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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-43632266/two-trains-hit-trucks-on-crossings-in-georgia-us | Two trains hit trucks in one US state Jump to media player Two different trains hit lorries stuck on level crossings within three days in Georgia, US.
Van crashes into level crossing barrier Jump to media player British Transport Police say the driver's actions caused more than 10 hours of delays.
Woman dragged from tracks in narrow escape Jump to media player A woman in Melbourne, Australia is saved from the tracks moments before the approach of a train.
Child escapes train floor fall Jump to media player An investigation is launched after the toilet floor was removed for repairs and a child nearly fell onto the track below.
Video shows Barcelona train crash damage Jump to media player A Twitter user shared a video taken minutes after the Barcelona train crash.
Lucky escape as car crashes into shop Jump to media player A man had an extraordinary escape when a car crashed through a shop window in New York.
Breathtaking 'near misses' at crossings Jump to media player Translink shares CCTV footage to drive home the message about rail safety.
Two different trains have smashed into lorries stuck on rail crossings in the space of three days in the US state of Georgia.
Both truck drivers were able to escape before their vehicles were hit, although one other person was taken to hospital with minor injuries after the second incident. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2590251.stm | More than 1,000 protesters have gathered in the capital of Swaziland, Mbabane, to demand a return to the rule of law.
The two-day strike has been called by trade unions in protest at government interference in the judicial system.
Earlier on Thursday, a petrol bomb exploded at a police compound on the outskirts of Mbabane.
Police said the attack may be linked to the strike and they suspected an underground opposition grouping, the People's United Democratic Movement.
The protesters are demanding the cancellation of the purchase of a $45m luxury plane for King Mswati III at a time of severe food shortages. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8085106.stm | Two people were hurt when a double-decker bus lost its roof when it hit a railway bridge in south London.
Most of the roof of the 412 bus was taken off in the crash at the junction of Sussex Road and Selsdon Road, in South Croydon at about 1020 BST.
A 54-year-old woman was taken to Mayday Hospital suffering head injuries and a man was also taken there but his injuries are not though to be serious.
A police spokesman said there had been no arrests at this stage. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26236157 | Media captionAustralian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison: "This is a tragedy"
One asylum seeker has been killed and 77 injured during a second night of violence at Australia's immigration detention centre in Papua New Guinea.
The man died of head injuries on the way to hospital, Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said.
Thirteen people suffered serious injuries, including two who are being transferred to Australia for treatment, one with a gunshot wound.
He said the injuries occurred outside the camp, after the men broke out.
Australia sends asylum seekers arriving by boat for detention and processing in offshore camps in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific territory of Nauru.
Conditions in these camps have been strongly criticised by UN agencies and rights groups.
The violence took place late on Monday night.
"This was a very dangerous situation where people decided to protest in a very violent way and to take themselves outside the centre and place themselves at great risk," Mr Morrison said.
Security outside the centre in Manus Island was the domain of the PNG police, he said.
"Those who are maintaining the safety of environment outside the centre need to use their powers and various accoutrements that they have available to them to restore order in the way that is provided for under PNG law," he said.
Ian Rintoul of the Refugee Action Coalition, however, said detainees at Manus Island had told him that locals and PNG police entered the camp and attacked them, after a day of tensions.
"All the people that we have talked to, whether they are workers on the island or whether it's the detainees themselves, say they were attacked," he told the BBC.
Mr Morrison, the immigration minister, said he had been told that "PNG police did not enter the centre and that their activities related only to dealing with transferees who breached the external perimeter".
He urged people to treat "unsubstantiated reports that are put in the public domain" with caution, but said he could not confirm how the various injuries were incurred.
He called the death of the asylum seeker "a great tragedy".
"We don't know what occurred outside the centre and that obviously will be the subject of an investigation into that person's death," he said.
But he said the violence took place in PNG and that any inquiry would take place under PNG law conducted by local authorities.
The violence comes after some of the detainees briefly escaped from the detention centre on Sunday.
In recent months Australia has taken a very tough stance in a bid to halt the flow of asylum seekers, who arrive by boat via Indonesia.
Manus Island is one of two offshore processing camps in which asylum seekers are detained.
Australia has also initiated a policy - aimed as a deterrent - whereby those people found to be genuine refugees will be settled in Papua New Guinea rather than Australia.
Sunday's break-out is reported to have taken place after detainees were told that they would not be resettled in Australia.
Rights groups argue that prolonged detention in cramped, over-heated conditions, compounded by a lack of clarity over when asylum claims will be assessed and where the applicant might end up, can lead to mental health issues in detainees.
They have also questioned whether Australia is adequately protecting vulnerable people.
Greens Party spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the violence showed the centre "must be closed".
"The reports that one person has died, that shots have been fired, that scores of individuals have been injured, shows that it is untenable to keep the Manus Island detention camp open," she said.
Mr Morrison said that the government was determined to stick to its policies.
Does PNG back Australia asylum deal? |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-south-asia-10829692/north-west-pakistan-a-massive-lake | North-west Pakistan 'a massive lake' Jump to media player Lyse Doucet has travelled to north-west Pakistan, where the worst monsoon floods in living memory have killed at least 800 people and affected one million more.
'No help' for Pakistan flood victims Jump to media player Flood victims in Pakistan have complained there is "no help" from the government as rescuers struggle to reach inundated areas.
UN voices Pakistan flood fears Jump to media player At least one million people in north-west Pakistan have been affected by the country's worst monsoon floods in living memory, the UN has said.
The worst monsoon floods in living memory have killed at least 800 people and affected one million in north-west Pakistan.
The BBC's Lyse Doucet reports from an area which has become ''a massive lake'' as floodwaters cut off roads and families complain they have received no aid. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-36376434 | A new team of ministers has been appointed to the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive.
Most of the posts have been shared out between the two biggest parties, the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin.
The executive was formed after independent unionist MLA Claire Sugden was appointed as justice minister.
Last week, Secretary of State Theresa Villiers warned there would be fresh assembly elections if the justice post was not filled.
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) are forming an opposition.
The posts have been shared out using a system called D'Hondt, in which ministerial posts are allocated according to parties' representation in the assembly.
Under this system, the DUP, Sinn Féin, SDLP and Ulster Unionists would have been entitled to nominate. However, the SDLP and UUP declined to nominate a minster and are, instead, forming the first formal opposition in the assembly.
Ms Sugden said that while it would be a huge challenge, she felt she was "up to" the job of justice minister - a job that had been turned down by the Alliance Party.
"This is an opportunity for me, not only for me, but for the people of my constituency and the people of Northern Ireland," she said.
"I am a progressive person, I do look forward to working with my executive colleagues."
Michelle McIlveen - minister for agriculture, environment and rural affairs.
Chris Hazzard - minister for infrastructure.
Máirtín Ó Muilleoir is the first Sinn Féin minister to hold a major economic brief in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The DUP's Simon Hamilton is only 39, but by the standards of this youthful executive he is a veteran, having previously served as minister of both finance and health.
Ms Sugden, 29, an assembly member for East Londonderry, succeeds Alliance Party leader David Ford as justice minister.
Shortly after her appointment, the DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster said: "This is a good day for Northern Ireland, the people will have a government in place today."
She added: "Martin [McGuinness] and I are delighted that Claire has agreed to be the new justice minister for the new mandate."
The issues awaiting Northern Ireland's new health minister, Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill, are familiar and urgent.
Mr McGuinness, who formally nominated Ms Sugden, said that even though the independent MLA had sat in what he called "the naughty corner" in the assembly, he had been impressed by her.
"She is a very progressive young woman, someone who I think clearly understands the need to be a minister for everybody within our community."
Image caption Deputy First Minister Mr McGuinnesss said Ms Sugden is "a very impressive young woman"
However, Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt described Ms Sugden's appointment as a "corruption of the Good Friday Agreement".
"With one seat in the assembly, you get a seat at the executive table," he said.
"No wonder the Ulster Unionist Party opposed the devolution of policing and justice."
Image caption Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt described Ms Sugden's appointment as a "corruption of the Good Friday Agreement"
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood also said Ms Sugden's appointment was a corruption of the d'Hondt voting system for the Northern Ireland Executive.
He added: "It's very clear to our electorate that this is a position for which no nationalist need apply."
Announcing that his party would be going into opposition, Green Party leader Steven Agnew said it was no secret that he had previously taken part in discussions about accepting the justice post.
"We were very clear that we would only serve in government if we felt we could progress our agenda, if we thought we could achieve more in government than out of government," he said.
"But I think the reality was our agenda was completely different from the DUP's and Sinn Féin's, which is why I'm delighted that myself and Claire Bailey will be in opposition."
For the first time since the establishment of the assembly in 1998, Northern Ireland has a DUP education minister.
Claire Sugden will not have too far to look for a controversial issue in the world of justice.
One challenge faced by the new agriculture minister, Michelle McIveen, will be to balance the executive's push for growth of the agri-food industry, without compromising environmental protections.
Michelle O'Neill: What's in the new health minister's in-tray? |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/4192512.stm | A sewage works in Leicestershire is using its raw material to help power the facility.
The methane gas from millions of litres of sewage at Wanlip has begun to be converted into electricity.
Severn Trent said since it is buying less power from the National Grid the move could eventually result in cheaper bills for customers.
The method is already used at Severn Trent's works in Loughborough, Hinckley and Melton.
Wanlip sewage works processes about 185 million litres (40,700,000 gallons)of sewage every day, from more than 600,000 people. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18157781 | The eurozone crisis is the single biggest threat to the global economy, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The economy of the 17 nations that use the euro will shrink 0.1% this year, before rebounding to 0.9% growth next year, the OECD predicts.
By contrast, the US economy will expand by 2.4% this year and 2.6% in 2013.
The OECD also seemed to back calls by some Europeans to combine spending cuts with measures to boost growth.
"The crisis in the eurozone remains the single biggest downside risk facing the global outlook," said OECD chief economist Pier Carlo Padoan.
In November last year, the organisation warned of a "deep recession with large negative effects for the global economy" if the eurozone did not tackle the crisis.
On Tuesday, it said: "The immediate dangers of such developments have receded somewhat since last autumn, although... the dangers have not disappeared.
"Failure to act today could lead to a worsening of the European crisis and spillovers beyond the euro area, with serious consequences for the global economy."
The OECD predicted that the UK would grow by just 0.5% this year and by 1.9% in 2013. This comes after figures showed that the UK had returned to recession in the past two quarters.
Ahead of an informal summit of European Union leaders in Brussels on Wednesday, the OECD seemed to back calls from the new French president to enact measures such as "increasing European Investment Bank funding for infrastructure projects".
It also said that "better use" could be made of the European Central Bank's balance sheets and called for "a further easing in the euro area".
"Fiscal consolidation and structural measures must proceed hand in hand, to make the adjustment process as growth-friendly as possible," the OECD said.
The organisation expects the unemployment rate to stay high in the euro area - 10.8% this year and above 11% next year.
The jobless rate is currently 10.9%, the highest since the euro was formed in 1999.
Mr Padoan also noted the backlash against austerity measures across Europe, which has seen street protests and led to the election of Francois Hollande.
In elections earlier this month, the majority of Greeks voted against those parties backing the drastic austerity measures that had been agreed with the EU.
"Elections in a number of euro-area countries have signalled that reform fatigue is increasing and tolerance for fiscal adjustment may be reaching a limit," he said.
"Rising unemployment and social pain may spark political contagion and adverse market reaction", with countries outside the euro also at risk of being hit, he added.
The OECD is an organisation that consists of 34 countries, including the US and Western European nations. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-22655707 | An exhibition is being held in Gloucester to display Roman artefacts and other finds, uncovered in gardens as part of a history project.
The Kingsholm area was the focus of History on Your Doorstep, a project run by Gloucestershire County Council.
Kingsholm was the site of the first Roman military fort in Gloucester.
Finds ranged from early Roman pottery, 16th century clay pipes, Georgian glass bottles and a tube of hair dye from the 1960s.
Fourteen test pits were excavated in the gardens of Kingsholm residents.
About 1,000 local volunteers were involved in the project overseen by the council's archaeology department.
The project was funded through a Heritage Lottery Fund grant.
The council's Will Windsor Clive said: "This worthwhile project has unearthed some fascinating finds.
"I encourage residents to visit the exhibition and see what's been hiding beneath our city."
The exhibition runs at Gloucester City Museum and Art Gallery until 7 July. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44846477 | An infamously dreadful 2013 Aliens video game is now believed to have fallen victim to the most chilling of threats in the universe: a typo.
Aliens: Colonial Marines was released on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to terrible reviews.
Many of them mentioned how badly the artificial intelligence (AI) behaved.
But it has now emerged that a single stray "a" in the game's code may have been to blame.
Videos on YouTube show the game's AI characters - the aliens and human teammates the player doesn't control - ignoring threats, shooting wildly at nothing or standing in the line of fire.
"The problem lies with the aliens themselves; they're not smart enough to hunt in packs or take you by surprise, they just wilfully hurl themselves in front of your short, controlled bursts," wrote IGN in its 2013 review of the game.
"The aliens mainly hurl themselves forward - they shuffle over terrain and often get stuck on scenery," said Polygon at the time.
The price of downloading the game on PC through Steam has recently been hugely reduced, which is why an error in a five-year-old game is now being discussed.
And in fact, this mistake was first spotted in 2017 and discussed on PC gaming forums.
The mistake relates to the alien's "tether" in the code. A tether is the area in the game where the alien is programmed to move in - and how it can exit this "tether" and move to another.
However, a crucial piece of code spelled it "teather", which meant an important part of gameplay simply didn't happen.
Instead, aliens wandered aimlessly around in the game or stood in groups hissing at the player as they pointed weapons at the supposed threat.
Now, gamers have been updating the code on PC versions of the game and are reporting that the iconic aliens now respond in a more appropriate manner.
Sadly, tweaking this line of code hasn't help improve the many other issues the game suffers from.
So you're probably still better off sticking with Overwatch or Fortnite. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/231909.stm | @dopt an MP and get a certificate to prove it!
The Internet is being harnessed for a sophisticated lobbying campaign aimed at the UK Government's planned encryption laws.
The Stand.org.uk Website, launched on Friday, says it is campaigning for safe e-commerce legislation. It urges visitors to adopt an MP and educate their local parliamentarian on the dangers to civil liberties posed by the impending legislation.
"Mention encryption to your average MP and eyes will glaze and lower lips tremble," the home page says.
"They need help. They need @dopting by someone (YOU! YOU!) who can help them understand."
Typing in your postcode reveals the MP for your constituency. There are links to his party's Website, his speeches in Parliament and his entry in the Register of Member's Interests.
Entering your e-mail address allows you to adopt your MP and print out a certificate or put it on your own Website. It puts you on a mailing list to await notification of the launch of the campaign.
The organisers, who include the authors of the weekly Need To Know newsletter on UK Net happenings, say they have plans for mass Internet action against the legislation, but deny they will be spamming MPs with unsolicited bulk e-mail shots.
"We're not asking people to bombard their MP with multiple copies of the same thing," says Stefan Magdalinski.
"We're hoping to set up ways that people can contact their MPs on any issue. They'll be able to use our systems to get messages through to their MPs in a way which makes it easier than it has been.
"We want to make it a one- or two-click solution to be able to contact the people who should represent your interests and your rights online."
A consultation paper on the Electronic Commerce Bill is expected in January. Stand says the signs are that the encryption proposals will add billions to the cost of doing business online and drive companies and jobs overseas.
It says the proposed law allowing police access to the keys for encrypted e-mail will not catch a single criminal as they would be the last people to lodge their keys with the planned Trusted Third Parties.
It fears that innocent individuals will be targeted with warrants being issued to give access to keys on the authority of only a police inspector.
The government says it wants the legislation to make the UK the most e-commerce-friendly environment on earth. It feels that encryption is at the heart of the solution to the fears of consumers and businesses about the safety of online transactions.
"Whether we are concerned with the integrity of information (ensuring its content has not been altered) or its confidentiality (keeping it secret), the appropriate use of cryptography can be of major benefit to all IT users," trade minister Barbara Roche said earlier this year.
The @dopt an MP campaign promises to be particularly effective with more members of parliament getting online.
Peter Hill writes in next week's issue of Parliament's house magazine that around a third of MPs are now on the Internet and can be reached by e-mail, with perhaps 30 having their own Websites.
"Not many of the public know that if you log on to the House of Commons site, there is an e-mail box alongside the name of every Internet-friendly MP," he says.
For the unwired MPs, Stand plans an e-mail-to-fax gateway to make it just as easy to fax to their machines as to send to electronic mailboxes.
Nothing quite this organised in terms of utilising the technology of the Net to democratise the political process and aid pressure groups has been attempted in the UK before.
Amnesty International has reported that e-mail has boosted its Urgent Action network. Supporters are able to put pressure on the authoriites more quickly and secure the earlier release of detainees through the speed that campaigns can be organised and that their protests over arrests can be conveyed on the Net.
The Campaign for Digital Democracy plans a beta test early next year for voting over the Internet and by telephone with the help of 20,000 members of New Zealand's electorate. In US gubernatorial elections in November, the wrestler Jesse Ventura was credited as being the first candidate to have won an election because of an effective Internet campaign, when he became governor of Minnesota. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-30571335 | He was Hitler's favourite Nazi commando, famously rescuing Mussolini from an Italian hilltop fortress, and was known as "the most dangerous man in Europe".
After World War Two, he landed in Argentina and became a bodyguard for Eva Perón, with whom he was rumoured to have had an affair.
So when Otto Skorzeny arrived in Ireland in 1959, having bought a rural farmhouse in County Kildare, it caused much intrigue.
At 6ft 4in and 18 stone, known as 'scarface' due to a distinctive scar on his left cheek, Skorzeny was an easily recognisable figure as he popped into the local post office.
In Irish press reports at the time Skorzeny was portrayed as a glamorous cloak and dagger figure, as Dublin-based journalist Kim Bielenberg recalls.
"Skorzeny was depicted as the Third Reich's Scarlet Pimpernel. The tone in newspaper articles was one of admiration rather than repulsion.
"He seemed to be admired for his military prowess," he said.
But concerns about why this pin-up boy of the Nazi party had come to the country led to questions in the Irish parliament. What was Skorzeny doing there? Did he intend to start Nazi activities in Ireland?
Born in Vienna in 1908, Otto Skorzeny joined the Austrian Nazi party in the early 1930s. At the outbreak of WW2 he was initially involved in fighting on the Eastern Front, taking part in the German invasions of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union.
By April 1943, he had been made head of German special forces, in charge of a unit of elite SS commandos.
When Hitler's ally Benito Mussolini was overthrown and imprisoned in Italy, Skorzeny was chosen by Hitler to lead the rescue mission.
Skorzeny and his men descended in gliders upon the remote Italian mountain-top hotel where Mussolini was held captive, overwhelming the Italian guards with the surprise attack and freeing the deposed dictator.
With this success, Skorzeny further enhanced his reputation with Hitler and was promoted to major.
He gained international renown when Mussolini was paraded in front of the media with Skorzeny at his side. Winston Churchill even described the mission as "one of great daring".
He became the Nazis' go-to man for such operations. Another occurred in 1944 when Skorzeny and his men captured the son of the Hungarian regent, Admiral Horthy. Securing Miklós Horthy Jr after a brief fire fight, Skorzeny's team then rolled him up in a carpet and put him on a plane to Berlin.
Skorzeny's last major mission in WW2 was during the Ardennes offensive (more commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge), in December 1944.
Skorzeny commanded Operation Greif, where English-speaking Germans dressed in American uniforms used disguised tanks to get behind Allied lines.
The plan caused confusion and panic among the Allies.
Rumours spread that Skorzeny's men were planning to assassinate General Eisenhower, with the increased security leaving Eisenhower temporarily confined to his Versailles headquarters during Christmas week.
Ten days after Hitler took his own life in May 1945, Skorzeny surrendered to the Americans.
At Dachau in 1947 he stood trial for war crimes, but the case collapsed and Skorzeny was acquitted.
Skorzeny still had to answer charges from other countries and remained held as a prisoner of war. Typically, he escaped - with the help of former SS comrades.
He ended up in Madrid and set up an import/export agency. Although much of its business was legitimate, this was said to have been a front for Skorzeny's involvement in organising the escape of wanted Nazis from Europe to South America.
Indisputably, Skorzeny made many trips to Argentina, where he met Argentinean President Juan Perón and even became a bodyguard to Perón's wife Eva, reportedly foiling an attempt on her life.
Skorzeny travelled from Madrid to Ireland in June 1957, where he had been invited to Portmarnock Country Club hotel in County Dublin.
Kim Bielenberg reflects on the welcome Skorzeny received at the reception held in his honour.
"He was feted by the Dublin social glitterati, including a young politician, Charles Haughey, who was later to become Ireland's most controversial prime minister."
"According to the Evening Press account, 'the ballroom was packed with representatives of various societies, professional men and, of course, several TDs [parliamentary representatives]'," the journalist said.
Bielenberg believes this warm welcome may have encouraged him to buy Martinstown House, a 160 acre farm and mansion in the Curragh, County Kildare, in 1959 and assesses the impression Skorzeny created with the locals.
"He could be seen driving across the Curragh in a white Mercedes and would visit the local post office for groceries.
"Reggie Darling, a local historian, told me he remembered coming across Skorzeny on the Curragh.
"He recalled him as a big man who stood out because of the scar across his face (which was the result of a duelling contest as a student), but that he wasn't particularly friendly and he didn't really mix with local people," he said.
Rumours and conjecture surrounded Skorzeny's regular visits to Ireland over the coming years.
Documents at the Irish National Archives in Dublin reveal that he was granted temporary visas to stay in Ireland, on the undertaking that he would not enter Britain.
State records from 1958 mention his indignation at the continual refusal of the British authorities to allow him entry.
Newspaper reports in the 1960s alleged that Skorzeny had opened up an escape route for ex-Nazis in Spain and that his farm in Ireland was a place where fleeing Nazis could hide, but no evidence was found to substantiate this claim.
In the post-war period, Europe was still haunted by the spectre of Nazism and there were concerns that it would return as a political force.
With that in mind, the former Irish minister for health Noel Browne was very concerned about Skorzeny's presence in Ireland and raised the matter in the Irish parliament (Dáil), in 1959.
The minister expressed concern that Skorzeny was engaging in "anti-Semitic activities".
On another occasion Browne told the Dáil: "It is generally understood that this man plays some part (in neo-Nazi activities) and, if so, he should not be allowed to use Ireland for that purpose."
There were a number of memos and letters involving Irish government departments, such as the Department of Justice and the Department of External Affairs, addressing concerns about Skorzeny's presence in Ireland.
When interviewed, Skorzeny denied that he was involved in Nazi activities or politics.
He said that he would like to buy horses and that one day he wished to retire to Ireland. But that did not happen and he was never granted a permanent Irish visa.
He lived out his remaining years in Madrid, where he died of cancer in 1975.
Skorzeny never denounced Nazism and was buried by his former comrades with his coffin draped in the Nazi colours.
In addition to Skorzeny, a number of high-profile Nazis, including Albert Folens and Helmut Clissman, came to Ireland in the aftermath of WW2.
In Hidden History: Ireland's Nazis, a 2007 documentary by Irish state broadcaster RTÉ, presenter Cathal O'Shannon estimated that between 100 and 200 Nazis moved to Ireland.
O'Shannon, who was an Irish-born Royal Air Force (RAF) veteran, described how he felt that anti-British sentiment in Ireland led to Nazis receiving a warmer welcome than he did when he came home after the war.
Kim Bielenberg believes it is important to consider the context of the time.
"They must have felt reasonably welcome, and were probably left alone, or even feted, as Skorzeny was. I am not sure that the full horror of Nazi atrocities had sunk in in Ireland," he said.
"There also may have been an attitude among certain nationalists that 'my enemy's enemy is my friend'. Irish attitudes to Nazis changed from the 1970s on, as issues such as the Holocaust entered public consciousness."
For Bielenberg there is also a personal link to Skorzeny, as he explains.
"Skorzeny was involved in rounding up and torturing members of the German resistance after their attempt on Hitler's life. One of these plotters was my own grandfather, Fritz von der Schulenburg", he said.
"After he was arrested with other resistance leaders, Skorzeny arrived and pulled off their military badges. The plotters were then forced to listen to a speech given by Hitler on the radio, confirming that the fuhrer was indeed still alive and well.
"My grandfather was executed in Berlin in August 1944."
"My mother came to live in Ireland and married the son of Peter and Christabel Bielenberg, associates of senior resistance figures. She lived in the same county as Skorzeny.
"I only discovered the house's past and the Skorzeny link when I went to dinner there with my German family just after her death." |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6326523.stm | Viacom, the parent firm of cable networks MTV and Nickelodeon, has told popular video sharing site YouTube to remove 100,000 "unauthorised" clips.
YouTube and its parent Google failed to install tools to "filter" the unauthorised video clips, said Viacom.
The firm said after talks over several months YouTube seemed "unwilling to come to a fair market agreement" to let readers access Viacom content.
YouTube has said it will comply with Viacom's request.
The firm said that it works with "all copyright holders to identify and promptly remove infringing content" as soon as it is officially notified.
But it added that it was "unfortunate" that Viacom would no longer be able to "benefit from YouTube's passionate audience which had helped promote many of Viacom's shows".
The latest move comes after the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers made a complaint of breach of copyright in November.
In response, YouTube agreed to remove some 30,000 files from the site.
While some sites, including CBS, have struck deals allowing YouTube to use their video clips, others are still negotiating similar agreements.
Will Google's $1.65bn gamble on You Tube pay off?
Has the dotcom boom returned? |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/8596801.stm | A signed copy of a Jane Austen novel published in 1816 has been bought for £325,000.
The book is a first edition copy of Emma which Austen presented to her friend Anne Sharp, the inspiration for Mrs Weston in the novel.
Jonkers Rare Books in Oxfordshire paid £180,000 for it at auction in 2008.
It is understood that a British collector bought the book, which is one of 12 special 'presentation' copies Austen gave to friends and family.
The book has previously been exhibited in Hong Kong, New York and San Francisco.
The rest of the presentation copies were donated to relatives.
Christian Jonkers, director of Jonkers Rare Books in Henley-on-Thames, said: "We had several clients around the world who were considering this book, but it is pleasing that the book will remain in this country.
"It is unique, considering the whole historical context of the book - the fact that it was given by Austen to her best friend who was a model for one of the principal characters in the novel." |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7492601.stm | A suicide bomber has rammed a car full of explosives into the gates of the Indian embassy in the Afghan capital, killing 41 people and injuring 141.
Five Afghans died at Indonesia's embassy nearby.
No-one has admitted being behind the attack, the deadliest in Kabul since the overthrow of the Taleban in 2001.
Afghanistan has seen a sharp increase in violence, particularly in the south and east - and Taleban militants recently vowed to step up their attacks in the capital.
But the latest blast - in what was supposed to be a secure area of Kabul - will greatly concern Afghan government officials, says the BBC's Martin Patience in Kabul.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the attackers wanted to rupture good relations between Afghanistan and India, while the Afghan interior ministry said it believed the attack was carried out "in co-ordination and consultation with an active intelligence service in the region".
It did not specify which intelligence service it suspected of involvement. But in the past, Afghanistan has accused Pakistani agents of being behind a number of attacks on its soil.
In a statement, Pakistan's foreign minister said his country "condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations".
India also condemned the "cowardly terrorists' attack", but vowed it would not be deterred from fulfilling its commitment to the government and people of Afghanistan.
India has close ties with Afghanistan and is involved in aid and reconstruction work, including the building of Afghanistan's new parliament.
The US condemned the "needless act of violence", as did the European Union, which described it as a "terrorist attack targeting innocent civilians".
The United Nations envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, said that "in no culture, no country, and no religion is there any excuse or justification for such acts".
The bomb exploded as people were queuing for visas at the embassy.
"We were standing in a line to get visas, the police told us to stand on one side, the women were in another line, then suddenly I heard a huge bang and I sat down. I was very afraid," Khan Zaman said.
Ali Hassan Fahimi said shrapnel had landed in his office, which is close to the site of the blast.
"It was so strong... and our staff were shocked," he said.
A spokesman for the Afghan defence ministry, Gen Zaher Azimi, told the BBC the attack was "the deadliest since the fall of Taleban" in Kabul.
Another Afghan government spokesman, Zamari Bashari, told the BBC he thought the embassy had been attacked because of India's involvement in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
He said that the terrorist enemies of Afghanistan wanted such work to stop.
Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta visited the Indian embassy shortly after the attack, his spokesman said.
"India and Afghanistan have a deep relationship between each other. Such attacks of the enemy will not harm our relations," Mr Spanta told the personnel at the embassy, the spokesman said. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28740662 | Mackenzie Crook is best known for his roles in The Office, Pirates of the Caribbean and Game of Thrones. He has now written and directed a BBC Four sitcom about metal detector enthusiasts, which was screened in Edinburgh on Monday.
When Mackenzie Crook was filming Almost Human in Vancouver last year, he found he had too much time on his hands.
Required only one day in seven, life was a becoming unbearably boring for a bright man cooped up all alone in a trailer.
It is the sort of situation that can see depression inveigle its way into an artistic soul like rising damp.
To stave off the blues, he started to write up an idea for a sitcom that had been swirling around his head for the past couple of years, triggered by an episode he had seen of Channel 4's Time Team programme.
He set about writing his comic story about a couple of middle-aged men with a passion for metal detecting.
He found that writing the scripts was a quicker and easier process than writing his two children's novels, The Windvale Sprites (2011) and The Lost Journals of Benjamin Tooth (2014).
He hooked-up with TV comedy producer Adam Tandy, who worked on The Thick of It and Inside No 9, and started to send him drafts. Tandy liked his style.
The more Crook wrote, the more he wanted control over the piece: an authorship that went beyond being its writer and lead actor and into the realm of auteur.
Although he had never directed before, he backed his lifelong interest in art and drawing to have imbued him with a visual sensibility that, when supported by an experienced lighting cameraman (Jamie Cairney), would see him through.
He made a ten-minute taster-tape and showed it to the BBC, who promptly commissioned six episodes. He says he found directing made him "very nervous", until he "relaxed into it". But having had the experience, he now has the bug.
"I'd like to have a go at directing when I'm not in front of the camera… that's the way I want my career to go," he says.
All of this has happened in the last few months. Last night, in the BBC's Edinburgh Festival Potterrow tent, a nervous Crook sat back for the first time and watched episode one of his creation in front of members of the public.
"There were bits that I had forgotten were funny that people laughed at, and bits I thought were hilarious that nobody laughed at," he said in the Q&A afterwards.
For a man who tracks his success back to the moment Bob Mortimer spotted his stand-up routine at the Edinburgh Festival well over a decade ago, he appears ill at ease in front of an audience.
In The Detectorists, he is one of two amateur metal detector-wielding men who hope to happen upon an Anglo-Saxon treasure trove in the rolling hills of the West Country.
They make for a comedic odd-couple: Crook tall and skinny with academic pretensions, and Toby Jones: short and dumpy and as down-to-earth as the ploughed fields they scan.
It is an unusual sitcom for the Twitter age. Its slow pace and bucolic nature make it feel more of a companion piece to classic 20th Century comedies like Last of the Summer Wine and Dad's Army, rather than the British answer to the snappy, smart-arse worlds portrayed in contemporary American funnies such as in 30 Rock or Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Crook describes the look and feel of the piece as a "love letter to the British countryside".
There is nothing cynical or spiteful about the show's humour. Crook is not sending-up metal detectorists.
In fact, he has become one himself - and quite the enthusiast. When asked about his most exciting find (a musket ball), he spoke with the sort of wide-eyed passion that is typical of the slightly obsessed male hobbyist. Or, put another way, exactly the type of person he was aiming to portray in The Detectorists.
There is a more than a hint of Gareth from The Office in the air: the west-country accents, the amateur enthusiasts, and the over-simplified simplifications. That is, of course, the role that made Mackenzie Crook a star. And one, he says, he only narrowly got.
"It came down to two of us, me and Tim Plester, who has since become a friend," he explains. "One of them [Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant the show's creators] preferred him, the other preferred me, and for whatever reason I got the gig."
Now, the making of his latest project echoes the actor/writer/director approach taken by Gervais in The Office.
There is also a hint of Ricky Gervais in Crook's creative approach of building a project around an ensemble of like-minded mates.
These are comparisons at which Mackenzie Crook will probably grimace. But not for long, if the whole thing comes full circle and it is his show picking up the Baftas and Emmys over the next year or two.
The Detectorists will be on BBC Four in October. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/360834.stm | Nato's air campaign appears to have achieved a historic victory, at least in military terms.
This is the first time that precision-guided weapons have been used on this scale. The campaign was seen as a critical test for modern air power.
But this was not a victory for air power alone.
From the outset of this campaign even many of Nato's principal commanders worried that their political masters had given them an impossible task.
They were confident that alliance air power could inflict terrible damage on Yugoslav forces in Kosovo and against Yugoslavia's strategic infrastructure.
But they were sceptical that air power alone could force the withdrawal of Yugoslav forces from the province.
Military men wanted to see at least the threat of the use of Nato ground troops. But that was ruled out by most alliance leaders as politically unacceptable.
Nato's campaign against strategic targets in Yugoslavia proved highly effective, although a small number of weapons inevitably went astray killing civilians, a factor that strained the alliance's cohesion.
But Nato also claims to have done serious damage to Yugoslav forces in Kosovo, especially during the last week.
Here of course air power found itself operating, if not in concert, then at least in parallel with units on the ground.
For it was the Kosovo Liberation Army's offensive that forced Yugoslav troops out of their hiding places.
And as they organised themselves to combat the KLA they became easy targets for Nato warplanes.
It looks as though Yugoslav commanders became increasingly worried about how long their troops could take this punishment.
This provided the backdrop giving the European and Russian envoys' diplomatic efforts added weight.
Nato may have been increasingly war weary, but it showed no sign of relenting. And the indictment of the Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic as a suspected war criminal may have turned the balance in favour of a deal.
For this indictment probably ruled out any chance of a murky compromise being reached between Nato and Belgrade. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6167671.stm | Carbon "credit cards" could be issued as part of a nationwide carbon rationing scheme, Environment Secretary David Miliband has suggested.
An annual allowance would be allocated, with the card being swiped on various items such as travel, energy or food.
Mr Miliband said people who used less than their allowance could sell any surplus to those who wanted more.
A feasibility study says many questions remain on such a plan, but Mr Miliband says "bold thinking" is needed.
Mr Miliband told the Guardian that the scheme had "a simplicity and beauty that would reward carbon thrift".
Mr Miliband, who commissioned the feasibility study, said the scheme could be working within five years.
Individuals and communities had to be empowered to tackle climate change - "the mass mobilising movement of our age".
"You cannot just rely on the state," he said.
The feasibility study was carried out by the Centre for Sustainable Energy for the Department of the Environment (Defra).
It says there are questions over whether a scheme would be acceptable for politicians and the public, but could be fairer than imposing carbon taxes.
The report seeks to separate a carbon trading scheme from the proposed ID card scheme, to avoid it being attacked on the same civil liberty basis as identity cards.
Defra said the government was now developing a work programme "which should provide the information to lead to a decision on whether or not a personal carbon allowance is a realistic and workable policy option".
Mr Miliband predicted the environment would be a key issue in the next election, requiring Labour to "change our policies and our politics in fundamental ways so that we are seen as the change in the next election".
"I'm a great believer in the Arsene Wenger school of management - which is, you don't worry about the opposition, you just get your own act together," he said.
He insisted that climate change required "cumulative, consistent radicalism" rather than "one shot wonders".
Environmental measures in last week's pre-Budget report, including a 1.25p per litre increase in fuel duty and a doubling in air duty, were called "pretty feeble" by green groups.
Environmental group Friends of the Earth said the principle of using a limited "budget" of carbon per person was sound, but the implementation - especially as it would involve a government IT project - was a cause for concern.
Friends of the Earth climate change campaigner Martin Williams said: "What worries us is that it could take quite a long time to implement it and really we don't have that long to tackle climate change."
At a meeting in Downing Street on Monday, the prime minister met business, media and religious leaders to promote "collective action" against climate change.
The Bishop of London and the chief executives of B&Q, BSkyB, the Carphone Warehouse, HSBC UK, Man Investments, Marks & Spencer, O2, Starbucks UK, the director general of the BBC and Tesco formed a partnership to publicise "practical, simple solutions". A public campaign will be launched in March 2007.
Would you use a carbon 'credit card'? |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4563760.stm | BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | The ultimate hangover cure?
Alcohol sales go through the roof at this time of year, as do those of supposed hangover cures. But the holy grail for revellers is a panacea that prevents damage in the first place - could taurine be the answer?
'Tis the season for hangovers. Over the Christmas and New Year period, beer sales peak at almost 4 million barrels and unsurprisingly, sales of aspirin, Paracetamol and other alleged hangover remedies follow suit.
But there is a substance that may prevent damage being done to a drinker's body in the first place. Taurine has long been used in household goods, but has shot to prominence as the ingredient that adds kick to energy drinks such as Red Bull or Lipovitan. It is also found naturally at lower levels in seafood and is manufactured by our bodies.
The safety of this colourless, crystalline substance in combination with caffeine - as it is in energy drinks - has been the subject of much controversy. After the launch of Red Bull, there were reports that three people in Sweden died after drinking it, although a definitive link has not been proven.
Erring on the side of caution, the Swedish National Food Administration issued a warning advising consumers to avoid drinking it with alcohol or after heavy exercise. France banned it, Norway classified it as a medicine and for a long time it was only available in pharmacies in Japan.
But scientists studying the effects of taurine on liver toxicity beg to differ. Researchers at the University of London's School of Pharmacy say taurine can reverse the liver damage caused by alcoholism or even a heavy night's drinking.
When we drink to excess, fat builds up in the liver, causing it to swell and reducing blood flow to this organ so vital in breaking down the toxins alcohol. Even one night's over-indulgence can cause fat to accumulate.
But some studies have found that taurine not only prevents this, it can reverse it. At about the same time as Red Bull and vodka became a popular tipple in the UK, toxicologist Professor John Timbrell was investigating how taurine can protect the body.
"It plays a role in digestion and the nervous system, amongst other things, and has been used to treat heart failure and diabetes. We make it naturally but cats would be severely ill without it in their diets because they cannot manufacture it themselves," he says.
To see whether it could also protect the liver, his team gave rats alcohol and taurine for a month, and found that it prevented fat build-up in the liver. Even more surprisingly, when given to rats after they had drunk alcohol, taurine continued to reverse the liver damage.
"According to our study findings, it is possible that adding taurine to alcohol during drinking could help to minimise liver damage and ward off a hangover, although we need to carry out further studies to confirm the effect in humans," he says.
Scientists in Ireland found a similar effect in children suffering from fatty liver due to obesity.
The next step researchers hope to take is to trial taurine in the many livers discarded because they are too damaged for donation - but there is resistance from funding authorities who feel that such work may encourage irresponsible alcohol consumption.
The hope is that taurine might eventually be used to treat alcohol-related problems. Professor Chris Day, specialist in liver medicine at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, often treats fatty liver patients. The condition is increasingly common due to binge drinking and to the rise in obesity - he estimates it affects about one-fifth of the population.
"It slows down the functioning of the liver and if left untreated could eventually lead to cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer. About 6% of alcoholics die from these problems," he says.
Short of advising patients to abstain from alcohol and lose weight, there is little else that a doctor can do to treat fatty liver. Taurine would be the first treatment of its kind, if proven to be effective in humans. In fact, the trial on obese children found taurine to be effective in treating fatty liver irrespective of whether the children lost weight.
The results are encouraging for those keen to minimise the harm the festive season inflicts. And when it comes to damage limitation, perhaps a taurine-rich energy drink might be just the thing with which to toast the New Year. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/other_international/bangladesh/9420128.stm | Bangladesh fans were left shell-shocked after the humiliation meted out to their team by West Indies on 4 March.
They saw their "Tigers" lose by nine wickets after scoring just 58 runs in their innings - their second loss in their first three matches.
But enthusiasm for the World Cup remains undimmed.
The signs were there when tickets for the Cricket World Cup went on sale - fans stood in queues for more than 48 hours to get hold of them and the opening ceremony in Dhaka drew admiration from around the world.
Ordinary citizens and civil society groups see that success as proof that Bangladesh can do things properly.
Aly Zaker, head of a local advertising agency said it showed Bangladesh had a democratic and peaceful society.
"Without these conditions it is not possible to organise a mega event like this", said Zaker.
Bangladeshi fans have high hopes of beating England on 11 March in Chittagong, as they see Andrew Strauss's men as "unpredictable".
"If our players can give their best in the field then we can beat England," said Abdul Hakim, a cricket fan.
The tournament is the centre of all discussion in tea shops, cafes and on street corners.
"From telephone conversations to Facebook, everywhere, cricket dominates the discussion," said Indira Bhattacharya.
Bangladesh will host eight matches, including two quarter-finals, and Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong have been dressed up and cleaned up to give them a festive look.
For city officials, 'beautification' is the key to presenting the right image.
They instructed all owners of houses located around the stadium to put on a fresh coat of paint.
And the police in Dhaka drove out all vehicles in dilapidated condition from the city.
The city centres have been decorated with folksy Bangladeshi art and crafts and the festive mood has caught on everywhere, especially among the youth.
Dhaka hosted the first three matches played by Bangladesh - against India, Ireland and West Indies - and thousands milled about outside the stadium, without tickets but full of hope.
"It's a dream that World Cup is being held here," said Shahabad Husain.
He was part of that "dream" even though he didn't manage to get a ticket for the opening match against India. Like hundreds of others, Hossain simply turned up and joined in the celebrations.
Many fans stand beside the road and wave their hands when the Bangladesh cricket team are on the way to stadium and hotel.
Then there are the giant television screens around Dhaka which have helped to soften the blow delivered by power shortages, that have in the past led to irate fans attacking electricity company offices. Hundreds of spectators gather here to watch the matches and a back-up power supply is on hand.
So, what about the local team's prospects?
Bangladeshi fans are expecting a lot from a team they feel can beat any other at home.
Hopes are so high because captain Shakib Al Hasan is the ICC's top-ranked all-rounder, while opening bat Tamim Iqbal can destroy any attack on his day.
"We have already beaten Ireland. We will beat Netherlands. And among two teams - England and South Africa - we can beat one of them. That will pave the way for the second round," said Mahmud Hassan.
Former players are also upbeat.
"I would not be surprised to see Bangladesh in the semi-finals because the team has the capability," said ex-skipper Khaled Mahmood Sujon.
Co-hosting the Cricket World Cup is being seen here as one of the biggest events in the country's history since independence in 1971.
"People of this country take cricket religiously. We are very fortunate to be one of the organisers. We are proud," said Bangladesh Cricket Board president AHM Mostofa Kamal.
And former BCB president Saber Hossain Chowdhury believes co-hosting the World Cup will help rebrand the image of the country.
"Bangladesh is known as a country of natural calamities. But now it is being discussed for its cricket," said Chowdhury.
''In Bangladesh cricket is not simply a game, it is a symbol of national unity." |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38744603 | Has La La Land been overhyped?
"Incredible!" "Glorious!" "Magnificent!" - The hype surrounding La La Land has been difficult to miss.
In addition to all the critical praise, the film is dominating awards season - equalling the all-time record held by Titanic and All About Eve for the most Oscar nominations.
But now many moviegoers are coming forward to say - or rather whisper - that they just didn't get it.
I was one such moviegoer who was desperate to see it - but left feeling somewhat disappointed.
I'm keen to stress I don't think La La Land is a bad movie. Far from it - the songs are catchy and it's beautifully filmed.
But after the acres of five-star reviews, I came away feeling it had been somewhat overhyped.
Judging by our inbox after the Oscar nominations on Tuesday - there are other film fans who felt the same way.
It's not unusual for the films which float around during awards season to be popular with critics, but less so with the general public.
Indeed, there is a school of thought popular with marketing researchers that it is actively necessary for a film to split opinion in order for it to be successful.
Oscar Wilde certainly believed that, famously stating: "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."
Titanic seemed to prove this theory - despite having an effect on audiences similar to Marmite, it went on to become the highest-grossing film of all time (since beaten by Avatar) and scooped the Oscar for best picture in 1997.
The last musical to win best picture was 2002's Chicago - starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger.
I distinctly remember going to see it at the cinema and being bowled over by how good it was. The acting, the editing and the songs all blended together to make an almost-perfect film.
The subsequent success of movies such as Mamma Mia and Pitch Perfect prove that audiences are more than willing to go and see musicals on the big screen.
But while those films are fairly mainstream, feel-good box office fodder, La La Land has been criticised for not quite delivering what it advertises.
In the film's ubiquitous promotional image, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are seen dancing together against a purple skyline. The vibrant colours make it look young, appealing, glamorous.
Many of the film's reviews reinforce its image as a Hollywood love story. "A gorgeously romantic modern-day musical" is how the i paper described it.
But the film is actually far from romantic - lacking the traditional happy ending which would've seen Gosling and Stone's characters end up together.
Personally I thought not being predictable is actually one of La La Land's best qualities, I was pleasantly surprised that its ending took an unexpected route.
My issue was more that it simply didn't quite live up to the months of build-up and promotion and subsequent awards success - it has already broken the record for the most Golden Globe Awards in history.
Of course, a bit of a backlash is inevitable for any pop culture product once its success has gone stratospheric.
It is always difficult for any film, album, book or TV show to live up to expectations once it's been so highly praised.
If I had gone into the cinema with no expectations, I probably would have come away from it with a better opinion than I did having gone in with such high expectations.
When I saw Chicago, I was 15 years old and paid no attention to reviews or hype - and I enjoyed the film so much more as a result.
Some film fans have taken issue with the fact that a movie about jazz is fronted by two white actors, while others say the script is weak and that Gosling and Stone's singing talents are questionable.
The Spectator's Deborah Ross - one of the few critics to strike a slightly more dissenting note - said the songs had "lyrics I couldn't make out for the life of me" - but, as she and most other critics agree, the songs themselves are impossibly catchy.
It would be hard to argue La La Land is a bad film - it just doesn't quite do what it says on the tin.
My advice to those who haven't seen it would be to ignore the reviews, go in with a clear mind and just enjoy it as a perfectly nice but unspectacular film. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36552461 | Discrimination against LGBT people must be tackled at home and abroad, President Obama has said after meeting relatives of Orlando attack victims.
A gunman killed 49 people on Sunday morning at a gay nightclub in the city.
Mr Obama challenged the Republican-controlled Congress to pass gun control legislation.
But Republican Senator John McCain said the president was "directly responsible" because he had failed to tackle the Islamic State group.
Gunman Omar Mateen claimed allegiance to the militant group as he carried out the massacre.
Senator McCain said: "When he pulled everybody out of Iraq, al-Qaeda went to Syria, became Isis [Islamic State], and Isis is what it is today thanks to Barack Obama's failures, utter failures, by pulling everybody out of Iraq."
He later clarified that he did not mean the president was personally responsible.
On Thursday, hundreds of people gathered outside the Amway Center in Orlando as the president and Vice-President Joe Biden consoled relatives inside.
"I held and hugged grieving relatives and they asked: Why does it keep happening?" Mr Obama said, adding: "They don't care about the politics."
How do you get denied a gun in Florida?
What is the NRA and why is it so powerful?
The two men laid wreaths at a makeshift memorial and met the owners of the Pulse nightclub where the shooting took place.
The gunman, the president said, had violated a sanctuary for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community and now people should reflect on how to end violence and discrimination against them, in the US and overseas.
According to data collected by the New York Times, LGBT people are more likely to be targets of hate crime than any other minority group.
Mr Obama also urged Congress to pass gun control legislation.
"We will not be able to stop every tragedy. We can't wipe away hatred and evil from every heart in this world, but we can stop some tragedies. We can save some lives. We can reduce the impact of a terrorist attack if we're smart," he said.
"And if we don't act, we will keep seeing more massacres like this. Because we will be choosing to allow them to happen."
The piles of flowers, cards and letters outside Orlando's Dr Phillips Centre for the Performing Arts are getting larger. In the baking heat, people continue to arrive at this memorial to the victims.
Some kneel on the grass, bowing their heads in contemplation. Others embrace one another, before they leave their tribute. "Hate will never win," reads one of the many signs. It's a sentiment felt by many in the LGBT community here, who believe breaking down barriers of prejudice can be one lasting legacy from this horrific attack.
Across the city, rainbow flags have started to hang from shop fronts and outside bars and restaurants. As President Obama arrives here to meet the families, there's hope he can bring comfort at this anguished time. But there's also hope that this horror can bring harmony.
The attack - using a semi-automatic rifle - has sparked renewed calls for tighter gun laws and one member of Congress spoke for 15 hours on Wednesday in an attempt to force the Senate to act.
Mateen, who was shot dead at the club by police, was on a terror watch list while the FBI investigated him over inflammatory remarks. But they concluded he was no terror threat.
Opponents of changes to the law want guarantees that law-abiding Americans will not have their rights infringed upon.
Gun control is a very divisive issue in the US, where the right to bear arms is enshrined in the constitution.
It is unclear why Mateen, a 29-year-old born in New York, carried out the killings.
It has emerged that before or during the attack, he raged on Facebook about the "filthy ways of the West".
There are also claims by friends and family that he had a hatred for gay people, although he had frequented this gay nightclub many times and used gay dating apps. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-47612571 | A teacher who became embroiled in a county lines drug operation after her marriage broke down has been jailed.
Angela Davey, 38, of no fixed address, was living in Norwich when she became addicted to drugs.
The mother-of-two said she turned to heroin to "numb some of the pain I was feeling at the time".
Davey hired vehicles for a drugs operation, and allowed her home in Wall Road, Norwich, to be used as a base, Norwich Crown Court heard.
She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs but in court denied she was a dealer.
Prosecutor Richard Potts said Davey "had an important role in the context of the case" and was "entirely aware" of what the vehicles would be used for.
He said a Vauxhall Mokka she had hired had been used for dealing in Heathgate in Norwich on 8 April 2017, and a Citroen hired from Norwich Airport on 25 May was driven to Waltham Forest in London to collect drugs.
Mr Potts said she was not a victim of cuckooing - in which a drug user's home is taken over against their will by a dealer.
He added she retained "some degree of control" of who came and went from her home, even charging them rent.
The former teacher denied receiving money from drug sales but confirmed "rent" was paid to her in the form of drugs to feed her habit.
Andrew Oliver, mitigating, said until 2016, the mother-of-two had been leading a "relatively model lifestyle" but "tragic circumstances" had led to the break-up of her marriage and "ultimately led to her use of crack cocaine and heroin".
Davey wrote a five-page letter to the judge to explain what had happened and how she had since taken steps to turn her life around.
Mr Oliver said Davey had suffered "extreme distress" from not being in contact with her two children.
She was living an "itinerant" life on the streets of London when she was arrested but had since begun to overcome the effects of drug withdrawal.
On sentencing her to 27 months jail, Justice Katharine Moore said "as an articulate woman" she could have sought support for her addiction instead of being "drawn into the shadowy world of drugs".
Three other people involved in the supply of class A drugs were jailed in January. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20178175 | The UK government is drawing up a set of open technology standards all future IT projects must comply with.
The standards will dictate how data should be formatted and the ways that software should interoperate.
The push for open standards builds on earlier work to standardise the hardware on which government services are built.
The decision to mandate the open standards follows a four-month consultation exercise.
"For too long, government IT has been too expensive, over-specified and run in contract structures that encourage complexity, duplication and fragmented user services," said Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude in a speech announcing the strategy.
The standards the government wanted to adopt would favour smaller, innovative tech firms and would demand compliance with open data formats and protocols from every IT supplier, he said.
In the technology world, open standards stand in opposition to proprietary formats. As their name implies they let everyone that wants to look at how a program is built or data is formatted.
This openness helps to flush out bugs in software and makes it easier for data to travel and be re-used as programmers can easily see how it is structured.
From 1 November, said Mr Maude, government departments applying for cash to bankroll IT projects must refer to open standards when drawing up their proposals.
Departments and agencies could apply for an exemption, he said, but warned that the process of winning one would be "challenging".
Only by standardising the way that departments dealt with data would the government be able to significantly cut its IT bill, he said.
The lack of common ways of working with data held back the push to put more public services online, he said.
"At the moment we lag behind," said Mr Maude. "For example, 74% of people use the internet for car insurance, but only 51% buy car tax online."
He said this was "inefficient" as digital channels were "much cheaper than post, phone, or face to face interactions".
Some steps towards more open government technology had already been taken, said Mr Maude. The infrastructure underpinning official IT was being standardised and some services all departments use had been made available centrally.
To take this further, he said, work had begun on the guidebook that would detail the open standards that departments and suppliers would be expected to work to.
Only by becoming more open would departments "migrate away" from big, sclerotic contracts to the digital future, said Mr Maude. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-30003693 | The foreign exchange, or forex, market is a virtual trading place where dealers buy and sell currencies.
Deals at today's price are called the "spot" market and bets can also be made on forward exchange rates.
In all, $5.3 trillion (£3.3tn) was traded per day on the forex markets in 2013, according to the Bank for International Settlements.
To put that in context, that's just over double the annual economic output of the UK, which was $2.52tn in 2013, according to the World Bank.
Currency trading started out as a way for businesses and individuals to change money for overseas travel and commerce. This was a real service industry driven by the underlying level of world trade.
Opportunities for speculation were limited by the Bretton Woods agreement in 1944 to peg exchange rates to the gold price. In the early 1970s, this accord broke down, exchange rates began to fluctuate more widely and globalisation created more underlying demand for foreign exchange.
Financial institutions saw a new opportunity to make money from the increased size and volatility of the forex market. Today only a fraction of currency trading is directly related to the original purpose of facilitating cross-border trade: the rest is speculative.
There is no physical forex marketplace and nearly all trading takes place on electronic systems operated by the big banks and other providers.
Dealers display the prices at which they are prepared to buy and sell currencies: users place orders with the click of a mouse.
Prices change according to supply and demand. For example, if the US dollar is more popular than the euro at any given time, the dollar will strengthen against the euro and vice versa.
Prices are constantly changing on a second-by-second basis as currencies respond to the changing flow of economic news.
About 40% of the world's dealing goes through trading rooms in London.
Prices in the forex market change so rapidly that it is difficult to establish the going rate for particular currencies at any one time. In order to help businesses and investors value their multi-currency assets and liabilities, a daily exchange rate fix is held.
Until recently, this was based on actual currency deals that took place in a window 30 seconds before and 30 seconds after 16:00 London time. WM-Reuters then calculated the fix rates based on these observed transactions, which form the benchmarks for that day.
The probity of this public information is very important, as it is the peg on which many other financial markets depend.
How was the fix rigged?
Because the fix was based on actual transactions over a short period of time, the potential existed for market players to get together and place orders during the 60-second window.
If they were big enough, they could affect the benchmark calculation and create profit opportunities for their firms.
Last November, regulators said that some forex traders at five of the biggest banks had been doing just that for several years. They concluded that through online chat rooms with exotic names such as The Bandits Club, The Cartel and The Mafia, traders colluded to place aggressive "buy" or "sell" orders - known in the business as "banging the close"- in order to distort the fix.
Shouldn't it have been detected sooner?
This had apparently been going on for several years. Embarrassingly for the managers meant to have been in charge of the traders, suspicious price movements were first highlighted by a whistleblower.
Clues that were available to outsiders should have been picked up internally long ago, but prime responsibility lies with those who participated directly.
The practice appears to have been so common amongst influential traders that the phrase Warren Buffett described as the five most dangerous words in business, "everyone else is doing it", comes to mind.
Has any action been taken since?
The Financial Stability Board, a watchdog that advises the G20 finance ministers, has set up a task force to recommend reforms of the forex market. As a result, the window in which the daily 4pm fix is calculated has been extended from one minute to five minutes. This makes it harder to manipulate.
In addition to the five minute fix, the central banks' co-ordinator - the Bank for International Settlements - is trying to get all the banks to agree a unified code of conduct, but this has not yet been settled.
Was there a regulatory failing?
Ironically, the forex market had been considered by regulators too big to be manipulated and it has been largely unregulated. Yet there were some early warning signs that all was not well.
Minutes of a meeting of dealers at the Bank of England back in 2006 appear to suggest that the possibility of market manipulation was discussed in front of officials, but the Bank of England denies this interpretation. Nine years on, it has led global regulators in cleaning up the forex market - and not before time, critics will say.
Can such scandals be prevented?
Institutional cheating of the kind we have seen in the Libor and forex scandals will probably die out for a while.
Individual traders have seen colleagues marched off the trading floor to face questioning.
Managers have finally understood the need for line-by-line, desk-by-desk scrutiny.
Regulators now know that light-touch regulation was an invitation to the financial services industry to game the rules and they have responded with more intrusive supervision and hefty deterrents.
Against this background, it would be surprising if systemic malpractice were to continue in the immediate future. But there is no room for complacency in an industry where corporate memories are short and rewards for beating the market are great.
Philip Augar is a former investment banker and the author of several books on the City. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35861504 | Four British plane spotters in Kenya have been ordered to pay £1,400 ($2,000) or face a year in jail for trespassing at an airport in Nairobi.
The four men from Greater Manchester were caught taking pictures at Wilson Airport in the capital and have been in custody for more than a week.
They remain in detention at the police cells at the main international airport until the fine is paid.
The men said officials at the airport had given them permission to film.
But they sparked a security alert after they were spotted from the airport bar.
The BBC'S Alastair Leithead in Nairobi says in the end they admitted to two charges in court - of trespassing, and taking pictures of aircraft - which each carried a fine of £700.
Peter Swift, whose brother Eddie is one of the arrested men, told the BBC all families were particularly concerned about the four being transferred from police custody to jail.
He had spoken to his brother on the phone who is "very, very scared", he said.
A leaked memo from the Kenya Airports Authority last month warned of possible attacks by al-Shabab militants.
The Somalia-based group has been behind several deadly attacks in Kenya in recent years. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hereford/worcs/6703451.stm | A man was taken to hospital after suffering a severe allergic reaction when he was bitten by a hamster.
The 50-year-old was trying to retrieve his pet from under the floorboards of his home near Evesham, Worcestershire, when the rodent attacked.
It had escaped after his seven-year-old daughter had accidentally let it out of its cage on Monday night.
Paramedics said the man survived largely through giving himself anti-allergy drugs before they arrived.
He had suffered severe breathing difficulties and was in a semi-conscious state when the ambulance arrived at his home.
They gave him further medication and took him to Alexandra Hospital, in Redditch.
An ambulance service spokesman said: "If you have been identified as someone who can have severe reactions it is vital that you and your family know what to do.
"The man's actions in administering drugs to himself may well have played an important part in his recovery." |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-32887408 | MSPs have rejected the Assisted Suicide Scotland Bill by 82 votes to 36 following a debate at Holyrood.
The bill would have allowed those with terminal illnesses to seek the help of a doctor to end their own life.
Supporters said the plan had widespread public backing but critics argued a change in the law would be unethical.
MSPs were given a free vote. The Scottish government did not support changing the law.
What did your MSP vote?
The Assisted Suicide Bill was originally brought forward by the late independent MSP Margo MacDonald, who died last year after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.
It was taken up by Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who said he gave a commitment to Ms MacDonald to present this bill as best he could to parliament.
A Holyrood committee recently concluded that the bill contained "significant flaws" and opposed its general principles, but said the full parliament should decide whether or not to throw out the proposed legislation.
After the vote, Mr Harvie said he hoped the government would "recognise the strong demand for clarity in law".
He added: "It's clearly a disappointment that the Bill will make no further progress.
"The significant support in the chamber reflects the clear public desire for people to have choice and for the law to be clarified.
"I know many supporters of assisted suicide will now be hoping that the Lord Advocate issues prosecution guidance and that the Scottish government considers alternative approaches to the problem."
Scottish health secretary Shona Robison had earlier told MSPs: "The government believes that the current law is clear, and it is not lawful to assist someone to commit suicide, and the government has no plans to change that."
Despite that, she said, Scottish government ministers would be able to vote "according to their conscience", before adding that she would not be backing the legislation.
Conservative MSP Dr Nanette Milne, a former anaesthetist and cancer researcher who sits on Holyrood's Health Committee, also said she would not be supporting the bill.
She said: "Personally, as a former health professional, the idea of actively and deliberately hastening death by assisting someone to die is deeply disturbing for me. And I share the view of many professional colleagues that to legislate for this would risk undermining patient trust in doctors and medical advice."
But Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur said, while the bill was not perfect, he would support its general principles.
He said: "Over the years I have come to the conclusion that the status quo is no longer tenable, that change is necessary, that finding ways of allowing individuals dignity in death as in life is now essential.
"It's a conclusion that growing numbers of people in Scotland have reached, often I suspect based on direct experience of what has happened to a family member or good friend.
"The right to life is not the same as a duty to live. This is about providing dignity, respect and choice at the end of life."
It is not illegal to attempt suicide in Scotland, but helping someone take their own life could lead to prosecution.
In England and Wales, the Suicide Act 1961 makes it an offence to encourage or assist a suicide or a suicide attempt, which is almost identical to the situation in Northern Ireland.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has to approve any assisted suicide court action in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In 2010, Keir Starmer, then the DPP, issued guidance that made it clear that family or friends who travelled with a loved one to the Swiss suicide group Dignitas would not risk prosecution.
The guidelines were the result of a case brought by Debbie Purdy, a terminally ill woman, who in 2009 won a legal ruling requiring the DPP to set out whether her husband would be committing an offence if he accompanied her to Dignitas to end her life.
Scotland's prosecution service, the Crown Office, has issued no such guidance.
Assisted suicide is legal in Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium as well as Switzerland.
Campaigners who backed the bill, including representatives of the My Life, My Death, My Choice campaign, earlier gathered outside the Scottish Parliament to urge MSPs to support the general principles of the legislation.
But a number of organisations, including the Law Society of Scotland, Church of Scotland, Council of Imams Scotland and the Christian charity Care for Scotland, raised objections.
Alison Britton, convener of the Law Society's health and medical law committee, said she was concerned the law lacked clarity.
She said: "We have said throughout the passage of this bill that legislation in this area needs to be absolutely clear and those seeking to end their lives, and those who assist them, need a robust and transparent process to be certain under which conditions it would be lawful for assistance to be provided.
"We remain concerned over the lack of definition of the key terms, such as "assistance" and "life-shortening" and the functions of the licensed facilitator are still uncertain.
"Lack of such clarity leads to ambiguity and leaves the legislation open to interpretation."
And the Church of Scotland urged MSPs to do more to improve end-of-life care instead of backing the bill.
In a letter, Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, convenor of the Kirk's Church and Society Council, wrote: "We believe that this bill represents much more than simply a tinkering with the law, breaching as it does the societal prohibition on the taking of human life.
"It carries implications for the whole of society, not just for those who will seek assisted death, and for attitudes to many aspects of health and social care."
A report of the debate on the Assisted Suicide Bill can be viewed here. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/basics/4393295.stm | Having just scraped home in 1964, Harold Wilson knew he would have to face the country again soon.
Labour's priority then must have been to project an image of a party fit to govern. But when the largest balance of payments deficit since the war was revealed it only highlighted the government's shaky position, as did defeat in the Leyton by-election.
The loss cut Labour's wafer thin majority and dashed the hopes of a Commons return for Wilson's choice of foreign secretary, Patrick Gordon-Walker.
But as 1965 saw Labour fare badly in local elections the Conservatives treated defeated leader Sir Alec Douglas Home with traditional ruthlessness, installing Edward Heath in his place.
In Heath the Tories hoped they had found their answer to Wilson. Oxford educated, the former Tory chief whip triumphed in a three-way contest, beating Reginald Maudling and Enoch Powell.
The tricky tactical position of the Liberals was made plain when Labour ignored overtures from party leader Jo Grimond to lend his support to the government - even with parliament balanced on a knife edge Liberal attempts to win influence were ignored.
As the months passed, Labour's grip on power tightened, and with a surprisingly solid swing towards the government in a by-election in early 1966 Wilson decided the time was right for Labour to gamble on winning a solid mandate.
A Labour collapse had seemed possible after the slender victory of 1964, but by the time the politicians hit the campaign trail in the spring of 1966 Gallup was giving Labour a double-figure poll lead.
But this campaign lacked the spark of the previous contest. Labour minister Barbara Castle later described it as "one of the most boring I have ever experienced".
Nevertheless George Brown, Wilson's deputy, took up his by now traditional national speaking tour in the hope of stirring up the voters.
The Conservatives had not had the chance to recover from their defeat and neither had their new leader been given enough time to bed in and win the public round.
But the party had begun a radical shake-up of its organisation in preparation for the election that everyone knew was coming and its campaign was much more professional as a result.
For the Liberals a second election in such a short space of time was a severe financial blow, but they soldiered on, offering the voters a non-socialist alternative to Labour.
For Wilson the campaign was simple. Labour had set out its stall in 1964 and now the party was asking for a mandate sufficient to enable Wilson to put his policies into practice.
The voters seemed willing to oblige despite Conservative warnings that backing Wilson would see Britain "vote now and pay later".
Once again Labour focused its campaign on Harold Wilson, but for Edward Heath, only a few months into the job, the election must have seemed like a baptism of fire.
His election as party leader had healed some of rifts that resulted from Sir Alec Douglas-Home's leadership and saw the party present a much more modern face to the public.
But although he was a product of an ordinary middle class family in a way similar to that of Wilson, his personality was not the asset to the Conservatives that the wisecracking, pipe-smoking family man presented by Wilson was for Labour.
Heath, a bachelor, a former Conservative chief whip and supporter of Macmillan, was quickly seen as cold and aloof by the voters.
His campaigning style was wooden while he was prone to sulk when he failed to win his colleagues round to his own point of view.
Liberal leader Jo Grimond fought hard to avoid the inevitable reaction of floating voters to turn to the Conservatives while Labour was in power, but it was a fight he could not win.
There was just one over-riding issue in this election as far as Labour was concerned - securing a mandate.
The party's manifesto was blunt and to the point with its title, Time for a Decision.
Other themes followed up on Labour minister George Brown's National Plan for the economy set out in 1965, as Labour promised similar plans for transport and the regions.
The commitment to re-nationalise steel featured once again as the party had failed to take it back into the public fold during its 18 months in power.
Labour was also keen on closer relations with Europe, a theme echoed with varying levels of commitment by both the Conservatives and the Liberals.
The Conservatives focused heavily on the economy, stressing that action needed to be taken over rising prices and pledging to reform trade union relations.
In their manifesto - For All the People - the Liberals also promised a look at trade unions and entry into the European Common Market as well as cuts in defence spending. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-17441349 | A train in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh has collided with a vehicle packed with passengers, killing at least 15 people, officials say.
The crash happened at an unmanned level crossing near Madu railway station in Hathras early on Tuesday.
The express train rammed into the jeep, which carried 17 passengers, dragging it along the track.
Train accidents are common in India, which has one of the world's busiest rail networks.
Railway officials said Tuesday's incident happened when the jeep tried to cross the track as an express train travelling between Mathura and Kasganj was approaching.
Last July at least 38 people were killed when a train hit a bus carrying wedding guests at a level crossing in Patiyali in Uttar Pradesh.
In May 2010 more than 100 people were killed when a Mumbai-bound express train jumped the tracks into the path of an oncoming goods train in West Bengal. The tracks had been apparently sabotaged by Maoist rebels.
And in July 2010, more than 60 people were killed when a speeding passenger express hit another train waiting at a station in West Bengal.
Announcing the budget for India's railways last week, Dinesh Trivedi - who has since been replaced as railways minister by Mukul Roy - said he aimed to eliminate fatalities on the busy network.
A recent official report revealed that nearly 15,000 people die every year crossing tracks - a figure that the government described as a "massacre". |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-24925296 | Why do people put traffic cones on statues?
Glasgow council has ended plans to stop pranksters placing traffic cones on top of a statue of the Duke of Wellington. It's part of a long tradition of statue tomfoolery, says Finlo Rohrer.
The placing of traffic cones on historic statues can be blamed on two factors - alcohol and the prevalence of roadworks of some kind in city centres.
But two of the ancient world's most momentous events revolved around people messing about with statues.
A diadem placed on a statue of Julius Caesar arguably started a chain of events that resulted in his murder and the beginning of the Roman Empire. The diadem was removed by two tribunes (depicted as Flavius and Marullus in the Shakespeare play) and then the trouble started.
At the height of the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens in the 5th Century BC, the Athenian general Alcibiades was recalled from a massive invasion of Sicily on charges of vandalising religiously significant statues of Hermes.
He decided to defect to the Spartans rather than face the trumped-up charges.
Command then passed to the less talented Nicias, the invasion was a disaster and the Athenians later lost the war. It's still not known who really smashed up the statues.
In 2000, the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square was memorably given a Mohican made out of turf. But the statue was also sprayed with graffiti - for which a former soldier was later imprisoned for 30 days.
The same statue was again adorned in 2012, with a straitjacket on behalf on Channel 4, to publicise a series on mental health.
Also last year, a series of statues across London were provided with hats by notable British milliners in a project linked to the Olympics. Some criticised that move as tacky and even compared it unfavourably with Glasgow's tradition.
It's not just headwear in the form of cones or hats.
AS Roma fan Enzo Giordani travelled New Zealand adorning random statues with scarves in the colours of his football team. And a charity in Norway did the same to distribute scarves to people in cold weather.
In Trondheim in Norway, a statue of the city's founder Olav Tryggvason has occasionally been adorned with either a hat or a scarf. But bearing in mind that it's nearly 60ft from the base to the top of his head, one can only assume a degree of official complicity.
And at least it's not a cone. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-46529733 | A gunman opened fire in a Catholic cathedral near Brazil's most populous city, São Paulo, killing five people and wounding several others.
The attack happened towards the end of a midday service in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Campinas city, police say.
The gunman, carrying a revolver and a pistol, rose from his seat and started shooting randomly, Brazil's O Globo News reports.
He then killed himself in front of the altar before police could arrest him.
The motive for the attack is not yet clear. Neither the gunman nor his victims have been identified.
Major Adriano Augusto told O Globo News that the gunman stood up shortly after the prayers had ended.
"He first hit the people on the bench behind him," Major Augusto said. "Apparently he shot in several directions, not directed at anyone specifically."
Most of those who were hit were elderly, the newspaper reports. There is some confusion over the exact number of fatalities, with some reports putting the number at four.
Police officers outside the cathedral immediately entered after hearing the shots. Paramedics could be seen treating people at the scene. Ambulances rushed the wounded to hospital.
The archdiocese of São Paulo said on its Facebook page that the killings had caused "deep pain", and that the cathedral would remain shut while the police investigation was carried out.
Campinas is an industrial city some 100km (62 miles) north-west of São Paulo. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24922083 | Work is under way to distribute UK aid in the Philippines following Friday's devastating typhoon.
The first UK aid flight has arrived, carrying almost 9,000 emergency shelter kits, while an emergency medical team and a Royal Navy ship are on their way.
The British government has also pledged at least £10m, and the UK's Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has already raised more than £1.5m in donations.
Officials in the Philippines say more than 2,000 people have died.
President Benigno Aquino said the previous estimated death toll of 10,000 had been too high, and the number of people killed was more likely to be up to 2,500.
The Philippines government said more than half a million people had been displaced.
The DEC's 14 member charities all have "standing emergency funds" to "get things moving in the first hours after a disaster", a DEC spokesman said.
Appeals are launched as quickly as possible, he said, but while that happens, charities can use reserves which the DEC can later replace.
Once donations start coming in, the DEC examines the rate and uses its knowledge of previous appeals to estimate how much money will be raised.
The spokesman said charities can then be told "roughly what they can expect from us".
"They can actually commission a ship, a plane, pallets of food, tarpaulins or whatever they need on the basis that they know the money is coming," he said.
Using this method, he said, charities can respond long before they receive the money they need to help people affected by disasters.
The UK aid flight landed at midnight local time (16:00 GMT on Tuesday), carrying the shelter kits for people left homeless by the storm.
The kits, which were flown from UK stores in Dubai and arrived at Cebu airport, contain plastic sheeting and rope. Officials from the Department for International Development (DfID) said each kit would keep a family of five sheltered.
It will be down to charity World Vision, one of 14 aid organisations that make up the DEC, to distribute the kits.
While several countries have deployed ships and aircraft to help those affected by the typhoon, many people are still without food, water and shelter.
Aid agencies have warned the security situation is deteriorating and there are reports of looting, as those preparing to enter the disaster zone face logistical hold-ups.
"There's a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make sure that when we're bringing aircraft in, they're the right aircraft, that the runway can accommodate them, that there's things like fuel so we can get them back out there," said Claire Durham, from the British Red Cross.
"If we try and rush in too quickly, without any of this pre-planning, then we're going to have massive bottlenecks where aircraft are stuck on the ground and that's not going to help anyone."
John Cordell, from the charity ShelterBox, which is delivering emergency shelters and supplies, added: "It sounds as though the security conditions are getting a little bit worse. There've been reports of attacks on food convoys and looting of aid.
"I think that is deterring a lot of aid agencies from getting in there."
DEC chairman Salah Saeed likened the destruction in the city of Tacloban, which was particularly badly hit, to that seen after the devastating tsunami of 2004.
"There is currently no food, water or electricity. We can only imagine how much worse the situation will be for families living in towns and remote villages," he said.
International Development Secretary Justine Greening said the 12-strong UK medical team, sent at the request of the Philippine Department of Health, consisted of "volunteer surgeons, doctors and paramedics who are expert at operating in emergency situations such as this".
The team, which was expected to fly from Heathrow Airport on Wednesday morning, will be led by professor of international emergency medicine Anthony Redmond, of Manchester University.
Later Ms Greening is due to host a meeting to discuss the international response to the ongoing disaster.
She will be joined in person or via video link by representatives from UN agencies, donors and other organisations.
The meeting is expected to focus particularly on how to help women and girls affected by what the Philippine president declared a national calamity earlier this week.
Meanwhile, British ship HMS Daring, a Type-45 destroyer deployed near Singapore, is due to arrive at the disaster area on Saturday.
The ship's captain, Angus Essenhigh, told the BBC its mission would be to provide "life-saving assistance" such as water, shelter and food.
A DEC appeal was broadcast on Tuesday evening.
The committee said £1.5m had been donated so far through its website alone, and a revised figure was expected later.
A spokesman said the public "have been unbelievably generous" and the figure was "going to be high".
The Salvation Army is also running an appeal.
The UK government, which has already pledged £10m in aid, said it would match donations to the DEC appeal pound for pound up to £5m.
It said its overall contribution would help to get food, aid and shelter to a total of 800,000 people.
The UN has launched an appeal for $301m (£190m) to help relief efforts in typhoon-hit areas.
The charities that make up the DEC are Action Aid, Age International, British Red Cross, Cafod, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Plan UK, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18839768 | A well-known Afghan politician and around 20 other people have been killed in a suicide attack in the northern province of Samangan, police say.
Ahmad Khan Samangani, an ethnic Uzbek MP, was attending a wedding party for his daughter in the provincial capital, Aybak, when the blast happened.
The attacker, posing as a guest, embraced Mr Samangani before detonating his explosives, a witness said.
A Taliban spokesman denied involvement in the attack.
Ahmad Khan Samangani was a commander in the mujahideen militia during Afghanistan's civil war in the 1980s.
He was known as a supporter of President Hamid Karzai and a rival of Gen Abdul Rashid Dostum, a powerful civil war commander in the north and currently one of Afghanistan's most prominent Uzbek politicians, the BBC's Bilal Sarwary says.
Mr Samangani became a member of parliament last year, replacing one of several sitting MPs expelled by the Independent Electoral Commission for alleged electoral fraud in the 2010 parliamentary election.
President Hamid Karzai has appointed a team to investigate the attack.
A statement from his office blamed "enemies of Afghanistan".
The hall where the wedding was taking place was packed with about 100 people, a witness said.
In addition to those killed, more than 40 other people were wounded in the attack, according to police.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid issued a swift denial of responsibility for the attack that killed Ahmad Khan Samangani, who had made many enemies during his years as a militia commander.
At different times, he both allied himself to and fought against Gen Dostum and Mohammed Atta - the two most powerful northern warlords during the civil war period in the early 1990s.
He had blamed Gen Dostum for an attempt on his life that killed his driver and bodyguard in 2007. But suicide bombing is not a tactic used by Gen Dostum, so speculation has turned to the IMU, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
This is a fundamentalist militant group, allied to al-Qaeda and with more of an international agenda than the Taliban. It operates in the northern region of Afghanistan and across the border in Uzbekistan. Two of its senior commanders were arrested this week and are suspected of planning suicide attacks.
Ghulam Mohammad Khan, the criminal director of the provincial police, told Associated Press that the dead included provincial intelligence chief Mohammad Khan.
A senior regional police commander related to Mr Samangani was among those injured, he added.
"We don't have a hand in this issue," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told the Reuters news agency.
"Ahmad Khan was a former commander of the mujahideen, he was notorious and many people could have had problems with him," he said.
Northern Afghanistan is relatively peaceful compared to the east and south of the country, where militant attacks are frequent.
The attack in Samangan comes a day after a prominent female Afghan politician was killed in a bomb attack in eastern Laghman province.
The politician, Hanifa Safi, was the provincial head of the Afghan ministry of women's affairs and was known as a leading advocate of fair treatment for women.
Many Afghans fear that attacks, particularly by the Taliban, will increase after foreign forces leave.
The 130,000-strong Nato-led force is scheduled to end combat duties in 2014. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-39064634/nigeria-uk-artist-adeniyi-olagunju-addicted-to-creative-process | 'I am addicted to art' Jump to media player Nigerian-British artist Adeniyi Olagunju, who takes everyday objects and reshapes them in surprising ways, says he is "addicted to the creative process".
Cape Town: amputee's art on show Jump to media player Chuma is one of the new faces of contemporary art in South Africa.
Nigerian-British artist Adeniyi Olagunju, who takes everyday objects and reshapes them in surprising ways, says he's "addicted to the creative process".
Olagunju, who has a show on in London at the moment, spoke to the BBC's Focus on Africa programme about his art. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8015777.stm | BBC NEWS | Technology | Can Twitter survive the hype cycle?
Can Twitter survive the hype cycle?
During the election, Barack Obama proved to be something of a trailblazer in using social media tools, such as Twitter, to get his message out and rally support.
Now American celebrities are the latest group to join the Twitter party.
The queen of TV chat shows, Oprah Winfrey, has taken Twitter to new heights. But nagging questions remain over Twitter's potential to be a successful business and be more than just another zeitgeist term for social media.
Oprah joined the social networking group last week when she sent her first tweet live on air and brought Twitter into the living rooms of ordinary Americans.
"It was a brilliant coup," said Ann Handley of Marketing Profs, who is also a regular twitterer with more than 28,000 followers.
"A week ago I would ask my non-geek friends if they had ever heard of Twitter and they would say no. Today they know exactly what I am talking about and it's all down to Oprah," Ms Handley told the BBC.
A survey by the market tracker firm Hitwise showed traffic to Twitter went up 43% as result of the Oprah effect.
Twitter started in 2006 as a side project that was inspired by the "away" notices people would leave on Instant Messenger.
"The messages would say things like 'away for coffee', 'not at my desk' and 'too busy to chat', which were not that interesting in and of themselves," explained Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.
"The real trick was to look at all of these messages as a whole where they were kind of compelling and showed all these people out and about doing stuff."
He said that prompted co-founders Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams and himself to build a prototype service, which they persuaded friends and family to use.
Mr Stone said the first "mmm moment" came during a small earthquake in the Bay area when "everyone reached for their phones to Twitter as soon as we felt the earthquake".
"Those tweets went out to everyone who cared about you and you got updates instantly that gave you a certain perspective on the earthquake."
He said while they realised the service could "be something social with stronger implications", the big "a-ha moment" came during the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas in 2008.
"There were enough people using Twitter at the conference by then that we realised how important a tool it can be during that type of environment where it is a shared experience," Mr Stone told the BBC.
Mr Stone admitted that if the early response to the service had not been so positive, it probably would not have survived.
"We literally built Twitter in two weeks and just put it out there to see if people liked it. If that early feedback hadn't been so supportive, I'm not sure we would have kept on the way we did."
In the early days of Twitter, the service became overloaded and failed a lot. It became something of a joke at conferences in Silicon Valley but despite the downtime, users stuck with it.
"We did try to do our best and when we did fail, we tried to do it gracefully or at least humorously. That was when the picture of the whale being lifted by all the birds came to be called the fail whale and people began to sort of gather around that," said Mr Stone.
Such blips may have been accepted in the early days, but less so now.
"At one point it looks like the fail whale was going to be a permanent fixture in the Twitterverse," said Patricio Robles of Econsultancy.com.
"But when you run a free service, users are often quite forgiving."
Big successes that helped put Twitter on the map have been breaking news stories.
Information about the Mumbai attacks last November was transmitted via Twitter before many of the mainstream news channels.
The same was true of the landing of a plane in the Hudson River in New York. Again Twitter was ahead of the news media, providing a real-time insight into what was going on as well as pictures from the scene.
"It was a kind of mass network journalism, or crowd sourcing is another term for it. A lot of people are writing in, and that mass, that collection of data, creates the news story," Sue Robinson from the School of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin told the Daily Campus.
Mr Stone said that what these incidents showed was that technology was about helping people in the best and the worst of circumstances.
"We look at those things and take the idea that we want to extend this real-time network to the weakest of signals around the world. All it takes is a phone. Not a PC or a web connection. That's the strength that Twitter offers," said Mr Stone.
Another growing Twitter community consists of brands and companies. Everyone from Starbucks to Verizon and from the Red Cross to United Airlines now has a Twitter account.
"Twitter has changed the way businesses market and communicate with customers," said Marketing Profs' Ann Handley.
"I am a Comcast customer and if I tweet about a problem, I will now get a response via Twitter. This is unprecedented in terms of the way companies have operated in the past. But there are still a lot of companies out there that are not sure how to leverage Twitter."
Twitter itself seems to be in a similar boat when it comes to making money out of the service.
"We are not feeling as dogged as people think about this issue," said Mr Stone.
"We are looking at this this year and want to start showing progress on the revenue front. Right now we have plenty of time and plenty of money in the bank and patient investors. We are here to build a lasting company."
But industry commentators worry that time is running out and such a laissez-faire approach threatens the company's survival.
"Twitter is a traditional dotcom company. They have a lot of visibility but they are not making any money," technology analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle group told BBC News.
"Until they start making money to pay the bills, their likelihood of surviving is relatively low.
"Oprah can't help you out if you are not making money. She rarely writes cheques to support non-profitable companies." |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8561286.stm | Plans for a new high-speed rail network, featuring 250mph trains, have been announced by Transport Secretary Lord Adonis.
The government is recommending a route for a new line between London and Birmingham with a future extension to northern England and Scotland.
The public will be consulted on the proposed route, with work unlikely to start until 2017 at the earliest.
Network Rail said high-speed rail "can drive economic growth and boost jobs".
Lord Adonis told the House of Lords that the views of communities along the route would be particularly sought.
Faster travel, but at what cost?
"Subject to this consultation, the London terminus for the high-speed line would be Euston, the Birmingham city centre station would be at Curzon Street, and there would be interchange stations with Crossrail west of Paddington and near Birmingham airport."
The preferred route will run out through north-west London, skirting to the south-west of Aylesbury, then to the west of Buckingham and the east of Brackley and Banbury, before passing between Leamington Spa and Coventry and running into the eastern side of Birmingham.
A future extension is being considered to northern England, which would run in a Y shape with one branch to Sheffield and Leeds and the other to Liverpool and Manchester.
Lord Adonis said the project would create 10,000 jobs and yield £2 in benefits for every £1 spent.
He said the first 120 miles between London and the West Midlands would cost between £15.8bn and £17.4bn.
The cost per mile beyond Birmingham is then estimated to halve, taking the overall cost of the 335 mile Y-shaped network to about £30bn.
The main opposition parties are also committed, in principle, to the need for a high-speed rail network.
However, reaching the necessary political consensus for a particular route may prove to be difficult ahead of the general election.
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said the Conservatives were not prepared to "blindly accept" the route proposed by ministers.
She added that if the Conservatives are elected to power, they would start work on the project in 2015 - two years earlier than the government's plan.
Scotland's Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said developing high speed rail to Scotland "is central to the economic case for high-speed rail in the UK".
Network Rail chief executive Iain Coucher said high-speed rail was "a vital part of a modern, dynamic economy".
He also said that it would "take cars and lorries off the road, cut domestic flights and release capacity on the existing rail network, transforming services even for those communities not served directly by a high-speed line.
"It is the low-carbon, sustainable transport of the future."
Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc), said: "The commitment that all three parties have shown to HSR [high-speed rail] is a vote of confidence in the industry, and will help place train travel at the heart of a successful low-carbon economy.
"The plans must be affordable at a time of real constraint in the public finances and must show how HSR will be paid for while continuing to invest in the existing network on which passengers make more than a billion journeys a year."
For the past year, the government-backed company High Speed Two has been working on plans to develop a new high-speed rail network, initially between London and Birmingham.
The new line could cut the journey time between the cities to just 46 minutes.
Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT union, said: "We welcome any move to expand the rail network and to bring more passengers on to the trains.
"However, development of HSR in the UK has been left in the slow lane because of our fragmented, privatised system which puts short-term profits first and long-term, strategic planning a very poor second."
Patrick Begg, director for the National Trust's Thames and Solent region, said the proposed route could cause "serious and significant impacts on the landscape" of the Chilterns.
He added: "We're taking a keen interest in how these impacts have been considered and assessed, particularly exploring the government's proposals for mitigating against these impacts through design and tunnelling.
"Like many people, we're yet to be convinced that the overall business case for HS2 - the high-speed line - stacks up environmentally, financially and socially."
Geraldine Nicholson, the chairwoman of No Third Runway Action Group (NoTRAG), which is opposed to Heathrow Airport expansion, said: "If the government thought it was going to get plaudits from us for its plans, it is sorely mistaken.
"What we want to see is an HSR scheme that goes all the way to Scotland, a scheme that is designed to make it easy for people to use the train instead of the plane.
"We will oppose any scheme that does not involve the dropping of the third runway."
Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus chief executive, said he welcomed "the commitment that the new line will be an addition to the current network - not a bolt-on rich man's railway".
He added: "The ability to turn up and travel remains a key attraction of Britain's railway. This new line, with fast frequent services could, with attractive fares, start to revolutionise intercity rail travel." |
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-south-yorkshire-39049246/home-office-decides-against-changing-law-to-ban-edl-marches-in-rotherham | Attempts to ban repeated marches by far right groups in Rotherham have been rejected by the government.
Since 2012, 16 protests have been held in the town by groups including the EDL and Britain First, at a cost of £4m.
South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings had had been seeking special powers to stop the protests but the Home Office said it had no plans to change the law. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/health-36356756/could-eating-more-fat-boost-health | Could eating more fat boost health? Jump to media player Advice to eat more fat is irresponsible and potentially deadly, Public Health England's chief nutritionist has said.
'More people obese than underweight' Jump to media player There are now more adults in the world classified as obese than underweight, according to a major new study.
Is butter back? The sat fat debate Jump to media player Saturated fats have long been vilified but now there are attempts in some quarters to rehabilitate them. What is the science?
Could eating more fat boost health?
Advice to eat more fat is irresponsible and potentially deadly, Public Health England's chief nutritionist has said.
Dr Alison Tedstone was responding to a report by the National Obesity Forum, which suggests eating fat could help cut obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The charity said promoting low-fat food had had "disastrous health consequences" and should be reversed. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-12011862/pledge-to-end-child-asylum-detention-next-may | Child detention to end in May Jump to media player The government says it will stop detaining children of failed asylum seekers next May.
Immigrant children detention to end Jump to media player There will be no children in immigrant detention centres this Christmas, and the practice will be stopped by May, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said.
The Government has promised to stop detaining the children of failed asylum seekers by next May.
Families will stay in secure housing while they wait to be deported - but children will be allowed out with minders.
The news was confirmed at a press conference held in London and attended by the deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg.
It heard from Lorin Sulaiman who fled Syria with her mother and sister and sought asylum in the UK. She described how terrifying it had been for her, as a young teenager, to be held in a detention centre. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40324354 | The Co-operative Bank says it is in "advanced discussions" with a group of existing investors with a view to raising new funds.
The bank said it was responding to media speculation over the weekend regarding its recapitalisation.
Co-op Bank was forced to offer itself for sale in February after it was unable to reach a strong enough footing to satisfy Bank of England regulations.
Those rules require UK banks to be able to meet long-term capital requirements.
The bank, in which the Co-operative Group still has a 20% stake, was rescued from the brink of collapse by a group of hedge funds in 2013.
In a statement, the bank also said talks were continuing over the separation of its pension fund from the Co-operative Group's scheme.
Under the current arrangement, the bank must carry a share of the Co-op Group's £8bn pension liabilities, something which is proving unattractive to potential investors.
Meanwhile, the bank said that as well as exploring potential recapitalisation it was also proceeding with its sale process.
Earlier this year it reported its fifth annual loss in a row, although the £477m deficit for 2016 was an improvement on the £610m loss recorded in 2015.
When it offered itself for sale, the Co-op Bank blamed low interest rates and the higher-than-expected cost of its turnaround plan for its failure to meet the Bank's Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) rules.
The Co-op Bank has four million customers and is well known for its ethical standpoint, which its board said made it "a strong franchise with significant potential" to prospective buyers. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-39671753/wildflower-super-bloom-visible-from-space | Wildflower 'super bloom' seen from space Jump to media player Following years of drought, California's deserts have erupted with a "super bloom" of wildflowers visible even from space.
Watching volcanoes with satellites Jump to media player A UK-led team of scientists is rolling out a project to monitor every volcano on Earth from space.
Sixty years of space garbage Jump to media player Millions of pieces of man-made trash are now orbiting the Earth. Some are tiny, but all pose a risk to space craft and satellites. And that threat is growing.
Earth's magnetic rocks seen from space Jump to media player The best depiction yet of the magnetism retained in Earth's rocks, as viewed from space.
An explosion of wildflowers has covered the deserts of California, surpassing previous blooms in its enormous scale.
Satellite imaging startup Planet Labs has captured shots of the bright spectacle from space. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-42295523 | The son of late Labour politician Carl Sargeant has said he wants to succeed his father in the Welsh Assembly.
Jack Sargeant, 23, has put his name forward for the Labour nomination in Alyn and Deeside where a by-election is to be held after his father's death.
He said he wanted to continue his father's "legacy" in the constituency.
Carl Sargeant was found dead four days after being sacked by First Minister Carwyn Jones after allegations had been made about his personal conduct.
A QC will examine the circumstances leading up to Mr Sargeant's death.
Sargeant: When did Jones know claims?
Labour announced earlier this week its own inquiry into the allegations against him would not continue.
Engineering graduate Jack Sargeant from Connah's Quay, Flintshire, said taking on the role would be a way to repay the kindness shown by the community to his family following his father's death.
"The community spirit and love and support offered by them has been unbelievable and I know that we can't thank them enough," he said.
"So I want to continue the good, hard work Dad gave us and also repay them for the love and support that they have shown us as well."
It is understood Welsh Labour intends to draw up a shortlist of candidates, with local party members having the final say.
Other parties have yet to select their candidates, with the by-election on 6 February.
Jack Sargeant said it had been "extremely difficult" for his family following his father's death.
"It's a hard situation for anyone to go through and we are no different. But we will get through it."
The final decision will be made by the local Labour members in Alyn and Deeside in the New Year but it is difficult to see how anyone can or even will want to compete with the emotional weight of the son of Carl Sargeant standing on a ticket of continuing with his father's work.
The first minister has been under intense pressure over the way he handled the sacking of Carl Sargeant and this won't make it any easier as a number of inquiries get under way. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-england-leeds-47665487 | Wakefield score four first-half tries to set up a 33-22 win over Salford Red Devils in Super League.
Huddersfield Giants move two points clear of bottom club Leeds Rhinos with a high-scoring win at London Broncos.
M62 West Yorkshire eastbound severe accident, between J27 for M621 and J28 for A653 Dewsbury Road.
M62 West Yorkshire - Two lanes closed and queuing traffic on M62 eastbound between J27, M621 (Gildersome) and J28, A653 (Tingley), because of a multi-vehicle accident.
A646 West Yorkshire both ways severe disruption, from Rivendell to Stoodley Glen.
A646 West Yorkshire - A646 Halifax Road closed in both directions from the Rivendell junction to the Stoodley Glen junction, because of a burst water main. Traffic is coping well. Diversion in operation.
Ayo Obileye's penalty moves Maidenhead 11 points clear of the National League relegation zone as they win away at Halifax.
Charlton keep their League One play-off hopes alive with a hard-fought win over bottom club Bradford at The Valley.
Huddersfield are relegated from the Premier League as second-half goals from Luka Milivojevic and Patrick van Aanholt earn Crystal Palace three points at Selhurst Park. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/newsbeat-47863873/virtual-reality-to-stop-bullying-tech-tested-in-schools | Using virtual reality to stop bullying Jump to media player Stay silent? Confront them? The tech allows children to role play and learn about empathy.
Children go on virtual school trips Jump to media player Humberston Cloverfields Academy in North East Lincolnshire has installed a virtual reality classroom.
Students get virtual taste of warfare Jump to media player A virtual First World War trench experience is created by a Tamworth firm.
You've heard of virtual reality in gaming. Now it’s being suggested as a way of tackling bullying in schools.
A new app has been created by the Open University to get children to think about prejudiced attitudes towards people from different backgrounds.
Radio 1 Newsbeat's Nomia Iqbal tries out the tech and speaks to those behind the idea. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3150657.stm | Forty years ago, 250,000 people gathered peacefully in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC to demand equal rights for black Americans. It was a watershed moment for the civil rights movement and became the most vaunted protest in American history.
On a sweltering summer's day on 28 August, 1963, Martin Luther King delivered his magnificent "I have a dream" speech, which is often remembered as the overwhelming inspiration of the day. It reached millions of white Americans watching the march on TV and opened their eyes to the injustices millions of black Americans were suffering.
It helped galvanise people of all races and create an unprecedented bipartisan coalition for anti-racist legislation.
Dr King was the national leader of the civil rights movement, but what of the ordinary people who were caught up in this extraordinary movement? What of the anonymous "foot soldiers" who had joined the non-violent army?
They had risked much during their campaigns - boycotting segregated buses, staging sit-ins at white-only lunch counters and white-only schools, marching for their voting rights. Many had been kicked, beaten and thrown in jail.
Over the following pages, such foot soldiers remember the March on Washington, and describe their expectations, achievements, and disappointments.
We also hear from a woman, who at the age of 15, went alone to the march and later went in search of the Black Panthers, a "black power" movement which espoused the rhetoric of violent self-defence. By the mid-1960s, a number of civil rights leaders had repudiated Dr King's non-violent approach and ideal of integration.
He fought a pivotal battle in Birmingham, Alabama, during which police dogs and fire hoses were turned on black marchers.
She was a child of the movement, one of the numerous teenagers who took to the streets and filled the jails.
He campaigned in the south for civil rights and, later in the north, for economic rights. He worked on the co-ordinating committee for the march.
She was one of the few white northerners to go south to campaign in the name of freedom.
She says the march was the beginning of her life-long dedication to social action. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12531837 | An alcoholic drink a day can help keep heart disease at bay, according to a review of 30 years of research.
The work, published in the British Medical Journal, showed a 14% to 25% reduction in heart disease in moderate drinkers compared with people who had never drunk alcohol.
Another article, by the same Canadian research group, showed alcohol increased "good" cholesterol levels.
But experts said this was not a reason to start drinking.
For many years, studies have suggested that drinking alcohol in moderation has some health benefits.
Scientists at the University of Calgary reviewed 84 pieces of research between 1980 and 2009.
One unit of alcohol in the UK, equivalent to half a pint of normal beer, contains 8g of pure alcohol.
This review showed that the overall risk of death was lower for those consuming small quantities of alcohol, 2.5g to 14.9g, compared with non-drinkers.
The researchers also say regular moderate drinking reduced all forms of cardiovascular disease by up to 25%.
However, while consuming small quantities of alcohol had a beneficial effect on the number of strokes and stroke deaths, the risk increased substantially with heavier drinking.
Professor William Ghali, from the Institute for Population and Public Health at the University of Calgary, told the BBC: "Our extensive review shows that drinking one or one to two drinks would be favourable.
"There is this potentially slippery slope, most notably with social problems and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, but the overall mortality including cancer and accidents shows you would be better with alcohol."
Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This analysis of previous studies supports what we already know about moderate drinking reducing our risk of cardiovascular disease.
"However, drinking more than sensible amounts of alcohol does not offer any protection and can cause high blood pressure, stroke, some cancers and damage to our heart.
"If you don't drink, this is not a reason to start. Similar results can be achieved by being physically active and eating a balanced and healthy diet."
The researchers believe any beneficial effects are down to the alcohol itself, rather than anything else in a drink.
Their second study suggests that drinking up to 15g a day for women or 30g for men increased levels of good cholesterol, adiponectin and apolipoprotein, which have been linked to a healthy heart.
They said this pattern was true for all types of beverage.
The research group believes that governments may have to change their messages on public health to argue for drinking alcohol in moderation.
Prof Ghali said: "There's no doubt a public health campaign would be controversial. We need to ponder the message of how a doctor talks to a patient and how the government talks to the people."
Professor Lindsey Davies, president of the Faculty of Public Health, added: "It just strengthens the argument that a little bit does you good, but a lot does you harm, but that always makes a public health message hard." |
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-32303686 | I am a bit puzzled by some of the economic messages sent out by David Cameron and the Tory manifesto.
Take his eye-catching initiative that those working on the minimum wage will be permanently taken out of paying tax by legislation guaranteeing that the tax-free allowance will rise in line with the national minimum wage.
This is supposed to show, according to the prime minister, that the Conservatives are the party of "working people, offering security".
And if you pay no tax, that presumably demonstrates that "work pays", to use the great cliche.
But Tories have also traditionally been the party that has attacked the "something-for-nothing society".
And what's odd about guaranteeing that huge numbers of employed people will never pay tax is that David Cameron appears to be comfortable about the notion that these people can enjoy all the expensive services and benefits provided by the state without making even a gesture of a contribution towards them.
In fact, the way the policy is framed explicitly underwrites the idea of something for nothing, since the promised tax free allowance is equivalent to 30 hours of work per week on the minimum wage - and a 30-hour week happens to be the level at which households can claim full tax credits or benefits on top of a salary now guaranteed to be tax free.
Now to be clear, this is not remotely to suggest that people on minimum wage don't need or deserve help from the state. This is not a point about whether the state is too generous to them.
It is about the contract we all make with the state.
And there is an argument that says all workers should make some kind of tax contribution, even if it is a fraction of the value of the benefits they receive, simply to foster the idea that - in the words of Mr Cameron's close colleague, George Osborne - "we are all in this together", and if we should all pay our subscription for the help we receive from the government.
And there is another point.
There is a bit of a risk that if too many people and employers get used to the idea that they never need to go to the administrative and financial bother of paying tax, they'll keep their declared earnings at the tax free level - which will either keep them poor or will encourage the expansion of black-market, off-the-books remuneration.
So it could be a further depressant to income tax revenues, which have been flat-lining anyway during the economic recovery, and it could stimulate all sorts of unhealthy personal work incentives.
And another thing, about the extension of right-to-buy from council houses to housing association homes.
The point is that the collapse in the provision of social housing over the past 20 years means that housing association properties tend to be occupied by the poorest and most vulnerable, frequently those on housing benefit.
So as my colleague Chris Cook points out, just 23% of households in rented accommodation from a housing association contain someone in full time work, with a further 11% containing a part-time worker.
Maybe some of these will be able to afford to buy their homes if they qualify for the biggest discount, of up to 70% of the value of the property - but if they've been in the property a shorter time, the discount is 35% for a house and 50% for a flat.
Interestingly a leading Tory pointed me towards the 31% of housing association properties occupied by a retired person. And if they're retired they will almost certainly qualify for the full 70% discount.
In other words, this policy could be seen as a bribe to older people to vote Tory and gain a guaranteed windfall of many tens of thousands of pounds by buying their homes at a fraction of its true value.
Which could, I suppose, secure a few useful votes in marginal constituencies.
It would be interesting to know how many of these housing association homes occupied by older people are in marginal constituencies.
First, it is slightly odd perhaps that the Tories want to raise a further £1.4bn from slashing the tax relief available to high earners from saving for a pension - partly because it makes the pensions system even more complicated than it is today, and partly because of the negative message it will be seen as sending about the importance of saving for retirement.
That said, Labour's recent press notice on its slightly different raid on pension tax relief for the highest paid described its initiative as a crackdown on tax avoidance - which most savers would regard as little short of insulting.
But more striking is the distinction David Cameron and George Osborne make between the election goodies they need to finance through tax rises or spending cuts, and those they don't.
The distinction, I am told by a senior Tory, is between pledges that continue what the government has done year after year in this parliament and those that are new.
That is why, he said, David Cameron has announced a raid on the pension relief received by high earners to pay for the rise to £1m in the threshold for inheritance tax for a married couple.
But he said there's no need to fund the promised £8bn of NHS spending increases or £6bn of increases to tax thresholds because these are in tune with what they've done to NHS funding and tax thresholds in the current parliament - and therefore we should trust them to find the money in due course to continue with these giveaways.
Except that in the case of the 40% tax threshold, the reverse is true. As every newspaper in Britain has been banging on about for year after year, there has been no substantial real increase in the 40% threshold in this parliament - so all sorts of people who don't think of themselves as rich pay this higher rate of tax.
Which means that not coming up with a credible way for lifting the threshold to £50,000 - which Mr Cameron has promised - seems odd and contrary to the Tories' unusual (ahem) fiscal principles.
Just for clarification, the threshold for the 40% rate of tax was raised above the rate of inflation for the first time in this parliament in the last Budget. But this was a first and wasn't a theme of the parliament.
That said, I should point out - which I think is obvious, but is not to an irate member of Tory high command - that if you are on low pay you are likely to be pleased to receive a guarantee that you won't pay income tax.
Similarly, if you are someone (young or old) living in a housing association property with no wealth to your name, it is better than a kick in the teeth to be told that you are in line for a hefty windfall from your new right to buy your property at a discount of up to 70%.
In that sense, and to state the bloomin' obvious, David Cameron and George Osborne are challenging directly the charge that they are only interested in helping the well off.
These policies can be seen as addressing directly the idea that there is too much financial inequality in Britain. They represent Cameron and Osborne taking on the guise of One Nation Tories.
And the important philosophical distinction is that they believe a fairer society will be built by cutting taxes and privatising institutionally held assets, in contrast to Labour's approach of forcing companies to increase low pay, of breaking up the banks and capping energy prices. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-22072150 | Glasgow City Council urged people to stay away from the city's George Square after hundreds gathered to mark the death of Baroness Thatcher.
In a statement posted on their website, the council said it was concerned the gathering was intended to be a "party".
The event was organised by posts on social media.
It's believed the gathering took inspiration from the song George Square Thatcher Death Party by the Glasgow group Mogwai.
The council said it had become aware of plans for an event circulating on social media, and about 250 people gathered in the square outside the city chambers by early Monday evening.
The statement said: "Regardless of whether or not it's appropriate to have a party to celebrate someone dying, this event was organised without involvement or consent from the council and we have safety concerns for anyone attending.
"We urge people to stay away."
By around 22:00, the crowd was reported to have dispersed without incident. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43365710 | Elon Musk says his companies SpaceX and Tesla are both still alive only "by the skin of their teeth".
The entrepreneur told an audience at the South by South West (SXSW) conference that both companies almost went bankrupt in 2008.
"I gave both SpaceX and Tesla a probability of less than 10% likely to succeed," he said during a Q&A session.
Mr Musk said he made $180m (£130m) when PayPal was acquired by eBay in 2002, and he initially put $90m into SpaceX and Tesla, but the costs kept mounting.
He said 2008 was an incredibly difficult year - SpaceX's Falcon 1 rocket failed for the third time, and Tesla almost went bankrupt two days before Christmas.
By this point, he only had about $40m left.
"I could put it all into one company, and the other company would definitely die, or if I split it into both SpaceX and Tesla, then they both might die," he said.
"And when you put your energy into building something, it's your baby, so I couldn't choose. I put the money into both, and thank goodness they both came through."
Mr Musk also got divorced, and he said he had to borrow money from his friends to pay his rent.
"SpaceX is alive by the skin of its teeth, and so is Tesla - if things had just gone a little differently, both companies would be dead," he said.
Mr Musk said he had to be the chief engineer for the Falcon 1 because he couldn't get any other suitable candidates to join the company, and he didn't want to risk his venture on engineers he felt weren't of the right standard.
And although he can now afford to hire as many talented engineers as he would like, he still continues to spend 80-90% of his time working on engineering and design at both SpaceX and Tesla, leaving other executives to manage the business side of the companies.
However, he said that over time, he felt Tesla had caused him far "more drama" than SpaceX.
He also said his tunnelling firm, the Boring Company, was started as a joke because he thought the name was funny, and although he tweets about it a lot, it actually only takes up about 2% of his time.
When asked why he decided to go into the space industry and electric cars, he explained that he had been interested in both subjects when he was in university.
He also said he didn't feel enough progress had been made in recent years on space travel.
"I wondered why we weren't making progress with getting people on the moon, and where are all the space hotels we were promised in 2001: A Space Odyssey?" he said.
"The genesis of SpaceX was not to create a company, but how do we get Nasa's budget to be bigger?"
Mr Musk remains convinced that life on Mars is both possible and necessary.
He fears another "dark age" should a third world war occur, and feels that Mars will be integral to helping the human race survive and regenerate.
He also feels there are plentiful business opportunities there.
"They will start off building a rudimentary base... then this will open up a world of new opportunities, because Mars will need pizza joints, great bars - Mars Bars," he said. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/992304.stm | Beautiful people are ruining others' chances of happiness. At least, that is the conclusion of mathematicians, who have found out what many people have known for years: personality is more important than looks.
Unrealistic expectations of finding a partner with film star good looks are creating an unhappy society, believe the researchers.
Instead of fantasising about George Clooney or Jennifer Lopez, people would be better off picking a partner according to random personal preferences.
The research, reported in New Scientist magazine, is based on a mathematical model that gauges the happiness of society based on the way people pair up.
The test, originally invented in the 1960s by researchers at the University of California, showed that if people were ranked randomly for attractiveness, everyone should be able to end up with a reasonably satisfactory partner.
But two other mathematicians decided the test was unrealistic in a society bombarded with images of the ideal man and woman.
Guido Caldarelli, from the University of Rome, and Andrea Capocci, from Fribourg University in Switzerland, decided to put beauty into the equation.
They devised a new test, with a "Vogue factor", by which some people were considered intrinsically more attractive and desirable than others.
Each computer-generated person in the model was given an intrinsic beauty, and a weighting factor U was introduced which determined how much influence beauty had on society.
When U equalled zero, as in the 1960 test, all 1,000 people in the test found a partner ranked at 70 or better in their list of preferences.
But when U was even slightly greater than zero, the best-looking people rose to the top of everyone's wish list. In this case, even an averagely attractive person might have to make do with someone they judged no more than 900th on the beauty list.
As a result, society became measurably miserable. Only the lucky, beautiful few found what they wanted.
Dr Caldarelli, interviewed in New Scientist magazine, said: "Even if the more beautiful players have a larger satisfaction by far, the general dissatisfaction in the system increases.
"When the concept of 'most beautiful in the world' tends to be the same for everyone, it becomes more and more difficult to make more people happy." |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5117170.stm | Oil production in Iraq has hit its highest level since former leader Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003.
Production has risen to 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) from a steady 2 million bpd during the US-led invasion, Iraq's new oil minister said.
Hussain al-Shahristani added that production was expected to rise to 2.7 million bpd by the end of the year.
"We have been able to break records," he said of the government, which has been in place for just over a month.
Before the war, output was around 3 million bpd, peaking at a record of 3.5 million bpd.
During an interview with CNN, Mr Shahristani said that Iraq's target now was to challenge Saudi Arabia's position as the world's leading oil producer.
To that end the oil minister said he expected output to rise to approximately 4m barrels per day by 2010, increasing to 6m bpd by 2012. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-41093350 | A theme park that refused entry to a Sikh family for refusing to hand over a ceremonial dagger has revoked its ban on allowing the knives inside.
The family was celebrating their son's sixth birthday at Drayton Manor Theme Park in June but were turned away when an adult refused to remove his Kirpan, worn as a symbol of faith.
The daggers were not allowed in the park for health and safety reasons.
But the park said they are now allowed, although guidelines must be followed.
The dagger, or sword, is one of five symbols initiated or baptised Sikhs wear.
The family, from Coventry, was offered a replacement necklace which the adult refused.
The park said at the time that an independent health and safety report confirmed wearing a sheathed dagger, or anything similar "posed a viable compromise to safety".
But after discussions with the Sikh Council UK, the park said it had changed its rules.
In a statement the park said: "As with any business we continually review and update our policies.
"In this instance, through in-depth consultation with the Sikh Council, Drayton Manor Park has resolved to welcome Sikh visitors wearing Kirpans adhering to mutually agreed health and safety guidelines."
Sikh Council UK said it had worked closely with the park and welcomed its "positive engagement". It added it hoped other visitor venues would now follow the example. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/308542.stm | "The Americans were interested in saving money, the Belgians were interested in saving face, and the French were interested in saving their ally, the genocidal government," said Alison Des Forges, a scholar on Rwanda and author of the report.
UN officials are accused of consistently refusing troop requests by the commanding officer of the UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda.
Lt Gen Romeo Dallaire of Canada warned of 1994's systematic killing, but support forces were never sent.
Belgium pulled its troops out following the deaths of 10 Belgian peacekeepers on the first day of the genocide. Belgium subsequently supported the US position against increasing the peacekeepers' mandate.
France, a close ally of the Hutu government in Rwanda, has been accused of sending them military support both before and during the genocide.
Entitled "Leave none to tell the story," the 771-page report criticises the US, Belgium, France and the UN Security Council because they "failed to act effectively".
"Even worse, foreign leaders reacted timidly and tardily once the killing began," says the report.
Last week, the UN Security Council said it supported an independent inquiry into UN activity, and the actions of Security Council permanent members, before and during the genocide between April 6 and July 4, 1994.
More than half a million of the country's minority Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were killed in that time.
The new report, published by the US-based Human Rights Watch group came out a week before the fifth anniversary of the 90 days of slaughter in Rwanda.
As Rwanda's elections continued on Wednesday, President Pasteur Bizimungu said he was happy with the conduct of the polls so far.
Addressing voters in Kigali prefecture he said: "This is to foster development nationwide because the population has been given the right to shape their own destiny, by choosing their own leaders."
Bizimungu said that after the current "sector level" elections, the next move was to conduct elections at higher units of Rwanda's administrative structures. He did not say this would take place. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41053044 | When the Twitter account of a prominent Yemeni political commentator and high-profile social media user fell silent on 14 August, it did not go unnoticed.
Hisham Al-Omeisy is usually a prolific tweeter, known for his updates, in both English and Arabic, about the social and humanitarian crisis in his country.
The 38-year-old has around 25,000 followers, among them many international media outlets, journalists and humanitarian workers who turn to him for insights about what's happening within Yemen.
So when his account suddenly went quiet, those who have come to rely on him for valuable information, quickly knew something was wrong.
Al-Omeisy has been critical of both sides of the war in Yemen. On one side of the conflict are the Houthi rebels, who are in control of the north. On the other is the President-in-exile Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is supported militarily by Saudi Arabia and eight other mostly Sunni Arab states. Aid agencies say the two-year war has created a humanitarian catastrophe.
So what was it that resulted in Al-Omeisy's social media silence?
His last tweet, on 13 August, the day before he was detained, spoke of "armed goons" turning up outside his door at his home in Sanaa.
Image caption Hisham Al-Omeisy's last tweet before he was detained.
A few hours after that tweet a close friend posted that Al-Omeisy was seen being taken away in a convoy of three cars full of armed people, in an area controlled by Houthi rebels.
Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty have issued statements calling on the Houthis to release him.
In a statement to the Washington Post, Samah Hadid, Director of Amnesty International's advocacy campaigns in the Middle East, said, that Al-Omeisy's arrest was in violation of Yemen's laws.
"Hisham Al-Omeisy has been detained without charge or a court appearance in breach of Yemen's constitution, which requires anybody arrested to be presented in court within 24 hours."
Human Rights Watch also added that he had not been given access to a lawyer or allowed to be in touch with his family.
Hisham Al-Omeisy also spoke to the BBC for a video in April called Guess My Country.
Several thousand have used the hashtag #FreeHisham.
Yemeni activists also told BBC Trending that Al-Omeisy's arrest has made them more cautious about what they say on social media.
"There has been huge self-censorship after Hisham was arrested," Afrah Nasser, an independent freelance journalist and a human rights blogger based in Sweden, told BBC Trending, "It's very very scary actually because the more silenced people are, the less we know..."
Image caption Hisham Al-Omeisy's social media posts provided vital information from Yemen.
BBC Trending also spoke to Wameedh Shakir, an activist based in Sanaa, who is vocal on Twitter. Despite some of the perceived dangers of being active online in her country, she remains defiant. "We are used to such practices and we keep going on."
Indeed, Human Rights Watch says it has documented 66 cases of people arbitrarily detained or forcibly disappeared since 2015. Some Yemeni organisations say the numbers are much higher. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-37160171 | Detecting traces of perfume could help in the fight against crime, a study suggests.
Scientists have found that the chemical components of a fragrance can transfer from one person's clothing to another's - even if any contact is brief.
The scent's signature lingers for days, although it lessens over time.
The team says this is a proof-of-principle study, but suggests that perfumes have the potential to be used as trace evidence.
The researchers, writing in the journal Science and Justice, said that analysing fragrances could be a useful tool in cases where there has been close physical contact, such as sexual assaults.
Lead researcher Simona Gherghel, from University College London, said: "We thought there was a lot of potential with perfume because a lot of people use it. We know about 90% of women and 60% of men use perfume on a regular basis.
"While there is a lot of work in forensic science on transfers - for example, the transfer of fibres or the transfer of gun-shot residue - until now there has been no research on the transfer of perfumes."
Perfumes are concocted from many different chemical components, which in combination give an individual fragrance its distinctive smell.
The researchers, looking at a single male fragrance, found that some of these components were easily transferred from one piece of cotton to another.
When the two pieces of material were pressed together for just a minute, 15 out of 44 chemical components were detected on the second piece of fabric. If the contact time increased to 10 minutes, 18 components were measured.
The scientists also tracked how time affected the transfer of the volatile compounds.
They found that five minutes after an initial spray of fragrance, 24 out of 44 perfume components were detected on the second piece of fabric after it had been in contact for 10 minutes. Six hours after the perfume was applied, 12 components were transferred and seven days later, six volatile components were retained.
Dr Ruth Morgan, director of the UCL Centre for the Forensic Sciences, said: "It is a pilot study and a proof-of-concept study. We've shown that first, perfume does transfer, and second, we can identify when that transfer has happened.
"In the future there could well be situations where contact between two individuals is made and this is a way of discerning what kind of contact is made and when it was made."
However the team added that any evidence would have to be collected extremely quickly after an offence, which could limit its usefulness. They said it was also unlikely that fragrance would be used alone to solve a case.
Dr Morgan added: "It is not going to be a one-stop indicator. In most investigations we would be hopeful that there would be multiple lines of investigation. We wouldn't want it to just be DNA or just a fingerprint or just perfume. But in combination, with other forms off evidence, that's the way it builds up into a very compelling picture."
The team said more work now needs to be done to assess how perfumes transfer in more realistic forensic reconstructions. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-15521713 | All of Suffolk's 44 public libraries will remain open under plans to create a new organisation to run them.
Suffolk County Council has proposed setting up a charitable trust - an Industrial and Provident Society (IPS) - which would get 95% of its funding from the council.
The council said the libraries would cost £6.487m a year, compared to the £8.961m budget for 2010-11.
The county said most staff would be transferred to the new IPS.
The Conservative-run county council said it needed to make cuts of £110-125m over four years, following a reduction in its grant from central government.
Earlier this year, the council proposed that 29 of its smaller libraries should be run by community groups, but the new proposal replaces that.
Judy Terry, councillor with responsibility for libraries, said it would put the service on "a strong and sustainable footing".
"We want to free the library service from unnecessary council bureaucracy so that it can thrive and it's fully costed on the basis of keeping the full network open," she said.
"We are not abandoning the idea of community groups becoming involved in the running of their libraries.
"Community groups will be able to opt for a level of responsibility they feel able to take on."
The council said the new IPS would get an 80% reduction in property rates and be able to apply for external funding.
It would work with the council but be independent.
Ms Terry said about 20 posts would go in a service which currently has the equivalent of 160 full-time posts.
She said the job losses would be in the management tiers and would not affect what she called "front-line" staff.
Local libraries would be expected to come up with the other 5% of their funding through efficiency savings or through generating income via things like book clubs, coffee mornings or school holiday events.
It is also proposed that the mobile library service runs monthly visits rather than fortnightly ones.
The proposals go before the county council's cabinet on 8 November. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-15395685/the-disappearing-island-in-the-chesapeake-bay | The disappearing island Jump to media player The residents of Tangier Island, which is only three hours from Washington, DC, are fighting for the island's survival.
Altered States: Lost land Jump to media player Following the US Civil War, many slaves acquired land which their family had worked for generations. Among them were the ancestors of Fred Lincoln.
Tangier Island lies in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay and is 92 miles (148km) southeast of Washington, DC. This small piece of land is barely above sea level and its 500 residents are fighting for its survival.
First settled in 1686, the island at times had over 1,200 residents and during the War of 1812 it served as a staging area for British soldiers.
Now fishing restrictions, erosion and rising sea levels have resulted in most of the younger members of this tightly knit community looking for opportunities elsewhere.
The BBC's Franz Strasser went to Tangier Island to see how the remaining islanders are coping with a difficult future. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-12049846/waitrose-lorry-crashes-into-farmhouse-in-devon | The son of a Devon householder has described being woken up by a Waitrose lorry crashing into his family's home.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the jack-knifed lorry on the A3052 at Newton Poppleford caused some traffic problems after hitting the farmhouse.
Shaun Carter, who was asleep when the lorry hit the house, said he rushed to find out if the driver was injured. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-birmingham-45190170/gb-gymnasts-promote-world-cup-return-to-birmingham | Birmingham gymnasts Dominick Cunningham and Joe Fraser, fresh from their success at the European Championships, were back in the city earlier.
They were helping to promote the Gymnastics World Cup which will be held in the city next year.
At the European Championships they took team silver with Dominick also taking a gold medal in the individual floor competition.
Both have set their sights on the World Championships in Qatar followed by the World Cup at the Genting Arena in March. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-47747366 | An up-and-coming singer-songwriter has died aged 22 after suffering from an aggressive form of cancer.
Billy Clayton, from Norwich, was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma when he was 18 and underwent treatment at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.
His death was announced by his mother Becky Lawrence who described her son as "one of the most genuinely talented and special people ever".
"Billy's music and art will and must live on," she added.
"He wants to be celebrated for this and deserves to be known for his talent."
Billy had been supported by BBC Introducing in Norfolk and had performed at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk last year on the Inbetweeners stage.
Sophie Little, a presenter of BBC Introducing in Norfolk, said: "We first came across Billy at a showcase he did at Access Creative College and we were impressed by his originality and songwriting.
"As we got to know him, it was obvious he was more than just a musical talent - he was a warm and kind person, and highly thought of by everyone around him.
"It was always a joy to hear new songs from him."
In September, Norfolk band Let's Eat Grandma and Suffolk singer Bessie Turner were among those who performed at the Benefit for Billy gig in Norwich.
Mr Clayton, whose music style has been described as electro overlayed with elements of pop and indie, was allowed out of hospital to attend and said he had "much fun".
He was finishing his A-levels when he was was diagnosed with the rare bone cancer. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/141814.stm | After a long career that has taken him both to the height of Japan's political powerhouse, and has seen him embroiled in scandal, Kiichi Miyazawa is to become Japan's new finance minister.
It is a position that the Prime Minister-elect, Mr Obuchi, described as the most important job in Japan.
At 78, Mr Miyazawa has already served as both finance minister and prime minister. But both positions ended in his resignation over bribery scandals.
Mr Miyazawa won his first election victory in 1953, representing the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima and its environs, and has since served in 13 cabinets.
He was head of Japan's economic planning agency before becoming finance minister in 1986.
But after two years in the post, Mr Miyazawa resigned when close aides were linked to a scandal involving the issuing of share preferences in return for political favours.
Despite this setback, in 1991 he became prime minister. However, his comeback proved to be short-lived.
His cabinet was dissolved in 1993 following a successful no-confidence motion due to another bribery scandal involving party members and the transport firm Sagawa Express Ltd.
The BBC correspondent in Tokyo says that despite his experience, the veteran politician does not always get it right.
Critics blame Mr Miyazawa low-interest rate policy for helping produce the "bubble economy" of the late 1980s, which collapsed in the early 1990s with devastating effect.
In 1992 he said the economy had touched bottom and was about to take off. Six years later Japan is suffering its worst recession since the war.
However, Mr Miyazawa enjoys a close relationship with many top finance officials in the United States and his international connections are seen as vital attributes in the current situation. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4176381.stm | A watchdog has concluded Tony Blair did nothing wrong by failing to declare a holiday with a tobacco industry figure, Downing Street has said.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Sir Philip Mawer, investigated the prime minister's stay at a French home of Alain Perrin.
A Tory MP, Chris Grayling, had complained the stay was not in the MPs' register of interests.
But the stay did not need to be declared, Downing Street said.
"Sir Philip Mawer, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, has dismissed a request from Chris Grayling MP that he should investigate whether or not the prime minister should have registered his stay with Alain Perrin in August 2002," the spokesman said.
"Sir Philip agreed with the prime minister's decision not to register the hospitality and said there was no merit in pursuing the issue further."
The Blairs stayed with Alain Perrin, then chairman of a company said to have a stake in British American Tobacco, in 2002.
The Sunday Telegraph newspaper said the family spent five days in Mr Perrin's 15th Century chateau in south-western France.
The Commons rules state that an MP is required to disclose any information of any "material benefit which ... might reasonably be thought by others to influence his or her actions, speeches or votes".
Mr Blair caused controversy three years ago when his family stayed in Sharm-el-Sheik at the Egyptian taxpayers' expense.
Since then he has paid for two further visits. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47621526 | Indian authorities are investigating a possible smuggling ring after discovering a live human embryo in a suitcase at Mumbai's airport.
A Malaysian national was allegedly found with the embryo in a canister concealed in his luggage on 16 March.
The man, who reportedly admitted this was not the first time he had smuggled embryos into India, then led officials to a high-end IVF clinic in the city.
But the clinic has vehemently denied being involved, alleging a set-up.
The man said he was taking the embryo to the clinic when questioned, Rebecca Gonsalves, representing the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which is investigating the case, told Mumbai's high court on Monday.
According to the Times of India, a number of text messages backing up his claim were also found.
But Dr Goral Gandhi, described as an embryologist who runs the clinic, says this is not true.
Her lawyer Sujoy Kantawalla told the court: "The petitioner does not import embryos as part of her business."
He went on to blame "a conspiracy hatched by persons which may include competitors", the Indian Express reported.
The court ordered Dr Gandhi to present herself for interview on Friday.
IVF, which has become increasingly popular in India in recent years, is the process whereby an egg is fertilised in a laboratory and then implanted into the womb.
Embryos can be frozen and stored for several years, with some people donating them to other would-be parents.
However, it is illegal to import embryos into India without a permit from the Indian Council of Medical Research.
China birth rate: Mothers, your country needs you! |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3503804.stm | A Fife man who discovered a rare Neolithic axe head while out walking near his home is facing prosecution for refusing to hand it over.
Under Scots Law such finds are Crown property but until now it is not thought anyone has faced court action.
Michael Kelly discovered the 6,500-year-old axe head, one of only 30 in the UK, in a field last year.
Mr Kelly, from Leslie, has been told that court proceedings will follow if he does not hand over the artefact.
The former film stunt man said he discovered the axe head while scouting locations for a movie script he is working on.
"I didn't know it was an axe to start with, I just thought it was a fancy stone," he said.
"I picked it up and took it to the archaeologist and he told me it was 6,500 years old."
Mr Kelly initially thought his discovery would help him fund his film project - but he was wrong.
Fife Council's archaeologist Douglas Speirs said that under Scots law such finds were claimed by the Crown.
The items were usually then given to a local museum or, in the case of finds of high importance, to the national museums.
"This is a system which benefits everybody," said Mr Speirs.
"It enables the shared cultural importance of Scotland to be shared and enjoyed by everybody."
The axe head is known to have been made at Killin on Loch Tay.
Mr Speirs said it was an "extremely exciting" find and that its real value was in its story.
"It adds to our knowledge of the number of axes produced at that site and it adds to our knowledge of how widely these things were circulated.
"In archaeological terms this is a significant find," he said.
The Crown has told Mr Kelly that he must hand over the axe head or face prosecution.
The deadline has now passed, but he said he would not budge.
He usually keeps the axe buried in a secret location and warned that he may even leave it there.
"At the end of the day I didn't ask to find it, I didn't steal it from anybody," he said.
"The stand-off has now come to a head" |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/11/ | Yasser Arafat dies in hospital in Paris, aged 75, bringing to an end more than 40 years of rule over the Palestinian people.
At least 150 skiers, many of them children, die in an intense fire on board a funicular railway in the Austrian Alps.
The Rhodesian Government, led by Prime Minister Ian Smith, illegally severs its links with the British Crown.
The Church of England's parliament votes by a narrow margin to allow women to be ordained as priests.
The southern African state of Angola gains its independence from former colonial power Portugal.
Thousands of elderly people take part in a rally in London calling for an increase in their pensions.
A painting by Vincent Van Gogh is sold for $49m (�27m) - a world record for a work of art. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1655262.stm | Bleary-eyed ministers from 142 countries are meeting to consider the "final text" of an agreement that could launch a new round of world trade talks.
World Trade Organisation spokesman Keith Rockwell said that the draft was being presented on a "take it or leave it" basis as the "last best shot" to reach a deal.
Negotiators have worked through the night to find an acceptable draft agreement and overcome big remaining differences, after the trade talks overran their scheduled conclusion.
The European Union emerged as a big winner overnight, after making some concessions on agriculture.
"It was clear from the very beginning that we have to give and to take also something," European agriculture commissioner, Franz Fischler said.
"[Trade Commissioner] Pascal Lamy, and I myself, we recommend [EU ministers] to accept the text," he said.
In return for the EU's concessions, negotiators agreed to stronger language on trade and the environment, something very important to European public opinion.
"Things are going favourably, although we are not there yet," UK environment minister Michael Meacher told BBC News Online.
Croissants and sausages were sent in as rumours of the deal circulated among delegates attending the trade talks in the luxury Sheraton hotel, overlooking the sparkling waters of the Gulf.
Journalists woke from overnight sleep on chairs and sofas.
But developing countries may still raise objections to the plan.
An Indian delegate told the BBC that it is "very unhappy" about the expansion of trade talks to include competition and investment - something it had fought hard to eliminate.
World leaders have set high hopes on an agreement, in order to revive confidence in the world trading system as the world faces an economic slowdown.
And developing countries have already made some gains in the negotiations.
The trade negotiators earlier agreed a deal to help developing countries gain access to cheap medicines by easing patent laws should there be a health emergency.
The key to European Union gains in other areas was its readiness to accept compromise language to get a deal on agriculture.
Initially, the EU has been resisting pressure for an agreement in principle to phase out agricultural subsidies.
Other countries, especially from the Cairns group of agricultural exporting nations, have been pressing the EU to reduce its generous agricultural subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy, worth $90bn a year.
They say the aim of negotiations should be a "substantial reduction in, with a view towards phasing out, agricultural export subsidies".
Now the EU has accepted this language, provided that it is accompanied by the words that "without prejudging the outcome of the negotiations."
In return, the EU wants to ensure that the issue of trade and the environment is firmly on the agenda for the next round of trade talks.
It has now got an commitment to an accelerated work programme in this area and the acceptance of national environmental impact statements as part of future trade deals.
There will also be discussion on eco-labelling, which may be illegal under current trade rules.
EU trade ministers are expected to approve the deal at a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council at the Intercontinental Hotel this morning.
But they may be forced to make further concessions to Thailand and the Philippines over the level of tariffs on tuna.
This was after both countries objected to a separate deal between the EU and the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, granting them trade preferences.
"We still cannot altogether rule out the possibility of the trade ministers leaving empty handed" |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25363016 | It is easy to forget sitting in an elegant meeting room in the Dutch parliament that, to many people, Geert Wilders is an outcast, a politician beyond the mainstream. And then there are the reminders.
For reasons of security, the curtains have to be closed during the interview and Mr Wilders recounts how a magazine has placed him in fourth position on an al-Qaeda hit list. It is to underline that he has been more outspoken about Islam that almost any other European politician.
But Geert Wilders senses this is his moment, that the next six months may deliver his best chance to become a European player and not just an agitator. All his energies are focused on the European elections in May. For the forthcoming campaign he has already announced an anti-establishment alliance with Marine Le Pen's National Front in France. Both leaders are currently ahead in many polls. Their dream is that European voters, seething with discontent, will deliver a massive protest vote against Brussels and the political establishment.
I asked Geert Wilders whether he wanted to bring down the European Union. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do," he replied, "in a way that I would like the Netherlands to leave the European Union."
He believes that democracy can only exist in a nation state and Europe is not a nation state so he wants to bring down Europe and restore the nation state and democracy. So he finds himself campaigning for a parliament that he wishes to undermine. He takes issue with my word "undermine" as being too negative but concedes he wants nothing to do with institutions like the European Commission. He does not want to reform the EU but to replace it with nation states set free from the shackles of Brussels.
So why should people vote for him? I ask. "To fight against the European monster," he says, which, in his view, "only wants more power". His hope is that his alliance will become one of the biggest parties in Europe next May and that this will signal a new reality in European politics. It would be very surprising, however, if these anti-establishment parties got more than 30% of the votes in the European elections and there are many divisions between them.
I point out to Mr Wilders that Nigel Farage, the leading eurosceptic in the UK, has shunned his new alliance. He expresses his respect for Mr Farage and hopes that after the elections things will change. I point out it is because the UKIP leader thinks his party might be extreme. He answers that he has been ahead in the Dutch polls for over half a year and that the Netherlands is a tolerant country, so it follows that he cannot be extreme.
At the centre of his campaign will be immigration. His message to those Bulgarians and Romanians planning to take advantage of the freedom to travel and work anywhere in the EU after 1 January is to "stay home". He thinks it crazy that when his country has more than 700,000 unemployed, outsiders are being invited in to work.
The day before I visited Mr Wilders he had proposed a resolution that the government should not allow workers from Romania and Bulgaria to enter the Netherlands from 1 January. Some 80% of the MPs in the Lower House had voted against the resolution but he maintained that polls showed that 80% of the Dutch electorate wanted the restrictions to continue. He dismissed UK Prime Minister David Cameron's moves as "too little too late". "People will come anyway," he said. He wants them to be prevented from working whilst there is an economic crisis. If, in the months ahead, many people do migrate from Bulgaria and Romania, this may prove his strongest card at the polls.
Geert Wilders is a conviction politician. He says he will continue to say what he believes to be right and he will never break. He repeats his criticism of Islam. Yes, he says, the majority of Muslims in the UK and the Netherlands are "law-abiding people whose concern is to have a good life, a good education for their children and a good job and I have nothing against them" but "yes, I believe Islam is a fascist ideology... and yes I believe there is no place for Islam in our continent".
I say that many people would say his comments could stoke up tensions between communities. "I'm staying away from anything," he says "that has to do with stirring up anything."
His critics denounce him as a xenophobe and a nationalist. He replies that he is a patriot. In the past he has proved a magnet for the discontented. At the last election in the Netherlands, however, he fared poorly. This time round he is calculating that a sluggish economy, resentment at bailing out other eurozone countries and disillusionment with the European project will turn voters his way. In the months ahead, European officials will denounce him as a wrecker, a politician who is bent on tearing up more than 50 years of European achievements. Political leaders in Europe are gearing up to raise the stakes in these elections. They will cast them as about the future of the continent. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47312166 | Democrats 2020: Should Bernie Sanders' fundraising worry rivals?
On Tuesday Bernie Sanders announced he would seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. On Wednesday he demonstrated why he will be a formidable candidate.
In 24 hours the Vermont senator amassed $6m (£4.6m) in small-dollar campaign contributions from more than 225,000 supporters.
That number dwarfs the rest of the Democratic field, including the previously impressive $1.5m mark California Senator Kamala Harris brought in from 35,000 donors in her first day as an official candidate.
Mr Sanders' fundraising prowess shouldn't come as a huge surprise, however.
In 2016 he raised $228m, which allowed him to compete on equal financial footing against Democratic establishment favourite Hillary Clinton. During that campaign he compiled a list of millions of donors. On Tuesday, the senator essentially reopened the spigots and waited for the campaign cash to flow in.
There were questions, though, about whether the enthusiasm for the Democratic Socialist's campaign four years ago would translate into equal levels of support this time around.
Perhaps those on the left were more interested in a fresh face in 2020, or would divide their loyalty among a number of different candidates.
Beto O'Rourke, who may end up running for president, raised $38.1m in three months last year in his bid to win a Texas Senate seat - besting any quarterly mark set by Mr Sanders in 2015.
Maybe he was the kind of candidate who could really fill the coffers now.
If one day's work is any sign, however, Mr Sanders - the man who reinvented the small-donor-funded campaign - still has his magic.
Sanders enthusiasm is high by another metric, as well. In the day the senator's campaign announcement video has been up on Twitter, it has garnered more than five million views. Cory Booker and Ms Harris's videos have over four million, but they've been in the race for weeks.
Unlike any of his competitors currently in the field, he has a battle-tested organisation ready to hit the ground rolling - and it shows.
None of this guarantees that Mr Sanders will win the Democratic nomination, of course. He had the money and the social media buzz in 2016 and came up well short of Mrs Clinton in the Democratic primary contest once the ballots were cast.
The challenges that the Vermont senator faced back then - an inability to connect with minorities and older and more moderate members of the party - haven't been erased. In addition there are some Democrats who still resent the acrimony of the 2016 campaign and view another Sanders campaign as an unwelcome reminder of previous pain.
Polls - while very early in the process - do show Mr Sanders doing well nationally and in early voting states, but he's hardly breaking away from the pack or putting up the percentages he did in a much less crowded field last time around.
If the Vermont senator wants the Democratic nomination, he's going to have to work for it. What this week indicates, however, is that Mr Sanders will have the time and resources to make his case to American public.
Bernie Sanders has joined the race to stop Donald Trump from being re-elected. But who else has a shot at becoming the next president? |
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-the-papers-45429026 | The naming of the two Russian agents accused of the Novichok attacks in Salisbury is the lead for almost every paper - and their pictures appear widely on the front pages.
For the Daily Express headline, they are the "smirking assassins sent by Putin".
The Daily Mail describes them as "Putin's smiling assassins", and the Daily Mirror calls them "the smiling poisoners".
But the Guardian says there is no prospect of either ever returning to British soil.
As the Times points out, Russia will never extradite them to Britain, and they may never travel to a country in which the European Arrest Warrant obtained in their names could be used against them.
The Daily Telegraph says it remains unclear how Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov secured visas to travel undetected, smear Novichok on to the door handle of Sergei Skripal's home in daylight and then discard the bottle it was carried in.
Nigel West - the espionage author - writes in the Telegraph that their identification takes us back to the darkest days of the Cold War, when trained KGB killers were deployed to hunt down defectors - often using theatrical methods of elimination.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock writes in the Daily Telegraph ahead of his speech pledging to bring NHS IT systems into the 21st Century.
He describes them as "downright dangerous" and promises a "bonfire of the fax machines" and outdated technology.
"The fact that your hospital can't see your GP record, or that you as a patient don't have control over your own data, or that even within the same hospital different departments have to write down basic details is expensive, frustrating for staff, and risks patient safety," Mr Hancock says.
"What is in our food?" the Daily Mail asks, after tests by local councils first revealed by the BBC showed that nearly one in five samples of meat from restaurants and shops contained products from animals which were not on the label.
They included "lamb" korma with a 100% beef, and "pork" sausages with lamb, beef and chicken in them.
The paper says the use of tainted meat appears to be part of a scam across the food sector - mainly involving small independent businesses but also some supermarkets - that is designed to mislead and profiteer.
Consumers have every right to be outraged, it says.
Would you go to a rock concert wearing ear plugs or cotton wool to protect your hearing?
That's what Roger Daltrey - lead singer of the Who - is urging fans to do after saying that fronting "the world's loudest band" made him go deaf.
He tells the Sun he covers his ears when he goes to gigs because he "can't take the volume" - and says fans shouldn't be embarrassed.
"The music sounds just as good if you put a bit of cotton wool in your ears," he promises.
Finally, a 999 call from residents in a village in Norfolk last weekend reporting the sound of gunfire and screaming children from a neighbouring garden sparked an immediate response by police.
However, the Daily Express reports that when they got to the house in Yaxham, the found a little boy's birthday party was under way.
The Sun says eight-year-old Oliver Green and 18 friends in camouflage caps had been firing foam pellets from plastic guns.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the three officers joined in the celebrations and posed for photos with the children.
The Daily Mirror reports that a force spokesman said no offences had been committed. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31943633 | The UK is to establish the largest, continuous marine reserve in the world, around the Pitcairn Islands.
The Pacific zone will cover 834,000 sq km (322,000 sq miles) - more than twice the land area of the British Isles.
The intention is to protect the wealth of ocean life from illegal fishing activities.
A satellite "watchroom" has been established to monitor vessel activity, and to gather the information needed to prosecute unauthorised trawling.
The announcement of the reserve came in Chancellor George Osborne's pre-election Budget.
The Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Geographic Society, who campaign on the need for marine reserves, welcomed the news.
NatGeo explorer and TV presenter Paul Rose told BBC News: "Ocean leadership like this from our government is exactly right. It protects the pristine waters of our overseas territories and sets an example to the rest of the world, giving hope and encouragement to future generations. Thank you UK government."
The UK already had the largest continuous, fully protected marine reserve in the world - around the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. This area, established in 2010, is 640,000 sq km in size. (The US Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument is larger at 1.2 million sq km but is not continuous).
Conservationists believe such zones are an essential component in the toolbox of measures required to tackle the colossal trade in "dark fish".
It is thought as many as one in five fish are landed outside of national or international regulations. The value of this trade could exceed more than $20bn (£13bn; 17bn euros) a year, according to some estimates.
Much of the theft is perpetrated by industrial-scale pirate operations that think the vast expanse of the oceans can hide their behaviour.
Some of the confidence to establish reserves leans on new satellite technologies that are able now to track and follow the pirates. This is being done in the new watchroom, established at the Satellite Applications Catapult in Harwell, Oxfordshire. It is a partnership between the Catapult and Pew, and is called Project Eyes on the Seas.
Its smart systems not only track vessels but analyse their movements. And by incorporating additional data, such as sea conditions and probable fish locations, Project Eyes can make predictions about what the vessels are likely to be doing. Algorithms provide automated alerts.
In conjunction with the Pitcairn designation, The Swiss-based Bertarelli Foundation has agreed to HELP fund the watchroom to support the designation of the Pitcairn reserve for the next five years. Project Eyes, which has been in a demonstration phase until now, is ready go into full operation and it could be used to provide support for other reserves as well.
Jo Royle, who manages Pew's Global Ocean Legacy campaign in the UK, said: "There is talk from the UK government that they will now designate Ascension Island. They're talking to islanders to understand their marine resource needs.
"We're also trying to get South Sandwich Islands designated as well. And this year could be a big year because Chile are talking about designating Easter Island, and Palau are talking about designating the waters around themselves. The issue is rising up the political agenda."
The Pitcairns are one of the most remote island groups in the world.
The British Overseas Territory comprises four islands - Pitcairn itself, Henderson, Oeno and Ducie.
Pitcairn is the main island with a population of about 60 people. Famously, most of the inhabitants are descended from crewmembers of the mutinous British Royal Navy's Bounty ship, who settled the area with their Tahitian companions in 1790.
A survey of the waters around the islands shows they are not particularly productive in terms of the high-value pelagic species. Tuna fishing, for example, takes place well to the north.
But there is concern that if illegal operations do move into the immediate waters around the Pitcairns, they could decimate the marine life that does exist there very rapidly.
The waters' main claim to special status is really their pristine nature. The range of species that occupy the complex community of hard and soft corals is impressive. These include two species found nowhere else on Earth: a species of squirrelfish and the many-spined butterfly fish. Also, the area is home to many important bird species, such as the Henderson petrel (endangered), whose only known breeding spot in the world is on Henderson Island.
The UK government said it would proceed with the designation of Pitcairn on the basis that all the satellite monitoring arrangements are put properly in place, and that any naval costs can be accommodated within existing departmental expenditure limits. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2288906.stm | Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes his side's poor start to the season could have been avoided.
The 2000-2001 champions made their worst start to a Premiership campaign, picking up just eight points in their first six games.
They have also seen Arsenal take their record-breaking form into the new season.
And Arsene Wenger's side are in such stunning form that they are now almost universally considered to be the team to beat.
But Ferguson believes his players have squandered chances that could have helped them avoid their stuttering start to the season.
"We could have done better," he said. "The bitter pill comes from the matches at Chelsea, Sunderland and Leeds.
"We should have won those games easily and we are disappointed with that.
"The way the league is shaping up at the moment, you can't afford a lot of mistakes.
"But we are coming into a decent run of form and hopefully we can keep it going."
Wins over Tottenham and Charlton have helped the Red Devils climb to fourth in the table, but they remain six points adrift of the Gunners.
Injuries have also played a part in United's failure to capture top form early on.
But Ferguson believes the return of Paul Scholes at the weekend after a knee operation could be key to their hopes of staying in touch with the leaders.
"I can't ignore how much of a relief it is to have Paul back in the side," he said.
"It doesn't matter whether it is midfield or attack, he is such a great player you know he will produce.
"It is never easy when you are missing players like that."
Things are not so promising for last season's top scorer Ruud van Nistelrooy, who sustained a hamstring injury against Bayer Leverkusen.
He came on as a substitute against Charlton to score his fifth goal in four games, but Ferguson admitted the injury has left him in a quandary.
"I took a risk with Ruud on Saturday but if we keep playing him the injury could get worse," said Ferguson.
"We have kept it in check quite well so far, but it is a problem."
"It's great to have Scholes and Gary Neville back" |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11424547 | A fisherman in Costa Rica has been explaining his unusual relationship with a crocodile called "Pocho", who he plays with like a pet dog.
Chito says he found the reptile with a gunshot wound 20 years ago on the banks of the Parismina river and nursed him back to health at his home.
He says he released Pocho into the wild but he followed him back, and the pair have been inseparable ever since. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-33145525/documentary-celebrates-the-life-of-britain-s-elvis | Dave Grohl: 'I think I just broke my leg' Jump to media player Dave Grohl, the lead singer of the rock band, the Foo Fighters, gave a new meaning to the phrase "break a leg" after falling off the stage during a concert in Sweden.
Billy Fury was often described as Britain's answer to Elvis and as one of the biggest stars of the 1960s, he left a powerful legacy.
The Beatles once auditioned to be his backing band, and Morrissey credited him with inspiring his quiff.
Now a new documentary all about him is opening in cinemas, looking at the highs and lows of a life that ended prematurely. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3746079.stm | Talks aimed at averting a threatened national strike by thousands of rail workers are to be held on Friday.
Leaders of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union will meet Network Rail officials for preliminary discussions over pay and pensions.
An RMT spokesman said if the talks were successful, "in-depth negotiations" would start next week.
Union members voted in favour of strikes last week but Network Rail is hoping to resolve the dispute.
Network Rail chief executive John Armitt, said: "This is a welcome move as the company works with the unions to avert damaging industrial action."
If strikes do go ahead, they are expected to cause the worst disruption on the railways for 10 years.
The RMT is seeking an improvement to a 3% pay offer and travel concessions for staff.
Union members have also expressed anger over the closure of the company's final salary pension scheme to new workers.
Mr Armitt recently told BBC News the RMT's demands on pension and travel would cost £40m and the pay demand £11m.
The extra money was more than the cost of an original 3% pay offer, according to Mr Armitt, who added: "There is not a lot of money available."
Management's move to begin talks was welcomed by the union on Monday.
Last week, the RMT ballot of about 7,000 signalling and maintenance workers backed a strike by 2,947 to 2,246.
Network Rail later released figures showing that signal workers only narrowly backed industrial action, while maintenance staff voted more heavily for walkouts. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/10332975 | Scientists have revealed that they think bones found in a German cathedral are those of one of the earliest members of the English royal family.
The remains of Queen Eadgyth, who died in 946, were excavated in Magdeburg Cathedral in 2008.
The granddaughter of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, the Saxon princess married Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, in 929.
The findings were presented at the University of Bristol on Thursday.
A spokesman from the university said the bones were the oldest surviving remains of an English royal burial.
As the half sister of Athelstan, who is considered to have been the first king of all of England, Eadgyth had at least two children with Otto and lived most of her married life in Magdeburg, in what is now the state of Saxony-Anhalt. She died aged about 36.
She was buried in the monastery of St Maurice but her bones were moved at least three times.
She was finally interred in an elaborate tomb at Magdeburg Cathedral in 1510, wrapped in silk in a lead coffin.
A study of the bones at the University of Mainz confirmed that the remains were those of a woman who died aged between 30 and 40.
Professor Kurt Alt found evidence that she was a frequent horse rider and ate a high-protein diet, including a lot of fish, hinting at her high status.
Director of the project Professor Harald Meller, of Germany's State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology, said: "Medieval bones were moved frequently and often mixed up, so it required some exceptional science to prove that they are indeed those of Eadgyth.
"It is incredible that we have been able to do this using the most recent analytical techniques."
Crucial evidence came from the study of teeth in Eadgyth's upper jaw.
Researchers at the University of Bristol's Department of Archaeology and the Institute of Anthropology at Mainz University studied strontium and oxygen isotopes that mineralise in the teeth when they form.
Dr Alistair Pike, from the University of Bristol, explained: "By micro-sampling, using a laser, we can reconstruct the sequence of a person's whereabouts, month by month up to the age of 14."
They found the isotope results exactly matched records of Eadgyth's childhood and adolescence in Wessex.
Professor Mark Horton said: "Eadgyth seems to have spent the first eight years of her life in southern England, but changed her domicile frequently, matching quite variable strontium ratios in her teeth. Only from the age of nine, the isotope values remain constant.
"Eadgyth must have moved around the kingdom following her father, King Edward the Elder, during his reign.
"When her mother was divorced in 919 - Eadgyth was between nine and 10 at that point - both were banished to a monastery, maybe Winchester or Wilton in Salisbury."
Her bones will be reburied in Magdeburg Cathedral later this year, 500 years after they were interred there in 1510. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7531490.stm | Author Sir Salman Rushdie has emerged as the frontrunner to win the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, adding to his three existing Booker awards.
The 61-year-old, who first won with Midnight's Children in 1981, is in the running for this year's prize with The Enchantress of Florence.
He faces competition from 13 other writers including Aravind Adiga, Joseph O'Neill, Linda Grant and Tom Rob Smith.
The winner of the £50,000 prize will be named at London's Guildhall in October.
The award, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, is given to the best novel of the past year by an author from the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth.
Sir Salman's latest tells the story of a woman attempting to command her own destiny in a man's world.
It explores the differences between East and West, using the settings of Renaissance Italy and the ancient Mughal Empire.
Earlier this month, Sir Salman's Midnight's Children won the Best of the Booker prize, voted for by the public.
The same novel also won the Booker of Bookers in 1993.
Hot on Sir Salman's heels this year is the debut novel by Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger.
Adiga, Time magazine's Asia correspondent, exposes the underbelly of India's new Tiger economy using a series of letters sent by her main character, Balram, to the Chinese prime minister.
Joseph O'Neill's post-9/11 novel Netherland, is a story about dreams, love and friendship through the eyes of one man's love for the game of cricket.
The Clothes On Their Backs - a story about survival and how garments inform who we are by Orange prize-winner Linda Grant - also makes it into the longlist.
Alongside it is Tom Rob Smith's Child 44, a critically-acclaimed detective thriller set in Soviet Russia.
Also in the running are Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh and The Secret Scripture by the previously-shortlisted Irish writer Sebastian Barry.
The longlist was chosen from 112 entries; 103 were submitted by publishers and nine were called in by the judges.
According to the chair of the panel Michael Portillo: "The judges are pleased with the geographical balance of the longlist with writers from Pakistan, India, Australia, Ireland and the UK."
"We also are happy with the interesting mix of books - five first novels and two novels by former winners, " the former MP added. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34312879 | Nearly one billion people across the world live in extreme poverty, struggling to survive on the equivalent of about $1.25 a day. The United Nations aims to lift every single one of them out of this category within 15 years.
It's an ambitious target, and this weekend 150 world leaders will meet to work out how they're going to do it. But is it even possible?
For more about the facts on world poverty, watch Prof Rosling present Don't Panic - How To End Poverty In 15 Years on BBC Two at 20:00 on 23 September - or catch up later online. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-23431486 | The number of foreign direct investment projects in Scotland increased by 16% in 2012-13, according to official figures.
UK Trade and Investment said the figure for the UK as a whole rose by 11%.
The UK government's Trade and Investment Minister Lord Green called the figures "a vote of confidence" from foreign investors.
The Scottish government said the statistics showed firms were not being deterred by the independence debate.
A total of 111 projects in Scotland attracted overseas money last year, up from 96 the previous year.
Although Scotland performed better than the UK as a whole in increasing the number of projects last year, it fell behind Northern Ireland and Wales.
The number of projects increased by 41% in Northern Ireland and by 191% in Wales.
Commenting on the figures, Lord Green said: "The UK has received a major vote of confidence from foreign investors, confirming that the UK remains a world-leading business destination.
"Attracting foreign investment is an important element of the UK government's economic and growth programme, and UKTI will continue to work with companies to help create and sustain a globally attractive, highly competitive and truly international economy."
The Scottish government said the figures showed that the possibility of independence for Scotland had not reduced inward investment.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said the UKTI report "provides welcome recognition that Scotland is out-performing the UK at securing inward investment".
He said: "This report shows that Scotland reported record numbers of FDI projects in 2012/13, which demonstrates the continued attractiveness of Scotland as a place for investment and growth as we approach the referendum.
"With the full fiscal and economic powers of independence, the Scottish government could do even more to strengthen international investment." |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-39797513 | Voting is under way in polling stations across Oxfordshire in the local council elections.
All seats are up for grabs at Oxfordshire County Council, which is currently ruled by 31 Conservatives supported by two Independents.
Labour currently has 15 seats, the Liberal Democrats hold 11 and the Green Party has two. There are also two other non-aligned Independents.
Polling stations are open until 22:00 BST with results due on Friday. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-46694316 | The only casing stone from the Great Pyramid of Giza to be displayed anywhere outside Egypt is to go on show in Edinburgh.
The large block of fine white limestone will go on display at the National Museum of Scotland from 8 February.
It will be on public view for the first time since it came to Scotland in 1872.
The news comes on the bicentenary of the birth of Astronomer Royal of Scotland, Charles Piazzi Smyth, who arranged for it to come to the UK.
It is one of the few surviving casing stones from the Great Pyramid and will be displayed in a new, permanent gallery at the museum called Ancient Egypt Rediscovered.
It will form the centrepiece of a display about the design and construction of pyramids in ancient Egypt, the only display of its kind in the UK.
It was brought to Britain for Charles Piazzi Smyth, who, alongside his geologist wife Jessie, conducted the first largely accurate survey of the Great Pyramid in 1865.
The couple originally displayed the block in their Edinburgh home.
Built for King Khufu and dating about 2589-2566 BC, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex.
While its interior was made from local stone, it was clad in bright white, polished limestone brought from a quarry at Tura, 15km (9 miles) down the Nile.
It would have gleamed in the sun and had a smooth, shining finish, unlike the rough, "stepped" surface which is more recognisable today.
Dr Margaret Maitland, senior curator of ancient Mediterranean at National Museums Scotland said: "We are very excited to be able to offer our visitors the chance to see the only casing stone from the Great Pyramid on display anywhere outside of Egypt.
"One of the seven wonders of the world, many people don't know that the Great Pyramid would have appeared very different when it was first constructed, thanks to a pristine cladding of polished white limestone.
"This casing stone will give visitors to the National Museum a fascinating insight into how one of the most iconic buildings on the planet would have once looked."
Few casing stones survive on the Great Pyramid itself.
In 1303 AD, a huge earthquake loosened some of the stones, many of which were taken to use for buildings elsewhere.
The block in National Museums Scotland's collection was found buried among rubble at the foot of the Great Pyramid.
On display alongside it will be some of Charles Piazzi Smyth's measuring equipment and statues of Imhotep - the inventor of the pyramid who was later deified as a god of wisdom - and of King Snefru, who commissioned the first true pyramid.
Ancient Egypt Rediscovered is a new, permanent gallery at the National Museum of Scotland, covering 4,000 years of history.
The opening of the gallery coincides with the 200th anniversary of the first ancient Egyptian objects entering National Museums Scotland's collections.
Objects on display include the only intact royal burial group outside Egypt, the only double coffin ever discovered in Egypt and a cosmetics box which is one of the finest examples of decorative woodwork to survive from ancient Egypt.
The gallery will also chart the remarkable contribution made by Scots to the development of Egyptology.
It is one of three new, permanent galleries to open at the National Museum of Scotland on 8 February.
The others are Exploring East Asia and Art of Ceramics.
The launch of these three galleries marks the end of a 15-year, £80m transformation of the National Museum of Scotland. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cumbria/8416722.stm | A temporary bridge is to be built in the flood-hit Cumbrian town of Workington, says the government.
The community was effectively split in half in November when unprecedented water levels destroyed Northside Bridge and badly damaged nearby Calva Bridge.
Barker Crossing, an Army-built footbridge named after Pc Bill Barker who was swept to his death, has since helped unite the two sides of the town.
The new road bridge should open by late spring 2010, said the county council.
It is likely to be built at a spot between the Northside and Calva bridges.
At the moment, Workington motorists must cross the River Derwent at Cockermouth's Papcastle Bridge - a detour of about 18 miles.
Transport Minister Sadiq Khan said: "We have already funded the temporary footbridge over the Derwent and provided additional investment for train services.
"I'm delighted that the support we have provided has now helped Cumbria County Council to take this important step forward towards the temporary road bridge which will make such a difference to the people of Workington.
"Government funding will allow the bridge to be built as soon as possible and we have agreed to provide further support to help the council ensure the contractors deliver the bridge quickly and effectively."
The bridge, which will have two lanes and be able to support HGVs up to 44 tonnes, will remain in place until a permanent bridge is built.
Plans for such a bridge are under way, but it is like likely to take about two years to plan and build, said a council spokesman.
The Highways Agency is also planning engineering measures to reduce the congestion at Papcastle caused by the increased traffic, he added.
A tender notice to build the temporary bridge will be published later this week, with a 4 January deadline for contractors. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-44452265 | Social media firms need to limit features that hook youngsters on devices, Children's Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, has said.
Streaks, the number of consecutive days people have sent Snapchat messages to each other, should be dropped, she told the Telegraph.
She also pinpointed autoplay videos and algorithms that identify interests to serve youngsters with more content.
Snapchat said its streaks were not designed to encourage addiction.
In an interview with the newspaper, Ms Longfield said: "I would like all these to be looked at and really reduced down, if not taken away.
"The internet is set up to be addictive. All of the algorithms on it are silently working there to keep us addicted, whether it is the little dots that come up to tell you someone is writing a reply, to the YouTube video that moves on to the next in a nanosecond."
A Snapchat spokesperson said that Snapstreaks were designed to allow friendships to deepen over time and were meant to be light-hearted and fun.
In recent updates, the streaks indicator has been made smaller to make them less of a focus, the spokesperson added.
The UK's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Matt Hancock does not allow his own young children to have mobile phones.
The Children's Commissioner's words also echo those of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said earlier this year that spending too much time on sites such as Facebook could pose as great a threat to children's health as being obese.
He has met with executives from Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Google and Apple to discuss the issues.
He asked them whether they could provide evidence of what constitutes too long online and whether they can provide ways of alerting children who have exceeded that amount of time.
Since the meeting, Apple has introduced Time Limit in its latest operating system. This will allow users to pre-determine how much time they should spend using individual apps and setting off an alert when that allowance is used up.
And, at its developer conference, Google also focused on moves to reduce screen-time, with pop-ups on YouTube telling youngsters to "take a break" after a certain amount of time, pre-determined by parents.
Is social media causing childhood depression? |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/16/newsid_2519000/2519173.stm | Pop star Marc Bolan has been killed in a car crash in south-west London.
The 29-year-old former T-Rex singer was killed instantly when the car being driven by his girlfriend, Gloria Jones, left the road and hit a tree in Barnes.
Miss Jones - an American singer who had just returned from the US - broke her jaw and is suffering from shock.
The couple's 20-month-old son was not in the car when they crashed at 0400 BST on the way to Mr Bolan's home in Richmond after a night out at a Mayfair restaurant.
Miss Jones' brother - who was following their purple mini - told police the car was travelling at 30 mph (48.3 km/h) when it crashed at a notorious accident blackspot.
Phillip Evans-Lowe was driving to work at a local dairy when he witnessed the smash.
"When I arrived a girl was lying on the bonnet and a man with long dark curly hair was stretched out in the road - there was a hell of a mess, I rushed to get the police," he said.
According to the dead star's manager who was with them during the evening, Miss Jones had been drinking moderately at the restaurant.
"They did not have a lot to drink - just a bottle of wine with the meal and a few after," he said.
Mr Bolan had just completed a television series and was said to be poised to make a comeback after spending the last three years abroad as a tax exile.
His former manager, Tony Secunda, said the son of a Hackney porter whose real name was Mark Feld had always feared he would die in a car crash.
"He would never drive a car, he was always scared - Marc never had a driving licence, he refused to learn," he said.
A few days after the crash fans broke into Mr Bolan's home and stole most of his possessions.
Gloria Jones went back to America after recovering from the accident.
She was later summonsed to appear in court in London on charges of being unfit to drive and driving a car in a dangerous condition, but she never returned to face the allegations.
The couple's son Rolan Bolan settled in Los Angeles and became a musician and model for clothing brand Tommy Hilfiger. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8264345.stm | Two German ships have become the first Western commercial vessels to navigate the Northeast Passage - a shipping route which goes from Asia to Europe around the Russian Arctic.
One of the captains told the BBC that their journey opened new, exciting possibilities for the whole international shipping community.
Valeriy Durov, shipmaster of The Beluga Foresight, is your archetypal captain: a short man with a big moustache and a sense of great authority in his voice.
"I was slightly surprised by what we saw," he told us as we stood on the bridge of his cargo lifter.
"There was virtually no ice on most of the route. Twenty years ago, when I worked in the eastern part of the Arctic, I couldn't even imagine something like this.
"I think it will soon be possible to navigate the Northeast Passage all year round. We were escorted by an ice-breaker but, frankly, we could have done without it. This is great news for our industry."
Mr Durov's ship had just arrived in Arkhangel, a major sea port in north-western Russia. It was met by a cold, unpleasant drizzle and grey autumnal skies.
The numerous potholes on the port's berths had turned into deep puddles. To get to the mooring wall, you had to jump over them, navigating around endless stacks of pipes, wood planks and containers rather like a character in an old-fashioned computer game.
The scene was anything but glamorous. But it deserved so much more.
The Beluga Foresight is one of those ships that make history.
Experts in Russia say its journey from South Korea to the Russian North was a real breakthrough.
In the past, no foreign ships were allowed to cross the Northeast Passage.
But now Russia's security concerns have given way to the desire for a slice of the fat pie which is the international shipping business.
"This is an event of huge strategic importance," said chief commercial officer of the Arkhangel Sea Port Viktor Vorobyov. "It will signal the rebirth of this shipping route, and the renaissance of the whole of the Russian North."
Mr Vorobyov hopes that his port will soon become a major hub for trans-continental shipping.
And, from the business point of view, this would make perfect sense.
Going via the Russian Arctic cuts the distance from, say, South Korea to the Netherlands by up to 25%. This means the time in transit can be cut by as much as 10 days. And, as Captain Durov points out, "it is much safer up north: there are no pirates".
The Beluga Foresight is, then, setting a very important precedent.
Whether other ships will follow in its wake is still unclear: industry insiders point out that Russia's Arctic infrastructure is virtually non-existent, while the bureaucratic procedures are complicated, costly and time-consuming.
But the opportunity is now there. And - as far as sailors are concerned - a fanfare for a triumph of shipping might be in order.
For environmentalists, however, this journey is more of a call for alarm bells.
"This is a very clear signal of how weak the Arctic ice has become," says Alexei Kokorin of WWF Russia.
"The area of really heavy ice in the Arctic is now 10 times smaller than 10 or 20 years ago. Global warming is becoming more and more dominant - and it will affect all of us".
Some experts predict that there will probably be no ice at all left in the Arctic within the next few decades.
This might be good news for people like Captain Durov who will no longer have to keep a copy of Navigating Through Ice next to his seat on the bridge. But it might also spell disaster for low-lying areas around the world, from Dhaka to London. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39103389 | Media captionZoe Sharam bought her hepatitis C drugs off the internet.
A charity that tried to force the NHS to buy more of an expensive hepatitis C treatment received large amounts of money from the drug's manufacturer, the Victoria Derbyshire show has found.
The Hepatitis C Trust has taken £200,000 in grant funding from US drugs giant Gilead since 2014.
Last year, it unsuccessfully took NHS England to court for restricting access to the medicine on cost grounds.
The charity denied being influenced by the drugs industry.
It said it had always acted in the interests of patients.
In 2016, the Hepatitis C Trust brought a High Court action against NHS England to try to force it to reconsider a controversial decision to limit, or "ration", a new cure for hepatitis C.
The new range of pills, which has completely changed the way hepatitis C is treated, is thought to be 95% effective at curing the disease within eight weeks.
Before this, it could only be cured with a year of injections, often with damaging side-effects likened to those of chemotherapy.
The first of these new drugs, Sovaldi - manufactured by Gilead - has a list price of £34,983 for a 12-week course, although a confidential deal with NHS England will have reduced the final cost to the health service.
In 2015, the health watchdog NICE ruled it was cost-effective compared with older medicines.
NHS England set aside an extra £200m a year to pay for Sovaldi and other new hepatitis C treatments.
But in 2016, faced with the high price of the new pills, it decided to limit the drug to 10,000 people a year, rising to 15,000 by 2021.
An estimated 215,000 people in the UK are infected with hepatitis C, a virus that can cause liver damage and cancer.
Access is not restricted in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
In the charity's case against the NHS, Gilead - along with rival drugs-makers Bristol-Myers Squibb and AbbVie - were listed as "interested parties" to the court case, according to documents seen by the BBC.
An analysis of the charity's accounts shows it has longstanding financial links with drugs manufacturer Gilead, and other pharmaceutical companies developing new cures for hepatitis C.
In 2016, the Trust accepted a total of £334,700 from five large pharmaceutical companies - 35% of its total income.
For the financial year ending March 2016, it listed a £108,825 grant from Gilead.
This level of drug industry funding appears to be significantly higher than most other charities and patient groups working in areas of the health service.
Some refuse to accept any funding whatsoever from pharmaceutical companies.
Watch video journalist Jim Reed's full report into hepatitis C drugs on the Victoria Derbyshire website.
In September 2016, the charity lost its case. Mr Justice Blake ruled that the limit was "not an arbitrary cap", but a way of treating the most serious cases first.
In his ruling, the judge suggested the drugs companies themselves might have been funding the legal action.
Charles Gore, the chief executive of the Hepatitis C Trust, strongly denied this, and said the court case was publicly crowdfunded.
"We were doing this for patients. The fact that drug companies stood to benefit from it was neither here nor there," he said.
"We mustn't be in the pockets of big pharma [pharmaceutical companies], or seen to be in the pockets of big pharma.
"The NHS tries to influence us, the drugs industry tries to influence us, lots of people try to influence us. But it comes back to the same thing - what's right for patients?"
Other charities have been critical of patient groups that take large donations from drug companies working in the same area.
Nick Harvey from Doctors of the World UK, which campaigns for greater access to hepatitis C drugs, describes this trend as "very worrying".
"Invariably the charities focus on the NHS for not allowing medicines to be given to them, and the blame goes towards the NHS.
"Hardly any of the debate is about the pharmaceutical industry and how much the medicine costs in the first place."
One expert, Dr Andrew Hill - from the University of Liverpool - claims the drugs firm is making "vast profits here, tens of billions of dollars".
Gilead said any support it provides to patient organisations is given "transparently, in accordance with industry standards and all applicable regulations".
In a statement the company added: "Our hepatitis C treatments offer value for money, as independently assessed by NICE."
"Curing patients both prevents onward transmission of this infectious disease [and] greatly reduces the financial burden to the NHS."
An NHS England spokesman said "by focusing on the sickest patients [with the new oral treatments] we've reduced mortality from hepatitis C by over 10% in the space of just one year". |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-43049144 | A teenager who took his own life while in foster care was failed by agencies as he prepared to leave the care system, a review has concluded.
The boy, from Powys, killed himself three months before his 18th birthday after becoming anxious about living independently.
Agencies failed to account for his special educational needs to ensure a smooth transition, the review said.
Powys council apologised for failing to provide appropriate support for him.
How do we talk about teen suicide?
Zero suicide - is it achievable?
The review comes after a damning inspection report into Powys council's children's services in October 2017, which revealed missed opportunities to safeguard children, poor risk assessment and serious performance issues with frontline services.
The boy, called Child A in the report, was first taken into care at the age of two, having suffered neglect and severe physical and emotional abuse.
He was fostered until the age of six then adopted. While he returned to care aged 10 when that adoption broke down, parental responsibility remained with his adoptive parents.
He had an attachment disorder when he was first fostered, showed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder behaviours at the age of nine and had special educational needs.
At the time of his death he was living with foster parents but was worried about his pathway to independence and had significant concerns about what would happen once he turned 18.
The review, commissioned by Mid and West Wales Regional Safeguarding Board, said social services, health services, schools and other agencies failed to take into account his level of emotional resilience and troubled background, and did not sufficiently consider his feelings about leaving care.
It said he had a good relationship with his reviewing officer, therapist and had supportive foster carers, but he consistently told all professionals he was scared about living independently.
The review also found his adoptive parents were "highly anxious to see their son receive the support they perceived he needed" which created a "fractious relationship" with professionals.
It called for staff to be more empathetic when approaching working with families perceived as challenging.
The report also found there was confusion among staff about the good practice guide, When I am Ready, which allows eligible teenagers to remain in foster care beyond 18.
It said this had resulted in a "missed opportunity to be creative about Child A's pathway to adulthood so as to form a plan that would allay his growing fears".
The report called on professionals to "hear a child's concerns and consider creative solutions beyond traditional routes to independence" for looked-after children.
In response, Powys council said: "The local authority apologies unreservedly for the way in which it failed to provide appropriate support for this young man.
"It accepts in full the findings in the report, which is being used to improve the quality of the services available to children and young people who are or have been looked after."
The safeguarding board said it would support the council's work towards achieving the report recommendations.
Meanwhile, the Welsh Government has announced a new improvement and assurance board, replacing the current independent social services improvement board and extending its remit into the corporate sphere.
This would be made up of council leaders and members from the previous board.
Speaking in the Senedd, Children and Social Care Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said the announcement showed a "higher level of engagement" by the Welsh Government with Powys.
"Our support and encouragement is firmly there", he said.
However, he stressed that "the voice of the child is key" and it needs to be listened to going forward with Powys' improvement plans and implemented at every level on the ground. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21601608 | The value of virtual currency Bitcoin has reached an all-time high, trading at more than $33 (£22).
Its appreciation - up from just $2 in November 2011 - has been attributed to increased trust in security efforts.
The surge coincided with Japan-based MT Gox, Bitcoin's biggest exchange, announcing a tie-up with US firm CoinLab to bring its operations to the States.
However, recent high-profile thefts continue to worry some investors.
In September last year, 24,000 Bitcoins - which at the time were worth £157,800 - were stolen from another large exchange, Bitfloor.
In June 2011, a huge instance of fraud led to a market crash, with the value of Bitcoins at one point plummeting to almost zero.
But since then the currency has steadied somewhat, thanks in part to adoption by key websites such as Reddit and Kim Dotcom's file storage site Mega.
Other reasons given for the rise in value include the popularity of gambling websites accepting the currency. Bitcoin casinos have been reported to be bringing in about $500,000 (£330,000) profit every six months - with more growth expected.
Unlike other currencies, Bitcoins are not issued by a central bank or other centralised authority. Instead they are created in a process called "mining", in which coins are issued to a user when they solve a complicated mathematical problem using their computer.
Part of the attraction is they can be used to make transactions that are difficult to trace, offering privacy to their users, and the currency has been adopted by Wikileaks and other sites to receive donations.
Bitcoins can also be exchanged for "real" money - the value of which is tracked by services like Mt Gox.
Mt Gox's move to the States was announced in a statement from Peter Vessenes, chief executive of CoinLab, the firm that will administer the exchange in the US, in partnership with Silicon Valley Bank.
"There are two major difficulties Bitcoin exchange customers have traditionally faced: banking troubles for the underlying exchange, and security of their coins," he said.
"When our team discussed how to tackle these issues in the US, it seemed clear that Mt Gox had by far the best security record in the Bitcoin exchange landscape.
"After I personally came to Japan and audited their fraud and security procedures, I understood why - they are light years ahead of other exchanges at this stuff - the fraud and security experience (some of it hard-won) they bring to the table is incredibly impressive."
Killing off cash: Could new tech mean the end of money? |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-22085686/ban-ki-moon-warns-north-korea-crisis-could-be-uncontrollable | NK crisis could be 'uncontrollable' Jump to media player UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned the crisis on the Korean peninsula may become "uncontrollable".
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned the crisis on the Korean peninsula may become "uncontrollable".
He once again urged North Korea to tone down its "provocative rhetoric" and to keep open a joint North-South Korean industrial complex. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-47945775 | A group of elite prison officers were sent to deal with incidents in Welsh jails more than 50 times last year.
These included hostage situations, prisoners climbing at heights or barricading themselves in.
The Freedom of Information figures show they were called more than 600 times in total to prisons in Wales and England - a 60% increase in four years.
A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesman said the "overwhelming majority" of callouts were to non-violent events.
The National Tactical Response Group and Tornado teams are armed specialists, trained to deal with situations including hostage taking.
Officers were sent to Parc Prison, Bridgend 30 times (23 were responses to incidents at height), Berwyn, near Wrexham, 16 times, Cardiff five times but not to Swansea.
Chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform Frances Crook said many prisoners were in "grossly disgusting conditions".
"The problem is, if you put two adult men in a cell the size of a toilet, with a toilet and with nothing to do, day after day, for months or years, you're asking for trouble," added Ms Crook.
She called for investment for better training for staff.
"We want prison to be a place to behave better," she told Good Morning Wales.
"At the moment, they learn to behave worse so they come out of prison and commit another crime."
The figures obtained by BBC Radio Five Live showed the highly-trained specialist prison staff were deployed to 640 incidents last year, compared with 402 in 2014.
An MoJ spokesman added: "The overwhelming majority of call outs are for non-violent incidents, including where they attended as a precaution and when the situation was resolved by prison staff." |
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37880723 | A tweet posted shortly after Apple’s recent Macbook launch event underlined the absurdity: Apple now sells 17 different types of dongle.
In its ever-escalating war against connectivity ports, Apple’s latest computers do away with the SD card port, a full-size USB port, and the HDMI port.
Instead, you’ll need a dongle to convert those “legacy” connectors, as Apple put it on Friday, into the new, smaller USB-C port.
"We recognize that many users, especially pros, rely on legacy connectors to get work done today and they face a transition,” the company said in a statement, without acknowledging that Apple’s newest iPhone, released just last month, is one such “legacy” device - without a dongle (or a different cable, sold separately), you can’t connect Apple’s new smartphone to Apple’s new laptop.
“We want to help them move to the latest technology and peripherals, as well as accelerate the growth of this new ecosystem."
That help will be a decent discount on the price of the dongles - it calls them adapters - until the end of this year.
The most popular one is likely to be the USB to USB-C adapter - which will be $9, down from $19. For connecting iPhones (both new and old), you’ll need a $19 Lightning to USB dongle - although you could use an old Lightning to USB cable if you bought the USB to USB-C adapter. Keeping up?
It’s an acknowledgement that Apple’s pro users aren’t exactly thrilled with the latest offering from the company considered to offer the gold standard in laptops.
The bigger issue here, and one that was expertly discussed in a Medium post by technology journalist Owen Williams, is what many see as a muddle at the heart of Apple’s newest products.
For a company that rightly prides itself on creating products that “just work”, it’s literally descended into something of a tangled mess.
Apple has, Mr Williams argued, created computers that lack a core selling point. For pro users, the types that use their Macs for graphic design and video editing, the new range only serves to take away functionality existing Macbooks provide.
Those factors combined mean the dongle issue, one Apple might have got away with in the past, has caused added frustration to the faithful who had been waiting for a serious Macbook upgrade for some time.
Dongles get lost, forgotten and broken. They’re an added source of vulnerability when it comes to things accidentally being pulled out when uploading some data, corrupting the lot.
The Macbook future, at least for a short while, is a rag-tag spaghetti junction of dongles strewn across a desk or stuffed into a bag. In offices around the world, inboxes will fill with passive aggressive requests for “whoever took my iPhone dongle” to “please put it back where you found it, no questions asked”.
And when something doesn’t work, you’ll now need to ascertain: is it the device that’s broken? Or the cable? Or the port? Or the dongle?
But hold up. Apple has form here, and history mostly proves them right. Where Apple goes, others normally follow.
Earlier Macbook models already did away with ethernet ports and the CD/DVD drive - a move which seemed absurd at the time, but I’d argue Apple was ultimately exonerated. When was the last time you put a CD into your computer?
So in time, the accessories we use every day will become USB-C as standard, no question about that, and the dongles will no longer be needed.
But in the short term, Apple is left with a product that that no longer caters to either end of the market. Data suggests schools, parents and bosses are looking to Google’s cheaper Chromebooks, which this year began outselling MacBooks.
And if we’re looking at MacBooks as being as part of the bigger Apple planet, we’re left with a company that appears to be behind in many areas. Its iPhone is still king, but sales have been in decline.
Apple doesn’t have any virtual reality hardware. It doesn’t have any augmented reality hardware. Or a car - autonomous, electric or otherwise. In artificial intelligence, Apple's Siri is considered to be the least smart of the mainstream smart assistants, and unlike Google and Amazon, it can’t yet be found in a family-friendly home device.
Tim Cook appears to be throwing money at the problem(s). Spending on research and development has ballooned in the past three years, though Mr Cook is staying typically mum about what exactly the company is working on - only to tell worried investors that his company has the "strongest pipeline that we've ever had and we're really confident about the things in it”.
Only an idiot would write off Apple and its future. I don’t intend to be that idiot. Apple wasn’t the first to market with the smartphone, not even close, but it went on to define the industry and produce the most profitable piece of technology ever made. It could do that again and again in these new areas.
As the world’s richest company, it has time and resources on its side. But with that in mind, couldn’t it afford to pop a dongle or two in the box to make its present-day customers a little happier?
Mac v PC - who's cooler now? |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7294599.stm | Arsenal will meet Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after they were paired together in Friday's draw in Nyon, Switzerland.
Arsene Wenger's side will play the first leg at home on 2 April, with the return leg at Anfield on 8 April.
Manchester United, who beat Lyon to reach the last eight, were drawn against Real Madrid's conquerors Roma.
Chelsea, the fourth English club in the draw, face Fenerbahce, with Schalke 04 versus Barcelona the other fixture.
The winners of the Arsenal-Liverpool showdown - the first time those two clubs will have met in European competition - will then take on Chelsea or Fenerbahce in the semi-finals, while Manchester United or Roma face Barcelona or Schalke 04.
The legs for the last-four ties will take place on 22/23 April and 29/30 April.
It means if Chelsea overcome Fenerbahce in their quarter-final, not only could they face their semi-final conquerors of 2005 and 2007 in Liverpool but also that England would be guaranteed a presence in the final in Moscow on 21 May.
And with Fenerbahce and Schalke 04 appearing in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time, English sides make up four of the top five favourites, according to the bookies.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is confident his side can match Arsenal over two legs, as well as in the Premier League game in between.
"It was a possibility and now we will see how we can afford these three games," he said.
"The first thing is to think about Arsenal and I think it's important to go one step at a time. Nobody wanted to play an English team - in this case, we could play two English teams.
"But it's not the worst moment for us. We have confidence, we are playing well, we are scoring goals."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: "We have the holders and the finalists on our route, having just knocked Milan out which was a big hurdle.
"We were strong enough to knock the holders out so let's do it against Liverpool.
"I said ideally you would like to pay a foreign team because it's Europe but I prepared myself to play anyone. We are highly determined to go through."
Meanwhile, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was surprised to be drawn against Roma again.
"It's incredible," he told the club's website.
"I had a strong feeling that we would draw an English side.
"It's amazing to think that we will have played Roma six times in a year. That makes it an intriguing tie because we know a lot about Roma, but they know a lot about us."
Chelsea manager Avram Grant talked up quarter-final opponents Fenerbahce but could not help looking beyond the last eight.
"Every game in the Champions League quarter-final is not an easy game," he said. "They played very well against Sevilla. We know Arsenal lost in Seville.
"It's not an easy draw but our targets stay the same. We are a club that hasn't been in the final. We want to be in the final.
"This is our main target for the next years but we want to do it as soon as possible."
BBC Sport football expert Alan Hansen concluded: "It would have been great for England to have all four sides kept apart but Manchester United and Chelsea have got to be happy.
"They are favourites to get through their ties and, with Arsenal still fighting on two fronts and Liverpool being able to concentrate on the Champions League, I'd tip the Reds to join them in the semi-finals.
"The only way to judge your domestic product is in European competition and in having four sides out of eight in the quarter-finals, England have shown their league is second to none."
Who can still qualify for Europe? |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7960818.stm | To celebrate the role of women in technology today has been named Ada Lovelace Day.
Augusta Ada Byron was born in 1815, the daughter of Lord Byron she is now known simply as Ada Lovelace. A skilled mathematician she wrote the world's first computer programmes for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine.
Years ahead of her time she realised that the Analytical Engine "might compose elaborate and scientific pieces of music of any degree of complexity or extent."
She died, aged only 36, on 27th November 1852. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7197562.stm | Bomb-related material has been found during raids in Barcelona which led to the arrest of 14 people suspected of links with an Islamist terror network.
Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said the suspects included 12 from Pakistan and two from India.
Local media reports that the Spanish intelligence agency had warned France, the UK and Portugal that a terror cell was preparing an imminent attack.
This coincides with a European tour by Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf.
The Civil Guard detained the suspects in Barcelona as part of a joint operation with Spain's National Intelligence Centre (CNI).
Several premises were searched and officers seized computers and materials to produce explosives.
The operation is ongoing and more arrests have not been ruled out.
Mr Rubalcaba said the evidence suggested that they were faced with "a radical Islamist group with a significant level of organisation which seems to have taken a step beyond ideological radicalisation".
He said the group appeared to have been "planning to equip itself with material to make explosives and so to carry out violent actions".
Spain suffered at the hands of Islamist militants in 2004 when 191 people were killed in the Madrid train bombings.
Most of the 21 people convicted of the attacks were found to have been part of a local Islamist militant group inspired by al-Qaeda, but not part of that organisation.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said that it was too early to arrive at any conclusions as to what the suspects might have been planning.
"Let's be as cautious as is advisable in these cases, with regard to the scope, intentions and what this potential group of radical Islamist activists represented," he said.
The BBC's Steve Kingstone, in Madrid, says domestic security will be a key issue in the run-up to Spain's general election, in two months time.
The governing Socialist Party says that, during its four-year term of office, 300 Islamist militants have been arrested. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/134651.stm | They're back! Roobarb and Custard - Britain's answer to Tom and Jerry - are returning to television.
Recall, if you will, the bouncing, scuzzy guitar theme tune, the wobbly animation and Richard Briers's impassioned narration.
It's been more than 20 years since the cartoon couple first found fame, on BBC children's television. Since then they have assumed a cult following.
For those too young to remember, the series is based on the age-old rivalry that exists between cats and dogs.
Roobarb is a frantic romantic - a nervous, acid-green hound who is constantly trying to better himself in the face of adversity.
Looking down on him is next door's lurid pink cat, Custard.
A slothful, jaded creature, Custard can usually be found perched out of the way, observing Roobarb's eager antics with an air of cynicism and disdain.
The rivalry led the show's director, Bob Godfrey, to draw parallels with the television comedy series, Hancock's Half Hour.
"It has a basic triangular structure. Roobarb is the Hancock figure, a kind of holy fool," he says of writer Grange Calverley's characters.
"Then there is the Sid James character, an odious pink cat, and on the fence sit the lunatic birds, who will always go with whoever is winning."
It's a little-known fact that Godfrey's trademark wobbly animation style was born of necessity.
When the series was finally commissioned - after a year of pitching for it - Bob Godfrey's Movie Emporium was granted only a small loan. Undaunted, Godfrey made the most of his resources by using Magic Markers and paper, rather than acetate, for his drawings.
Now 77 and still working, Godfrey is pleased to see the series back on British TV. "It's got a timeless quality which means it will appeal to young people as much today as when it was first shown," he says.
Roobarb and Custard begins on Channel 5 at 9am on Sunday, August 2. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/473077.stm | Wales have made five changes to their team to face Samoa in their last group match on Thursday, as fly-half Neil Jenkins gets ready to set a new all-time points record.
Jenkins is tied on 911 international points with Michael Lynagh of Australia and he is hoping to set a new world record by kicking his side to victory over the Pacific islanders.
Graham Henry's men go into this game undefeated in 10 Tests and they have won all their World Cup matches so far - but they are unlikely to be taking the match lightly.
Welshmen will be hard pressed to forget that in 1991 they suffered one of their most ignominious defeats at the hands of the Samoans - failing even to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup as a result.
However, the same result on Thursday is highly unlikely and the the New Zealander coach has selected a near full-strength side.
He has changed both wings, both locks and the number eight from the team that thrashed Japan in Group D on Saturday.
Second row Gareth Llewellyn replaces Craig Quinnell, who is being rested, while Chris Wyatt returns alongside him instead of Mike Voyle.
Scott Quinnell, who was injured for the Japan game, returns to number eight.
Henry has also ended his experiment of playing four centres and brings in specialist wingers Gareth Thomas and Dafydd James, instead of Jason Jones-Hughes and Allan Bateman.
Meanwhile, Samoa have made three changes to the side that lost 32-16 to Argentina on Sunday.
Centre To'o Vaega replaces George Leaupepe, lock Opeta Palepoi's drops to the bench for Lio Falaniko and flanker Craig Glendinning is back in ahead of Sene Ta'ala.
Wales: S Howarth (Newport), G Thomas (Cardiff), M Taylor (Swansea), S Gibbs (Swansea), D James (Llanelli), N Jenkins (Cardiff), R Howley (Cardiff, capt), P Rogers (Newport), G Jenkins (Swansea), D Young (Cardiff), G Llewellyn (Harlequins), C Wyatt (Llanelli), M Williams (Cardiff), B Sinkinson (Neath), S Quinnell (Llanelli).
Replacements: S Jones (Llanelli), N Walne (Cardiff), D Llewellyn (Newport), A Moore (Swansea), A Lewis (Cardiff), B Evans (Swansea), J Humphreys (Cardiff).
Samoa: S Leaega; A So'oalo, T Vaega, V Tuigamala, B Lima; S Bachop, S So'oialo; B Reidy, T Leota, R Ale, L Falaniko, L Tone, J Paramore, P Lam (capt), C Glendinning.
Replacements: G Leaupepe, E Va'a, J Clarke, S Sititi, S Ta'ala, M Mika, O Matauiau. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-11978495 | The EU plans to make private lenders cover the losses of any future eurozone debt crisis, the BBC has learned.
The decision may significantly raise the future cost of borrowing for over-indebted eurozone governments.
It is part of a new permanent scheme - to be funded by eurozone governments, but not the UK - to replace existing bail-out funds that expire in 2013.
The new mechanism will need a treaty change, which may lead to ratification problems in the Irish Republic.
The details of the proposed European Stability Mechanism are included in a draft European Union communique obtained by the BBC.
The changes come too late for the Republic of Ireland, which was forced by European partners to foot the bill for rescuing its banks in order to get an 85bn euro bail-out.
In future, Brussels may require a crisis-stricken eurozone government to force losses on its existing private lenders - including investors in government bonds - before it would provide a bail-out package.
The creation of the European Stability Mechanism in 2013 will formally collapse one of the founding principles of the single currency, ie the "no bail-out" clause.
Rescuing ailing economies will now be enshrined in law through what the draft communique describes as "limited treaty change". This change may prove to be a headache for some EU member states, especially Britain, whose prime minister vowed to call a referendum if any new powers were to be ceded to Brussels.
It will also be a major issue for the Irish Republic, whose constitution demands that any EU treaty changes get the blessing of the entire electorate. Many Irish people are livid at the high rate of interest (5.83%) demanded from their European partners as part of their 85bn euro bail-out and may exact bitter revenge in a referendum.
And if a government got into trouble later down the line, it would be required to default on its other debts, while continuing to make payments on its rescue loans.
"That won't please the markets, who thought that holding government bonds was as safe as cash deposits," says BBC business correspondent Joe Lynam.
From June 2013, government bonds will also have to include "collective action clauses", which would make it much easier for an insolvent government to get the consent of its lenders to any future debt write-offs.
Together, the changes mean a government's private-sector lenders will face a much bigger risk of losing their money.
And this means they are likely to charge the more heavily indebted eurozone member states a higher interest rate.
The rhetoric in the communique comes in stark contrast to the actual bail-out of the Irish Republic in November.
In that rescue, Brussels is accused of having insisted that Dublin honour in full its guarantee of the Irish banks. Many Irish are angry that this has landed taxpayers with the bill for repaying loans made to its insolvent banks.
However, with European banks dangerously undercapitalised, European leaders feared that a default by the Irish banks could trigger a Europe-wide banking crisis.
Separately, the EU is planning to carry out a new, and much stricter, set of stress tests on its big banks this year.
The tests will determine how much capital the banks need to absorb future losses.
The previous stress tests, held over the summer, were criticised for failing to consider the possibility of a default by a eurozone government.
The planned Lisbon Treaty amendment is short and open-ended, leaving European leaders flexibility to structure the new arrangement however they choose.
It states only that: "The Member States whose currency is the euro may establish a stability mechanism to safeguard the stability of the euro area as a whole. The granting of financial assistance under the mechanism will be made subject to strict conditionality."
The amendment may also open the way towards a common eurozone government bond at a later date.
This was a solution to the eurozone debt crisis proposed by Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker and Italian Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti, but rejected by Germany.
Ratification of the treaty change may prove a challenge in some countries.
The Irish Republic's constitution requires a referendum at a time when the public is angry with Europe over the harsh terms of their bail-out.
In the UK, the amendment is not expected to trigger a referendum.
The draft communique states that EU members outside the eurozone - such as the UK - may choose to participate in the new bail-out arrangement "on an ad hoc basis".
However, right-wing members of his Conservative party may demand that Prime Minister David Cameron use the opportunity to negotiate UK opt-outs from existing treaty requirements.
The communique also said that the EU will endorse making Montenegro an official candidate to join the European Union, meaning the country can begin formal accession negotiations. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35079532 | Organisers of the climate talks in Paris say a final draft text has been reached after nearly two weeks of intensive negotiations.
An official in the office of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told the AFP news agency the draft would be presented to ministers at 10:30 GMT.
No details of the proposed agreement have been released so far.
The tentative deal was reached nearly 16 hours after the talks had been scheduled to close.
"We have a text to present," the official said, adding that the draft would be now translated into the UN's six official languages.
Analysts say that this is not a done deal - it will only be finally adopted if there are no objections raised at Saturday morning's ministerial meeting, and even this is unlikely to come before afternoon in the French capital.
Mr Fabius, who has presided over the talks, had said earlier that the "conditions were never better" for a strong and ambitious agreement.
Significant progress had been reported on a range of issues, with evidence of real compromise between the parties, the BBC's environment correspondent Matt McGrath in Paris reported earlier.
He added that countries supported a goal of keeping global temperature rises to 2C but agreed to make their best efforts to keep it to 1.5C. However, the language on cutting emissions in the long term was criticised for significantly watering down ambition.
The question of different demands on different countries, depending on their wealth and level of development - called "differentiation" at the talks - was said to be the root cause of the difficulties.
Another major difficulty was transparency - richer countries want a single system of measuring, reporting and verifying the commitments countries make as part of this agreement.
It is said to be crucial to the US, which wants to ensure that China is subject to the same sort of oversight as it is. China and India are not keen on this type of oversight.
We're in the final hours. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has been meeting in huddles with key players throughout the night, hammering out a compromise.
But there was serious opposition to the previous draft and it's too soon to say how much of that the new document will have defused because delegates will be seeing it for the first time this morning.
It's a UN process so any deal has to be signed off by everyone and that gives disproportionate power in the final last few hours for any nation wanting clauses inserted or removed.
One positive note came with the announcement that Brazil was willing to join the so-called "high-ambition coalition" of countries including the EU, the US and 79 countries. The alliance said it would push for an ambitious and legally binding deal with a strong review mechanism.
US President Barack Obama spoke to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping by phone on Friday, with both leaders saying they were committed to an "ambitious" deal.
"Both leaders agreed that the Paris conference presents a crucial opportunity to galvanise global efforts to meet the climate change challenge," a White House statement said.
"They committed that their negotiating teams in Paris would continue to work closely together and with others to realise the vision of an ambitious climate agreement."
COP 21 - the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties - has seen more than 190 nations gather in Paris to discuss a possible new global agreement on climate change, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the threat of dangerous warming due to human activities. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/617939.stm | Police in Japan have set up a special team to investigate tampering with official government websites by computer hackers.
As the Japanese government held an emergency meeting to discuss computer security the hackers broke into an official website for the third time in three days.
One of the messages they left in Chinese criticised the Japanese government for refusing to acknowledge the seriousness of the Nanking massacre in 1937, when Japanese troops killed thousands of Chinese civilians. Over the weekend, China criticised a conference organised by right-wing nationalists in Japan which said reports of the massacre had been greatly exaggerated. Another Japanese government Internet site was altered so it linked directly to pornographic web page. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/7015043.stm | A retired surveyor who lived in a modest two-bedroom flat and enjoyed shopping at car boot sales has bequeathed £6m to a children's hospice.
Jack Witham, from Southampton, Hampshire, amassed his fortune in property and died in 2004 aged 79.
Almost all of his estate went to Naomi House Children's Hospice, Winchester.
Friends said Mr Witham never gave any indication of his wealth and only spent money on the essentials and a season ticket for Southampton Football Club.
He loved football and classical music and enjoyed making money from business but never spent it, they said.
The chief executive of Naomi's House, Ray Kipling, said: "It's a complete bolt out of the blue and fantastic news.
"We knew nothing about it until we received a letter from the Jack Witham's executors which just said we had been remembered in his will.
"We didn't know Jack Witham in his lifetime and the bequest is the largest we have ever had."
Mr Kipling said the money would be used to extend the 10-bed hospice and build a dedicated centre for six gravely ill teenagers that would be called Jack's Place in memory of the generous benefactor.
"The money has allowed us to do something brilliant," he explained.
"The will said it had to be a specific project and we had been thinking about doing this for some time as medical advances mean that young people who are in Naomi House are living longer and they needed somewhere to stay."
The hospice has now launched an appeal to raise a further £6 million that is needed to finish Jack's Place. |