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Britain’s wealth problem – we don’t create enough of it - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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A mother's fight against knife crime - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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One mother is fighting hard to make sure more young people are protected from the dangers of knives after the death of her son.
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UK
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Joshua's mum, Alison Cope, goes into schools to talk about how her son died
Rising knife crime is one of the biggest challenges facing the police, especially in the UK's major cities, but chiefs say they cannot solve the problem alone - and one mother is fighting hard to make sure more young people are protected from its dangers.
Alison Cope knows first hand how damaging knife crime can be.
In September 2013, her son Joshua Ribera was stabbed to death at a party to commemorate the life of a friend who had died in a stabbing the previous year.
The 18-year-old was a well known Birmingham rapper.
To his fans around the country and to people around the world who knew him he was Depzman, an up and coming grime artist who had just produced his first album and was building his career, appearing on BBC Radio 1Xtra.
But to his mum he was much more. "I say Joshua, not Depzman, not a grime MC, because Joshua is my little boy, my only son," she says.
"That little boy was a newborn baby in my arms, a toddler, and a totally obnoxious teenager who grew into the most beautiful young man.
"So I need you to understand that Depzman was nothing to me. Joshua was everything to me."
He became involved in a row over a girl which spiralled into a fight and his rival, Armani Mitchell, left the club but then returned with a knife.
He said he wanted to cut Josh on the arm, but as he pulled the knife, Joshua raised his arm to protect himself and Mitchell plunged the knife into his heart.
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As a passionate anti-knife campaigner, Alison has now dedicated her life to convincing teenagers there is another path in life.
Speaking to pupils at City of Birmingham school, which looks after children permanently excluded from mainstream education for a whole range of reasons - including having knives - she tells them the harsh reality of what happened to her son.
"He fought back, seven heart attacks, multiple blood transfusions, they were cutting his body open from top to bottom and all the way across desperately trying to save his life," she says to the class.
"But on the morning of 21 September at 05:58, my son gave up on life and he died. That changed everything for my family.
"But it also changed the life of another 18-year-old boy, Armani Mitchell. He worked and was at college part-time.
"He is now in a category-A prison, serving a life sentence. Two 18-year-old boys went on a night out and neither of them came home."
Rapper Nathan Chin has been jailed for knife crime but now aims to persuade others not to carry them
Rapping was Joshua Ribera's route to success. Now Alison encourages teenagers and younger children to take part in sessions at a recording studio in Birmingham, to help harness their creativity and develop a sense of self-worth in the hope it will keep them away from gangs and knives.
At the studio, another of those also trying to help the next generation is 27-year-old Nathan Chin, whose rap name is Lil Fella.
As well as being a rapper, he is trying to set up a charity called Unity Each 1, Teach 1, to support people struggling to get into education and employment.
Nathan spent most of his teenage years in and out of young offender institutions.
He has been in prison for knife crime, but has tried to turn his life around believing people like him are well placed to try to stop teenagers carrying knives.
"People who have gone to prison, real people who have been in situations, are the best people to help reform people," he says.
Alison's final message to the teenagers is simple: "With the help of your teachers and your family, you have every chance of being an amazing successful individual. You have got a choice.
"Make the best of your life."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40497070
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G20: Hamburg sees clashes between police and protesters - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Dozens of police officers are injured in clashes with protesters, some of whom were hurling objects.
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Europe
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Seventy-six police officers have been injured in clashes with protesters in Germany's city of Hamburg, where a G20 summit starts shortly.
Three officers were taken to hospital, police said. There were also reports of injuries among protesters.
The clashes began when police charged at masked protesters at a "Welcome to hell" march attended by 12,000 people.
World leaders - including US President Donald Trump - will discuss climate change, trade and other major issues.
Police fired water cannon and pepper spray at masked protesters, who hurled bottles, stones and flares.
Organisers cancelled the march where the first clashes took place, but protesters remained on the streets and police said violence spread to other areas of the city.
Protesters built makeshift barricades, set vehicles alight, damaged businesses and repeatedly shone a laser at a police helicopter to dazzle its pilot, police said.
Medics were seen treating several people. At least one person appeared to have been seriously hurt and was carried away covered by a foil blanket.
Before the march, police had warned of possible violence and said they had confiscated a number of homemade weapons.
Some 20,000 police have been deployed in Hamburg for the summit, and security cordons have been erected to prevent protesters reaching the venues. Up to 100,000 protesters are expected in Hamburg during Friday and Saturday.
The G20 leaders face their own disagreements, including over climate change and trade.
Mr Trump has already met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the pair spent an hour talking about North Korea, the Middle East, the conflict in eastern Ukraine and G20 issues, a German government spokesman said.
Mrs Merkel (R) and Mr Trump talked for an hour
Last week Mrs Merkel said the G20 would focus on the Paris climate deal - which the US has withdrawn from. But earlier she said that as the G20 host she would work to find compromises.
The summit will also see Mr Trump meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time. The meeting will take place at 14:45 local time (13:45 GMT) and last for an hour, Russian media report.
Earlier in the day Mr Trump used a speech in the Polish capital Warsaw to call on Russia to stop "destabilising" Ukraine and other countries.
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"
Russia should also end support for "hostile regimes" such as those in Syria and Iran and "join the community of responsible nations", he said.
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
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-40526169
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Immigration 'amnesty' for Grenfell fire residents - BBC News
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2017-07-06
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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Mother killed in front of son in Mauritius robbery - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Janice Farman, 47, from Clydebank, died after being attacked by three men in front of her son during a robbery.
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Glasgow & West Scotland
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Janice Farman had been in Mauritius since 2004
A 47-year-old woman from Clydebank has died in Mauritius after being killed in front of her child during a robbery by masked men at her home.
Janice Farman, who lived with her 10-year-old autistic son, died of asphyxiation during Friday's attack.
She had been in the Indian Ocean country since 2004 and was working as a director of a data services group.
Police believe Mrs Farman was killed during a robbery by three men. One man has been arrested, local media said.
The BBC's World Service correspondent in Mauritius, Yasine Mohabuth, said she had recently moved to Albion, in the west of the island, an area previously known for burglaries.
He said: "A fight took place between the three robbers and the victim in the presence of her 10-year-old son.
"Police said that she was smothered to death in her bed.
"They had arrived at three in the morning. It was her son that alerted a friend. The burglars stole many things, including her jewellery and her car.
"Her son is now under the care of the child development unit because his father is abroad."
Mrs Farman's Nissan Tiida was later found by police at the side of the road
A post-mortem examination has since confirmed that Mrs Farman died as a result of asphyxiation caused by compression of the neck.
Mrs Farman's Nissan Tiida was later found by police at the side of the road.
She was originally from Clydebank in West Dunbartonshire and was working as the managing director of PECS (Mauritius) Ltd, a privately owned group of companies providing data services.
A colleague said that he had been contacted by her son in the early hours of Friday, who had told him that his mother was "not breathing".
In a post on social media, he wrote: "Just imagine.... He clearly had no idea what was going on and he was simply in a state of shock. We called the police and it was later confirmed she did not make it."
He referred to Mrs Farman as his mentor and claimed that "Mauritius was no longer a paradise."
In a statement from Mrs Farman's employer, Stephen Littlechild from PECS data services, said: "Last night our MD in Mauritius Janice Farman was brutally murdered in her own home.
"In view of these tragic events, we have decided to close our Mauritius office today, so we can make sure all our team have access to counsellors and as a mark of respect to a wonderful lady.
"Our thoughts are with Janice's family, friends and colleagues."
The British Foreign Office said it was in contact with local authorities in Mauritius about the case.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-40529022
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Charlie Gard case: Great Ormond Street in new court bid - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Clinicians and medical researchers argue unpublished data suggests his condition could be improved.
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London
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Charlie Gard has been in intensive care since October
Great Ormond Street Hospital has applied for a fresh hearing in the case of Charlie Gard following claims of "new evidence relating to potential treatment for his condition".
It comes after seven medical experts suggested unpublished data showed therapy could improve the 11-month-old's brain condition.
Previously, the High Court said it was unlikely a US doctor offering to treat Charlie would be able to cure him.
GOSH said it would "explore" the data.
Charlie's case will be heard by Mr Justice Francis on Monday at 14:00 BST, according to a High Court listing.
Under a High Court ruling, GOSH is forbidden from allowing Charlie to be transferred for nucleoside therapy anywhere
A hospital spokesman said: "Two international hospitals and their researchers have communicated to us as late as the last 24 hours that they have fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment.
"We believe, in common with Charlie's parents, it is right to explore this evidence.
"Great Ormond Street Hospital is giving the High Court the opportunity to objectively assess the claims of fresh evidence.
"It will be for the High Court to make its judgment on the facts.
"Our view has not changed. We believe it is right to seek the High Court's view in light of the claimed new evidence.
"Our priority has always been, and will always be, the best interests of Charlie Gard."
Under a High Court ruling, GOSH is forbidden from allowing Charlie to be transferred for nucleoside therapy anywhere.
Seven clinicians and researchers, including the US doctor, signed a letter explaining that the treatment would be experimental for Charlie's particular condition.
They claim that "ideally" the treatment would first be tested on mice but state that, in Charlie's case, there is not time for such a trial.
Charlie has mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare genetic condition which affects the part of the cell responsible for energy production and respiration and has left him unable to move or breathe without a ventilator.
Connie Yates and Chris Gard raised more than £1.3m for experimental treatment for Charlie
Doctors at GOSH have said he cannot see, hear, move, cry or swallow and that his life support should be switched off because there is no chance of his condition improving.
Charlie's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, raised £1.3m on a crowdfunding site to pay for experimental nucleoside therapy in the US.
But they lost a legal battle with the hospital last month when judges at the European Court of Human Rights ruled further treatment would "continue to cause Charlie significant harm".
Signatories to the new letter include a neurologist and a research fellow from Rome Children's Hospital, a scientist from Cambridge University's Mitochondrial Biology Unit and two researchers from Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca in Barcelona.
"In light of this new information, reconsideration of treatment for Charlie Gard is respectfully advocated," the group said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40535043
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Ed Sheeran penalised by new chart rules - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The British pop star is the main victim of changes to the Top 40 that have just come into effect.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Ed Sheeran has the number one album but some of his singles have fallen out of the chart
The chart rules may have changed - but Justin Bieber is still number one.
Last week, the Official Charts Company overhauled the way it compiles the Top 40 in an effort to stop A-list artists elbowing newer acts out of the way.
The move was prompted by Ed Sheeran, whose new album ÷ [Divide] proved so popular that it propelled 16 tracks into the top 20 in March.
Appropriately, he seems to be the main victim of the new rules, with several of his songs adversely affected.
Last week, Sheeran had eight songs in the Top 100. This week, he has three.
Four of those former hits dropped out naturally, because their sales declined following a brief, post-Glastonbury peak.
But another song was excluded from the countdown because, under the new system, artists are only allowed a maximum of three songs on the chart at any one time.
Some of Sheeran's other songs tumbled down the charts, apparently the victim of a second rule penalising tracks that are "well past their peak and in steep, prolonged decline".
For those songs, the Official Charts Company is applying a new formula, whereby 300 streams count as one sale (for newer songs, the ratio is 150:1).
The idea is that the longer a song has been in the charts, the faster it will fall out of the top 100.
As a result, Sheeran's former number one Shape Of You, which has been in the Top 40 for 26 weeks, suddenly dropped 12 places after weeks of steady decline.
Similarly Clean Bandit's Symphony, which has been in the chart for 16 weeks, dropped 10 places.
The upshot of these moves, however, is that newer tracks have been bumped into the Top 40; with more new entries this week than any other in 2017.
Justin Bieber sings a verse on the Spanglish number one single Despacito
These include Most Girls, the new single by actress Hailee Steinfeld, which makes its top 40 debut after hovering just outside the main countdown for six weeks.
Finnish singer Alma also saw her single Chasing Highs rocket from 54 to 30, giving the musician her first ever hit in the UK.
Elsewhere, Selena Gomez's Bad Liar jumped nine places to reach a new peak of 25.
At the top end of the charts, the new rules made little difference.
Luis Fonsi's Spanish-language smash Despacito, which features a guest verse from Justin Bieber, remained at number one for an eighth week.
DJ Khaled and Rihanna's Wild Thoughts, meanwhile, held steady at number two.
According to the Official Charts Company, the new rules were designed to "ensure the chart continues to be a showcase for the new hits and talent which are the lifeblood of UK music".
But chart analysts questioned the need for the changes.
"It's a really odd situation," said Fraser McAlpine on the Top 40 podcast Unbreak My Chart. "Part of the fun of the chart has always been that it reflects what people's listening habits are."
Prince scored six hit singles in the week after his death - but that would be forbidden under the new system
"If you've managed to iron out the possibility that everybody in Britain is suddenly really excited by four songs by the same artist, that seems like an odd way of hammering down on enthusiasm."
McAlpine noted that a situation like last April, when six Prince songs entered the Top 100 in the week after his death, would no longer be possible.
"The charts have never been a pure system," added his co-presenter Laura Snapes. "But never before have the rules felt like such a blatant attempt to ensure the relevance of the singles chart at a time when it is less relevant than ever.
"It just seems like desperation and panic".
James Masterton, who has been commentating on the Top 40 for the last 25 years, was more positive on his blog, saying the new rules would "clear out" long-in-the-tooth hits, such as Justin Timberlake's Can't Stop The Feeling which has spent 61 weeks in the Top 100, "and which is now clearly taking up a space that could be better used by a newer hit".
On the album chart, where the system was unchanged, Sheeran remained at number one, closely followed by Calvin Harris's fourth album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol 1.
Rag N Bone Man's Human rose two places to number three, which means it will spend its 21st week in the top five.
The Bee Gees' greatest hits album Timeless jumped to number six, bolstered by Barry Gibb's recent appearance at Glastonbury.
And TLC saw their final, self-titled album enter the chart at number 40 - an impressive placing given that fans who crowd-funded the project two years ago received their copies for free, making them ineligible for the chart.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
• None Chart rules changing to help new artists
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40531119
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Grenfell firefighters 'hampered by equipment' - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Firefighters describe low water pressure, radio problems and a 30-minute wait for a high ladder.
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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. Why did it take so long to get an aerial platform to the tower block? BBC Newsnight investigates
A series of failings that hampered the efforts of firefighters to tackle the Grenfell Tower fire and rescue the building's residents have been identified by a BBC investigation.
Crews cited low water pressure, radio problems and equipment that was either lacking or did not arrive before the fire on 14 June got out of control.
Newsnight has learned a high ladder did not arrive for more than 30 minutes.
The London Fire Brigade says it has changed its procedures since the fire.
A high ladder will now automatically be sent to a fire in a tower.
An independent fire expert said having the high ladder, which is also known as an "aerial", available earlier would have given firefighters a better chance of stopping the blaze when it jumped from a fourth floor flat in the tower block and began to race up the side of the building.
More than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines were involved in battling the blaze that engulfed the block in North Kensington, west London.
About 300 people are believed to have lived in Grenfell Tower and most got out on their own.
The fire brigade rescued 65 people but at least 80 people are thought to have died.
Firefighters have been told not to talk to the media but Newsnight obtained a copy of the "incident mobilisation list", the document which details every appliance dispatched to the incident.
The programme was also sent anonymous accounts from a number of men and women involved in the operation.
The mobilisation list revealed that the 30m (100ft) aerial, which could reach the 10th floor of Grenfell Tower, was not dispatched until 01:19 BST, 24 minutes after the first crews were sent to fight what had started as a fridge fire on the fourth floor.
The aerial did not arrive until 01:32 BST, by which time the fire had raced up the building's cladding.
The list entry A213 shows the ladder did not arrive until 32 minutes after the first crews
Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "I have spoken to aerial appliance operators in London... who attended that incident, who think that having that on the first attendance might have made a difference, because it allows you to operate a very powerful water tower from outside the building onto the building."
A London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesman confirmed the so-called "pre-determined attendance" for a tower fire - the list of appliances which are automatically dispatched - has been changed from four engines to five engines plus an aerial.
The spokesman said: "An 'interim' change to pre-determined attendance for high rise buildings was introduced in direct response to the government's action to address concerns of cladding on buildings.
"The Brigade's pre-determined attendance to high rise buildings had already been increased in June 2015 from three fire engines to four as part of our ongoing review of high rise firefighting.
"It is important to understand that fires in high rise buildings are nearly always dealt with internally, not usually needing an aerial appliance.
"The fundamental issue of high rise safety remains that buildings are maintained to stop fires spreading."
The spokesman added: "The Brigade has a fleet of specialist aerial firefighting appliances and these attend a variety of incidents across the capital."
Newsnight's investigation also heard that firefighters had struggled with water pressure problems and the fire service had to call Thames Water to ask the company to increase pressure in the area.
One firefighter said: "The fire floors we went in were helmet-meltingly hot… when we were clearing flats, it was a case of a quick look and closing doors because the water pressure wasn't up to firefighting."
A Thames Water spokesman said: "We've been supporting the emergency services' response in every way possible… any suggestion there was low pressure or that Thames Water did not supply enough water to fire services during this appalling tragedy is categorically false."
Firefighters also described problems with radio reception inside the building and said they lacked enough of the "extended duration" breathing apparatus they needed, especially when reaching the higher floors of the building.
All fire engines have basic breathing apparatus that provides firefighters with oxygen for around 30 minutes.
The extended duration apparatus enables them to breathe for a theoretical 45 minutes - but working in dense smoke and intense heat 20 storeys up uses up the compressed air in the equipment more quickly.
The LFB said all of its rescue units carry extended duration apparatus and "all of the fire brigade's rescue units attended the incident".
The LFB said the police investigation into the fire would examine the brigade's response "including all of the issues Newsnight has raised".
Questions have also been raised about why a 42m firefighting platform had to be called in from Surrey to fight the fire at Grenfell - itself 67m high - because the LFB does not have one of its own.
The LFB spokesman said it had never responded to a fire on the scale of Grenfell Tower before.
He said: "The commissioner has made clear her intention to fully review the brigade's resources and seek funding for any additional requirements."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40535417
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Love Island: Why are viewers complaining? - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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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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South Park to reduce Donald Trump jokes after falling into 'trap' of mocking him - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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Co-creator Trey Parker says the show has fallen into the "trap" of mocking the US president every week.
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Entertainment & Arts
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South Park is to make fewer jokes about Donald Trump, its co-creator has said.
Trey Parker told The Los Angeles Times the show had fallen into the "trap" of mocking the US president in its episodes every week.
"We're becoming: 'Tune in to see what we're going to say about Trump.' Matt [Stone, co-creator] and I hated it but we got stuck in it somehow," he said.
Parker added he and Stone want the show, which has been running for 20 years, to return to its roots.
He said the series should stick to the "bread and butter" of "kids being kids and being ridiculous and outrageous".
Recently, the show has seen teacher Mr Garrison campaign for president on the basis he would build a wall to keep out Canadians - a reference to the wall President Trump wants to build on the Mexican border.
Parker said: "We probably could put up billboards - 'Look what we're going to do to Trump next week!' - and get crazy ratings. But I just don't care."
"We fell into the same trap that Saturday Night Live fell into, where it was like, 'Dude, we're just becoming CNN now'."
CNN has been critical of Mr Trump since he was elected in November 2016.
Parker also said the US president is using the tools of a comedian to drive his support.
"The things that we do - being outrageous and taking things to the extreme to get a reaction out of people - he's using those tools. At his rallies he gets people laughing and whooping," Parker said.
"I don't think he's good at it. But it obviously sells - it made him president."
Donald Trump Jr responded to the interview on Instagram, writing: "Hahahahaha... South Park will lay off the Trump jokes to avoid becoming CNN... Amazing. This made my day."
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-40529800
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Criminals put blades in mouth 'to thwart deportation' - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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A report gives a rare glimpse into the procedures and dangers of removing people from the UK after convictions.
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UK
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Two criminals who were being deported to Jamaica from the UK tried to thwart the process by putting razor blades in their mouths, a report has revealed.
The incident took place ahead of a charter flight carrying 32 detainees from Stansted Airport in March.
Prison inspectors say the "immediate reactions" of the private contractors escorting the men led to a "risky situation, although it ended calmly".
But they said a staff briefing had not provided guidance on welfare issues.
The flight was chartered by the Home Office, with private company Tascor responsible for the guards escorting detainees from a number of immigration centres.
BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said it was very rare for details of deportation flights to be made public.
The report provides an important glimpse into the process and shows how difficult and dangerous it can be, he added.
The detainees were guarded on the plane by 103 staff and three healthcare workers.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons said during a briefing held before the night-time removal operation, staff had been told that "virtually all" the detainees were "violent criminals who have assaulted staff".
"There was a strong emphasis on the risk of disruptive behaviour," said its report.
But it added "talking up risks undermined to some degree even experienced staff's confidence in their interpersonal and other skills".
The two men were found to have fragments of a razor blade in their mouth at Brook House immigration centre in West Sussex.
"One of the staff swore loudly, exclaiming he had blades in his mouth, while another grabbed his arm and several staff told him to spit the blades out, which he ignored," says the report.
He eventually handed over the blade fragments on the aircraft after he had been placed in a "waist restraint belt".
The other man had been on self-harm monitoring and walked with a crutch and staff were said to have "treated him with reasonable consideration for his disability".
The report described the response to the two men as "proportionate".
It said the reasoning behind the treatment of a 57-year-old woman who was made to wear a rigid handcuff and then fitted with a waist restraint belt after refusing to board the aircraft "was much less clear".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40535411
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UK house prices fall further in June, says Halifax - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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The average price of property fell by 1% in June, the Halifax says, the largest fall since January.
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Business
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House prices in the UK fell by 1% in June, the largest monthly fall since January, according to Britain's largest lender, the Halifax.
It brings the average price of a house or flat down to £218,390.
The rolling quarterly figure, which measures changes over the previous three months, fell by 0.1%.
It is the third month running that figure has fallen - the first time that has happened since November 2012.
Measured on an annual basis, the growth in house prices eased from 3.3% in May to 2.6% in June, the lowest increase for four years.
The Halifax said one reason for the slowdown was the fact that consumers were increasingly being squeezed as increases in incomes failed to keep up with inflation.
"Although employment levels continue to rise, household finances face increasing pressure as consumer prices grow faster than wages," said Martin Ellis, Halifax's housing economist.
"This, combined with the new stamp duty on buy-to-let and second homes in 2016, appears to have weakened housing demand in recent months."
However monthly figures - and to a lesser extent quarterly figures - can be volatile.
One economist said he did not expect a continuing fall in prices over the rest of the year.
"The dip in Halifax's measure of house prices—which dragged year-over-year growth down to its lowest rate since May 2013—probably doesn't mark the start of a sustained fall in prices," said Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.
"The index is volatile even at the best of times, and Nationwide reported a 1.1% month-to-month rise in its similar measure of prices in June. The underlying trend in prices probably is flat."
The number of properties being sold has also held up relatively well.
Figures from HM Revenue and Customs show that the number of sales in the three months to May was 1% higher than in the previous quarter.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40529560
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May: Vandalism fears shouldn't stop Thatcher statue - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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Theresa May says plans for bronze statue of former PM should not be halted over vandalism fears.
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UK Politics
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The bronze statue has already been created
Concerns that a statue of Lady Thatcher may be vandalised should not stop it going ahead, Theresa May has said.
Those behind the bronze "life size and-a-half" statue, created by the sculptor Douglas Jennings want it to go up in Parliament Square.
But there have been a series of objections, including the possibility it could be vandalised and that it does not have the Thatcher family's backing.
The Parliamentary Estate has also objected to the proposal.
It has pointed out there is already a statue of Lady Thatcher in the Commons and that Westminster Council's own planning guidelines state Parliament Square - home to 11 statues - is within the "monument saturation zone, considered unsuitable for new memorials" and that statues should adhere to a rule that they do not go up within 10 years of the subject's death.
The statue would be mounted on a stone plinth
A local conservation group, the Thorney Island Society, has commented on the application, saying the 10-year-rule should be adhered to, despite the fact a statue to Nelson Mandela was put up before his death.
The group said: "While Lady Thatcher was also widely respected it cannot be said that she was uncontroversial in this country.
"There is a strong case for the ten-year rule to be respected - there should be a decent interval before permanent statues are erected, especially when they are controversial enough to risk vandalism."
The society adds: "We understand that Lady Thatcher's daughter dislikes the statue."
The Thatcher family has been contacted for a comment.
Asked about reports that the statue had effectively been blocked over concerns about vandalism, Mrs May told the BBC: "I understand there are a number of issues that have been raised around the statue. What I'm very clear about is there should be no suggestion that the threat of vandalism should stop a statue of Margaret Thatcher from being put up."
At a briefing later, her spokesman said it was a decision for Westminster Council but added that "statues are a key part of this country's heritage" and those in Parliament Square were an "important reminder of people who've played a key role in this country's history".
The statue proposal has yet to go before a planning committee and even if it was granted permission - it would then have to get the approval of the Royal Parks, which manages the Parliament Square site.
The Royal Parks has objected to the application.
A spokesman said: "Numerous times we have requested assurances from the applicant that they have approval from the family for the statue. To date we have not had those assurances."
Lady Thatcher, who was Conservative prime minister from 1979 until 1990, died on 8 April 2013, following a stroke, at the age of 87.
The Public Memorials Appeal Trust - a charity which has raised the money to erect the statue - said it was chosen to portray the former PM in her state robes, "her most dignified attire," with "a resolute posture looking towards the Houses of Parliament, with a stern gaze slightly rightwards, akin with her political leanings".
Its preferred site for the statue and stone plinth is on the west side of Parliament Square, on Canning Green, between the existing statues of former prime minister George Canning and Abraham Lincoln - two of 11 statues in the square.
In April it was announced that the suffragist Dame Millicent Fawcett would become the first woman to be honoured with a statue in the square.
Other statues of Lady Thatcher include one by sculptor Antony Dufort, in the members' lobby of the House of Commons, unveiled in 2007, and a bronze bust in a museum in her home town of Grantham.
In 2002 a protester decapitated a £150,000 Italian marble statue of Lady Thatcher at London's Guildhall Library and the statue of another former PM, Sir Winston Churchill, has occasionally been the target of vandalism in Parliament Square, the site of many protests over the years.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40529770
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Charlie Gard: Mother says terminally-ill son 'not in pain and suffering' - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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A US hospital has offered to ship the 11-month-old an experimental treatment drug.
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London
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Charlie Gard has been in intensive care since October
The mother of terminally-ill Charlie Gard has said he is not in "pain and suffering".
It comes after a US hospital offered to ship an experimental drug to the UK to help treat him.
It also offered to admit the 11-month-old if "legal hurdles" can be cleared. Great Ormond Street hospital has said further treatment will not help.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said it would be impossible for Charlie to be transferred to another hospital.
Charlie's mother Connie Yates told Good Morning Britain on Friday: "We are not bad parents, we are there for him all the time, we are completely devoted to him and he's not in pain and suffering, and I promise everyone I would not sit there and watch my son in pain and suffering, I couldn't do it."
Connie Yates and Chris Gard raised more than £1.3m for experimental treatment for Charlie
Ms Yates said the Pope's intervention earlier this week came after she wrote a letter to him.
She said: "It does give us a hope definitely, because there was no hope left. Charlie was going to die on Friday and, you saw the video we did, we were absolutely devastated.
"We had no control over it, the way it was done.
"And then it was going to be on the Monday instead but I think the White House got involved over the weekend and then that changed things."
Charlie has mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare genetic condition which causes progressive muscle weakness.
Doctors have said he cannot see, hear, move, cry or swallow and that his life support should be switched off because there is no chance of his condition improving.
Charlie's parents, Ms Yates and Chris Gard, raised £1.3m on a crowdfunding site to pay for experimental nucleoside therapy in the US.
But they lost a legal battle with the hospital last month after judges at the European Court of Human Rights ruled further treatment would "continue to cause Charlie significant harm".
The US hospital, which cannot be named for legal reasons, said that it would treat the boy with an experimental drug pending approval from government regulators, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
It said it had "agreed to admit and evaluate Charlie, provided that arrangements are made to safely transfer him to our facility, legal hurdles are cleared, and we receive emergency approval from the FDA for an experimental treatment as appropriate".
It added: "Alternatively, if approved by the FDA, we will arrange shipment of the experimental drug to Great Ormond Street Hospital and advise their medical staff on administering it if they are willing to do so."
A US specialist told judges that a "small chance" of a meaningful improvement in Charlie's brain function would be provided by therapy.
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.
Last week 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-40528840
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The guilty secret of every diplomat in Washington DC - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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Clueless envoys rely on one method to glimpse the president's thinking, even if they won't admit it.
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US & Canada
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"Four minutes with him is worth hours of meeting with anybody else," one head of state said
It's tough being a diplomat when nobody talks to you. It's even worse when they aren't talking to you because they don't think you matter anymore.
When he was just a candidate, Donald Trump declared in his first major speech on the issue that "our foreign policy is a complete and total disaster". His solution was to replace it with a slogan: America First. What he hasn't replaced, now that he is president, are the people normally tasked with projecting America's power around the world.
"It can't be business as usual when the entire [upper] floor of the State Department is missing," one ambassador said.
Ambassadors in Washington are clueless these days, or rather clues are all they have, because, as this one was explaining to me, the usual avenues of diplomacy in the US capital have broken down. The same words were spoken by several ambassadors from across the globe that I've spoken to in DC recently.
There are dozens of senior positions lying vacant at the Department of State
The "missing people" are the undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of state with whom all the diplomats in the US capital normally conduct their day-to-day operational business.
There are presently dozens of senior positions lying vacant. The people who are acting up in these roles, by their own admission, have no authority to take important decisions.
Unfortunately for them, Washington, DC, is a city where your status is entirely defined by your ability to influence others. So the city's embassies, representing US allies in Asia, Europe and Latin America, have told their staff to largely bypass the state department and look for other avenues to get their voices heard.
With a president widely viewed as being entirely un-ideological on all issues other than trade, face time is key.
"Four minutes with him is worth hours of meeting with anybody else," a visiting head of state told me recently. World leaders recognise transaction is the new diplomacy.
America isn't taking one for the team anymore, because President Trump isn't a team player. So diplomats make sure they go into their meetings with an idea that Mr Trump can claim as a victory.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson can't be everywhere at once
It must be structured, as one diplomat put it, "so he can say to people, 'we scored a win here,' because for him it's all about winning".
To make their case more effectively, America's allies are cloaking their own agendas in the president's language and priorities.
Complex political issues are boiled down as "fighting terrorism".
That's how the Saudi government played the president during his Middle East trip in May. The Saudis repackaged their long-simmering dispute with Qatar, over regional influence and the Muslim Brotherhood, as a battle against Islamist extremists.
Latin American leaders are recasting their "war on drugs'' as a "war on terrorism".
On trade issues, countries make their pitch on the benefits to Mr Trump's support base and how much the people who voted for him will end up paying for stuff in the shops.
A Western diplomat said his team had decided there were three groups of people President Trump listens to. There is his inner circle of White House advisers containing people like Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law; the former investment banker Gary Cohn; and Mr Trump's right-wing svengali Steve Bannon.
The second group is his cabinet, and their influence varies widely from person to person, reflected in the time they each get with him inside the Oval Office.
The third group is his pre-presidency contacts from New York, and the property and media industries.
So foreign diplomats try to talk to as many people in this group of interlocking circles as they can, in the hope that if these people see the merit in their case, they will convey it to the president. And if the president hears that view enough times, he will believe it.
Diplomacy in Washington has been reduced to a modern day version of Kremlinology
However, after laying out this elaborate strategy, the Western diplomat confessed, "but then there are those who say the most important thing is to be the last person to talk to him before he makes a decision".
Diplomacy in Washington has been reduced to a modern-day version of Kremlinology, where each individual policy outcome is used to measure the influence of the people arguing for or against it.
From that is determined who is up and who is down and who is therefore important to influence.
The guilty secret of every ambassador in DC is that the first thing they do in the morning is check the president's Twitter feed. That is now the best, perhaps it's the only, way to work out what is going on with US foreign policy.
And while the White House press corps have derided Mr Trump's Twitter diplomacy, some of his allies have a grudging respect for it.
"An awful lot of politicians around the world are watching this and thinking, 'Can I learn from it?' because it's been astonishingly successful," one diplomat told me.
"This is a guy who had never run for public office anywhere and the first time he runs, he gets the biggest job on the planet. So he did something right."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40534572
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Girl dies in A38 Birmingham school trip crash - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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The pupils had been going on a school art trip when their minibus was involved in the crash with a bin lorry.
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England
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The crash involved the minibus going on the school trip and a city council bin lorry
A 14-year-old girl has died in a crash involving a minibus full of pupils going on a school art trip.
Emergency services were called to the crash between the minibus and a bin lorry on the A38 in Castle Vale, Birmingham at 09:00 BST on Friday.
Another girl was taken to hospital and 24 people, including the lorry driver, were treated at the scene.
The pupils were all from John Taylor High School in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire.
The girl died at the crash scene, the ambulance service said.
West Midlands Police said three teachers and a further 20 pupils were on the minibus.
The teenager who suffered minor injuries was taken to Heartlands Hospital.
Machine worker Stephen Jones, 38, who works nearby, said: "I heard a big bang at 9am this morning - a massive bang.
"I came over and had a look and the police were here with the sirens and they'd shut it all.
"I saw the coroner's ambulance and I heard a girl had passed away."
He added: "There are a lot of accidents here all the time, it's a busy road."
Police were in place at the school gates on Friday
In a letter to parents, school principal Mike Donoghue said pupils would be able to receive support from teachers and other staff.
He said: "Your child, who has brought this letter home today, has been told about this and they may well be very upset by this sad event.
"We therefore felt it was important you know what has happened and what we are are doing in school to support your child."
"Our thoughts, at this very tragic and sad time, are with the family, their friends and the pupils and staff involved," the letter added.
The school later tweeted its thanks for support during the "desperately sad time".
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The school earlier said some of its Year 9 and 12 pupils had been on an art trip when the crash happened.
In a statement, Birmingham City Council confirmed the bin lorry was one of its fleet and said it was "deeply saddened" about what had happened.
"As a city council trade waste vehicle was involved in the incident we will be fully co-operating with all investigations," it said.
No arrests have been made, however, police said that both drivers were assisting with the "detailed and thorough" investigation.
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Asked by reporters if the pupils were wearing seatbelts, he replied: "That will be part of our investigation and, at the moment, I can't confirm either way whether or not pupils were wearing seatbelts or otherwise."
He said he would not speculate on the cause of the collision.
Forensic experts were at the scene on Friday afternoon.
From the roadside, damage to the bin lorry's front end was visible and the rear right-hand portion of the minibus had been covered over with a green tarpaulin.
Officers were also carrying out skid tests and taking distance markings on the dual carriageway.
The school is a specialist science and leadership academy and has 1,500 pupils.
The calendar on the school's website suggests a trip had been planned for Friday to Birmingham's Botanical Gardens and Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
It also shows the school's Year 11 prom was due to be held on Friday night.
It is located in Barton-under-Needwood, close to Burton-upon-Trent and Lichfield.
Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant, whose constituency includes the school, tweeted he was "heartbroken" to hear about the girl's death.
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Councillor John Clancy, leader of Birmingham City Council, said he was "shocked and saddened by the tragic incident".
West Midlands Police's Force Contact team earlier tweeted that the road was expected to be closed for a "considerable time".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40532160
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7 days quiz: What made the Duchess giggle? - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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7 days quiz: What made the Duchess giggle?
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Magazine
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It's the weekly news quiz - have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world over the past seven days?
If you missed last week's quiz, try it here
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-40520675
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Bradley Lowery: Sunderland fan dies after long illness - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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The six-year-old struck up a friendship with striker Jermain Defoe after being diagnosed with cancer.
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England
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Six-year-old Bradley Lowery, whose plight touched the lives of many people, has died after a long illness.
The Sunderland fan was diagnosed with neuroblastoma - a rare type of cancer - when he was 18 months old.
Bradley went on to be the club's mascot and became "best mates" with his hero, striker Jermain Defoe.
A minute's applause for the youngster took place just before the kick-off in the club's friendly against Bury at Gigg Lane.
Bury's chairman also said all gate receipts from the match will go to Bradley's fundraising campaign.
Players from both teams, as well as the crowd at Gigg Lane, applauded the memory of the youngster
His death was confirmed on social media by his parents.
The posting read: "My brave boy has went with the angels today.
"He was our little superhero and put the biggest fight up but he was needed else where. There are no words to describe how heart broken we are."
Bradley's mum Gemma Lowery had previously said his deterioration had been "heartbreaking"
In a statement Sunderland FC extended its "'love and support" to Bradley's family.
It said: "He had a special relationship with Jermain Defoe and their feelings for each other were evident for all to see. Jermain, naturally, is heartbroken."
Bradley underwent treatment and was in remission, but relapsed last year.
Well-wishers raised more than £700,000 in 2016 to pay for him to be given antibody treatment in New York, but medics then found his cancer had grown and his family was informed his illness was terminal.
Bradley was a mascot for England when they played Lithuania in March
In December, Bradley's parents Gemma and Carl, from Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, were told he only had "months to live".
Four months later they were told the latest and final round of his treatment had failed.
He underwent "tumour-shrinking treatment" at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary but the cancer continued to spread.
On 24 May, Mrs Lowery said Bradley had left hospital to start palliative care at home, adding more tumours had been found and further radiotherapy was planned.
Then, on 28 June the family wrote on Facebook: "Bradley is deteriorating fast, his temperature is going very high his breathing very fast his oxygen levels low.
Bradley walked down the red carpet at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year in 2016
"He is sleeping most the time apart from odd times awake. We knew this was coming but we are heartbroken beyond words."
On 1 July, his family posted a picture of Bradley with Defoe who, after signing for Bournemouth, returned to the North East to see him.
On Thursday, Defoe broke down in tears during a press conference for his new club and said the six-year-old would "always be in my heart".
Bradley with his dad Carl at the match between Everton and Sunderland
Bradley became known worldwide following an appeal that saw him receive 250,000 Christmas cards from countries as far away as Australia and New Zealand.
In December, he met England manager Gareth Southgate and Match of the Day pundit Gary Lineker at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year event in Birmingham.
Bradley then won the programme's December goal of the month award after he took a penalty ahead of Sunderland's game against Chelsea.
Bradley became firm friends with his hero Jermain Defoe
He has also appeared as a mascot for Everton, who pledged £200,000 to his fundraising campaign, and was visited in hospital by a number of Sunderland players.
A dream came true when he appeared as mascot for the England team at Wembley Stadium before a game that saw Defoe score a goal.
He was also given honorary 41st place in the race card for the Grand National at Aintree in April.
On 30 June a charity single, "Smile For Bradley" by LIV'n'G, entered the singles chart at number 28. All proceeds from the song will go to the Bradley Lowery Foundation, which has been set up in his honour.
Bradley got to try out the weighing scales at Aintree - coming in at 2st 12.5lb (18.37kg)
Bradley was named Child of Courage at the Pride of North East Awards just days before a party was held to celebrate his sixth birthday, which was attended by Defoe and 250 other well-wishers.
Fewer than 100 children in the UK are diagnosed each year with neuroblastoma and most living with the condition are under the age of five.
Dr Guy Blanchard, chair of Neuroblastoma UK, said: "All in the neuroblastoma community will be saddened to hear the news of Bradley's death.
"His story raised significant awareness of a disease that is responsible for one in six of all children's cancer deaths.
"Through the world-leading research funded by Neuroblastoma UK, into improving both diagnosis and treatment of the disease, we will find a cure."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39883344
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Rob Newman and David Baddiel pictured together for first time since 1990s - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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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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Manager jailed for stealing £46,000 of school dinner money - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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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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Norway 'troll penis' restored to its former upstanding glory - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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But tourists eager to see the repaired structure will have to wait to allow the glue to seal.
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Europe
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A penis-shaped rock formation in Norway that was apparently knocked down by vandals last month has been restored to its anatomical glory.
Scaffolding was used to hoist up the protuberance, which is reported to weigh about 12 tonnes (12,000kg.)
The restoration operation was funded by a crowdfunding campaign which raised about 227,000 kroner ($27,000).
But tourists will have to wait a week before they can see the formation in order to allow it to fasten properly.
Cement, glue and metal fastenings were used to re-attach the Trollpikken, or "The Troll's Penis" to the cliff.
Police last month said that indentations in the rock suggested vandalism was responsible for the demise of the stone. They say a suspect has been questioned over the incident.
Indentations in the rock suggested the penis had been vandalised, police said
Hikers found the stone, which originally came out from the rock face, resting on the ground.
Days afterwards The Troll's Penis Will Be Re-Erected appeal was launched and had received money from close to 1,000 people.
The rock formation is located in the municipality of Eigersund, in the south-west of the country.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40540561
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Cardiff Koran teacher jailed for child sex abuse - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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The 81-year-old abused girls as a form of punishment at a Cardiff mosque.
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South East Wales
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An 81-year-old former Koran teacher who was convicted of a string of child sex offences has been jailed for 13 years.
Mohammed Haji Sadiq taught for 30 years at Cardiff's Madina mosque and abused four girls as a form of punishment.
He was found guilty of eight sexual assaults on a child under 13 by touching, and six indecent assaults after a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.
The court heard Sadiq, of Cyncoed, "took advantage of his position".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Being abused by paedophile Koran teacher Mohammed Haji Sadiq 'felt normal eventually', says victim
He had denied the charges involving four girls aged between five and 11 and blamed "politics" in the mosque for the accusations.
But sentencing him, Judge Stephen Hopkins QC told Sadiq: "Children called you 'uncle' as a mark of respect. You are a man in my judgement of some cunning."
He added: "Beneath the veneer there is a dark and deviant side."
Sadiq, who was a part-time Imam, sexually assaulted two girls under the age of 13 by touching, and indecently assaulted two other girls over a decade between 1996 and 2006 at the Woodville Road mosque.
He abused them if they made a mistake while reciting the Koran and would use a stick as a form of punishment in class, hitting people over the hand or hard on the back.
Some of his victims said they were afraid to attend the mosque because of his abuse.
One said she had attempted to take her own life because of the abuse.
In victim impact statements read to the court, others said they felt they could not tell anyone about the abuse because of the culture they grew up in.
The court heard one victim feared the consequences of speaking out following Sadiq's conviction.
She said: "Due to my religion it was very difficult, almost impossible to tell anyone what had happened".
She added: "In the Muslim religion we do not talk about personal matters".
Another victim said it was "not acceptable" in her culture to talk about what was happening at the mosque.
She said: "I remember the relief I felt when I told my mother, and she believed me and went to the police.
"In my family honour is very important, but my family have been very supportive".
Sadiq has had no involvement in the mosque since 2006 when it burnt down and was re-sited elsewhere in the city.
He was cleared of one indecent assault after his trial last month.
In addition to his jail sentence, he was issued with a sexual harm prevention order and will have to register as a sex offender.
Det Ch Insp Rob Cronick of South Wales Police praised the "immense courage" of the victims who came forward.
"As a result of the verdict and today's sentence I believe there may be members of the community who may now feel confident enough to speak to the police or our support agencies," he added.
Mike Jenkin from the CPS said: "These women have shown remarkable courage in coming forward to speak about the abuse they suffered at the hands of Mohammed Haj Sadiq when they were young girls.
"Sadiq was a respected figure in the community with considerable influence and power which makes the bravery of his victims all the more admirable.
"The evidence given by these women meant the prosecution was able to present a compelling case to the jury, resulting in the guilty verdicts."
A spokesman for the children's charity NSPCC said: "This was an appalling breach of trust and Sadiq has rightly received a significant prison sentence for these heinous offences."
A Muslim Council of Wales spokeswoman said: "We applaud the bravery and courage of the young women who now, as adults, pursued the case and pursued justice.
"Mr Sadiq was not an imam but a volunteer teacher at the former Madina Mosque.
"All mosques in Wales now have Child Protection Policies in place, and teachers and volunteers alike are all vetted and closely monitored."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-40531730
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Bradley Lowery: Tributes to the young Sunderland fan - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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Tributes and reaction to the six-year-old who has died after a long illness.
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Tyne & Wear
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Play video Bradley Lowery will always be in my heart - Defoe from BBC Sport
Bradley Lowery will always be in my heart - Defoe
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-tyne-40462844
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St Neots shooting: Tied-up children sent text plea - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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The children of a man shot dead by police sent a desperate text after being tied up by him, an inquest hears.
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Cambridgeshire
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Richard Davies was shot dead by police after firing from the upstairs window of the family home
The widow of a man shot dead by police has told an inquest of a desperate text sent by one of their children saying "dad's going to kill himself".
Richard Davies, 41, died of a single gunshot wound to the chest after firing at officers in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, in October 2015.
His widow Samantha said she had a text from her child saying they were tied up and begging her to "call the police".
Mr Davies was shot after firing a gun from the house. The inquest continues.
The father of three said he "wanted to end his life" after learning his marriage was over, the hearing in Peterborough was told earlier this week.
Giving evidence at the hearing, Mrs Davies said she had initially believed her husband had "some acceptance" about the end of their relationship and said "there wasn't an ounce of anger" during their conversation earlier that day.
However, he had made several trips to a nearby shop to buy alcohol and had been carrying a knife, the inquest heard.
Mrs Davies went to visit her sister and when her children returned to the family home their father tied them up.
Firearms officers attended the scene in Duck Lane, St Neots within minutes, the inquest heard
The inquest then heard how the children managed to make 999 calls and alert their mother.
She received a text that read: "Call the police. Get them to come to our house. Dad's going to kill himself. He's tied us up. I'm not joking."
When Mrs Davies arrived, one child had managed to escape.
She said when Mr Davies came to the door "he didn't really look like my husband".
He returned a short time later with a knife pointed at his chest, she told the hearing.
Samantha Davies told the inquest her family had been "changed forever" by what happened
Her other children managed to escape and Mrs Davies was taken to a neighbour's house.
Mr Davies was shot dead by a police marksman after firing six shots from the house, the inquest heard.
Mrs Davies said she had never seen his home-made gun or ammunition before, and her family was "forever changed" by what happened.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-40533502
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How a former slave gave a quilt to Queen Victoria - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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More than a century ago a former slave fulfilled her dream to meet Queen Victoria, taking with her a gift.
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Africa
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The two women, of a similar age, greeted each other warmly, shaking hands and smiling. One was the most powerful woman in the world - the other had been born into slavery.
It had taken more than 50 years for Martha Ann Erskine Ricks of Liberia to finally fulfil her life-long dream. And her encounter with Great Britain's Queen Victoria was extraordinary in many ways.
Extraordinary because it made such an impression on the queen that she wrote about it in her daily journal; because it was so warm; and because it happened at all.
The queen and the farmer met in Windsor Castle on Saturday, 16 July 1892. Martha Ricks took with her a present of a satin quilt, embroidered with a coffee tree in full bloom, complete with red and green berries.
"At home, when a poor man comes to visit us on our farm, he never comes without some little present," Martha Ricks explained to the London-based newspaper, the Pall Mall Gazette, a few days after the meeting.
"How could I come to Queen Victoria, and bring her no present?
"I made it all myself, every stitch of it."
Surrounded by courtiers, her children and grandchildren, Queen Victoria told Martha that she "felt greatly honoured by the trouble you have taken to come to see me," according to a report in the Daily Graphic, a leading illustrated newspaper of the time, which also carried a sketch of the meeting on its front page.
In her diary the Queen described Martha as "very loyal… with a kind face. I shook hands with her and she kept holding and shaking mine".
The hand-shaking also stayed with Martha, as she told the Pall Mall Gazette:
"She did not stay long in the golden room and I forgot what she said, but I shall never forget how she smiled and how she shook hands with me."
Martha had travelled a long distance to meet Queen Victoria - physically and metaphorically.
She had been born into slavery in 1817 in Tennessee, in the southern United States. Her father George Erskine bought the family's freedom and, in 1830, when Martha was 13, the family of nine moved to Liberia, a West African country founded by former American and Caribbean slaves.
Tragically, within a year, all but Martha and two brothers had died from fever.
The quilt is very special for Martha Ricks' family
Martha settled on a farm in Clay Ashland, which is today a quiet village located on the lush green banks of the St Paul River, about 10 or so miles (16km) east of the capital Monrovia.
Clay Ashland was one of the first places settled by former slaves from the US who, with the help of the American Colonisation Society, had made West Africa their home from 1820 onwards.
Martha became a farmer, growing her own vegetables and crops like ginger, cocoa, and coffee.
She also gained quite a reputation as a gifted needlewoman, winning prizes at national fairs for her silk stockings. And she was skilled in the art of quilting - a tradition brought over from the south of America by the settlers.
Martha, a former slave, had spent 50 years determined to meet the Queen
"Aunt Martha really did inspire the women of Liberia to do quilting," Evangeline Morris Dennis says of her ancestor. Martha Ricks was the great-aunt of Mrs Dennis' mother.
"When the idea came to Aunt Martha to make this present, the first thing that came to her was to give her a quilt of a coffee tree."
The reason why, says Mrs Dennis who is 83, is that coffee trees flourished on Martha's farm - and were, she says, a symbol of the potential of Liberia, which in 1847 had declared itself Africa's first republic.
Mrs Dennis talks as if she had met Aunt Martha, although she did not.
Newspapers at the time followed the story with great interest
Martha died in 1901, by coincidence the same year as Queen Victoria. But Martha's stories have been handed down the generations and the stories of that event 125 years ago - and the quilt - are often spoken about.
And also to the history of Liberia, argues Kyra Hicks, a quilter, quilt historian and the author of the children's book Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria.
"Here was a former slave who had spent 50 years wanting to give this gift," she says.
"The sheer audacity of the faith she had to do that - and her faith that she would, one day, see the Queen of England - that was just marvellous."
Ms Hicks says Martha's quilt was the first Liberian quilt to be given as a diplomatic gift.
The tradition was revived in 2005 when Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became Africa's first elected female president. She often gives quilts as presents to visiting dignitaries.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (L) recently gave this quilt of a cocoa tree to US Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
So why did Martha Ricks feel so compelled to make a quilt for Queen Victoria?
One reason is that the UK was the first country to recognise Liberia's independence - even before the US.
And, in July 1892 when speaking to the Pall Mall Gazette, Martha herself tells us that it was because of Queen Victoria's support for the anti-slavery movement.
"I had heard it often, from the time I was a child, how good the Queen had been to my people - to slaves - and how she wanted us to be free."
Sadly, the quilt is now missing.
But the family and Ms Hicks, who has spent more than seven years looking for it, hope that someday, someone could open a cupboard and find it.
Looking for Aunt Martha's Quilt will be broadcast on the BBC World Service's The Documentary on 8 July 2017
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40500884
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Who are Britain’s jihadists? - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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Deliveroo opens door to benefits win for gig economy workers - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Food delivery firm says it would offer sick and injury pay if employment law is changed to allow more benefits for gig workers.
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Business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Will Shu, Deliveroo's boss, says the law needs to change to catch up with the modern economy
The food delivery firm Deliveroo has said it will pay sickness and injury benefits to its 15,000 riders in the UK if the law is changed.
In a submission to the government's review of the "on-demand" economy seen by the BBC, the firm says that at present the law prevents it from offering enhanced rights because it classifies its riders as self-employed.
Deliveroo says it uses that classification to provide its riders with the flexibility to work when they want.
It says employment rules should be changed so that people who work for companies like Deliveroo and Uber can receive enhanced benefits and not lose that flexibility.
Sources say that the firm is willing to look at enhanced payments to riders to cover things like sickness pay - and that the money would probably be administered under a government controlled scheme similar to national insurance or pensions contributions.
It may mean that Deliveroo riders and others working for similar on-demand firms like Uber are "reclassified" as gig workers.
The move comes after a slew of criticism and court cases against gig economy companies over how they treat people who work for them.
"Central to our popularity with riders and our success as a business is the flexible nature of the work that we offer," the submission says.
"We want to offer riders more security.
"We believe everyone - regardless of their type of contract - is entitled to certain benefits, but we are constrained in offering these at the moment."
At the moment "self-employed" workers in the gig economy do not have the right to sickness pay, holiday pay or maternity and paternity leave.
They also are not covered by the minimum wage rules.
That has led to criticism that the people who ride or drive for gig companies are actually "workers" and should receive a wide range of benefits.
There are also concerns that companies are exploiting loopholes in employment law and lack of enforcement to run their businesses profitably.
Deliveroo says that if it did offer "worker" contracts, flexibility, which is very popular with its riders, would be lost.
Deliveroo riders, for example, are allowed to work for other on-demand economy businesses at the same time.
This makes it impossible, the firm argues, to guarantee the minimum wage which is based on working for a single employer.
Deliveroo says its riders earn on average £9.50 an hour, £2 more than the National Living Wage.
The firm says it is wrong that riders are at present involved in a "trade-off" between flexibility in the way they work, and the security of full employment benefits.
Company sources have told me that, following moves on sickness pay, Deliveroo would be willing to look at holiday pay, pension rights and maternity and paternity entitlements.
Those rights could be "earned" by riders after a certain number of deliveries have been achieved.
"At present, companies in the UK are forced to class the people they work with as either 'employees', 'workers' or 'self-employed'," the submission says.
"Our riders are 'self-employed'. This gives them full flexibility - but the quid pro quo is that they are not entitled to certain benefits.
"In short, there is currently a trade-off between flexibility and security and we want to play our part in overcoming this divide."
Deliveroo is one of a new breed of "on-demand" firms which operate in what is known as the gig economy.
Riders for the firm - 60% of whom are under the age of 25 - log on to the company's digital platform and receive "jobs" delivering food, on a bike or a scooter.
Matthew Taylor, the head of the Royal Society of Arts, was asked by the government to review this new world of work, including the gig economy and zero hours contracts.
He is expected to publish his report imminently on how to reform employment law so that workers can be flexible without being exploited.
Deliveroo's announcement today has received pretty short shrift from the TUC. Here's general secretary Frances O'Grady on my story this morning:
"This reads like special pleading. There's nothing stopping Deliveroo from paying their workforce the minimum wage and guaranteeing them basic rights like holiday and sick pay.
"Plenty of employers are able to provide genuine flexibility and security for their workforce. Deliveroo have no excuse for not following suit.
"The company's reluctance to offer benefits now is because they want to dodge wider employment and tax obligations by labelling staff as self-employed."
Here's another update. The boss of Deliveroo, Will Shu, has told me that the company is willing to go further than offering its riders sick pay and injury insurance.
I put it to him that the benefits debate in the gig economy went far further than sickness benefits and injury insurance, and asked whether the company would look at issues like pension payments and holiday entitlements.
"This is the beginning of the debate," Mr Shu told me.
"We sat down with - me personally - hundreds of riders and asked, what do you care most about today?
"It was sick pay and insurance for injury and that is what we are starting with. But we are open minded to different things."
That sounds like a yes, the company is willing to look at further benefit areas.
It will be interesting to see how Matthew Taylor's report, expected next week, deals with the issue of broader rights for gig workers.
I asked Mr Shu for his response to critics who say that the only way firms like his make money is by not paying national insurance payments for their riders, pension contributions and other benefits.
"Not at all," he answered.
"I understand [the criticism] - it is a new way of doing businesses.
"The on-demand economy in Britain is five or six years old and there are hundreds of thousands of people in it so the growth has been huge, and so it is understandable that people haven't understood the intricacies.
"At the end of the day though, let's take it back, it is a very different relationship than regular employment. People can come and go as they please.
"The issue is this - if we offer benefits to people the courts may reclassify self-employed people as workers thus robbing them of the flexibility they ultimately signed up for, for the job.
"What that practically means is that you would work on a shift pattern, you wouldn't log in and out as you please. It is a very different work relationship."
And would mean that Deliveroo wouldn't be, well, Deliveroo.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40524377
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Parliament takes pride in role in gay rights struggles - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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How politicians and Parliament have been at the centre of battles over gay rights over the past 60 years.
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Parliaments
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Flying the flag for LGBT rights - Parliament shows it solidarity
Westminster's "palace of enchantments" will be given an LGBTI gleam this weekend - lit up in the colours of the rainbow flag to mark both Pride Week and also the 50th anniversary of the Act of Parliament which legalised gay sex.
The decision was taken by Commons Speaker John Bercow and the Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, who explained their thinking in their first-ever joint interview, for Radio 4's Today in Parliament.
Legalisation, in 1967, was the product of a ten-year parliamentary campaign to follow-up the 1957 Wolfenden Report which had recommended the decriminalisation of consenting male homosexual sex.
There had been gathering pressure and determined resistance as the issue surfaced repeatedly in Parliament, with furious internal argument within the two main parties.
My favourite moment was a question put by the Conservative former Lord Chancellor, Lord Kilmuir, who asked "are your Lordships going to pass a bill that would make it lawful for two senior officers of police to go to bed together?"
The Conservative MP Humphrey Berkeley brought in a bill for reform, but lost his seat in the 1966 general election. He was not reselected, and was told that his local party could tolerate him being for either homosexual law reform or the abolition of hanging, but not both.
The torch was passed to the Labour MP, Leo Abse, who won approval for a ten-minute rule bill in July 1966, by 244 votes to 100. Abse had the support of the new Home Secretary, Roy Jenkins, who battled in Cabinet to persuade reluctant colleagues to give government support to the Bill.
Opponents thought it was the product of middle class liberalism and would alienate Labour's working-class base, but the government did eventually crucial provide extra debating time in the Commons, when Abse's private members bill faced a filibuster.
The necessary 100 MPs needed to force votes at regular intervals in the debate was mustered, and at 5.50am on the morning of July 4, 1966, the Bill passed its Third Reading by 99 votes to 14, after a 20-hour sitting.
Legalisation was presented in an apologetic way - a measure to end the criminalisation of unfortunates - and not a "vote of confidence in homosexuality".
The age of consent was set at 21, and despite attempts to lower it by, among others, the Conservative Edwina Currie, it remained at that age until 2000.
Even after legalisation, the personal consequences for MPs and others in the public eye of being outed were still devastating.
There were cases like that of Maureen Colquhoun, a Labour MP elected in Northampton in 1974, who brought in bills on abortion, gender balance and the protection of prostitutes.
Her relationship with another woman was revealed in the Daily Mail. She defeated two attempts to deselect her, and she was forced to campaign for re-election in 1979, with some party members refusing to support her because of her private life, rather than her politics. She lost.
Maureen Colquhoun saw off two attempts to deselect her
Perhaps the most high profile example was that of someone who never actually made it into Parliament, Peter Tatchell, the Labour candidate in the 1983 Bermondsey by-election, whose homosexuality became an election issue.
In an interview on Radio 4's Today in Parliament on Friday, Joanna Cherry, the gay SNP MP, said the level of "hate filled homophobia" he faced deterred her from any idea of a career in politics - although she would have liked (at that time) to be a Labour MP.
Labour's Chris Smith, a future Culture Secretary, was the first MP to come out as gay, in 1984.
And there was also legislation, like Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act, which said local councils could not "intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".
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No prosecution was ever brought under Section 28, but it had considerable impact on, for example, lesbian, gay and bisexual support groups in schools and colleges. It was repealed in 2000.
In recent years the battles have tended to be on legislation designed to be anti-discriminatory, first the creation of Civil Partnerships, then the legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry, and most recently the "Turing Bill" to pardon gay men convicted for offences that would not be considered crimes today.
Today, Speaker Bercow's coat of arms features LGBT colours. And for Norman Fowler, the Lord Speaker, his experience as health secretary in the 1980s, when AIDS emerged as a major public health issue, it brought the issue for discrimination against gay people into focus.
Both wanted Parliament to pay its respects to the LGBT community and to show solidarity.
"We have gone in half a century from the criminalisation of one type of love to almost complete legal equality," Mr Bercow said.
Lord Fowler said the lighting of one of the most famous buildings in the world would be a symbol to people who were being persecuted.
• None Why is Pride important to you?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-parliaments-40530264
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Thousands may be let down by funeral plans, report warns - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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A consumer group says many people who pre-pay for their funerals will still face extra charges
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Business
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Thousands of people could be let down by poor funeral plans they don't understand, a new report has claimed.
Consumer group Fairer Finance said people who paid for their funerals in advance could find their relatives faced extra costs after they died.
It also accused the industry of high-pressure sales tactics with vulnerable consumers, and claimed there was a danger of some firms collapsing.
The funeral industry itself said it was already campaigning for change.
The Fairer Finance study called for proper regulation of funeral plans, suggesting that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) should play a role.
The report was commissioned by Dignity, one of the biggest providers. It said the scale of unscrupulous sales practices in the market was significant and growing.
However it also says that buying a funeral plan from a reputable provider can provide good value for money, as it locks in current prices.
The average cost of a pre-paid funeral plan is about £4,000, according to the report.
But many plans do not cover costs such as embalming, limousines, a funeral service, a wake, burial plots or memorial stones.
In some cases, families are left having to find an extra £2,000, even though they expect such items to be included.
Many customers buying such plans are elderly or vulnerable, and will not be around to check whether the product met their expectations, Fairer Finance said.
As many as 1.2 million people in the UK have pre-payment plans, and the industry is growing fast - up by 350% over the last 10 years.
Sales representatives have targeted at least six million adults over the age of 50, using what the report describes as "high-pressure" techniques.
Some people have been subject to aggressive telephone marketing or in-home visits, it claimed.
In a telephone survey, nearly half of those contacted by sales reps said they felt as if they had been "pushed" to buy a plan.
In some instances, funeral plan firms pay commissions and fees of up to £1,000 for each policy sold - around a quarter of the total plan cost.
The report also said there was very little transparency over what happens to clients' money after they had paid it.
The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) said it had been campaigning for tighter rules since November last year.
"In our view, the current lack of comprehensive oversight is allowing sharp sales practices and a lack of transparency to flourish in parts of the market," said Alison Crake, president of the NAFD.
"Members have reported numerous instances to us where funeral plan providers have not acted in the best interests of either the public who have paid for funeral plans, or the funeral directors who will care for them."
The industry is currently subject only to voluntary regulation, by the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA), and there is no ombudsman service for consumers to complain to.
However, the report argues that funeral plans are financial products and should therefore be regulated by the FCA.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40518578
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France set to ban sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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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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Puppy left in airport by abused owner - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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A three-month old Chihuahua was abandoned in a Las Vegas airport toilet by its owner fleeing domestic abuse
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US & Canada
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A three-month-old chihuahua abandoned in a Las Vegas airport toilet has been taken in by a local animal rescue.
Chewy's owner left the puppy at McCarran International Airport on 2 July with a letter explaining she was leaving an abusive partner and could not take the dog on the plane with her.
"My owner was in an abusive relationship and couldn't afford me to get on the flight. She didn't want to leave me with all her heart but she has no other option."
The letter goes on to explain how her partner also hurt Chewy: "My ex-boyfriend kicked my dog when we were fighting and he has a big knot on his head. He probably needs a vet. I love Chewy so much. Please love and take care of him."
Chewy was left in a bag in the women's toilet. The lady who found the bag worried it was a suspicious item and contacted security. The canine unit was deployed to inspect the bag but the dogs knew straight away there was a puppy in there. An officer opened up the bag and found Chewy.
An employee at the airport brought Chewy to the Connor and Millie's Dog Rescue, a local shelter where he is now being looked after.
"We took him to the emergency vet and got him checked out immediately", Darlene Blair, of Connor & Millie's Dog Rescue, told the BBC.
"He did have a bump on his head but in 24 hours it was gone. He is fine and healthy and is being well taken care of."
Chewy is now happy and safe at a local dogs shelter
Darlene said the shelter had not been contacted by Chewy's owner. "We've had a lot of messages demanding we try to find her. The airport has been bombarded by people saying they need to find this woman.
"Chewy is going to be fine and this poor woman is out there somewhere and we don't want to draw her out. We are hoping with all our hearts that she has seen this and knows Chewy is safe and we hope she is safe.
"I wish this story would bring more attention to the fact it's a felony to abuse an animal but it's not a felony to abuse a woman."
'Tell them Chewy sent ya'
Also speaking to News 3 Las Vegas, Darlene said the incident really got to her. "You could tell by the way the note was written that the woman was in dire stress and she didn't want to give him up and she couldn't take him with her."
The shelter has since been inundated with offers of a home for Chewy.
"Chewy is safe, healthy and thriving. We have received thousands of applications and inquiries about adopting Chewy and we sincerely appreciate each and every one," the shelter posted on Facebook.
"We are hoping that Chewy's mom is in a safe place and will see Chewy's story so we can return Chewy to her if she so chooses and the circumstances are right for both of them.
"Chewy is still receiving some medical attention and is not ready for adoption yet. "
Although it has gained 1,670 online friends in the past week, the shelter is no longer accepting adoption applications for Chewy.
Instead, it urges people to adopt other animals from their local rescue centres and to "tell them Chewy sent ya".
By the UGC and Social News team
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40532760
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Labour bids to defuse Luciana Berger de-selection row - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Are 'moderate' Labour MPs facing a mass purge over past disloyalty, asks Iain Watson.
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UK Politics
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Luciana Berger was re-elected with an increased majority
The new Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery has told the Daily Mirror that he doesn't see the "de-selection" of MPs critical of Jeremy Corbyn "as the way forward".
Chills had gone up some Blairite spines when Mr Lavery himself had suggested at the weekend the Labour "might be too broad a church".
But he sought to calm nerves which had been further put on edge by comments from Mr Corbyn's close ally Chris Williamson, recently re-elected as the MP for Derby North having been narrowly defeated at the 2015 election.
On Thursday, Mr Williamson said: "There are individual MPs in this party who think it's their God-given right to rule.
"No MP should be guaranteed a job for life. Labour is a big church, but we currently have a large bulk of MPs who represent one relatively small tendency in the congregation... it's unreasonable to think we as MPs can avoid any contest."
His words didn't sound like empty rhetoric to the MP for Liverpool Wavertree, Luciana Berger - seen as being on the moderate wing of the party.
She had resigned as a shadow minister when, a year ago, 80% of Jeremy Corbyn's MPs were expressing no confidence in his leadership.
Jeremy Corbyn has stressed his support for party democracy
A left-wing "slate" of candidates had succeeded in taking almost all of the key offices on her local party's executive.
And one of the winners - Roy Bentham - had shared his thoughts with the Liverpool Echo.
He suggested that Ms Berger, who was re-elected last month with an increased majority, publicly recant her criticism of the party leader and for the avoidance of doubt he declared: "She is answerable to us now."
The local party secretary Angela Kehoe-Jones distanced herself from the remarks and suggested the branch was "united" in fighting the Tories.
But there is little doubt that Ms Berger - who is on maternity leave - feels her job is under threat.
And she is not the only one.
A Labour MP who held her seat against the odds at the election told me she was threatened with de-selection within 48 hours of the result.
And you only have to visit websites which purport to back the Labour leadership to view a "rogues' gallery" of MPs who are seen as disloyal.
Featuring on most lists is Chuka Umunna, who upset those close to Mr Corbyn by pushing an amendment to the Queen's Speech to keep Britain in the EU single market - not official party policy.
This was seen as forcing the party leader in to sacking frontbenchers and was the first tangible sign of disunity following the euphoria of the election result.
And while he wouldn't want to see Mr Umunna unseated, even Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson regarded that amendment as bad politics.
But some left-wing activists don't need new offences to be taken in to account.
Some see those MPs who distanced themselves from Jeremy Corbyn as saboteurs of Labour's success.
And they are building a narrative that had they been more loyal - and party officials more ambitious - they could have propelled the party from second to first place at the election.
Indeed, some Corbyn critics are likely to be offered junior spokespeople roles in the autumn.
But not all of those who are seen as beyond the pale are likely to be unseated.
Mr Corbyn has time and again stressed how much he supports party democracy.
So unless a local party has been - as in Luciana Berger's case - taken over by members and supporters of Momentum (the group set up to keep the spirit of Mr Corbyn's leadership campaigns alive) it would be difficult to dislodge the sitting MP.
And it should be said, not all local Momentum groups favour de-selecting sitting MPs in any case.
They would point out that they have campaigned for the re-election of MPs who aren't ideological fellow travellers.
Ian Lavery has spoken out against de-selection
Momentum nationally weren't chuffed with a Facebook post from the South Tyneside group suggesting MPs such as Chris Leslie and Jess Phillips should "join the Liberals".
Instead of pushing existing personalities out, largely beneath the political radar there are attempts to move Labour more solidly and permanently to the left and to ensure that, when the time comes, Jeremy Corbyn would be able to hand over the leadership to someone who largely shares his political outlook.
So at this year's Labour Party conference, there will be a move to shift the power in future leadership elections from MPs to party members.
This would mean just 5% of MPs - not the 15% of MPs and MEPs at present - would be needed to put a candidate on the ballot.
With a snap election, most anti-Corbyn MPs were returned to Parliament so while a left-wing candidate still might struggle to get 15% support, 5% is considered no barrier.
This move has already been reported extensively.
Mr Corbyn's internal opponents call it "the McDonnell amendment" - as shadow chancellor John McDonnell is a red rag to any of the party's more moderate bulls.
Groups of what were called Blairites and Brownites - they would call themselves modernisers or moderates - in organisations such as Progress and Labour First have been working hard to secure enough delegates to the annual conference to defeat the leadership changes.
With the deadline for deciding delegates drawing to a close, it's not clear yet who has the upper hand.
But something of a quiet revolution could be under way that would see the power of Jeremy Corbyn, and his supporters, entrenched.
Under Labour's rules, some topics need to be put on the table this year if they are decided next year.
So a slow burning fuse will be lit in the autumn that could blow up in to a more major row in 2018.
There are moves by those on the party's left to make it easier for local parties to oust sitting MPs in future.
This would involve party branches being encouraged to put forward alternative names for consideration, or for sitting MPs to be required to demonstrate they had 66% support locally to continue.
There will also be a move to increase the number members of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), who are elected not by MPs or the unions, but by the rank-and-file members.
The assumption is that they are more in tune with Mr Corbyn's agenda.
Iain McNicol (second right) sings The Red Flag at the 2015 Labour conference
The NEC approves party candidates for elections - and a panel of its members chooses by-election candidates.
There was an attempt to disbar the pro-nuclear and anti-Corbyn candidate John Woodcock at an NEC meeting just before the election.
That failed, but if the balance of power on the body were to change, so could the career prospects of the leadership's critics.
And indeed the career prospects of Labour's general secretary Iain McNicol would be called in to question by another proposed change.
There will be an attempt to give members the right to choose the party's top official in future.
Again, this can't be decided until next year but could put Mr McNicol on notice.
He is blamed for trying to deny new (and, it was assumed, more radical) members the right to vote in last year's leadership contest and for not putting enough resources in to Labour/Tory marginals at the general election.
He would contend that the party HQ's strategy of defending vulnerable seats - as well as swiftly moving resources to seats which looked promising as the campaign progressed - was a success.
So by its actions in the coming months, Labour - 8 points ahead in one opinion poll today - could choose to remain a broad church.
Or further expose the fact that many of its MPs and grassroots members aren't really singing from the same hymn sheet.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40533172
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Venus Williams 'drove lawfully' in fatal car crash in Florida - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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Police say Venus Williams was driving legally during the car crash that left an elderly man dead.
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US & Canada
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Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams has not been charged over the fatal collision
Footage has emerged showing that US tennis star Venus Williams was driving lawfully during a car crash that led to the death of a 78-year-old, police say.
Surveillance video obtained by Palm Beach Gardens police in Florida shows Ms Williams' vehicle entering an intersection on a green traffic signal.
An earlier police report had said Ms Williams was at fault and "violated the right of way of [the other driver]".
Ms Williams' lawyer said the fatal crash on 9 June was an accident.
The family of Jerome Barson, the man who died in the collision, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ms Williams.
New video evidence has revealed that the Grand Slam champion had the right of way as she entered the intersection of Northlake Boulevard in the city of Palm Beach Gardens, according to the police report.
However as she proceeded, the report says, Ms Williams was forced to brake to avoid a collision with an oncoming vehicle, which delayed her from clearing the junction.
As she then began to move forwards, a second vehicle - travelling in a different direction - entered the intersection on a green traffic signal, and the two cars collided.
"This updated information, based upon new evidence, is still under investigation," the police statement said.
Mr Barson had been travelling with his wife who was driving their vehicle at the time. He was taken to hospital but died two weeks later from his injuries.
Mrs Barson was also taken to hospital but survived.
The initial police report, obtained by US media, said that no other factors such as drugs, alcohol or mobile phone distractions were being investigated.
Ms Williams, the 37-year-old seven-time Grand Slam champion, reportedly told police she did not see the couple's car and she was driving slowly. She was not arrested in connection with the crash.
On Monday, when questioned by reporters about the crash, Ms Williams broke down in tears, and said: "There are no words to describe how devastating [it is]. I'm completely speechless."
Ms Williams' lawyer Malcolm Cunningham told CNN in a statement: "Ms Williams entered the intersection on a green light. The police report estimates that Ms Williams was travelling at 5mph when Mrs Barson crashed into her.
"Authorities did not issue Ms Williams with any citations or traffic violations. This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one."
Ms Williams is currently playing her 20th Wimbledon tournament in London, where she is seeded 10th.
Ms Williams and her sister Serena have dominated the women's game for two decades.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40540351
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Boy, 5, 'killed in Catford park after losing his trainer' - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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2017-07-07
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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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Tesla to build world's largest lithium ion battery in Australia - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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Tesla will build the world's biggest lithium ion battery in a state gripped by electricity woes.
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Australia
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Tesla chief Elon Musk said the battery was the world's largest "by a significant margin"
An Australian state will install the world's largest lithium ion battery in a "historic" deal with electric car firm Tesla and energy company Neoen.
The battery will protect South Australia from the kind of energy crisis which famously blacked out the state, Premier Jay Weatherill said.
Tesla boss Elon Musk confirmed a much-publicised promise to build it within 100 days, or do it for free.
The 100MW (megawatt) / 129MWh (megawatt hour) battery should be ready in 2017.
"There is certainly some risk, because this will be largest battery installation in the world by a significant margin," Mr Musk said in Adelaide on Friday.
He added that "the next biggest battery in the world is 30 megawatts".
The Tesla-built battery, paired with a Neoen wind farm, will operate around the clock and be capable of providing additional power during emergencies, the government said.
"It will completely transform the way in which renewable energy is stored, and also stabilise the South Australian network as well as putting downward pressure on prices," Mr Weatherill said.
Mr Musk's 100-day pledge will begin once an electricity grid interconnection agreement has been signed.
Tesla has been expanding its battery business alongside its car production.
South Australia has suffered from blackouts since September last year, leading to a political spat over energy policy.
The row culminated in a bizarre confrontation between Mr Weatherill and a federal government minister at a press conference in March.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-40527784
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Grenfell fire: Inquiry head faces angry residents' meeting - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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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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Stream-ripping is 'fastest growing' music piracy - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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People aged 16-24 are the most likely to illegally download audio files from streaming services, research suggests.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Converting and downloading YouTube videos is a violation of the site's terms and conditions
Stream-ripping is now the fastest-growing form of music piracy in the UK, new research has suggested.
Several sites and apps allow users to turn Spotify songs, YouTube videos and other streaming content into permanent files to store on phones and computers.
Record labels claim that "tens, or even hundreds of millions of tracks are illegally copied and distributed by stream-ripping services each month".
One service alone is thought to have more than 60 million monthly users.
According to research by the Intellectual Property Office and PRS For Music, 15% of adults in the UK regularly use these services, with 33% of them coming from the 16-24 age bracket.
Overall usage of stream-ripping sites increased by 141.3% between 2014 and 2016, overshadowing all other illegal music services.
In September last year, these sites were used 498,681 times to pirate music in the UK. By comparison, file-sharing service BitTorrent was used 23,567 times; and Cyberlocker sites like Dropbox and Rapidshare were accessed 104,898 times.
"As soon as we think we've come up with an innovative solution [to piracy], the pirates seem to come up with an even more innovative infringement tactic," said Pippa Hall, Chief Economist at the IPO.
A quarter of the people who use stream-ripping believed the sites had the necessary rights and permissions to allow them to download and rip content; and one in five said they felt they were not doing anything illegal.
Only 56% per cent of consumers said they felt confident in identifying illegal content online, the IPO said.
Robert Ashcroft, chief executive of PRS for Music, said: "We hope that this research will provide the basis for a renewed and refocused commitment to tackling online copyright infringement.
"The long-term health of the UK's cultural and creative sectors is in everyone's best interests, including those of the digital service providers, and a co-ordinated industry and government approach to tackling stream-ripping is essential."
There was some good news for the music industry in the IPO's research, however.
It found that the average consumer spent £75 on music last year, up from £68 in 2016.
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-40519137
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Mexico violence: 28 dead in prison fight in Acapulco - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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Rival gangs clashed in a jail in the city of Acapulco, and some of the victims were decapitated.
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Latin America & Caribbean
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Riot police entered the prison after the deadly fight
A fight between rival gangs in a prison in south-western Mexico has left at least 28 inmates dead, officials say.
The pre-dawn fight broke out in the maximum security wing of Las Cruces prison in the city of Acapulco.
The victims were stabbed and beaten to death, with some decapitated. The governor has ordered an investigation.
Acapulco is the largest city in Guerrero state, one of Mexico's most violent areas and a big centre for drug production.
Bodies were discovered throughout the unit, including inside the kitchen and in an area for conjugal visits, said Roberto Álvarez, a state security spokesman.
There were no signs that weapons were used, he added. The investigation would also focus on the prison staff.
"The incident was triggered by a permanent feud between rival groups within the prison," he said.
Federal police and the army set up a security cordon outside the Las Cruces prison, which is reportedly overcrowded, with more than 2,000 inmates.
Acapulco used to be one of Mexico's most popular tourist spots, but has seen a rise in violence as criminal gangs fight for control over illegal activities. It has become one of the country's deadliest cities.
Inmates' relatives tore down a security fence of the prison after hearing news of the deadly fight
This is the latest in a series of violent incidents across Mexico this year. May was the deadliest month in the country since 1997, when official statistics began, with 2,186 homicides.
From December 2006 until May this year, there were 188,567 murders, according to government records.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-40527512
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Newspaper headlines: 'Fresh hope for Charlie Gard' - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The front pages focus on two young people who have been battling serious illness.
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The Papers
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Business leaders who had been hoping that the UK could remain in the European single market or customs union have been "rebuffed," declares the Financial Times.
The Guardian says the chancellor does not think it would be "legally or politically possible", but wants what he called "their benefits" to be "retained during a transitional period".
Philip Hammond's comments that it would be "madness" not to seek "the closest possible arrangement" with the EU, the Sun concludes, are "explosive".
The Daily Express warns that he "risked widening the Tory rift over Europe".
While the Daily Mail says diplomatic sources revealed that the Chinese president suggested Brexit could be "a global force for good".
The Times says Britain will pay poorer nations' premiums for new insurance cover against natural disasters for the next four years.
The prime minister will be trying to promote the value both for poorer parts of the world and Britain of this, it says.
It says Theresa May will defend helping what she will describe as "Britain's future trading partners".
But the Daily Express brands it as a "foreign aid outrage".
It quotes Conservative MP Philip Davies, who says it is "completely unjustifiable".
He insists the government should instead be helping his constituents who have been flooded and cannot get insurance.
The sentiment is echoed in the Sun, which calls it "floody obscene".
The Times says law firm Leigh Day has suspended two trainee solicitors.
The company is said to be investigating claims that the pair may have been seeking business among survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire.
It said it was completely unaware of the alleged activities.
The paper says it also found evidence of an insurance agent offering to help former residents make claims.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror reports that insurers expect to pay out £50m over the disaster, double the original estimate.
The call by a government minister to move the Notting Hill carnival so it was not in the shadow of the burned-out tower block has provoked anger, according to the Daily Telegraph.
It quotes a campaigner for the Grenfell residents, who argues the parade goes nowhere near the tower.
The i says there may be a justifiable fear of unrest at the carnival because of the disaster.
But it suggests the authorities should try to engage and reassure the community, rather than say: "Sorry, because of our failures, we now have to spoil your party."
Almost every paper reports the new court hearing granted to the parents of terminally ill baby Charlie Gard.
The Daily Mail calls it a "stunning move" in which doctors have "bowed to global pressure".
Writing in the i, Janet Street Porter shares her experience of losing her stepson at the age of 11.
She writes about the interventions of the Pope and Donald Trump, urging instead that Charlie's parents be given "the counselling to adapt to the inevitable".
Many of the papers, too, picture Bradley Lowery, the six-year-old Sunderland football mascot, who has died from a rare form of cancer.
The Daily Star says the "brave lad" is "with the angels".
The Daily Mirror pictures the child in the arms of his favourite player, Jermain Defoe.
The paper pays tribute to the footballer and to Bradley himself who, it says, "gave us so much".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40540322
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Sheffield-based radio station Iman FM suspended over 'terror talks' - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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Ofcom has suspended the station's licence for broadcasting lectures by an alleged al-Qaeda leader.
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Sheffield & South Yorkshire
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A community radio station has been taken off air for broadcasting more than 25 hours of lectures by an alleged al-Qaeda leader.
Sheffield-based Iman FM had its licence suspended by Ofcom for playing the lectures by radical American Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
The regulator said parts of the material was "likely to encourage or incite crime or lead to disorder".
Iman FM told Ofcom it was not aware of Awlaki's background.
In 2011 the United Nations Security Council described Awlaki as a "leader, recruiter and trainer for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula".
His sermons are thought to have inspired terrorist attacks including the attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris in 2015 in which 12 people died and the 2009 Fort Hood shootings, in which 13 US soldiers were killed.
Awlaki was killed in a US drone strike in 2011.
Ofcom said information about Awlaki's alleged terrorist links was "freely available".
It launched an investigation of the station after a member of the public complained about the content of the lectures.
The station said it had downloaded and broadcast Awlaki's lectures during Ramadan - 26 May to 24 June - despite not having listened to them in their entirety beforehand.
It said it had listened to 12 hours of the audio, which it "judged to be within the parameters [of the Broadcasting Code]", but only samples of the remainder were checked.
The licensee said it had not listened to all of the lectures because of time constraints, it being a small radio station and the broadcasts happening during Ramadan.
It said that management had not picked up on the issue, not least because of the timing of the broadcasts when managers were "probably catching up on sleep".
The station then broadcast a show on 23 June in which it condemned the lectures and apologised to listeners.
In its ruling Ofcom said it considered the breaches of the Broadcasters Code to be "extremely serious".
It said it planned to revoke Iman FM's licence and had given the station 21 days to respond.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Iman FM said: "[It] has temporarily stopped broadcasting, this has resulted due to the regulator suspending its licence for the next 21 days, on the basis that unwittingly some controversial lectures were broadcast."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-40532030
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A mother's fight against knife crime - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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One mother is fighting hard to make sure more young people are protected from the dangers of knives after the death of her son.
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UK
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Joshua's mum, Alison Cope, goes into schools to talk about how her son died
Rising knife crime is one of the biggest challenges facing the police, especially in the UK's major cities, but chiefs say they cannot solve the problem alone - and one mother is fighting hard to make sure more young people are protected from its dangers.
Alison Cope knows first hand how damaging knife crime can be.
In September 2013, her son Joshua Ribera was stabbed to death at a party to commemorate the life of a friend who had died in a stabbing the previous year.
The 18-year-old was a well known Birmingham rapper.
To his fans around the country and to people around the world who knew him he was Depzman, an up and coming grime artist who had just produced his first album and was building his career, appearing on BBC Radio 1Xtra.
But to his mum he was much more. "I say Joshua, not Depzman, not a grime MC, because Joshua is my little boy, my only son," she says.
"That little boy was a newborn baby in my arms, a toddler, and a totally obnoxious teenager who grew into the most beautiful young man.
"So I need you to understand that Depzman was nothing to me. Joshua was everything to me."
He became involved in a row over a girl which spiralled into a fight and his rival, Armani Mitchell, left the club but then returned with a knife.
He said he wanted to cut Josh on the arm, but as he pulled the knife, Joshua raised his arm to protect himself and Mitchell plunged the knife into his heart.
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As a passionate anti-knife campaigner, Alison has now dedicated her life to convincing teenagers there is another path in life.
Speaking to pupils at City of Birmingham school, which looks after children permanently excluded from mainstream education for a whole range of reasons - including having knives - she tells them the harsh reality of what happened to her son.
"He fought back, seven heart attacks, multiple blood transfusions, they were cutting his body open from top to bottom and all the way across desperately trying to save his life," she says to the class.
"But on the morning of 21 September at 05:58, my son gave up on life and he died. That changed everything for my family.
"But it also changed the life of another 18-year-old boy, Armani Mitchell. He worked and was at college part-time.
"He is now in a category-A prison, serving a life sentence. Two 18-year-old boys went on a night out and neither of them came home."
Rapper Nathan Chin has been jailed for knife crime but now aims to persuade others not to carry them
Rapping was Joshua Ribera's route to success. Now Alison encourages teenagers and younger children to take part in sessions at a recording studio in Birmingham, to help harness their creativity and develop a sense of self-worth in the hope it will keep them away from gangs and knives.
At the studio, another of those also trying to help the next generation is 27-year-old Nathan Chin, whose rap name is Lil Fella.
As well as being a rapper, he is trying to set up a charity called Unity Each 1, Teach 1, to support people struggling to get into education and employment.
Nathan spent most of his teenage years in and out of young offender institutions.
He has been in prison for knife crime, but has tried to turn his life around believing people like him are well placed to try to stop teenagers carrying knives.
"People who have gone to prison, real people who have been in situations, are the best people to help reform people," he says.
Alison's final message to the teenagers is simple: "With the help of your teachers and your family, you have every chance of being an amazing successful individual. You have got a choice.
"Make the best of your life."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40497070
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G20: Trump and Putin debate US election hack at first meeting - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The pair held "robust" talks about the allegations of Russian interference in last year's election.
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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 to Putin: "It's an honour to be with you"
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have discussed the alleged Russian hacking of last year's US presidential election during their first meeting.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described the exchanges as "robust".
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Mr Trump had accepted Mr Putin's assertions that his country was not responsible.
But Mr Tillerson said it was not clear whether the two countries would ever come to an agreement on what happened.
"I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point," he added.
The US and Russian presidents held their first face-to-face talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg, which is being held amid sometimes violent protests.
Other topics discussed during their meeting - which lasted nearly two-and-a-quarter hours, longer than originally planned - included the war in Syria, terrorism and cybersecurity.
"The president opened the meeting with President Putin by raising the concerns of the American people regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election," Mr Tillerson, part of the US delegation, told reporters afterwards.
"They had a very robust and lengthy exchange on the subject. The president pressed President Putin on more than one occasion regarding Russian involvement.
"President Putin denied such involvement, as I think he has done in the past."
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Mr Tillerson said the two leaders had "connected very quickly", adding: "There was a very clear positive chemistry between the two. There are so many issues on the table... Just about everything got touched upon... Neither one of them wanted to stop.
"I believe they even sent in the First Lady [Melania Trump] at one point to see if she could get us out of there, but that didn't work either... We did another hour. Clearly she failed!"
Mr Lavrov said: "President Trump said he heard clear statements... that Russian authorities did not intervene [in the US election], and he accepted these declarations."
Mr Tillerson was asked as he was leaving the news conference if this was accurate, but declined to answer.
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Earlier, as the talks began in front of the media before going into private session, Mr Trump told Mr Putin: "It's an honour to be with you."
Mr Trump added: "Putin and I have been discussing various things, and I think it's going very well.
"We've had some very, very good talks. We're going to have a talk now and obviously that will continue. We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned."
Mr Putin, via a translator, said that while they had previously spoken by phone, that would never be as good as meeting face to face.
The two men had staked out opposing views on major international issues in the run-up to the summit:
Based on the tone and the results of the US-Russia discussions, this meeting is being lauded here in Moscow as a breakthrough.
The head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee predicted it would "stop the rot in US-Russian relations".
Essentially, Vladimir Putin has got what Vladimir Putin wanted: a US president who is focused not on confrontation but on mutually beneficial co-operation; as American leader who is not going to sit there for two hours lecturing his Russian counterpart on democracy, but instead do deals with him.
And there were several agreements: to co-operate in Syria, over Ukraine, and in the area of cyber security. The Kremlin will see all of this as a first step towards a bigger goal: much wider co-operation with America and the scrapping of Western sanctions.
But remember - Donald Trump is under intense pressure back home over his team's alleged links to Moscow. It's far from certain he'll be able to deliver what Russia wants.
Climate change and trade are set to dominate the rest of the two-day G20 meeting, taking place amid clashes between protesters and police in the streets outside the venue that have left dozens injured.
A huge police operation is trying to keep demonstrators - who are protesting against the presence of Mr Trump and Mr Putin, climate change and global wealth inequalities - well away from the summit venue, and water cannon have been deployed.
The US First Lady was at one point unable to leave her hotel in Hamburg because of the protests.
Mrs Trump had been due to take part in an excursion with other leaders' spouses, but her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said: "The Hamburg police could not give us clearance to leave."
Mrs Trump herself tweeted about her concern for those injured in the protests.
The G20 (Group of Twenty) is a summit for 19 countries, both developed and developing, plus the EU.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40539725
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G20: Hamburg sees clashes between police and protesters - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Dozens of police officers are injured in clashes with protesters, some of whom were hurling objects.
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Europe
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Seventy-six police officers have been injured in clashes with protesters in Germany's city of Hamburg, where a G20 summit starts shortly.
Three officers were taken to hospital, police said. There were also reports of injuries among protesters.
The clashes began when police charged at masked protesters at a "Welcome to hell" march attended by 12,000 people.
World leaders - including US President Donald Trump - will discuss climate change, trade and other major issues.
Police fired water cannon and pepper spray at masked protesters, who hurled bottles, stones and flares.
Organisers cancelled the march where the first clashes took place, but protesters remained on the streets and police said violence spread to other areas of the city.
Protesters built makeshift barricades, set vehicles alight, damaged businesses and repeatedly shone a laser at a police helicopter to dazzle its pilot, police said.
Medics were seen treating several people. At least one person appeared to have been seriously hurt and was carried away covered by a foil blanket.
Before the march, police had warned of possible violence and said they had confiscated a number of homemade weapons.
Some 20,000 police have been deployed in Hamburg for the summit, and security cordons have been erected to prevent protesters reaching the venues. Up to 100,000 protesters are expected in Hamburg during Friday and Saturday.
The G20 leaders face their own disagreements, including over climate change and trade.
Mr Trump has already met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the pair spent an hour talking about North Korea, the Middle East, the conflict in eastern Ukraine and G20 issues, a German government spokesman said.
Mrs Merkel (R) and Mr Trump talked for an hour
Last week Mrs Merkel said the G20 would focus on the Paris climate deal - which the US has withdrawn from. But earlier she said that as the G20 host she would work to find compromises.
The summit will also see Mr Trump meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time. The meeting will take place at 14:45 local time (13:45 GMT) and last for an hour, Russian media report.
Earlier in the day Mr Trump used a speech in the Polish capital Warsaw to call on Russia to stop "destabilising" Ukraine and other countries.
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"
Russia should also end support for "hostile regimes" such as those in Syria and Iran and "join the community of responsible nations", he said.
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
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-40526169
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Dinner lady suspended after Manchester attack demonstration - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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The woman was at a rally co-organised by the ex-English Defence League leader after the Manchester attack.
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Lancashire
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The rally in Manchester city centre drew thousands of demonstrators
A primary school dinner lady who attended a march co-organised by former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson has been suspended.
Rachel Booth was at the rally on 11 June in Manchester, which organisers said was "against Islamic hate".
She said she attended in sympathy for the victims of the Manchester attack that killed 22 people on 22 May.
Moor Nook Primary School, in Preston, confirmed a member of staff has been suspended "pending further inquiries".
Rachel Booth has worked at Moor Nook Primary School, in Preston for four years
Thousands of people attended the march by a coalition that calls itself UK Against Hate, held three weeks after a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert.
The rally also drew hundreds of people in a counter-demonstration against the march.
Mrs Booth, who has worked at the school for four years, said the suspension was "a big shock".
"I have never been in any kind of trouble with police.
"The grounds for suspending me are it was an EDL march, which is a load of rubbish. Even if I was part of the EDL, which I'm certainly not, it should not have affected my job."
She said she attended with her mixed race husband, who is a former serviceman, to show solidarity with the bombing victims, not to support far-right extremism.
"I thought it was for the children and so I went," she added.
Hundreds of counter-demonstrators also attended the rally
The march was criticised at the time by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham who tweeted: "These EDL-types who came today need to have a look at themselves."
In a letter to the school, Mohammed Fyaz, one of the march's organisers, wrote "the event in question was not organised by or linked to the EDL in any way".
He added: "In the democracy in which we live political, religious and moral issues should be allowed to be discussed, questioned and at times challenged freely, without fear of persecution or discrimination."
It is understood a suspension in such circumstances is a "neutral" act and will allow the school to investigate footage from the march featuring Mrs Booth.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-40531321
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Beauty queen wearing gloves at orphanage 'not racist' - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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An orphanage defends the reigning Miss South Africa after a barrage of social media criticism.
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BBC Trending
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Photos of Miss South Africa wearing gloves while visiting black children at an orphanage in Soweto sparked a online outcry - but the orphanage staff say any insinuation that Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters is racist is "ridiculous".
"Of course it wasn't because she didn't want to touch black children," says Carol Dyantyi, a spokesperson for the Orlando West Community Centre Ikageng.
Nel-Peters was volunteering to feed orphans at the centre, and the gloves were a health and safety measure.
"We told her, and all other volunteers, to wear them while they were handling food around the children," Dyantyi tells BBC Trending. "It was purely to protect the children from the risk of contaminated food. This social media reaction is ridiculous."
Thousands of Twitter users criticised Nel-Peters after photos of her at a soup drive on Wednesday began to circulate on social media.
Many accused the beauty queen of wearing the latex gloves "because she didn't want to touch black children" and shared images of her hugging dogs and white children with bare hands.
In a video posted to her Twitter account, Nel-Peters said that she wore the gloves for sanitary reasons and denied that were any racial undertones to her actions.
"All the volunteers on site wore gloves today because we honestly thought that it's the right thing to do while working with food and while handing out food to young kids," Nel-Peters said. She also apologised to those who were offended.
Claudia Henkel, a spokesperson for the beauty queen, also sent images to BBC Trending of Nel-Peters gloveless and playing with the children after the food had been served.
However, not everyone was satisfied with her response. The hashtag #MissSAChallenge began to trend on Twitter on Thursday, as South Africans poked fun of the "hygiene" reason cited for the gloves.
More than 18,000 tweets used the hashtag, and some users posted pictures of themselves doing mundane tasks whilst unnecessarily wearing gloves.
Not all of the responses were critical and others defended Miss South Africa.
Henkel tells Trending that whilst the social media backlash had "saddened" Nel-Peters, she is adamant about doing more soup drives in the near future.
"And if she is asked to wear gloves for the safety of the children, then she will again," Henkel adds.
You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-40496532
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Newspaper headlines: Thatcher statue cancelled and businesses make Brexit demands - BBC News
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2017-07-07
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Plans for a statue of Margaret Thatcher are shelved, while business leaders want a Brexit delay.
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The Papers
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The cancellation of plans for a statue of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher makes headlines in the day's papers.
The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail report that plans for a statue of Lady Thatcher in London's Parliament Square have been blocked.
Officials said they couldn't back the 10ft bronze artwork without the support of Lady Thatcher's family.
The Mail says it's also feared that the statue could be a target for vandals. Tory MP Jacob Rees Mogg objects to the decision.
"Blocking it for fear of vandals" - he tells the paper - is the "lily livered approach Lady Thatcher most disdained."
The call by the business group, the CBI, for Britain to remain in the single market until the final Brexit deal has been agreed dominates the front pages of the Telegraph and the Guardian.
The two papers describe it as an "escalation" of the business community's attempts to "soften Brexit".
The head of the Engineering Employers Federation, Terry Scuoler, tells the Guardian that leaving businesses guessing about the outcome of the negotiations risks causing serious economic damage.
In the Mail, Brexit supporter Gisela Stuart accuses the big business lobby of trying to keep the the UK in the EU by the back door.
In its editorial, the Financial Times urges Prime Minister Theresa May to align herself more closely with her chancellor. It defends the stance of business leaders: "They are not engaged in sabotage", it says, "what they want is greater certainty."
The Times and the Mail both report on what they describe as a "plot" to de-select a fifth of Labour MPs.
They say the grassroots group Momentum has published a list of 49 MPs, including Chuka Umunna and Chris Leslie, who they suggest should "join the Liberals".
The Times urges moderate Labour MPs to fight back, while the Mail asks "Will Mr Corbyn ever disown the hate mob?".
The Daily Mirror reports that Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery has moved to calm fears, saying "I don't see de-selection as the way forward."
While the Guardian cautions against over-interpreting every move in a local party as some kind of purge.
"Brexiteers declare war on the BBC," declares the i on its front page, as it reports the claim by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox that the broadcaster would rather see Britain fail than Brexit succeed.
The Mail asks: "isn't it time for the Corporation to rediscover impartiality".
The problem, suggests the Daily Express, is that "the institution is run by a clique of liberals... who are overwhelmingly pro-Remain".
The BBC tells the papers that it takes "impartiality incredibly seriously".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40527443
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Ed Sheeran penalised by new chart rules - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The British pop star is the main victim of changes to the Top 40 that have just come into effect.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Ed Sheeran has the number one album but some of his singles have fallen out of the chart
The chart rules may have changed - but Justin Bieber is still number one.
Last week, the Official Charts Company overhauled the way it compiles the Top 40 in an effort to stop A-list artists elbowing newer acts out of the way.
The move was prompted by Ed Sheeran, whose new album ÷ [Divide] proved so popular that it propelled 16 tracks into the top 20 in March.
Appropriately, he seems to be the main victim of the new rules, with several of his songs adversely affected.
Last week, Sheeran had eight songs in the Top 100. This week, he has three.
Four of those former hits dropped out naturally, because their sales declined following a brief, post-Glastonbury peak.
But another song was excluded from the countdown because, under the new system, artists are only allowed a maximum of three songs on the chart at any one time.
Some of Sheeran's other songs tumbled down the charts, apparently the victim of a second rule penalising tracks that are "well past their peak and in steep, prolonged decline".
For those songs, the Official Charts Company is applying a new formula, whereby 300 streams count as one sale (for newer songs, the ratio is 150:1).
The idea is that the longer a song has been in the charts, the faster it will fall out of the top 100.
As a result, Sheeran's former number one Shape Of You, which has been in the Top 40 for 26 weeks, suddenly dropped 12 places after weeks of steady decline.
Similarly Clean Bandit's Symphony, which has been in the chart for 16 weeks, dropped 10 places.
The upshot of these moves, however, is that newer tracks have been bumped into the Top 40; with more new entries this week than any other in 2017.
Justin Bieber sings a verse on the Spanglish number one single Despacito
These include Most Girls, the new single by actress Hailee Steinfeld, which makes its top 40 debut after hovering just outside the main countdown for six weeks.
Finnish singer Alma also saw her single Chasing Highs rocket from 54 to 30, giving the musician her first ever hit in the UK.
Elsewhere, Selena Gomez's Bad Liar jumped nine places to reach a new peak of 25.
At the top end of the charts, the new rules made little difference.
Luis Fonsi's Spanish-language smash Despacito, which features a guest verse from Justin Bieber, remained at number one for an eighth week.
DJ Khaled and Rihanna's Wild Thoughts, meanwhile, held steady at number two.
According to the Official Charts Company, the new rules were designed to "ensure the chart continues to be a showcase for the new hits and talent which are the lifeblood of UK music".
But chart analysts questioned the need for the changes.
"It's a really odd situation," said Fraser McAlpine on the Top 40 podcast Unbreak My Chart. "Part of the fun of the chart has always been that it reflects what people's listening habits are."
Prince scored six hit singles in the week after his death - but that would be forbidden under the new system
"If you've managed to iron out the possibility that everybody in Britain is suddenly really excited by four songs by the same artist, that seems like an odd way of hammering down on enthusiasm."
McAlpine noted that a situation like last April, when six Prince songs entered the Top 100 in the week after his death, would no longer be possible.
"The charts have never been a pure system," added his co-presenter Laura Snapes. "But never before have the rules felt like such a blatant attempt to ensure the relevance of the singles chart at a time when it is less relevant than ever.
"It just seems like desperation and panic".
James Masterton, who has been commentating on the Top 40 for the last 25 years, was more positive on his blog, saying the new rules would "clear out" long-in-the-tooth hits, such as Justin Timberlake's Can't Stop The Feeling which has spent 61 weeks in the Top 100, "and which is now clearly taking up a space that could be better used by a newer hit".
On the album chart, where the system was unchanged, Sheeran remained at number one, closely followed by Calvin Harris's fourth album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol 1.
Rag N Bone Man's Human rose two places to number three, which means it will spend its 21st week in the top five.
The Bee Gees' greatest hits album Timeless jumped to number six, bolstered by Barry Gibb's recent appearance at Glastonbury.
And TLC saw their final, self-titled album enter the chart at number 40 - an impressive placing given that fans who crowd-funded the project two years ago received their copies for free, making them ineligible for the chart.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
• None Chart rules changing to help new artists
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40531119
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Grenfell firefighters 'hampered by equipment' - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Firefighters describe low water pressure, radio problems and a 30-minute wait for a high ladder.
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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. Why did it take so long to get an aerial platform to the tower block? BBC Newsnight investigates
A series of failings that hampered the efforts of firefighters to tackle the Grenfell Tower fire and rescue the building's residents have been identified by a BBC investigation.
Crews cited low water pressure, radio problems and equipment that was either lacking or did not arrive before the fire on 14 June got out of control.
Newsnight has learned a high ladder did not arrive for more than 30 minutes.
The London Fire Brigade says it has changed its procedures since the fire.
A high ladder will now automatically be sent to a fire in a tower.
An independent fire expert said having the high ladder, which is also known as an "aerial", available earlier would have given firefighters a better chance of stopping the blaze when it jumped from a fourth floor flat in the tower block and began to race up the side of the building.
More than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines were involved in battling the blaze that engulfed the block in North Kensington, west London.
About 300 people are believed to have lived in Grenfell Tower and most got out on their own.
The fire brigade rescued 65 people but at least 80 people are thought to have died.
Firefighters have been told not to talk to the media but Newsnight obtained a copy of the "incident mobilisation list", the document which details every appliance dispatched to the incident.
The programme was also sent anonymous accounts from a number of men and women involved in the operation.
The mobilisation list revealed that the 30m (100ft) aerial, which could reach the 10th floor of Grenfell Tower, was not dispatched until 01:19 BST, 24 minutes after the first crews were sent to fight what had started as a fridge fire on the fourth floor.
The aerial did not arrive until 01:32 BST, by which time the fire had raced up the building's cladding.
The list entry A213 shows the ladder did not arrive until 32 minutes after the first crews
Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "I have spoken to aerial appliance operators in London... who attended that incident, who think that having that on the first attendance might have made a difference, because it allows you to operate a very powerful water tower from outside the building onto the building."
A London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesman confirmed the so-called "pre-determined attendance" for a tower fire - the list of appliances which are automatically dispatched - has been changed from four engines to five engines plus an aerial.
The spokesman said: "An 'interim' change to pre-determined attendance for high rise buildings was introduced in direct response to the government's action to address concerns of cladding on buildings.
"The Brigade's pre-determined attendance to high rise buildings had already been increased in June 2015 from three fire engines to four as part of our ongoing review of high rise firefighting.
"It is important to understand that fires in high rise buildings are nearly always dealt with internally, not usually needing an aerial appliance.
"The fundamental issue of high rise safety remains that buildings are maintained to stop fires spreading."
The spokesman added: "The Brigade has a fleet of specialist aerial firefighting appliances and these attend a variety of incidents across the capital."
Newsnight's investigation also heard that firefighters had struggled with water pressure problems and the fire service had to call Thames Water to ask the company to increase pressure in the area.
One firefighter said: "The fire floors we went in were helmet-meltingly hot… when we were clearing flats, it was a case of a quick look and closing doors because the water pressure wasn't up to firefighting."
A Thames Water spokesman said: "We've been supporting the emergency services' response in every way possible… any suggestion there was low pressure or that Thames Water did not supply enough water to fire services during this appalling tragedy is categorically false."
Firefighters also described problems with radio reception inside the building and said they lacked enough of the "extended duration" breathing apparatus they needed, especially when reaching the higher floors of the building.
All fire engines have basic breathing apparatus that provides firefighters with oxygen for around 30 minutes.
The extended duration apparatus enables them to breathe for a theoretical 45 minutes - but working in dense smoke and intense heat 20 storeys up uses up the compressed air in the equipment more quickly.
The LFB said all of its rescue units carry extended duration apparatus and "all of the fire brigade's rescue units attended the incident".
The LFB said the police investigation into the fire would examine the brigade's response "including all of the issues Newsnight has raised".
Questions have also been raised about why a 42m firefighting platform had to be called in from Surrey to fight the fire at Grenfell - itself 67m high - because the LFB does not have one of its own.
The LFB spokesman said it had never responded to a fire on the scale of Grenfell Tower before.
He said: "The commissioner has made clear her intention to fully review the brigade's resources and seek funding for any additional requirements."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40535417
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Vatican warns over gluten-free bread for Holy Communion - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Bishops given reminder as Communion bread can now be bought in supermarkets and online.
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Europe
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There are about 1.2 billion Roman Catholics around the world
Bread used to celebrate the Eucharist during Roman Catholic Mass must not be gluten-free - although it may be made from genetically modified organisms, the Vatican has reminded its bishops.
In a letter, Cardinal Robert Sarah said the bread could be low-gluten.
But he said there must be enough protein in the wheat to make it without additives.
The cardinal said the reminder was needed because the bread was now sold in supermarkets and on the internet.
Roman Catholics believe bread and wine served at the Eucharist are converted into the body and blood of Christ through a process known as transubstantiation.
The letter reiterated advice first given in 2004.
The wine used must also be "natural, from the fruit of the grape, pure and incorrupt, not mixed with other substances", said Cardinal Robert Sarah of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The ruling was issued at the request of Pope Francis, the letter said.
There are about 1.2 billion Roman Catholics around the world.
Correction 24 July 2017: This story has been revised to make clear that the letter reiterates advice previously given in 2004.
• None Catholics focus on the art of dying well
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40545023
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Holly Brown: 14-year-old girl killed in bus crash named - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Holly Brown, 14, died after a minibus carrying pupils on a school trip collided with a bin lorry.
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England
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Holly Brown was a pupil at John Taylor High School in Barton-under-Needwood
A 14-year-old girl who died after a minibus carrying school pupils on a field trip collided with a bin lorry has been named in reports as Holly Brown.
The pupil was on a bus carrying 21 students from Barton-under-Needwood in Staffordshire when it crashed in Birmingham.
She was confirmed dead at the scene in the Castle Vale area of the city.
The teenager was a pupil at John Taylor High School.
Tributes have been paid to Holly, with one person writing on social media: "Absolutely heartbroken for Holly Brown.
"To her family and friends, know that pupils from John Taylor, past and present are devastated RIP."
A second teenage girl was taken to hospital with minor injuries and others were treated at the roadside.
John Taylor High School has tweeted its thanks for support during the "desperately sad time".
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by John Taylor High This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
West Midlands Police said the minibus was also carrying four adults - the driver and three teachers.
No arrests have been made. Police said that both drivers were assisting with the "detailed and thorough" investigation.
Police are investigating whether or not all those on board were wearing seat belts.
Birmingham City Council confirmed one of its bin lorries was involved in the crash and they "will be fully co-operating with all investigations".
In a statement, it said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of a teenage girl... on Kingsbury Road and our thoughts are with her family, friends and all those affected."
In a letter home to parents, the school's headteacher explained there had been a fatal accident involving one of its Year 9 pupils and said it would offer any students struggling with the news support and comfort.
Principal Mike Donoghue said: "Our thoughts, at this very tragic and sad time, are with the family, their friends and the pupils and staff involved.
"I am sure that you will join everyone at John Taylor High School in supporting our community in every way you can."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40541776
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True Blood star Nelsan Ellis dies aged 39 - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Nelsan Ellis, who starred in the popular HBO series, died from complications after heart failure.
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US & Canada
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Co-stars of Nelsan Ellis said they were "stunned" and "devastated" by the news
US actor Nelsan Ellis, who starred in the popular HBO series True Blood, has died aged 39, his manager confirmed.
Ellis, best known for playing the flamboyant Lafayette Reynolds in the horror-drama series, died after complications from heart failure.
"He was a great talent, and his words and presence will be forever missed," his manager Emily Gerson Saines told the Hollywood Reporter.
Ellis appeared in True Blood from 2008 until the series ended in 2014.
"We were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Nelsan Ellis," HBO said in a statement on Saturday.
"Nelsan was a long-time member of the HBO family whose groundbreaking portrayal of Lafayette will be remembered fondly," the statement added.
Ellis appeared regularly throughout the series of True Blood after first appearing as the cook at a local restaurant in 2008. He played the role of Lafayette, a charismatic gay medium who was able to contact ghosts.
He also featured alongside Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer in the film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help in 2011.
Spencer paid tribute to Ellis on Saturday with a comment posted on Twitter: "Just got word that we lost @nelsanellisofficial. My heart breaks for his kids and family."
Others to pay their respects were True Blood co-stars Michael McMillian, Lauren Bowles, Kristin Bauer and Joe Manganiello.
Manganiello said that he had been "crushed by the loss of my friend".
Bauer wrote in a post on the image sharing app Instagram: "One of the sweetest most talented men I've ever met. A terrible loss for all of us."
McMillan said on Twitter that he was "stunned" and "devastated" by the news.
Ellis is survived by his grandmother Alex Brown, his father Tommie Lee Thompson and his son Breon, along with seven siblings.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40546257
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Thunder Bay police under fire for indigenous deaths - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Unexplained deaths and a history of racially motivated violence have left doubts that justice in a northern Ontario city can be served.
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US & Canada
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The death of an indigenous woman in Thunder Bay is the latest in a series of violent incidents affecting the local indigenous community. As the police ponder whether to charge her assailant with murder, many are wondering if the force has what it takes to pursue justice for all.
Barbara Kentner, an Anishinaabe woman, was walking down the street with her sister in January when she was struck by a trailer hitch someone had thrown at her out of the window of a car.
"Oh, I got one," her sister, Melissa Kentner, heard someone say.
The hitch struck Barbara in the abdomen and she was taken to hospital.
Shortly after, Thunder Bay police charged Brayden Bushby, 18, with aggravated assault. Over the next five months, Kentner lay in hospital, suffering from internal injuries and damage to her organs.
She died on 4 July at the age of 34.
Now her family and the indigenous community want to see Bushby's charges upgraded, and the driver and other passengers in the car charged as well.
"I want them to be in jail and feel the same kind of pain I've been feeling," she says.
But a number of external reviews of the Thunder Bay Police Service, as well as decades of racially-motivated violence, have left many with considerable doubt.
"At this point in time, we don't have the faith in the Thunder Bay police to be able to conduct a proper investigation and a fair investigation," says Anna Betty Achneepineskum, the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief.
Attacks like the one that killed Kentner are all too commonplace in Thunder Bay, says her childhood friend Deanne Hupfield.
The city of about 100,000 is one of the last urban outposts on the way to Ontario's vast north, which is mostly inhabited by indigenous people on reserves.
In 2011, 10% of the city's population had Aboriginal identity, compared to about 4% across the country.
Hupfield says throwing things at indigenous women "is a normal thing here".
"It happened to me growing up. It happened to my mom, my sisters and my friends." She says people would yell racial and sexual epithets and chuck beer cans, water bottles or trash at them.
One time, a man threw a crowbar at her sister in front of an undercover police officer.
The officer chased the assailant down, yelled at him and then returned, without taking the man into custody. The officer told her and her sister: "Don't worry, we scared them", she says.
When Hupfield was a teenager, she watched in horror as a group of cops beat up her cousin after the two of them had been arrested for joyriding.
Now an arts educator living in Toronto, Hupfield wants Thunder Bay police to address systemic racism in the force.
"They're not willing to take that hard look at themselves and acknowledge their own beliefs about us," she says.
Both Kentner's sister and Hupfield believe the attack on Barbara Kentner was racially motivated, and hope it is prosecuted as a hate crime.
But her death is not the first to strike the community.
In May, the bodies of teenagers Josiah Begg and Tammy Keeash were both found in local waterways.
In 2015, Stacey DeBungee, 41, was found dead in the McIntyre River. And between 2000 and 2011, seven indigenous students died after moving to the city to attend high school.
None of these deaths led to criminal charges; many were ruled accidental by police after brief investigations.
These 10 deaths are now the subject of a systemic review by Ontario's police oversight board, and its "ongoing concern" about how Thunder Bay police investigate the deaths of indigenous people.
The review was prompted by a 2016 coroner's inquest into the deaths of the seven students, which found that the cause of four out of the seven deaths was "undetermined".
14-year-old Josiah Begg was found dead after disappearing while visiting Thunder Bay with his father.
Ontario's chief coroner, Dr Dirk Huyer, has also asked for assistance from an outside police force, the York Regional Police, in the ongoing investigation into the deaths of Begg and Keeash.
"When I looked at the investigations, I felt that there would be a benefit from some additional resources, another set of eyes, external perspective, to work together with the Thunder Bay police to really give us the best opportunity to give those answers," Dr Huyer says.
Chris Adams, a spokesperson for the Thunder Bay Police Service, says they welcome working with York police.
"We certainly supported it and we still do," he told the BBC. "It's really in the interest of finding answers."
Adams says the police is working on improving community relations, looking to a number of other communities to understand how they can improve their police force, including more efforts to recruit indigenous officers.
"We really recognise the need to have some reconciliation in that regard," he says.
Adams adds the force is working with Fort William First Nation to better understand some of the issues at play, and would welcome working with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation as well.
Meanwhile, Kentner's family is eagerly awaiting the result of the coroner's post-mortem. Police say they will wait for the results before deciding on whether they will upgrade the charges.
Barbara Kentner (right) with her cousin Debbie Kakagamic
Doctors told Melissa Kentner her sister died of liver failure exacerbated by the internal injuries she suffered during the attack, which included a ruptured intestine.
"Yeah, sure, she had problems with her liver," Ms Kentner says. "But she quit drinking and everything. She wanted to have that transplant."
She's sickened by comments on social media that disparage her sister's memory, saying Barbara was a "caring and loving person".
In her last weeks alive, Kentner knew she was going to die but hoped for justice, her sister says.
"She just wished that it never happened to anybody else."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40535131
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E.coli woman Caroline Hope returns to Scotland - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Caroline Hope is back home in Scotland after campaigners raised money for a private medical evacuation.
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Glasgow & West Scotland
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Caroline Hope became gravely ill after contracting E.coli during cancer treatment in Turkey
A Scottish woman who contracted E.coli while undergoing treatment for cancer in a Turkish hospital has returned to Glasgow.
Caroline Hope, who is from Clydebank, had been working as an English teacher in the country when she fell ill.
Her family had feared she would not survive after contracting the bacteria and launched a JustGiving page to raise money for her return to Scotland.
That appeal raised more than £31,000 to pay for a private medical evacuation.
The fundraising appeal was in response to UK government guidelines that strictly limit the repatriation of UK citizens for medical reasons.
On arrival at the airport, Caroline Hope was taken by ambulance to a hospital in the city. She will eventually be moved to the Beatson cancer treatment centre.
Before being diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, Caroline Hope had been teaching English at an international school in Turkey.
She had planned to return to Scotland and her employer had taken out medical insurance to cover her stay at the Medical Park Hospital in Izmir until the end of July.
Caroline Hope was transferred from the plane to an ambulance at Glasgow Airport
However, her recovery was undermined when she became infected with E.coli during an operation to remove a tumour last month.
Her mother, Catherine Hope, had been due to fly out to Turkey on Thursday but was told to stay in Scotland after the money needed to bring her daughter home was raised within hours of the appeal being launched.
Catherine Hope said: "She thought she was going to die. She wants home. She said she thought her body was giving up on her.
"But when she got on the plane, my son Scott sent me a picture of her, and she was smiling."
Scott Hope, Caroline's brother, told the BBC that doctors in Turkey had been in contact with doctors at the Beatson cancer treatment centre in Glasgow and that they were expecting his sister to be admitted there once she returned to Scotland.
He added that any money raised above and beyond that required to get Ms Hope back home would be donated to the Beatson.
Writing on the JustGiving page, Caroline Hope's friend Bella Shek wrote: "We've smashed our target, unbelievable!
"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you so much. We can now get Caroline home.
"On behalf of Caroline, her family and all her friends, the support from all of you and the general public, many of whom have never met Caroline before, has been truly overwhelming."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-40542104
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Lionel Messi tax fraud prison sentence reduced to fine - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Barcelona star has been ordered to pay €400 for every day of the 21-month sentence.
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Europe
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Lionel Messi will pay €400 for every day of the 21-month sentence
Football star Lionel Messi's 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud has been changed to a fine by the Spanish courts.
The Barcelona star must pay €252,000 ($288,000, £223,000), equating to €400 for each day of the sentence, the court said in a statement.
Messi, along with his father Jorge, was found guilty of defrauding Spain of €4.1m between 2007 and 2009.
His father's 15-month sentence was replaced with a €180,000 fine.
The pair had been found guilty of using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to conceal earnings from image rights.
As well as the suspended jail terms, the Argentina international was fined about €2m and his father €1.5m. They made a voluntary €5m "corrective payment", equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest, in August 2013.
Messi's appeal against the sentence was rejected by Spain's Supreme Court last month, but his father's jail time was reduced because he had paid some of the taxes.
The footballer was never expected to serve time in jail as under the Spanish system, prison terms of under two years can be served under probation.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40534761
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Boris the dog attends University of Reading graduation - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Boris the springer poodle eased the anxiety of a graduate's sister at the event.
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Berkshire
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Hollie Evans (left) credited pet Boris for enabling her to see sister Daisy graduate
A mortar board-wearing family dog was invited to a university graduation ceremony to help soothe a guest's anxiety.
Daisy Evans, 23, was watched by four-year-old springer poodle Boris as she picked up her degree at the University of Reading on Friday.
Her 19-year-old sister Hollie suffers with anxiety, which eases in the presence of her pet.
The university said it was "delighted" Boris could attend.
Hollie was unable to speak for two years at the height of her anxiety, a problem she said improved after Boris's arrival in her life.
She said the university allowing Boris to attend the graduation resulted in her family's first outing together in five years.
The teenager added: "It's lovely to have Boris here. I get very nervous but he helps as he's a bit of a distraction.
"He's part of the family so he should be here. Boris comes with me everywhere - he rescued me."
A university spokesman said they were "delighted to hear the family enjoyed their day and that bringing Boris made such a difference."
• None BBC News - Scotland, Dog and owner 'graduate' from university in Edinburgh
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-40533764
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Bradley Lowery: Tributes flood in for Sunderland mascot - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The six-year-old died from terminal cancer.
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England
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Bradley was a huge Sunderland fan and became a mascot for the club
Tributes have poured in from across the world for Bradley Lowery, who has died from terminal cancer.
The Sunderland fan, six, was diagnosed with a rare cancer aged 18 months old and went on to become "best mates" with his hero, striker Jermain Defoe.
After the announcement of his death by his family on social media, thousands took to Twitter to offer condolences.
In a statement, Sunderland Football Club said: "Bradley captured the hearts and minds of everyone at our club."
The family uploaded this photo of Bradley to social media on Friday
The England football squad, for which Bradley was also a mascot, tweeted: "There's only one Bradley Lowery."
Alan Shearer tweeted: "So sorry that little @Bradleysfight has passed away. An inspirational life cut way too short. Thoughts with his amazing family & friends RIP."
Gary Lineker, who hosted the Sports Personality Of The Year awards at which Bradley was a special guest, tweeted: "Terribly sad to hear that little Bradley Lowery has passed away. A warrior and an inspiration to the end. RIP Bradley."
A selection of photos were on display at his sixth birthday party in May
In its statement, Sunderland FC said: "[Bradley's] heart-warming friendship with players and staff alike epitomised the impact this wonderful little boy had on everyone he met.
"He had a special relationship with Jermain Defoe and their feelings for each other were evident for all to see. Jermain, naturally, is heartbroken.
"Bradley's story not only touched our club and our fans, but also the wider football community. Football can be a powerful force for good and our sport came together to embrace Bradley's fight in a unique way.
"We would like to extend our sincere thanks to every club and fan who supported Bradley in recent months and showed such warmth and kindness to the Lowerys - we are truly grateful."
Everton FC donated £200,000 to a cancer treatment fund when Bradley was mascot for the match between the club and Sunderland.
Chairman Bill Kenwright said: "We are so privileged to have known him... and will always be proud that he chose us as his second club.
"We send our loving thoughts to his family... plus those who were inspired by him throughout the world of football."
Sunderland fans held up a banner of support for Bradley at the match against Swansea in May
Newcastle United tweeted: "Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Bradley Lowery and all who supported him throughout his brave battle."
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, whom Bradley scored the Goal of the Month against in January, tweeted: "RIP little man. You will be sadly missed."
The world governing football body, Fifa, tweeted: "Today, the football world lost one of its bravest fans. Rest in peace, Bradley Lowery."
Jermain Defoe tweeted after the England game saying it was perfect to walk out with his best mate at Wembley
There were also tributes from the world outside football.
Durham Cricket Club tweeted a video of the crowd applauding his memory ahead of its game against Lancashire.
Aintree Racecourse - which honoured him on Grand National Day - tweeted: "Very sad to hear that Bradley Lowery has passed away. Our thoughts are with family and friends."
Julie Elliott, Labour MP for Sunderland Central, tweeted: "Bradley packed so much into his short life. My thoughts are with his family & friends on this very sad day. RIP Bradley Lowery."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: "Heartbreaking to hear that Bradley Lowery has died. I'll never forget images of Defoe & Bradley when he was Sunderland and England's mascot."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40530250
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Acrobat death fall at Mad Cool festival in Madrid - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A man who lived and worked in Brighton died during an aerial stunt at the Mad Cool festival in Madrid.
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England
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An acrobat from Brighton has died after reportedly falling 100ft (30m) during a stunt at a rock festival in Spain.
Specialist in aerial dance Pedro Aunión Monroy, was suspended in a cage during the Mad Cool festival in Madrid, on Friday night.
While near the main stage, in-between the performances by alt-J and Green Day, he fell.
Paramedics spent 30 minutes trying to revive him, but were unable to save him.
Mr Monroy from Portslade, who trained in the schools of Pilar López, Cristina Rota and in the Royal Conservatory of Dance, had his own performance company, In Fact Aerial Dance, based in Brixton, London.
He also worked as a self-employed massage therapist at The Grand Hotel, Brighton.
Speaking to the BBC, the hotel's general manager Andrew Mosley said: "We are all very sad to hear the news, it is the most terrible news and our hearts go out to his friends and family."
He added the sports masseur enjoyed half marathons and was a very popular member of the staff.
Just a few days before the festival, he posted a picture and a last message on Facebook of himself and his partner which said "love, come to my arms".
Mr Monroy's last Facebook post before his death was a loving message to his partner
The festival organisers did not initially inform the audience or the bands the fall was fatal because of "security reasons" and around 40 minutes after, Green Day took to the stage for their set.
Tweeting after their performance Green Day said: "We just got off stage at Mad Cool Festival to disturbing news. A very brave artist named Pedro lost his life tonight in a tragic accident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends."
It is unclear at this stage what happened with Mr Monroy's equipment which caused him to fall.
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Slowdive, which was due on stage after Green Day, suspended its performance, saying: "Due to the tragic accident in Mad Cool this night we feel it is not appropriate to play. Our thoughts are with those affected."
A statement on the 45,000-ticket sell out festival's website from directors Javier Arnaiz and Farruco Castromán reads: "Mad Cool Festival regrets the terrible accident that the aerial dancer suffered during the second day of the festival.
Mr Monroy fell just before rock band Green Day went on stage
"For security reasons, the festival decided to continue with its programming. We send our most sincere condolences to all his family.
"Tomorrow Saturday 8, during the festival, we will render a heartfelt tribute to the artist."
The mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, has also tweeted to say she was sorry to hear of the death and sent "a loving embrace to your family, friends and colleagues".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40542289
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The guilty secret of every diplomat in Washington DC - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Clueless envoys rely on one method to glimpse the president's thinking, even if they won't admit it.
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US & Canada
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"Four minutes with him is worth hours of meeting with anybody else," one head of state said
It's tough being a diplomat when nobody talks to you. It's even worse when they aren't talking to you because they don't think you matter anymore.
When he was just a candidate, Donald Trump declared in his first major speech on the issue that "our foreign policy is a complete and total disaster". His solution was to replace it with a slogan: America First. What he hasn't replaced, now that he is president, are the people normally tasked with projecting America's power around the world.
"It can't be business as usual when the entire [upper] floor of the State Department is missing," one ambassador said.
Ambassadors in Washington are clueless these days, or rather clues are all they have, because, as this one was explaining to me, the usual avenues of diplomacy in the US capital have broken down. The same words were spoken by several ambassadors from across the globe that I've spoken to in DC recently.
There are dozens of senior positions lying vacant at the Department of State
The "missing people" are the undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of state with whom all the diplomats in the US capital normally conduct their day-to-day operational business.
There are presently dozens of senior positions lying vacant. The people who are acting up in these roles, by their own admission, have no authority to take important decisions.
Unfortunately for them, Washington, DC, is a city where your status is entirely defined by your ability to influence others. So the city's embassies, representing US allies in Asia, Europe and Latin America, have told their staff to largely bypass the state department and look for other avenues to get their voices heard.
With a president widely viewed as being entirely un-ideological on all issues other than trade, face time is key.
"Four minutes with him is worth hours of meeting with anybody else," a visiting head of state told me recently. World leaders recognise transaction is the new diplomacy.
America isn't taking one for the team anymore, because President Trump isn't a team player. So diplomats make sure they go into their meetings with an idea that Mr Trump can claim as a victory.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson can't be everywhere at once
It must be structured, as one diplomat put it, "so he can say to people, 'we scored a win here,' because for him it's all about winning".
To make their case more effectively, America's allies are cloaking their own agendas in the president's language and priorities.
Complex political issues are boiled down as "fighting terrorism".
That's how the Saudi government played the president during his Middle East trip in May. The Saudis repackaged their long-simmering dispute with Qatar, over regional influence and the Muslim Brotherhood, as a battle against Islamist extremists.
Latin American leaders are recasting their "war on drugs'' as a "war on terrorism".
On trade issues, countries make their pitch on the benefits to Mr Trump's support base and how much the people who voted for him will end up paying for stuff in the shops.
A Western diplomat said his team had decided there were three groups of people President Trump listens to. There is his inner circle of White House advisers containing people like Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law; the former investment banker Gary Cohn; and Mr Trump's right-wing svengali Steve Bannon.
The second group is his cabinet, and their influence varies widely from person to person, reflected in the time they each get with him inside the Oval Office.
The third group is his pre-presidency contacts from New York, and the property and media industries.
So foreign diplomats try to talk to as many people in this group of interlocking circles as they can, in the hope that if these people see the merit in their case, they will convey it to the president. And if the president hears that view enough times, he will believe it.
Diplomacy in Washington has been reduced to a modern day version of Kremlinology
However, after laying out this elaborate strategy, the Western diplomat confessed, "but then there are those who say the most important thing is to be the last person to talk to him before he makes a decision".
Diplomacy in Washington has been reduced to a modern-day version of Kremlinology, where each individual policy outcome is used to measure the influence of the people arguing for or against it.
From that is determined who is up and who is down and who is therefore important to influence.
The guilty secret of every ambassador in DC is that the first thing they do in the morning is check the president's Twitter feed. That is now the best, perhaps it's the only, way to work out what is going on with US foreign policy.
And while the White House press corps have derided Mr Trump's Twitter diplomacy, some of his allies have a grudging respect for it.
"An awful lot of politicians around the world are watching this and thinking, 'Can I learn from it?' because it's been astonishingly successful," one diplomat told me.
"This is a guy who had never run for public office anywhere and the first time he runs, he gets the biggest job on the planet. So he did something right."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40534572
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Girl dies in A38 Birmingham school trip crash - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The pupils had been going on a school art trip when their minibus was involved in the crash with a bin lorry.
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England
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The crash involved the minibus going on the school trip and a city council bin lorry
A 14-year-old girl has died in a crash involving a minibus full of pupils going on a school art trip.
Emergency services were called to the crash between the minibus and a bin lorry on the A38 in Castle Vale, Birmingham at 09:00 BST on Friday.
Another girl was taken to hospital and 24 people, including the lorry driver, were treated at the scene.
The pupils were all from John Taylor High School in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire.
The girl died at the crash scene, the ambulance service said.
West Midlands Police said three teachers and a further 20 pupils were on the minibus.
The teenager who suffered minor injuries was taken to Heartlands Hospital.
Machine worker Stephen Jones, 38, who works nearby, said: "I heard a big bang at 9am this morning - a massive bang.
"I came over and had a look and the police were here with the sirens and they'd shut it all.
"I saw the coroner's ambulance and I heard a girl had passed away."
He added: "There are a lot of accidents here all the time, it's a busy road."
Police were in place at the school gates on Friday
In a letter to parents, school principal Mike Donoghue said pupils would be able to receive support from teachers and other staff.
He said: "Your child, who has brought this letter home today, has been told about this and they may well be very upset by this sad event.
"We therefore felt it was important you know what has happened and what we are are doing in school to support your child."
"Our thoughts, at this very tragic and sad time, are with the family, their friends and the pupils and staff involved," the letter added.
The school later tweeted its thanks for support during the "desperately sad time".
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The school earlier said some of its Year 9 and 12 pupils had been on an art trip when the crash happened.
In a statement, Birmingham City Council confirmed the bin lorry was one of its fleet and said it was "deeply saddened" about what had happened.
"As a city council trade waste vehicle was involved in the incident we will be fully co-operating with all investigations," it said.
No arrests have been made, however, police said that both drivers were assisting with the "detailed and thorough" investigation.
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Asked by reporters if the pupils were wearing seatbelts, he replied: "That will be part of our investigation and, at the moment, I can't confirm either way whether or not pupils were wearing seatbelts or otherwise."
He said he would not speculate on the cause of the collision.
Forensic experts were at the scene on Friday afternoon.
From the roadside, damage to the bin lorry's front end was visible and the rear right-hand portion of the minibus had been covered over with a green tarpaulin.
Officers were also carrying out skid tests and taking distance markings on the dual carriageway.
The school is a specialist science and leadership academy and has 1,500 pupils.
The calendar on the school's website suggests a trip had been planned for Friday to Birmingham's Botanical Gardens and Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
It also shows the school's Year 11 prom was due to be held on Friday night.
It is located in Barton-under-Needwood, close to Burton-upon-Trent and Lichfield.
Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant, whose constituency includes the school, tweeted he was "heartbroken" to hear about the girl's death.
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Councillor John Clancy, leader of Birmingham City Council, said he was "shocked and saddened by the tragic incident".
West Midlands Police's Force Contact team earlier tweeted that the road was expected to be closed for a "considerable time".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40532160
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Ivanka Trump takes Donald Trump seat at G20 leaders' table - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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In an unusual move, the first daughter sits with world leaders while Donald Trump steps away.
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World
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Ms Trump accompanied her father to earlier sessions before sitting in for him later
In an unusual move Ivanka Trump briefly took her father Donald's seat at a summit of world leaders on Saturday.
The US president had stepped away for a meeting with the Indonesian leader during the G20 meeting.
Ms Trump is an adviser to her father, but a leader's absence is usually covered by high-ranking officials.
A BBC correspondent at the summit said he could recall no similar precedent. There has been widespread criticism on social media.
Mr Trump returned a short while later to retake his seat between the British prime minister and the Chinese president.
Ms Trump did not seem to make any major contribution to the session on African migration and health during her father's absence.
A photograph of her presence was tweeted by a Russian attendee, but later deleted.
Some users highlighted that Ms Trump is unelected, or questioned her credentials - as a fashion brand owner - to sit at such a senior diplomatic meeting.
Others lampooned her appearance among the world's most powerful leaders after her claim in an interview two weeks ago that she tries to "stay out of politics".
But her brother appeared to suggest there was nothing wrong and asked the "outraged left" if they would rather he sat in instead.
Ms Trump had joined her father for an earlier G20 event on Saturday on women's entrepreneurship and finance, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Christine Lagarde, director of the International Monetary Fund.
All three women had previously appeared together on a panel during the G20 women's summit in Berlin in April.
At that appearance she defended her father as a "tremendous champion of supporting families and enabling them to thrive".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ivanka Trump explains her praise for her father
Earlier on Saturday, Donald Trump said having him for a father was the only "bad thing" in Ms Trump's life.
"I'm very proud of my daughter, Ivanka - always have been, from day one," he told world leaders at the panel on female entrepreneurs.
"If she weren't my daughter, it would be so much easier for her. Might be the only bad thing she has going, if you want to know the truth."
While her siblings, Donald Jr and Eric, took over the family business, Ms Trump put her own fashion brand assets in a trust in order to take an unpaid White House position, a move criticised as nepotism.
After a brief modelling career as a teenager, Ms Trump was given a job in her father's company.
There, she expanded the Trump hotel brand and became an executive vice-president of development, alongside her siblings.
Ms Trump is married to Jared Kushner, who also plays an influential role in Donald Trump's White House.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-40541611
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The tennis players who play by different rules - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The world's best wheelchair tennis players meet in the first grass-court event to precede Wimbledon.
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Disability
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Grand slam winners, Paralympians and Wimbledon champions have gone head-to-head at a new tennis championship.
Thirteen of the world's best wheelchair players competed at the first Surbiton Wheelchair Tennis Tournament as a warm-up to Wimbledon.
It's the first time players have had a chance to try out their grass-court game in a tournament setting before heading to SW19, where three British players will be defending titles.
Wheelchair tennis is played on a regular size court with the same balls and rackets but the athletes use specialist wheelchairs and the ball can bounce twice each side of the net.
Double Paralympic bronze medallist Lucy Shuker took up the sport after she was paralysed from the waist down in a motorbike accident.
She has represented Great Britain at three Paralympics and won a bronze medal in the doubles at both London 2012 and Rio 2016, alongside Jordanne Whiley.
"When I first started everyone said I was too disabled to compete," says Shuker.
"I'm the most disabled girl on the tour and, as much as it's tough, I've managed to develop a chair and straps that help me with my body to compete, but it's challenging every day."
"It's made me stronger, it's made my body better so dealing every day with my disability is easier."
The top players travel the world to play the game with the four Grand Slams taking place in Melbourne, Paris, Wimbledon and New York.
Fresh from winning the men's singles at this year's French Open, Britain's Alfie Hewett has a title to defend after winning the men's doubles at Wimbledon last year with fellow Briton and world number one Gordon Reid.
Hewett started playing in 2005 and made his Paralympic debut in Rio. He came away with two silvers - in the doubles with Reid, and in the singles after Reid defeated him.
He says: "Playing on grass requires a different approach. We've not previously had the opportunity to play competitive matches on grass ahead of Wimbledon, so this tournament will form a crucial part of my preparations."
Reigning Australian Open champion, and world number two, Gustavo Fernandez beat Hewett on day one in a reverse match in Surbiton, soon after the Briton's triumph in Paris.
The Tennis Foundation, which organised the event, says it hopes the warm-up tournament will give the players the edge for Wimbledon, where the wheelchair events start on 13 July.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-40492329
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Bradley Lowery: Sunderland fan dies after long illness - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The six-year-old struck up a friendship with striker Jermain Defoe after being diagnosed with cancer.
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England
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Six-year-old Bradley Lowery, whose plight touched the lives of many people, has died after a long illness.
The Sunderland fan was diagnosed with neuroblastoma - a rare type of cancer - when he was 18 months old.
Bradley went on to be the club's mascot and became "best mates" with his hero, striker Jermain Defoe.
A minute's applause for the youngster took place just before the kick-off in the club's friendly against Bury at Gigg Lane.
Bury's chairman also said all gate receipts from the match will go to Bradley's fundraising campaign.
Players from both teams, as well as the crowd at Gigg Lane, applauded the memory of the youngster
His death was confirmed on social media by his parents.
The posting read: "My brave boy has went with the angels today.
"He was our little superhero and put the biggest fight up but he was needed else where. There are no words to describe how heart broken we are."
Bradley's mum Gemma Lowery had previously said his deterioration had been "heartbreaking"
In a statement Sunderland FC extended its "'love and support" to Bradley's family.
It said: "He had a special relationship with Jermain Defoe and their feelings for each other were evident for all to see. Jermain, naturally, is heartbroken."
Bradley underwent treatment and was in remission, but relapsed last year.
Well-wishers raised more than £700,000 in 2016 to pay for him to be given antibody treatment in New York, but medics then found his cancer had grown and his family was informed his illness was terminal.
Bradley was a mascot for England when they played Lithuania in March
In December, Bradley's parents Gemma and Carl, from Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, were told he only had "months to live".
Four months later they were told the latest and final round of his treatment had failed.
He underwent "tumour-shrinking treatment" at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary but the cancer continued to spread.
On 24 May, Mrs Lowery said Bradley had left hospital to start palliative care at home, adding more tumours had been found and further radiotherapy was planned.
Then, on 28 June the family wrote on Facebook: "Bradley is deteriorating fast, his temperature is going very high his breathing very fast his oxygen levels low.
Bradley walked down the red carpet at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year in 2016
"He is sleeping most the time apart from odd times awake. We knew this was coming but we are heartbroken beyond words."
On 1 July, his family posted a picture of Bradley with Defoe who, after signing for Bournemouth, returned to the North East to see him.
On Thursday, Defoe broke down in tears during a press conference for his new club and said the six-year-old would "always be in my heart".
Bradley with his dad Carl at the match between Everton and Sunderland
Bradley became known worldwide following an appeal that saw him receive 250,000 Christmas cards from countries as far away as Australia and New Zealand.
In December, he met England manager Gareth Southgate and Match of the Day pundit Gary Lineker at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year event in Birmingham.
Bradley then won the programme's December goal of the month award after he took a penalty ahead of Sunderland's game against Chelsea.
Bradley became firm friends with his hero Jermain Defoe
He has also appeared as a mascot for Everton, who pledged £200,000 to his fundraising campaign, and was visited in hospital by a number of Sunderland players.
A dream came true when he appeared as mascot for the England team at Wembley Stadium before a game that saw Defoe score a goal.
He was also given honorary 41st place in the race card for the Grand National at Aintree in April.
On 30 June a charity single, "Smile For Bradley" by LIV'n'G, entered the singles chart at number 28. All proceeds from the song will go to the Bradley Lowery Foundation, which has been set up in his honour.
Bradley got to try out the weighing scales at Aintree - coming in at 2st 12.5lb (18.37kg)
Bradley was named Child of Courage at the Pride of North East Awards just days before a party was held to celebrate his sixth birthday, which was attended by Defoe and 250 other well-wishers.
Fewer than 100 children in the UK are diagnosed each year with neuroblastoma and most living with the condition are under the age of five.
Dr Guy Blanchard, chair of Neuroblastoma UK, said: "All in the neuroblastoma community will be saddened to hear the news of Bradley's death.
"His story raised significant awareness of a disease that is responsible for one in six of all children's cancer deaths.
"Through the world-leading research funded by Neuroblastoma UK, into improving both diagnosis and treatment of the disease, we will find a cure."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39883344
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Mike Pence ignores Nasa 'do not touch' sign - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The VP made a tongue-in-cheek apology to Nasa after a photo of him touching the equipment went viral.
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US & Canada
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Nasa later reassured Mr Pence that it was "OK to touch the surface"
US Vice-President Mike Pence has made a tongue-in-cheek apology to Nasa after a photo of him touching a piece of space flight equipment went viral.
Mr Pence was visiting the Kennedy Space Center in Florida when he placed his hand on a piece of hardware - despite a large sign that read "do not touch".
He later apologised to Nasa on Twitter, joking that Florida Senator Marco Rubio "dared" him to do it.
Nasa has assured Mr Pence the equipment was in need of a clean anyway.
The vice-president, who addressed Nasa staff at Cape Canaveral on Thursday, sparked a social media storm after a photo emerged of him touching a cover for the Orion spacecraft, which was labelled as a piece of "critical space flight hardware".
On Friday, Mr Pence apologised to the space agency - while pointing the finger at his colleague.
Nasa replied that it was OK, and said in a statement that "procedures require the hardware to be cleaned before tiles are bonded to the spacecraft, so touching the surface is absolutely okay."
If the hardware was not OK to touch, it "would have had a protective cover over it", Nasa added.
Mr Pence later posted a further tweet mocking the incident, replacing the Nasa hardware in the photo with a porcupine.
The original photo had gone viral within hours - with some social media users criticising Mr Pence for ignoring the sign.
"Good to know our vice president has the self control of a sugar-charged third grader on a field trip," wrote Twitter user @KentoTFH.
Others said those criticising Mr Pence were taking the matter far too seriously, and injected a little humour into their tweets.
"After six months at Trump's side, Mike Pence quietly envies the capsule for its journey to the cold, tranquil emptiness of space," wrote @KevinMKruse.
Twitter user @Michael_Bell_, in reference to the administration's previous viral photo involving US President Donald Trump on a visit to Saudi Arabia, said: "Now, on to the orb of destiny!"
A photo of Mr Trump and his Saudi and Egyptian counterparts around a glowing orb had also sparked online jokes
• None Is Pence distancing himself from Trump?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40540356
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Norway 'troll penis' restored to its former upstanding glory - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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But tourists eager to see the repaired structure will have to wait to allow the glue to seal.
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Europe
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A penis-shaped rock formation in Norway that was apparently knocked down by vandals last month has been restored to its anatomical glory.
Scaffolding was used to hoist up the protuberance, which is reported to weigh about 12 tonnes (12,000kg.)
The restoration operation was funded by a crowdfunding campaign which raised about 227,000 kroner ($27,000).
But tourists will have to wait a week before they can see the formation in order to allow it to fasten properly.
Cement, glue and metal fastenings were used to re-attach the Trollpikken, or "The Troll's Penis" to the cliff.
Police last month said that indentations in the rock suggested vandalism was responsible for the demise of the stone. They say a suspect has been questioned over the incident.
Indentations in the rock suggested the penis had been vandalised, police said
Hikers found the stone, which originally came out from the rock face, resting on the ground.
Days afterwards The Troll's Penis Will Be Re-Erected appeal was launched and had received money from close to 1,000 people.
The rock formation is located in the municipality of Eigersund, in the south-west of the country.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40540561
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Army chief: Public has to understand why we need 'boots on the ground' - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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General Sir Nick Carter, the Army's top soldier, says the force's future depends on better public understanding.
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UK
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As he visits troops bolstering Nato's eastern border in Estonia in response to rising tensions with Russia, General Sir Nick Carter - the British army's top soldier - explains how the armed forces need to win support for their changing mission.
Public support in Britain for the Army has been consistently strong. But General Carter says there are risks here as well as benefits.
"That public support," he says, "is very much based upon sympathy and not necessarily upon empathy.
"And I think if we wish to sustain our numbers, and indeed the sort of attitude you would want your army to have, I think it's important that the cursor swings more towards empathy than sympathy, so that people understand more about what an army does and why you need an army, and therefore what its final task might be."
Of course the Army is about much more than that final task - "closing with and engaging the enemy".
But the unpopularity of some of Britain's recent wars, the lack of understanding about military matters among much of the public, and the increasing sensitivity to casualties, have all meant that the term "boots on the ground" - putting soldiers into harm's way - has become almost toxic.
General Carter has some sympathy with this view.
"I think the term 'boots on the ground' has become difficult for people to comprehend.
"The trick of course is for boots on the ground to be applied in a way that is not necessarily risk-free, but is done for appropriate gain and benefit."
This issue of the relationship between Britain and her army is a central aspect of General Carter's thinking.
He is speaking at an Estonian army base in Tapa, a garrison town a little under 100 miles from the Russian border.
The general is visiting the British-led multi-national battle group, which is there as part of a Nato deployment to reassure the Estonians and to demonstrate the alliance's cohesion to Moscow.
British soldiers took part in a ceremony welcoming the Nato battalion to Estonia earlier this year
"Young people join an army to be used and that is important to us," he says.
"So the opportunity to do something like we are doing up here in Estonia is important.
"But we also need to be prepared to be used in other ways as well, providing we can be used in an effective fashion."
For the British army, this is a period of unprecedented change as it transitions away from a dominant focus on counter-insurgency operations in the heat of Iraq and Afghanistan, and re-builds its capability to fight modern high-intensity combat - the sort of conflict it trained for day-in and day-out during the Cold War years.
The strategic picture is also changing dramatically.
The potential threats are becoming more complex, the dividing line between peace and war ever less clear.
Some people argue that the modern, Western way of war is at arm's-length - exemplified by armed drones and stand-off weapons fired at great distances from their intended targets.
By such readings the traditional army - leaving aside maybe the special forces - seems strangely out of step with the apparent new reality.
"I don't subscribe to the view that we find ourselves in a new era of warfare where you can do it all with stand-off; you can do it all with bombing; you can do it all with special forces and you can do it all with proxies," he tells me emphatically.
"Those are all simply fallacies. The bottom line in all of this is that, in the final analysis, people live on land and it is ultimately the land component that has to 'mix it' where people live. History proves that that is a requirement.
"Our policy makers absolutely understand that you have an army because, in the final analysis, armies are the business when it comes to a decision, and ultimately it's about a decision."
Britain's army is of course an awful lot smaller than it once was.
How big should it be in part depends upon what the country can afford. So does General Carter think that he has enough soldiers?
"The straightforward answer to that question is that given the tasks that we have currently got, we have adequate numbers," he says.
"If the tasks change or the tasks increase then we might have to ask questions about it."
On equipment he is confident that the Army will get things that it needs, though "how quickly it arrives is always a question".
But the Army itself is going to change even more dramatically in the years ahead. And this too is something that General Carter is pushing forward.
Traditionally the Army - like most others - is what he terms "bottom-fed".
In other words, "it recruits people who are youngsters and we grow them through a career".
But he believes that as the Army requires and takes on more specialists, it is going to have to offer a very different career structure.
"I suspect," he says, "that maybe as much as 30% of the army may be specialists in the future - and how we supply those specialist career schemes is something we have to think about."
This could mean a lot more of what the Army calls "lateral entry" (ie joining at a much later age, probably from an established career) or indeed sharing people with industry.
Nonetheless, at least in his lifetime, General Carter does not expect the combat arms of the Army "to look particularly different" to the way they do today.
"I think we will still deliver that effect through a bottom-fed delivery system in the way that we understand it."
But he says specialists will need to be recruited differently and that will have significant implications requiring a review of ranks, career structures, working practices and so on.
General Carter thinks that the Army is about a year or two away from taking on regular personnel by this lateral entry method.
But the core business of the Army is not going to change.
While its roles go way beyond just training for high-intensity combat, as here in Estonia, it remains part of the nation's insurance policy.
So being so close to the Russian border, what security challenge does the general worry about most?
"Probably the greatest risk at the moment," he says, "is the risk of miscalculation.
"Understanding your potential opponents," he says, "and having the communications systems in place and the processes in place so that you realise what messages you are sending is fundamental.
"Miscalculation is the thing that we probably need to watch."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40534771
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Woman and three children die in Bolton house fire - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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The two boys and a girl were all under 13; a man jumped to safety from a first floor window.
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Manchester
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The two boys and a girl were all under the age of 13, police say
A woman and three children have died after a house fire in Bolton.
The blaze broke out at Rosamond Street in the Daubhill area of the town just after 09:00 BST.
A man managed to jump from a first floor window but two boys and a girl - all under the age of 13 - and a woman were still inside.
One of the children was pronounced dead at the scene and the woman and two other children died later in hospital, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.
The force said it was currently not treating the fire as suspicious.
A man jumped from the first floor before trying to rescue other residents
One resident said: "It's terrible, absolutely terrible. I saw them bringing people out. They were doing chest compressions.
"I saw them bring two out and then they put a green sheet up."
She said she was first alerted to a "commotion" when she heard a man "banging on a door" of one of the terraced houses.
"There was just a load of hammering... I went to the window and saw smoke billowing.
"When I saw him after, he had his hands bandaged up and his head."
Assistant fire officer Tony Hunter said the man, believed to be the children's father, had jumped from the first floor window and tried to get back into the property to rescue them and their mother.
He is currently being treated in hospital.
Mr Hunter added firefighters had to use a specialist tool to break the front door down. They found the heat had been so "intense" it had burnt off plaster on the walls to reveal the brick underneath, he said.
A child was pronounced dead at the scene and a woman and two other children died in hospital
Police have launched a joint investigation with Manchester Fire and Rescue into the cause of the blaze.
Det Ch Insp Chris Bridge, from GMP, said: "These are utterly heartbreaking circumstances and our thoughts go out to anyone affected by this tragic incident.
"This happened on a Saturday morning when many people would be up and about and I would appeal to anyone with any information about this incident to please call us."
The fire, which has now been extinguished, led to the temporary closure of nearby roads.
Manchester Fire and Rescue tweeted: "Our deepest condolences go to the family and the community. We will be in the local area in the coming days reassuring residents."
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham posted on Twitter: "Dreadful news coming out of Bolton today. My thoughts are with the family, their friends and the whole community."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-40543541
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St Neots shooting: Tied-up children sent text plea - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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The children of a man shot dead by police sent a desperate text after being tied up by him, an inquest hears.
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Cambridgeshire
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Richard Davies was shot dead by police after firing from the upstairs window of the family home
The widow of a man shot dead by police has told an inquest of a desperate text sent by one of their children saying "dad's going to kill himself".
Richard Davies, 41, died of a single gunshot wound to the chest after firing at officers in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, in October 2015.
His widow Samantha said she had a text from her child saying they were tied up and begging her to "call the police".
Mr Davies was shot after firing a gun from the house. The inquest continues.
The father of three said he "wanted to end his life" after learning his marriage was over, the hearing in Peterborough was told earlier this week.
Giving evidence at the hearing, Mrs Davies said she had initially believed her husband had "some acceptance" about the end of their relationship and said "there wasn't an ounce of anger" during their conversation earlier that day.
However, he had made several trips to a nearby shop to buy alcohol and had been carrying a knife, the inquest heard.
Mrs Davies went to visit her sister and when her children returned to the family home their father tied them up.
Firearms officers attended the scene in Duck Lane, St Neots within minutes, the inquest heard
The inquest then heard how the children managed to make 999 calls and alert their mother.
She received a text that read: "Call the police. Get them to come to our house. Dad's going to kill himself. He's tied us up. I'm not joking."
When Mrs Davies arrived, one child had managed to escape.
She said when Mr Davies came to the door "he didn't really look like my husband".
He returned a short time later with a knife pointed at his chest, she told the hearing.
Samantha Davies told the inquest her family had been "changed forever" by what happened
Her other children managed to escape and Mrs Davies was taken to a neighbour's house.
Mr Davies was shot dead by a police marksman after firing six shots from the house, the inquest heard.
Mrs Davies said she had never seen his home-made gun or ammunition before, and her family was "forever changed" by what happened.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-40533502
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How a former slave gave a quilt to Queen Victoria - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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More than a century ago a former slave fulfilled her dream to meet Queen Victoria, taking with her a gift.
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Africa
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The two women, of a similar age, greeted each other warmly, shaking hands and smiling. One was the most powerful woman in the world - the other had been born into slavery.
It had taken more than 50 years for Martha Ann Erskine Ricks of Liberia to finally fulfil her life-long dream. And her encounter with Great Britain's Queen Victoria was extraordinary in many ways.
Extraordinary because it made such an impression on the queen that she wrote about it in her daily journal; because it was so warm; and because it happened at all.
The queen and the farmer met in Windsor Castle on Saturday, 16 July 1892. Martha Ricks took with her a present of a satin quilt, embroidered with a coffee tree in full bloom, complete with red and green berries.
"At home, when a poor man comes to visit us on our farm, he never comes without some little present," Martha Ricks explained to the London-based newspaper, the Pall Mall Gazette, a few days after the meeting.
"How could I come to Queen Victoria, and bring her no present?
"I made it all myself, every stitch of it."
Surrounded by courtiers, her children and grandchildren, Queen Victoria told Martha that she "felt greatly honoured by the trouble you have taken to come to see me," according to a report in the Daily Graphic, a leading illustrated newspaper of the time, which also carried a sketch of the meeting on its front page.
In her diary the Queen described Martha as "very loyal… with a kind face. I shook hands with her and she kept holding and shaking mine".
The hand-shaking also stayed with Martha, as she told the Pall Mall Gazette:
"She did not stay long in the golden room and I forgot what she said, but I shall never forget how she smiled and how she shook hands with me."
Martha had travelled a long distance to meet Queen Victoria - physically and metaphorically.
She had been born into slavery in 1817 in Tennessee, in the southern United States. Her father George Erskine bought the family's freedom and, in 1830, when Martha was 13, the family of nine moved to Liberia, a West African country founded by former American and Caribbean slaves.
Tragically, within a year, all but Martha and two brothers had died from fever.
The quilt is very special for Martha Ricks' family
Martha settled on a farm in Clay Ashland, which is today a quiet village located on the lush green banks of the St Paul River, about 10 or so miles (16km) east of the capital Monrovia.
Clay Ashland was one of the first places settled by former slaves from the US who, with the help of the American Colonisation Society, had made West Africa their home from 1820 onwards.
Martha became a farmer, growing her own vegetables and crops like ginger, cocoa, and coffee.
She also gained quite a reputation as a gifted needlewoman, winning prizes at national fairs for her silk stockings. And she was skilled in the art of quilting - a tradition brought over from the south of America by the settlers.
Martha, a former slave, had spent 50 years determined to meet the Queen
"Aunt Martha really did inspire the women of Liberia to do quilting," Evangeline Morris Dennis says of her ancestor. Martha Ricks was the great-aunt of Mrs Dennis' mother.
"When the idea came to Aunt Martha to make this present, the first thing that came to her was to give her a quilt of a coffee tree."
The reason why, says Mrs Dennis who is 83, is that coffee trees flourished on Martha's farm - and were, she says, a symbol of the potential of Liberia, which in 1847 had declared itself Africa's first republic.
Mrs Dennis talks as if she had met Aunt Martha, although she did not.
Newspapers at the time followed the story with great interest
Martha died in 1901, by coincidence the same year as Queen Victoria. But Martha's stories have been handed down the generations and the stories of that event 125 years ago - and the quilt - are often spoken about.
And also to the history of Liberia, argues Kyra Hicks, a quilter, quilt historian and the author of the children's book Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria.
"Here was a former slave who had spent 50 years wanting to give this gift," she says.
"The sheer audacity of the faith she had to do that - and her faith that she would, one day, see the Queen of England - that was just marvellous."
Ms Hicks says Martha's quilt was the first Liberian quilt to be given as a diplomatic gift.
The tradition was revived in 2005 when Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became Africa's first elected female president. She often gives quilts as presents to visiting dignitaries.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (L) recently gave this quilt of a cocoa tree to US Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
So why did Martha Ricks feel so compelled to make a quilt for Queen Victoria?
One reason is that the UK was the first country to recognise Liberia's independence - even before the US.
And, in July 1892 when speaking to the Pall Mall Gazette, Martha herself tells us that it was because of Queen Victoria's support for the anti-slavery movement.
"I had heard it often, from the time I was a child, how good the Queen had been to my people - to slaves - and how she wanted us to be free."
Sadly, the quilt is now missing.
But the family and Ms Hicks, who has spent more than seven years looking for it, hope that someday, someone could open a cupboard and find it.
Looking for Aunt Martha's Quilt will be broadcast on the BBC World Service's The Documentary on 8 July 2017
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40500884
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Murdered Mauritius woman Janice Farman wanted to return home - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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Janice Farman talked of leaving the Indian Ocean island after being robbed, her estranged husband says.
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Glasgow & West Scotland
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Janice Farman had been in Mauritius since 2004
A woman who was murdered at the home she shared with her 10-year-old son in Mauritius had wanted to return to Scotland after being robbed two weeks ago, it has emerged.
Janice Farman, who was 47 and originally from Clydebank, told her husband she wanted to leave the Indian Ocean island on Wednesday.
Mrs Farman was asphyxiated on Friday after three masked men raided her home.
She had been in Mauritius since 2004 and was working for a data group.
Mrs Farman's estranged husband, Jean-Baptiste Moutou, told the BBC: "I talked to her on the phone on Wednesday and she had expressed her wish to return to Scotland.
"She asked for my help in initiating the proceedings."
Mr Moutou said Ms Farman was robbed two weeks ago after moving to the Albion region of the country.
He added: "She decided to move to Albion and when I asked her the reason she told me she loved the beautiful beach in this region."
Police said they had yet to make an arrest in the case, contradicting earlier reports from local media that a man had been detained.
Daniel Monvoisin, from the country's western criminal investigation division, said Mrs Farman had been beaten and smothered with a cushion by the intruders.
They fled with a number of items, including jewellery and her car, a Nissan Tiida, which was later found abandoned by the side of the road.
Mrs Farman's Nissan Tiida was later found by police at the side of the road
Mrs Farman's 10-year-old son remains under the care of local child services.
The British Foreign Office said it was in contact with local authorities in Mauritius about the case.
An online petition has been set up by Mrs Farman's friends and work colleagues urging government action in the case.
The Justice for Janice petition read: "Janice was a gregarious lady who wholeheartedly embraced life as an islander.
"She worked tirelessly to support charitable causes and was protective towards her employees. Janice was snatched away from us by three brutes and this crime is beyond comprehension.
"How many more Janices are we going to lose because our criminal justice system is flawed?"
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-40542099
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Deliveroo opens door to benefits win for gig economy workers - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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Food delivery firm says it would offer sick and injury pay if employment law is changed to allow more benefits for gig workers.
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Business
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Will Shu, Deliveroo's boss, says the law needs to change to catch up with the modern economy
The food delivery firm Deliveroo has said it will pay sickness and injury benefits to its 15,000 riders in the UK if the law is changed.
In a submission to the government's review of the "on-demand" economy seen by the BBC, the firm says that at present the law prevents it from offering enhanced rights because it classifies its riders as self-employed.
Deliveroo says it uses that classification to provide its riders with the flexibility to work when they want.
It says employment rules should be changed so that people who work for companies like Deliveroo and Uber can receive enhanced benefits and not lose that flexibility.
Sources say that the firm is willing to look at enhanced payments to riders to cover things like sickness pay - and that the money would probably be administered under a government controlled scheme similar to national insurance or pensions contributions.
It may mean that Deliveroo riders and others working for similar on-demand firms like Uber are "reclassified" as gig workers.
The move comes after a slew of criticism and court cases against gig economy companies over how they treat people who work for them.
"Central to our popularity with riders and our success as a business is the flexible nature of the work that we offer," the submission says.
"We want to offer riders more security.
"We believe everyone - regardless of their type of contract - is entitled to certain benefits, but we are constrained in offering these at the moment."
At the moment "self-employed" workers in the gig economy do not have the right to sickness pay, holiday pay or maternity and paternity leave.
They also are not covered by the minimum wage rules.
That has led to criticism that the people who ride or drive for gig companies are actually "workers" and should receive a wide range of benefits.
There are also concerns that companies are exploiting loopholes in employment law and lack of enforcement to run their businesses profitably.
Deliveroo says that if it did offer "worker" contracts, flexibility, which is very popular with its riders, would be lost.
Deliveroo riders, for example, are allowed to work for other on-demand economy businesses at the same time.
This makes it impossible, the firm argues, to guarantee the minimum wage which is based on working for a single employer.
Deliveroo says its riders earn on average £9.50 an hour, £2 more than the National Living Wage.
The firm says it is wrong that riders are at present involved in a "trade-off" between flexibility in the way they work, and the security of full employment benefits.
Company sources have told me that, following moves on sickness pay, Deliveroo would be willing to look at holiday pay, pension rights and maternity and paternity entitlements.
Those rights could be "earned" by riders after a certain number of deliveries have been achieved.
"At present, companies in the UK are forced to class the people they work with as either 'employees', 'workers' or 'self-employed'," the submission says.
"Our riders are 'self-employed'. This gives them full flexibility - but the quid pro quo is that they are not entitled to certain benefits.
"In short, there is currently a trade-off between flexibility and security and we want to play our part in overcoming this divide."
Deliveroo is one of a new breed of "on-demand" firms which operate in what is known as the gig economy.
Riders for the firm - 60% of whom are under the age of 25 - log on to the company's digital platform and receive "jobs" delivering food, on a bike or a scooter.
Matthew Taylor, the head of the Royal Society of Arts, was asked by the government to review this new world of work, including the gig economy and zero hours contracts.
He is expected to publish his report imminently on how to reform employment law so that workers can be flexible without being exploited.
Deliveroo's announcement today has received pretty short shrift from the TUC. Here's general secretary Frances O'Grady on my story this morning:
"This reads like special pleading. There's nothing stopping Deliveroo from paying their workforce the minimum wage and guaranteeing them basic rights like holiday and sick pay.
"Plenty of employers are able to provide genuine flexibility and security for their workforce. Deliveroo have no excuse for not following suit.
"The company's reluctance to offer benefits now is because they want to dodge wider employment and tax obligations by labelling staff as self-employed."
Here's another update. The boss of Deliveroo, Will Shu, has told me that the company is willing to go further than offering its riders sick pay and injury insurance.
I put it to him that the benefits debate in the gig economy went far further than sickness benefits and injury insurance, and asked whether the company would look at issues like pension payments and holiday entitlements.
"This is the beginning of the debate," Mr Shu told me.
"We sat down with - me personally - hundreds of riders and asked, what do you care most about today?
"It was sick pay and insurance for injury and that is what we are starting with. But we are open minded to different things."
That sounds like a yes, the company is willing to look at further benefit areas.
It will be interesting to see how Matthew Taylor's report, expected next week, deals with the issue of broader rights for gig workers.
I asked Mr Shu for his response to critics who say that the only way firms like his make money is by not paying national insurance payments for their riders, pension contributions and other benefits.
"Not at all," he answered.
"I understand [the criticism] - it is a new way of doing businesses.
"The on-demand economy in Britain is five or six years old and there are hundreds of thousands of people in it so the growth has been huge, and so it is understandable that people haven't understood the intricacies.
"At the end of the day though, let's take it back, it is a very different relationship than regular employment. People can come and go as they please.
"The issue is this - if we offer benefits to people the courts may reclassify self-employed people as workers thus robbing them of the flexibility they ultimately signed up for, for the job.
"What that practically means is that you would work on a shift pattern, you wouldn't log in and out as you please. It is a very different work relationship."
And would mean that Deliveroo wouldn't be, well, Deliveroo.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40524377
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Migrant crisis: 'Hipster right’ group trying to stop rescue ships - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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Anti-migrant groups accuse aid agencies of providing a taxi service to migrants crossing to Europe.
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Europe
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More than 80,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean to Italy this year
They call themselves Generation Identity. Made up of mainly 20-something tech-savvy members, the Identitarian movement has been described as the hipster right.
Fiercely anti-immigration and anti-Muslim, its aim is to stop mass migration to Europe. With headquarters in Austria and France, the group may be small in size, but its message is starting to resonate in Italy - a country where sympathy for migrants is wearing thin.
As the number of people seeking to reach Europe rises again, Italy continues to be the major point of entry for those arriving illegally on boats - particularly in the south.
However, attitudes are hardening and now this new "alt-right" movement says it will do whatever it can to protect Italian identity and culture from outsiders.
Since the start of 2017, more than 80,000 people have made the journey from Libya, across the Mediterranean, to Italian shores, the vast majority landing in Sicily.
Around 2,000 are thought to have died in the attempt, but with almost all other European countries closing their borders, most of the survivors end up staying in Italy.
The vast majority are not refugees fleeing war, but are considered economic migrants and mainly come from sub-Saharan Africa and as far as the Indian sub-continent.
Alarmingly, there's been a rise in the number of young girls from Nigeria who are forced into prostitution, while boys as young as 16 from Bangladesh are coming via Dubai and Libya looking for work.
"More than 90% of the immigrants coming here by boat are economic refugees," claims 20-year-old Viviana Randazzo, a newly-recruited member of the Identitarians, although official Italian statistics put the figure at 85%.
"We Italians are also suffering from poverty. Yet we are not given the same treatment - our needs perhaps count even less than theirs."
Italy is feeling the full burden of these new arrivals and there are now concerns that anti-immigration activists are exploiting the crisis for their own ends, calling for the "remigration" of second and third generation immigrants and the closure of mosques.
The Identitarians point the finger of blame at aid agencies and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) operating close to the Libyan coastline, accusing them of essentially acting as a taxi service to Europe.
"I think these [migrants] are coming to Europe because they know someone will save them," the movement's Italy co-ordinator, Lorenzo Fiato, told me in Catania, on Sicily's eastern coast.
"You can't solve this problem by helping the human traffickers do their jobs, because they want to transport illegal migrants."
Lorenzo Fiato says the Identitarians want to defend Europe against multiculturalism
The NGOs say they operate in co-ordination with the Italian coastguard and argue that they are there to save lives.
"[The people smugglers] don't need a 'pull' factor. They are pushing these people out come what may, and if we're not there, they will drown. We're not prepared to let that happen," says a defiant and frustrated David Alexander, from the charity Save the Children, talking to me in the western port of Trapani.
This summer the Identitarian movement tried to stop a Medecins Sans Frontieres rescue ship from leaving port.
The stunt failed but the group has now managed to raise more than €70,000 (£62,000) in less than three weeks, which it says it will invest in its "Defend Europe" campaign.
Save the Children says the Vos Hestia has rescued 4,000 migrants since September 2016
Ultimately, this means the group will keep targeting boats run by NGOs trying to rescue the migrants. "We want to defend Europe against mass immigration and multiculturalism," says Mr Fiato.
"We think that in every city where multiculturalism is present, radical Islam and violence is also present.
"This is a different kind of migration. These are thousands of illegal migrants coming to our shores and flooding into our cities," he adds.
This comes amid two ongoing investigations by the Italian authorities, who are trying to determine whether the NGOs are bringing migrants to Italy according to international maritime laws of saving lives, or whether they are merely assisting illegal migrants on their journey.
Ambrogio Cartosio, the chief prosecutor in Trapani, said he felt that the NGOs were somehow encouraging the people smuggling trade.
"It pushes the traffickers to load the migrants on ever more precarious vessels. They can be sure that after a few miles, they will be picked up by the ships," he told me.
The buying and selling of people is big business and the human trafficking trade continues to become more sophisticated and organised.
It is estimated that this year a quarter of a million migrants will make the perilous journey from Libya to Italy, after the escalation in numbers which typically happens over the summer months. It's been described as Europe's graveyard but it's also now the only route available to them.
David Alexander says people would drown if aid agencies did not get involved
"I think what is clear is that people will continue to do this, unless and until there is a safer, legal way to do it," says Mr Alexander.
"In the meantime, this tragedy will go on unfolding, and we will continue to pick up the pieces, and we will continue to get the blame for something that other people can solve."
While the crisis continues, so will criticism of the humanitarian effort. As will the message of intolerance.
And a solution? No end in sight.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40505337
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The painstaking task of naming Grenfell's victims - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Relatives are angry at the time it's taking to identify victims. But experts say the process is a highly complicated one.
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Magazine
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Relatives of those who died in the Grenfell Tower tragedy are angry at the time it's taking to recover and name victims. But police and forensic science experts say the process of identifying severely fire-damaged remains is a highly complicated one - and it will take some time before families can know the fate of their loved ones.
On Tuesday night, tempers flared in a closed-door meeting as survivors of the Grenfell Tower disaster demanded to know why the police and coroner weren't able to give out more details about those still missing.
So far, 21 people have been formally identified as having died in the fire and their families informed. But police believe at least 80 were killed. Met Police Commander Stuart Cundy has said there have been a total of 87 "recoveries" but, due to "catastrophic damage" inside the building, that did not mean 87 people.
Some residents suspect the figure could be even higher, and the slow pace of progress has fuelled fears of a cover-up.
The distress and frustration felt by survivors as a result of the delay is understandable, especially given that police have said the final death toll will not be known until the end of the year.
But experts in the specialised field of victim identification say this fire is a particularly challenging disaster and, that despite fears that the job is not being done properly, the UK has one of the best identification systems in the world.
"We need to make sure by scientific means," says the UK's Disaster Victim Identification Co-ordinator, Det Supt Alan Crawford. "That's why it takes longer to get identification, but then and only then, when we are 100% certain, do we tell the family."
Scotland Yard says all "visible human remains" have now been removed from the building. Specially trained officers and forensic anthropologists will continue to sift through more than 15 tonnes of debris on each floor by hand in the hope of finding other human material.
Disaster victim identification (DVI) is a police discipline that has developed out of lessons learnt from dealing with incidents of mass casualties around the world.
Every airplane crash, terrorist bombing and natural disaster adds to the collective sum of knowledge around issues - such as where to locate a temporary mortuary, how to collect and categorise fragmented remains and what the most accurate method is to identify them.
The practice is regulated internationally according to Interpol standards, adhered to by 197 countries.
In the UK, a pivotal moment in disaster victim identification came after the 1989 Marchioness boat tragedy in the Thames, in which 51 people died.
Eleven years after the Marchioness sank, a public inquiry was ordered to look into the work of the coroner after relatives complained they were kept in the dark, prevented from seeing bodies and that the hands of some victims had been removed unnecessarily for fingerprinting.
Victims' families complained they were kept in the dark after the Marchioness disaster
"The inquiry made a number of recommendations, principles we hold true now," says Det Supt Crawford.
"Avoid misidentification at all costs, treat the deceased with respect and dignity, be open and honest with families at all times and give as much information as we can."
In the UK, there are now around 2,000 police officers throughout the country who have volunteered for specialist DVI training in addition to their normal duties. They can be called on at any moment.
"We're up there in relation to being one of the best in the world at what we do," says Det Supt Crawford.
"We lead a lot of countries and they seek our advice."
When a disaster like Grenfell Tower happens, there are two distinct strands to the process of identifying victims.
One is gathering as much information as possible about potential victims from relatives, and friends, including collecting medical and dental records.
On the morning of the Grenfell Tower fire, the number for a Casualty Bureau phone line was given out the media. Members of the public who called in were asked a number of specially scripted questions designed to prioritise those with information about potential victims.
Those deemed likely to know someone caught up in the fire were allocated a family liaison officer who logged details about the missing person onto an official Interpol form.
The other strand of identification involves collecting information from the bodies themselves. This work is led by a senior identification manager (SIM), who appoints a scene evidence recovery manager, or SERM, who in turn oversees the work of DVI-trained body recovery teams.
These teams log every detail before moving them to a designated mortuary.
"At that time, we don't know who we are recovering so it's really important we recover the body or human remains in a dignified manner," says Det Supt Crawford.
"We need to make sure it's photographed, there's a continuity of evidence, there's a forensic preservation and all the way through that process from body recover to being lodged at the mortuary is done to a judicial standard."
When bodies are brought into the mortuary, experts try to identify them according to standards set by Interpol.
This means identification must be made using dental records, fingerprints or DNA. Medical implants that carry serial numbers such as pacemakers or hip replacements can be used as secondary identifiers, as can scars, marks and tattoos.
Visual identification by relatives is not used because this is regarded as unreliable. Nor is the discovery of property on a body, such as bag or purse.
Det Supt Crawford cites a 2006 case in the US where five college students were killed in a minibus crash. One family was told their daughter had died, after her body was identified from the bag she was found with. In fact, she had survived and was heavily bandaged in intensive care being watched over by another family whose daughter had been killed in the crash. It was several weeks before the mistake was discovered.
In the case of Grenfell Tower, there are several factors complicating this identification process.
The first is that the fire is what's referred to as an "open" disaster. A "closed" disaster is a situation such as a plane crash, in which a manifest exists of all the passengers and crew. In such a case, identification is a relatively straightforward case of matching the dental records of those on board with the victims.
Open disasters are more difficult. Here, investigators might have an idea of who was present, but do not know conclusively, making it hard to collect references for DNA, fingerprints or dental records.
Although the police have a list of those missing and presumed dead from the fire, they still have no information on the inhabitants of 23 out of the 129 flats in the building.
The Metropolitan Police says it is working with the Red Cross and community groups to spread their message of an amnesty for illegal immigrants, as well as those illegally sub-letting, so more potential victims can be identified.
The intensity of the fire also poses an immense challenge to forensic experts. The Westminster coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, is reported to have described the scene inside the burnt-out tower block as "apocalyptic".
Dr Denise Syndercombe-Court is a forensic scientist at Kings College London who works with the Metropolitan Police. She says experts will have to rely on new, sensitive techniques to analyse the remains. It's a slow and painstaking procedure.
"In some cases, these bodies are so badly damaged by the heat - terrific heat temperatures - we literally will have fragments of bones," she says.
"We'll work on providing strategies for what material is suitable for what analysis technique."
Knowing where the remains have been found is a key part of solving the identification puzzle. That is why it is so important for the DVI-trained body teams to log every detail before the body is moved.
"There's no point analysing material if you have no idea where it came from," says Dr Syndercombe-Court.
When the World Trade Center towers collapsed on 9/11, human remains were fragmented and mingled in among the debris of the buildings. As a result, 40% of the victims have still not been identified.
If DNA can be extracted, it then needs to be matched with that of potential victims. Here again, the ferocity of the fire poses additional challenges as surrogate samples of DNA, such as from personal items or toothbrushes, will have also been destroyed.
Because many of the victims were immigrants, investigators may need to work with police forces in other countries to collect DNA from at least two family members - all of which takes time.
The process can also take a huge emotional toll on those carrying it out.
Forensic scientist Prof Peter Vanezis is a veteran of identification investigations, including working on mass graves in the Balkans.
"There were some people who weren't very keen on being counselled," he says of his time in Kosovo. "They were the ones who were really affected because they thought they were being very macho by not worrying about these things, but they do get to you."
Det Supt Crawford says that officers who volunteer for DVI-duties are monitored and offered counselling because of the traumatic nature of the work.
It's only when the coroner is satisfied that the information provided about the missing person from relatives, dental and medical records matches that taken from the remains that a formal identification can be made.
This can be an extremely slow process.
"There might be an awareness of how long it takes if one sits down and thinks about it in the cool light of day," says Prof Peter Vanezis, who was part of the team who identified the final Kings Cross fire victim, 20 years after the disaster.
"But when you're dealing with relatives who are bereaved or waiting to find out what happened, frustration comes along very quickly."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-40517658
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Parliament takes pride in role in gay rights struggles - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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How politicians and Parliament have been at the centre of battles over gay rights over the past 60 years.
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Parliaments
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Flying the flag for LGBT rights - Parliament shows it solidarity
Westminster's "palace of enchantments" will be given an LGBTI gleam this weekend - lit up in the colours of the rainbow flag to mark both Pride Week and also the 50th anniversary of the Act of Parliament which legalised gay sex.
The decision was taken by Commons Speaker John Bercow and the Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, who explained their thinking in their first-ever joint interview, for Radio 4's Today in Parliament.
Legalisation, in 1967, was the product of a ten-year parliamentary campaign to follow-up the 1957 Wolfenden Report which had recommended the decriminalisation of consenting male homosexual sex.
There had been gathering pressure and determined resistance as the issue surfaced repeatedly in Parliament, with furious internal argument within the two main parties.
My favourite moment was a question put by the Conservative former Lord Chancellor, Lord Kilmuir, who asked "are your Lordships going to pass a bill that would make it lawful for two senior officers of police to go to bed together?"
The Conservative MP Humphrey Berkeley brought in a bill for reform, but lost his seat in the 1966 general election. He was not reselected, and was told that his local party could tolerate him being for either homosexual law reform or the abolition of hanging, but not both.
The torch was passed to the Labour MP, Leo Abse, who won approval for a ten-minute rule bill in July 1966, by 244 votes to 100. Abse had the support of the new Home Secretary, Roy Jenkins, who battled in Cabinet to persuade reluctant colleagues to give government support to the Bill.
Opponents thought it was the product of middle class liberalism and would alienate Labour's working-class base, but the government did eventually crucial provide extra debating time in the Commons, when Abse's private members bill faced a filibuster.
The necessary 100 MPs needed to force votes at regular intervals in the debate was mustered, and at 5.50am on the morning of July 4, 1966, the Bill passed its Third Reading by 99 votes to 14, after a 20-hour sitting.
Legalisation was presented in an apologetic way - a measure to end the criminalisation of unfortunates - and not a "vote of confidence in homosexuality".
The age of consent was set at 21, and despite attempts to lower it by, among others, the Conservative Edwina Currie, it remained at that age until 2000.
Even after legalisation, the personal consequences for MPs and others in the public eye of being outed were still devastating.
There were cases like that of Maureen Colquhoun, a Labour MP elected in Northampton in 1974, who brought in bills on abortion, gender balance and the protection of prostitutes.
Her relationship with another woman was revealed in the Daily Mail. She defeated two attempts to deselect her, and she was forced to campaign for re-election in 1979, with some party members refusing to support her because of her private life, rather than her politics. She lost.
Maureen Colquhoun saw off two attempts to deselect her
Perhaps the most high profile example was that of someone who never actually made it into Parliament, Peter Tatchell, the Labour candidate in the 1983 Bermondsey by-election, whose homosexuality became an election issue.
In an interview on Radio 4's Today in Parliament on Friday, Joanna Cherry, the gay SNP MP, said the level of "hate filled homophobia" he faced deterred her from any idea of a career in politics - although she would have liked (at that time) to be a Labour MP.
Labour's Chris Smith, a future Culture Secretary, was the first MP to come out as gay, in 1984.
And there was also legislation, like Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act, which said local councils could not "intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".
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No prosecution was ever brought under Section 28, but it had considerable impact on, for example, lesbian, gay and bisexual support groups in schools and colleges. It was repealed in 2000.
In recent years the battles have tended to be on legislation designed to be anti-discriminatory, first the creation of Civil Partnerships, then the legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry, and most recently the "Turing Bill" to pardon gay men convicted for offences that would not be considered crimes today.
Today, Speaker Bercow's coat of arms features LGBT colours. And for Norman Fowler, the Lord Speaker, his experience as health secretary in the 1980s, when AIDS emerged as a major public health issue, it brought the issue for discrimination against gay people into focus.
Both wanted Parliament to pay its respects to the LGBT community and to show solidarity.
"We have gone in half a century from the criminalisation of one type of love to almost complete legal equality," Mr Bercow said.
Lord Fowler said the lighting of one of the most famous buildings in the world would be a symbol to people who were being persecuted.
• None Why is Pride important to you?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-parliaments-40530264
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Venus Williams 'drove lawfully' in fatal car crash in Florida - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Police say Venus Williams was driving legally during the car crash that left an elderly man dead.
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US & Canada
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Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams has not been charged over the fatal collision
Footage has emerged showing that US tennis star Venus Williams was driving lawfully during a car crash that led to the death of a 78-year-old, police say.
Surveillance video obtained by Palm Beach Gardens police in Florida shows Ms Williams' vehicle entering an intersection on a green traffic signal.
An earlier police report had said Ms Williams was at fault and "violated the right of way of [the other driver]".
Ms Williams' lawyer said the fatal crash on 9 June was an accident.
The family of Jerome Barson, the man who died in the collision, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ms Williams.
New video evidence has revealed that the Grand Slam champion had the right of way as she entered the intersection of Northlake Boulevard in the city of Palm Beach Gardens, according to the police report.
However as she proceeded, the report says, Ms Williams was forced to brake to avoid a collision with an oncoming vehicle, which delayed her from clearing the junction.
As she then began to move forwards, a second vehicle - travelling in a different direction - entered the intersection on a green traffic signal, and the two cars collided.
"This updated information, based upon new evidence, is still under investigation," the police statement said.
Mr Barson had been travelling with his wife who was driving their vehicle at the time. He was taken to hospital but died two weeks later from his injuries.
Mrs Barson was also taken to hospital but survived.
The initial police report, obtained by US media, said that no other factors such as drugs, alcohol or mobile phone distractions were being investigated.
Ms Williams, the 37-year-old seven-time Grand Slam champion, reportedly told police she did not see the couple's car and she was driving slowly. She was not arrested in connection with the crash.
On Monday, when questioned by reporters about the crash, Ms Williams broke down in tears, and said: "There are no words to describe how devastating [it is]. I'm completely speechless."
Ms Williams' lawyer Malcolm Cunningham told CNN in a statement: "Ms Williams entered the intersection on a green light. The police report estimates that Ms Williams was travelling at 5mph when Mrs Barson crashed into her.
"Authorities did not issue Ms Williams with any citations or traffic violations. This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one."
Ms Williams is currently playing her 20th Wimbledon tournament in London, where she is seeded 10th.
Ms Williams and her sister Serena have dominated the women's game for two decades.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40540351
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Labour bids to defuse Luciana Berger de-selection row - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Are 'moderate' Labour MPs facing a mass purge over past disloyalty, asks Iain Watson.
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UK Politics
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Luciana Berger was re-elected with an increased majority
The new Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery has told the Daily Mirror that he doesn't see the "de-selection" of MPs critical of Jeremy Corbyn "as the way forward".
Chills had gone up some Blairite spines when Mr Lavery himself had suggested at the weekend the Labour "might be too broad a church".
But he sought to calm nerves which had been further put on edge by comments from Mr Corbyn's close ally Chris Williamson, recently re-elected as the MP for Derby North having been narrowly defeated at the 2015 election.
On Thursday, Mr Williamson said: "There are individual MPs in this party who think it's their God-given right to rule.
"No MP should be guaranteed a job for life. Labour is a big church, but we currently have a large bulk of MPs who represent one relatively small tendency in the congregation... it's unreasonable to think we as MPs can avoid any contest."
His words didn't sound like empty rhetoric to the MP for Liverpool Wavertree, Luciana Berger - seen as being on the moderate wing of the party.
She had resigned as a shadow minister when, a year ago, 80% of Jeremy Corbyn's MPs were expressing no confidence in his leadership.
Jeremy Corbyn has stressed his support for party democracy
A left-wing "slate" of candidates had succeeded in taking almost all of the key offices on her local party's executive.
And one of the winners - Roy Bentham - had shared his thoughts with the Liverpool Echo.
He suggested that Ms Berger, who was re-elected last month with an increased majority, publicly recant her criticism of the party leader and for the avoidance of doubt he declared: "She is answerable to us now."
The local party secretary Angela Kehoe-Jones distanced herself from the remarks and suggested the branch was "united" in fighting the Tories.
But there is little doubt that Ms Berger - who is on maternity leave - feels her job is under threat.
And she is not the only one.
A Labour MP who held her seat against the odds at the election told me she was threatened with de-selection within 48 hours of the result.
And you only have to visit websites which purport to back the Labour leadership to view a "rogues' gallery" of MPs who are seen as disloyal.
Featuring on most lists is Chuka Umunna, who upset those close to Mr Corbyn by pushing an amendment to the Queen's Speech to keep Britain in the EU single market - not official party policy.
This was seen as forcing the party leader in to sacking frontbenchers and was the first tangible sign of disunity following the euphoria of the election result.
And while he wouldn't want to see Mr Umunna unseated, even Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson regarded that amendment as bad politics.
But some left-wing activists don't need new offences to be taken in to account.
Some see those MPs who distanced themselves from Jeremy Corbyn as saboteurs of Labour's success.
And they are building a narrative that had they been more loyal - and party officials more ambitious - they could have propelled the party from second to first place at the election.
Indeed, some Corbyn critics are likely to be offered junior spokespeople roles in the autumn.
But not all of those who are seen as beyond the pale are likely to be unseated.
Mr Corbyn has time and again stressed how much he supports party democracy.
So unless a local party has been - as in Luciana Berger's case - taken over by members and supporters of Momentum (the group set up to keep the spirit of Mr Corbyn's leadership campaigns alive) it would be difficult to dislodge the sitting MP.
And it should be said, not all local Momentum groups favour de-selecting sitting MPs in any case.
They would point out that they have campaigned for the re-election of MPs who aren't ideological fellow travellers.
Ian Lavery has spoken out against de-selection
Momentum nationally weren't chuffed with a Facebook post from the South Tyneside group suggesting MPs such as Chris Leslie and Jess Phillips should "join the Liberals".
Instead of pushing existing personalities out, largely beneath the political radar there are attempts to move Labour more solidly and permanently to the left and to ensure that, when the time comes, Jeremy Corbyn would be able to hand over the leadership to someone who largely shares his political outlook.
So at this year's Labour Party conference, there will be a move to shift the power in future leadership elections from MPs to party members.
This would mean just 5% of MPs - not the 15% of MPs and MEPs at present - would be needed to put a candidate on the ballot.
With a snap election, most anti-Corbyn MPs were returned to Parliament so while a left-wing candidate still might struggle to get 15% support, 5% is considered no barrier.
This move has already been reported extensively.
Mr Corbyn's internal opponents call it "the McDonnell amendment" - as shadow chancellor John McDonnell is a red rag to any of the party's more moderate bulls.
Groups of what were called Blairites and Brownites - they would call themselves modernisers or moderates - in organisations such as Progress and Labour First have been working hard to secure enough delegates to the annual conference to defeat the leadership changes.
With the deadline for deciding delegates drawing to a close, it's not clear yet who has the upper hand.
But something of a quiet revolution could be under way that would see the power of Jeremy Corbyn, and his supporters, entrenched.
Under Labour's rules, some topics need to be put on the table this year if they are decided next year.
So a slow burning fuse will be lit in the autumn that could blow up in to a more major row in 2018.
There are moves by those on the party's left to make it easier for local parties to oust sitting MPs in future.
This would involve party branches being encouraged to put forward alternative names for consideration, or for sitting MPs to be required to demonstrate they had 66% support locally to continue.
There will also be a move to increase the number members of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), who are elected not by MPs or the unions, but by the rank-and-file members.
The assumption is that they are more in tune with Mr Corbyn's agenda.
Iain McNicol (second right) sings The Red Flag at the 2015 Labour conference
The NEC approves party candidates for elections - and a panel of its members chooses by-election candidates.
There was an attempt to disbar the pro-nuclear and anti-Corbyn candidate John Woodcock at an NEC meeting just before the election.
That failed, but if the balance of power on the body were to change, so could the career prospects of the leadership's critics.
And indeed the career prospects of Labour's general secretary Iain McNicol would be called in to question by another proposed change.
There will be an attempt to give members the right to choose the party's top official in future.
Again, this can't be decided until next year but could put Mr McNicol on notice.
He is blamed for trying to deny new (and, it was assumed, more radical) members the right to vote in last year's leadership contest and for not putting enough resources in to Labour/Tory marginals at the general election.
He would contend that the party HQ's strategy of defending vulnerable seats - as well as swiftly moving resources to seats which looked promising as the campaign progressed - was a success.
So by its actions in the coming months, Labour - 8 points ahead in one opinion poll today - could choose to remain a broad church.
Or further expose the fact that many of its MPs and grassroots members aren't really singing from the same hymn sheet.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40533172
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The road markings that left red faces - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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From wonky bikes to supermarket "petrel" - the road markings that left contractors with red faces.
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England
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The wonky bike, which was spotted by a chuckling Paula Brown, has since been repainted by the contractors responsible
A wonky cycle path sign that appeared in the Lincolnshire market town of Sleaford last weekend caused much mirth among local residents, who described it as looking like a penny farthing - albeit one with angular wheels.
But this was far from the first time bungling contractors have been left with red faces. BBC News rounds up some of the gaffes that have hit the headlines.
The sign outside Highfield Community Primary School was corrected within 24 hours
When a misspelt road marking appeared outside a school in Chester, the finger of blame was as usual pointed at hapless contractors.
The lettering outside Highfield Community Primary School, in Blacon, was "claer" evidence that spelling was not the forte of the person who painted it.
The marking was hastily corrected, at no cost to the council, after it appeared in February 2014.
The unnecessary "I" was eventually covered up with black paint
At least the simplest of fixes was possible when blundering workmen misspelled the word "minutes" as "minuites" at an NCP car park at Cambridge's railway station.
Although it was two years before anything was done about the gaffe, eventually an NCP boss harnessed an inner Mick Jagger and gave the order: "I want it painted black."
Thus the offending "I" was covered up to restore basic literacy to this corner of Cambridge.
NCP said those responsible for the cock-up were "committed to playing Scrabble in their lunchtimes as spelling revision".
A set of double yellow lines that appeared in Cardiff last summer couldn't be faulted in terms of execution - but the location chosen for the markings led to the city council being widely mocked.
That's because the road on which the lines were painted is barely 5ft (1.5m) wide and too narrow for anything but a toy car.
Despite the markings being branded "ridiculous" and a "waste of money", the beleaguered council stuck to its guns, arguing the double yellows were necessary to "deter anti-social parking on the narrow access lane".
Motorists using a supermarket petrol station in Doncaster were amused to find themselves being directed towards a species of low-flying seabird.
The word "petrel" was painted in 3ft letters, next to the flawlessly spelt word "exit" and some perfectly drawn arrows, on the approach to the pumps at the Sainsbury's Edenthorpe store in September 2016.
In a light-hearted response, Sainsbury's said it was "correcting the misteke".
This "ridiculous" piece of road painting led the council to urge contractors to use "common sense"
Not wanting to let anything as inconvenient as a parked car get in their way, slapdash council contractors tasked with painting double yellow lines in a suburb of Leeds simply daubed the markings around the vehicle.
However, once the car's owner returned and drove away, the lines were left sticking out from the kerb.
Leeds City Council branded the markings in Hyde Terrace, Clarendon, as "ridiculous" and said it would remind contractors "to use common sense" in future. The lines were later repainted.
All official road signs in Wales are bilingual
Welsh-speaking drivers in Swansea were bemused to encounter a road sign that informed them: "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated."
Above the baffling statement on the dual-language sign was the correct wording in English: "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only".
The howler came about because a non-Welsh speaking council employee emailed the authority's in-house translation service, and took the response received as the translation being sought for the new road sign.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40520746
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G20: UK-US trade deal to happen quickly, says Trump - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The US president confirms he will go to London, as he holds talks with Theresa May at the G20 summit.
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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. Donald Trump: "Trade will be a very big factor between our two countries"
US President Donald Trump has said he expects a "powerful" trade deal with the UK to be completed "very quickly".
Speaking at the G20 summit in Hamburg, he said he would visit London. Asked when, he said: "We'll work that out."
In one-to-one talks, Mr Trump and UK Prime Minister Theresa May agreed to prioritise work on a post-Brexit trade deal, a UK government official said.
Mrs May said she was "optimistic" about a deal, but warned there was "a limit" to what could be done before Brexit.
She told a news conference that world leaders - including those from China, India and Japan, as well as the US - had expressed a "strong desire" to forge "ambitious new bilateral trading relationships" with Britain.
The prime minister hailed it as a "powerful vote of confidence" in Britain.
Asked about Mr Trump's visit the UK, Mrs May said: "We don't have a date yet, we are still working on a date."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Theresa May was asked about Donald Trump's proposed visit to the UK
Earlier, during a 50-minute meeting with Mr Trump - which overran by 20 minutes - the two leaders spent a "significant" amount of time on trade, in a discussion described as entirely "positive", Downing Street said.
Before their meeting, Mr Trump hailed the "very special relationship" he had developed with Mrs May.
"There is no country that could possibly be closer than our countries," he told reporters.
"We have been working on a trade deal which will be a very, very big deal, a very powerful deal, great for both countries and I think we will have that done very, very quickly."
Under EU rules, formal talks between London and Washington cannot begin until after the UK leaves the EU in March 2019, without EU agreement.
Sir Christopher Meyer, a former British ambassador to Washington, said Mr Trump's statement of intent was a "very good sign for the future" and would be "useful" to Mrs May.
However, Sir Simon Fraser, a former diplomat who served as a permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office, cast doubt on how soon any trade deal could be reached.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Theresa May seem to be enjoying another photo shoot
"The point is we can't negotiate with them or anyone else until we've left the European Union," he said.
"And the Americans and others will not negotiate with us until they know what our relationship with the EU is going to be, because the access we have in Europe is hugely important for the advantages that they can get from their relations with us."
Mr Trump has previously accepted an invitation for a state visit to the UK - a prospect that has caused controversy - although no date has been given.
Mr Meyer said his visit would be a "very important moment" to nail down Mr Trump's commitment to a strong bilateral agreement.
Under EU rules, formal talks between London and Washington cannot begin until March 2019, unless Brussels agrees the UK can make a start earlier.
Trade talks tend to be complex and technical, lasting several years.
The EU and Japan took four years to reach an agreement in principle. But those discussions involved 29 nations; UK-US talks would involve just two.
With strong political will and determination, a transatlantic agreement could perhaps be completed more speedily than has been the norm for trade pacts.
Talks would cover cutting customs duties, making products such as cars and food cheaper.
The average UK-US tariff is relatively low anyway, at 3%, and huge amounts of trade already take place.
Negotiations usually cover thornier topics, such as food safety and environmental standards.
If one side agreed to accept the other's rules, a deal could be done quickly. But that would be controversial in various sectors. That's when negotiations can begin to drag.
Mrs May later said she was "dismayed" Mr Trump had withdrawn the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The accord, signed in Paris in 2015, is an international agreement on how to deal with greenhouse gas emissions.
Mrs May said she raised the issue during one of "a number" of conversations she had with Mr Trump at the summit - not during the official bilateral talks.
The prime minister said she had "urged President Trump to rejoin", adding: "I continue to hope that is exactly what the United States will do."
Mrs May also held a 20-minute meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a 25-minute meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
Talks with Mr Abe focused on trade and North Korea's nuclear missile programme.
Japan's new trade deal with the EU, signed off on Thursday, "could form the basis" of an agreement between London and Tokyo following Brexit, Mrs May told her fellow leader.
Meanwhile, Mr Modi told Mrs May he wanted to see economic links with the UK deepen now and after Brexit, according to a UK government official.
Shinzo Abe and Theresa May discussed trade and North Korea's nuclear missile programme
After a meeting on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and the UK were in a "golden era" of relations and increased investment from his country since the Brexit vote showed its confidence in Britain.
The G20 summit is the first gathering of world leaders since the UK's general election last month, during which Mrs May's Conservative party lost seats and her performance was widely criticised.
The two-day meeting is being held against a backdrop of violent protests on the streets of Hamburg, with demonstrators and heavily-armed police clashing into the early hours of Saturday.
The protests centre mainly on the presence of Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, climate change and global wealth inequalities.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40540340
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'Very bureaucratic' 10-page use-of-force form sparks police complaints - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Ten pages must be filled in every time officers in England and Wales use any force against someone.
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UK
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Handcuffing must be recorded as a use of force
Police officers in England and Wales have criticised a new 10-page form they have to fill out every time they use any kind of force against someone.
Since April this year officers have had to record a series of details every time they use handcuffs, CS spray or draw a baton.
One Police Federation official said the new process was "very bureaucratic".
But the Home Office defended the form, saying it would help bring about "unprecedented transparency".
The new rules were announced in March by Mrs May's successor as Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, with the aim of ensuring that police record every encounter involving force.
Some in the police say the form could help to counter "accusations" that officers use excessive force.
Simon Kempton, operational lead on policing for the Police Federation, said: "We will now be able to argue, with solid evidence, that in comparison to the huge numbers of incidents we attend, we rarely have to resort to using force."
He said the data would demonstrate that police "always try to use the lowest level of force available to us".
Ms Rudd said that "when police take the difficult decision to deploy force, it is also vital that the people they serve can scrutinise it.
"These new rules will introduce unprecedented transparency to this important subject and reinforce the proud British model of policing by consent."
But John Apter, chairman of the Hampshire Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said filling out the 10-page form had proved to be like "writing an exam essay".
Mr Apter said he understood the need to capture data about the use of force, but thought the process was too complex and took too long, especially at a time when police were already over-stretched.
It is "over-engineered", he said.
"I know officers who haven't got the time to fill in the form," he said, adding that in some city forces, such as London's Metropolitan Police, officers might have to fill in six forms on each shift.
He believes a better approach would be to scan officers' pocketbooks and use samples of these to provide and analyse data.
Jan Berry, a former Police Federation chairman who worked with the Home Office to cut red tape, said there was "absolutely no reason" to introduce the form.
"I sort of despair, and think have we gone backwards?" she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, describing the process as "the wrong way".
Ms Berry, who produced a report on reducing bureaucracy for the Conservative-led coalition in 2010, said the information on the form was already being collected by custody officers.
"That information is being captured anyway, certainly if they've arrested a person or used handcuffs," she said.
Officers must mark a diagram to indicate where on the body force was used
Police forces will begin publishing data from the forms over the next couple of weeks.
The rules require a "use of force monitoring form", administered by the National Police Chiefs' Council, to be completed "as soon as practicable" after any incident involving force.
A separate form must be completed for each person on whom force is used and officers are expected to complete forms for their own constabulary, even if the incident took place in another police force's area.
The forms require full details of the incident, including location, whether officers were themselves threatened or assaulted and what sort of force they used.
Officers are expected to mark a diagram showing what areas of the person's body the force was used on, whether the person was injured and whether medical assistance was offered or provided.
Previously each force was required to provide details of the use of Tasers and firearms, but the new rules also ask for details of the use of batons, spit-guards, dogs, shields, handcuffs and unarmed restraint, as well as irritant sprays such as CS.
Speaking in May 2011, during her six years as Home Secretary, Mrs May promised that her policies would "do away with the bureaucratic accountability of the past. So we will free the police to do their job".
"I have said loud and clear that the days of the bureaucrats controlling and managing the police from Whitehall are over.
"The Home Office will no longer scrutinise and supervise police performance and come up endlessly with new schemes and initiatives."
A Home Office spokeswoman said the changes were "police-led".
"Our police reforms have overhauled the previous cumbersome regime of top-down targets and unnecessary bureaucracy," the spokeswoman said.
"But when officers take the difficult decision to deploy force it is vital that they can be scrutinised by the people they serve.
"These rules changes, which are police-led, bring unprecedented transparency and reinforce the proud British model of policing by consent."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-40535694
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Prison Service finds 225kg of drugs in one year - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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About 13,000 phones and 7,000 Sim cards were also confiscated in a year in England and Wales.
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UK
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Prison officers have confiscated 225kg (about 500lb) of drugs in one year in England and Wales, according to the Ministry of Justice.
In 2016, 13,000 mobile phones and 7,000 Sim cards were also seized from prisoners.
The haul comes after new mobile phone detectors were introduced, as well as 300 specialist dogs for drug detection.
New Justice Secretary David Lidington said he was not content with the state of prisons, and hoped to improve them.
Four weeks into his new post, Mr Lidington told BBC's Andrew Marr show that he planned to put in place "effective measures" to more accurately detect drugs, phones and drones.
In recent years, legal highs - or psychoactive drugs - had become a problem, he said, as the prison population had shifted in character to include more gangsters and a higher proportion of sexual and violent offenders.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch a drone deliver drugs and mobile phones to London prisoners in April 2016
The government's National Offender Management scheme previously said that by using mobile phones, inmates had: "commissioned murder, planned escapes, imported automatic firearms and arranged drug imports".
Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon said it was "clear that we have a crisis" and blamed the findings on cuts to prison budgets.
Director of the Prison Reform Trust, Peter Dawson, said the Prison Service should consider giving prisoners legitimate access to mobile phones as they helped people "cope with the experience" and prepare for release.
"It's in all our interests that people retain their family ties and the phone is an obvious way of doing that," he said.
Mr Dawson said it was "pointless" tracking down inmates who used a mobile to "call their mum" rather than for criminal purposes.
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Former prisoner Alex Cavendish, who was released in March 2014, said the contraband haul was the "tip of the iceberg".
He told BBC Radio 5 live that cuts to staffing budgets and "corrupt" prison officers were to blame, adding: "It's really proving a struggle to keep these things out of prisons."
Dave Todd of the Prison Officers Association conceded that "you get corruption" in the prison workforce, but added that a lack of experienced staff "destabilised regimes".
"It needs addressing fundamentally by recruitment and retention of prison officers," he told BBC One's Breakfast, adding: "New prison officers may be compromised by threats, they may be taken in by financial gain, which is not acceptable and my union doesn't defend those people."
In February, a reporter from BBC's Panorama programme went undercover at HMP Northumberland, where he found a number of inmates incapacitated from taking the drug spice.
In 2016, more than 45% of prisoners in a survey conducted by the HM Inspectorate of Prisons said it was easy to get drugs behind bars.
The overall number of staff employed across prisons has fallen from 45,000 to just under 31,000 in September 2016.
Mr Lidington said the government planned to have 2,500 new officers trained and in place in England and Wales by the end of next year - 500 of whom were already working.
He said that at the cabinet table he would push forward "very vigorously" with a programme for prison reform and measures to increase security and reduce violence.
The Ministry of Justice also said prisons were working to curb the use of drones in delivering phones and drugs, by creating "a specialist squad of prison and police officers".
To date, 35 people have been arrested and 11 others have been convicted for drone-related activities.
The department began rolling out tests for psychoactive substances at prisons in September 2016.
It is also working with mobile network operators to develop ways of blocking mobile phone signals in prisons.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40544569
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Reality Check: Is the Wimbledon seeding system a good predictor? - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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Wimbledon seedings are calculated differently from other grand slam tournaments.
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UK
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Wimbledon's seeding system for the men's singles has made an unusually big difference this year, as you can see from the lists above of the ATP rankings a week before the tournament and the Wimbledon rankings.
Wimbledon uses a system that favours grass-court specialists - taking the ATP ranking points, doubling the points earned at grass tournaments in the past year and adding on 75% of the points earned on grass the previous year. The other grand slams just use the ATP rankings.
There are usually only two or three changes in the top eight seeds each year.
Over the last five years you could classify three of the changes to the top eight seeds as being "good" in that they make the seeding a better predictor of the outcome, and four of them as "bad" because they make it a worse predictor.
The highest profile example came in 2014, when Novak Djokevic was made number one seed at Wimbledon, despite being number two on the ATP rankings. He won the tournament while Rafa Nadal, who was demoted to the number two slot, was knocked out in the fourth round.
On the other hand, in 2012 Tomas Berdych was promoted above David Ferrer in the seedings and was knocked out in the first round, while David Ferrer reached the quarter-finals.
The difference has been marginal overall, but it also must be taken into account that changing seedings is partly a self-fulfilling policy, because a higher-seeded player is likely to get further in the tournament as a result of playing lower-ranked players.
Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon as top seed in 2014 when he was number two in the ATP rankings
Looking at how much difference the Wimbledon seeding system makes got the Reality Check team wondering about whether it had been a better predictor than seedings at other grand slams.
To compare the seedings with the outcomes for the top eight seeds in grand slams from 2012 to 2016, we allocated a numerical value for the stage at which a player was knocked out. For example, a player knocked out in the semi-finals gets a value of 3.5, because he could have come either third or fourth. Similarly, someone knocked out in the first round would get a value of 96.5.
If the seeding system was perfect then adding up the outcomes for the top eight seeds in a single year would give a total of 36 (one + two + 3.5 + 3.5 + four lots of 6.5). In fact, the average number you get for the last five years at Wimbledon is 146. And actually, you also get 146 if you do the calculation with the ATP rankings instead of the Wimbledon seedings.
But that is considerably higher than the figures of 106 at the US Open, 93 at the French Open and 89 at the Australian Open. It should be said that all of these numbers are pretty high. There is not a strong correlation between seeding and outcome.
Nonetheless, it is much worse an indicator at Wimbledon, suggesting that Wimbledon has been a less predictable tournament over the past five years than the other grand slams.
Correction 10 July 2017: This report has been updated to include rankings for the 2017 tournament and to correct some outcomes from the analysis.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40521236
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Newspaper headlines: 'Fresh hope for Charlie Gard' - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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The front pages focus on two young people who have been battling serious illness.
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The Papers
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Business leaders who had been hoping that the UK could remain in the European single market or customs union have been "rebuffed," declares the Financial Times.
The Guardian says the chancellor does not think it would be "legally or politically possible", but wants what he called "their benefits" to be "retained during a transitional period".
Philip Hammond's comments that it would be "madness" not to seek "the closest possible arrangement" with the EU, the Sun concludes, are "explosive".
The Daily Express warns that he "risked widening the Tory rift over Europe".
While the Daily Mail says diplomatic sources revealed that the Chinese president suggested Brexit could be "a global force for good".
The Times says Britain will pay poorer nations' premiums for new insurance cover against natural disasters for the next four years.
The prime minister will be trying to promote the value both for poorer parts of the world and Britain of this, it says.
It says Theresa May will defend helping what she will describe as "Britain's future trading partners".
But the Daily Express brands it as a "foreign aid outrage".
It quotes Conservative MP Philip Davies, who says it is "completely unjustifiable".
He insists the government should instead be helping his constituents who have been flooded and cannot get insurance.
The sentiment is echoed in the Sun, which calls it "floody obscene".
The Times says law firm Leigh Day has suspended two trainee solicitors.
The company is said to be investigating claims that the pair may have been seeking business among survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire.
It said it was completely unaware of the alleged activities.
The paper says it also found evidence of an insurance agent offering to help former residents make claims.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror reports that insurers expect to pay out £50m over the disaster, double the original estimate.
The call by a government minister to move the Notting Hill carnival so it was not in the shadow of the burned-out tower block has provoked anger, according to the Daily Telegraph.
It quotes a campaigner for the Grenfell residents, who argues the parade goes nowhere near the tower.
The i says there may be a justifiable fear of unrest at the carnival because of the disaster.
But it suggests the authorities should try to engage and reassure the community, rather than say: "Sorry, because of our failures, we now have to spoil your party."
Almost every paper reports the new court hearing granted to the parents of terminally ill baby Charlie Gard.
The Daily Mail calls it a "stunning move" in which doctors have "bowed to global pressure".
Writing in the i, Janet Street Porter shares her experience of losing her stepson at the age of 11.
She writes about the interventions of the Pope and Donald Trump, urging instead that Charlie's parents be given "the counselling to adapt to the inevitable".
Many of the papers, too, picture Bradley Lowery, the six-year-old Sunderland football mascot, who has died from a rare form of cancer.
The Daily Star says the "brave lad" is "with the angels".
The Daily Mirror pictures the child in the arms of his favourite player, Jermain Defoe.
The paper pays tribute to the footballer and to Bradley himself who, it says, "gave us so much".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40540322
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Bradley Lowery: Jermain Defoe pays tribute to 'best friend' - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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The footballer says he will always carry the six-year-old's memory in his heart.
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England
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Footballer Jermain Defoe has paid tribute to his "best friend" Bradley Lowery.
The six-year-old Sunderland fan died on Friday following a fight with neuroblastoma - a rare type of cancer.
The club's former striker struck up a close friendship with the avid Black Cats fan and club mascot in the months before his death.
A tweet by the 34-year-old described Bradley as a "little superstar".
It said the youngster's "courage and bravery will inspire me for the rest of my life".
He wrote: "Goodbye my friend, gonna miss you lots. I feel so blessed God brought u into my life and had some amazing moments with u and for that I'm so grateful".
Bradley, from Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, was diagnosed with the disease when he was 18 months old. He underwent treatment and was in remission, but relapsed last year.
His plight touched the lives of many, and well-wishers raised more than £700,000 in 2016 to pay for him to be given antibody treatment in New York.
But medics then found his cancer had grown and his family was informed his illness was terminal.
Bradley has been Sunderland mascot several times with his "best mate" Defoe
His death was confirmed on social media by his parents.
The posting read: "My brave boy has went with the angels today.
"He was our little superhero and put the biggest fight up but he was needed else where. There are no words to describe how heart broken we are."
Tributes have poured in to the football fan, including one from his beloved club which said: "Bradley captured the hearts and minds of everyone."
The England football squad, for which Bradley was also a mascot, tweeted: "There's only one Bradley Lowery."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40545488
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Former Manchester United footballer ordained as priest - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Philip Mulryne has taken a vow of poverty, a world away from top-level professional football.
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Northern Ireland
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Fr Philip Mulryne says his switch from pitch to priesthood was a 'kind of a mystery'
The former Northern Ireland footballer Philip Mulryne has been ordained a Roman Catholic priest in the Dominican Order.
Father Mulryne, who is reported to have once earned £600,000 a year, has also taken a vow of poverty.
Philip Mulryne prostrate as he was ordained a priest in Dublin on Saturday
He was ordained in Dublin on Saturday by Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia, who had travelled from Rome for the ceremony.
Fr Mulryne had been ordained a deacon in October last year.
Belfast-born Fr Mulryne won 27 caps for Northern Ireland in a career that included spells with Norwich City and Leyton Orient.
He made his debut for Manchester United in 1997 after progressing through the youth team.
Unable to forge a lengthy career with the Premier League club, he moved to Norwich City in 1999, but his time at Carrow Road was plagued by injuries.
The west Belfast man was capped 27 times for Northern Ireland, scoring three goals
He officially retired from football in 2009 and began his journey to ordination, entering the Diocesan Seminary of Saint Malachy's Belfast.
He spent two years studying philosophy at Queen's University in Belfast and at the Maryvale Institute before going to the Pontifical Irish College in Rome to study theology for one year at the Gregorian University.
He entered the Dominican Novitiate House in Cork in 2012.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-40545129
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G20: Trump and Putin debate US election hack at first meeting - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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The pair held "robust" talks about the allegations of Russian interference in last year's election.
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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 to Putin: "It's an honour to be with you"
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have discussed the alleged Russian hacking of last year's US presidential election during their first meeting.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson described the exchanges as "robust".
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Mr Trump had accepted Mr Putin's assertions that his country was not responsible.
But Mr Tillerson said it was not clear whether the two countries would ever come to an agreement on what happened.
"I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point," he added.
The US and Russian presidents held their first face-to-face talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg, which is being held amid sometimes violent protests.
Other topics discussed during their meeting - which lasted nearly two-and-a-quarter hours, longer than originally planned - included the war in Syria, terrorism and cybersecurity.
"The president opened the meeting with President Putin by raising the concerns of the American people regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election," Mr Tillerson, part of the US delegation, told reporters afterwards.
"They had a very robust and lengthy exchange on the subject. The president pressed President Putin on more than one occasion regarding Russian involvement.
"President Putin denied such involvement, as I think he has done in the past."
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Mr Tillerson said the two leaders had "connected very quickly", adding: "There was a very clear positive chemistry between the two. There are so many issues on the table... Just about everything got touched upon... Neither one of them wanted to stop.
"I believe they even sent in the First Lady [Melania Trump] at one point to see if she could get us out of there, but that didn't work either... We did another hour. Clearly she failed!"
Mr Lavrov said: "President Trump said he heard clear statements... that Russian authorities did not intervene [in the US election], and he accepted these declarations."
Mr Tillerson was asked as he was leaving the news conference if this was accurate, but declined to answer.
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Earlier, as the talks began in front of the media before going into private session, Mr Trump told Mr Putin: "It's an honour to be with you."
Mr Trump added: "Putin and I have been discussing various things, and I think it's going very well.
"We've had some very, very good talks. We're going to have a talk now and obviously that will continue. We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned."
Mr Putin, via a translator, said that while they had previously spoken by phone, that would never be as good as meeting face to face.
The two men had staked out opposing views on major international issues in the run-up to the summit:
Based on the tone and the results of the US-Russia discussions, this meeting is being lauded here in Moscow as a breakthrough.
The head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee predicted it would "stop the rot in US-Russian relations".
Essentially, Vladimir Putin has got what Vladimir Putin wanted: a US president who is focused not on confrontation but on mutually beneficial co-operation; as American leader who is not going to sit there for two hours lecturing his Russian counterpart on democracy, but instead do deals with him.
And there were several agreements: to co-operate in Syria, over Ukraine, and in the area of cyber security. The Kremlin will see all of this as a first step towards a bigger goal: much wider co-operation with America and the scrapping of Western sanctions.
But remember - Donald Trump is under intense pressure back home over his team's alleged links to Moscow. It's far from certain he'll be able to deliver what Russia wants.
Climate change and trade are set to dominate the rest of the two-day G20 meeting, taking place amid clashes between protesters and police in the streets outside the venue that have left dozens injured.
A huge police operation is trying to keep demonstrators - who are protesting against the presence of Mr Trump and Mr Putin, climate change and global wealth inequalities - well away from the summit venue, and water cannon have been deployed.
The US First Lady was at one point unable to leave her hotel in Hamburg because of the protests.
Mrs Trump had been due to take part in an excursion with other leaders' spouses, but her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said: "The Hamburg police could not give us clearance to leave."
Mrs Trump herself tweeted about her concern for those injured in the protests.
The G20 (Group of Twenty) is a summit for 19 countries, both developed and developing, plus the EU.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40539725
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Eurasian lynx: Plan to return it to Kielder Forest to be submitted - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Campaigners want to reintroduce the lynx 1,300 years ago after it became extinct in the UK.
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Tyne & Wear
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The Lynx UK Trust wants to place up to six lynx in Kielder for a five-year trial
Plans to reintroduce the Eurasian lynx 1,300 years after it became extinct in the UK will be submitted soon, campaigners have said.
The Lynx UK Trust wants to import up to six of the cats from Sweden to Kielder Forest in Northumberland.
With a public consultation over, the trust said the five year trial plan would go to Natural England by September.
It has been criticised by some residents and sheep farmers.
The trust said the lynx hunt in woods and would control the deer population
The scheme would see four to six lynx wearing radio tracking devices with Kielder chosen due to its dense woodland and low number of roads.
The trust said the animals would help control deer numbers as well provide a tourism boost.
Dr Paul O'Donoghue from the trust told the Guardian the lynx "belongs here" and is an "intrinsic part of the the UK environment".
He also told the paper he hoped the lynx could be in the forest by the end of the year.
Sheep farmers fear the animals could target their livestock although the trust said the cats would hunt in woods rather than fields.
The trust did admit, however, that some sheep could be killed but farmers would be "generously compensated" for any losses.
Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, said there were several hundred sheep farmers around Kielder, any one of whom could be affected by the lynx.
He said valuing a sheep was complex and, money aside, there were major welfare concerns.
Mr Stocker said people would not accept animals facing "unnecessary pain" and one sheep being attacked by a lynx could cause major stress and possible damage to others in the flock.
He said the UK no longer had the "landscape" for the lynx to be "genetically sustainable" and it would not be in the cat's interest to be reintroduced into an environment that, thanks to roads and industry, has changed so much since the cat existed here.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-40542306
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Fan's dying wish leads to Stranraer versus FC Twente game - BBC News
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2017-07-08
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A top Dutch football team comes to south west Scotland thanks to an act of kindness more than a decade ago.
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South Scotland
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Scottish League One outfit Stranraer have played host to Dutch top division side FC Twente thanks to links which started with a fan's dying wish.
The match, which finished 5-0 to the visitors at Stair Park, was attended by hundreds of visiting fans.
The clubs' links were formed when Stranraer and Rangers fan Jim McKie helped out terminally-ill FC Twente supporter Dennis van Unen.
His dying wish was to see an Old Firm game, which they managed to arrange.
Mr McKie and his friend James Hilton, 61, a Stranraer and Celtic fan, got hold of tickets for Mr van Unen and when he arrived in Glasgow for the game they took him on tours of Ibrox, Parkhead and Hampden.
Mr van Unen (left) visited Ibrox, Parkhead and Hampden as well as attending an Old Firm game
The fixture this weekend marks a decade since Mr van Unen's death from skin cancer aged 34.
Links between the two clubs, some 520 miles apart, have remained strong since with Saturday's game the latest example.
Mr McKie admitted he was surprised the Dutch side agreed to take part.
He said: "To be honest, when I asked them if they would come I was almost sure they would say: 'No, we can't come.'"
"They said: 'Yes, we are coming and we are bringing the full squad - 27 players, all the coaches, everything.'"
"Plus we don't know how many fans - it could be anything between 200 and 600 - we don't know."
He said he and Mr Hilton had never imagined what helping Mr van Unen could have led to.
Links between the clubs have stayed strong since Mr van Unen's death
"It is huge, it is amazing just how it has come by one simple act," he said.
"James and me feel very humble about the whole thing - it is difficult at times to talk about."
However, he said that the surroundings of Stranraer's ground had come as something of a surprise to their more illustrious opponents.
"When they sent one of their team managers across to look at the facilities I could see the shock on her face," said Mr McKie.
"Stair Park is old school - but these guys like old school.
"They like the fact that it has not been modernised, it is not a 3G pitch - everything has been left as it is."
Stranraer chairman Iain Dougan said it was "incredible" to finally have the two teams meet on the pitch.
"The boys are really looking forward to it and even though it's a friendly, they're probably one of the biggest opponents we've come up against," he said.
"We're expecting the stadium to be packed with supporters from both sides, and businesses in the town will benefit as a result."
A memorial tournament is played every year at FC Twente in honour of Mr van Unen and another fan Boris Dijkhuizen, which Stranraer youth teams regularly participate in.
Jan van Halst, technical director at the Dutch side, said: "It's fantastic that the Scottish FC Twente supporters have helped to arrange this fixture.
"What started with a last wish from supporter Dennis van Unen has now become a close friendship between FC Twente and Stranraer."
He said they were looking forward to a "very special friendly match" in Scotland.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-40494622
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Climber dies after Ben Nevis fall - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team said the man had suffered fatal injuries in the fall on Tower Ridge.
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Highlands & Islands
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The climber died after falling on Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis
A climber has died after falling on Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis.
Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team said the man had suffered fatal injuries in the fall on Saturday morning.
The Coastguard rescue helicopter from Inverness was diverted from training and arrived on the scene at about 11:10 BST.
The climber was airlifted from the mountain and transferred to an ambulance at the Torlundy helicopter landing site near Fort William.
The rescue team praised the helicopter crew for recovering the man from a "very difficult location" on the mountain.
Tower Ridge is one of several big ridges on the north-east face of the 1,345m (4,413ft) Ben Nevis and is considered by many climbers to have an Alpine feel because of its length and exposure.
A spokeswoman for the Coastguard said the operation had taken about two hours.
A Coastguard rescue helicopter airlifted the man from the mountain
In a post on the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team's Facebook page, a spokesperson for the team wrote: "We are sad to report that a call out yesterday was to a climber who suffered fatal injuries sustained in fall while climbing Tower Ridge.
"Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends."
"A big thank you to R951 who did a fantastic job to make the recovery from a very difficult location and all the climbers who assisted and brought down the climber's friend."
Twenty people died in the Scottish mountains last year, according to Mountaineering Scotland.
Three of the fatalities were on Ben Nevis, including the deaths of Rachel Slater and Tim Newton, who were killed by an avalanche on the mountain in February 2016.
More than 100,000 people are thought to reach the summit of the UK's highest mountain each year.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-40547622
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Vatican warns over gluten-free bread for Holy Communion - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Bishops given reminder as Communion bread can now be bought in supermarkets and online.
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Europe
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There are about 1.2 billion Roman Catholics around the world
Bread used to celebrate the Eucharist during Roman Catholic Mass must not be gluten-free - although it may be made from genetically modified organisms, the Vatican has reminded its bishops.
In a letter, Cardinal Robert Sarah said the bread could be low-gluten.
But he said there must be enough protein in the wheat to make it without additives.
The cardinal said the reminder was needed because the bread was now sold in supermarkets and on the internet.
Roman Catholics believe bread and wine served at the Eucharist are converted into the body and blood of Christ through a process known as transubstantiation.
The letter reiterated advice first given in 2004.
The wine used must also be "natural, from the fruit of the grape, pure and incorrupt, not mixed with other substances", said Cardinal Robert Sarah of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The ruling was issued at the request of Pope Francis, the letter said.
There are about 1.2 billion Roman Catholics around the world.
Correction 24 July 2017: This story has been revised to make clear that the letter reiterates advice previously given in 2004.
• None Catholics focus on the art of dying well
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40545023
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Newspaper headlines: Brexit blow or May's Trump card? - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Brexit dominates the front pages of Sunday's papers, after the prime minister and US president met.
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The Papers
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Many of the Sunday papers deliver their verdict on Theresa May's whirlwind diplomacy in Hamburg.
The Sunday Telegraph says the prime minister played her "trump card" when she called attention to world leaders' enthusiasm for deeper trade ties with the UK.
It was a tactical move in the Telegraph's view - aimed at rebuking Cabinet colleagues who stress the risks of leaving the single market and customs union.
The Sunday Times says Donald Trump "rode to her rescue", giving the PM an opportunity to take a swipe at her mutinous ministers.
The future after Brexit is not so bright in the Observer. Two of Germany's biggest industry groups tell the paper they will prioritise protecting the single market over forging a new deal with Britain - and warn that negative effects for British business will be hard to avoid in the coming months.
A former SAS soldier makes a number of startling claims in an interview with the Mail on Sunday about allegations of illegal killings by special forces in Afghanistan.
The unnamed trooper says he took part in raids now being investigated by the Royal Military Police and that civilians - some of them children - died when operations went wrong.
He admits that unarmed Afghans were "routinely killed" - but only when they were confirmed to be high-ranking Taliban, who would have been released within days had they been captured.
"The tactics sound gruesome but these were bad men whose guilt had been established," the soldier reasons. "For me", he says, "the ends justify the means."
The Sun on Sunday calls on the government to act urgently to warn of the health risks associated with some types of breast implants.
The paper cites data from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency showing that two women have died and more than 20 others required surgery after receiving "textured surface implants", which can damage the immune system.
In an editorial, the Sun demands ministers come clean about what they know, and follow the example of France and the US by issuing a public warning.
The Sunday Express has details of an alleged plot to plant an Argentine flag on the Falkland Islands.
Rogue generals are said to be planning a night-time commando raid on a remote part of the territory.
There, a photographer would capture an image of Argentina's colours on British soil which, the Express claims, would be published to humiliate the governments of both countries.
Argentina's President Macri is said to be aware of the plot, and the paper says an RAF Chinook helicopter is on standby to counter any incursion.
The Sunday Mirror seeks to end speculation about which actor will next play 007. The series' long-time producer Barbara Broccoli is said to have retained the services of the blonde Bond, Daniel Craig.
The singer Adele is tipped to return on theme tune duties as, according to a source, they are "the winning team, the real money-spinners".
The Mirror remembers that in 2015 Mr Craig said if he did return to the world of fast cars, gunfights and disposable women, he would not be doing it for the money. The paper estimates he will be paid £60m to reprise his role.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-40546207
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Thunder Bay police under fire for indigenous deaths - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Unexplained deaths and a history of racially motivated violence have left doubts that justice in a northern Ontario city can be served.
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US & Canada
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The death of an indigenous woman in Thunder Bay is the latest in a series of violent incidents affecting the local indigenous community. As the police ponder whether to charge her assailant with murder, many are wondering if the force has what it takes to pursue justice for all.
Barbara Kentner, an Anishinaabe woman, was walking down the street with her sister in January when she was struck by a trailer hitch someone had thrown at her out of the window of a car.
"Oh, I got one," her sister, Melissa Kentner, heard someone say.
The hitch struck Barbara in the abdomen and she was taken to hospital.
Shortly after, Thunder Bay police charged Brayden Bushby, 18, with aggravated assault. Over the next five months, Kentner lay in hospital, suffering from internal injuries and damage to her organs.
She died on 4 July at the age of 34.
Now her family and the indigenous community want to see Bushby's charges upgraded, and the driver and other passengers in the car charged as well.
"I want them to be in jail and feel the same kind of pain I've been feeling," she says.
But a number of external reviews of the Thunder Bay Police Service, as well as decades of racially-motivated violence, have left many with considerable doubt.
"At this point in time, we don't have the faith in the Thunder Bay police to be able to conduct a proper investigation and a fair investigation," says Anna Betty Achneepineskum, the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief.
Attacks like the one that killed Kentner are all too commonplace in Thunder Bay, says her childhood friend Deanne Hupfield.
The city of about 100,000 is one of the last urban outposts on the way to Ontario's vast north, which is mostly inhabited by indigenous people on reserves.
In 2011, 10% of the city's population had Aboriginal identity, compared to about 4% across the country.
Hupfield says throwing things at indigenous women "is a normal thing here".
"It happened to me growing up. It happened to my mom, my sisters and my friends." She says people would yell racial and sexual epithets and chuck beer cans, water bottles or trash at them.
One time, a man threw a crowbar at her sister in front of an undercover police officer.
The officer chased the assailant down, yelled at him and then returned, without taking the man into custody. The officer told her and her sister: "Don't worry, we scared them", she says.
When Hupfield was a teenager, she watched in horror as a group of cops beat up her cousin after the two of them had been arrested for joyriding.
Now an arts educator living in Toronto, Hupfield wants Thunder Bay police to address systemic racism in the force.
"They're not willing to take that hard look at themselves and acknowledge their own beliefs about us," she says.
Both Kentner's sister and Hupfield believe the attack on Barbara Kentner was racially motivated, and hope it is prosecuted as a hate crime.
But her death is not the first to strike the community.
In May, the bodies of teenagers Josiah Begg and Tammy Keeash were both found in local waterways.
In 2015, Stacey DeBungee, 41, was found dead in the McIntyre River. And between 2000 and 2011, seven indigenous students died after moving to the city to attend high school.
None of these deaths led to criminal charges; many were ruled accidental by police after brief investigations.
These 10 deaths are now the subject of a systemic review by Ontario's police oversight board, and its "ongoing concern" about how Thunder Bay police investigate the deaths of indigenous people.
The review was prompted by a 2016 coroner's inquest into the deaths of the seven students, which found that the cause of four out of the seven deaths was "undetermined".
14-year-old Josiah Begg was found dead after disappearing while visiting Thunder Bay with his father.
Ontario's chief coroner, Dr Dirk Huyer, has also asked for assistance from an outside police force, the York Regional Police, in the ongoing investigation into the deaths of Begg and Keeash.
"When I looked at the investigations, I felt that there would be a benefit from some additional resources, another set of eyes, external perspective, to work together with the Thunder Bay police to really give us the best opportunity to give those answers," Dr Huyer says.
Chris Adams, a spokesperson for the Thunder Bay Police Service, says they welcome working with York police.
"We certainly supported it and we still do," he told the BBC. "It's really in the interest of finding answers."
Adams says the police is working on improving community relations, looking to a number of other communities to understand how they can improve their police force, including more efforts to recruit indigenous officers.
"We really recognise the need to have some reconciliation in that regard," he says.
Adams adds the force is working with Fort William First Nation to better understand some of the issues at play, and would welcome working with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation as well.
Meanwhile, Kentner's family is eagerly awaiting the result of the coroner's post-mortem. Police say they will wait for the results before deciding on whether they will upgrade the charges.
Barbara Kentner (right) with her cousin Debbie Kakagamic
Doctors told Melissa Kentner her sister died of liver failure exacerbated by the internal injuries she suffered during the attack, which included a ruptured intestine.
"Yeah, sure, she had problems with her liver," Ms Kentner says. "But she quit drinking and everything. She wanted to have that transplant."
She's sickened by comments on social media that disparage her sister's memory, saying Barbara was a "caring and loving person".
In her last weeks alive, Kentner knew she was going to die but hoped for justice, her sister says.
"She just wished that it never happened to anybody else."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40535131
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Theresa May urges rival parties to 'contribute and not just criticise' - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The PM signals a change in her style of government - by calling for other parties to contribute ideas.
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UK Politics
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Theresa May met her Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull in Downing Street
Theresa May is to call on rival parties to "contribute and not just criticise" as she signals a post-election change in her style of government.
In a speech on Tuesday the PM will say she still wants to change the country, but will say that losing her majority means a new approach is needed.
Labour says it shows the Conservatives have run out of ideas.
But First Secretary of State Damian Green said it was a "grown-up way of doing politics".
Ministers loyal to Mrs May have dismissed reports of plots to remove her as drink-fuelled "gossip", but Labour remains on an election footing, with leader Jeremy Corbyn saying he hopes for a fresh poll in September.
Mrs May will return to the message from her first day in Downing Street last July, when she succeeded David Cameron, and vow to lead what she called a "one nation" government that works for all and not just the "privileged few".
The speech is being seen by some as a "re-launch" or "fightback" after Mrs May lost her majority - and much of her authority - in the snap election last month.
"Come forward with your own views and ideas about how we can tackle" the challenges the country faces, Mrs May will say, adding: "We may not agree on everything, but ideas can be clarified and improved and a better way forward found."
Bluntly, it is an explicit acknowledgement of her fragility; her authority and majority shrivelled.
Government sources say it is a mature approach that maintains a commitment to taking on big, difficult and complex challenges; not just Brexit but reform of social care, too, for instance.
Labour says Mrs May's speech proves the Conservatives have "completely run out of ideas" and were reduced to "begging" for policy proposals from them.
In her speech, the PM will say that although the result of June's election was not what she wanted, "those defining beliefs remain, my commitment to change in Britain is undimmed".
Her "belief in the potential of the British people and what we can achieve together as a nation remains steadfast, and the determination I have to get to grips with the challenges posed by a changing world never more sure", she will say.
She will unveil a review - of casual and low-paid work - by Matthew Taylor, a former top adviser to Tony Blair, which she commissioned when she became prime minister.
Matthew Taylor will publish his employment review on Tuesday
It is thought Mr Taylor, who has been examining the use of zero-hours contracts and the rise in app-based firms such as Uber and Deliveroo, will stop short of calling for a compulsory minimum wage for those employed in the so-called gig economy, who do not have guaranteed hours or pay rates.
But he is expected to propose a series of extra rights for those in insecure jobs and could also recommend shaking up the tax system to reduce the gap between employees and the self-employed.
He is also likely to call for measures to improve job satisfaction for people working in minimum wage jobs, according to The Guardian.
In her speech, Mrs May will say: "When I commissioned this report I led a majority government in the House of Commons. The reality I now face as prime minister is rather different.
"In this new context, it will be even more important to make the case for our policies and our values, and to win the battle of ideas both in Parliament as well as in the country.
"So I say to the other parties in the House of Commons... come forward with your own views and ideas about how we can tackle these challenges as a country.
"We may not agree on everything, but through debate and discussion - the hallmarks of our parliamentary democracy - ideas can be clarified and improved and a better way forward found."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The PM has a programme for Britain that will spread prosperity, the first secretary of state tells Today
She will acknowledge the fragile nature of her position in the Commons but insist it will not stop her taking "the bold action necessary to secure a better future".
Speaking at a press conference with Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull on Monday, Mrs May said she had sought input from other parties in the past on issues like counter-terrorism and modern slavery.
She also said she was happy to work with Labour's Yvette Cooper and others in a cross-party approach to tackling intimidation and online abuse of MPs and others involved in the political process.
Asked if her desire for co-operation extended to Brexit, including on the government's Repeal Bill when it is published later this week, the prime minister said she was seeking the "broadest possible consensus" surrounding the terms of the UK's exit.
But former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said people would take the calls for cross-party working with "a lorry load of salt" - and he questioned why Mrs May had not raised the issue a year ago when she entered Number 10.
"The reason she wasn't asking for it then was she didn't need to," he said.
Damian Green: This is a grown up way of doing politics
Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake said: "A call for Labour to contribute is superfluous. On the single biggest issue of our generation, Brexit, Corbyn isn't contributing, he is cheerleading."
Scottish Government Brexit minister Michael Russell said: "If the prime minister is genuinely interested in creating a consensus then Scotland should have a seat at the negotiations to leave the EU."
But Mr Green, who has known Mrs May since university and is effectively her deputy prime minister, said the public would welcome a move away from politics in which parties "just sit in the trenches and shell each other".
"Politicians of all parties are invited to contribute their ideas - that's a grown up way of doing politics," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
He said Mrs May was motivated by "her duty" to carry on, adding: "She still has the same ambitions for this country as she had a year ago and she's determined to put them into practice for the good of this country - that's what drives her."
Asked if the PM could be tempted to step down after her summer holiday, he said: "No. She thinks not just that it's her duty, but she has a programme for Britain that encompasses not just a good Brexit deal, but also a domestic agenda that will spread prosperity around this country, make this a fairer society, tackle some of the injustices that we still have in our society - and that fire burns within her as strongly as ever."
The BBC's assistant political editor, Norman Smith, said that the Conservatives and Labour were "poles apart" on many significant policy areas.
He told BBC Radio 4's The World at One: "More brutally, Jeremy Corbyn is not minded to help Theresa May. He smells blood in the water.
"He wants to do everything he can to stampede Mrs May into another election, so the idea he might somehow seek to cooperate with her, I think, is bordering on the fanciful."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40549253
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Beauty queen wearing gloves at orphanage 'not racist' - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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An orphanage defends the reigning Miss South Africa after a barrage of social media criticism.
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BBC Trending
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Photos of Miss South Africa wearing gloves while visiting black children at an orphanage in Soweto sparked a online outcry - but the orphanage staff say any insinuation that Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters is racist is "ridiculous".
"Of course it wasn't because she didn't want to touch black children," says Carol Dyantyi, a spokesperson for the Orlando West Community Centre Ikageng.
Nel-Peters was volunteering to feed orphans at the centre, and the gloves were a health and safety measure.
"We told her, and all other volunteers, to wear them while they were handling food around the children," Dyantyi tells BBC Trending. "It was purely to protect the children from the risk of contaminated food. This social media reaction is ridiculous."
Thousands of Twitter users criticised Nel-Peters after photos of her at a soup drive on Wednesday began to circulate on social media.
Many accused the beauty queen of wearing the latex gloves "because she didn't want to touch black children" and shared images of her hugging dogs and white children with bare hands.
In a video posted to her Twitter account, Nel-Peters said that she wore the gloves for sanitary reasons and denied that were any racial undertones to her actions.
"All the volunteers on site wore gloves today because we honestly thought that it's the right thing to do while working with food and while handing out food to young kids," Nel-Peters said. She also apologised to those who were offended.
Claudia Henkel, a spokesperson for the beauty queen, also sent images to BBC Trending of Nel-Peters gloveless and playing with the children after the food had been served.
However, not everyone was satisfied with her response. The hashtag #MissSAChallenge began to trend on Twitter on Thursday, as South Africans poked fun of the "hygiene" reason cited for the gloves.
More than 18,000 tweets used the hashtag, and some users posted pictures of themselves doing mundane tasks whilst unnecessarily wearing gloves.
Not all of the responses were critical and others defended Miss South Africa.
Henkel tells Trending that whilst the social media backlash had "saddened" Nel-Peters, she is adamant about doing more soup drives in the near future.
"And if she is asked to wear gloves for the safety of the children, then she will again," Henkel adds.
You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-40496532
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East London acid attack: John Tomlin arrested - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Two cousins suffered "life-changing injuries" in an acid attack in east London.
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London
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John Tomlin handed himself in at an east London police station
A man named as the chief suspect in an acid attack in east London has handed himself in to police.
Two people suffered "life-changing" injuries when a corrosive substance was thrown on to them through their car windows.
Cousins Resham Khan and Jameel Muhktar, 37, had been celebrating Ms Khan's 21st birthday before the attack.
John Tomlin, 24, has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent, the Metropolitan Police said.
He walked into an east London police station on Sunday and remains in custody.
Resham Khan has been left with damage to her left eye
Ms Khan, a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, and Mr Muhktar suffered severe burns to the face and body in the attack on 21 June.
Police said they had stopped at traffic lights when a man approached them and threw the toxic substance at Ms Khan through the window.
The attacker then threw more of the acid at Mr Muhktar before fleeing the scene.
Jameel Muhktar was temporarily placed in an induced coma to treat his injuries
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40552021
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Funeral held for Brighton acrobat who died in Madrid show - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A Buddhist ceremony and Catholic cremation have been held for Pedro Aunión Monroy, his friend says.
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England
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The funeral for a Brighton acrobat who died during a performance has been held in Spain, a family friend has said.
Specialist aerial dancer Pedro Aunión Monroy was suspended in a cage during the Mad Cool festival in Madrid on Friday when he plunged 100ft to his death.
A Buddhist ceremony was held on Saturday and a Catholic cremation carried out earlier.
His friend Gary Taylor said Mr Monroy was a "huge bundle of energy".
He told the BBC a Prince song was played during the funeral for the Portslade-based dancer, and his ashes will be buried with his grandmother's in Spain on Monday.
Gary Taylor has paid tribute to his 'kind and energetic' friend
"Pedro and his partner Mike are both Buddhists and [Mike] said afterwards it was a very powerful experience," Mr Taylor said.
"Pedro was a huge ball of energy, a very big character and a very kind man.
"I've got a lot of funny memories, but far too few memories now. He was a big showman and died as you might expect, with an audience.
"His family are lovely... they are all devastated and shocked."
Mr Monroy's last Facebook post before his death
Mr Monroy died between performances by Alt-J and Green Day, and paramedics spent 30 minutes trying to revive him.
It is unclear at this stage what caused the fall.
Mr Taylor said he expects there will be an investigation into the circumstances, as the Mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, had told the family she wanted to know exactly what happened.
Mr Monroy had his own performance company, In Fact Aerial Dance, based in Brixton, London, and previously worked as a self-employed massage therapist at The Grand Hotel, Brighton.
In statement on the 45,000-ticket sell out festival's website, directors Javier Arnaiz and Farruco Castromán said they did not initially inform the audience or the bands the fall was fatal because of "security reasons".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40547843
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Tesla's Elon Musk tweets new photos of latest car, the Model 3 - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Tesla boss Elon Musk tweets the first pictures of the electric car firm's latest, the Model 3.
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Business
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Tesla co-founder Elon Musk tweeted the first image of the Model 3 after it rolled off the production line
Tesla co-founder and chief executive Elon Musk has shared the first images of the electric car company's Model 3 after it came off the assembly line.
The entrepreneur followed it up with another Model 3 photo, this time in colour, outside the Tesla factory site in California.
The Model 3 is Tesla's first mass-market car and the first 30 owners will get in the driver's seat on 28 July.
The four-door Model 3 will then be available to the public, with a base price of $35,000 (£27,100), almost half that of the Tesla's next-cheapest model.
Tesla's share price more than doubled between December and late June as investors backed Mr Musk's strategy to transform the low-volume luxury electric car maker into a producer for the crowded mass-market, but has since fallen back.
Registrations for new Teslas in California, the car maker's largest market, were down 24% in April compared with April 2016, according to IHS Markit data. The company responded by calling the figure "cherry-picked" data.
Tesla reported that first-half 2017 global deliveries for all its models rose to 47,100. That was at the lower end of its predicted sales range of 47,000 to 50,000.
In its last full financial year results the company made a loss of $889m (£689m).
Mr Musk's tweeted images follow news last week that Volvo would become the first traditional vehicle manufacturer to phase out the petrol and diesel powered combustion engine, in a move toward hybrid and electric car production.
Elon Musk tweeted this image of the Tesla Model 3 production unit
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40548022
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Men shot in large scale disturbance at play park - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Police are treating the incident involving up to 15 men at a play park in Glasgow as attempted murder.
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Glasgow & West Scotland
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Six men were found with injuries near a children's play area in Ballantay Terrace
A 23-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital after being shot in a large scale disturbance in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow.
Six men were taken to hospital following the incident near a children's play area in Ballantay Terrace at about 20:00 on Saturday.
Police said up to 15 individuals were involved in the incident, which they described as attempted murder.
A 25-year-old man is also in a stable condition in hospital.
Officers said that on arrival at the scene they found six men with various injuries.
Det Ch Insp Martin Fergus said children and other members of the public were in the area at the time of the attack.
He told BBC Scotland: "The call that we received was that there was a large scale disturbance, upwards of 12 to 15 individuals of various age groups engaged in a large scale disturbance using weapons.
"It's [too] early to say exactly what the motive behind this was, we are working on the hypothesis that this may be a localised feud between families, we don't know at this stage.
DCI Martin Fergus said children and other members of the public were in the area when the disturbance broke out
"What I can confirm is that two individuals received injuries consistent with gunshot wounds, one of which is critical and fighting for his life as I speak.
"The other male also received critical injuries, however, they are not thought to be life threatening at this time.
"Other males that were also involved in the disturbance have received an array of injuries all believed to be serious."
Since the six men were admitted to hospital in the city, four have been discharged.
Supt John McBride said officers would be patrolling the area to reassure the local community.
He said: "It happened in a sunny Saturday evening when children were undoubtedly out playing in the area and if you're a parent there and you've got a young kid, you probably want that feeling of safety."
He added: "It is important for people to know that this was not a random attack, it was a targeted attack involving two separate factions."
"It was such a large incident. We have got six people seriously injured, one of whom is still in a critical condition in hospital, one in a stable condition, and four with serious injuries."
The area where the attack took place is largely overlooked by housing and officers believe many people will have witnessed the incident as a result.
They have urged anyone with information to come forward.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-40548641
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Bradley Lowery: Family says all welcome at his funeral - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The six-year-old moved people around the world with his fight against terminal cancer.
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Tees
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The family of six-year-old Bradley Lowery have said all are welcome at his funeral.
Bradley, from Blackhall Colliery near Hartlepool, died on Friday following a fight with neuroblastoma - a rare type of cancer.
In a post on Facebook, his family said his funeral will be held at St Joseph's church in the village at 11:15 BST on Friday.
The Sunderland fan moved people around the world with his story.
The youngster's plight captured the hearts of people around the world
His family said: "[The funeral] is open to everyone who would like to come and celebrate Bradley's life and pay their respects to show him how much he was loved."
Speakers will be set up outside the church and, although attendees are told they can wear what they want, his family will be wearing football shirts.
A private ceremony will be held afterwards at a crematorium.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-40548505
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Acrobat death fall at Mad Cool festival in Madrid - BBC News
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2017-07-09
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A man who lived and worked in Brighton died during an aerial stunt at the Mad Cool festival in Madrid.
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England
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An acrobat from Brighton has died after reportedly falling 100ft (30m) during a stunt at a rock festival in Spain.
Specialist in aerial dance Pedro Aunión Monroy, was suspended in a cage during the Mad Cool festival in Madrid, on Friday night.
While near the main stage, in-between the performances by alt-J and Green Day, he fell.
Paramedics spent 30 minutes trying to revive him, but were unable to save him.
Mr Monroy from Portslade, who trained in the schools of Pilar López, Cristina Rota and in the Royal Conservatory of Dance, had his own performance company, In Fact Aerial Dance, based in Brixton, London.
He also worked as a self-employed massage therapist at The Grand Hotel, Brighton.
Speaking to the BBC, the hotel's general manager Andrew Mosley said: "We are all very sad to hear the news, it is the most terrible news and our hearts go out to his friends and family."
He added the sports masseur enjoyed half marathons and was a very popular member of the staff.
Just a few days before the festival, he posted a picture and a last message on Facebook of himself and his partner which said "love, come to my arms".
Mr Monroy's last Facebook post before his death was a loving message to his partner
The festival organisers did not initially inform the audience or the bands the fall was fatal because of "security reasons" and around 40 minutes after, Green Day took to the stage for their set.
Tweeting after their performance Green Day said: "We just got off stage at Mad Cool Festival to disturbing news. A very brave artist named Pedro lost his life tonight in a tragic accident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends."
It is unclear at this stage what happened with Mr Monroy's equipment which caused him to fall.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Green Day This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Slowdive, which was due on stage after Green Day, suspended its performance, saying: "Due to the tragic accident in Mad Cool this night we feel it is not appropriate to play. Our thoughts are with those affected."
A statement on the 45,000-ticket sell out festival's website from directors Javier Arnaiz and Farruco Castromán reads: "Mad Cool Festival regrets the terrible accident that the aerial dancer suffered during the second day of the festival.
Mr Monroy fell just before rock band Green Day went on stage
"For security reasons, the festival decided to continue with its programming. We send our most sincere condolences to all his family.
"Tomorrow Saturday 8, during the festival, we will render a heartfelt tribute to the artist."
The mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, has also tweeted to say she was sorry to hear of the death and sent "a loving embrace to your family, friends and colleagues".
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40542289
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