id stringlengths 8 47 | url stringlengths 33 166 | title stringlengths 12 112 | summary stringlengths 13 968 | text stringlengths 216 68.6k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
world-36659258 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-36659258 | Profile: Duterte the controversial 'strongman' of the Philippines | Rodrigo Duterte was elected president of the Philippines in 2016 by a landslide win on the back of hardline promises to tackle crime and corruption. | He has since attracted intense controversy for a bloody drug war and a string of controversial remarks deemed offensive or sexist by many observers. He has also been criticised by the international community and rights groups that say his policies amount to human rights abuses. Despite international condemnation, he remains hugely popular in the Philippines. 'Slaughter' of addicts The hallmark of Mr Duterte's early years as president has been a relentless crackdown on drug dealers and users. He has urged citizens and the police to conduct extra-judicial killings of suspects and thousands have died in the anti-drugs campaign. Noting that there are three million addicts in Philippines, Mr Duterte has said he would be "happy to slaughter them". Mr Duterte has said his hardline stance was necessary to wipe out the illegal drugs trade and remains undeterred, vowing to kill "every last one" of the traffickers. The United Nation, the Roman Catholic church, the European Union and the United States have repeatedly condemned his policy as a violation of human rights. Domestic activist groups have also protested the killings. Rape jokes and sexual abuse Faced with mounting criticism, Mr Duterte, known for making brash off-the-cuff remarks, has been bellicose. He has threatened to "separate" from the UN - which he later said was a joke - and called then UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon "a fool". He also called the EU "hypocrites" during a speech and showed the middle finger. He famously referred to former US President Barack Obama as a "son of a whore", but later expressed regret when Mr Obama cancelled a meeting. He also called the Pope "the son of a whore" and said God was "stupid" in a largely devout Catholic country, and joked that when he was still the mayor of the southern city of Davao he should have been the first to rape an Australian missionary murdered in a prison riot. There's been a wave of criticism after he said he sexually assaulted a maid when he was a teenager or when he kissed a female worker on stage, described as "disgusting theatrics of a misogynist president" by rights group Gabriela. Political origins Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte was born in 1945 into a family closely tied to local politics. His father was once a provincial governor and the family had links with the powerful families in Cebu province, where his father was once mayor. Mr Duterte trained as a lawyer and rose to become state prosecutor, eventually becoming mayor of Davao in 1988, ruling the city for much of the past 30 years. He built his reputation fighting some of the biggest problems facing the Philippines - crime, militancy and corruption. All three dropped significantly during his time leading Davao, making the city one of the safest in the Philippines. His track record from Davao helped him win nationwide support on the hope he could replicate his efforts at a national level. Constitutional reforms Self-styled as both a socialist and a reformist, he has promised to change the country from a centralised system to a federal parliamentary form of government, to better share wealth. A landslide win by his political supporters in the 2019 senatorial elections has given him a majority in the country's upper house. This means he can now push forward with his plans to change the constitution to make the country more federal. Critics warn though that without reforms at the regional and local level, a more federal Philippines would hand unchecked power to local clans and dynasties. The senate majority also allows him to pursue other controversial policies like reinstating the death penalty or lower the age of criminal liability. Pivoting to China? His foreign policy direction, vague during campaigning, has continued to flip-flop. Mr Duterte had previously hinted at taking a stronger stance against China, which the Philippines is engaged with in maritime disputes in the South China Sea. He famously said he would ride a jet ski to a disputed island claimed by both countries and stick a flag on it. But since becoming president he has emphasised a desire to move away from the US - the Philippines' former colonial ruler turned military and economic partner - and pivot closer to China and Russia, sparking concerns from investors. 'Duterte Harry' His tough approach has earned him the nicknames "The Punisher" and "Duterte Harry". He said in a televised debate that he would kill his own children if they took drugs. He also said he killed someone when he was a teenager - a statement his spokesman later said was only a joke. His strongman image makes him popular among many in the Philippines as someone who will do what is necessary to get things done. Halfway through his term, polls put his public support at around 80% and the mid-term election was also seen as a successful referendum on his policies. But horrified opponents have continued to castigate him, comparing him to US President Donald Trump. Mr Duterte has rejected the comparisons, saying that "he is a bigot and I am not". Married twice, he has four children, one of whom - his eldest daughter Sara - is now mayor of Davao City. He is now officially single, but has claimed to have several girlfriends. |
uk-wales-mid-wales-41004076 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-41004076 | Green Man Festival tents donated to refugees in France | Revellers at the Green Man Festival in Powys have donated hundred of tents and sleeping bags to refugees. | The Newport to Calais Aid Collective accepted the donations at the music festival, held at the Glanusk Estate in Crickhowell, over the weekend. They will be sent to France, where activists say many migrants and refugees are still sleeping rough after "the Jungle" camp's closure. The collective said the donations would "make a massive difference". Cheyenne Jayne-Manning is one of the volunteers at the collective who visited the Jungle in Calais before it was dismantled in October, displacing hundreds. She and other activists from Newport collected equipment on the final day of last year's festival. When they returned for the full weekend this year they were inundated with gear. "We've had hundreds more donations because people have seen us throughout the festival and been aware of where we are," Ms Jayne-Manning said. "Brand new tents and sleeping bags with the price tags still on them, a pair of branded wellies... it's amazing what people are happy to donate." She said, after witnessing people desperately seeking shelter in Calais and other camps in France last year, the donated will gear will help. "People were just sleeping in the rain with absolutely no warmth around them at all. The weather in France isn't that different to here, so this will make a massive difference." Director of the festival, Fiona Stewart, said five refugees from Syria living in Wales also helped with stewarding at the event for the first time. She said it helped those involved to learn some skills and left a "positive legacy with people". "It's very inspiring for us to be involved in it," she added. |
10361650 | https://www.bbc.com/news/10361650 | Spending cuts 'are threatening construction jobs' | Government spending cuts could lead to thousands of construction job losses and longer housing waiting lists, a campaign group has warned. | The National Housing Federation said it believed the housing budget could be cut by up to 32% over four years. This could lead to 200,000 construction jobs being lost or not created, and 350,000 people being added to housing waiting lists in England, it said. The government is set to announce cuts in the Budget on Tuesday. It has already announced the cancellation of 12 projects worth £2bn. These included programmes for the young unemployed and projects, including government funding for a visitor centre at Stonehenge. The federation, which represents England's housing associations, said that if the housing budget was cut by a third, 142,000 planned affordable homes would not be built in the period up to 2020, and housing waiting lists would grow by 354,000. Waiting lists for affordable housing are at a record level of 4.5 million people, and more than 2.6 million people are living in overcrowded conditions, the federation said. However, it said just 123,000 homes were built in 2009-10, the lowest number since 1923, excluding the war years. The federation also said it believed that, under the cuts, £44bn could be lost to the economy over a decade. Federation chief executive David Orr said: "It is clear to everyone that the amount of public money available to fund various activities in the future is going to be tight. However, it is critical that the nation keeps building affordable housing. "Drastically cutting the housing budget could also imperil the fragile recovery, as our modelling shows that cuts to the housing budget of one third would automatically take £44bn out of the economy over the next 10 years." Housing Minister Grant Shapps said the government was "determined to build the new homes this country needs" despite "the very difficult economic situation we are in". "This is why we acted quickly to protect £170m of funding to build up to 4,000 more social homes and protect 3,500 jobs. We also want to free up councils to build the homes they need to meet local need and will champion new local housing trusts to build more homes in local communities, especially in towns and villages." |
health-48283242 | https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48283242 | Cannabis meds: 'I risk criminal record to help my child' | Anthony Clarry has had to get used to breaking the law. Once a month he smuggles two cannabis-based medicines into the UK for his five-year-old daughter Indie-Rose, who has a rare form of severe epilepsy. | Fergus WalshMedical correspondent@BBCFergusWalshon Twitter Speaking minutes after clearing customs at Stansted Airport, he told the BBC: "Every time I come back from the Netherlands I am really anxious that they might stop me and then I risk a criminal record, and also having Indie's medicine taken away which would potentially put her life at risk." Indie-Rose's mother, Tannine Montgomery, has also made the trip. She said: "We should not have to spend £1,500 a month on these medicines, but be able to pick it up from a local pharmacy." At home in Clare, Suffolk, they are reunited with Indie-Rose, who has Dravet syndrome, a rare and hard to treat form of epilepsy. They say the cannabis oils have dramatically reduced the frequency, duration and severity of their daughter's seizures. Tannine said: "Since she has been on the cannabis oils, she has not been hospitalised with a seizure. Not only that, but she is more alert, happier, a different child, and it's made her life worth living." The couple have spent about £25,000 on cannabis medicines over the past year. Much of that has been raised through crowdfunding online, and with the support of their local community. The whole family had to spend several weeks in the Netherlands while Indie-Rose was assessed by a Dutch doctor, who has prescribed two cannabis-based oils, Bedrolite and Bedica. But wasn't the cannabis meds law changed in 2018? It was. On 1 November 2018, cannabis medicines were moved from Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations, meaning they have no therapeutic value, to Schedule 2, to recognise there is conclusive evidence of benefit for some patients. From that date, specialist doctors were allowed to prescribe cannabis medicines "where there is an unmet clinical need". following a recommendation from the Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies. But Tannine and Anthony have not been able to persuade their daughter's neurologist to prescribe the Dutch products, so they have to pay for it. The campaign group End Our Pain says there are several other families who are bringing cannabis medicines into the UK illegally. There are no official figures, but it appears that only two children with severe epilepsy now have NHS prescriptions for unlicensed cannabis medicines. One of them is Sophia Gibson, aged seven, from Newtownards near Belfast. She also has Dravet syndrome and used to suffer life-threatening seizures. Her mum, Danielle Davis, told the BBC: "Barely a week went by without us having to call an ambulance for Sophia, because her seizures were impossible to control. "Sometimes the doctors had to put her into an induced coma and take over her breathing, it was terrifying." Danielle says the cannabis medicines have had a dramatic impact. "Sophia has not been hospitalised as a result of a seizure since last July. We know it is not a cure because she still has seizures, but they are infrequent, last less than a minute and are much milder. "She is also happier, more alert and her cognitive ability has improved," her mum says. What is in the cannabis-based medicines? There are hundreds of chemicals in cannabis. The two key active compounds, called cannabinoids, in medical use are: A variety of CBD oils can be bought in the UK, but only if they contain virtually no THC. Indie-Rose and Sophia are being treated with Bedrolite, and Bedica, which are administered under the tongue. Bedrolite is 9% CBD and less than 1% THC, but still above the 0.2% legal limit in the UK. Bedica is 14% THC. They are manufactured in the Netherlands by Bedrocan, whose sole customer is the Dutch government. The dried cannabis flowers are turned into oil-based medicines by a pharmacy in The Hague. The British Paediatric Neurology Association (BPNA) guidelines say there is "good quality clinical evidence" that CBD reduces seizures in Dravet syndrome, but "no high quality evidence" to support the use of THC. So why can't more children with severe epilepsy access cannabis medicines under the new law? This is a key question. Last year, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Having been moved by heartbreaking cases involving sick children, it was important to me that we took swift action to help those who can benefit from medicinal cannabis. "We have now delivered on our promise and specialist doctors will have the option to prescribe these products where there is a real need." Understandably, politicians recognised that clinical decisions had to be left to doctors, but paediatric neurologists have largely refused to prescribe cannabis-based medicines from companies such as Bedrocan in the Netherlands or Tilray in Canada. Why? Prof Helen Cross, a consultant in paediatric neurology at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and a leading epilepsy researcher, said: "There was a perception from families, after 1 November, that they could walk in and get a prescription for cannabis-based medicines, which they perceive to be a natural product, so must be better than other drugs. "But we need to look at the evidence base and ensure we are not going to make the children any worse." At present there is an impasse because the BPNA says there is not enough evidence that THC is safe or effective, and it has concerns about its effects on the developing brain. Later this year, the health watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will issue guidelines to specialist doctors which may clarify the circumstances in which products containing THC can be prescribed. Prof Cross accepts some children on these medications may be doing well, but not everyone. "I've seen an equal number of very disappointed families, because they haven't seen the miracle that they're expecting, but these cases don't get reported, as it's not what people want to hear." Sophia and Indie-Rose's parents say some of the standard epilepsy medicines left the girls heavily sedated and lethargic, and did not control their seizures. Prof Cross is hopeful that a new cannabidiol medicine, Epidiolex, manufactured in the UK by GW Pharma, will get a European licence within a few months. It contains no THC. Epidiolex has undergone randomised controlled trials, and was found to reduce seizures by nearly 40% in children with Dravet or Lennox Gastaux syndromes. About 80 children in the UK are already being prescribed Epidiolex on a compassionate basis, where their seizures have proved resistant to other medications. Prof Cross, who led the trials of Epidiolex in the UK, said it was sensible to start with cannabidiol and then see "do we need to add THC in some circumstances?". But it won't come cheaply. The list price of the drug in the US is $32,500 (£25,000) a year. There has been a broad welcome from clinicians and parents for the decision to move cannabis medicines from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2, as this will make research much easier. Prof Cross says she hopes to set up clinical trials involving some of the unlicensed cannabis medicines which will seek to establish whether THC has a beneficial role in controlling seizures. Follow Fergus on Twitter. |
uk-england-suffolk-49241475 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-49241475 | Cannabis plant waste found fly-tipped in Suffolk village | Dozens of cannabis plants that have been fly-tipped in a small village could pose a health risk to the public, a council said. | A mound of about 50 bin bags full of "remnants" of marijuana plants were dumped in Henstead, near Lowestoft in Suffolk, on Friday. People are being warned not to touch the waste as it could contain spores which can cause health problems. Suffolk Police is working with the council to investigate the fly-tipping. A spokeswoman for East Suffolk Council said: "The waste contained remnants from cannabis plants and, as a result, may contain spores which can be harmful to health. "As with all fly-tipping incidents, we will be undertaking a full investigation to try to find those responsible. "The waste will be removed in due course, using specialist equipment and, in the meantime, we would ask members of the public not to interfere with the waste." The specific health risk posed to the public comes from aspergillus spores - a type of mould which, if inhaled, can cause chest infections or allergic reactions. People with lung conditions like asthma or cystic fibrosis are more likely to be affected. Suffolk Police have been contacted for comment. |
uk-scotland-53203877 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-53203877?intlink_from_url=&link_location=live-reporting-story | No decision on European holidays from Scotland | Scottish Ministers say they have not yet taken a decision on easing restrictions on holiday travel, despite an announcement from the UK government. | A UK government spokesman said blanket restrictions on travel to some European countries will be relaxed from 6 July. The UK government has powers over border controls. However, health protection issues on overseas travel must be supported by Scottish government regulations because health is a devolved matter. Scottish Ministers said they needed to be satisfied arrangements to be put in place were "right for Scotland and properly supported by Scottish legislation". The Scottish government said it had expected four-nation talks to be held before any announcement was made. Under the UK government plans, holidaymakers are expected to be allowed to travel to certain European countries without having to spend 14 days in quarantine when they return. A traffic light system will be operated - with countries classified as green, amber or red depending on virus cases. They are thought to include Spain, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Turkey, Germany and Norway. The full list of travel corridors with the UK will be published next week. But the Scottish government said it had expected talks involving Wales and Northern Ireland and UK ministers first. A spokesman said: "Scottish ministers have long argued for UK-wide public health measures relating to international travel as part of the wider response to this pandemic - to protect people and ensure that we limit the introduction of new chains of transmission of the virus when our own infection rates are falling. "This is a matter for Scottish ministers - who have not yet taken a final decision." He added: "The Scottish government had anticipated a four-nations ministerial discussion before the UK government's announcement, and it is disappointing that this has not yet taken place." 'Urgent decision' A UK government spokesman said the new rules would give people "the opportunity for a summer holiday abroad" while also boosting the UK economy - but stressed the relaxation depended on risks staying low. He added that the government "wouldn't hesitate to put on the brakes" on overseas travel if the situation changed. Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said it was "good news" people in Scotland could "look forward to a summer holiday in Europe". He added: "But they now need an urgent decision from the Scottish government on whether they will be able to travel from Scottish airports, or have to fly from airports in other parts of the UK. "Decisions on quarantine need to be taken without unnecessary delay by the Scottish government so people can plan their hard-earned holidays." |
entertainment-arts-23417708 | https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-23417708 | EastEnders reflects Royal birth | A specially-filmed scene was inserted into Tuesday's edition of EastEnders, marking the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's son. | Dot Cotton and Abi Branning were seen discussing the new arrival in the episode, broadcast at 19:30 BST. The birth was confirmed shortly after 20:30 on Monday. Some 2.6 million viewers were watching rolling coverage on BBC One when the announcement came. About 7.1 million heard the news during an ad break on ITV's Coronation Street. Channel 4 left their continuity announcer to make the announcement, while Channel 5 waited for their regularly-scheduled bulletin at 20:55. Viewing figures for the main 10 o'clock news programmes were an average four million for BBC One and 2.1 million for ITV. 'Historic event' The BBC said it received 378 complaints from viewers over its coverage, including from those who felt too much time was devoted to the story and others who were disappointed at the change in BBC One's schedule for rolling coverage. "This was a huge story in the UK and abroad - it was a historic event with high audience interest," a BBC spokeswoman said. "Millions of people tuned in across the day boosting audiences to the News Channel which saw the fourth highest day of the year. "It was also the biggest global day and second biggest UK day ever for BBC News online with 19.4m unique browsers globally and 10.8m from the UK." A spokeswoman for Sky News said it had also received a number of complaints there was too much coverage, although the majority of the viewers were "captivated by the coverage and had a lot of praise". The new scene for EastEnders was recorded late on Monday night and dropped into a pre-recorded episode. "This is such a momentous occasion for the Royal family, the country and, of course, the residents of Walford that we felt it should be marked," said a spokeswoman for the soap. The show often reflects topical and historic events. Scenes discussing the death of Michael Jackson and the election of US President Barack Obama have been dropped into the programme at the last minute. Footage of the Royal Wedding was also included in an episode in 2011, just hours after the ceremony had taken place. Most recently, Andy Murray's win at Wimbledon was scripted into the show. In the scene, Kim Fox told Jay Brown she wanted to change the name of her B&B from Kim's Palace to Wimbledon Palace as a tribute. |
business-51364102 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51364102 | Travelex: Bank currency services still offline after hack | Sainsbury's Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and Barclays are among major High Street banks still unable to offer online currency services. | The problem stems from provider Travelex, which is still working to bring back services more than a month after it suffered a major cyber attack. Customers are able to buy in branches, but cannot order money online or over the phone. It is understood the currency firm aims to start restoring services this week. Travelex had to take down its website after the hack was discovered on New Year's Eve. A gang called Sodinokibi claimed to have accessed reams of sensitive customer data and demanded that it pay a $6m (£4.6m) ransom to retrieve it. Cashiers resorted to using pen and paper to keep money moving at bureau de changes in airports and on high streets but orders online were suspended. Meanwhile, banks reported that their supply of notes from Travelex had dried up and were forced to apologise to customers. Lenders that use Travelex also include Virgin Money and HSBC. On Monday, RBS confirmed it was still not offering foreign currency services online but declined to comment on when its services would be restored. A spokeswoman for Sainsbury's Bank said: "We're continuing to work closely with Travelex in order to resume our online money ordering service soon." Travelex, which declined to comment, has said there is no evidence customer data was been compromised by the cyber attack. |
business-19388633 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-19388633 | Apple seeks to ban sale of eight Samsung phones in US | Apple has asked a court to ban eight Samsung mobile phones in the US. | The phones include the Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S2 AT&T model, Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, Galaxy S2 T-Mobile model, Galaxy S2 Epic 4G, Galaxy S Showcase, Droid Charge and Galaxy Prevail. It comes in the wake of Apple's US court victory over its rival, which saw the South Korean company ordered to pay $1.05bn (£655m) for copying patents. Apple shares rose 1.88% to $675.68 in Monday trading on Wall Street. The company has asked the US District Court in San Jose, California, for a preliminary injunction on the Samsung products, while a permanent injunction is sought. At the same time, Samsung has also asked the court to delete an injunction on its Galaxy Tab 10.1, after the jury in the recent court case found it did not infringe Apple's design patent for the iPad tablet. Judge Lucy Koh had issued an injunction on the tablet on 26 June. Earlier on Monday, Samsung sent a memo to staff hitting out at what it called the "abuse of patent law". Shares in Samsung fell 7% in Seoul trading, their biggest one-day fall in almost four years. On 24 August, a US court ruled that Samsung had infringed Apple patents for mobile devices in one of the most significant rulings in a global intellectual property battle. Samsung said it would be appealing against the verdict. "We initially proposed to negotiate with Apple instead of going to court, as they had been one of our most important customers," the company said its memo to staff. "However, Apple pressed on with a lawsuit, and we have had little choice but to counter sue, so that we can protect our company." It said that the US court's verdict contrasted "starkly" with decisions made in other countries, including the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. "History has shown there has yet to be a company that has won the hearts and minds of consumers and achieved continuous growth, when its primary means to competition has been the outright abuse of patent law, not the pursuit of innovation," the memo said. "We trust that the consumers and the market will side with those who prioritise innovation over litigation, and we will prove this beyond doubt." Sales worries Analysts said investors were worried that the ruling could see certain products taken off the market. "An adjustment in the next few days is unavoidable as the damage amount was much bigger than market expectations, and there are further uncertainties, such as the possibility of a sales ban," said John Park, from Daishin Securities. In a separate move, the giant chipmaker ASML said Samsung would be investing $975m in its research programme into next-generation chipmaking technology and in buying a 3% share in the company. Intel Corp and TSMC have both recently signed similar investment deals into the co-investment programme, whose aim is to tie in ASML's customers and develop new technology designed to lead to cheaper products. Jury ruling A nine-member jury in San Jose, California ruled on 24 August that Samsung had infringed Apple patents for mobile devices. It was the the most closely-watched of many similar patent disputes being contested in courts around the world between electronics manufacturers. In recent weeks, a court in South Korea ruled that both Apple and Samsung had copied each other, while a British court dismissed claims by the American company that Samsung had infringed its copyrights. |
entertainment-arts-40626224 | https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-40626224 | Doctor Who: Fans react to Jodie Whittaker casting | Few TV casting announcements can have been as long awaited as the name of Doctor Who's 13th Time Lord and when the revelation finally came it sent social media into a frenzy. | Hundreds of thousands of people around the world joined the debate about the news that Jodie Whittaker is to star as the first female Doctor. While some people talked about the great role model the new Doctor would be for girls and women, others wondered why it had taken so long and some were firmly in the camp that the Doctor was only ever meant to be male. People with young girls in their families appeared to be delighted at the announcement including David Owens who wrote: "My 8-year-old daughter pumped her fist and shouted "yes!" when the new @bbcdoctorwho was revealed. Think that tells you all you need to know." Simon Tucker responded saying: It's great mate. My nieces can grow up in a world with a good Wonder Woman, a female Jedi, female ghostbusters & a female Dr Who." And @BlackRyu82 wrote: "My youngest daughter loves new Ghostbusters. We watched it together almost daily at one point. Super excited to watch Dr Who with her!" One user applauded the move saying: "The lack of women, and lead women, in sci fi is embarrassing. Doctor Who just made a step in the right direction". And the casting milestone made some people feel quite emotional like Carla Joanne who tweeted: "Wow. I don't even watch #DrWho & this made me choke up a little. I will def be tuning in". Giving Jodie Whittaker the lead role could pull in more new viewers including @Laidback_Blake who wrote: "Ooh a lady Dr. Who this time. I may have to watch this season." You might also like: Somali UK graduate shares success with mum Bride meets late son's heart recipient The news was greeted in an apparently tongue-in-cheek way by some including @plewis16 who tweeted: "A woman as Dr Who ? I can't believe it - outrageous. Send for the Daleks! And change the locks on all police boxes. What would Hartnell say?" But not everyone was happy. On Facebook Nicki Murphy wrote: "I like Jodi, I think she is a terrific actor but I'm sorry, this is an exercise in pleasing the PC brigade. How about writing some new, quality roles for females... this is an attempt to meet some quota!!!" And a female Doctor was all too much for life-long fan Wendy Roberts who posted: "No disrespect to the actress chosen but the producers have brought my Dr Who history and memories to an abrupt end." Also opposing the announcement, one Twitter user said: "The doctor is a time LORD. Not a time LADY." While one user tweeted he would no longer be following the show and another said that a female Doctor Who meant the show could "say goodbye to their viewers and ratings." Si Stringer took a more nuanced view of the Facebook discussion posting simply: "People who accept a shape-shifting, time-travelling immortal character unable to accept female lead in a television show." The conversation will no doubt not end here but as one Twitter user pointed out, whatever your view about a female Doctor, one thing is for certain: "The world hasn't ended." Some, including London-based illustrator Christian Ward, gave a seal of approval by tweeting their fan art. Celebrities also weighed in with their reaction, including the sixth Doctor Who, Colin Baker, who said: "Change my dears and not a moment too soon - she IS the Doctor whether you like it or not!" Author JK Rowling also retweeted: "Lot of folks who have never cared about Dr Who before are suddenly very concerned. Maybe we should announce that climate change is a woman." Presenter Piers Morgan congratulated Jodie Whittaker, adding tongue-in-cheek: "Very disappointed Dr Who is now a woman. Massive insult to the non-binary gender-neutral community." And Blink-182 lead vocalist Mark Hoppus joked: "Oh great a female Doctor Who. What next? Female real doctors? Female pilots? Female scientists? Female sisters and mothers? Female WOMEN?!" While Gillian Anderson, renowned for her role as Agent Dana Scully in The X-Files series, tweeted her joy at the news: "Yes! #breakthemold #13thDoctor." Actor John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker's co-star in the science fiction film Attack the Block tweeted: "So proud of Jodie Whittaker. She's going to be awesome". By Annie Flury, UGC and Social News team |
world-europe-isle-of-man-18158964 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-18158964 | Isle of Man whale sighting is 'once in a lifetime' | A close encounter with a minke whale near the south coast of the Isle of Man has been described by a marine expert as a "once in a lifetime" experience. | Eleanor Stone from the Manx Wildlife Trust recorded four separate sightings near the Calf of Man on Monday. Minke whales, which can weigh up to 10 tonnes, are sometimes spotted off the Manx coast in late summer. Ms Stone said: "We were amazed when the whale circled the boat, it really was a once in a lifetime experience". She added: "No-one on the boat had ever seen a minke whale so close before, they normally don't pay much attention to boats and so we were amazed when it swam right under us." The whale was spotted in a routine survey of the coastline by the Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch in association with the Manx Wildlife Trust. Minke whales prefer cooler regions to tropical areas and can also be found in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Arctic Oceans. |
world-us-canada-51304366 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51304366 | White House pushes back as Bolton book threatens revelations | The White House is pushing back against the publication of a book by former national security adviser John Bolton, citing security concerns. | The National Security Council said the book had "top secret" details that must be removed, a claim Mr Bolton rejects. A manuscript of the book reportedly claims that President Donald Trump linked freezing military aid to Ukraine in exchange for a political favour. The book row comes as the questioning period of the impeachment trial begins. On Friday, senators will hold a key vote on whether or not to allow witnesses in the trial. Democrats are demanding Mr Bolton testify in the wake of these claims, and some Republicans have also suggested they would like to hear from the former adviser. The president has denied all the allegations against him. What did the White House say? National Security Council (NSC) senior director Ellen Knight said in a letter to Mr Bolton's attorney that following a preliminary review, the "manuscript appears to contain significant amounts of classified information". "It also appears that some of this classified information is at the top-secret level," Ms Knight wrote. She went on to warn that the "manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information". A senior White House official said on Wednesday that the letter was not a "threat" to the former national security adviser. But President Trump's defence in his impeachment trial has been imperilled by the reported revelations in the book. The manuscript is said to contain an account of the president directly telling Mr Bolton that he would withhold US military aid to Ukraine to pressure Ukraine to help him win the 2020 US election. Senior figures in Mr Trump's Republican Party are now fighting to prevent Mr Bolton being called as a witness at the impeachment trial, while a small handful say they will vote for witnesses to appear. A copy of Mr Bolton's manuscript was reportedly sent to the White House weeks ago for review. A White House official said the letter was sent to Mr Bolton prior to revelations from his book being reported by the New York Times last week. The president lashed out at his former national security adviser on Twitter on Wednesday, calling his book "nasty & untrue". He insisted he "NEVER" told John Bolton the military aid was tied to getting dirt from Ukraine on his domestic political rivals. What does the Bolton manuscript allege? On 26 January, the New York Times reported excerpts from the unpublished book by Mr Bolton, who was fired from the White House in September 2019. They included claims that Mr Trump told Mr Bolton in August that he wanted to withhold $391m (£300 million) in security aid to Ukraine until officials there assisted with probes into Democrats, including 2020 Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden and his son. The revelations, if true, are significant, because Republicans have argued that no first-hand witnesses had connected the president to the alleged scheme to withhold aid for political benefit. But Mr Bolton reportedly makes it clear in his book that he was instructed directly by the president to withhold the aid in order to pressure Ukraine. Mr Bolton's lawyer Charles Cooper responded to the NSC letter last week by saying the book contained no top secrets. "We do not believe that any of that information could reasonably be considered classified," Mr Cooper wrote in an email to the White House on 24 January, the Washington Post reports. Mr Cooper also said he had asked for an expedited review of a chapter about Ukraine, adding that Mr Bolton was "preparing" for the possibility he could be called to testify in the trial. What's happening in the trial? The Senate impeachment trial has entered a two-day period of questioning, during which each party will alternate for up to 16 hours throughout Wednesday and Thursday. Lawmakers are barred from speaking themselves, and must submit written questions to Chief Justice John Roberts, who then reads them aloud. In one key moment on Wednesday, Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz argued that "if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment" - effectively arguing that any action taken to aid re-election could be considered to be in the public interest, and therefore not impeachable. A vote on whether or not to call witnesses in the trial is expected on Friday. A vote on the articles of impeachment themselves could follow immediately after if witnesses are blocked. Four Republicans would be required to vote with the Democrats to reach the necessary majority to call witnesses. Several more moderate senators have appeared more prepared to do so in the wake of the Bolton book reports. US media report that in a closed door meeting with Republican senators on Tuesday, Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he did not have enough votes to block witnesses, but senior Republicans later said they were confident of securing the votes. A two-thirds majority in the Senate is required to remove Mr Trump from office at the end of the process. With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate, removal remains highly unlikely. He is the third president in US history to be impeached and go on trial in the Senate. |
business-52819591 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52819591 | UK furlough scheme now covers 8.4 million workers | Some 8.4 million workers are now covered by the government's furlough scheme, up from eight million a week earlier, the Treasury has said. | Claims for subsidies filed by employers rose to £15bn from £11.1bn, it added. The scheme, brought in to mitigate the effects of coronavirus, allows employees to receive 80% of their monthly salary up to £2,500. A similar scheme for self-employed workers saw 2.3 million claims made worth £6.8bn. The Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, as it is known, differs from the furlough scheme because it is a grant paid out in a single instalment covering three months and amounting to 80% of average profit. The furlough scheme, officially called the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, was originally intended to last until the end of July, but has now been extended until the end of October. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed that it will continue to provide the same level of earnings, but has said the government will ask companies to "start sharing" the cost of the scheme from August. Sources have told the BBC the Treasury still expects to be paying more than half the costs between August and October. 'I'm one of the people who slipped through the cracks' Marketing professional Sian Melonie, from Hackney in east London, is one of the many people who, through no fault of their own, are not in a position to benefit from the government's furlough scheme or its help for self-employed workers. After 12 years in work, she decided to go self-employed last year and began working for a large cinema group. She was due to start a fixed-term contract from 30 March, but that offer was withdrawn when the pandemic hit. "l don't qualify for any support. I can't be furloughed and I don't qualify for self-employed benefits, because I'm new to it," she told the BBC. "I'm one of the people who slipped through the cracks." But Sian says she is not angry and is using her savings to tide her over. "However, my concern is how much longer it goes on for, because l am essentially spending what l had saved for my self-assessment tax for later this year. "I'm hoping things get back to normal and the economy can bounce back." Recent figures from the government's independent economic forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility, indicate that the cost of the government's efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic is expected to hit £123.2bn. The wages for nearly 11 million jobs are currently being paid by the taxpayer amid the still ongoing pandemic shutdowns. Supporting a third of all jobs at £22bn bill so far is still believed to represent value for money by the Government. The 8.4 million on the furlough scheme have kept their contractual relationship with their bosses. Those jobs can be "switched back on" as lockdowns are lifted. Not all of them will be, but it has been an incredible logistical effort from HMRC to process this. And in the next few days the Treasury will announce that employers will enjoy more flexibility, enabling them to bring back furloughed workers part time. They will though, get a smaller rate of subsidy from August. However, the self employment scheme remains due for expiry within days. The level of unemployment - which has been kept much lower than it would have been - will inevitably go up as support is phased away. But Downing Street appears to have developed a taste for such intervention. With recovery like to take longer than originally hoped, versions of such schemes are likely to be with us for some time. The OBR expects annual borrowing to equal 15.2% of the UK economy, which would be the highest since the 22.1% seen at the end of World War Two. It said it had increased its estimate because of the rising cost of the furlough scheme. If you have been affected by the furlough scheme, email:haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
world-europe-guernsey-17547956 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-17547956 | Regular Alderney to Guernsey ferry link to begin in May | A regular ferry service is to be established between Alderney and Guernsey from 1 May. | Dan Meinke, the owner of new company Bumblebee, said he was expecting to take delivery of a 32ft motor catamaran which would take 12 passengers. In addition to scheduled, one-hour crossings, he said he planned to offer charters and fishing and diving trips. Manche Iles Express ran an occasional inter-island service in 2011, but has confirmed it will not do so in 2012. Mr Meinke said he had high hopes for the new, custom-built vessel. "She's very smooth riding and very stable, so she will cope with most weathers," he said. Mr Meinke will skipper the boat himself but he said other local pilots had been lined up to keep the service running in case of illness. |
health-36672762 | https://www.bbc.com/news/health-36672762 | Junior doctors' row: The basics of the dispute | Ministers and junior doctors in England have spent several years locked in a dispute. But what exactly is the row about? | What caused the dispute? It erupted over the introduction of a new contract. Ministers announced in 2012 they wanted to change the term and conditions, which were originally agreed in the 1990s. Talks began but broke down in 2014. By the summer of 2015, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced he could wait no longer as the government had committed to seven-day services in its election manifesto and said he would seek to impose a deal. The British Medical Association responded by balloting its members and 98% voted in favour of strike action. Talks restarted at the turn of the year at conciliation services Acas, but a deal could not be reached and so ministers announced in February they would be imposing the contract from this summer. The terms included making part of Saturday a normal working day so it would not attract the weekend supplement it had traditionally done. In the first four months of the year, there were six strikes, including two all-out stoppages, the first time in the history of the NHS that this has happened. Does this just involve new doctors? No. The term junior doctor is a little misleading. It covers medics who have just graduated from medical school through to those who have more than a decade of experience on the front line. The starting salary for a junior doctor is currently just under £23,000 a year, but with extra payments for things such as unsociable hours, this can quite easily top £30,000. Junior doctors at the top end of the scale can earn in excess of £70,000. But it's important to remember these doctors can be in charge of teams, making life-and-death decisions and carrying out surgery. They are behind only consultants in seniority. In total, there are 55,000 junior doctors in England - representing a third of the medical workforce. The BMA has more than 40,000 members. Did the two sides reach a deal? In May, after a week-and-a-half of talks, it was announced that a deal had been reached. There were several major changes to the contract the government said it would impose. The rise in basic pay was reduced from 13.5% to between 10% and 11%. In return a different system was agreed for weekend work. Instead of Saturdays and Sundays being divided up between normal and unsocial hours, a system of supplements will be paid which depend on how many weekends a doctor works. Dr Johann Malawana, the BMA junior doctor leader who has now stepped down, welcomed it as a good deal, but agreed to put it to a vote of members. They rejected the contract by 58% to 42%. Are weekend death rates behind it all? This has been one of the most contentious areas of the dispute. The health secretary has argued that he wants to improve care on Saturdays and Sundays because research shows patients are more likely to die if they are admitted at the weekend. A study published by the British Medical Journal in September found those admitted on Saturdays had a 10% higher risk of death and on Sundays, 15% higher compared with Wednesdays. But doctors have objected to suggestions that all those deaths are avoidable and could be prevented through increased staffing. Patients admitted at weekends tend to be sicker and while researchers tried to take this into account they could not say whether they had accounted for it totally. However, the paper did say the findings raised "challenging questions" about the way services were organised at weekends, while many believe it is access to senior doctors - consultants - that is key rather than junior doctors. What about the rest of the UK? The dispute over the contract is an England-only issue. Scotland and Wales have both said they will be sticking to their existing contracts, while Northern Ireland has yet to make a decision. This is largely because they do not have the pressures on costs in terms of seven-day services. While there are moves to improve access to care at weekends elsewhere in the UK, the plans are not on the scale of what the government in England is trying to achieve. For example, in Wales, the focus has been on more weekend access to diagnostic tests, pharmacies and therapies rather than creating more seven-day working across the whole system. |
technology-56890264 | https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56890264 | CC Clarke: The mum-shaming on social media is mind-blowing | "I've definitely encountered lots of negativity along the way, which is hard to ignore sometimes, but I feel like it just comes with it." | By Elisabeth MahyWake Up to Money, 5 Live With a make-up brand and two million followers on Instagram, beauty influencer CC Clarke has built a highly successful business career through social media. For small businesses, "tapping into social media will be your secret weapon", she says. It is a rapidly growing field. More than £10bn is expected to be spent on influencer marketing next year - double what it was just two years ago. But for all the financial success influencers may enjoy, having a big online profile can also leave them more exposed to negative or hurtful comments. Authenticity is a much-vaunted ideal in the world of influencer marketing and there's an expectation that people will share a lot about themselves and their home lives online. 'Hits you where it hurts' If there were a job description for the role of influencer, CC Clarke would probably include "having a thick skin" - something she says she's had to develop over the years when faced with unpleasant comments from online trolls. "The positivity far, far outweighs the negativity... it's just the negativity hits you where it hurts a little bit more," she tells BBC Radio 5 Live's Million by 30 podcast. She says the worst comments have been those criticising her parenting style - what she calls a "mum-shaming parade". "Of the things I've spoken about online - from make-up to beauty, to music to personal life - becoming a mum, and receiving the amount of negativity that I have, has been mind-blowing - from the name of my baby girl, to the way that I hold her. "Luckily I've got a thick skin. I was a little bit sensitive, of course, when I was a new mum - your emotions are all over the place and I was quite upset by it." Panic-inducing 'help' CC Clarke says like most parents, she is doing her best - but some of her followers offer her less-than-helpful advice. "People would start to panic you because of all sorts of things, you know, 'If she lays like that, she won't wake up in the morning'. "I was told she was going to go blind the other day because she was watching TV with us." She has developed a way to deal with it, so that "it doesn't bother me in the slightest". But there is a balance between having a thick skin and accepting the unacceptable. Sarah Holland, chief executive of Riskeye - which works with businesses and individuals to make their social media safer - says "you definitely have to know what you're getting into". "You have to know what the space is about, you have to know how to put yourself into a preventative state before you get on there," she warns. And while CC has learned to handle it, "lots of people can't". "You don't have to tolerate some of this stuff that gets put up," Ms Holland says. "You can take things down, there are rules and regulations out there." She says organisations like hers will "step in and advocate" for clients and remove hurtful comments, but both she and CC think the problem ultimately "sits firmly at the door" of the social media platforms. They are calling on them to take a more pro-active approach to tackling the problem. "I definitely feel like a lot of powerful voices online have really been shouting about the fact we want a monitoring of these sorts of trolls, but I don't know if anything's going to be done about it," CC says. "Social media has a lot to answer for when it comes to bullying." 'Time to step up' Sheree Atcheson, a computer scientist and global diversity and inclusion executive in the tech sector, agrees. She told the BBC that this type of trolling was just a part of a bigger problem. "There's a lot of work that the tech industry has to do when it comes to online safety - and that's what we're talking about here. "Even though we've had social media really for a decade or so, we are still really getting to grips with the power that it has, and what that means is it needs to be regulated. "We've seen the mental crisis that is happening at the moment... we've seen the impact that social media has on that, and it really is time for tech companies - certainly the big tech companies - to step up." Facebook, which owns Instagram, told the BBC it had recently launched new measures to tackle harmful direct messages on the platform through "pro-active detection technology" and that it offers a number of tools to help control abusive comments. "We know there's still more we can do, and we're committed to continuing our fight against bullying and online abuse," a Facebook spokesperson said. It's not all about social media for CC, though. She is hoping to become a successful singer-songwriter as well as running her beauty business and now finds she can "honestly just switch off" when she's with friends and family. "Being around people who aren't in that social media world has really helped," she says. "We don't have to talk about followers, or likes or pictures." |
uk-england-devon-54827924 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-54827924 | Coronavirus: 'Christmas mad' mum put up lights early for smiles | A "Christmas mad" mum has covered her house in festive decorations already in a bid to make people smile. | Sam Lillico, 25, who lives in Exmouth, Devon, with her children Evie, eight, Leo, six, and Ava, three, has covered her home in lights. Miss Lillico said while this Christmas would be different due to the pandemic, she wanted to make sure it was good. She said: "I love Christmas. It is a bit early this year but with lockdown why not lift everyone's spirits?" Miss Lillico said she had Halloween decorations on the outside of her house and as she was taking them down she decided it was time to put her Christmas lights up. She said she had some help from friends and while they were creating the display, some people walking past told her she was mad. "I'm like 'yep but it caught your attention and now you are smiling'," she said. "That is the reason why I did it." Miss Lillico said she had had hundreds of comments on social media and from people living nearby. "People will come past at night-time and literally stop outside the house and say 'Merry Christmas'," she said. "It is lovely." Miss Lillico said some of the decorations were ones she had collected over the years but she had also taken her children on a special shopping trip to pick out new ones - and she still wanted to add more. She added: "It was obvious with Covid that it was going to be very different this year so I want to make it a good one." Miss Lillico said she was also using the lights to fundraise for NHS Charities Together. |
technology-46206677 | https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46206677 | Google accused of 'trust demolition' over health app | A controversial health app developed by artificial intelligence firm DeepMind will be taken over by Google, it has been revealed. | By Jane WakefieldTechnology reporter Streams was first used to send alerts in a London hospital but hit headlines for gathering data on 1.6 million patients without informing them. DeepMind now wants the app to become an AI assistant for nurses and doctors around the world. One expert described the move as "trust demolition". The news that Streams would be joining Google was announced in a DeepMind blogpost. "Our vision is for Streams to now become an AI-powered assistant for nurses and doctors everywhere - combining the best algorithms with intuitive design, all backed up by rigorous evidence. "The team working within Google, alongside brilliant colleagues from across the organisation, will help make this vision a reality." It is not only Streams that will be affected. The DeepMind Health division, which now has a partnership with 10 NHS hospitals to process medical data, will also fall under the remit of California-based Google Health. Lawyer and privacy expert Julia Powles, who has closely followed the development of Streams, responded on Twitter: "DeepMind repeatedly, unconditionally promised to 'never connect people's intimate, identifiable health data to Google'. "Now it's announced... exactly that. This isn't transparency, it's trust demolition," she added. In response, DeepMind told the BBC: "Patient data remains under our NHS partners' strict control, and all decisions about its use will continue to lie with them. The move to Google does not affect this." Privacy law broken Streams began as a collaboration with the Royal Free Hospital in London to assist in the management of acute kidney injury. Doctors approached Google-owned DeepMind for help in developing software to help spot and alert clinicians about patients at risk. Initially it did not use artificial intelligence, but still drew praise from the doctors and nurses using it because of the time it saved them in diagnosing and treating patients. However, it emerged that neither the health trust nor DeepMind had informed patients about the vast amount of data it had been using. DeepMind Health went on to work with Moorfields Eye Hospital, with machine-learning algorithms scouring images of eyes for signs of conditions such as macular degeneration. In July 2017, the UK's Information Commissioner ruled the UK hospital trust involved in the initial Streams trial had broken UK privacy law for failing to tell patients about the way their data was being used. It told the BBC that it expected that all the measures set out in its audit to "remain in place" after DeepMind Health moves to Google. An independent review panel set up to scrutinise DeepMind's relationship with the NHS was "unlikely" to continue in its current form, given the US takeover of the health division, DeepMind confirmed to the BBC. It is not the first time an independent firm has been subsumed by Google. Nest, which collects data from home security cameras, thermostats and doorbells, was set up as a stand-alone, with promises that no data would be shared with the search giant. But in February it was merged with Google to help build "a more thoughtful home". |
uk-england-sussex-55637588 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-55637588 | Coronavirus: London to Brighton Bike Ride cancelled | The London to Brighton Bike Ride has been cancelled, the British Heart Foundation has announced. | The charity said that "due to the high risk of having to call it off at the last minute" because of coronavirus, the event will not go ahead. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) said it would be encouraging cyclists to take part in individual challenges. About 15,000 cyclists take part in the ride in June each year and raised £3.1m in 2018. The event in 2019 was also cancelled. Liam O'Reilly, head of the events at the British Heart Foundation, said: "It's heart breaking to have to cancel our London to Brighton Bike Ride for a second year and we know that many people will be disappointed by the decision. "The uncertainty surrounding continued Covid-19 restrictions for large scale events coupled with a high financial risk of cancellation at short notice left us with no choice. "We're determined to return with a bigger and better event in 2022." The heart charity said it had been forced to cut funding for new research by 50% because the effect the coronavirus pandemic had had on its fundraising. The BHF said it has set up three challenges as part of its MyCycle campaign to allow riders to raise money individually, following the cancellation of the London to Brighton event. The charity said it was still planning on running the London to Brighton Off-Road Bike Ride on 4 September, with its 75-mile varied terrain route from the capital to the coast. Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk. Related Internet Links British Heart Foundation MyCycle - British Heart Foundation |
uk-36300597 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-36300597 | Do police have the firepower to tackle gun menace? | At a firing range in Northampton, 14 policemen and women, each carrying a Glock 17 self-loading pistol, are on their first week of training. | Danny ShawHome affairs correspondent@DannyShawBBCon Twitter They have volunteered to become firearms officers, a role that comes with no extra payment but huge responsibility. Dressed in black police uniforms, and wearing goggles and ear defenders, they stand in a row, 10m (33ft) from a line of cardboard targets. A police instructor bellows at them to get ready. Seconds later, gunfire echoes around the building. After each time they fire, the officers check the targets, plugging the holes where the bullets have gone with different coloured markers, to see if their aim is improving. It is a deadly serious business. Like many other forces, Northamptonshire Police, part of a joint armed policing unit in the East Midlands, needs more firearms officers. The latest official figures, for 2015, show the number across England and Wales fell to 5,647. Research for BBC Radio 4's File on 4 programme shows this is the lowest level since at least 1987 - the year Michael Ryan shot dead 16 people in Hungerford, Berkshire. And, after the attacks in Paris by gunmen last November, it became clear to senior officers they would not have enough firearms officers to deal with a similar strike in Britain. 'Replicating' Paris attacks Deputy Chief Constable Simon Chesterman ran exercises for the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) "replicating" what had happened in Paris. "Although we had some capability, we certainly lacked the capacity to respond effectively," he says. As a result, the Home Office has agreed to fund 1,000 extra firearms officers for a period of five years. Another 500 are being funded by local forces themselves - from within their existing budgets. In Scotland, there are no firm plans to increase the number - they have 275 at present. The Home Office says many of the new firearm officers will continue to carry out "core policing" roles, reducing the need to "backfill vacancies". But Che Donald, from the Police Federation, which represents constables, sergeants and inspectors, is concerned the recruitment exercise will create a "gap" in the front line, as armed officers transfer from neighbourhood policing and CID. "There isn't a magic pot we can just dip into and pull out a fully trained firearms officer," he says, pointing out that to take on 1,500 armed police, you need 3,000 to start with, because half drop out or do not pass the course. Even with the extra numbers, there are doubts they could be deployed quickly enough to repel marauding gunmen. Chris Phillips, head of the government's national counter terrorism security office until 2011, says the further away from city centres, the longer the response times. He believes many of Britain's energy and power plants - part of the critical national infrastructure - are vulnerable because they are "dotted around the coast" or in harder to access rural areas. Once police have got there, the gunmen may have moved on. "You can get to the first scene of the incident, but that may not actually be where the terrorists are," says Mr Phillips. Simon Chesterman, from the NPCC, acknowledges the difficulties of mobilising armed units quickly, but says police would have support from the ranks of 3,000 firearms officers in the Ministry of Defence Police and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. Britain's armed forces would also play their part, says Mr Chesterman, possibly helping to move officers by helicopter and making soldiers available. "If an event like this was to happen, you would expect special forces to deploy," he says. "And following the event, it may well be that we'll request further military support from other military units." Stray bullet risk Mr Chesterman tells me that, under current plans, police would not be using fully automatic firearms to confront gunmen - even if the attackers were armed with machine guns. He says there is too great a risk that if officers had automatic weapons, which can fire up to 800 rounds a minute, they would hit innocent people. Kevin Hurley, who until this month was Surrey's Police and Crime Commissioner, agrees stray bullets are a "danger", but says using single-shot firearms is a "flawed" approach. "We're talking now about murder gangs armed with machine gun-type weapons," says Mr Hurley, an army reservist, who used to head the City of London police counter-terrorism unit. "You have got to stop [them] immediately, and you've got to fire more bullets back at them so that you can move forward, otherwise you yourself will be killed." Find out more Listen to Danny Shaw's report for File on 4 at 20:00 on Tuesday, 17 May, or Sunday, 22 May, on BBC Radio 4, or catch up later on the BBC iPlayer. The terrifying prospect police might be involved in a firefight with suicide bombers or gunmen has also prompted a debate about how such incidents would be investigated. At present, police who shoot someone have to be able to show their actions are consistent with human rights laws. Each bullet they fire must be "absolutely necessary" in the circumstances. But Peter Squires, professor of Criminology at Brighton University and author of three books on armed policing, says justifying why firearms officers used lethal force could prove impossible for them in the chaotic aftermath of a marauding gun attack. "Officers are going to be wide open to challenge every time they fired a shot," he says. Hungerford massacre: Sarah Green, deputy chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), accepts it would be "very challenging" to carry out an inquiry into a terrorism incident in which police had fired many shots at a number of different targets. In virtually all police shootings it currently investigates - which are themselves extremely rare - no more than a handful of shots are fired at one or two people. That could be very different in a marauding gun attack. "We're not going to be marching in there and insisting that we start investigating in the middle of an ongoing situation," Ms Green says. But, she adds, the IPCC still has a duty to conduct an inquiry and cannot just say, "We won't bother," because it would be tricky. Even if hundreds of bullets have been discharged, the IPCC must understand what a firearms officer was thinking when they fired. "We will be asking officers to provide accounts about the whole of their actions and why they did it," says Ms Green. "It will come back to... what the officer's honestly held belief was at the time." Legal protection review The Home Office is now examining the legal protection for armed police, as part of a review ordered by Prime Minister David Cameron after the Paris attacks. It is believed to be looking at the police practice of "conferring" - under which officers can pool their recollections of a serious incident, such as a shooting, when they write up their notes - following calls by the IPCC and the families of some of those who have died at police hands to stop it from happening. The IPCC wants officers separated after a shooting until they have compiled their detailed account of what went on. The review, which is shrouded in secrecy, is also considering police concerns about the IPCC's approach after 28-year-old Jermaine Baker was shot dead by a Metropolitan Police firearms officer in Wood Green, north London, in December. In a highly unusual move, the watchdog set up a "criminal homicide" investigation and arrested the officer. He is currently suspended while the inquiry continues. Mr Chesterman says firearms officers are watching the case closely, amid concern they will be "automatically" suspected of wrongdoing if they shoot someone. "There is a risk and a danger that as things develop, we may get less volunteers and that troubles me," he says. The new recruits at Northamptonshire are warned - as are others elsewhere - they face intense scrutiny and many months, possibly years of investigation, if they do open fire. At the moment, it does not appear to be deterring them from taking on the role. There are still plenty of armed police volunteers - but that can change quickly. |
uk-england-oxfordshire-49732293 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-49732293 | Oxford workplace parking charge to reduce congestion | Employers could be charged for providing parking for workers under plans to reduce congestion in Oxford. | Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council have announced a series of proposals to reduce the amount of traffic and improve public transport. Bus gates, park and rides, and improved cycle routes have also been included in the "bold measures", the councils said. Plans to make the city centre a zero emissions zone are also set to be released in December. Launching the "connecting Oxford" proposal, the councils said large employers in parts of Cowley, Headington and North Oxford would have to pay a parking levy if they had 11 or more spaces. The charge would be imposed on about half of the city's 18,000 parking spaces and each company would have to pay up to £600 for each space. The local authorities said more than 60% of journeys into Oxford were made by car and "unless steps are taken to change how people travel", the amount of cars would "overburden the transport network". A statement added the charges were a "simple and cost-efficient way to raise revenue to be invested in improved transport". Professor Tim Schwanen, director of the Transport Studies Unit at Oxford University, added parking levies "were one of the most powerful ways to get people to change their behaviour". The plans also include five new "bus gates" to prevent cars from driving on roads currently congested in the city centre. County councillor for the environment Yvonne Constance said "bold steps" needed to be taken to "tackle the congestion problem". The councils are now consulting businesses and residents on the ideas, which could be rolled out by 2021 at the earliest. |
uk-wales-south-east-wales-18009793 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-18009793 | Cardiff City fans to meet on colour change row | Cardiff City fans have organised an "emergency meeting" to discuss how they will respond to controversial plans to change the club's colours and badge. | City's Malaysian owners want to change the home kit from blue to red, with a dragon instead of a bluebird crest, and ditch the nickname of the Bluebirds. But they also propose investing £100m, with an expanded stadium, new players and a new training ground. Supporters are meeting at the Municipal Club in City Road on Saturday. Cardiff City Supporters' Trust has written to MPs and AMs to invite them to the meeting - jointly organised with Cardiff City Supporters' Club. The letter raises concerns about the plans which the trust says would "end a century of tradition by replacing the famous blue shirt of our city's football club". "Their intention for Cardiff City to play in red and to change the club's badge from the bluebird to a red dragon has been announced without prior consultation with the club's supporters, supporters' representatives or the local community," said the letter. "The Cardiff City Supporters' Trust Board believe that any move to change our club's identity represents a diminution of the identity of the club, its supporters and football in south Wales. "As a result we are calling on the support of community leaders and representatives across south Wales in demanding that the football club holds a full and thorough consultation with its supporters and supporter representatives to decide what is the colour that best represents Cardiff City." The trust has said it wants to canvass supporter opinion which is why Saturday afternoon's meeting has been organised. The proposals for the Championship club include increasing the capacity of the Cardiff City Stadium to 35,000 by 2014, as well as new training facilities and money to buy players. But there has been a mixed reaction to the rebranding from supporters so far. Fans' views on unofficial City message boards appear mostly hostile to the changes, but there are supporters backing the plans. It is proposed Cardiff will play in red shirts, black shorts and red socks with a blue away kit, while the club's badge would have a dragon on it instead of a bluebird. The club's Malaysian investors believe red is a more dynamic colour for marketing in Asia, as well as of more national significance in Wales. Potential investment While the shirts and club badge could change colour, Cardiff City sources categorically deny that the club - nicknamed "the Bluebirds" - will become known as "the Red Dragons''. Sports and heritage minister Huw Lewis AM said: "It is not for government to tell football clubs what to do in terms of branding - and potential investment in any of our elite sports clubs is of course welcome. "However, supporters are the life blood of club football and their views should be of paramount importance when it comes to any fundamental changes." Former Cardiff City captain Jason Perry believes Cardiff's home shirt should remain blue. "The Malaysians are very successful business people in terms of raising money and in turn you can invest more into the football club in terms of facilities and players," he said. "But it's not for me. I think football is about identity. I wouldn't want to see the soul of the club sold for millions to be invested in. "Cardiff City is blue and should always be blue." Former City player Joe Ledley, who now plays for Celtic, Tweeted: "I can't believe what I'm hearing, CCFC wanting to replace the Bluebird. The Bluebird is a legacy!" Cardiff's Labour Assembly Members Vaughan Gething, Mark Drakeford, Julie Morgan and Jenny Rathbone called on the club's Malaysian owner Vincent Tan to "actively engage with the club's fan base and consult on these plans before destroying more than 100 years of history and tradition". A spokesman for Cardiff City said the proposals were part of an annual review of the club which is due to be completed next week. "We would like to assure supporters that any decisions will include the long term interests of our supporters, our community and the survival and development of Cardiff City Football Club in a highly competitive and modern sporting industry," a statement said. Going forward "As a club we also appreciate the importance of our history, along with our position within the community. "We fully recognise the legitimate interests of the fans, supporters and media in the affairs of the club and their right to information in respect of the same. "On Tuesday we met with and held discussions with representatives from the local media, along with recognised supporter group and message board delegates. "During these various meetings we discussed the various options going forward, all of which are to be ratified in upcoming board meetings as already mentioned. "As such we will communicate any decisions made as quickly as possible, but it serves no interest to comment in depth at this time until those decisions have been taken." |
entertainment-arts-23495577 | https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-23495577 | £47m investment in six UK heritage sites | The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced it is investing £47m in six heritage tourism projects in England and Wales. | The money will go to existing and potential tourist attractions. They include Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire and the Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery, Powys. The Heritage Lottery Fund said the grants "will enhance and promote a better understanding of our heritage while contributing to the £26bn UK heritage tourism economy". Carole Souter, Chief Executive of HLF said more than a quarter of all UK holiday activities undertaken by UK residents now involve heritage sites. "These projects all offer the public the chance to explore and enjoy our rich and complex history," she said. First iron-frame Flax Mill Maltings in Shropshire has received the biggest share with £12.8m being allocated to develop a complex of 18th and 19th Century industrial buildings in Shrewsbury. The complex includes the world's first iron-framed building, the forerunner to the modern skyscraper. The money will be used to restore the buildings for commercial, community and visitor uses. Windermere Steamboat Museum in Cumbria has been awarded £9.4m for a new museum on the edge of lake Windermere. The museum will showcase 200 years of boatbuilding in the Lake District and will provide training and apprenticeship opportunities. The Chester Farm in Northamptonshire, where a complex of grade II and II* buildings are currently at risk, has secured £4m in funding. The site provides evidence of human activity over 10,000 years. |
education-46309351 | https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46309351 | GCHQ warns on Black Friday cyber-threat | Black Friday sales could be targeted as "prime pickings" for cyber-crime, the UK's cyber-security defence agency has warned shoppers. | By Sean CoughlanBBC News family correspondent The National Cyber Security Centre, part of the GCHQ intelligence service, is issuing advice to shoppers of the risk of "malicious" online threats. It is the first such official cyber-warning in the run-up to the Christmas shopping season. "It's vital that knowledge is shared," says Ian Levy of the cyber-agency. The cyber-wing of the GCHQ communications centre says it wants to start a "national cyber-chat" on Black Friday when billions are spent on online shopping. Speaking in public It might be known for working in secret, but the agency wants to engage with the public over the seriousness of the threat. It has been involved in trying to tackle more than 550 significant cyber-incidents in the past 12 months, and has taken down almost 140,000 "phishing" websites used by fraudsters. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is giving tips for individual consumers to avoid cyber-crime - and for the first time it will be publishing answers to questions from the public on Twitter. "Staying safe online doesn't require deep technical knowledge, and we want the whole country to know that the NCSC speaks the same language as them," said Mr Levy, the cyber-defence agency's technical director. "With so many of the UK shopping online, we want to see these tips shared from classrooms and scout groups to family dinner tables and old people's homes." The agency's chief executive, Ciaran Martin, recently told a meeting of business leaders of a "serious and sustained" threat, including from "elite hackers" in other countries. "It is not speculation and it is not scare-mongering," said Mr Martin. "Large-scale criminal cyber-activity is, sadly, ubiquitous." This could include the "theft of millions" from retailers and attacks on financial networks on which shops depend, he said. 'Post-Christmas headache' A data breach had an average cost of £3m, he said - and there were estimates that the WannaCry cyber-attack last year had cost the United States £3.5bn. Another cyber-attack last year, known as NotPetya, had cost one firm up to £250m, including the cost of replacement IT equipment. The British Retail Consortium is backing the calls for better cyber-security during the Christmas shopping season. "With more and more shoppers looking to get the best deals online, retailers continue to invest significantly in developing the right tools and expertise to protect against cyber-threats," says James Martin, security adviser to the retailers' organisation. But he warned of the danger of cyber-crime causing a "post-Christmas headache". The National Cyber Security Centre's advice to reduce the risk of cyber-crime is: |
world-asia-india-46232087 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-46232087 | Sabarimala: Why has a Hindu temple divided India's women? | It's been more than a month since India's Supreme Court revoked a ban on women aged between 10 and 51 entering a prominent Hindu temple in southern India. Yet no women have been able to enter so far. | The Sabarimala temple in Kerala state officially opened its gates on Friday evening, the start of the annual pilgrimage season. The temple had also opened for a few hours twice after the court verdict. But ever since the ban was repealed, tens of thousands of protesters, including many women, have blocked roads, attacked female devotees and vandalised property in a bid to stop women from entering the shrine. They say that they are protecting their deity in accordance with an age-old belief that women of a menstruating age are a threat to his celibacy. A debate around this has been raging in the rest of the country as well. We asked two writers, with different viewpoints, to explain their stand. These are selected excerpts: The 'feminist' ruling angering the women it meant to empower Shyam Krishnakumar, commentator Equality cannot become a premise to create an artificial homogeneity, forcing a conformity that destroys diverse, intergenerational practices, which enjoy the support of all stakeholders, including women. No efforts are taken to sincerely engage with the practices of the actual stakeholders. What masquerades under the garb of "reform" is a way to impose modernity on native practices by judicial writ and state force if necessary. The judgement has also raised disturbing questions about the relationship between religion and state in India. The government has become increasingly involved in managing religious institutions and the judiciary in determining "correct" religious practice. The stand-off at Sabarimala exposes the stark dichotomy between a cosmopolitan elite who celebrate the "liberation" of women and the visceral grassroots reaction from millions of women devotees who feel their voices are not being heard in today's India. Kerala is not a place where women are voiceless. It has historically been a matrilineal society where women have controlled and inherited property for centuries. The state has the highest literacy rate in India and its social indicators are comparable to developed countries. The protesting women feel that no one cared to understand their worldview. They feel that those with privilege and a voice are imposing a "liberation" that these women do not seek. Read the full article here To ban women from Sabarimala is yet another form of 'victim-shaming' Devika J, historian and social commentator As someone who lives in Kerala, I can vouch that misogyny here is just as toxic as anywhere else in India. The myth that Kerala is a matrilineal society and that women here enjoy freedom and equal rights has been a persistent one. This myth has continued to circulate despite a rising mountain of evidence against that rosy picture. Critics often cherry-pick facts to suit their arguments. In this debate, feminists in Kerala and elsewhere who have publicly supported the court verdict have been told that they are too "elite" to do so and their concerns are ultimately too cosmopolitan to represent marginalised women and devotees. But the same critics have no problem putting privileged and elite women forward to make their arguments sound more convincing. But all women - elite or not - should oppose the belief that they must be barred from the Sabarimala temple to protect the deity's celibacy. Isn't the reasoning employed here very similar to the one used to victim-shame survivors of rape and sexual harassment - that their attire or their presence provoked their attacker? If such a belief is being peddled as tradition, it is important for everyone in a democratic society to strongly oppose it. Read the full article here |
world-africa-54634511 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54634511 | Zambia: Anglo American sued for 'mass lead poisoning' | A group of Zambian women and children have filed a class action lawsuit against a subsidiary of the mining company Anglo American for alleged mass lead poisoning. | The lawsuit claims that more than 100,000 people may have been poisoned, over generations, by exposure to toxins from a lead mine in Kabwe district. Anglo American South Africa (AASA) was a shareholder in the mine from 1925 to 1974, when it was nationalised. It said it would "defend its position". The company noted that while it was aware of reports about the lawsuit, it had not yet received the claim. It also said that it was never a majority owner of the Kabwe mine. But lawyers representing the victims allege that AASA is liable because of its role "controlling, managing, supervising and advising on the technical, medical and safety aspects of the mine's operations". The Kabwe mine was nationalised and operated as a state-owned body for 20 years before its closure in 1994. The lawsuit was filed in a South African court on Wednesday. It calls for financial compensation, medical screening of children and women, and a clean-up of the area. Lawyers said the claimants, who are "principally young children", were suffering from "alarming levels of lead poisoning". They said victims have experienced a range of conditions, including psychological damage, and damage to their organs. "In pregnant women, lead they ingested as children is absorbed into their bones and released during pregnancy," they said. In a report last year, Human Rights Watch said more than one-third of the population of Kabwe - more than 76,000 people - live in lead-contaminated areas. There have been several major attempts to clean up the area since the mine was closed in 1994. But Kabwe's "Black Mountain" - millions of tons of waste - remains in place, the BBC's Andrew Harding reports. In 2018, Anglo American was one of several mining companies to agree a compensation deal for tens of thousands of South African miners who contracted deadly lung diseases while working underground. AASA also settled a compensation claim brought by 23 former gold miners in the country in 2013. |
uk-wales-politics-34913220 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-34913220 | Cardiff Airport stays under government control, Jones says | Cardiff Airport will remain under Welsh government control, the first minister has said, despite calls to sell it. | Carwyn Jones told AMs on Tuesday that "in time" stakes in the airport would be offered for sale. But he insisted during First Minister's Questions that ministers would not "give away" a controlling interest. He claimed that would take the airport back to the situation in 2013 when the Welsh government stepped in to buy it to secure its future. Earlier in November, the airport's outgoing chairman, Lord Rowe-Beddoe, said it should be privatised within the next five years. Tory AM Nick Ramsay asked on Tuesday if Mr Jones would set out a timetable for the sale of the airport following Lord Rowe-Beddoe's comments. In reply, the first minister said: "In time we will look to sell shares in the airport to private investors. "What we will not do is give away a controlling interest because that will take us right back to where we were before." Speaking of the Welsh government's purchase of the airport for £52m in 2013, Mr Jones said Mr Ramsay "cannot pretend the airport was doing well up to 2013". "We tried to work with the owners (to improve its performance). "In the end they said 'we're not interested any more, you can buy it from us'. "In time we will look to recoup that money - what we will not do is put an artificial timetable on the sale of an airport that is now 10 percent up in terms of passenger figures compared to last year. "That's what government can do for airports - if the Tories had had their way, the airport would now probably be looking at being turned into a housing estate." |
world-middle-east-44124556 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44124556 | Did Israel use excessive force at Gaza protests? | Palestinian health officials say more than 100 Palestinians have been killed and 10,000 injured by Israeli troops over the past six weeks at a series of protests along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. | Sixty died on Monday alone, when 40,000 took part in demonstrations that coincided with the controversial relocation to Jerusalem of the US embassy. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel's military of carrying out "massacres" of unarmed civilians, but Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted its troops acted in self-defence and blamed the militant group Hamas, which dominates Gaza, for the deaths. Fierce exchanges over Gaza killings What has happened at the protests? Hamas and other groups organised the protest campaign, dubbed the "Great March of Return", in support of the declared right of Palestinian refugees to return to land they or their ancestors fled from or were forced to leave in the war which followed Israel's founding in 1948. The Israeli government, which has long ruled out any right of return, said terrorists wanted to use the protests as cover to cross into its territory and carry out attacks. Before the protests began, Israeli officials said soldiers would be permitted under certain rules to fire live ammunition at anyone attempting to damage the border fence, and even against people coming within 300m (985ft) of it - a figure that was reportedly later reduced to 100m. Despite the warnings, thousands of Palestinians approached the fence during the protests. A number threw stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers deployed on the Israeli side of the border, and flew kites laden with petrol soaked material intended to start fires on Israeli territory. Israeli troops responded by firing tear gas, rubber bullets and various types of live ammunition. Gaza border violence in pictures What do human rights groups say? They have accused the Israeli military of using excessive force. They have said Israeli soldiers deployed near the Gaza protests were required to operate according to the international legal framework applicable to police and other law enforcement officials, which is part of international human rights law. It holds that the "intentional lethal use of firearms may only be made when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life". "An attempt to approach or crossing or damaging the fence do not amount to a threat to life or serious injury and are not sufficient grounds for the use of live ammunition," Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters on Tuesday. "This is also the case with regards to stones and Molotov cocktails being thrown from a distance at well-protected security forces located behind defensive positions." Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Middle East director, said: "This is a violation of international standards, with Israeli forces in some instances committing what appear to be wilful killings constituting war crimes." Last month, the group documented witness testimony, video and photographic evidence that it said showed Israeli troops were killing and maiming demonstrators who posed no imminent threat to them. The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said the open-fire orders were "manifestly unlawful" and called on Israeli soldiers in the field to refuse to comply with them. Last month, six other human rights groups asked the Israeli Supreme Court to revoke the military's rules of engagement that they said permitted live fire at protesters classified as "key agitators" even when they did not pose an immediate threat to life. The groups said soldiers should instead follow the law enforcement framework. The court's decision is pending. What does Israel say? Lawyers for the Israeli government argued before the Supreme Court that the military's rules of engagement along the Gaza border were "in keeping with Israeli and international law". They asserted that the demonstrations along the border were "part of the armed conflict between the Hamas terrorist organisation and Israel". The military's open-fire orders, they said, were therefore subject to international humanitarian law - also known as the law of armed conflict - rather than international human rights law. Mr Netanyahu said on Monday that Hamas, which has fought three wars with Israel since 2008, had declared that "it intends to destroy Israel and sends thousands to breach the border fence in order to achieve this goal". "We will continue to act with determination to protect our sovereignty and citizens." The Israeli military has insisted that its troops have acted "according to standard operating procedures" when confronting Palestinians "partaking in violent riots". "We resort to live fire only when absolutely necessary and when there is clear threat to infrastructure or to Israeli soldiers. If there is, then we use snipers who fire specifically and under very clear guidance by commanders," spokesman Col Jonathan Conricus said last month. The military has said it also foiled a number of "terrorist attacks" orchestrated by Hamas during the protests and killed people trying to plant bombs at the fence or break through it. On Tuesday, the military said it had evidence that at least 24 of the 60 people reported killed the previous day were "terrorists with documented terror background", including many "active Hamas operatives". Senior Hamas official Salah Bardawil said in a TV interview the following day that 50 out of those killed on Monday were "from Hamas and 12 were ordinary people". But he did not elaborate and Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum later declined to confirm whether all 50 were members of the group. Why is the legal framework so important? Noam Lubell, a professor of international law at the University of Essex, said human rights law required a graduated approach to the use of force - starting with no force, on to minimal force, and reaching lethal force only in the context of imminent threats to life. The law of armed conflict, he added, contained a different set of rules, some of which could allow in certain circumstances for direct recourse to lethal force against particular individuals, including combatants in wars and civilians directly participating in hostilities. However, it does not entitle security forces to open fire on civilians if they are only demonstrating. Professor Lubell said that if the Israeli military was operating under the armed conflict model along the Gaza border, then it might argue it was only targeting individuals taking a direct part in hostilities. But he added: "There would still need to be legal scrutiny to see how they have interpreted taking a direct part in hostilities - was it construed to include only individuals attempting to use weapons or explosives, or was it anyone coming near the fence? The latter would seem too broad of an interpretation to allow for direct lethal force." And even if the law of armed conflict was applicable in this situation, while it might allow for lethal force against members of armed groups operating from within the crowd, as far as civilians taking part in a demonstration - including a "riot"- are concerned, the expectation is still that any force used towards them would be based on the law enforcement framework in international human rights law. Additionally, if the armed groups are using the civilian crowds for cover, that could in itself be a violation of international law on their part. However, even if that is the case, it does not remove the civilian protection from demonstrators entitled to it. Professor Lubell said there was also the question of whether, given that the protests did not come as a surprise, more could have been done by the Israeli military in advance to minimise the use of deadly force - something both international human rights law and the law of armed conflict require. These recent events also cannot be divorced from the larger picture of the situation in Gaza, which itself raises many legal questions with regard to who has the power and obligations to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the territory. |
magazine-30811426 | https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30811426 | The rubber glove rebellion | A group of middle-aged cleaners have become heroes to Greeks hit hard by austerity for refusing to go quietly when their jobs were cut. They have clashed with police and camped for months in central Athens - their defiance springing from decades of low-paid work and hard lives as mothers, wives, widows or divorcees. | By Maria MargaronisAthens You wouldn't know to look at it that the messy makeshift camp is the epicentre of a protest that's touched a nerve in Greece - and given the government more than a mild headache. There's a pop-up tent with an inflatable mattress, some plastic chairs, a table, a fridge and a microwave. Posters of red rubber gloves making fists or victory signs adorn the concrete pillars. A banner made from a sheet is splashed with big red letters: "Sit-in protest by the cleaners of the finance ministry." Nearly 600 women who cleaned the ministry's offices around the country were laid off 16 months ago in public-sector cuts demanded by Greece's creditors. They are middle-aged mothers and grandmothers with no previous experience of activism, but their dogged persistence has caught the imagination of many thousands here whose lives have been derailed by the economic crisis. They have camped outside the ministry around the clock since May, clashed with the riot police, and sprayed red footprints on the pavements to protest against domestic violence. Their red rubber gloves and purple flags are instantly recognisable at every demonstration. They have become an emblem of the defiant discontent that now looks set to lift the young left-wing party, Syriza, to power later this month - and that could change Europe's future. Cleaning, the women say, is never a career choice. They've experienced all the ordinary setbacks women face - no childcare, widowhood, divorce, abusive husbands. But their lives also tell a broader story, about what's happened to Greece in the last 40 years. Many of the cleaners were born in rural poverty and have worked since they were children. Lily, 46, welcomes me to the camp. She's waiting for the night shift, which comes on at 11pm. At first she speaks the public language of the protest - "All we want is a job so we can support ourselves and our families" - but when I ask about her own story, she softens. She grew up in a mountain village in the north of Greece, helped her family in the fields and left home at 16 to work in Corfu hotels. Now her elderly parents' pensions have been slashed, and more than half their income goes on medicines, but they're helping to support her. "The thing that saves us," she says, "is that in the village, my mother has a little garden. Apart from meat, everything we eat comes from there. Tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, beans, salad..." These days, that's how many Greeks survive - at least those who are lucky enough to have some land in the village. Anastasia Nomikou, 49, lives in Perama, one of Athens' poorest suburbs, out near the oil refineries. She tells us she started work in a shoe factory in the port of Piraeus at 13, putting stickers on pairs of trainers. Her former husband, four years older, began to follow her home and asked for her hand in marriage. "I didn't know what was happening. I was still playing with dolls," she says. Vaso Gova, also in her 40s, went to work in a sweatshop when she was only 11, pulling loose threads from the shirts and hiding on a high shelf when the government inspectors came. Dina Papoutsi was sent to Athens at 13 to be apprenticed to a seamstress. She worked in the rag trade sewing wedding dresses and never went back to school. But in the 1980s and 90s, cheaper goods arrived in Greece from abroad. The factories closed or moved away in search of cheaper labour. Both the socialist party, Pasok, and conservative New Democracy handed out public sector jobs to their supporters. A job in the public sector was seen as the dream ticket, a firm foot on the ladder to the middle class. That's how Papoutsi, now close to retirement age, became a government cleaner 20 years ago. She asked the MP from her husband's village to find something for her. "And since I didn't know letters," she tells me, "he said, 'I'll put you somewhere as a cleaner.'" Her daughter, Maria, 33, interrupts from the balcony of their small flat in a suburb of Athens: "Rousfeti - jobs for votes." "This is the Greece our parents made, and our grandparents," she says. "When you have a government that does all these favours, and we go on voting for them because we're comfortable—all this has turned against us. But that's how we were taught to be." The crisis has deepened an old rift between the public and private sectors. Public sector wages have been slashed by more than a third, but many more jobs have been lost by private sector workers, and if they still have a job they often don't get paid for months, or not at all. Some people resent the Finance Ministry cleaners, saying they've had it easy all these years and are complaining now because they've lost their privileges. But Papoutsi tells me she spent hours on buses every day to get to her job, and Lily says she was making only 6,000 euros (£4,600) a year, even though she was often asked to take on extra work. Until 2005, when the conservative government made them permanent, the cleaners had no security, no paid holidays, no right to maternity leave. They are fighting, one of them says, for all workers' rights, which have been drastically rolled back under the bailout programme. That includes the employees of the private companies who've taken over their jobs. In the working-class neighbourhood of Peristeri I meet Vlasia Dimitrakopoulou, who was laid off from a public hospital in 1996. She's organised a union for private sector cleaners and tells me about rates of three euros (£2.30) per hour, unpaid wages and undocumented workers, sexual harassment, violence. "If you complain," she says, "the employer just laughs at you. 'Do you know,' he says, 'how many are waiting outside?'" Yannis Karouzos, who describes himself as a conservative labour lawyer, says labour law has changed so fast since the crisis began that he's now moved two-thirds of his archive to the basement. In Greece, he says, the employer has "become king". "He can now summon a worker into his office and ask him to accept lower wages and, if he refuses, fire him with no problem," Karouzos says. He represents the cleaners in their legal battle. Last year, when they were put on partial wages pending probable dismissal, they sued the government for breach of contract. The District Court ordered their immediate reinstatement, but the government then appealed to Greece's Supreme Court. The final judgment is pending on 24 February - and Karouzos suggests that the outcome will depend on which party's in government. Two weeks before the election, polls indicate that it's likely to be Syriza, which has promised to end austerity, renegotiate Greece's bailout agreement and restore labour rights. Syriza has cultivated a close relationship with the cleaners, helping with fares and food and especially publicity. One of the women was elected to the Athens regional government on Syriza's ticket in May, and Syriza's representatives in Brussels invited some of them to raise their red rubber gloves in the European Parliament. There's a long tradition in Greece of political parties taking over independent movements - it's called kapelloma, or putting a hat on something. But Dikaios Psikakkos of Solidarity for All, a Syriza community project, laughs at the suggestion that the cleaners are Syriza's puppets. "That would be great but it's not happening," he says. "They're not small children. They've been working for many years. They listen to what everyone who's supporting them says, but in the end they make their own decisions." Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the conservative government's Minister for Administrative Reform, says Greece has been under huge pressure from its creditors: "We had to fire, by the end of 2014, 15,000 public sector employees. We tried to do it in a manner which was as fair and as objective as possible," he says. "We also made it very clear from the beginning that setting quantitative targets for layoffs is not the best way to go about reforming public administration. Unfortunately we were faced with a very harsh reality - if you don't fire people you don't get the money." But the cleaners argue that the government chose to lay off the most vulnerable and powerless - and that they were chosen to go because no-one thought they would protest. For them, and for hundreds of thousands of others who've been devastated by austerity, Syriza now looks like the only game in town. Disillusioned with the mainstream parties that brought Greece to this point, desperate for relief from the endless cuts and tax rises, Greeks are flocking to the young left-wing party and its leader, Alexis Tsipras. Some of the cleaners were present at his speech earlier this month kicking off the election campaign. Across the packed auditorium, he called out to them: "I see and salute the cleaners of the Finance Ministry. We raise the red fist! Your struggle has been a struggle for dignity, for the dignity of the Greek people. We'll follow you, and we'll win." In Brussels and Berlin, the thought of a Syriza victory is cause for anxiety. But in the cleaners' camp outside the Greek Finance Ministry, hope is running high that Tsipras will not only win but keep his promises. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox. |
uk-england-20469279 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-20469279 | MoD announces £46m Foxhound contract | The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced a £46m contract to buy a fleet of lightweight armoured vehicles. | The deal will see 51 new Foxhound vehicles, currently used by troops on patrol in Afghanistan, built by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS). Defence Minister Philip Dunne made the announcement during a visit to the company's factory in Telford. The contract is expected to safeguard some 500 jobs in Telford and the company's Warwickshire headquarters. Paul Rule, spares general manager at the GDLS base in Hortonwood, Telford, said the contract would secure the plant for at least the next two years. He said the factory, which supplies spares for the Foxhound vehicles, was planning to increase its workforce by 20% over the same period. F1 engineers More than 300 Foxhounds are already in service with the Army and were first deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year. Designed in Leamington Spa, the vehicles took only 40 months to develop, from conception, through to their introduction on the battlefield. They replaced Snatch Land Rovers, after criticisms over their level of protection against roadside bombs led some soldiers to dub them "mobile coffins". Capable of driving at speeds of up to 80mph, the Foxhound was partly designed by Formula 1 engineers and incorporates a V-shaped armoured hull, designed to safeguard troops from roadside bombs. Mr Dunne said the vehicles had "the flexibility and adaptability to operate in a wide variety of environments, providing capability for the Army well into the future". |
education-23864721 | https://www.bbc.com/news/education-23864721 | Practical science experiments 'squeezed out' at schools | Practical science lessons are being squeezed out by exam pressures on schools, says a science advisory body. | By Sean CoughlanBBC News education correspondent The Council for Science and Technology is writing to the education secretary to warn about the loss of such laboratory experiments. The advisory body wants experiments to be protected in a shake-up of GCSEs and A-levels in England. The council says that without practical lessons, science is "like studying literature without reading books". A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "The Council for Science and Technology rightly notes that our reforms 'will give teachers space and freedom' to conduct more experiments and practicals." The council, which provides strategic advice to the prime minister, says that cramming for exams is restricting the opportunities for practical learning. 'Essence of science' This focus on grades is "pushing inspiring practical work into the margins as teachers concentrate on preparing for examinations". The council's letter to Education Secretary Michael Gove says that rather than being an optional extra, such practical experiments are the "essence of science and should be at the heart of science learning". The changes to GCSEs and A-levels, including removing the modular structure of exams, should be used as an opportunity for more practical experiments, says the council. Rather than "repetitive preparation for tests", the council says teachers should be able to "devise innovative and challenging practically based science curricula for their students, including more independent, project-based work". Accompanying the letter is a report which argues that there has been a "steady erosion" of laboratory skills in school science over the past 20 years. Prof Jim Iley, executive director of education and science at the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: "We cannot stress strongly enough the importance of developing practical skills in the lab." A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "By scrapping modules and January assessments, our reforms will end the constant treadmill of exams and leave more time for experiments and practicals in science. "We have also prioritised experiments in our new curriculum. Pupils will focus on practical work in primary school so they are ready to move on to more advanced laboratory work in secondary school." |
uk-54228079 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54228079 | FinCEN Files: Tory donor Lubov Chernukhin linked to $8m Putin ally funding | The husband of one of the Conservative Party's biggest donors was secretly funded by a Russian oligarch with close ties to President Putin. | By FinCEN Files reporting teamBBC Panorama Lubov Chernukhin has given £1.7m to the Tories, including paying to spend time with the last three prime ministers. Leaked files show her husband received $8m (£6.1m). The money initially came from a politician facing US sanctions due to his closeness to the Kremlin. Her lawyers say the donations are not tainted by Kremlin influence. A leak of banks' "suspicious activity reports" - called the FinCEN Files and seen by BBC Panorama - shows Vladimir Chernukhin was sent the money in 2016 from a British Virgin Islands company linked to Suleyman Kerimov. Officials at Deutsche Bank in New York reported it as being among $278.5m of transactions involving the offshore company. There has been an increasing focus on donations to political parties from wealthy UK-based Russians in recent years, with July's parliamentary report by the Intelligence and Security Committee referring to the possibility they could allow people to "assist Russian influence operations". 'Not fit and proper donors' Billionaire Mr Kerimov is a member of the upper chamber of the Russian parliament. He has been under investigation in France over allegations of tax fraud since 2016. In 2018 he was sanctioned by the US authorities, who were targeting those they said "play a key role in advancing Russia's malign activities". Mr Chernukhin, 52, is a former deputy minister of finance under Vladimir Putin, who left Russia for London in 2004 after being sacked by the president. The Chernukhins - one of the UK's most prominent Russian-born couples - are now both British citizens and live in London. Mrs Chernukhin's donations to the Conservative Party began in 2012. The majority - more than £1.5m - came after the $8m payment linked to Mr Kerimov was made to her husband on 29 April 2016, although it is not clear if any of that cash went to the Tories. Journalist and Russia expert Edward Lucas, who gave evidence to the parliamentary inquiry into Russian influence, told Panorama: "The Chernukhins, pleasant people that they might be… are not fit and proper people to make donations to a British political party." Mr Lucas said he was "profoundly concerned by the access that, not only Lubov Chernukhin but also other rich Russians have to the heights of the Conservative Party, and to the government". Winning bids Mrs Chernukhin's donations to the Tories have given her access to figures at the top of UK government. In return for £135,000 she was invited to a ladies' night dinner at a luxury hotel with Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet in April 2019. She is pictured above, fourth from the right. And the 47-year-old has twice made winning bids at auction for tennis matches with Boris Johnson. The last, in February this year, cost her £45,000. In 2014 she paid £160,000 to play tennis with Prime Minister David Cameron and then London Mayor Mr Johnson. As of this year she is the biggest female donor in British history to the Tories. According to Electoral Commission records, she has given about £1.7m in total over the past eight years, including £335,000 between last January and July. When in 2018, Boris Johnson - then foreign secretary - was asked about the Chernukhins and the £160,000 tennis match donation, he told the BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "If there is evidence of gross corruption in the way that gentleman… obtained his wealth... then it's possible for our law enforcement agencies to deprive him of his wealth." But he added "all possible checks have been made and... will continue to be made" on donations. 'Property projects loan' The $8m payment to Mr Chernukhin was made by an offshore company called Definition Services, which was controlled by Mr Kerimov's children. The documents show their funding came from their father and it was Mr Kerimov who had the personal relationship with Mr Chernukhin. As Deutsche Bank was processing the money, it sent questions to officials at another bank involved in the transaction. They said it was a "loan between the two parties aiming to support further immovable property projects of the borrower" and that Definition was involved in real estate investments. Despite the response, Deutsche Bank filed a suspicious activity report (SAR), noting the link to Mr Kerimov and the payment to Mr Chernukhin. Deutsche said Definition was "registered and banking out of high risk jurisdictions and the commercial purpose of the transactions and the relationship between the parties could not be determined". What do we know about the Chernukhin's finances? Some of Mr Chernukhin's financial affairs have been made public as part of a long running legal battle with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska over the ownership of a former industrial site in Moscow. Proceedings at the High Court in London revealed he set up a trust for his wife, and another trust for the benefit of the couple together. Mrs Chernukhin has been described as a former banker. She is listed as a director of four UK companies. One of them shares the same London correspondence address detailed in a bank document concerning the $8m payment to her husband from Definition Services. Lawyers for the Chernukhins declined to say whether Mr Chernukhin had received the $8m. But they said "Mrs Chernukhin has never received money deriving from Mr Kerimov or any company related to him" and her "donations to the Conservative Party have never been tainted by Kremlin or any other influence". They added all her donations have been declared in accordance with Electoral Commission rules. Lawyers for Suleyman Kerimov said he denies all the allegations made by Panorama, and had "no dealings with Ms Chernukhin whatsoever". A Conservative Party spokesperson said: "There are people in this country of Russian origin who are British citizens and have the democratic right to donate to a political party. Many have been vocal critics of Putin and it is completely wrong and discriminatory to smear them all with the same brush." The FinCEN Files is a leak of secret documents which reveal how major banks have allowed "dirty money" to be moved around the world. They also expose how US intelligence sees the UK as a "higher risk jurisdiction" and show it is awash with Russian cash from unexplained sources. The files were obtained by BuzzFeed News which shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and 400 journalists around the world. Panorama has led research for the BBC. FinCEN Files: full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #FinCENFiles; in the BBC News app, follow the tag "FinCEN Files; Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only). |
blogs-news-from-elsewhere-32318885 | https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-32318885 | Russia: Child 44 film release blocked over 'distortions' | Russia has blocked the release of the new film Child 44 because authorities say it "distorts" historical facts. | By News from Elsewhere......as found by BBC Monitoring The culture ministry says that the movie, which was due to be released on Friday, was withdrawn after a preview screening raised concerns. Issues included a "peculiar interpretation of events before, during and after the Great Patriotic War as well as images and characters of Soviet citizens living in that historical period", the ministry statement says, using the Russian term for the conflict with Nazi Germany. It adds that showing "this type of film" in the lead-up to the 70th anniversary of victory in World War Two is "unacceptable". The film stars British actor Tom Hardy as a disgraced Soviet secret police agent who's trying to track down a serial child killer in Stalin-era Russia. Hardy's character is pitted against a "system-wide cover-up" and those who deny crimes can exist in a utopian state, according to the film's own website. But the film's characterisation of Soviet officers has displeased Russian officials. Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky has complained that it depicts them as "physically and morally base sub-humans" and makes the country seem like Mordor - the fictional and terrifying land in Lord of the Rings, according to the state news agency RIA Novosti. One Russian film producer says the decision not to release Child 44 is bad for the country's film industry. "Before, films where Soviet and Russian heroes were presented not in the best way have been released in Russia, but nothing similar happened," Alexander Rodnyansky tells the RBK business news website. "Now everything to do with history should clearly fit into a kind of framework set by the culture ministry." Next story: Egypt writer calls for protest against hijab Use #NewsfromElsewhere to stay up-to-date with our reports via Twitter. |
uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-44530973 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-44530973 | Pressure mounts on Derry deputy mayor over drink-driving | Londonderry's MP has called on the city's deputy mayor to consider his position amid growing pressure over his drink driving convictions. | Ulster Unionist Party Deputy Mayor Derek Hussey has three convictions for drink-driving offences. Two local families whose loved ones have been killed by drunk drivers have called for his resignation. Sinn Féin MP for Foyle Elisha McCallion said Mr Hussey should reflect on "the mood that is out there." She said the deputy mayor should engage in conversations with families bereaved by drink-driving. "He should reflect on that and ultimately consider his position," Ms McCallion said. SDLP councillor, Brian Tierney, has also advised the deputy mayor to reconsider his position: "I have spoken to councillor Hussey and asked that he consider this hurt and informed him it would be the view of the SDLP that he should reflect on the upset this has caused to families and consider his position." Martin Gallagher, whose 25-year-old son was killed in 2009, said he had "nothing against him personally". "But it is about him being chosen as a public representative for the council," he said. Mr Gallagher's son, Martin junior, had been returning from Halloween celebrations when he was killed on 1 November 2009. He said should Mr Hussey not resign "then the council must ask him to step down". The family of Derry student Robert Bradley, who was killed along with a friend in Nottingham by a drunk driver 18 years ago, have also called for Mr Hussey to step down. Robert's sister Aileen Tester told BBC Radio Foyle the family will refer Mr Hussey to the local government watchdog. "To be mayor or deputy mayor of this city should be a privilege," she said. "That privilege should be bestowed on somebody who is willing to uphold the office with the highest integrity. We do not feel he can do that in his current position." Last week, Sinn Féin councillors objected to Mr Hussey being named chair of the local Policing and Community Safety Partnership because of his drink-driving convictions. Mr Hussey declined a BBC interview request but did say he would meet with the families to talk about the issues. Mr Hussey also said he has spoken to the UUP party leader on the subject and will not be standing down as deputy mayor or as chair of Derry City and Strabane District's Policing and Community Safety Partnership. He was given a five-year driving ban and fined £800 in 2016 after pleading guilty. The previous offences date back to 2004 and 2011. |
newsbeat-34086729 | https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-34086729 | 'Being a goth helped me to fit in at school' | In the Oxford English Dictionary a goth is defined as "a member of a subculture favouring black clothing, white and black make-up and goth music". | The group is in the news because a study suggests young people who identify themselves as part of that community may be at increased risk of depression and self-harm. It suggests people who identify with being a goth at 15 are three times more likely to self-harm aged 18 than others. But does becoming a goth give you a greater likelihood of becoming depressed - or do people with depression gravitate towards the goth community? All the way through school in Suffolk, Laura says she used to listen to anything that was in Kerrang! magazine, such as My Chemical Romance, The Cure, Nightwish, Slipknot, AFI, Evanescence and Lacuna Coil. Now 23, she says she became a goth because it helped her to fit in. "They seemed like a really nice group of people," she tells Newsbeat. "There were always cliques at school and you had all your popular kids and they did certain things and I wasn't one of those people. "I'd also hang around the music department at the school and they'd all be listening to that sort of thing. "I just sort of fitted in with it. I was listening to song lyrics and the way the music was and it explained a bit more about how my brain was at that time and what I was thinking." Young goths and depression: Your stories So is there anything about being a goth that means you're more likely to suffer from depression? Laura's been diagnosed with depression but rather than causing it, she thinks being a goth helped relieve her symptoms. "A lot of people who suffer with depression - goth and not goth - they have got a vulnerability anyway. "But there are many goths out there who don't have depression and there are many people who have depression who have never identified as a goth. "I know they're not goths, but when Thirty Seconds To Mars were first coming out I was 11 and the people around them were so supportive. "When you go to gigs there's no real negativity. People just seem to get on. "The song lyrics are generally quite uplifting. A lot of the singers and band members have had troubles - they're singing about how they got through it and it gives people hope. "It helps tell a story." For more on depression go to the BBC Advice pages. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram, Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube and you can now follow BBC_Newsbeat on Snapchat |
uk-england-sussex-35631415 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-35631415 | 'Cover up' allowed Bishop Peter Ball to escape justice | A victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a bishop has claimed a "deeply sinister, co-ordinated cover up" allowed him to escape justice. | By Colin CampbellBBC South East home affairs correspondent Bishop Peter Ball, who was jailed last year for abusing young men between the 1970s and 1980s, was investigated by police in 1993 and given a caution. He admitted to his defence team, which included a priest, that he had committed sexual offences. Gloucestershire Police said a thorough investigation took place. Documents seen by the BBC suggest Ball's defence team sought to do a deal with the police to avoid the "scandal of a trial". Ball, who was previously Bishop of Lewes, promised to resign as Bishop of Gloucester and "immediately leave the country", but instead continued to officiate as a priest in the Church of England until 2010. The Reverend Graham Sawyer, one of the men abused by Ball said: "It looks like there was a deeply sinister, coordinated, but probably in the end rather inept attempt at a cover-up." The documents, described as being for the information solely of the Bishop of Chichester and the then Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, say Ball had been "abusing not only his office but very many young men". Analysis by Colin Campbell, BBC South East home affairs correspondent These documents are significant because they appear to show the Bishop of Chichester, the late Eric Kemp, was made aware that Peter Ball had abused many young men in 1993. Despite this, in later years Bishop Kemp described Peter Ball's victims as "mischief makers". This is something that caused Peter Ball's survivors further pain, anguish and upset. The question is which other senior members of the Church of England clergy knew Ball was an offender? And how was Peter Ball allowed to continue working in churches up until 2010 when clergy knew he had confessed and were informed he was responsible for a string of sex attacks? Lord Carey has declined to comment on the documents. He said he would answer questions put to him by both the Goddard Inquiry into child sex abuse and the Church's own review into Ball's abuse. He told the BBC last year he knew nothing of the investigation, nor anything of its author. The current Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has appointed Dame Moira Gibb as chair of the independent review into the case. In the documents, retired detective Wayne Murdock is said to have discussed with Ball's legal team "the need to prevent a scandal in the press, especially as Peter was a frequent visitor to Sandringham and is friendly with Prince Charles". Cliff James, another of Ball's victims, said: "I think it is shocking. It's really disturbing how it appears senior establishment figures clustered together to shield Bishop Peter." Mr Murdock was described as "sympathetic" in the documents, adding that he confided in Ball's defence team that he was educated by a clergyman who attended a religious group founded by Peter Ball and his twin brother. In a statement, he said his "investigation was conducted with the highest standards of integrity, transparency and impartiality." He denies any deal was done, stating the "decision as to how the case was disposed of in 1993 was ultimately taken by the DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions]." Gloucestershire Constabulary said they reviewed their original handling of the case in 2012. "The original investigation was of a thorough standard and there is no reason to believe that anything was overlooked," a spokesman said. The CPS said last year the decision not to prosecute Ball in 1993 was "wrong". "There was sufficient evidence and it was in the public interest to prosecute at the time," a spokesman said. "Furthermore, in order for a caution to be given, a suspect must first make full and frank admissions to the alleged offence. It is clear from our records that such admissions were not made in the appropriate way. "Our approach to sexual abuse has changed fundamentally since 1993 and we are confident that such a decision would not be made by prosecutors today." |
uk-england-sussex-21510937 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-21510937 | Greater Brighton 'independence' bid by Sussex councils | Four Sussex councils have welcomed the chance to bid for more spending powers as part of a Greater Brighton region. | Brighton and Hove City Council, Adur and Lewes district councils and Worthing borough council are working on the "city deal" proposals. They are among 28 regions announced as part of a government initiative to boost jobs and growth by allowing greater independence from Whitehall. The councils want to set up Greater Brighton as an "Eco tech" hub. Among their aims are the revival of stalled development sites such as Toads Hole Valley and Preston Barracks in Brighton and Hove and Shoreham Harbour and Newhaven port. The councils said their proposals were supported by Brighton's two universities and companies looking to invest in the area. 'Very ambitious' "This is a major step forward, giving us the opportunity to make a big difference to the city and the region," said Brighton and Hove City Council's Green Party leader Jason Kitcat. "We are rightly very ambitious and I am delighted the city region's importance to the national economy has been recognised. "This status complements the super connected city work which is already under way after our bid for ultra fast broadband last year." Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said on Monday the city deal scheme would restore spending powers to local authorities. During a speech at the Mansion House in London, Mr Clegg said the British economy needed "major rebalancing". Under the scheme, powers such as the ability to set and spend budgets are devolved from central government to local authorities in a bid to increase growth. For bids to have been successful, each area must have demonstrated a strong plan to increase jobs and drive industry. The full Greater Brighton proposal will be submitted to the government by June 2013. |
uk-northern-ireland-36642740 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-36642740 | The Queen in Northern Ireland: Visit takes in north coast landmarks | The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have visited landmarks on the north coast as part of their two-day trip to Northern Ireland. | Their first stop on a busy day of public engagements was a tour of the Giant's Causeway in County Antrim. The Unesco World Heritage Site is made up of some 40,000 large black basalt columns which protrude from the sea. It was the Royal couple's first visit to Northern Ireland's best known tourist attraction. The causeway formed when molten rock was forced up through fissures in the earth to form a lava plateau. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh then travelled to the nearby village of Bushmills to commemorate local soldier Robert Quigg. He won a Victoria Cross for bravery during the Battle of the Somme. Sgt Quigg was given the highest military award for valour after going out into the line of fire to search for his commanding officer. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh unveiled a statue of the soldier as well as a commemorative stone. His grandnephew, Leonard Quigg, also gave a short address. From there, the Royal couple moved on to a reception at Portrush Golf Club as guests of the mayor for the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. Afterwards, they took a journey back in time as they travelled on a steam train from Coleraine, County Londonderry, to the village of Bellarena. Large crowds gathered in Coleraine to greet the couple as they boarded the five-carriage train, built in 1932. The Royal guests were accompanied by local schoolchildren as they travelled to Bellarena, where the Queen officially opened the village's new train station. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh first made the same journey along the historic Coleraine to Londonderry railway line in 1953 - the year of her coronation. The original station had opened a century earlier in 1853. Earlier this year, two new railway platforms opened in Bellarena, as part of a £46m upgrade to the Coleraine to Londonderry railway line. On her arrival in the village, the Queen unveiled a plaque marking the new development. Wellwishers lined the route, waving union flags and cheering. On Monday, the Royal visitor met Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers at Hillsborough Castle in County Down. The trip is the third high-profile royal visit to Northern Ireland in weeks and follows on from appearances by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh last visited Northern Ireland in June 2014. |
science-environment-40632751 | https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40632751 | Mighty T. rex 'walked rather than sprinted' | The size and weight of a T. rex would have prevented it from moving faster than 20km/h (12mph), research suggests. | By Helen BriggsBBC News University of Manchester scientists used a new computer simulation to assess the speed of the massive biped. Based on T. rex's muscles alone, the model came up with a maximum speed of 30km/h, but this dropped to 20km/h when skeletal strength was assessed too. Had it moved from a brisk walk to a sprint, the dinosaur's legs would have snapped under the weight of its body. "T. rex is everyone's favourite dinosaur, and palaeontologists have been arguing for years about how fast it could run because this would tell us something about its hunting style and the way it caught its prey,'' said Prof William Sellers. ''This project used a highly realistic computer simulation to predict how T. rex moved, and it shows that running would have been impossible because its skeleton just isn't strong enough. ''That means that T. rex was actually quite slow and therefore not a pursuit predator.'' Hollywood makeover Fossil footprints had already hinted that the mighty dinosaur was not as agile as its Hollywood image suggests. However, Dr Eric Snively, of UW-La Crosse, US, who was not involved in the research, said it would still have been a scary creature. The top speeds calculated for T. rex ''are still beyond those of most fast human joggers or distance runners and would be rather frightening to behold'', he said. Referring to a scene in the sci-fi film, he added: ''It might well have caught Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, had he stayed outside the Jeep and in the slippery mud.'' Prof Sellers said: "We can basically say that running was unlikely in any of the big predatory dinosaurs, but that doesn't mean that the smaller ones were not fast. "That means that as it grows up, T. rex would get larger and slower and we would expect to see the hunting behaviour change. "This really helps fill out the picture of what life was like in the cretaceous [period], when we have large numbers of dinosaurs roaming around." The study is published in the journal Peer J. Follow Helen on Twitter. |
business-39062981 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-39062981 | Barclays boss has reasons to be cheerful | Barclays chief executive Jes Staley was in a good mood this morning - and why not? | Simon JackBusiness editor After three years of losses, Barclays is back in the black, it will have sold off all its non-essential businesses by June, its capital levels are very close to the point where the banking authorities will let it start paying higher dividends, and interest rates could head upward - a good thing for banks' profit margins. Its shares rose 3% on the news - happy days. However, a huge upheaval of the European banking system is on the horizon as the UK prepares to trigger Article 50, taking the financial heart of Europe out of the EU, and out of the single market. Today we got a little more detail on Barclays' contingency planning. It seems Dublin may become the headquarters of its European business, requiring hundreds of additional staff there and in its offices in Frankfurt and Milan, which may become branches of the Dublin bank rather than the UK bank. Despite this structural sleight of hand, Mr Staley is confident London will remain the financial centre of Europe long after Brexit. But he also issued an important warning. What happens to a 10-year loan, or agreement with a customer in the EU, struck in the next two years before the UK formally leaves? How can the parties be sure that the terms of the contract between them are still valid in the years after Brexit, before the terms of trade have been agreed? According to Mr Staley, honouring deals like this into the future - or "grandfathering" them - is crucial to maintain confidence in this coming period of uncertainty. US reform He also had a warning for Donald Trump. Don't mess with US bank regulation. Promised cuts to tax and banking regulation in the US have seen shares in the likes of Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan rocket. But, according to Mr Staley, dismantling the controls put in place after the financial crisis would undo a lot of good work done to make the financial system safer. "Higher capital levels and lower risk taking by banks has been a good thing, and I don't think (regulation) should be rolled back," he said. If the stock market is right, and the big investment banks will be able to generate higher returns by taking more risk, Barclays' sizeable US operations may have a tough choice to make: keep up with your Wall Street neighbours, or look safer (and more boring) to investors. |
uk-england-bristol-28620439 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-28620439 | Avonmouth body parts inquiry victim named | A man whose body parts were found at a Bristol recycling plant has been identified as a Swindon man by police. | Police were called to the Biffa depot in Avonmouth at 11:00 BST on Friday after being alerted by staff to possible remains at one of the units. Avon and Somerset Police have named the victim as Matthew Symonds, 34, of no fixed address in Swindon, and said his death was being treated as unexplained. A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out later. His next of kin have been informed, police said. Det Ch Insp Gareth Bevan said officers were "following several lines of inquiry" to establish the circumstances surrounding the man's death. "Police inquiries so far suggest the body was transported with commercial recycling waste collected in Swindon and therefore the focus of the investigation will be in that area going forward," he said. "The investigation is at an early stage and we are keeping an open mind about the circumstances leading to this man's death." Police said it was too early to say how long the body parts had been there. Biffa is one of the country's leading waste management companies, disposing of rubbish from commercial, industrial and public sector organisations. Matthew Humphreys, from the company, said: "I can confirm that a body was received at our Avonmouth Transfer Station during the morning of Friday 1st August. "Biffa takes health and safety very seriously and is conducting its own internal investigation, into the circumstances surrounding the incident." |
entertainment-arts-38404463 | https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38404463 | Sherlock stars Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington reveal split | Sherlock stars Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington have revealed they have separated after 16 years together. | "I'm not with Amanda any more," Freeman told the Financial Times, describing the split as "very, very amicable". Abbington also gave an interview to The Sunday Telegraph's Stella magazine, in which she said she and Freeman had "realised we'd come to the end of our time together". The couple, who met on a film set in 2000, have two children together. 'No hostility' "Martin and I remain best friends and love each other, and it was entirely amicable," Abbington said. "There was no hostility, really, we just said that we couldn't live together anymore, so we put everything in place, he moved out to a flat in north London, I stayed at home and we've started a new chapter. "It is sad and it is upsetting, because you think you're going to be with someone forever, but you either do that or you break up, and we both came to the decision that splitting was best for us. We've been really lucky to make it such a clean break, especially for the kids." On Friday morning, Abbington tweeted: "Thanks for the beautiful and supportive messages. We are all ok! But thanks." The couple will shortly be seen reprising their roles as John Watson and his wife Mary in Sherlock's latest series. In his interview with the FT, Freeman said: "I'll always love Amanda." The new series sees their characters with a baby daughter, named Rosamund Mary Watson. Freeman and Abbington appeared with other cast members at an event this week to promote the first episode, to be broadcast on New Year's Day. Abbington also appeared on Wednesday's edition of Christmas Kitchen, during which she said she would be spending Christmas with her children. A spokesman for the BBC said it does not comment on the personal lives of its stars. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. |
uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-34777085 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-34777085 | Alistair Carmichael admits trying to mislead leaked memo investigation | Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael has admitted that he tried to mislead a Cabinet Office investigation into a leaked memo. | Giving evidence for a second day at a special election court, the Lib Dem MP was told that his response to the investigation was "calculated and intended to mislead". He replied: "Yes, truthfully I would have to say that." He is being challenged by constituents over whether his conduct broke the law. Four constituents have raised the court action against him under the Representation of the People Act 1983. They say he misled voters over a memo which was leaked before May's election. The MP said he "enormously" regretted his involvement in the leaking of the memo, but denied lying about his role in the release of the document to protect his reputation. Questioned by his own counsel, Roddy Dunlop QC, Mr Carmichael, said it has been "a difficult few months" for him. The contents of the memo, published in the Daily Telegraph at the start of the election campaign in April, claimed that SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would secretly prefer Tory leader David Cameron to remain as prime minister rather than his Labour opponent Ed Miliband. The newspaper said her comments, reportedly made to the French ambassador, undermined claims that she wanted to build a "progressive alliance" with other left-wing parties. Mr Carmichael - who was Scottish secretary in the Tory-Lib Dem coalition before the election and is now his party's only MP in Scotland - authorised the leaking of a civil service memo by his special advisor. Leak inquiry Both the ambassador and the first minister denied the accuracy of the civil service memo. At the time of the leak, Mr Carmichael denied any knowledge, claiming in a TV interview the first he had heard of it was when he received a phone call from a reporter. The court heard how a Cabinet Office inquiry into the leak was launched shortly after the newspaper article was printed on 3 April. Mr Carmichael told the court he was initially "less than fully truthful" with the inquiry. Mr Carmichael's lawyers argue his actions were political and did not affect his re-election. Legal challenge The election court in Edinburgh is hearing evidence from six witnesses over four days. Legal argument was earlier heard in September. The case is believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland for 50 years. The petitioners argue his actions call into question his integrity as an individual and his suitability to represent the constituency at Westminster. Judges ruled last month the legal challenge could proceed. September's hearing was broadcast and streamed live online. The evidence from these latest six witnesses will not be broadcast, but the lawyers' closing statements may be. The two judges, Lady Paton and Lord Matthews, will present their judgement to the House of Commons at a later date. |
world-us-canada-51578045 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51578045 | The complicated truth behind Trump’s ‘American comeback' | Corin Kealoha and Shaun Karagory both work full time - but cannot afford food without the help of a food bank. | By Helier CheungBBC News, Reno and Las Vegas "We can't even live off our wages," says Corin, 46, who works as a hotel receptionist. "That's why we come here." The couple are at St Vincent's Food Pantry, in Reno, Nevada, where they have picked up cardboard boxes containing cereals, bread, milk, peanut butter, and some meat. And their story offers a glimpse into the complicated reality behind the economic recovery lauded by President Donald Trump. In his January State of the Union, President Trump hailed the "great American comeback", stating: "Jobs are booming. Incomes are soaring. Poverty is plummeting… the years of economic decay are over." It's a narrative he hopes will help him win November's presidential race - including in Nevada, a swing state that supported Hillary Clinton by a margin of just 2% in 2016. The western state, home to Las Vegas, was one of the worst hit by the 2008 financial crisis. House prices dropped up to 60%, unemployment soared to 14%, and the state had the highest number of home foreclosures nationwide. More than a decade on, Nevada's home values have recovered, the state came first for job growth in the US in 2018, and unemployment now hovers at a 20-year low of 3.8%. But to get a sense of some of the limits of the recovery, you only have to take a walk in downtown Reno. Down North Virginia Street, there are glittery high-rise hotels and casinos, river walkways, and tourists taking selfies at the iconic Reno Arch, which proudly welcomes visitors to "the biggest little city in the world". Yet if you take a different turn, and walk down East Fourth Street, the city looks very different. Instead of high-rises, there are smaller, weekly motels, and instead of tourists, you can see queues outside shelters and soup kitchens, and homeless people sitting, chatting, or doing push-ups near the railway tracks. "Unemployment is low, but unfortunately unemployment is not a great indicator of how many people are hungry," says Jocelyn Lantrip, from the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, which supplies charities, including St Vincent's Food Pantry. And often, those going hungry - or temporarily homeless - are people who already have jobs. "We have anything from 350 to 450 new families per month," says Carlos Carrillo, programme director at the St Vincent's food pantry, in between packing boxes with food. "We used to have a lot of clients who were unemployed or on social security, but nowadays most of our clients are working families." The food bank has even started offering dog and cat food to 1,500 families a month - a practical step after they realised that clients would often go hungry in order to feed their pets. A majority of clients say they are forced to use the food bank because rents have soared. "They take money out of their food budget to pay for rent, so that's where we come in, to provide a bit of the food that they're not buying anymore," Mr Carrillo says. Elliott Parker, chair of economics at the University of Nevada, Reno, argues that "recovery is in the eye of the beholder". The latest data from the Census Bureau suggests that median household income is still just below 2008 levels, he adds. "We are finally at the end of a very long recovery - but wages have risen nowhere near as fast as housing and rental prices." Nevada has the nation's worst shortage of affordable housing for low-income families, according to an advocacy group, only 19 homes for every 100 low-income renter households. There are various reasons for the house prices - including stalled construction from the 2008 financial crisis that has been slow to pick up. And Reno residents complain about the "Tesla effect" - as tech workers and retirees from the more expensive neighbouring state of California cross the border into Nevada, they push up rental prices for locals. "Fifty percent of people in Nevada rent, and half of them are rent burdened - meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing," says state Senator Julia Ratti, whose district covers the Reno-Sparks area. "This means they become very vulnerable to anything happening in their life - if you get a flat tyre, or your child needs medical care, you'll be late on your rent." It's something Corin and Shaun, 39, experienced last year, after Shaun, who works as a security guard, developed fibromyalgia and had to take some time off work. "We became homeless because I couldn't afford to pay the rent," says Corin. "We basically ended up living in our car." They have since moved into a studio apartment - although the rent, which is $900 a month, takes a significant bite out of their wages - they both earn $10 per hour. "We're not stable yet - we're not even sure what's going to happen," Corin says with a laugh. "We just live day by day for now." John Restrepo, an analyst at RCG Economics in Las Vegas, says it is both true that the economy overall has grown - and that many working families are still suffering. Those with equities in the stock market and small businesses have come out as winners from the economic recovery, he says, but wage earners have lost out. "About 60% of our households are not invested in the stock market - they depend on wages - and a large percentage of those folks, particularly lower-income workers, haven't benefited from the recovery at all," says Mr Restrepo. "The challenge is that wages have been pretty stagnant after you adjust for inflation." He believes that many companies, "as a result of the great recession, decided to do business differently" - hiring more contractors and gig workers. Nevada was also coming out of a particularly deep recession, which means "we've been growing for 10 years now, but it's also one of the slowest recoveries in terms of the rate of recovery". The other issue that comes up again and again when you speak to Nevadans is the cost of healthcare. Jim Eaglesmith spent four years caring for his mother, who had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and eventually lost his job in a physical therapy clinic after he had to reduce his hours to look after her. "The expenses of rent, home, healthcare, hospice and prescription needs meant I depleted my savings… in the last three years I used up her savings and my 401K. I spent everything I had thinking she was going to have some money left over, but I ended up having to spend almost all of it," he says. After that, he says he was effectively homeless for two months, couch surfing with different friends until he was able to move into Village on Sage Street - a dormitory developed by the Community Foundation of Western Nevada - which is designed to help working poor individuals and offers single rooms for as little as $400 a month. "I can't afford a lot of things, but I'm not here to make money," says Jim, who now works part time as a performance artist. "My value isn't based on my economic worth." US healthcare costs are amongst the highest in the world - which means even middle-income families can feel vulnerable. Adrielle Hammon, 35, works in a pre-school, making $9 an hour. Last year, she and her husband qualified for Medicaid, a public healthcare scheme for poor Americans - which meant when her son had a medical emergency, the $40,000 hospital bill was covered. This year, her family's income has grown - Adrielle believes they are now "roughly middle class" - but it means they no longer qualify for Medicaid, and neither of them receives health insurance through work. "We can afford food, gas and bills now," she says. "But you throw in things like hospital bills, and that's something worrisome... I don't go to the doctor for anything unless someone's literally dying." And the American dream of owning their own home seems like a remote possibility, which she admits bothers her because "we always figured that by the time we were this age, we'd be able to afford to buy a house." For many lower-income families, housing and healthcare costs can combine, to make them more vulnerable to unexpected emergencies. Angel Mcceig-Escalanti, 44, says most of her family's income is spent on rent, and dealing with problems with their car. "We've not been able to save any money at all - we have really been struggling," she says. She lives with her husband, her mother, and one of her three children in a two-bedroom apartment costing $1,270 a month - "and one person doesn't have a bedroom, - my mother sleeps on the couch." She visits St Vincent's Food Pantry for fresh and canned fruit and vegetables, and visits several other food banks for help as well - particularly because, as a diabetic, she has to have a low-carbohydrate diet. "We could buy food, just not the sort of food I should be eating. I'm supposed to be low carb, but that's the stuff that is the cheapest." She also chooses the food carefully, hoping that this will help ensure her teenage son doesn't develop diabetes when he's older. In politics, and in the media, it can be tempting to generalise - whether it is about the economic recovery, or the plight of lower-income families. But the reality is often more nuanced - especially as the working class don't necessarily see themselves as poor. I met Kayshoun Grajeda, 33, at the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas - a training centre that has built in kitchens, a restaurant, and bedrooms for hospitality staff in training. She's beaming with pride as she explains it's her last day on the guestroom attendant course, and as she demonstrates how to make a bed in five minutes while keeping the sheets perfectly smooth. "If you really want something, and put your best foot forward, you can accomplish it," she adds. "There's help - you've just gotta want it. You can't put the blame on somebody else." The single mother of three has just been offered a job with a hotel, and believes it will be a significant step up from her previous job as a hair dresser. "I want things for my kids, so this is definitely a good start, you know? I'm starting at $15.35, but it's a start! It's above minimum wage," she says with a grin. It's a sense of positivity that is partly shared by Deidre Hammon, who lives with her daughter Brianna in a mobile home in a trailer park on the outskirts of Reno. Deidre (who is also Adrielle's mother) works three jobs - as a contractor at a law firm, as an advocate at a centre for children with disabilities, and as a carer for Brianna, 36, who lives with cerebral palsy. "We're all very optimistic about our lives, we don't want to see ourselves as poor people who can't afford anything," she says. But she adds that the difficulties that working families face are very real. Her car just broke down, so she's been forced to spend $250 per week on a rental car, since she needs to drive for work and to transport Brianna around. While she would rather work in a full-time role with benefits, "it's easier to have low-wage jobs I can quit easily, and then find another low-wage job" - because she sometimes needs time off at short notice to care for her daughter. She also can't afford a wheelchair van - which means she has to manually help Brianna in and out of the car. "I have to swing the wheelchair into the back of the car, break it down, put it together, and transfer Brianna into the car, two to three times a day. I have amazing upper body strength right now, but who knows how long that's going to last? I'm almost 60!" She says she has to look after Brianna herself, because there aren't enough service providers in northern Nevada. She says she meets other mothers caring for adult children with disabilities, and they all find the prospect of their children living without them "terrifying". "We all feel like we can't die, ever - because who's going to take your place?" Meanwhile, Christopher Ripke lives with epilepsy, and works full time as a dishwasher at the University of Nevada, Reno - sometimes working seven days a week, as he often offers to work overtime. He also leads People First, a non-profit that helps people with disabilities. He makes $9.30 an hour - sometimes making $13.50 per hour for overtime - and also received some rental assistance and food stamp assistance, but says he still falls below the poverty level. Despite that, he feels pleased to have medical coverage in his job - and says he "absolutely" feels optimistic about his future. "I'm setting money aside for future plans - I plan to move to Texas because the healthcare's better." Nevada is third in the Democratic primary race - and the state bills itself as more ethnically diverse, and more working class, than either Iowa or New Hampshire. At Wednesday's Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar all made specific appeals to working families, or talked about the need to raise wages. But voting patterns can be personal - and unpredictable - and politicians take the working-class vote for granted at their peril. Deidre, Brianna and Adrielle all support Bernie Sanders because of his Medicare for All proposals - and do not want to see President Trump win. Brianna says bluntly: "If Trump gets re-elected I'm probably dead. He plans to cut all the programmes that make my life possible." Meanwhile, Christopher and Angel both support President Trump - Christopher because he disagrees with the Democratic candidates' stance on abortion, and Angel because "when he says something, he does it". Christopher uses food stamps, and is not convinced by reports that Mr Trump's proposed budget would cut food stamps and the safety net. "That's one thing I don't believe - if I see it, I see it, but I've heard nothing about that." Meanwhile, Angel believes Mr Trump's proposal to reduce the safety net is a good idea. "I've been working since I was 13, and… I only used the system when I needed it. People don't do that anymore, now they use it because there's free stuff." And while Kayshoun's "best foot forward" attitude chimes in with how the Republicans say they help working families, she's actually unimpressed with both Mr Trump, and the Democratic candidates. "We need a new president, and not the one we've got," she says, adding that she plans to vote independent this year "because I'm not really feeling nobody". All pictures copyright |
world-africa-27882084 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27882084 | Kenya attacks: Al-Shabab not involved - Kenyatta | Somali Islamist group al-Shabab was not behind deadly attacks on Kenya's coast, the president has said, contradicting the militant group's claims. | More than 60 people were killed in two days near the town of Mpeketoni. President Uhuru Kenyatta has blamed "local political networks" for the violence, saying members of one ethnic group were targeted. Most of the dead were ethnic Kikuyus, like the president. Non-Muslims were singled out to be killed. The BBC had been told that 12 women whose husbands were not at home during the second attack in the Poromoko district near Mpeketoni were abducted but this later proved not to be the case. The Red Cross says that eight people are still unaccounted for after the first attack on Sunday night. It had said 50 people were missing. Al-Shabab has said it was behind both attacks, in revenge for the presence of Kenyan troops in Somalia and the killing of Muslims. Kenya sent troops to Somalia in 2011 to help the weak UN-backed government defeat the militants. Analysis: Dennis Okari, BBC News, Nairobi Two days after the deadly wave of violence in Mpeketoni, Kenyans are still unclear who is responsible. If it was al-Shabab, the targeting of villages, not towns, and the killing of men only, would be new tactics. By sparing women and children, they could be trying to sanitise their image after even their own supporters criticised them for the indiscriminate killings during the Westgate siege last year. But there are long-standing political and ethnic divisions in Mpeketoni, and the president has blamed "local political networks" for the deaths. Local ethnic Somalis or Oromos may have targeted members of the president's Kikuyu community and tried to divert the blame by waving al-Shabab flags. Some locals see the Kikuyus as interlopers, who have become rich after the government gave them land. These are the same feelings which lay behind the deadly ethnic violence which swept the nation after the disputed 2007 elections. Mpeketoni attacks: Four possibilities 'Politically motivated' The attacks were "well planned, orchestrated and politically motivated ethnic violence against against a Kenyan community, with the intention of profiling and evicting them for political reasons," President Kenyatta said in a national address on Tuesday. "This therefore was not an al-Shabab attack," he continued. "Evidence indicates that local political networks were involved in the planning and execution of a heinous crime". He did not give further details of the suspected attackers. However, he said the police in Mpeketoni were given advance intelligence about the attack, but did not act on it. "Accordingly, all concerned officers have been suspended and will be charged immediately in a court of law," he added. But opposition Senator Moses Wetangula has dismissed the president's allegations, describing them as "a joke". "We Kenyans in the leadership instead of calling in our friends who have better technology, better intelligence, better capacity to even use drones to hit these guys. We are saying it is not terrorism, it is political," he told the BBC. Forty-nine bodies have been found after the first attack and 15 after the second, officials say. "There's no time to mourn, we're just burying [the victims]," a resident told the BBC's Anne Soy in the town. Al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters news agency on Tuesday that: "We raided villages around Mpeketoni again last night". He was later quoted by the AFP news agency as saying that the militants "have been going to several places looking for military personnel". He said most of those killed were police officers and wildlife wardens. Kenya has been on high alert recently following warnings that al-Shabab was planning more attacks. The authorities are under mounting pressure from the public, amid criticism they have failed to prevent the latest string of attacks on the coast. The US and UK have issued advisories to their nationals to keep away from parts of the Kenyan coast and hundreds of British tourists were evacuated last month. Last week, the UK closed its consulate in the port city of Mombasa. Correction 18 June 2014: An earlier version of this story was based on the reported abduction of 12 women, which subsequently proved not to be true. |
uk-england-kent-28132923 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-28132923 | Paramount 'Disneyland rival' theme park seeks Kent views | The brains behind a planned £2bn theme park that aims to rival Disneyland Paris are heading out to woo the people of Kent. | Developers have been granted a licence from Paramount Pictures to use its name on a resort on the Swanscombe Peninsula, near Dartford. Fun park chiefs hope their giant water park and Hollywood-inspired thrill centre will win public support. London Resort Company Holdings hopes to submit a planning application in 2015. Public exhibitions will be held at: |
uk-england-sussex-44817719 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-44817719 | Christ's Hospital School teacher jailed for pupil rape | A former teacher at a top independent school in West Sussex has been sentenced to 17 years in jail for a string of sex offences including rape. | James Husband, 68, from York, was convicted of raping a 16-year-old pupil at Christ's Hospital School in Horsham. He was also found guilty at an earlier hearing at Hove Crown Court of five indecent assault charges on the girl. During the trial, the court heard Husband told the girl: "It's OK, I've had a vasectomy," before raping her. Husband, of Wigginton, is the fifth Christ's Hospital School teacher to be convicted of sexually abusing students. Over the five cases, the sexual abuse at the school spanned more than 30 years and involved 22 victims. Abuser's 'plaything' Judge Christine Henson, who placed Husband on the sex offenders register for life, said the victim had give "harrowing" evidence during the trial. The judge told him: "You put yourself in the position of her mentor in order to make her feel special and dependent on you so you could do what you wanted sexually with her. "She viewed you as a father figure, thus rendering the abuse of trust particularly acute." In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said: "The grooming process was devious and malignant. By making me feel special for the first time in my life, I became dependent on him for my own feeling of self worth." She said Husband moulded her into his "plaything" and "puppet" so "he could do what he wanted to me". "He twisted my mind to abuse my body and made my body feel dirty and degraded until I believed this to be true." She said she had been left with a "life sentence" of anorexia, suicidal thoughts and self-harm and suffered from "unbearable" flashbacks. Although described by the prosecution as a "great pupil capable of achieving great things", she said she had failed to make the grades to take up a place at Cambridge University because she had been "worn down" by his abuse. Husband's co-defendant and a former head of house at the school Gary Dobbie, 66, of Rue De La Piale in Albi, France, was convicted of 15 counts involving multiple offences against six boys and two girls as young as 12. Dobbie, formerly of Hereford, was teaching at independent Shrewsbury School, in Shropshire, at the time of his arrest in 2016. He has yet to be sentenced. Jurors heard the abuse took place between 1990 and 2001 and that both men were friends and used to laugh together about their actions. After the hearing, Det Sgt Karrie Bohanna from Sussex Police said; "The victims of Husband and Dobbie were mainly children who should have been able to feel safe whilst in the care of their teachers. "Instead both Husband and Dobbie exploited their positions in order to groom and sexually abuse their victims." An NSPCC spokesman said Husband "used and abused his position of trust in the worst possible way". He said: "His jailing today will hopefully give some sort of closure to his victim and at the same time encourage other people in a similar position to come forward and report what has happened to them." |
uk-scotland-highlands-islands-18796758 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-18796758 | Halkirk crossing deaths FAI ruled out | The deaths of three people whose car collided with a train at a level crossing in Caithness will not be examined at a fatal accident inquiry. | Angus MacKay and his wife Margaret, both 81, from Inverness, and Mr MacKay's brother Donald, 66, of Latheron, died in the incident. The crash happened at an unmanned, gate-free level crossing in 2009. The Crown Office said that after "careful consideration" of the facts an inquiry was "not appropriate". Angus MacKay's son Donald, 51, from Inverness said he was "very disappointed". He was informed of the decision in a letter from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. The letter said Crown Counsel had noted that Network Rail had taken "responsible actions" and had made improvements following the incident. It also said counsel had noted that Donald MacKay "may bear some responsibility for the collision". However, Mr MacKay believes the line refers to his father, who was driving, and not his 66-year-old uncle who was a passenger. Mr MacKay said: "For about a week after I got it I felt like I was walking about spitting feathers. It's really depressing." The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) published a report following the incident in Halkirk. In the report, the RAIB said Network Rail "did not properly understand the risk" at the site because it had not taken a record of four previous accidents - one of them fatal - into account. The branch said: "Had it done so, the level of risk might have justified more costly risk reduction measures, and risk reduction measures that had been identified might have been implemented more quickly and before the accident occurred." Six recommendations were made on improving safety at the site. One - upgrading the crossing so that it has a locally monitored automatic barrier - was investigated by Network Rail. According to the RAIB report, the company concluded that "it would not be reasonably practicable to upgrade the crossing". The RAIB also said Mr MacKay may not have seen, or had misinterpreted, the warning lights at the level crossing. A review of his eyesight records concluded that, on balance of probabilities, his sight had not met the standard set by the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA). The RAIB also said it appeared that Mr MacKay was not wearing spectacles to improve his distance vision, which he had been advised to do at eyesight examinations in 2006 and 2009. The Crown Office said the procurator fiscal at Wick, in Caithness, received a report in connection with three deaths. A spokeswoman said: "After full and careful consideration of all of the facts and circumstances, independent Crown Counsel concluded that it was not a case in which it would be appropriate to hold a FAI. "The case is now closed." |
world-europe-41094790 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41094790 | Macron government launches overhaul of France's labour laws | President Emmanuel Macron's government has begun its drive to overhaul France's rigid labour laws, vowing to "free up the energy of the workforce". | The reforms aim to make it easier for bosses to hire and fire. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said they were ambitious, balanced and fair but it was natural that not everyone would support the changes. Protests against the plan are expected next month, but two of the biggest unions say they will not take part. Jean-Claude Mailly, the leader of Force Ouvrière (FO), said that while the reforms were far from perfect, the government had carried out "real consultation" and FO would play no role in demonstrations on 12 September. The union with the biggest presence in the private sector, CFDT, said its members would not take to the streets either, although it was ultimately disappointed that its position was not reflected in the final text. Further protests are promised on 23 September by far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is expected to spearhead opposition to the reforms. What does Macron want to do? France has an unemployment rate of 9.5%, double that of the other big European economies and Mr Macron has vowed to cut it to 7% by 2022. France's labour code is some 3,000 pages long and is seen by many as a straitjacket for business. Among the biggest reforms, individual firms are to be offered more flexibility in negotiating wages and conditions. Labour Minister Muriel Pénicaud said 36 new measures would be aimed at promoting "social dialogue". If a business reached a deal with the majority of its workforce on working hours and pay that agreement would trump any agreement in the wider industry. Over half of French workers are employed by small or medium-sized businesses. The government wants to facilitate deals at local level by encouraging companies with fewer than 50 employees to set up workers' committees that can bypass unions. One of the thorniest problems for the government is how to make it easier for companies to dismiss staff. There is to be a cap on damages that can be awarded to workers for unfair dismissal. However, after months of consultations, ministers have agreed to increase the cap from their original proposal. The cap would be limited to three months' pay for two years of work and 20 months' pay for 30 years. Until now the minimum pay-out for two years' employment was six months of salary. In contrast, normal severance pay will increase. Will Macron succeed? He has a far greater chance than anyone before him. François Hollande's Socialist government watered down plans to reform the labour code in the face of street protests. However, Mr Macron has already won parliamentary backing to push these reforms through by decree. An opinion poll on Wednesday showed that nine out of 10 French people agreed that their country's labour code had to be reformed, although 60% were worried about the Macron plan. Will France take to the streets? By Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris There were plenty of warnings that Emmanuel Macron would face a "hot autumn" of strikes once the detail of his labour reforms were released. The reality is likely to be less dramatic. Yes, the unions are unhappy but some are more unhappy than others. Of the three big federations, only the CGT is calling for protests on September 12. Two points set these reforms apart from previous botched efforts to change the labour code. Even the most hostile union leaders concede that the government's method has been impeccable. There were proper negotiations, and there was give and take. But more important, the democratic legitimacy behind the Macron plan is unarguable. Nothing in the plan is a surprise. Everything had been announced ahead of his election. Mobilising the country to stop what it has just voted for was never going to be an easy sell. What does Macron say? The president knows the challenge he faces in winning over the electorate and he says he is expecting months of resistance to the proposals. France was "the only big EU economy that hasn't combated mass unemployment for more than three decades", he said in an interview on Wednesday, adding that the biggest victims were the young and the unskilled. Mr Macron has seen his popularity slide dramatically since he came to power on 7 May. A poll on 27 August suggested his approval ratings had fallen from 57% in July to 40%. Last week, on a visit to Romania, he complained that France was not a "reformable country... because French men and women hate reform". He quickly went on to explain that what France needed was "transformation" rather than reform. |
uk-england-norfolk-28421789 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-28421789 | School children injured as coach overturns on A10 in Norfolk | A coach with 42 schoolchildren, five teachers and a parent on board overturned and crashed into a ditch off the A10 in Norfolk on Tuesday morning. | The children from William Westley Primary School, in Whittlesford, Cambridgeshire, were on a trip to Hunstanton. Children and staff suffered minor injuries in the crash, which happened at about 10:50 BST in Hilgay. The driver was cut free and treated for back injuries in hospital. The coach was one of five carrying children on a school trip. Three ambulances, an air ambulance, an ambulance officer, and two rapid response vehicles were called to the scene, which was near Downham Market. The passengers were able to leave the coach immediately, police said. A number of them were treated for shock at the scene. One child was taken to hospital "as a precaution because of a pre-existing medical condition", Terry Hicks, from the East of England Ambulance Service Trust, said. "Everyone was very calm and the children were a credit to both their parents and their teachers." The coaches were from Royston-based company Richmond's. A spokesman from the Confederation of Passenger Transport said the drivers of the four other coaches assisted with the safe evacuation of the passengers. The trip was called off and the children have been taken back to the school. |
uk-england-merseyside-57038538 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-57038538 | Elections results 2021: Steve Rotheram re-elected as Liverpool City Region mayor | Labour's Steve Rotheram has been re-elected as the Liverpool City Region mayor. | The 59-year-old said it was a "massive vote of confidence in the power of devolution and the work I've done so far". Mr Rotheram was backed by voters in the Merseyside boroughs of Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, as well as Halton in Cheshire. He was elected as the area's first metro mayor in 2017. Mr Rotheram said the government "has to back further devolution". He won by a significant landslide with 198,726 votes - which was 58% of the vote. A modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. More information about these elections Who won in my area? Enter your postcode, or the name of your English council or Scottish or Welsh constituency to find out. Eg 'W1A 1AA' or 'Westminster' Conservative candidate Jade Marsden came second with 66,702 votes, while the Greens took 40,211 votes and Liberal Democrats had 35,049 votes. Liverpool City Council said the voter turnout in the region was just over 30%. The region significantly bucked the national trend where Labour faced defeats in former strongholds, prompting the party to say it will overhaul policies to reconnect with voters. Mr Rotheram said: "People aren't that bothered about happens in Westminster. Actually what people are interested in are their family, area, friends." He said feedback from local residents had contributed to the ongoing rollout of a London-style publicly-owned transport system in the region. Along with Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, Mr Rotheram had previously criticised the government's initial response on financial support during last autumn's regional lockdown. Mr Rotheram was born in Knowsley into a Labour family with his father - a forklift truck driver - serving as a councillor in Kirkby in the 1970s. He became a bricklayer after leaving school and set up his own company by the age of 22. In 2002, he was elected to Liverpool City Council and was Lord Mayor during the city's year as European Capital of Culture in 2008-09. He previously worked as parliamentary private secretary to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and was Liverpool Walton MP in 2010-17. Analysis By Claire Hamilton, BBC Radio Merseyside political reporter A majority of 132,000 - it doesn't get more decisive than that. Yes, turnout was about 30% - but Steve Rotheram's victory is one he will celebrate as a vindication of the way he's performed as metro mayor, and the fruits of devolution. He won 50% - or more - of the vote in every single part of the city region, more than last time. Proof, he says, that his message of no-one being left behind has been heard by people from Runcorn to Southport. The Conservatives came second in this contest… but a very distant second. No sign of this red wall crumbling any time soon. On Friday, Labour's Joanne Anderson was elected as the city mayor of Liverpool. The councillor, who has represented the Princes Park ward since 2019, made history as she became the first black woman to lead a major British city. A modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk Related Internet Links Liverpool City Region Combined Authority |
newsbeat-11425316 | https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-11425316 | Debt management companies 'misleading customers' | More than 100 debt management firms have been told to provide a better service or risk losing their licence. | The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says the companies are misleading many people by charging expensive fees. Debt negotiators take a fee to speak with all the firms people owe money to with an aim to arrange more affordable monthly payments. The upfront charges can be hundreds of pounds with a monthly fee on top of that. The OFT say companies like these have snowballed and so have the complaints, with 92% of the firms they looked at breaking consumer credit rules. Here's how some Newsbeat listeners on Facebook say they've been dealt with by debt management firms. Rob Williams I have just started with a debt company. They haven't asked for any money other than my agreed monthly repayment and I know the money is going to them and is going well so far because my creditors have been in contact to say they accepted the first payment. Andy Thorngate, Southampton I have had several and they all seem to try to be bullies. But as soon as you know your rights, they have to back down or lose the debt legally. Adam Latham, Chester They took £420 pound out of our account for two phone calls. Then had to chase them for three weeks to it get put back. Sandra Cowin I am with a debt company and they are fantastic. I pay a set amount and they have never asked for a penny more than I can afford. Alyas Mohammad, Edinburgh I think it's like everything else in life. Do your research first and find a reputable/established company and go with them! A lot of cowboys out there, that are in it for themselves! |
uk-england-manchester-53663510 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-53663510 | Coronavirus: National test and trace 'hampering' Manchester's efforts | Failings in the NHS Test and Trace system are "hampering" efforts to bring Greater Manchester's coronavirus spikes under control, the mayor has said. | Official figures show just over half of contacts in the region (53%) had been successfully traced up to 4 August. Mayor Andy Burnham said contact tracing was "critical" to tackling the virus and the "system is not doing that". The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it is working closely with local authorities. There has been widespread criticism of the NHS Test and Trace system with claims that it was "not fast enough" Mr Burnham said a local approach was required. "We've got to decide - and decide very quickly - where are we going with this system before we get into the depths of a difficult winter without a vaccine. August is the month to fix this." The mayor said he wanted a new protocol which would involve the NHS passing on details to local teams and asked for extra resources to support door-to-door tracing. 'Inhumane' New lockdown laws banning residents from visiting people's homes and gardens in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of Yorkshire came into force on 5 August following a spike in cases of Covid-19. The new measures were introduced four days after vulnerable people were encouraged by the government to stop shielding and told they could no longer claim statutory sick pay. Mr Burnham said ending shielding support was "inhumane" and was giving "mixed messages". "It cannot be right at a time when you're asking people to observe extra rules, but you're saying it's okay for people who have been shielding to be going to the shops again." A DHSC spokeswoman said: "NHS Test and Trace is working, with over 2.6 m people tested and more than 218,000 people prevented from unknowingly spreading the virus. "Our priority is to curb the spread of this virus and save lives. Local action to tackle outbreaks is crucial, which is why we are working so closely with all local authorities, including Manchester, to provide additional support where needed." Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk |
blogs-trending-37752730 | https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-37752730 | Could playing Pokemon Go make you live longer? | It was the global gaming craze of the summer with players taking to the streets to try to catch on-screen monsters like Pikachu and Snorlax in real-world locations. | By BBC TrendingWhat's popular and why Reports about the possible health benefits of Pokemon Go have until now been largely anecdotal, but new research suggests that playing the augmented reality game significantly increases users' activity levels regardless of their age, sex or weight, and could even extend life expectancy if kept up indefinitely. The study by researchers at Stanford University and Microsoft Research in the US analysed movement data shared by 32,000 users of the wearable device Microsoft Band, and web queries on search engine Bing over a three month period from the date the game launched in the US. Their findings show that the average Pokemon Go player took 192 more steps per day for each of the 30 days after they started playing, rising to 1,473 extra steps being taken by highly engaged players - about 25 percent more than before they started playing the game. The researchers estimate that Pokemon Go has added a total of 144 billion steps to physical activity in the US over the period of their study and that the game has been able to increase physical activity in men and women of all ages, weights, and prior activity levels. "One of the things I'm most excited about is that the game was played by lots of people that are overweight or obese, and who were not very active prior to playing the game," Tim Althoff from Stanford University's Computer Science department and one of the report's authors told BBC Trending. "Many people feel good after exercising and it is possible that there are 'spillover' effects. People realise that being more active is good for their health and well-being, and might become a bit more active irrespective of how many Pokemons they will be catching along the way." Sustainability The Pokemon Go phenomenon has seen the smartphone app being downloaded more than 500 million times around the world since it launched, reportedly earning $10m per day at the height of its popularity, and sending shares in Japanese gaming company Nintendo soaring. But the Microsoft researchers warn that interest in Pokemon Go will need to be maintained for the positive health impacts they've identified to be long-lasting. "While challenges remain in sustaining engagement of users over the long-term, if Pokemon Go was able to sustain the engagement of its current user base, the game could have a measurable effect on life expectancy, adding an estimated 2,825 million years of additional lifetime to its US users alone," the report says. But since surging in popularity after its launch, there have been many reports that interest in Pokemon Go is dwindling. A new hashtag #RIPPokemonGo has also started doing the rounds on Twitter. Tim Althoff: "I'm expecting that there will be some people that will continue to benefit from Pokemon Go, but computer games rarely get played for years and years, and we typically don't expect them to capture our attention for this long. However, releasing updates to games with new features and new ideas can attract the lost attention again." Althoff says that his study has demonstrated the potential large-scale impact that activity-encouraging games can have on society. He also thinks there are important lessons that game designers and healthcare organisations can learn from Pokemon Go to reach consumers in ways that are more effective than traditional health and fitness apps. "I believe that part of the reason why Pokemon Go worked so well and that it was able to reach people that were previously very sedentary is the fact that it is still a fun game and not purely a fitness application," Althoff says. "I'm excited for longer-term studies on how similar games and mobile health applications can attract long-term engagement. But I'm also expecting that we will see many more games and applications that will continuously try to bring something new to the table." Next story: 'Vote online' hoax started life on pro-Trump message board A hoax image designed to trick people into thinking they can vote via social media came from hard-core Donald Trump supporters. READ MORE. You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending. |
uk-wales-48188187 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-48188187 | Bronze Age Caernarfon bypass find 'could be canoe' | Work on a bypass in Gwynedd has revealed the site of a Bronze Age mound which could contain an ancient canoe. | Archaeological excavation on the site of the Caernarfon-Bontnewydd bypass uncovered three troughs underneath a burnt mound dating back about 3,500 years. Experts think one of the troughs may have been originally used as a dug-out canoe hollowed from an oak tree. It would be the first prehistoric canoe ever found in north Wales if proven. The timber has now been lifted from its discovery site and is being examined in more detail. A section of Roman road has also been excavated and has confirmed the route of the road between the Roman forts of Segontium (Caernarfon) and Canovium (Caerhun in the Conwy valley), which was previously uncertain. Jenny Emmett, a senior planning archaeologist from Gwynedd Archaeological Planning Service, said the results had added considerably to knowledge of the area. She said: "We are pleased with both the significance of the discoveries and the positive working relationships that have been established between all parties that have enabled the programme to proceed smoothly, and look forward to both continuing as the scheme progresses." An early medieval industrial site dating back to the 8th Century has also been identified during the work. Work is continuing on the construction of the bypass, which due to finish in April 2021 and is not affected by the findings. On Saturday, campaigners expressed fears work on the bypass could mean a 15th century medieval well could be lost. |
uk-england-derbyshire-52485574 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-52485574 | Elmo the cat's garden glove collection amuses owner | A cat owner has been left scratching her head by her moggy's penchant for collecting garden gloves. | Vikki Maddocks said Elmo had brought home at least 14 gloves from neighbouring gardens in Belper, Derbyshire, over the past year. She said the three-year-old usually brought home one glove and went back to fetch the matching hand later. Mrs Maddocks has been trying to reunite the gloves with their owners through a community Facebook page. "He meows really loudly when he comes in with them in his mouth," she said. "He drops them at my feet and looks at me, really proud." Following her Facebook appeal, one neighbour spotted their gloves but said Elmo was welcome to keep them for his collection. Hunting training Trudi Atkinson, a cat behaviour expert from Wiltshire, said Elmo was most likely bringing the gloves home as "items of prey". She said this could have been a result of his mother teaching him to hunt using replacement items if real prey was unavailable. The trend could have been further reinforced, she said, if Elmo was intentionally or unintentionally rewarded by his owners when he first started bringing gloves in. Ms Atkinson added it was not unusual for cats to hunt down non-prey items but it was less common for a cat to be quite so specific in what it brought back. Elmo is not the only feline glove lover. Bella, a female cat from Prestwich, Manchester, also received attention for her glove-stealing ways last year. The same year another cat from Ipswich, Theo, brought home £25.70 in cash left out for the milkman by a neighbour. Theo had previous form for this type of "crime". Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. |
End of preview. Expand
in Data Studio
README.md exists but content is empty.
- Downloads last month
- 6