atkinson, of Kensington and Chelsea Council, called on Sir Martin to publish regular updates to residents to take them through the inquiry.
"The judge has got to learn to take heckling from upset people," he said.
"I don't think judges are used to being shouted at - and the residents have got to understand that there are constraints on the timing on what the judiciary can do.
"Let's judge the judge by what he does in the next few weeks."
Meanwhile, a team of outside consultants has confirmed to the Victoria Derbyshire programme that it was employed as the clerk of works to carry out checks on Grenfell Tower as recently as July last year.
The company, John Rowan and Partners, received four payments totalling more than £17,000 to carry out mechanical and engineering inspections and checks on the fabric - or material used - on the building, between March and July 2016.
According to documents filed with Kensington and Chelsea Council, seen by the programme, the firm acted in a site-monitoring and supervision role on the project for at least 26 days last year.
It is understood the work, which started in January 2015, included making visual inspections, attending meetings and compiling a list of minor defects for the contractor, Rydon, to rectify.
John Rowan and Partners said in a statement that it had been deeply shocked by the fire, adding: "We provided a site-monitoring role during the refurbishment work that completed in 2016.
"The scope for this work included making visual inspections, attending meetings as required by the client and the snagging of works after the contractor has informed that works have been snagged by them."
Separately, cladding samples which failed safety tests in the wake of the fire will be subjected to further "large-scale" testing - including building a 30ft-high (9m) demonstration wall to subject the material to a "severe fire".
Urgent tests were ordered on cladding from about 600 towers blocks in England after the blaze, but after 190 samples out of 191 failed, more tests were requested.
Elsewhere, Minister for London Greg Hands has called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to consider moving the Notting Hill Carnival following the fire.
Mr Hands tweeted a letter, in which he wrote: "The carnival is an important and symbolic community celebration in our capital's calendar... clearly it must go ahead.
"However, we have to ask ourselves if it is appropriate to stage a carnival in the near proximity of a national disaster."
Responding on Twitter, Mr Khan wrote: "Notting Hill Carnival is a firm London tradition and incredibly important to the local community. It should not be moved."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40520596
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Vulnerable 'playing Russian roulette' choosing care - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Damning verdict comes as inspectors warn a quarter of care services are failing on safety.
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Health
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Vulnerable people are playing "Russian roulette" when they need care in England, campaigners warn, as a quarter of services are failing on safety.
The Care Quality Commission said drug errors, lack of staff and falls were major problems, after inspecting 24,000 services.
Nursing homes had the worst problems, with a third falling short on safety.
The CQC said the failings across services for the elderly and disabled were "completely unacceptable".
The findings mark the completion of the first round of inspections under the "tougher" system launched in 2014 amid concerns problems were going undetected.
One million vulnerable people use care services - either getting their fees paid by councils or funding it themselves.
More than 200,000 of them live in nursing homes, which had the most serious problems.
Some 37% of homes failed on safety, with inspectors noting they had a particular problems recruiting and retaining nurses.
Just below a quarter of care homes and home helps were rated not safe enough, while in community support, including sheltered housing, 17% fell short.
Overall, inspectors have successfully prosecuted five care providers and another 1,000 have had enforcement action taken against them, from being closed down to handed warning notices.
All the services deemed to be failing would continue to be monitored and re-inspected, the CQC said.
But it pointed out that, despite the concerns, most had achieved good or outstanding ratings on safety.
To find out more, view the checklist here.
Chief inspector Andrea Sutcliffe said funding remained an issue for the sector and a "long-term solution" needed to be found but lack of money was "no excuse".
"There is still too much poor care, some providers are failing to improve, and there is even some deterioration," she said.
"This is completely and utterly unacceptable."
Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said the findings were "alarming" and vulnerable people were "effectively playing Russian roulette when they need care".
She added: "Taken as a whole, this report is a graphic demonstration of why older people desperately need the government to follow through on its commitment to consult on proposals for strengthening social care later this year."
Margaret Willcox, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, said councils and providers would be "re-doubling our mutual efforts to ensure older and disabled people and their families get the reliable, personal care they need and deserve".
She said the additional investment announced - £2bn over three years - and the forthcoming consultation on the social care system expected later this year would put the sector on a "stable footing".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40499567
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Emily Lance threatened after urinating on US flag on 4 July - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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She has received death threats on the internet for the act, which is not a crime.
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US & Canada
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Emily Lance shared a video of herself urinating on a US flag
A woman who shared a video of herself urinating on an American flag has asked that people stop targeting her family, saying they do not support her actions.
Emily Lance received online threats of murder and rape after posting the video during Independence Day celebrations.
Her account is no longer on Facebook but she previously posted that her father and his workplace had also been "targeted", reports say.
Desecrating a US flag is not illegal due to strong freedom of speech laws.
In the video, Ms Lance is seen standing over a toilet on which a US flag is draped, and urinating on it with the aid of a device that allows women to do so standing up.
She captioned it with: "F*** your nationalism. F*** your country. F*** your stupid f****** flag".
Later she made a plea for her opponents not to "take your anger out on the wrong people", saying no-one in her family "agrees with my shenanigans".
"They've got nothing to do with my decisions," she continued.
She did not explain how her father and his workplace had been "targeted".
"What don't you people understand? You're celebrating freedom while damning me for doing the same. You can't have it both ways," she said.
• None What must Americans do during the anthem?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40518395
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Corbyn and Greening clash on skills gap - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Jeremy Corbyn warns of "lost decade" of low pay, while Greening calls for "skills revolution".
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Education & Family
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Jeremy Corbyn says businesses should pay higher taxes to invest in skills
Jeremy Corbyn has called for a major investment in skills to tackle a "lost decade" in which there had been an "explosion" of low-paid, insecure jobs.
But Education Secretary Justine Greening, also addressing the British Chambers of Commerce, says she wants firms to back a "skills revolution" and her plans for new technical qualifications.
With warnings of a post-Brexit skills gap, the Labour and Conservative representatives gave business leaders their plans to improve skills.
Labour leader Mr Corbyn told a British Chambers of Commerce conference in London that investing in education was the path away from "stagnant living standards", even if it meant raising taxes.
Justine Greening says that England needs a "skills revolution"
But Ms Greening called on business leaders to support the so-called "T-levels", which are intended to raise the quality and status of vocational qualifications.
The education secretary said that in England from next April, £50m will be available to fund work placements and £15m to help improve further education.
The investment is part of the £500m for technical education announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond in the Budget in March.
Ms Greening told business leaders that she wanted an "army of skilled young people".
But Mr Corbyn said the economy needed to be revived by a much bigger investment in skills - and that would mean businesses paying higher corporation tax.
The Labour leader said that improving the UK's poor record on productivity meant investing in education and training.
Otherwise he warned of an economy built on "low-paid insecure jobs".
Mr Corbyn said that too often only "lip service" was paid to valuing vocational training.
He rejected the idea of lower taxes, saying that there were "no short cuts" for a strong education system, and the alternative was becoming a "low tax haven on the shores of Europe".
Mr Corbyn repeated his commitment to scrapping university tuition fees - and said that high levels of debt could deter young people from staying in education.
He said that "not everyone can access the bank of mum and dad to go to university".
Mr Corbyn called for better funding for schools - saying that it was "utterly unacceptable where schools were having to beg parents for donations to cover the basics".
"We lose out as a society if we don't have a highly qualified workforce," he told the business and education conference.
• None T-levels- What are they- - BBC Newsbeat
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-40504754
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Boris Johnson: Theresa May's got the show back on road - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Foreign secretary rejects leadership questions, hailing the "grace and steel" Theresa May has shown.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson tells Today there is no PM vacancy
Boris Johnson has dismissed leadership speculation, saying Theresa May has shown "unbelievable grace and steel".
The foreign secretary said the PM had "put things back together and got the show back on the road" after a "difficult" election.
Asked about about any leadership contest, he said there would not be a vacancy "for a very long time".
He also appeared to backtrack on his previous support for axing the public sector pay cap.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Johnson said he agreed with Chancellor Philip Hammond on public sector pay and the need to take a "fiscally sensible and responsible" approach.
A source close to Mr Johnson had previously said the foreign secretary supported a better pay deal for public sector workers and believed this could be done without causing "fiscal pressures".
Mr Johnson, who was briefly a rival to Mrs May in the Conservative leadership contest which followed David Cameron's resignation last year, sought to play down talk of a fresh contest.
He said: "The last thing people want is any more of this kind of nonsense.
"They want to see a long period of stability and calm and progress for the British people."
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Mr Johnson also used his Today interview to urge China to step up economic pressure on North Korea following the launch of a long-range missile in defiance of a ban by the UN Security Council.
"My view is that what the North Koreans are doing is reckless, it's indefensible, it's in defiance of UN resolutions, repeated UN resolutions, it's illegal and I think that it is very important that the world stands together against what they re doing.
"People will say well, what can we actually physically do, and the single most important thing is for the country with the most direct economic relationship with North Korea, that is China, has got to continue to put on the pressure.
"In the last six months or so, we are seeing some real changes in Beijing's attitude to North Korea and that's got to go further."
China and Russia have urged the United States to show restraint, after the American ambassador to the United Nations warned that North Korea's test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile had cast a dark shadow over the world.
Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that the test represented a sharp military escalation.
Asked about whether he believed US President Donald Trump, who will later meet Theresa May in Hamburg, was unpredictable she said the UK did not "agree with everything Washington currently says".
But she added: "I think, actually, that Donald Trump's approach to politics has been something that has gripped the imagination of people around the world.
"He's engaged people in politics in a way that we haven't seen for a long time, with his tweets and all the rest of it. I do think that he raises people's awareness of issues, he engages in a very direct way."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40517324
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Why people believe the myth of 'plastic rice' - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Viral videos of 'bouncing rice balls' have fuelled fake rumours of "plastic" rice being sold in Africa.
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BBC Trending
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A video which falsely claims to "prove" the existence of fake plastic rice in the food supply
Despite little evidence that it's a widespread problem, rumours of "plastic" rice being sold in Africa and elsewhere persist on social media - driven in particular by viral videos which show bouncing rice balls.
The rumours spread over the last few weeks in Senegal, The Gambia and Ghana - and reached such a pitch that the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority decided to carry out an investigation.
They invited consumers and traders to submit samples of any rice brands they suspected of being made of plastic - and eventually concluded that there was no plastic rice being sold on the Ghanaian market.
Originating in China, rumours on social media have circulated since about 2010 of plastic rice being manufactured and mixed in with the real rice supply in order to trick consumers. The rumours were originally prompted by "fake rice" scandals, although they didn't involve food made entirely out of plastic.
In one case, companies were passing off ordinary but edible rice as premium "Wuchang" grains. Then in 2011, reports emerged that rice was being produced with potatoes and an industrial sticky resin. The rumours were further compounded when a Chinese restaurant association official warned that eating three bowls of "plastic rice" was the equivalent of eating one plastic bag.
At no point, however, were there confirmed cases of large amounts of plastic chips being passed off as rice. "Plastic rice" is manufactured for use in shipping boxes, but it's likely that in most cases the cost of the chips would actually be more expensive than real rice.
The story had reached social media in Africa by 2016 when Nigerian customs authorities confiscated 2.5 tonnes of rice. Customs officials initially claimed that the rice was plastic - and were later forced to backtrack when the country's health minister said there was no evidence for the claims. Tests showed that the rice did however contain a high level of bacteria, Nigeria's National Agency For Food and Drugs said.
But rumours have persisted that plastic is being sold as rice, fuelled by videos which show people bouncing rice balls. Some also purport to show how the rice is made in factories.
Alexander Waugh, director of the Rice Association, a UK-based industry group, says the videos may be authentic - but not because the grains are plastic. Rice - when prepared in the right way - can actually bounce, Waugh told BBC Trending radio.
"The natural characteristics of rice are carbohydrates and proteins and you can do something like that with rice," Waugh says.
It could be that protectionism and a distrust of foreign imports is behind the persistence of the rumours, according to journalist Alexandre Capron of France 24's, The Observers.
Capron has worked extensively to debunk the myths around plastic rice and says some people are deliberately sharing fake videos to encourage consumers to buy more locally grown rice.
"The rumour is more popular in countries which are dependent on imported rice like Ivory Coast or Senegal," he says. "The rumour is so huge that governments are compelled to make statements... as to why there is no plastic rice."
Hassan Arouni, editor of the BBC's Focus on Africa, has looked into the "fake rice" rumours and says he's not sure whether people in West African countries are deliberately targeting food exporting countries such as China. But he does think food safety authorities in West Africa are doing the right thing by addressing the rumours head-on.
"I think that's the way to go and demonstrate to the public this [rumour] is not true," he says. "I think it will reassure people that this is fake news and probably somebody being naughty on the internet."
You can find BBC Trending on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @BBCtrending. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-40484135
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Chilcot on Blair, Bush and the Iraq war - a year on - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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In an unvarnished account of the inquiry he chaired, Sir John Chilcot tells me that "rising generations" of the military have understood and absorbed its lessons.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
The Chilcot report became a by-word for dispute, delay, and doubt.
When the inquiry finally emerged in its full two million words, in the chaotic aftermath of the EU referendum, its analysis was polite.
But it was firmly critical of the decision-making process and behaviour of the UK government both in the run-up to, conduct of, and aftermath of one of the most controversial conflicts in British foreign policy - what many now regard as one of the UK's biggest foreign policy mistakes.
In the immediate aftermath of the inquiry itself, Sir John, a former Whitehall permanent secretary who had worked for decades at the highest level of government, declined to take further part in the debate, as his and his panels' conclusions were digested.
But in the run-up to the report's anniversary, he agreed to speak for the first time about the inquiry's conclusions, its criticisms and consequences for us all.
Exactly a year ago, he produced two million words in 12 volumes, to detail a seven-year long study of the tumultuous political and diplomatic events in the run-up to, conduct, and aftermath of the 2003 Iraq War.
But what was implicit in the lengthy pages of that document is now crystal clear in his personal, succinct and unvarnished view of the hours of evidence, thousands of documents, and witness accounts of one of the country's most significant public inquiries.
He defends its duration, its conduct, and believes strongly that the work could stop another rush to war in the future.
Sir John told me believes the "rising generations" of the military have understood and absorbed the lessons of the inquiry so much that they would demand and insist that future governments would be required to be more rigorous, more thorough in their examinations of the case for war.
He explained his exhaustive criticism of the relationship between Tony Blair and George W Bush, his shock on seeing their private correspondence for the first time. He also spoke of his own relief at how the families of those killed in the conflict received his report when it was finally published.
But he speaks plainly on perhaps the most fundamental political question of all, the role of the former prime minister. When asked if Tony Blair had been as straight with the country and the inquiry as he ought to have been, Sir John told me, 'any prime minister taking a country into war has got to be straight with the nation and carry it, so far as possible, with him or her. I don't believe that was the case in the Iraq instance."
He went on to say he believed Tony Blair had given an "emotional truth" to the inquiry, and had been "suffering" during its sessions - Tony Blair was always, he said ,"the advocate" for whom, "persuasion is everything".
A spokesperson for the former prime minister referred us to his comments when the inquiry was published, when he said the report showed there were no lies, and no deceit, but that he took responsibility for the criticisms of how decisions had been made.
You won't be surprised, having undertaken such a huge task, that Sir John speaks on a massive range of issues concerned with the Iraq war.
The conflict may have begun 14 years ago now, the inquiry taking longer than the war itself. But for our politics, our diplomacy, and our military, this new more personal account will still resonate today.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40510541
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Newspaper headlines: 'Failing' care homes and Volvo goes electric - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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One in three nursing homes fail an official inspection, and Volvo plans a switch to electric cars.
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The Papers
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A warning about care home safety makes several of the day's front pages.
The Daily Telegraph says choosing one is like "Russian roulette" and quotes officials who advise that people should check how homes smell before making a commitment.
The paper thinks it's particular depressing that care home standards are getting worse. It argues that amid the political debate about ending austerity, elderly provision has to be regarded as a priority.
The Guardian says those in the east of England have the best overall results, while those in the north-west are the worst - with smaller homes also likely to achieve a higher rating.
In its lead, the Daily Mirror warns of a dementia time bomb - with the number of people with the disease expected to reach 1.2 million by 2040 - a 60% rise.
The research by University College London and the University of Liverpool also predicts the bill for their care will rise to £36bn.
The Alzheimer's Society says the study is a "wake up call... showing the social care system, already on its knees from decades of underfunding, needs urgent attention".
Many papers assess car manufacturer Volvo's announcement that from 2019 all new models will be hybrids or powered exclusively by electricity.
"Volvo death knell for petrol cars" is the Daily Mail's front page headline.
The Times sees Volvo's move as the first big bet on the electrification of cars based on consumer demand, rather than a mixture of hope and subsidies.
The Guardian believes if the whole car industry were to follow suit then it would begin to make a serious difference, as transport accounts for 14% of greenhouse gas emissions.
But the Financial Times points out the environmental advantages of the electric car peter out if the batteries are charged from coal-fired power stations.
Many of the papers ponder how the world should respond to North Korea's missile test.
The Financial Times has been hearing from several experts who believe the US has only limited military options, without risking a retaliation which could destroy the South Korean capital, Seoul.
A major problem, according to the article, is that North Korean missiles are hidden in underground bunkers.
The i paper believes pressuring China to cut off trade isn't working because Beijing is determined to undermine efforts to isolate Kim Jong-un.
The Times thinks China has one last chance to show it's a globally responsible player and the paper calls for sanctions to be imposed on all Beijing institutions which profit from the Kim regime.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40515085
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