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Dozens of activists died when Poland's last communist leader Gen Jaruzelski cracked down on dissidents. Hours before the rallies, the leader of the ruling centre-right Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, branded the current opposition as "anti-state". He went on to threaten to "bring order" to opposition activity. Mr Kaczynski, widely seen as the power behind Poland's government, did not specify what he had in mind during a radio interview. Addressing a pro-government rally later, he ridiculed opponents for resisting plans to change a system which he said had harmed the majority of Poles. However, the Committee for the Defence of Democracy (KOD) commemorated the anniversary of martial law with anti-government marches across the country, and a large crowd snaked through the centre of Warsaw. Protesters highlighted government policies on women's rights as well as reforms to education and the top legislative court. A difficult anniversary - By Adam Easton, BBC News, Warsaw Many members of Poland's current governing Law and Justice (PiS) party were part of the opposition Solidarity movement, which the communist regime set out to crush under martial law. Thirty-five years on, Poland's opposition leaders say PiS, and its head Jaroslaw Kaczynski, are behaving as badly as the communists, restricting democratic freedoms and hobbling the Constitutional Tribunal so it is unable to veto the government's programme. Mr Kaczynski says the opposition refuses to accept PiS's victory in last year's elections and its continuing popularity, branding the accusations "absurd". Simple comparisons to the communists are overblown, of course, but Mr Kaczynski continues to give more liberal-minded Poles cause for concern, branding them "anti-state" and warning that the government plans to introduce measures to bring "order" to the opposition's activities. Gen Wojciech Jaruzelski argued that he had imposed martial law on 13 December 1981 to deter a Soviet invasion. But in the subsequent crackdown, thousands of members of the pro-democracy Solidarity movement were arrested and as many as 100 people died. Martial law was lifted two years later and Gen Jaruzelski eventually stood down in 1990. He died in 2014. Poland's defence minister said on Tuesday that the government would act to strip the late general and his late deputy, Gen Czeslaw Kiszczak, of their military ranks. | Poles have marked the 1981 imposition of martial law with marches, and thousands used the occasion to protest against the conservative government. | 0.828051 |
Alteri Investors, whose website says it specialises in "challenging retail situations", was in advanced talks with Poundworld's owner TPG. Poundworld's founder Chris Edwards is understood to be among other possible bidders for the 355-shop chain. He sold out to TPG for £150m, and later took over at rival Poundstretcher. Sky News, which revealed Alteri's move, said US firm Flacks, which expressed interest in Poundland, was no longer considered a contender. About 100 of Poundworld's outlets were already under threat of closure. But this restructuring was put on hold by TPG, a US private equity firm, after it received expressions of interest in the company. Poundworld, which employs about 5,300 people, is among many stores on the High Street which have been struggling. Chris Edwards - Poundworld's saviour? Like many retailers, Poundworld has been hit by falling consumer confidence, rising overheads, the weaker pound and the growth of online shopping. The chain imports a lot of its stock and is having to pay more for it because of the fall in the value of the pound. Retailers Maplins, Toys 'R' Us, Mothercare, Carpetright, plus a string of restaurant chains, have hit the headlines this year because of trading trouble. Department store chain House of Fraser is close to unveiling a restructuring, which could come as early as Wednesday. Poundworld, which has its headquarters in West Yorkshire, was formed in 2004, but it says it can trace its origins "back to 1974 and a market stall in Wakefield, West Yorkshire". TPG, which bought a majority stake in Poundworld in 2015, also controls the restaurant chain Prezzo whose landlords and creditors agreed a restructuring last month. | The future of struggling discount retailer Poundworld is in the balance after the main contender to buy the chain pulled out of talks. | 0.75 |
Tim Hortons UK & Ireland said it hopes to open an outlet in "every major city and town" over the next two years. The growth could create around 2,000 new jobs, the franchise operator said. Tim Hortons, which is known for its coffee and donuts, opened its first UK location in 2017 and now has 23 locations. The next opening is planned for December in Milton Keynes. The expansion plans follow a 37% year-on-year jump in sales in the UK and Ireland in the most recent quarter, the franchise operator said. "Despite challenging times for the sector, our drive-thru and flagship locations have delivered exceptional performance and our model is proving to be well attuned to the evolving needs of customers at this time," said chief commercial officer Kevin Hydes. International brand The Tim Hortons brand is owned by fast food giant Restaurant Brands International (RBI), which also owns Burger King and Popeye's Chicken. Together, the company has more than 27,000 restaurants globally, which it operates through a franchise model. The firm has been pushing to expand that footprint, especially outside the US and Canada. In August, chief executive Jose Cil said the firm remained focused on that goal, despite the upheaval caused by the pandemic. "We cannot predict exactly when the dust will settle, but we're confident that we will be well positioned to capitalise on opportunities for growth as we emerge from the crisis and continue toward the 40,000 restaurant goal we talked about last year," chief executive Jose Cil told investors. Sales collapse Sales at RBI dropped more than 20% in the three months to July, as lockdown forced many locations to close or restrict their offerings. At Tim Hortons, which has more than 4,900 locations globally, sales fell more than 30%. Mr Gil said the firm expected to end 2020 with roughly the same number of restaurants as the year before, despite unusually high numbers of closures. In June, Burger King's UK boss warned it might have to close up to 10% of its restaurants. | Canadian fast food brand Tim Hortons is planning a major expansion in the UK, hoping to capitalise on increased demand for drive-through dining. | 0.770963 |
The figure includes 1,523 nursing and midwifery posts and 1,053 administration service jobs. The workforce projections have been published following pressure from opposition parties at Holyrood. Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said there would be no compulsory redundancies and the figures "were not set in stone". She added that patient care was paramount, despite a squeeze on NHS budgets. Ms Sturgeon made the statement after Labour demanded publication of full details of NHS job cuts. Scotland's largest health board, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, had previously confirmed plans to cut staffing by 1,252 by 2013. Nursing posts Opposition MSPs also claimed post reductions were on the way at health authorities across Scotland. Ministers said NHS spending this year had increased by £264m. This was despite, the Scottish government said, a £500m "cut" by the last UK government. Labour said more than half the reductions in the Greater Glasgow area were nursing posts, and further said health chiefs in Lothian were axing 700 jobs, with 500 going in Tayside, almost 600 in Grampian and 100 in Highland. After publishing the projections, Ms Sturgeon said: "The NHS always has been, and remains, a top priority for this government. We have demonstrated our commitment to the NHS through our actions - despite a £500m cut in the overall Scottish budget, the NHS received a real terms funding increase. "But the reality is that NHS budgets are tight and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. It is my job to ensure the NHS delivers the best quality of care, manages the financial challenges facing it, and takes the right decisions now to secure services in the future." Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie called on ministers to immediately publish workforce planning projections for all Scottish health boards, as she launched the party's "more Nats fewer nurses" campaign. "You simply cannot remove thousands of doctors, nurses and midwives from the NHS without damaging standards of care," she said, adding: "Labour believe these cuts are unacceptable and we will campaign relentlessly to defend the NHS." NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said an investment programme meant it could provide the same standard of care with less staff. The authority said the reductions would be met without the use of compulsory redundancies. Ministers insisted they were committed to a policy of no compulsory redundancies and had increased NHS budgets despite funding pressures. Tory health spokesman Murdo Fraser said the "fact of the matter" was that health spending had increased and any cuts were the fault of Labour's "chronic mismanagement" of the public purse. He added: "There are savings to be made and we reject the nonsense this will automatically have an impact on patient care." Ross Finnie, of the Liberal Demcorats, said health boards had to make millions of pounds worth of "savings" to "break even", while providing the same level of care. He asked: "If someone leaves and you don't fill the post, is that a post you actually need? Or is that a post you don't need but you simply don't fill it? "Non-filling of posts and voluntary redundancy itself can result in people leaving whose skill you actually need." Meanwhile, the SNP has published Treasury figures which suggest repayments for privately financed hospitals commissioned when Labour was last in government at Holyrood will exceed £1bn in the next five years, more than many of the projects cost to build. SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson said: "Over a billion of repayments in the next five years is a devastating hit to the NHS budget - particularly at a time when budgets will be under increasing pressure as a result of Labour's economic mismanagement. "PFI is typical of Labour's irresponsible buy-now, pay-later approach to public spending." | The NHS in Scotland is forecasting it could lose the equivalent of 3,790 full time staff over the next year. | 0.279912 |
Mark D'ArcyParliamentary correspondent She was so supportive towards the former attorney general, as he argued for Parliament to have a "meaningful vote" on the terms of the Brexit deal, that it seemed probable she would join the Euro-rebels in voting for it…. For some time the government Chief Whip Julian Smith had been flitting round the Chamber talking to his troops - then he went and had a word with the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland, the government's in-house legal eagle, who is dealing with the techie legal aspects of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill. Soon after, Mr Buckland intervened on Mr Grieve to suggest talks over a compromise deal. It appeared that the head count had been done, and the concession followed. Most dangerous The meaningful vote is probably the most dangerous of the Lords amendments to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill - because it tees up an unpredictable vote on the final terms of Brexit, towards the end of this year, and opens up the possibility that MPs could demand that ministers change policy, in the event the terms were rejected by the House, or no deal was reached in the talks with the EU….. they could even demand (drumroll) a second referendum… The government would not have sought a deal if it thought it had the votes to win, and they clearly blinked. The decision to seek a compromise marked an important victory for the soft Brexit/Remainer/"realist" Tory rebels, who have been promised an amendment giving them most of what they want. As I write the full terms of the deal have yet to be revealed, but there is briefing ministers have conceded that a motion, which could be amended, would be put before MPs, in event a final divorce deal is voted down. In other words, in the event of a divorce deal that the Commons refused to accept, MPs would be able to set a new course for Brexit. This whole idea was denounced by Brexiteers as a Trojan horse for Remainers, and for a second referendum, so that concession could well produce some blowback. But for now, the government seems to have prevented an embarrassing defeat, and the Tory rebels have avoided the unpleasantness of colluding in the defeat of their Prime Minister. One of the leading Tory rebels has told the BBC "the government has bent not broken" but it leaves the "fight for another day". But ministers now know that a narrow but decisive Commons majority can be assembled against them on critical Brexit issues, and that its next outing could well be on a more substantive vote on a customs union. Will that knowledge mean a softer Brexit strategy will now emerge? | Maybe it was the moment when the former education secretary, Justine Greening, intervened on her former ministerial colleague, Dominic Grieve, that the government realised the game was up. | 0 |
The police began tweeting at 19:00 GMT on Friday night - the final post was at 02:46 GMT on Saturday. Incidents included a man being arrested for possession of cocaine and a drunk singing Christmas songs in the cells. Officers posted photographs on the police Facebook page, including ones of people being breathalysed. The police also answered questions and responded to comments posted by the public. One message posted said: "My partner is working in town tonight, nice to see what's happening and keep my mind at ease with it being Manic Xmas Friday." Safer Nights Live is the second social media event the force has organised. Earlier in the year, the police force ran a similar event to give the public an insight into what happened on a Friday night at a custody centre. A replay of the night's postings can be seen on the force's Facebook profile and the force website. | Police in Staffordshire used Twitter and Facebook to report on their activities on one of the busiest party nights of the year. | 0.431199 |
By Paul MartinBBC Wales political reporter Construction is not due to begin until 2018 but "assessment work and public engagement" is costing £19.8m. Economy Minister Edwina Hart defended the spend saying it was "absolutely normal" for such a project. Opposition and several Labour AMs oppose the £1bn 'black route', which ministers call "vital" for the economy. The proposals include 15 miles (24km) of new motorway and a 1.5 mile-long (2.5km) bridge across the River Usk. A major remodelling of junctions 23 and 29 of the M4 is also planned. Building work on the project is due to begin in spring 2018, but there will be a public inquiry into the plans at the end of 2016. In March, the Welsh government appointed construction companies Costain, Vinci and Taylor Woodrow to begin development work. As part of a budget deal with the Liberal Democrats, construction work will not begin until after the 2016 assembly election. 'Pretty disappointed' But Cardiff Central AM Jenny Rathbone said she wants Labour's assembly election manifesto to pledge to review the plan, claiming "most" Labour backbench AMs oppose it. She told BBC Wales: "I'm both astonished and appalled that up to £20m is being spent on an M4 relief road I hope never happens. "I'm obviously pretty disappointed we're spending up to £20m on engagement and assessing whether or not this motorway should go ahead, when I think that nearly all backbenchers are opposed to this. "To spend £1bn in government borrowing on a road when we really need to be spending money on improving public transport is very disturbing. "Everybody's hopeful that we will have a commitment to review the M4 relief road in the manifesto and certainly not to go into the election with a commitment to go ahead and build it. "I don't think we have that mandate at the moment and we certainly don't want to see that in the manifesto." 'Absolutely normal' The minister behind the scheme, Edwina Hart, is standing down at the election. She said: "Everything we've spent is absolutely normal, in terms of how you do a big project. "Roads will always be controversial, but 20 years after you've built them they're not controversial, they're the norm. We've got to look at the M4 in the context of the economy." Employers' organisation the CBI has warned the project must not lose momentum when Mrs Hart leaves. While opposition parties differ on their preferred solution to M4 congestion, there has been criticism of Labour's handling of the project. The Welsh Conservatives' Shadow Transport Minister William Graham said: "We all know that something needs to be done urgently, but the in-fighting in the Labour assembly group appears to be causing even greater confusion." Plaid Cymru, whose Freedom of Information request revealed that spending on preparations had risen to £20m from a predicted £7m, claimed the Liberal Democrats had been "suckered" by Labour into backing "its £1bn M4 vanity project". AM Simon Thomas said: "They must be hugely embarrassed that the Labour government has done the dirty on them and boosted spending on preparation work, rather than reining it in." The Liberal Democrats denied being duped by ministers, saying they knew money would be spent on the project because the Lib Dems demanded a detailed environmental impact study on the scheme be carried out. Lib Dem AM Eluned Parrott urged the Welsh government to accept that its M4 plans were "doomed" and pursue a cheaper, less environmentally damaging alternative instead. | It is appalling Welsh ministers are spending nearly £20m preparing for a planned M4 relief road around Newport, Labour AM Jenny Rathbone has said. | 0.643564 |
Entertainment website TMZ said sources claimed producers were concerned the singer's Newcastle accent was too strong for US audiences. Cole's UK publicist has refused to comment on the story. Former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, who had been lined up to co-host, will replace her, reports say. After months of speculation, it was confirmed earlier this month that Cole had landed the coveted spot on the judging panel alongside former American Idol judge Paula Abdul, Antonio LA Reid and Simon Cowell. 'Big commitment' Speaking to reporters outside the US studio on her first day in her new role, the Girls Aloud singer said she was not concerned about her accent. "Americans can always understand me," she said. The 27-year-old added that she thought the audience would eventually "get used to it". The US job, which Cole called "a big commitment" meant she would not take part in this autumn's UK version of the show. "I'm going to miss it like crazy. I'll be keeping one eye on it, making sure everyone is OK," she said. "You know, everything's really new for me and quite scary, so it took me a long time to get my head around being asked." Scherzinger was originally expected to co-host the show - which launches in the US this autumn - with Welsh TV presenter Steve Jones. Attending the National Movie Awards in London earlier this month, Scherzinger told reporters she thought Cole was "lovely and beautiful" to work with. | British pop star Cheryl Cole has been dropped from the judging panel of the US version of The X Factor, according to a US report. | 0.266555 |
Administrators for Providence Investment Fund are suing PwC for £14m over "negligence, breach of duty and breach of contract as its auditors". The fund - which promised investors returns up to 14% - collapsed in 2016. PwC said it would "vigorously defend" the action at a Guernsey court. The accountancy giant audited a company used by Providence to gather investors' money, papers filed at Guernsey's Ordinary Court show. Lawyers allege PwC acted with negligence and in breach of its duties, leading to the fund accumulating an additional £14,012,730 of investors' money. "If we do recover £14m then some of that will find its way back to investors - absolutely," said lawyer Mathew Newman, representing Providence's administrators. More Channel Islands news. Audit reports by PwC gave a "clean" assessment of Providence Investment Funds PCC Ltd's (PIF) financial statements between October 2012 and December 2013, and for the year end December 2014, the papers filed by Mr Newman state. PIF was a Guernsey-regulated company that claimed to invest in Brazilian firms. But while being audited by PwC, it was used by company chief executive Antonio Buzaneli and others as a "fraudulent Ponzi scheme", court papers go on to claim. PIF shareholder Buzaneli pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud as part of a plea agreement in the US in April 2018. At one stage, 97% of investors' money did not make it to Brazil, with the majority going instead to Providence Global Limited, a Guernsey company, according to the papers. In response to the administrators' claim for £14m, PwC said: "We are disappointed that this action has been brought. "We believe the claim is misconceived and will vigorously defend our position." | Investors who lost £37m in a Guernsey "Ponzi scheme" could recoup some of their losses after a legal challenge was launched against a "big four" accountancy firm. | 0.1875 |
The Hawk jets took to the skies above the coastal town in North Yorkshire, which had planned to host an event that was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Queen and Prime Minister Boris Johnson led tributes to veterans and serving military personnel. The defence secretary praised the forces' "professionalism, commitment and versatility" during the pandemic. Normally events are held across the country but the coronavirus lockdown has cause most celebrations to move online this year. The armed forces have been involved in the UK's response to Covid-19, helping to repatriate British citizens from abroad, designing and distributing PPE and constructing hospitals. The Hawk jets flew over the Army's Catterick Garrison, RAF Leeming and the town of Scarborough. Among the military personnel Mr Johnson spoke to ahead of the celebrations were Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Pynn, who led a team of 20 military medics supporting the London Ambulance Service transporting patients to the NHS Nightingale hospital in London, and Wing Commander Claire Collis who was involved in the repatriation of British citizens from India and Pakistan. "Whether you're a regular, a reservist, a civilian contractor, a veteran, or the family and friends who support our military in so many ways, we as a nation salute you," Mr Johnson said. "We know that - day and night, at home and abroad, at sea, on land, in the air and even in space and online - our fantastic armed forces are there for us." The Queen said in a statement: "Having had members of my family serve in each of the armed services, I know only too well of the pride service personnel take in their duty. "As your commander-in-chief, I send my warmest best wishes to you all, your families, and the entire armed forces community." Instead of the usual parades, military bands will commemorate the day with performances streamed on the armed forces' Facebook and Twitter pages, where behind-the-scenes views of the Royal Navy's HMS Queen Elizabeth and the Red Arrows will also be shown. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: "The armed forces community cannot celebrate in person this year, so we are doing our best to show you through social media who our people are, what they do, and how you can show your support." Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also issued a statement thanking military personnel "for the role they play both at home and abroad". It comes as the party launches its Labour Friends of the Armed Forces scheme in a bid to "open up Labour again to our armed forces, their families and veterans across our country". The Ministry of Defence has already announced that next year's Armed Forces Day will take place in Scarborough. Meanwhile, the Royal Navy has unveiled a new uniform for its Royal Marines. It says its commandos can rely on the uniform "in the most hostile of environments on Earth". It features new branding, which includes the traditional insignia worn by commandos in World War II, and is part of a drive to change how the "Green Berets" operate. The new uniforms are not just a rebranding exercise. After spending the past few decades fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside other infantry units, the Royal Marines are returning to their more traditional and specialist roles. One that reaffirms their links as a key element of the Royal Navy and as an elite fighting force. It's no accident that the images released makes them look more like Special Forces. As well as the new uniform and insignia, they're seen with night vision goggles and using a Diemaco rifle as favoured by the SAS and SBS, rather than the standard issue SA80. The Royal Marines are also looking to the past for inspiration. The new-look patches recall the daring commando raids conducted in the Second World War. It's how they see their future, alongside skills of conducting amphibious assaults and arctic warfare. With the defence budget under constant strain the costs of this transformation will be relatively modest. The Royal Navy has a much harder task working out how to pay for new ships, aircraft and submarines. And for the Royal Marines, who pride themselves on innovation, it may help just help secure their future in any discussion about more defence cuts. | The Red Arrows have performed a flypast in Scarborough for Armed Forces Day. | 0.680442 |
"Nolo" alcohol is set to be one of the driving trends of 2020, according to the craft brewers' trade organisation. It says growing health consciousness has prompted almost one in four young people to become teetotal. The number of alcohol drinkers across the British population also appears to have fallen slightly. The number of 18-24 year olds who say they don't drink has increased by 6% in the past 12 months, to 23%, according to the Society of Independent Brewers' (SIBA) British Craft Beer Report. The report is forecasting that no alcohol, low alcohol and "free-from" beers are set to be one of the fastest growing parts of the market in 2020, with under 35s choosing low alcohol versions of drinks for a quiet night in or to accompany meals. "As the consumers in this age bracket get older, this is obviously going to have an increasing impact on beer sales in the future," added the association, which boasts more than 700 breweries. "Consumers are more conscious of their physical and mental health than they have ever been, and this has driven the fall in alcohol consumption we are seeing, especially among young people." Six in 10 of those aged 35-44 drink beer, compared with 44% of 18-24 year olds, the report found. Growth in beer sales is slowing, with total beer sales in 2019 rising by 1.1%, compared with a 2.6% climb a year earlier. The report also indicated a slight increase in the overall number of people who never drink alcohol, with 17% saying they were teetotal, compared to 16% a year earlier. "The findings in this year's report show a drastically changing marketplace - with consumers opting for no or low alcohol options, particularly young people," said Caroline Nodder, editor of the report. She added that there is likely to be more growth in no or low alcoholic drinks over the next 12 months as people become more health-conscious, providing a market for small independent breweries. Research firm Kantar found that two-fifths of British people aged 18-24 do not drink or are trying to moderate their alcohol consumption. | Sales of no or low alcohol beer are up 30% since 2016, as 18-24 year olds increasingly shun alcohol. | 0.083333 |
The bearded drag Queen was due to sing with Basalt, an ensemble of three Syrian artists based in Vienna. The group were meant to be performing at the opening concert in the New European Song book series. Conchita, who won Eurovision in 2014, is based in Vienna. The Austrian singer was supposed to appear in concert at the festival on Friday. Although the Edinburgh International Festival is a "permit free festival", officials said they have no jurisdiction over the visa process and are not an immigration authority. A permit free festival means "performers and their legitimate entourages do not need to obtain work permits to appear in the UK". The Edinburgh International Festival said: "Performers and entourages at permit-free festivals enter the UK as a visitor (standard) and do not need to apply for entry under the Points Based System or as a Permitted Paid Engagements visitor. "However, you may still need to apply for a visa in advance and the requirements depend on which country you are coming from. "Please note that legitimate entourage may include directors, producers, technicians, stage managers, creative team, publicists and anyone involved directly with a specific production that has been registered with the Fringe Society." | Eurovision Song Contest winner Conchita Wurst has cancelled an appearance at the Edinburgh International Festival because the musicians she was due to perform with have been denied visas. | 0.25 |
The accident happened at Medagama near Galgamuwa on Anuradhapura -Kurunegala road Sooriyarachchi and three others including one of his security guards were killed when the car they were travelling veered off the road and hit a tree. Another security guard was admitted to Anuradhapura Hospital with serious injuries. Sooriyaarachchi was a naval officer before he became a politician. | Gampaha district MP and former Minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi was killed in a road accident on Saturday. | 0.197431 |
The demonstrations started last Thursday in Mashhad, historically a bastion of religious conservatism, and have now reached more than 55 cities and towns. Telegram - which has an estimated 40 million users in Iran, equivalent to almost half the population - is believed to have been the main platform people used to obtain and share information about the protests. Many Iranians use private Telegram groups to keep in touch with family and friends. More importantly, they subscribe to public channels to get the news that is not available on state media. According to researchers at Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace, an average Telegram user in Iran subscribes to more than 18 public groups with more than 5,000 members. It was not surprising, then, that on the fourth day of the protests, the Iranian authorities "temporarily" blocked Telegram, as well as the popular social media platform Instagram. On Wednesday, Communications Minister Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi warned that the ban could become permanent if Telegram refused to suspend "terrorist channels". Telegram was one of the only social platforms not to have been blocked in Iran in recent years. In his re-election campaign last year, President Hassan Rouhani declared that he had been responsible for ensuring that it continued to be possible to access the app, as well as Instagram and WhatsApp, during his first term in office. And only one week before the current protests began, Mr Rouhani insisted that his communications minister would "not press the button that blocks social media". On Saturday, Mr Jahromi sent a message via Twitter to Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, asking the company to stop a channel "encouraging hateful conduct, use of Molotov cocktails, armed uprising and social unrest". Mr Durov said calls for violence were prohibited by Telegram and within hours, the channel the minister was referring to - @amadnews - was suspended. The decision brought sharp criticism from Iranian cyber-activists, who described Telegram's actions as "capitulation" to state censorship. US whistleblower Edward Snowden warned Mr Durov that the Iranian authorities might not stop at requesting the suspension of a channel. He was soon proved right, as access to the app was blocked altogether. Mr Durov said that was because Telegram had "publicly refused to shut down channels of peaceful Iranian protesters, such as @sedaiemardom". "We consider freedom of speech an undeniable human right, and would rather get blocked in a country by its authorities than limit peaceful expression of alternative opinions," he added. It is clear that the government has also been under pressure from the more conservative sections of the political establishment to restrict access. Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, an influential cleric whose followers have used Telegram to promote his views, asked for a permanent ban on the "rotten swamp". Iranian users turned to proxies to circumvent the ban or to using WhatsApp, which is not as popular in Iran as Telegram but still seems to be accessible. The restrictions on social platforms announced on Sunday did not stop the protests. People took to the streets of cities like Karaj, Khoramabad, Mahshahr, and Izeh on Tuesday night, despite assertions from officials that the unrest had ended. Many observers have also taken to Twitter - another officially blocked social platform - to try to make sense of the protests, which have been unprecedented in terms of their geographical spread since the Islamic revolution in 1979. Others have debated whether platforms such as Telegram have a responsibility during periods of political unrest to deal with misinformation and disinformation. They often create an environment of false equality, some believe, where every source is just another source and the losers are people in need of accurate information. | The authorities in Iran blocked access to the messaging app Telegram over the weekend, as anti-government protests spread across the country. The BBC's Leyla Khodabakhshi looks at the role the app has played. | 0.422819 |
The Hobbit pub in Southampton had been accused of copyright infringement by lawyers representing the Saul Zaentz Company (SZC) in California. A Facebook campaign set up by the pub's users has more than 50,000 supporters. Hollywood film SZC company has offered to "amicably resolve" the dispute over its name and decor. Producer Paul Zaentz said he was open to licensing the pub to use its JRR Tolkien brands. Landlady Stella Mary Roberts, a huge Tolkien fan, said: "I think they've been scared off, I don't think they [SZC] were expecting the reaction on Facebook. "Once they realised what they were up against, they had to stop and think 'we need to re-address this'. "We are still waiting to hear back from the solicitors to find out what exactly this licence consists of, we need it in black and white." Raise a pint Punch Taverns, which owns the freehold to the building, said: "We are aware of the situation and are currently consulting with our legal advisers." It added that any changes following the dispute would be "ultimately the responsibility of the licensee, but we are helping them to come to a resolution". Actors Stephen Fry and Sir Ian McKellen had criticised the film company's action. SZC owns the worldwide rights to several brands associated with author JRR Tolkien, including The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. The Lord of The Rings films and the soon to be released adaptation of The Hobbit, made by New Line Cinema, have been licensed from SZC. Mr Zaentz told the BBC that trademark law dictated they had to act against infringements of their brands. He said: "Regardless of the size of the company, if we didn't go after these infringements, then other people would say 'if they can use them without authorisation, why can't we?' "When it's an established business, we like to get the company to acknowledge they are using our trademarks, stop selling infringing articles and then we will grant them a licence for a nominal fee - approximately $100 a year. "We asked them to contact us and amicably resolve this and are open to any suggestions they have. I'd be glad to raise a pint with them the next time I'm over." 'Understand fans' The pub in Bevois Valley, which is popular with students, has traded with the name for more than 20 years. It features characters from Tolkien's stories on its signs, has "Frodo" and "Gandalf" cocktails on the menu, and the face of Lord of the Rings film star Elijah Wood on its loyalty card. A letter from SZC had asked the pub to remove all references to the characters. The company asserts it has "exclusive worldwide rights to motion picture, merchandising, stage and other rights in certain literary works of JRR Tolkien including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit". Sir Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf in the Lord Of The Rings films, described the film company's actions as "unnecessary pettiness". "I haven't been there [The Hobbit pub] but it's clearly not a place to ill-treat hobbits, elves, dwarves and wizards, in any way. So what's the problem?" Stephen Fry, who is in New Zealand working on the forthcoming film of the Hobbit, posted on Twitter on Tuesday describing it as "self-defeating bullying". | The landlady of a pub threatened with legal action by a Hollywood film company says she is overwhelmed by the support the pub has had. | 0.647768 |
Sir Philip Rutnam said there had been a "vicious and orchestrated" campaign against him in Home Secretary Priti Patel's office. Reported tensions between the pair included claims she mistreated officials - which she has denied. The prime minister has "full confidence in his cabinet", Downing Street said. The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said Sir Philip's move was "highly unusual", adding: "I can't remember a senior public official taking a step like this." Sir Philip said he received allegations that Ms Patel's conduct towards employees included "swearing, belittling people, making unreasonable and repeated demands". He said that behaviour had "created fear and needed some bravery to call out". It was his duty to "protect the health, safety and wellbeing" of 35,000 Home Office workers, he said, but that doing so had "created tension" between him and Ms Patel. Sir Philip, who has had a career spanning 33 years, added he had attempted a "reconciliation" with Ms Patel but that she had "made no effort to engage with me to discuss this". He said he believed his experience was "extreme" but part of a "wider pattern" in government. Ms Patel has not yet commented on Sir Philip's statement. Sir Mark Sedwill, cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, thanked Sir Philip for his "long and dedicated career of public service" and said Shona Dunn, who had been Mr Rutnam's deputy, will become acting permanent secretary. He said he received the resignation "with great regret", adding: "The Home Office's vital work to keep our citizens safe and our country secure continues uninterrupted." It comes days after the home secretary and Sir Philip released a joint statement saying they were "deeply concerned" by various "false allegations" made about Ms Patel. Allegations the pair dismissed included reports that Ms Patel, who has been home secretary since Boris Johnson became prime minister, bullied her staff and was not trusted by MI5 bosses. But in a statement given to BBC News, Sir Philip said: "In the last 10 days, I have been the target of a vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign." He said allegations that he had briefed the media against the home secretary were among many "completely false" claims against him. Sir Philip said he did not believe Ms Patel's denial of any involvement in the false claims, adding that she had not "made the efforts I would expect to dissociate herself from the comments". Sir Philip's departure, and the manner of it, goes way beyond any normal policy problems or clashes. He took aim not just at Priti Patel, but alluded to what he said was a "wider pattern" in government. Add this to the resignation of Sajid Javid, the former chancellor who expressed concerns about how the government is behaving, there is mounting evidence of unhappiness with how Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his team are running things. Certainly it is a government in a hurry, willing to rattle cages in order to get things done. But governments who want to get things done need an effective civil service to make things happen. A very public breakdown in trust like this does not help that cause. Indications at this early stage are that Ms Patel's position is secure. But with an employment tribunal in the offing, pressure may well build in the coming weeks. If Sir Philip pursues his case as he says he will, exactly what happened behind closed doors may soon be out there for all to see. Read more from Laura here. Sir Philip said he intended to issue a claim against the Home Office for constructive dismissal. He added that the Cabinet Office had offered him a financial settlement "that would have avoided this outcome" - but he turned it down. For a claim of constructive dismissal to be successful at an employment tribunal, an individual must prove their employer seriously breached their contract and that they resigned in response to the breach. Reasons for claiming constructive dismissal can include employers allowing bullying or harassment at work, or failing to support an employee in their job, according to Citizens Advice. Lord Kerslake, the former head of the civil service, said Sir Philip's departure was "quite extraordinary" and "unprecedented". "For him to have done this - he must have been pushed to the limit and beyond," he said. "I think it will send shock waves through the civil service." Jon Trickett, Labour's shadow Cabinet Office minister, said driving a professional civil servant out of office "is the clearest sign yet of the underlying right-wing, authoritarian - but incompetent - nature of the Johnson government". "They will not tolerate dissent, yet can't cope with flooding or a possible pandemic," he said on Twitter. Earlier this week, when a Downing Street spokesman refused to say whether the prime minister had full confidence in Sir Philip Rutnam, his departure became inevitable. Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill was consulted ahead of negotiations to agree a settlement. A financial package was on offer, but the stumbling block was apparently the public statement accompanying it. Sir Philip wanted recognition for his work in Whitehall and an acknowledgement of the difficulties he'd encountered at the Home Office. According to those close to him that was not forthcoming. Critics of the former permanent secretary claim he was sometimes obstructive and difficult to work with; some believe he was fortunate to keep his job after the Windrush affair, when Amber Rudd resigned as home secretary; a report into the scandal, to be released soon, may have put his position under further scrutiny. Nevertheless, for one of the country's most senior civil servants to resign in such a dramatic way suggests he has concerns that go well beyond safeguarding his own reputation. For the government, the prospect of more damaging headlines is clear: Sir Philip's statement may embolden others to come forward with concerns, while legal proceedings would mean the internal workings of the Home Office - including discussions involving Priti Patel and her advisers - being made public. Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the Commons home affairs committee, said it was "appalling" and reflected badly on the whole government that the situation at the Home Office was allowed to deteriorate to such an extent. She said: "To end up with one of the most senior public servants in the country taking court action against one of the great offices of state shows a shocking level of breakdown in the normal functioning of government." The home affairs spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats said "serious questions" must be asked about the "culture that is being created in the Home Office". Christine Jardine added: "The way these Conservatives are treating public servants and trying to undermine the rule of law is outrageous." The FDA union for senior public servants said Sir Philip's resignation was a consequence of people making anonymous claims about those "who are unable to publicly defend themselves". FDA general secretary Dave Penman said the "cowardly practice" was "ruining lives and careers" as well as diverting resources. | The top civil servant in the Home Office has resigned and said he intends to claim for constructive dismissal by the government. | 0.675097 |
Amy, directed by Asif Kapadia, was named best documentary at the European Film Awards. The film was condemned by her father Mitch Winehouse for painting the singer's family in a negative light. Best European film went to Youth while British actress Charlotte Rampling was given a lifetime achievement. Rampling also won best actress for her role in the British drama 45 Years at the event in Berlin on Saturday night. Veteran actor Michael Caine received two trophies - he was presented with an honorary award and was also named best actor for Youth. He said: "It's been 50 years and I've never won an award in Europe. And now I've won two in one evening. It's so strange because I (usually) sit in these audiences and just clap someone else." The film, which co-starred American actors Paul Dano and Harvey Keitel, earned Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino the award for best director. Greek director and writer Yorgos Lanthimos picked up the screenwwriting award for his surreal drama The Lobster, which starred Irish actor Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz. The Irish film Song of the Sea was given the animation award. German-Austrian star Christoph Waltz, currently on screens in the latest Bond adventure Spectre was presented with the award for European achievement in world cinema. The European Film Academy was founded in 1988 and aims to promote films from across the continent. Around the BBC Amy Winehouse – BBC Music | A controversial documentary about the life and death of British singer Amy Winehouse has been honoured by the European Film Academy. | 0.544709 |
The attack happened between an Asda supermarket and a car park on Portland Terrace between in the early hours of Sunday. A police spokesman said specialist officers were supporting the woman, and regular patrols were being carried out. He added: "We would like to remind people to remain vigilant, especially when walking alone in the dark." | A 20-year-old woman was the victim of a serious sexual assault in Southampton city centre. | 0.077041 |
Stephen Morris had been on the London to Orpington service on Tuesday night, and got out at Penge East with his bike, but forgot his antique violin. It was one of only a few made by master craftsman David Tecchler in 1709. Mr Morris had been due to play the violin while leading the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in two Andrea Boccelli concerts at the weekend. The musician, who has also played on film scores including Lord of the Rings and James Bond and recorded with David Bowie and Stevie Wonder, reported it to lost luggage and British Transport Police. Mr Morris urged anyone who found the violin, which he bought in 2003 and described as "a piece of history", to "please return it". 'Only its custodian' "It's devastating to lose it and quite apart from its value, it's my livelihood," he said. "I was really only its custodian - one of many people who have played it - and I had hoped to pass it on to another violinist eventually." Mr Morris, from Sydenham, London, had to borrow another violin from his wife Sarah Sexton, also a professional musician, for performances in Manchester and Leeds at the weekend. "According to my colleagues playing this other violin hasn't affected my performance, but it was like having my arm cut off," he said. "The way my instrument responds is like having a limb - your hand and brain know exactly where to go when playing." Tecchler was part of the renowned Roman School of Violin Making in the 17th Century and was considered to be the institution's leading violin and cello maker. The instrument had recently been restored and was in a white case when it was left on the train. It was also marked with Tecchler's name. Mr Morris had been on the 22:58 London Victoria to Orpington service on Tuesday when he lost the instrument. He said he had been told by BTP they would be looking through CCTV to see if anyone left the train with the violin. You may also be interested in: | A violinist says he is "devastated" after leaving his 310-year-old instrument worth £250,000 on a train. | 0.05713 |
Frank Mulholland QC said the work will help determine whether a fatal accident inquiry should be held into the incident at the Jim Clark Rally. Crown Office lawyers will also rule on bringing criminal proceedings. Iain Provan, 64, Elizabeth Allan, 63, and Len Stern, 71, died at a stage of the rally near Coldstream last May. The investigations development emerged in response to a parliamentary question from south of Scotland MSP Jim Hume. Mr Mulholland, the Lord Advocate, said the health and safety division (HSD) at the Crown Office was investigating the circumstances of the incident. He added: "An interim report by HSD has been considered by Crown Counsel and further investigations including expert reports have been instructed. "Once the further inquiries have been completed the matter will be reported back to Crown Counsel to take a final decision." In a statement, a spokesman for the Crown Office confirmed that the Lord Advocate instructed further investigations and asked for two additional expert reports. He added: "The families will continue to be kept updated in relation to any significant developments." Mr Hume said both the public and families of those killed at the rally "would expect no less than the most thorough investigation". He added: "Understandably, organisers are anxious to get on and begin making arrangements for next year's race. "I hope that Crown Office investigations can conclude before too long so that local people and the many visitors who come to the Borders for the rally can enjoy next year's event safely." A nationwide review of the sport by a group set up by the Scottish government made a series of recommendations earlier this year. The Jim Clark Rally is normally held on closed public roads in Berwickshire. Scottish Borders Council withdrew permission for this year's event while investigations by Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive were underway. The event eventually went ahead on tracks in Kielder Forest in Northumberland, after starting in Kelso. | Scotland's chief law officer has asked for "further investigations" into the deaths of three people at a rally in the Borders. | 0.501105 |
In a blistering speech at the United Nations, John Kerry said the future of Syria was "hanging by a thread". He said Monday's attack, which killed 20 civilians, had raised profound doubt over whether Russia and the Syrian government would live up to the terms of the ceasefire deal. Moscow has denied being involved. The Russian defence ministry now says a US drone was in the area where the aid convoy was struck. Gen Igor Konashenkov said a Predator strike drone appeared above the convoy several minutes before it caught fire, and left the area 30 minutes later. "We are not jumping to unfounded conclusions. Only its owners know why the drone was in the area at the right time and what kind of tasks it was pursuing there," the general said. He did not directly accuse the US of firing on the aid convoy from a drone but pointedly said that such a drone could carry out high-precision strikes against targets on the ground. His comments follow Mr Kerry's declaration that Russia should stand up and take responsibility for air strikes, criticising Russia's defence ministry for changing its story. He said he felt like Russia was in "a parallel universe" after listening to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov address the council. The UN says it has resumed preparation for convoys of aid to Syria and hopes to deliver aid to besieged and hard-to-reach areas as soon as possible. Monday's attack prompted the UN to suspend all aid convoys to those areas. 'Heavy blow' Mr Kerry said flights should stop "in order to de-escalate the situation and give a chance for humanitarian assistance to flow unimpeded". The attack had "dealt a heavy blow to our efforts to bring peace to Syria," he said. A further attack on Tuesday night killed five medical workers for an international aid agency. A partial truce brokered by the US and Russia lasted just a week. Heavy air raids have continued in Syria, especially in and around Aleppo. A senior US official told the Associated Press that the US believes "with a very high degree of confidence" that the strike was carried out by a Russian-piloted aircraft. Speaking after the UN Security Council meeting, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said "the overwhelming responsibility for the breaches in the ceasefire that we have seen lies with the Assad regime and indeed its sponsors". But he said, the peace process that led to the truce could be revived. The Syrian ambassador to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari said the future of Syria would be decided by its people. "Syria will not become another Libya or Iraq," he said. "We will never allow this." A spokeswoman for the Syrian opposition delegation at the UN in New York told the BBC she was pessimistic about the future of the ceasefire. "What are the Russians doing to enforce the regime or to pressure the regime to comply and not violate this agreement? "The Russians themselves are violating this agreement," she claimed. Syria's five-year civil war has left more than 250,000 people dead and displaced more than 11 million others. Analysis: by Jonathan Marcus, Diplomatic correspondent, BBC News Secretary of State John Kerry's proposal that all aircraft should be prohibited from flying over certain areas of Syria so that humanitarian aid can be delivered unhindered probably falls short of a formal no-fly zone. Who for example might police such a zone? Would aircraft intruding into it be shot down, and if so by whom? Managing such small parcels of air space could also be a problem - any aircraft flying into them could be many miles away in a very short space of time. Mr Kerry's idea though is probably to be seen more as a declaratory policy: an attempt to get the Russians and Syrians - the only people likely to fly aircraft that might strike targets in these zones - to formally acknowledge that they will not do so. | The US Secretary of State has called for all planes to be grounded in key areas of Syria to save the truce there, following an attack on an aid convoy. | 0.685864 |
Viacom, the owner of MTV, will be acquiring the channel from Richard Desmond's Northern & Shell group. Viacom described Channel 5 as "one of British television's biggest brands" and said the acquisition would "accelerate" its strategy in the UK. It added that Channel 5 would complement Viacom's existing pay-TV networks. As well as MTV, Viacom also owns Comedy Central and children's network Nickelodeon. Mr Desmond put Channel 5 up for sale in January, four years after having bought it for £103.5m, and was reportedly expecting to raise about £700m. The sale to Viacom was more in line with analyst forecasts which valued the television station at between £400m and £500m. Transformation The sale reportedly drew interest from more than 20 potential buyers, including Discovery Communications, Scripps Networks and BSkyB, as well as Viacom. Viacom's president and chief executive, Philippe Dauman, said: "Channel 5's momentum is indisputable, with impactful programming, increasing popularity and a growing digital platform. "Channel 5's management and employees have done an outstanding job building their brand and we are pleased to welcome them to our team." Channel 5's chief operating officer, Paul Dunthorne, said the business had been "transformed" since Northern & Shell bought it in 2010. He added: "The combination of Channel 5 with Viacom's global resources, technology and expertise adds further to the momentum of the business and offers numerous exciting opportunities for the channel's future." Channel 5 was launched in March 1997 as the UK's fifth terrestrial TV channel. Its most popular shows currently include Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother, as well as Australian soap operas Neighbours and Home And Away. | US media group Viacom has agreed to buy the UK's Channel 5 for £450m, it has been announced. | 0.35 |
Tal Michael has put himself forward to be nominated as a Labour candidate for the £70,000-a-year post. His father Alun, the MP for Cardiff South and Penarth, and and former Welsh Secretary and First Minister, is standing for the post in south Wales. Elections take place on 15 November. The new commissioners will replace the existing police authorities after the elections. Labour will field candidates in all four Welsh force areas. Llandudno businessman Richard Hibbs has also announced he will stand for the police commissioner's role in the north as an independent candidate. Tal Michael said he had spent time thinking about how the new system would work before deciding to put his name forward for nomination. "The role of the commissioner is to be a bridge between communities and the police," he said. Letter "That means listening to both sides and, where necessary, translating. "The focus provided by a highly visible, directly elected commissioner will require a careful balancing act - being responsive while also respecting operational independence." In his resignation letter to the police authority, he added: "Although the role of chief executive will in theory continue, it makes more sense to think of the role of commissioner as a combination of chair and chief executive, with a higher public profile. "I had therefore concluded that I would probably want to leave soon after the commissioner is elected. "I have now come to the conclusion that it would be better to use my skills and experience to undertake the role myself." Although being introduced by their coalition UK government with the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats say elected police commissioners are not party policy. Welsh Lib Dem members standing as candidates will not receive party funding. Meanwhile, the Welsh Conservatives are still considering their position on fielding candidates. The elections will create police and crime commissioners in 41 force areas of England and Wales, outside London. Duties will include setting priorities for the force, overseeing its budget and hiring the chief constable. | The chief executive of North Wales Police Authority has resigned so he can stand for the election to become the area's first police and crime commissioner. | 0.448955 |
When I was at university in the mid-1970s, one of my friends achieved a brief moment of student fame. At the end of another truly dreadful lecture on Homer, she went up to the offending professor and said absolutely straight: "Professor, your lectures are a disgrace to the university". It was a line we chewed over - with admiration - in the bars and common rooms for weeks after and, as you can see, it has lived for almost 40 years in my own memory. Not that I can recall exactly what happened next. I suspect (it being the 70s) that the professor would have taken the student out for a drink, or maybe just tea, to talk about things in a friendly kind of way. And I'd be very surprised if there wasn't some improvement in his lectures. You'd need the hide of an ox, which most academics don't have, to resist that kind of fully frontal approach. There are of course hundreds of stories about what university lectures used to be like in the old days. Some of them true - and I can personally vouch for that particular one - some of them more dubious. I have never really believed all those urban myths about absent minded professors turning up each week to lecture to an audience of one, and apparently failing to notice when the audience reduced to none, and lecturing on regardless. And I'm not even sure that there were quite as many crusty old dons as we're led to suppose, who regurgitated year after year the same boring lectures from the same sheaf of increasingly yellowing notes. The mundane truth is that as long as there have been lectures, there have always been good lecturers and bad, sparkling ones and those who are frankly dull. No amount of staff training can change that, or not very much. What is different now is that students don't actually have to face down the professor if they want to register their discontent with the lectures. In fact, in every university and college in the country, they are positively drowning in surveys and questionnaires, which try to assess their "satisfaction". Over the last week I have been just one of thousands of lecturers distributing questionnaires to our students at the end of our lecture courses - as the university authorities now insist. We ask for their views on the content, the presentation, the organisation of the course, the quality of the handouts, the bibliographies or the Powerpoints, on a scale of excellent to poor, or one to seven. On the forms I have been dutifully handing round to my audiences, we even ask the poor dears: "Do you have any difficulty hearing the lectures?" "Yes" or "No". An innocuous question maybe. But the rebel in me does think that if a group of highly intelligent 19-year olds have just dumbly sat through eight weeks of lectures without putting their hands up to say, "Err sorry, we can't hear you at the back", they hardly deserve to be at university. Needless to say, this whole process is carefully governed by protocol. In my department we're not supposed simply to hand out these questionnaires and ask for them to be returned to our pigeon-holes - the students, we are told, tend to forget, so you get a very low response rate. We have to distribute them for completion during one of the lectures themselves, but then there's the problem that the lecturer's presence might inhibit the students from filling in the forms honestly - because we might appear threatening, you see. So we are supposed to withdraw from the lecture-room for five minutes, to allow them space and privacy to do it. I'll fess up, I don't always do that. And, it's not just lectures either, the students also have surveys to complete on their tutors and tutorials, on the overall teaching provision, on their social and sports facilities. And as if that's not enough, there's the centralised, online National Student Survey, backed by the Higher Education Funding Councils, which asks undergraduates across the land to say how good their lecturers are at explaining things, how enthusiastic they are, how interesting they make the course and so on. It's not surprising that my students sometimes complain of the same kind of survey-fatigue that I feel when I'm handed the customer satisfaction form each time I take my car to the local garage. Before half the students listening start to protest, let me insist that I'm dead keen to know what they think of my teaching, what they think works and what doesn't. Why on earth would you go into university teaching if you didn't give a toss what the students thought? I can see, too, that when you're paying up to £9,000 a year for the privilege of being at university, you want to make it pretty clear if you feel you're not getting your money's worth (that's where consumer culture really does meet the life of learning). And of course, over the years, I have received all kinds of useful comments and criticisms that may well have been easier to make anonymously. The most useful ones, in fact, have come when I've abandoned the standard issue tick-box questionnaire form and just distributed a blank piece of paper and asked every student to write a paragraph on how they would improve the course. I'm still following some of those suggestions. But there are downsides to this obsession with questionnaires too, some of them pretty obvious - like the power without responsibility that the cloak of anonymity allows. I've been very lucky here and my students are a sensible bunch. I've escaped with not much worse than a few marginal notes along the lines of: "Can't you get a new coat?" or "You could look great with a makeover Prof Beard", all fairly friendly banter - though, the fact is, if I wrote something like that about them on a student report form I'd almost certainly get a ticking off. But if you want a taste of the depths to which comments on this kind of survey can sink, then take a look at the US website RateMyProfessor - which is the university equivalent of TripAdvisor, and includes a "hotness" rating for the professor concerned. Then think about the implications of taking the responses to these questionnaires into account, as universities increasingly do, when the lecturer comes up for promotion or a pay rise. But I'm more bothered by the underlying assumptions about what makes good university teaching that lie behind many of these surveys. You can see them particularly clearly in the National Student Survey, and the reams of student feedback it publishes online - explicitly, so it says, to help prospective students choose a good course, and to help universities "enhance the student learning experience". I'm not just talking about its stress on what salary a student can expect to earn when they finish their degree, which doesn't in my view have very much to do with "the learning experience", or the implied insistence that university lecturers should be unremittingly enthusiastic about what they teach, I've actually found that quite a lot of students rather appreciate a healthy dose of down-beat realism. But it's the simple idea, embedded in the whole philosophy of the National Survey, that you can tell a good course by its satisfied students, that really bugs me. OK, I can see how at first sight that might seem obvious. Who, after all, wants to see their kids go off to university, at great expense, for a diet of dis-satisfaction? But, from where I sit, dissatisfaction and discomfort have their own, important, role to play in a good university education. We're aiming to push our students to think differently, to move out of their intellectual comfort zone, to read and discuss texts that are almost too hard for them to manage. It is, and it's meant to be, destabilizing. At the same time, we're urging them never to be satisfied with the arguments they are presented with, never to take things on trust, always to challenge, always to see the weak points, or to want to push the argument further. Then along comes the National Survey, treats them as consumers, and asks them if they're satisfied. I find myself thinking "I jolly well hope they're not", or at least, not yet. For maybe the right time to be asking someone about what they got out of their course at university is not when they are still in it, or as they are just leaving it, but five, 10, 20 years later, when they've got some perspective on what difference it made to their lives. Because the truth is, when you meet a group of ex-students years after they've left, you can pretty well guarantee that one of their commonest refrains will be, "Do you know what, I think in an odd way I learned most from that course I used to hate." I'm not sure that's true for those lectures on Homer, though. You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on Facebook | University students face a constant stream of questionnaires designed to assess the standard of their courses and check they are getting their money's worth, but is that really the point, asks historian Mary Beard. | 0.125036 |
The controls will automatically be set to "on" for new users. Customers who do not want the service will have to actively choose not to turn it on. The filter is designed to block sites deemed unsuitable for children. The move comes after the government called for internet service providers to filter legal pornography and other adult subjects "by default". The BT Parental Controls filter will cover any internet-enabled device connected to its home broadband service. The implementation of the controls will be pre-selected for new users who are setting up their internet connection for the first time. They will have to confirm this option and then will be asked to set a filter level. There will be three levels - strict, moderate and light - or customers can choose to turn the filter off. Existing users of BT's broadband will be contacted during 2014 and asked to make a decision on whether or not they want to set up the new service. Search blocked Sites that show pornography, refer to illegal drugs or promote self-harm will all be blocked. Other categories of sites that the filter can be set to block include nudity, social networking and gaming. Users can also personalise the filters to block access to sex-education sites and search engines. BT currently has 6.8 million broadband customers. "BT takes the issue of online child protection extremely seriously and we are very pleased to be able to launch the whole-home filter to help parents keep their families safe online," said BT's managing director of consumer commercial marketing and digital, Pete Oliver. The National Crime Agency's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) said it welcomed the move by BT. The government has said by the end of 2014, 20 million homes - 95% of all homes in Britain with an existing internet connection - will be required to choose whether to switch on a whole-home "family- friendly" internet filter. Sky and Talk Talk have already implemented their own version of a "family-friendly" filter. Virgin is expected to introduce something similar in the new year. In November, Google and Microsoft announced that 100,000 search terms that related to illegal material would be blocked by their search engines. | BT has announced the launch of a new internet filter designed to protect children online. | 0.969313 |
Scotland's chief veterinary officer said the discovery confirmed that H5N8 avian influenza was present in the country's wild bird population. Sheila Voas urged the public to be vigilant for signs of disease in both wild and domestic birds. Two more cases of birds infected with avian influenza have also been detected in England. The H5N8 strain has been spreading rapidly in Europe, though it is considered far less risky than the H5N1 outbreak in 2006, and is believed to pose a low risk to humans. Ms Voas said: "This underlines the crucial importance of bird keepers and members of the public remaining vigilant for signs of disease in domestic or wild birds. "Any dead wild swans, geese, ducks or gulls, falcons or other birds of prey or five or more dead wild birds of other species in the same location, should be reported to the Defra helpline" The Scottish government said there was strong evidence from Europe that the disease was getting into housed poultry. The heavy rainfall brought by Storm Barbara could heighten the risk of contaminated water entering poultry houses, it added. Producers have already been ordered to house birds or ensure they are kept separate from wild birds. Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: "With the recent disease confirmations in both England and Wales, it is not unexpected for avian influenza to be found in a wild bird here in Scotland. "We have already made clear that all bird keepers - whether major businesses or small keepers with just a few birds - must ensure that their bio security is up to scratch and prevent any contact between their birds and wild birds." A further two cases of avian influenza have been detected in wild wigeons in Somerset and Leicestershire. NFU Scotland said it was a "very worrying" time for poultry keepers. An NFU spokesman said: "Whether your poultry flock is large or small, we urge you to ensure your bio-security measures to protect the health of your flock are as robust as possible. "Given the spread of the disease in wild birds, flock owners must continue to comply with the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, put in place on 6 December, which requires that all poultry and captive birds in Scotland be kept indoors, or otherwise kept separate from wild birds." The spokesman added that consumers should have no concerns about eating eggs or poultry meat. The Defra helpline number is 03459 335577 and it can also be contacted by email. | A peregrine falcon found in Dumfries and Galloway has tested positive for bird flu. | 0.25 |
China ''will push forward human spaceflight projects and make new technological breakthroughs'', the report said. It plans to develop next-generation rockets, new types of satellites and carry out deep-space exploration. In the long term, China is working towards building a space station and putting a person on the moon. The white paper also summarised China's space activities since 2006 and spelt out policies for international co-operation, in a move that appeared aimed at allaying concern over its space ambitions. ''China will work together with the international community to maintain a peaceful and clean outer space and endeavour to make new contributions to the lofty cause of promoting world peace and development,'' said the report. It lists collaborations with countries such as Russia, Brazil, France and Britain. China will also ''continue to make dialogue regarding the space field'' with the US, following a NASA delegation visit in October. China views its space programme as a key part of its national development and international growth. According to the white paper, the Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spaceships will be launched to dock with the Tiangong-1 space lab module. Tiangong-1, which means ''heavenly palace'', was launched aboard a Long March 2F rocket in September. It is a prototype module for China's future space station. Last month the Shenzhou-8 spent just under 17 days in orbit - the longest Shenzhou mission to date - and rendezvoused with the space lab. Officials have indicated that at least one of the two next Shenzhou missions would be manned and that 2012 might even see the country's first female astronaut. The white paper also said China would improve its Long March launch vehicles, building next-generation rockets that used ''non-toxic and pollutant-free propellant''. It plans to upgrade launch sites and finish a new launch base in Hainan. It will also continue building its Beidou satellite navigation system, with aims to cover the Asia-Pacific region by the end of 2012 and complete global coverage by 2020. China will also launch orbiters to survey the moon, land on it and obtain samples that can be studied. Ultimately, it wants to put a person on the moon. In the next five years, the report said, China will ''conduct studies on the preliminary plan for a human lunar landing''. | China has released a white paper setting out its space plans for the next five years. | 0.91098 |
The B-17 Flying Fortress, known as Mi Amigo, crashed at Endcliffe Park, Sheffield, in 1944. The campaign began after BBC presenter Dan Walker met eyewitness Tony Foulds, who regularly tends to the memorial. He tweeted: "What a man. I'm in bits" and "Does anyone know how much a fly-past by the @rafredarrows costs?" The BBC Breakfast host said Mr Foulds was a schoolboy when he saw the plane come down on 22 February. The Mi Amigo was returning from a bombing raid. He said Mr Foulds had told him he hoped a fly-past could be organised for the 75th anniversary next month. His initial tweet has now been liked more than 4,000 times. More news and stories from across Yorkshire Speaking in May, after the memorial was vandalised, Mr Foulds said he owed his life to the pilot and crew of the aircraft for their efforts to avoid hitting anyone on the ground. He said: "If it had not been for them I would be dead because I was on the park when it happened." | A social media campaign has been launched to organise a fly-past for the 75th anniversary of a US bomber crash that claimed the lives of 10 airmen. | 0.351379 |
By Mary-Ann RussonBusiness Reporter, BBC News Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe has pledged to cut prices on everyday products by around 10% after the deal. But suppliers fear they will have to shoulder the cost of those savings. "There will be plenty of losers from this," said Austin Sugarman, boss of Fine Foods International, a supplier of instant coffee based in Bedfordshire. "If suppliers are going to have to come up with the savings, then we'll see consolidation in the supply base," he told the BBC. "That means closing factories, that means losing people and it means effectively less choice for consumers." Mr Coupe said the combined group's buying power would enable it to strike better deals with suppliers, and these savings would then be passed on to consumers. But industry bodies fear this will make life very difficult for smaller suppliers, who are already having to adapt to higher costs from auto-enrolment pensions and the Living Wage, as well as the weaker pound since the Brexit vote. "We already operate in a very competitive retail environment," said Gordon Polson, director of the Federation of Bakers. "We just don't see possibly how our products could be reduced any further." Ian Cass, managing director of the Forum of Private Business agreed: "If suppliers are asked to reduce prices by 10% to stay on the Sainsbury's-Asda supply chain, then some small companies could go out of business." Mr Cass was concerned that the combined company - which will be Britain's biggest grocer - could seek to pressure suppliers into unfavourable terms by holding the threat of losing contracts over their heads. He cited Arcadia Group, which owns brands such as Topshop and Dorothy Perkins as an example. In January, the firm imposed a 2% discount on all current and existing orders from suppliers due to poor Christmas sales. On top of all these pressures, suppliers also have to contend with the fact that many retailers in the grocery industry make suppliers wait up to three months for payment. "Surely there are other efficiencies you could make in partnership with suppliers, other than turning around and demanding a 10% discount," Mr Cass said. A better deal? Sentinel Management Consultants acts as an adviser to suppliers on their negotiations with supermarkets. It said that while some suppliers will undoubtedly be "quaking with fear" after the Sainsbury's-Asda merger announcement, others will have more power to negotiate with the new firm than they realise. "Suppliers need to get better at saying no," said Sentinel boss David Sables. "Supermarkets don't want to have complaints from shoppers because their favourite crisps, biscuits, coffee or soap powder have come off the shelves." Mr Sables said small businesses should make sure they understand their rights under the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, and also understand that supermarket chains tend to hold the threat of getting rid of suppliers as a bluff. "There is a game being played about the demand for cheaper prices, and very often when suppliers have said no and they're walking away, nine times out of 10 that's the price they get the contract to supply at." A Sainsbury's spokeswoman told the BBC that suppliers would benefit from the deal. "At this stage, we are still in the early phases of our plans but we believe this is a great opportunity for suppliers as they will be able to make their supply chains more streamlined, to develop differentiated product ranges and to grow their businesses as we grow ours. "We are also actively investing in small suppliers - we are recruiting a team which is dedicated to working with smaller and distinctive suppliers to help them bring new products to market and to handhold them through this process." | Companies that supply products to Sainsbury's and Asda fear they could suffer when the two grocery chains merge. | 0.709441 |
Why was there an arms deal? Newly democratic South Africa decided its military needed to be overhauled - and five years after coming into power following the end of white minority rule, the African National Congress (ANC) government signed contracts totalling 30bn rand ($5bn; £3bn in 1999). The deal involved companies from Germany, Italy, Sweden, Britain, France and South Africa. Why was it controversial? Even before the allegations of corruption were made, the spending of billions of dollars on new fighter jets, helicopters, submarines and warships was contentious in a country where millions lived in poverty. Others also pointed out that there was no credible threat to South Africa's sovereignty to justify the spending. Questions emerged about the deal within months, leading to official investigations into allegations of conflict of interest, bribery and process violations in the purchasing of equipment. What was the outcome? There have only been two convictions: The allegations also formed part of US and British inquiries into BAE Systems and in 2010 the UK military contractor pleaded guilty to charges of false accounting and making misleading statements and paid more than $400m in penalties to end the investigations into questionable payments made to win contracts. The following year Swedish firm Saab admitted that 24m rand was paid to secure a contract for fighter jets, but said the payments had been made through BAE Systems. A new South African commission of inquiry into the deal, formed in 2011, concluded in 2016 that no new charges should be brought. But a week later the High Court ruled, in a case brought by the opposition, that Mr Zuma should face charges over the deal. They had been dropped weeks before he became president in 2009. What is Mr Zuma's alleged involvement? He is alleged to have received bribes from a French arms firm via his financial adviser in order to protect Thales from scrutiny. He was first charged in 2005, but a trial has never come to fruition - thanks to many challenges, other technicalities and backing from a strong faction within the ANC. But the arms deal, among other scandals, dogged his presidency. Last year, the Supreme Court backed the decision that charges be reinstated and he now faces 16 counts of corruption, racketeering, fraud and money laundering. In total, he is accused of accepting 783 illegal payments. Why did the courts order the charges be reinstated? A High Court judge said the decision by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to drop the charges in 2009 was "irrational". The NPA had done so after receiving phone-tap evidence from Mr Zuma's lawyers, which suggested there had been political interference in the investigation. But the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) pursued the case after Mr Zuma became president, winning a court battle to make the sealed recordings public and then arguing there was no evidence to warrant the charges being dropped. Zuma arms deal timeline | South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma has been charged with corruption linked to a multi-billion dollar arms deal. The 75-year-old denies any wrongdoing. | 0.337734 |
What happened to Kids Company? When Kids Company closed in August 2015, the charity said its finances had become stretched because of the number of children "pouring" through its doors for help. But donors had been steadily withdrawing support, alarmed by stories of alleged mismanagement. Earlier that summer, the charity had said it wanted to restructure and had sought new funds from the government and donors. But it closed, with ministers saying they wanted to recover a £3m grant they had given to the charity a week before. Founder Camila Batmanghelidjh said a private donor, who had pledged to match the government grant, pulled out after hearing the Metropolitan Police were investigating abuse claims at the charity. In January of this year, the police investigation concluded after finding no evidence of criminality. What was Kids Company? Founded in 1996 in south London, it provided practical, emotional and educational support to up to 36,000 deprived and vulnerable inner-city children and young people. It employed more than 600 people, with high-profile supporters including Prime Minister David Cameron. When it closed, Kids Company said 11 centres in London and Bristol and an outreach project in Liverpool had shut their doors, and its work with more than 40 schools had ended. The day after its closure, the government held talks to draw up emergency plans to support children affected. Who is Camila Batmanghelidjh? Born into a wealthy family in Iran, she arrived in England aged 12, speaking little English, and went on to gain a first-class degree from Warwick University. After training as a psychotherapist, she founded Kids Company in 1996 and was its chief executive for 19 years. Ms Batmanghelidjh was appointed CBE and listed among the UK's most powerful women by BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in 2013. Kids Company closure timeline Why did it become a political issue? The charity relied heavily on public money. In its last set of published accounts, for 2013, the government provided £4m, about one fifth of its annual £20m funding. Former children's minister Tim Loughton said he had raised "serious concerns" over value for money when he was in government from 2010 to 2012. The Cabinet Office's lead official, Richard Heaton, also wrote to ministers on 26 June last year informing them he thought the £3m grant would be poor value for money. A senior figure involved in funding talks said any concerns raised were "all overridden by Number 10", claiming the prime minister had been "mesmerised" by Ms Batmanghelidjh. What was the government's £3m grant for? The grant had been intended to support a "transformation and downsizing plan" for the charity, but the BBC understands £800,000 was used to pay its monthly wage bill. It is not clear what conditions the charity understood were attached to the grant. The money was paid, but the Cabinet Office subsequently said it would recover it because it believed the conditions attached to its use were not met. It has not yet received any of the money back. Why did the police become involved? In July 2015, the Metropolitan Police opened an investigation into claims that details of incidents involving young people who used the charity had not been passed to police. The investigation was closed in January 2016 after officers said they carried out "extensive inquiries" into claims of physical and sexual abuse but found no evidence to reach the threshold for criminal prosecution. Kids Company always denied the claims and said it always met its obligations to report crimes. What other investigations were held? In October, the National Audit Office reported the charity had received at least £46m of public money despite repeated concerns about how it was run. It said there was a "consistent pattern" of it receiving grants after claiming it would close without them. The NAO also said got more Department for Education money than any other charity in 2011. The charity is also the subject of a statutory investigation by the Charity Commission and an inquiry by the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee. What has the charity said? Ms Batmanghelidjh said Kids Company had become "a football for the media and the civil servants", and there had been a "malicious discrediting campaign". She told the BBC that Kids Company had been subjected to a "trial by media" based on "rumours and conjectures". | High-profile charity Kids Company closed amid a row about funding and with its performance and management under scrutiny. So what went wrong? | 0.846453 |
However, Rhodri Talfan Davies said the corporation and Eos - the body representing the musicians - were far from reaching an agreement. Radio Cymru lost the right to play around 30,000 songs on New Year's Day and has been forced to cut its airtime. Artists want increased payments. The BBC said the resolution must be fair. Following a meeting on Tuesday, Mr Talfan Davies, said the two sides were getting closer, but added it was a complicated dispute, and he was not willing to give a timetable for a resolution. He said the BBC had an obligation to ensure value for money for licence fee payers, and a fair and reasonable resolution was needed. Classical music Eos had previously said the BBC had until Thursday to respond, while the BBC has said its priority was to find a solution. The group of artists want increased payments for their music played on the Welsh language station. The BBC Trust, which is independent of the corporation's management, has urged a settlement, saying it was in nobody's interest for the dispute to continue. Classical music and hymns have replaced rock and pop on Radio Cymru as the station has cut its airtime by two hours a day. The musicians broke away from the Performing Right Society to join the new agency, claiming they were being short-changed for their work. Radio Cymru reaches about 142,000 listeners a week, or 6% of the adult population of Wales, according to the latest Rajar audience survey. | The director of BBC Cymru Wales has described talks on the royalties row between the BBC and Welsh language musicians as "constructive". | 0.593481 |
Peter Green, who runs Barnabus in the city centre, said there was a growing number of people who desperately need a roof as the freezing weather sets in. He says there needed to be at least 30 more beds made available. The council however said beds were available and there was "no reason anyone to sleep rough" in the city. Mr Green, who has been working with the homeless for the past 20 years, said he saw a very different picture on the streets of the city at night time. "People are freezing, the cold snap is extreme and we need extra beds. Many of them simply say to us, 'Please find us somewhere to live, please find us somewhere warm'," he said. He said the number of rough sleepers has increased because of the recession hitting so many families. 'Find spaces' "We haven't come across a whole family that is homeless yet, but we have met a lot of dads who have had to leave the family. "Homeless people are those who 'sofa surf' or find regular nights in hostels. The growing number is rough sleepers - those who do not even find any accommodation through the night and are forced to sleep outside in the cold." The charity in Bloom Street has recently been given storage space. Mr Green made a plea to anyone with spare clothes to donate them. "We are desperately in need of more secondhand and spare warm clothing. In the past people have donated soiled items of clothing, please give us things that people can actually wear." A Manchester City Council spokesman said: "We do currently have 20 spaces available for rough sleepers in supported housing schemes, and on top of that, we will find spaces in B&Bs and hotels if we need to. "These are extreme weather conditions but we are confident there is no reason for anyone to sleep rough in Manchester." | A charity has warned that rough sleepers could die on the streets of Manchester if more is not done to protect them from the cold. | 0.25 |
Bethan Russell Williams said she resigned from Betsi Cadwaladr health board after learning vascular services will move from Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor. They will be at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan - but she fears patients from some rural areas will suffer, The health board said its service is stretched. Ms Russell Williams said she is worried that some patients in need of emergency vascular treatment who live far from Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, will die before they reach hospital. Vascular services help people with circulatory system problems. "It is becoming abundantly clear that the health board is moving towards centralisation of all emergency vascular provision in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and I am fearful for the population in the very rural areas in Pen Llyn, Eifionydd and Meirionydd," said Ms Russell Williams, who resigned as an independent member of the board after four years. She added that the changes were contrary to the impression given in a document last year. The matter was raised at the Senedd plenary session on Tuesday with Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths, answering on behalf of the absent first minister, saying there had been "confusion" over the future of vascular services in north Wales. She said that a March 2018 letter explained that "patients with diseases of the lower limbs related with circulation will be managed at both Ysbty Glan Clwyd and the limb salvage unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd with provision for elective and emergency admission and in-patient treatment at both sites". Ms Griffiths said it was this sentence that might have caused the confusion and that the elective and emergency treatment at Ysbyty Gwynedd related to diabetic foot and non-arterial cases. She added that in effect there had been no change to the decision taken back in 2013 regarding the reorganisation of vascular services in north Wales. Ms Russell Williams accepted that a decision was taken in 2013 to reorganise but she says that the situation had significantly changed since then. "Yes there was consultation in 2013 but there were concerns then that it was significantly flawed with insufficient clinical input," she explained. She added: "It appears to me now that the health board is backtracking and maintaining that it was poor grammar and poor wording that might have left it open to misinterpretation." The health board said it accepts "that the wording of our March 2018 board paper could and should have been clearer". It estimates that fewer than 100 patients each year from Anglesey and Gwynedd will need to travel to Glan Clwyd for their vascular surgery. It added: "Our current service is too stretched, individual hospitals cannot provide 24/7 emergency vascular care, so out-of-hours it is provided at either Ysbyty Gwynedd or Wrexham Maelor Hospital on an alternating basis. "If patients are too unwell to travel, the on-call surgeon travels to them. This would continue to be the case with the new service. "Bringing the specialised surgery into one place allows us to invest in the latest equipment and technology and to attract new staff." | Lives could be lost if changes are made to some services at one of Wales' main hospitals, according to a former health board member. | 0.469492 |
By Smitha MundasadHealth reporter, BBC News The medication- known as Prep - has been shown in UK studies to reduce the chances of people getting HIV. Charities claim they had expected it to start being rolled-out later this year. But NHS England officials, who had been involved in early discussions about Prep, say providing it is not their responsibility. Instead they say under health regulations, preventative medicine (rather than treatment) falls to individual local authorities to consider. Meanwhile NHS England says it will offer £2m worth of funds to treat around 500 people over the next two years. 'Security' It says the money, which local authorities will be able to bid for, will help them consider the overall feasibility and cost-effectiveness of offering the drugs. Prep (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is intended for healthy people who are at high risk of getting HIV. This would include, for example, men who have sex with multiple male partners without using condoms. The medicine is already available to certain groups in the US, France, Israel, Canada and Kenya. And a recent trial by the UK's Medical Research Council and Public Health England showed that giving the drugs to healthy gay men at risk, led to an 86% fall in new infections. Charities describe the approach as a game-changer and argue the decision by NHS England fails those who are vulnerable to HIV. Dr Michael Brady, medical director at the charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "For the last 18 months charities, academics and patients have been lulled into a false sense of security. "Because NHS England has been involved in all the discussions, we had expected the drug to go to a public consultation and then be commissioned and rolled-out - with guidance - towards the end of the year. "Pulling the plug on this process at the eleventh hour is leaving people at risk who would otherwise have been protected. "And the bottom line is that 8 or 9 gay men are infected with HIV in the UK every day. We see people every day in clinic who we know could benefit from this. "We know it works." Dr Mags Portman, who worked on the UK Prep trial and is part of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV said the situation was extremely worrying. She added: "Local authorities have already had huge cuts to their public health budgets and some could struggle. "How will they decide who gets Prep if they can't give it to everyone who needs it?" Prep has so-far been available to people enrolled in a research trial taking place in six cities in the UK, and can also be bought privately. | Charities say NHS England's "eleventh hour decision to pull the plug" on game-changing HIV prevention drugs is leaving people at risk. | 0.64179 |
By James GallagherHealth and science correspondent Recovery time will depend on how sick you became in the first place. Some people will shrug off the illness quickly, but for others it could leave lasting problems. Age, gender and other health issues all increase the risk of becoming more seriously ill from Covid-19. The more invasive the treatment you receive, and the longer it is performed, the longer recovery is likely to take. What if I have only mild symptoms? Most people who get Covid-19 will develop only the main symptoms - a cough or fever. But they could experience body aches, fatigue, sore throat and headache. The cough is initially dry, but some people will eventually start coughing up mucus containing dead lung cells killed by the virus. These symptoms are treated with bed rest, plenty of fluids and pain relief such as paracetamol. People with mild symptoms should make a good and speedy recovery. The fever should settle in less than a week, although the cough may linger. A World Health Organization (WHO) analysis of Chinese data says it takes two weeks on average to recover. What if I have more serious symptoms? The disease can become much more serious for some. This tends to happen about seven to 10 days into the infection. The transformation can be sudden. Breathing becomes difficult and the lungs get inflamed. This is because although the body's immune system is trying to fight back - it's actually overreacting and the body experiences collateral damage. Some people will need to be in hospital for oxygen therapy. GP Sarah Jarvis says: "The shortness of breath may take some considerable time to improve... the body is getting over scarring and inflammation." She says it could take two to eight weeks to recover, with tiredness lingering. What if I need intensive care? The WHO estimates one person in 20 will need intensive care treatment, which can include being sedated and put on a ventilator. It will take time to recover from any spell in an intensive or critical care unit (ICU), no matter what the illness. Patients are moved to a regular ward before going home. Dr Alison Pittard, Dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, says it can take 12 to 18 months to get back to normal after any spell in critical care. Spending a long time in a hospital bed leads to muscle mass loss. Patients will be weak and muscle will take time to build up again. Some people will need physiotherapy to walk again. Because of what the body goes through in ICU, there's also the possibility of delirium and psychological disorders. "There does seem to be an added element with this disease - viral fatigue is definitely a huge factor," says Paul Twose, critical care physiotherapist at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. There have been reports from China and Italy of whole-body weakness, shortness of breath after any level of exertion, persistent coughing and irregular breathing. Plus needing a lot of sleep. "We do know patients take a considerable period, potentially months, to recover." But it is hard to generalise. Some people spend relatively short periods in critical care, while others are ventilated for weeks. Will coronavirus affect my health long-term? We don't know for sure as there is no long-term data, but we can look at other conditions. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (called Ards) develops in patients whose immune systems go into overdrive, causing damage to the lungs. "There is really good data that, even five years down the line, people can have ongoing physical and psychological difficulties," says Mr Twose. Dr James Gill, a GP and lecturer at Warwick Medical School, says people also need mental health support to improve recovery. "You're finding breathing difficult, then the doctor says 'We need to put you on a ventilator. We need to put you to sleep. Do you want to say goodbye to your family?'. "PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] in these most severe patients is not unsurprising. There will be significant psychological scars for many." There remains the possibility that even some mild cases may leave patients with long-term health problems - such as fatigue. How many people have recovered? Getting an accurate figure is difficult. As of 1 May, Johns Hopkins University reported more than 1,021,000 people had recovered out of 3.2 million people known to have been infected around the world. But countries use different recording methods. Some are not publishing recovery figures and many mild infections will be missed. Mathematical models have estimated between 99-99.5% of people recover. Can I catch Covid-19 again? There has been much speculation, but little evidence, on how durable any immunity is. If patients have successfully fought off the virus, they must have built up an immune response. Reports of patients being infected twice may just be down to tests incorrectly recording they were free of the virus. The immunity question is vital for understanding whether people can be reinfected and how effective any vaccine may be. Follow James on Twitter | More than one million people around the world are known to have recovered from coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. But the road back to full health is not the same for everyone. | 0.344465 |
By Sarah PorterBBC News, Singapore Is it Germany's Volkswagen Group - which knocked Toyota off the top spot in the 2016 figures? Or one of the newer conglomerates which encompasses several car companies? Perhaps the US titan, General Motors, has fought back? The answer: well, it depends on what carmakers include in their global sales numbers. And, crucially, how you define a car. Confusing Claiming the honour this year is a new player: the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. The Japanese-French group acquired Mitsubishi in 2016 and adopted its current name in September last year. It's made up of ten brands, including Dacia, Datsun, Infiniti and Renault Samsung Motors. Combined, the firm says that with its 10.61 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles sold in 2017, it has become "the number-one automotive group worldwide". But that's a bit confusing. Why? Because Volkswagen says it sold 10.74 million vehicles in 2017 - and some say those numbers should see it named the biggest of them all, for a second year running. A heavy conversation Working out who's top dog in car sales globally really depends on what kind of ranking you want, according to Anna-Marie Baisden, head of automobiles at BMI Research in London. Some media reports have put the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance as "the biggest seller of light vehicles" in 2017, and placed VW firmly in second place. But those accounts stripped out so-called heavy vehicles from VW's numbers. Heavy vehicles usually mean things like big trucks and buses - which seems reasonable. They are clearly not cars. But VW includes its heavy vehicles in its global sales numbers. And so others took those figures at face value, and reported the German firm had maintained the number one crown, ahead of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. Just to add to the confusion, carmakers and countries have varying definitions of light and heavy vehicles. Take the very popular SUV - or sports utility vehicle. Is it a light truck or a car? Well that depends on where you live and what brand you're driving. "SUVs have become very popular, so many of them are basically the same as normal cars," says Derryn Wong, editor-in-chief of CarBuyer. "But in the USA some SUVs are counted as light trucks. In Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, the Toyota Hilux is a pickup truck, or light commercial vehicle, while the Toyota Fortuner uses the same platform and looks similar, but is considered an SUV-passenger car. "Simply put, it's very hard to draw a line where passenger cars end and light vehicles begin," he says. But the fun doesn't end there. Vans for example are nearly always counted as commercial vehicles, except if they are a minivan - like the Toyota Sienna, which can carry eight people. Also ranked as light trucks are pickups, like the Chevrolet Silverado, regardless of whether they are used for business or private transport. "To cut through this, you could extract passenger car only data as defined by the makers themselves - but you'd have to do it for each conglomerate and their brands," says Mr Wong. "But not every brand has published their total sales breakdown for 2017, and also not every brand clearly delineates passenger car and light vehicles." So what's the answer? Stripping out heavier trucks and buses from sales numbers would help you compare just the light vehicle market, says BMI's Ms Baisden, "This would probably be more relevant to the average consumer, and this is where we would see the Renault-Nissan Alliance climbing the rankings," she says. "The acquisition of Mitsubishi in 2016 means they now have a lot more light vehicles to include and so it is not unthinkable that they would be top based on the combination of all brands. "But if you included every brand in a group, and all of the types of vehicles sold, this would start to favour a company like the VW Group, which has everything from small hatchbacks, VW and Seat, through to premium with Porsche, and up to big trucks under the Man brand." If neither of those options tickles your fancy, however, the OICA (Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles) is one of the best sites for global vehicle sales rankings. But it includes passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, minibuses, trucks, buses and coaches in their figures. And it hasn't released its rankings for 2017 just yet. | The biggest carmakers on the planet are posting their sales numbers for 2017 - so who is officially ranked number one? | 0.79613 |
Australia's Immigration Minister Scott Morrison signed the deal on Friday with Cambodia's Interior Minister Sar Kheng. Australia will pay A$40m (£22m, $35m) to the South East Asian nation over four years, and resettlement costs. The deal has drawn stringent criticism from rights groups, who say Cambodia is ill-equipped to care for the refugees. The deal has sparked small protests in Sydney and Phnom Penh. Australia has in recent months introduced controversial policies aimed at ending the flow of asylum boats from Indonesia trying to reach its territories. Mr Morrison had earlier said the deal "enables us to fulfil on the policy which says no-one will be resettled in Australia". 'Only genuine refugees' In a joint statement, the two countries said they had agreed on an "initial trial arrangement with a small group of refugees", followed by further resettlement according to Cambodia's capacity. Mr Morrison said only genuine refugees currently housed in a processing centre on the Pacific island of Nauru would be sent. Under the deal, only those who chose to go to Cambodia would be resettled. Transfers were likely to begin later this year and there was no cap on numbers, he said. Cambodia had said earlier it might take in between two and five people under the pilot phase, according to the Phnom Penh Post. Mr Morrison said in the statement that Australia would pay for initial support to the refugees. It would also pay for Cambodia to develop resources to integrate the new arrivals. Mr Morrison said the Cambodian government was "making countless efforts to develop the country" and was "demonstrating its ability and willingness to contribute positively to this humanitarian issue". He told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the A$40m would go towards various "development aid projects", and was on top of the A$79m that Australia already gave in aid to Cambodia. Australia and asylum Australia asylum: Why is it controversial? Rights group say Cambodia is an impoverished nation with a record of corruption. They have pointed out that it has in the past sent back refugees to countries where they have been persecuted. Amnesty International has described the deal as a "new low in Australia's deplorable and inhumane treatment of asylum seekers". It accused officials of "putting the short-term political interests of the Australian government ahead of the protection of some of the world's most vulnerable people". About 100 Cambodians protested against the deal in front of the Australian embassy, reported the Associated Press. Activists in Australia also staged a demonstration outside the immigration department in Sydney. Australia-based Refugee Action Coalition's spokesman Ian Rintoul said: "Rather than give the Cambodia government A$40m to undermine human rights, that money could have been spent providing real aid and services that are needed in Cambodia and Australia." | Cambodia's government has signed a deal with Australia to accept some of its rejected asylum seekers in exchange for money. | 0.659925 |
By Kathryn WestcottBBC News Magazine Most people know the phrase Stockholm Syndrome from the numerous high-profile kidnapping and hostage cases - usually involving women - in which it has been cited. The term is most associated with Patty Hearst, the Californian newspaper heiress who was kidnapped by revolutionary militants in 1974. She appeared to develop sympathy with her captors and joined them in a robbery. She was eventually caught and received a prison sentence. But Hearst's defence lawyer Bailey claimed that the 19-year-old had been brainwashed and was suffering from "Stockholm Syndrome" - a term that had been recently coined to explain the apparently irrational feelings of some captives for their captors. More recently the term was applied in media reports about the Natascha Kampusch case. Kampusch - kidnapped as a 10-year-old by Wolfgang Priklopil and held in a basement for eight years - was reported to have cried when she heard her captor had died and subsequently lit a candle for him as he lay in the mortuary. While the term is widely known, the incident that led to its coinage remains relatively obscure. Outside Sweden few know the names of bank workers Birgitta Lundblad, Elisabeth Oldgren, Kristin Ehnmark and Sven Safstrom. It was 23 August 1973 when the four were taken hostage in the Kreditbanken by 32-year-old career-criminal Jan-Erik Olsson - who was later joined at the bank by a former prison mate. Six days later when the stand-off ended, it became evident that the victims had formed some kind of positive relationship with their captors. Stockholm Syndrome was born by way of explanation. The phrase was reported to have been coined by criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot. Psychiatrist Dr Frank Ochberg was intrigued by the phenomenon and went on to define the syndrome for the FBI and Scotland Yard in the 1970s. At the time, he was helping the US National Task Force on Terrorism and Disorder devise strategies for hostage situations. His criteria included the following: "First people would experience something terrifying that just comes at them out of the blue. They are certain they are going to die. "Then they experience a type of infantilisation - where, like a child, they are unable to eat, speak or go to the toilet without permission." Small acts of kindness - such as being given food - prompts a "primitive gratitude for the gift of life," he explains. "The hostages experience a powerful, primitive positive feeling towards their captor. They are in denial that this is the person who put them in that situation. In their mind, they think this is the person who is going to let them live." But he says that cases of Stockholm Syndrome are rare. So, what went on in the bank on Stockholm's Norrmalmstorg square that enabled the captives to experience positive feelings towards their captors, despite fearing for their lives? In a 2009 interview with Radio Sweden, Kristin Ehnmark explained: "It's some kind of a context you get into when all your values, the morals you have change in some way." It was Ehnmark that, according to reports, built up the strongest relationship with Olsson. There were even erroneous reports afterwards that the pair had become engaged. In one phone call from the bank's vault to the country's prime minister Olof Palme, Ehnmark begged to be allowed to leave the bank with the kidnappers. One of Olsson's demands had been the delivery of a getaway car in which he planned to escape with the hostages. The authorities had refused. Telling Palme that she was "very disappointed" with him, Ehnmark said: "I think you are sitting there playing chequers with our lives. I fully trust Clark and the robber. I am not desperate. They haven't done a thing to us. On the contrary, they have been very nice. But you know, Olof, what I'm scared of is that the police will attack and cause us to die." American journalist Daniel Lang interviewed everyone involved in the drama a year later for the New Yorker. It paints the most extensive picture of how captors and captives interacted. The hostages spoke of being well treated by Olsson, and at the time it appeared that they believed they owed their lives to the criminal pair, he wrote. On one occasion a claustrophobic Elisabeth Oldgren was allowed to leave the vault that had become their prison but only with a rope fixed around her neck. She said that at the time she thought it was "very kind" of Olsson to allow her to move around the floor of the bank. Safstrom said he even felt gratitude when Olsson told him he was planning to shoot him - to show the police understood he meant business - but added he would make sure he didn't kill him and would let him get drunk first. "When he treated us well, we could think of him as an emergency God," he went on to say. Stockholm Syndrome is typically applied to explain the ambivalent feelings of the captives, but the feelings of the captors change too. Olsson remarked at the beginning of the siege he could have "easily" killed the hostages but that had changed over the days. "I learned that the psychiatrists I interviewed had left out something: victims might identify with aggressors as the doctors claimed, but things weren't all one way," wrote Lang. "Olsson spoke harshly. 'It was the hostages' fault,' he said. 'They did everything I told them to do. If they hadn't, I might not be here now. Why didn't any of them attack me? They made it hard to kill. They made us go on living together day after day, like goats, in that filth. There was nothing to do but get to know each other.'" The notion that perpetrators can display positive feelings toward captives is a key element of Stockholm Syndrome that crisis negotiators are encouraged to develop, according to an article in the 2007 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. It can improve the chances of hostage survival, it explained. But while Stockholm syndrome has long been featured on police hostage negotiating courses, it is rarely encountered, says Hugh McGowan, who spent 35 years with the New York Police Department. McGowan was commanding officer and chief negotiator of the Hostage Negotiation Team, which was set up in April 1973 in the wake of a number of hostage incidents that took place in 1972 - the bank heist that inspired the film Dog Day Afternoon, an uprising that came to a violent end at Attica prison in New York and the massacre at the Munich Olympics. "I would be hard pressed to say that it exists," he says. "Sometimes in the field of psychology people are looking for cause and effect when it isn't there. "Stockholm was a unique situation. It occurred at around the time when we were starting to see more hostage situations and maybe people didn't want to take away something that we might see again." He acknowledges that the term gained currency partly because of the bringing together of the fields of psychology and policing in the field of hostage negotiating. There are no widely accepted diagnostic criteria to identify the syndrome, which is also known as terror-bonding or trauma bonding and it is not in either of the two main psychiatric manuals, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). But the underlying principles of how it works can be related to different situations, say some psychologists. "A classic example is domestic violence, when someone - typically a woman - has a sense of dependency on her partner and stays with him," says psychologist Jennifer Wild, a consultant clinical psychologist at the University of Oxford. "She might feel empathy rather than anger. Child abuse is another one - when parents emotionally or physically abuse their children, but the child is protective towards them and either doesn't speak about it or lies about it." Forty years on and the term is evoked nearly every time an abductee is found after many years out of public sight. Some argue that its very nature implies a criticism of the survivor - a weakness perhaps. In a 2010 interview with the Guardian, Kampusch rejected the label of Stockholm Syndrome, explaining that it doesn't take into account the rational choices people make in particular situations. "I find it very natural that you would adapt yourself to identify with your kidnapper," she says. "Especially if you spend a great deal of time with that person. It's about empathy, communication. Looking for normality within the framework of a crime is not a syndrome. It is a survival strategy." You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on Facebook | Forty years ago, the term Stockholm Syndrome was coined at the end of a six-day bank siege. What is it and why is it cited time and again in hostage situations? | 0.290821 |
Tashnuva Anan Shishir, 29, delivered a three-minute news bulletin on a private TV station on Monday, International Women's Day. She has spent her life determined to study and advance her career so she could speak her mind, she says. "Today I got that platform," she told BBC Bengali's Nagib Bahar. Around 1.5 million people are transgender in Bangladesh and face discrimination and violence, with some forced to survive by begging or working in the sex trade. Ms Shishir realised in her early teens that she was transgender but says she has faced "mental torture" as well as sexual harassment. She felt ashamed that her family were also harassed and says her father has stopped speaking to her. After fleeing her home town, she lived alone in the capital Dhaka and in Narayanganj. Determined to study, she went on to gain a masters in public health in Dhaka. "I never left school. My sixth sense always told me to keep studying. If I continue reading, I will be able to go somewhere," she told BBC Bengali (in Bangla). "I continued my studies despite enduring hundreds of insults day after day. All I had in mind is that I should continue my study. " Ms Shishir approached a number of TV stations to ask for work, but said that only private station Boishakhi was "brave enough to take me in". A spokesman for Boishakhi TV, Julfikar Ali Manik, said it was a "historic step" and that the channel was determined to give her a chance despite the risk of backlash from some viewers, according to AFP news agency. Ms Shishir explained that she was "shaking inside" before going on air, but that she had "tried to think of stage dramas I've performed in and follow techniques I've learned there". After reading the news, she broke down in tears with emotion. She says she was angry as a child that she was not an "ordinary boy or girl" but told the BBC that she is now proud to be a pioneer in the LGBT community. "Maybe the creator created me and paved the way for the development of the destiny of this community," she said. Later this year, she is also due to appear in two films. In 2013 the Bangladeshi government allowed trans people to be recognised as a separate gender and five years later they were allowed to register to vote as a third gender. She isn't the first transgender presenter in the region. In Pakistan Marvia Malik anchored her first show on private broadcaster Kohenoor in 2018, while in India Padmini Prakash became the first transgender person to present a daily news show in 2014. You might want to watch: | A woman who survived bullying, assault and suicide attempts has made her debut as Bangladesh's first transgender news reader. | 0.498569 |
By Alison Holt and Judith Burns BBC News The UK Home Care Association says the firms need more protective equipment for staff and clearer guidance on protecting clients. The virus has put care companies which were already financially vulnerable under additional pressure, says UKHCA. A £350bn package to support businesses "small and large" has been announced. In a statement on Tuesday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak vowed to do "whatever it takes" to help the economy and support businesses "to get through this". Care cash crisis The extra demands placed on care at home by the coronavirus outbreak have thrown the underlying social care crisis into sharp relief, UKHCA argues. In the current situation, home care companies say they are likely to have more people needing care and will need to train extra staff as some will not be able to work if they become ill. Tuesday's announcement by NHS England that hospitals should free up some 15,000 beds by discharging long-term patients who are medically fit into the community is expected to pile even more pressure onto the social care sector in the coming weeks. The UKHCA says social care companies not only urgently need extra financial support from government but also changes to the way they are paid by local authorities, so they "don't run out of money". The association's chief executive Dr Jane Townson said: "We are desperately worried about the ability of care providers to remain solvent, whilst paying unprecedented numbers of careworkers who are sick or self-isolating. "Councils and the NHS only pay for care delivered. They will not pay for careworkers who are prevented from working. People who buy their own homecare will not be able to bear the additional cost of staff absence." The association represents more than 2,000 care providers, from private firms to not-for-profit organisations, many of which are already under financial pressure across the UK after a long-standing failure by governments to reform or fund the council-run system properly. Local authorities buy most of the care for people in their own homes and at the end of each month, the number of minutes of support provided by care staff is totted up and the firm is paid for that in arrears. The UKHCA wants councils to pay companies upfront, based on the average amount of care they have provided in previous months, with the final figures worked out later. Equipment supplies On the subject of personal protective equipment, Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, has told MPs that there is enough of it but there have been problems getting supplies to the right places. "Let's be clear, this is a challenge facing every country," Sir Simon told the Commons health and social care committee. "A lot of the Chinese supply for some of the more basic items has been disrupted. "So, we are going to have to ramp up the production of gowns, in particular, and some of the face masks, given this is not a flash in the pan… we are going to have to ramp up domestic production of those items as well." | Coronavirus has left companies which support older and disabled people in their own homes struggling to cope, says their professional association. | 0.615978 |
By Neil SmithEntertainment reporter, BBC News "They do deserve awards recognition and those categories are already there," says Matt Reeves. Britain's Andy Serkis, he says, should be in contention for best actor prizes for his portrayal of ape leader Caesar. "If you're moved by Caesar you're moved by him. "He's putting his heart and soul into it. If you're responding emotionally to Caesar, you're really responding emotionally to what he has played." Serkis has emerged as a leading proponent of motion or performance capture, mostly thanks to his portrayal of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. The technology maps the movements and facial expressions of a human actor onto a digital creation that can then be made to interact seamlessly with other human actors in a real-life setting. The 50-year-old first portrayed Caesar, an ape bestowed with superior intelligence, in 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a prequel to the original Planet of the Apes film released in 1968. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, released in the UK and Ireland this week, continues the story that film began, as Caesar faces fresh threats to his family and tribe from a band of survivors of a deadly pandemic that has decimated the earth's human population. The conflict that follows sees the film's computer-generated simians ride horses, fire guns and use a form of sign language to communicate with one another. Caesar also has the power of speech, allowing him to converse with an architect (Jason Clarke) who strays into the apes' woodland haven just outside San Francisco. US actress Judy Greer and British actor Toby Kebbell are among the other performers to appear in ape form in the film, which has been enthusiastically received by critics on both sides of the Atlantic. 'Incredible artistry' Opinions vary over whether a performance dependent on assistance from visual effects technicians can be considered comparable to one given on screen by a flesh-and-blood actor. Serkis has argued that the process should be considered as "digital make-up", a controversial term some believe minimises the contribution made by computer animators towards the end result. Speaking this week, Reeves is quick to praise the work of New Zealand-based Weta Digital, the company behind the photo-realistic animals seen in his film and its predecessor. "What they do takes such incredible artistry, because they are following the performance," he explains. "They have to pursue a way to translate the emotion Andy is giving onto the anatomy of an ape. "My feeling is that there are two categories that apply to the artistry in this film that are in the Oscars already. "One is performance by an actor, because that's what Andy is and that's what he does. The other is best visual effects, and there's no question that's what Weta are doing." The costly and time-consuming technique differs from that used in the original Planet of the Apes film and its sequels, which employed then-revolutionary cosmetic make-up effects. Reeves admits to being "obsessed" with how the Apes looked as a child but says he would not choose to replicate that now, as Tim Burton did in his 2001 Planet of the Apes remake. "From a film-making perspective, what motion capture provides is so far beyond what you can do with prosthetic make-up," he says. "If you'd asked me when I was a kid, though, I would have wanted to do it the original way." 'Poorly considered' The new film's British contingent is swelled by the presence of actor Gary Oldman, who plays the leader of the survivors' makeshift community. Oldman made headlines ahead of the film's North American release by giving an interview to Playboy in which he made outspoken comments about the film industry, the Golden Globes and political correctness. The 56-year-old subsequently issued a public apology for his "poorly considered" remarks that he subsequently repeated on Jimmy Kimmel's US chat show. Reeves, 48, is understandably reluctant to revisit the incident but remains effusively complimentary about Oldman's contribution. "Things can be so quickly taken out of context that you have to be very careful," he says. "It's very easy to say something offhand that can be taken a million different ways. "Gary is a hero of mine and a fantastic person. He's an incredible actor and I'm so happy to have worked with him." Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has already been a box office success in the US and Canada and a follow-up is now in the pipeline. Reeves is scheduled to return to the director's chair but has no beans to spill at this stage about the film's plot or title. "We don't have anything official yet, but I know that a lot of people have a strong reaction to the number of 'Of Thes' in our titles," he admits. "It'll be interesting to see if we can have a title that doesn't have so many. They don't really come trippingly off the tongue." Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is now on general release in the UK and Ireland. | Actors who make use of motion capture technology in order to portray apes and other creatures should be recognised at film awards, according to the director of the new Planet of the Apes film. | 0.870813 |
Leigh-Anne Wood, of Elgin, died after the three-vehicle accident on the A96 near Fochabers on Tuesday morning. Her family said in a statement: "We are devastated by the tragic loss of our beautiful, warm, fun-loving, caring wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend to so many." They also thanked everyone who stopped and helped at the scene. Witness appeal She was the driver and sole occupant of a grey Peugeot 2008 which was involved in a collision with a red Audi A3 and a white Ford Transit van. The male driver and passenger from the Ford suffered non-life threatening injuries, while the male driver of the Audi was uninjured. Sgt Scott Deans said: "Our thoughts at this sad time are with the families of those involved in this collision. "We have spoken to several witnesses but would still like to hear from anyone who witnessed the collision, has dash-cam footage of that area at that time, or if they have seen any of the vehicles involved near that location around the time of the collision, who has not yet come forward." | A 28-year-old woman killed in a crash on Moray was a "caring wife and mother", relatives have said. | 0.264011 |
Mr Sarkozy is accused of trying to bribe a magistrate by offering a prestigious job in Monaco in return for information about a criminal inquiry into his political party. France's highest court rejected Mr Sarkozy's appeal, ruling that he must stand trial in the coming months. The former president denies wrongdoing. The magistrate he allegedly attempted to bribe, Gilbert Azibert, and Mr Sarkozy's lawyer Thierry Herzog also face trial. The case centres on conversations between Mr Azibert and Mr Herzog, which were taped by investigators looking into claims that Mr Sarkozy accepted illicit payments from the L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt for his 2007 presidential campaign. Mr Sarkozy allegedly offered Mr Azibert the job in Monaco in return for information about the case. The investigation also revealed that the former president and his lawyer used mobile phones and fake names to communicate - with Mr Sarkozy going by Paul Bismuth. Mr Sarkozy has been dogged by allegations of financial impropriety. Last year he denied that he received campaign funding from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He was taken into custody over the Gaddafi allegations and questioned by specialist investigators. He has also separately been ordered to stand trial over allegations that his 2012 presidential campaign issued fake invoices to an events company called Bygmalion, in order to conceal €18.5m worth of overspending. Mr Sarkozy denied the charges, saying that the fraud was committed by executives at Bygmalion - some of whom are also facing trial - and that he was unaware. | The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has lost a final bid to halt his prosecution on charges of corruption and abuse of power. | 0.349264 |
Mr Johnson came under fire from the government in October for making the comments in relation to the effect of housing benefit changes on London. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said then he "very strongly disagreed" with the language. Mr Johnson has now made a robust defence of the comments. Many London MPs are concerned a proposed £400-a-week cap on housing benefit will force people out of the city. Business Secretary Vince Cable accused the mayor of using "inflammatory language" over his original comments, which were reported across the world. Poor people Mr Johnson later said had been taken out of context. But on Friday he told BBC London: "It was completely the right thing to say. "I completely agree with what I said and stand by it." Mr Johnson went on to say the displacement of poor people from central London would "not happen on my watch". Robust defence Labour's candidate for mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said: "Boris Johnson's chaos over the government's plans to cap housing benefit demonstrates his complete inability to put the interests of Londoners first. "Boris Johnson cannot make his mind up between condemning changes to housing benefits or a robust defence of the government just hours later." The cap will now come in to force in April 2011 for new benefit-seekers. Many people already on housing benefits will not be affected until after January 2012, a Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said. | Mayor of London Boris Johnson has described his controversial "Kosovo-style social cleansing" comments as "completely the right thing to say". | 0.439084 |
By Thomas FessyMao, Chad Down at the firing range, it is the Chadians' turn. American special forces are training them on the machine gun. Chadian soldiers queue to lie down on a piece of cardboard, load the weapon and aim at a target around 150 metres away. Occasionally we hear the "ding" from a bullet hitting the metallic target. But what makes the soldiers cheer is when one of their comrades holds the trigger down, shooting several rounds at once from the automatic weapon. This shooting session is taking place in western Chad, in a section of the Sahel region that skirts the southern edges of the Sahara Desert. It is part of Operation Flintlock, an annual counter-terrorism exercise led by the United States and held with their Nato allies in West Africa. This tenth edition is particularly timely. These drills are taking place against the backdrop of a region preparing to take on Boko Haram in Nigeria. In fact, these Chadian troops may be going straight back into battle as soon as their training is over. Chad has taken the lead in the fight against Boko Haram, having already engaged the group in neighbouring Nigeria as well as in Cameroon and Niger. "Our biggest challenge is intelligence to allow us to fight," explains Gen Zakaria Ngobongue. "Our means may be limited - we have to make do with our weaknesses - but if our Western partners are supporting us and accompanying us, I am sure that we will put an end to Boko Haram." Boko Haram at a glance Profile: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau Why Nigeria has not defeated Boko Haram Light footprint Providing intelligence is something that Western powers are ready to do - and are already doing. Unlike in Iraq, where they are carrying out air strikes against Islamic State (IS), the US and European countries would rather stay behind the scenes of this conflict and other counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel region. British forces have been training Nigerian units over the last few years, and are doing so here during Flintlock. "We're in a phase now of persistent engagement and a regular rhythm of involvement with our partners, but keeping our footprint light, rather than just an episodic burst and then just go away again," says Tom Copinger-Symes, a British Brigadier. A light footprint, he says, can mean "everything from low-level training, tactics, to co-ordination, to intelligence fusion and really how to work together within a coalition". A new approach Engaging as a coalition is what units from African nations will need. They have been doing it as a live exercise here; soon, they will have to do it for real. Mounting a regional force against Boko Haram - the Multi-National Joint Task Force - has so far proven that communication between neighbours remains difficult. The fight against terrorism has come to the Sahara, but not with the type of military campaign that has been seen in Iraq and Afghanistan. The French have redeployed their military forces, mostly targeting al-Qaeda affiliates and establishing a regional presence of undetermined length. But France, the US and their Western allies have had a different approach to that in Middle East countries - relying on surveillance, very few boots on the ground and the training of regional armies. Yet, the impact that this build-up of military assets will have on the stability of the region remains questionable. Analysts point to the nature of relationships that Western states are forging in the Sahel with authoritarian regimes in the name of counter-terrorism, and warn that they could lead to further trouble in fragile states there. As one European senior military official, who didn't want to be named, tells me: "What is the alternative?" Islamist militancy now spans from Nigeria to Mali in West Africa, to Libya further north, where IS fighters have become further entrenched in recent months. Major General James Linder, Commander of US Special Operations Command Africa, says: "All of us are concerned about the instability in Libya and how that spreads across the region - whether it's the movement of foreign fighters or whether it's the movement of weapons systems, that put many different nations at risk." 'Can't do it alone' Over the weekend, the leader of Boko Haram pledged allegiance to IS - a move that was expected and that, at least for now, may not change the Nigerian group's capacity. But it certainly raises fears that networks of jihadi groups are expanding across the region. "We can't fight these enemies alone," says Maj Gen Linder. "One man can't do it alone, one nation can't do it alone. We have to work together." Western countries are treading with a light step in the Sahara and are hoping that their hosts will do the heavy lifting. As the light starts going down, a group of Mauritanian soldiers and their Spanish instructors improvise some dance moves in the sand. They clap and chant too. But all there is to celebrate, for now, is the end of yet another exercise in the desert. | Troops from 20 African countries are training to fight terror in an exercise deep in the desert of Chad. The drills are part of new Western counter-terrorism tactics on the continent. | 0.418756 |
South Wales Fire and Rescue said it had been inundated with a high volume of calls since Wednesday afternoon. North Wales firefighters have also been trying to extinguish moorland fires on the Horseshoe Pass in Denbighshire. The fire services said they would be working with police to identify those deliberating starting fires. "Our fire crews, joint fire control, officers and specialist firefighting helicopter are working tirelessly," said one officer for South Wales Fire and Rescue. "Deliberate wildfires have a significant impact on our resources and arson is a crime. "We will be fully investigating these fires with our partners in South Wales and Gwent Police following completion of these incidents." On Wednesday evening, the force had crews in at least five locations, including at Twmbarlwm Mountain, near Cwmcarn, and Fochrhiw in Caerphilly county, and at Blaenllechau, Cefnpennar and Maerdy Mountain in Rhondda Cynon Taff. Crews from North Wales Fire and Rescue are continuing to tackle gorse fires on Llantysilio mountain, on the Denbighshire moors between Llangollen and Wrexham. The south Wales firefighters say they have the resources to tackle the ongoing blazes, and have asked the public not to keep calling 999 to report them. "We'd like to thank local communities for their awareness and for bringing these incidents to our attention, we do have resources at all of these incidents now and would kindly ask that the local residents no longer call 999 to alert us to fires at these locations," said a fire official, | Fire crews across Wales say they are continuing to deal with "difficult conditions" as they tackle wildfires on hillsides and moors across the country. | 0.5 |
But her previous comments have caused controversy and claims of anti-Semitism in student politics. Ms Bouattia was the co-author of an article describing Birmingham University as "something of a Zionist outpost". She has also been accused of not supporting a motion condemning the so-called Islamic State. But the NUS says this was because she disputed the wording of the motion and not the principle. Disputed language "Some committee members felt that the wording of the motion being presented would unfairly demonise all Muslims rather than solely the group of people it set out to rightfully condemn," said an NUS spokeswoman about the vote in 2014. The NUS says a subsequent motion condemned "the politics and methods of ISIS" and that this re-worded policy was supported by Ms Bouattia. "NUS does not support ISIS and has always condemned violent terrorism," said a union spokeswoman. The newly-elected NUS leader has promised to put "liberation at the heart of our work". "From cuts to maintenance grants, college closures, the black attainment gap and the Prevent agenda, the number of voices and groups being silenced by this government grows by day." Ms Bouattia's campaigns have included "Why Is My Curriculum White?" and she has opposed the government's Prevent counter-extremism strategy. In 2011, she co-wrote a blog for a Friends of Palestine campaign group saying that "the University of Birmingham is something of a Zionist outpost in British Higher Education". The group also publicised that they were "re-enacting an Israeli checkpoint outside the university's main library". In a 2014 video from a Gaza and Palestinian Revolution event she questioned the value of the Middle East peace talks and warned of the influence of "mainstream Zionist-led media outlets". Student walk-out? BBC Newsnight has found that the election of the new president has raised questions about whether some student unions could face calls to leave the NUS, including both Oxford and Cambridge universities. "Cambridge students should be given a chance to decide whether or not to remain part of the increasingly toxic culture and management of the NUS. Our students' union should represent what we want," said student Jack May. But Wes Streeting, a Labour MP and former NUS president, said: "This is not the time to walk away." "Students have never needed a strong, credible national voice more than they do now and moderate, mainstream students need to reclaim control of NUS," he told Newsnight. The Labour MP had earlier tweeted: "NUS is lost I'm afraid." He said "it no longer represents students well". Last week Ms Bouattia responded to an open letter signed by university Jewish society leaders, rejecting claims of prejudice. "It seems I have been misrepresented. I am extremely uncomfortable with insinuations of anti-Semitism. "I want to be clear that for me to take issue with Zionist politics is not me taking issue with being Jewish. "In fact, Zionist politics are held by people from a variety of different faiths, as are anti-Zionist politics. "It is a political argument, not one of faith," she said. But Labour MP John Mann, and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Anti-Semitism, said the NUS "is not doing enough to combat anti-Jewish hatred, and as such is failing in its responsibilities to its members". | The National Union of Students has elected its first black Muslim woman president, Malia Bouattia. | 0.1875 |
By Jenny HillBBC Berlin correspondent More than three million people of Turkish origin live in Germany. It is estimated that 1.4 million of them are eligible to vote in Turkish elections. In effect, the diaspora is Turkey's fourth largest electoral district. A month before a referendum on Turkey's constitution, there's a louder Turkish voice resonating in the heart of Germany. President Recep Tayip Erdogan wants to change the way Turkey is governed, abolish the post of prime minister and significantly extend his own powers. Polls suggest the referendum result will be tight. He needs the support of Germany's Turks. Though, as the singers pause and the players lay their fat-bellied Turkish guitars on the floor, few here tell us they'll dance to his tune. "Actually there is huge opposition to the Erdogan regime in the Turkish community here," says Filliz, "but there's nearly no coverage in the media about it. So Germans think that every Turkish person is an Erdogan supporter - which is simply not the case." But there is also significant support for him among the diaspora. Between 50% and 60% of German Turks who voted in elections over the last four years supported Mr Erdogan and his party. And there were cheers for his foreign minister on the campaign trail in Hamburg on Tuesday. Nazi row Mr Erdogan has dispatched several of his cabinet to Germany, and a furious diplomatic row ignited after German authorities cancelled a number of planned rallies citing security or technical reasons. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, for example, spoke from the Turkish consulate in Hamburg after the city authorities closed his original venue after saying that the fire alarm system wasn't working. A furious Mr Erdogan likened Germany's actions to those of the Nazis, provoking outrage at the highest level in Berlin. On Thursday morning, Angela Merkel's indignation was still palpable as she addressed the German parliament. "Comparisons with Nazi Germany," she said "always lead to misery, to the trivialisation of crimes against humanity committed by National Socialism. We will not tolerate this under any circumstances." The comparisons, she said, must stop. But the diplomatic row shows little sign of abating. A sleek convoy of black cars drove through a grey Berlin morning on Wednesday: crisis talks between foreign ministers that yielded little result. Despite pressure from Berlin, a journalist from the German newspaper Die Welt is still in a Turkish jail - the German government has failed as yet to secure consular access to Deniz Yucel - and Ankara insists it will continue to campaign on German soil. Germany should allow that to happen, says Bekir Yilmaz, the president of the Turkish community in Berlin. Mr Erdogan was wrong, he says, to invoke the Nazi past. However, he insists: "People should have the right to campaign freely here. Then voters can decide what's right or wrong. Germans have to accept that." Commentators point out that, for President Erdogan, provoking a row with Germany is simply a calculated election technique - positioning himself against the West and thereby securing votes from right-wingers at home. "Of course he benefits from the controversy," says Ralph Ghadbhan, who has studied the Turkish diaspora for decades. "It's his intention. He sees Germany as a colony and he proved that when he said recently if the German government stops him from campaigning here then they will be confronted with an uprising." New divisions The relationship between Ankara and Berlin is often stormy. There were furious exchanges last year after German comic Jans Bohmermann insulted Mr Erdogan with a satirical poem. And there were protests after the German parliament officially declared the massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War One a genocide. But this has strained diplomatic relations to the limit, and there is much at stake. It is perhaps telling that this time neither Mr Erdogan or Mrs Merkel has raised the subject of the migrant deal between the EU and Turkey, which the German chancellor largely orchestrated. Under the deal, Turkey holds back migrants in return for billions of euros. The deal was controversial, some say not that effective. But arguably it is one of the ties that continue to bind the two sides together - just. The singers in the Turkish choir worry about the impact of the row on their own community here, and on how Germany perceives them. Old music, new divisions. And still that bitter tone persists. Germany, Ankara warned last night, must decide whether it is a friend or a foe. A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants. | Under the strip lights of a clinical community hall in Berlin, a man's fingers slide across a zither and, eyes fixed to their sheet music, the Turkish choir begins to sing old songs of love and heartbreak. | 0.507791 |
In a televised address, Mr Maduro said that he wanted to set legal limits on businesses' profit margins. His announcement followed the seizure on Saturday of shops accused of selling electronic goods at inflated prices. The National Assembly is expected to vote this week on his request to govern temporarily by decree. 'Theft' The president demanded there be "zero tolerance with speculators" in his speech broadcast on Sunday. "This is beyond usury, this is theft," he added. On the weekend, soldiers occupied a chain of shops selling electronic goods which, according to Mr Maduro, had sold items at vastly inflated prices. Hundreds of people flocked to the Daka stores after they were forced by the government to sell their goods at lower prices, some of them at a quarter of the price listed earlier in the week. "We're doing this for the good of the nation," the president said, accusing the managers of the stores of waging an "economic war" against Venezuela. He also announced the arrest of five managers from the Daka, JVG and Krash electronics stores on suspicion of hiking up prices. Five more people were arrested for allegedly looting a Daka shop in the city of Valencia. But President Maduro said reports of looting had been exaggerated by factions of the press, which he accused of "complicity with the bourgeois parasites". 'Cuban puppet' The president announced that he would next turn his attention to stores selling toys, cars, food items, textiles and shoes. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles said the move proved that the president "is a failed puppet of the Cuban government". "Every time he opens his mouth, he scares away the investments that create employment, and he worsens the crisis," said Mr Capriles, who narrowly lost to Mr Maduro in April's presidential election. Official figures suggest inflation is running at more than 50%. Price hikes have become an important issue in next month's local elections. Mr Maduro blames most of Venezuela's economic woes on "sabotage" by opposition forces, but critics say government mismanagement is behind the country's problems. Opponents say the president's crackdown on price inflation is an attempt to boost his popularity with poor voters ahead of the local polls on 8 December. Mr Maduro has asked the National Assembly to give him special powers to fight corruption and "economic sabotage". The measure is expected to be voted on this week. | Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says he plans to extend price controls to all consumer goods, if he is given powers to govern by decree. | 0.371349 |
The court told the federal government to prepare a response to the petitions, but the law has not been stayed. The decision comes even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted with defiance to widespread protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The law offers citizenship to non-Muslims from three nearby countries. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government says it will protect people from persecution, but critics say it's part of a "Hindu nationalist" agenda to marginalise India's more than 200 million Muslims. Adding to the fears is a government announcement that it plans to carry out a widespread exercise to weed out "infiltrators" from neighbouring countries. Given that the exercise relies on extensive documentation to prove that their ancestors lived in India, many Muslim citizens fear that they could be made stateless. However, Mr Modi said the law "will have no effect on citizens of India, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Christians and Buddhists". The prime minister also told his supporters at a rally on Tuesday that the opposition was "spreading lies and rumours", "instigating violence" and "used its full force to create an atmosphere of illusion and falsehood". Home Minister Amit Shah echoed the sentiment to media saying "both my government and I are firm like a rock that we will not budge or go back on the citizenship protests". Who is protesting and why? There have been demonstrations in cities across India. Opponents say the law is exclusionary and violates the secular principles enshrined in the constitution. They say faith should not be made a condition of citizenship. Others though - particularly in border states - fear being "overrun" by new arrivals from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Many of the student demonstrations focus less on the law itself but more on the alleged police brutality against protesters. The capital Delhi has seen mass protests over the past days after a student demonstration on Sunday turned violent and left dozens injured. How violent are the protests? On Tuesday, images from the city's Seelampur area, which has a large Muslim population, showed stone-throwing crowds confronting police officers. Police retaliated with tear gas and batons. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court refused to hear a petition against the police action inside Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University, where on Sunday they allegedly attacked students inside campus premises. A man injured during the protests on that day told the BBC a policeman had shot him with a pistol or revolver. Authorities deny police used live ammunition and have suggested the wounds might be from shrapnel from tear gas canisters. Earlier this week, Mr Modi had attempted to calm tensions in a series of tweets saying "this is the time to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood". What is the law about? The act offers amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from three countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It amends India's 64-year-old citizenship law, which currently prohibits illegal migrants from becoming Indian citizens. It also expedites the path to Indian citizenship for members of six religious minority communities - Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian - if they can prove that they are from Muslim-majority Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh. They will now only have to live or work in India for six years - instead of 11 years - before becoming eligible to apply for citizenship. The government, says this will give sanctuary to people fleeing religious persecution. Critics say its actual agenda is to marginalise India's Muslim minority. The fears are compounded by the government's plan to "weed out infiltrators". Home Minister Amit Shah proposed a nationwide register of citizens to ensure that "each and every infiltrator is identified and expelled from India" by 2024. The National Citizen's Register (NRC) has already been carried out in the north-eastern state of Assam and saw 1.9 million people effectively made stateless. In the run-up to its publication, the BJP had supported the NRC, but changed tack days before the final list was published, saying it was ridden with errors. The reason was that a lot of Bengali Hindus - a strong voter base for the BJP - were also left out of the list, and would possibly become illegal immigrants, correspondents say. However, the NRC and the Citizenship Amendment Act are closely linked as the latter will help protect non-Muslims who are excluded from the register and face the threat of deportation or internment. | India's Supreme Court has said it will take up a clutch of petitions against a new citizenship law next month, as anger against it grows. | 0.326674 |
By Robbie MeredithBBC News NI Education Correspondent Following Brexit the UK decided not to remain in Erasmus - a European Union (EU) programme that helps students study in other countries. Instead, the UK government has replaced it with a new scheme named after the mathematician Alan Turing. NI students will be able to access both the Erasmus and Turing schemes. That is because the Irish government has said it will enable students in Northern Ireland to continue to participate in Erasmus. Irish Universities Minister Simon Harris is expected to outline how that will happen in the coming months. Students from Northern Ireland will need to temporarily register with Irish higher education institutions to participate. However, on Saturday, the UK government has revealed more details of the Turing scheme. A website with funding and eligibility details has gone live to enable universities, colleges and schools to prepare applications to the programme. NI Secretary Brandon Lewis said Turing would enable students from all backgrounds in Northern Ireland to study and work abroad. He said the new scheme would boost access to overseas study. "I look forward to continuing to engage with Northern Ireland education institutions, so that as many of our students as possible, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are able to participate in this scheme, allowing them to meet like-minded people from across the globe and enhance their employability prospects," he said. Overseas placements and exchanges under the Turing scheme are due to begin in September 2021. The UK government said Turing would target students from disadvantaged backgrounds. They have also set a target to recruit more international students to UK universities. However the governments in Scotland and Wales want their students to have the same continued access to Erasmus as students in Northern Ireland have. | Students, colleges and universities in Northern Ireland have been urged to take part in the UK replacement for the Erasmus scheme. | 0.788828 |
Ethel Lang was believed to be the last person living in the UK who was born in the reign of Queen Victoria. Mrs Lang was born in the Worsbrough area of Barnsley on 27 May 1900 and lived in the South Yorkshire mining town all her life. In 2005, she moved into the Water Royd House nursing home in Barnsley, where she died on Thursday. Mrs Lang is survived by a 91-year-old daughter. 'Loved her snooker' She became the UK's oldest person after Londoner Grace Jones died aged 113 in 2013. Mrs Lang was one of six girls and left school at 13 to work in a shirt factory. She married her husband, William, in 1922, and they had a daughter together, Margaret. Mr Lang died in 1988. The couple's daughter Margaret Walker told BBC Radio Sheffield that one of her aunts lived to the age of 104 and good genes run in the family. She said: "She was a lovely mother, I've had her a very long time. I've been a very lucky person." Mrs Walker said her mother went blind at the age of 85 but still enjoyed listening to snooker. "She loved the snooker and loved [player] Jimmy White. She was always backing him," she added. Speaking to the BBC on her 108th birthday, Mrs Lang said it was the war years that stuck in her memory. She said: "On a Sunday evening we used to have friends come over. We would black everything out and get around the piano and have a sing-song." According to a list of super-centenarians maintained by the Gerontology Research Group, Gladys Hooper, 111, of the Isle of Wight, is now Britain's oldest resident. She will be 112 on Sunday. The oldest person in the world is thought to be Misao Okawa, a Japanese woman who celebrated her 116th birthday last March. | Britain's oldest person has died at the age of 114. | 0.25 |
By Sean CoughlanBBC News education and family correspondent But the Office for National Statistics has gone back and found a reality gap with what really happened to their lives six years later. Apart from those who aimed to go into teaching, less than one in 50 were in the career they had wanted - with most working as sales assistants, carers or in sales and marketing. They were also earning less than they had expected and fewer of them had gone to university than they had hoped. Reality gap The ONS study asked 16- to 21-year-olds what they wanted to do in their working lives. Their priorities were to have jobs that were "interesting", "secure" and with family friendly hours. They aimed for a mix of glamorous and creative jobs, such as actors or in film or television, and jobs where they might help the public, such as a range of health service jobs or in the police or emergency services. Teaching was also popular - and almost one in 20 of those aiming to work in education achieved their goal, much higher than any of the other popular career ambitions. Education was one of the biggest sources of employment and proved to have been the most realistic career choice. Most typical jobs But there was a huge gap between the career dream and the reality for most, when this age group had reached their early to late-20s, in 2017. The report, Young people's career aspirations versus reality, shows how few got the top choices they had hoped for: The most typical jobs for these people in their twenties included: There were rising numbers of people in this age group working in caring and IT but there had been a decline in construction jobs. The ONS study, based on its annual population survey and its understanding society survey, also found that young people were likely to face disappointments in pay. About one in 20 expected to be earning £80,000 by the age of 30 - but the ONS projects average earnings of less than £24,000. Nick Chambers, chief executive of the Education and Employers careers charity, said young people's ambitions were often defined by the limited range of jobs they knew about - such as teachers they saw in school, the jobs they saw on television or the jobs of their family and friends. And this could be a barrier to social mobility. "You can't be it, if you can't see it," he said. "There's a mismatch between the jobs that young people know about and the reality of the jobs market." | When young people were asked in 2011 about the careers they wanted, the most popular ambitions were for jobs such as doctors, vets, firefighters, police officers, nurses, teachers and actors. | 0.25 |
Labour's Paula Sherriff referred to Jo Cox, the MP murdered in 2016, as she pleaded with him to refrain from using "dangerous" words like "surrender". He described her intervention as "humbug" and repeated the word again. The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon said there was "a gaping moral vacuum where the office of prime minister used to be". BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg described scenes in Parliament as an "absolute bear pit". Mr Johnson was repeatedly challenged over his use of the word "surrender" to describe legislation passed earlier this month which aims to block a no-deal Brexit on 31 October. Ms Sherriff, the Labour MP for Dewsbury, told the Commons the prime minister had "continually used pejorative language to describe an Act of Parliament passed by this House". Pointing to a plaque in the chamber, commemorating Mrs Cox, who was murdered by a right-wing extremist, she said: "We should not resort to using offensive, dangerous or inflammatory language for legislation that we do not like, and we stand here under the shield of our departed friend with many of us in this place subject to death threats and abuse every single day." "They often quote his words 'Surrender Act', 'betrayal', 'traitor' and I for one am sick of it. "We must moderate our language, and it has to come from the prime minister first." In response, Mr Johnson said: "I have to say, Mr Speaker, I've never heard such humbug in all my life." 'A threat against my child' Tracy Brabin, who was elected as MP for Batley and Spen after Ms Cox was murdered, also urged the prime minister to moderate his language "so that we will all feel secure when we're going about our jobs". Mr Johnson replied that "the best way to honour the memory of Jo Cox and indeed the best way to bring this country together would be, I think, to get Brexit done". Mrs Cox's husband, Brendan, later tweeted he felt "sick at Jo's name being used in this way". The best way to honour her is to "stand up for what we believe in, passionately and with determination", he tweeted. Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said the prime minister was an "utter disgrace" for his response to the questions on his language. She told MPs: "I today have reported to the police a threat against my child. That has been dismissed as 'humbug'. "This is a disgraceful state of affairs and we must be able to find a way to conduct ourselves better." Leader of the Independent Group for Change, Anna Soubry, said it "takes a lot to reduce this honourable member to tears" but she said she is "not alone tonight". "There are others I believe who have left the estate, such has been the distress," she told MPs. "In this, the most peculiar and extraordinary of political times, the language that is used is incredibly important. "We have evidence, whatever side of the debate you are on, when you use word like 'surrender', 'capitulation', and others use the word 'traitor' and 'treason', there is a direct consequence. "It means my mother receives a threat to her safety. It means my partner receives a death threat." Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged the Speaker to unite the party leaders "to issue a joint declaration opposing any form of abusive language or threats and to put this message out to our entire community that we have to treat each other with respect". Speaker John Bercow said he was "very open to convening a meeting of senior colleagues for the purpose of a House-wide public statement". Conservative MP Stephen Crabb told BBC Newsnight that he was "shocked by the way [the PM] responded to the remarks about Jo Cox". He said Mr Johnson had "strong support among Conservative MPs... but he also has a duty as prime minister to try to bring unity to our country and reduce the level of poison in our politics". Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said the prime minister was "aware and sympathetic" to the threats MPs have received. "But at a time of strong feelings we all need to remind ourselves of the effect of everything we say on those watching us," she tweeted. | Boris Johnson has refused to moderate his language during a heated debate in the Commons, despite a barrage of criticism from opposition benches. | 0.431101 |
Richard Grenell, appointed by President Donald Trump last year, was speaking to right-wing Breitbart News. Diplomats usually avoid political point-scoring. A German foreign ministry spokesman said "we have asked the US side for clarification". Lars Klingbeil, a top Social Democrat (SPD) official, accused the ambassador of "interfering" in German affairs. Mr Klingbeil told Mr Grenell off in an angry tweet addressed to him personally. The centre-left SPD is in a governing coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU). Former SPD leader Martin Schulz - a previous European Parliament president - said Mr Grenell "is behaving not like a diplomat, but like a far-right colonial officer". Mr Grenell had told Breitbart: "I think there is a groundswell of conservative policies that are taking hold because of the failed policies of the left." His comments follow several other controversial remarks by Trump-appointed diplomats. In the interview, the ambassador, who only took office last month, said President Trump's election had energised people to take on the "political class". Mr Grenell said he had been contacted by people throughout Europe about a conservative "resurgence". He attacked the perceived bias of the media and politicians against Mr Trump as "the group-think of a very small elitist crowd", and praised Austria's conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz as a "rock star". Mr Kurz's party formed a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party in 2017. Right-wing populists have won support across Europe, with recent electoral success for parties in Italy and Slovenia that espouse anti-immigration policies. US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy described Mr Grenell's interview as "awful" and said he had previously spoken to him about "politicising this post". What's his background? Formerly the longest serving US spokesperson at the United Nations, Mr Grenell is under contract with Fox News as a contributor on world affairs and the media. He has also written for the Wall Street Journal, Politico, the Washington Times, Al Jazeera, CBS News and CNN. A Senate vote in May confirmed him as US ambassador to Germany. But only an hour after he officially began his role, Mr Grenell provoked controversy for tweeting that German companies should "wind down operations immediately" in Iran, following Mr Trump's announcement that the US was pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal. Is 'diplomatic language' dying out? Mr Grenell's comments are the most recent case of controversial language from a US diplomat. The US state department's guide, Protocol for the Modern Diplomat, states that "each country will be respected uniformly and without bias", and includes the instruction "that as a guest, one is expected to respect the host's culture". However, former US ambassador to Germany John Kornblum told the BBC there is "no lexicon" for ambassadors. "There is no such thing as diplomatic language," he said. "The language diplomats use is attuned to their needs." For example, during the negotiations for the Dayton Agreement in 1995, Mr Kornblum says there was "incredibly undiplomatic" language used to criticise heads of government, in particular Serbia. He also believes that in Europe there is a greater degree of "self-censorship" among diplomats that does not apply anywhere else in the world, saying "Europeans are especially sensitive". However, he agrees that President Trump has changed things. "Mr Trump has taken political language in the US to new depths," said Mr Kornblum. And he thinks diplomats abroad could be trying to emulate their president. President Trump has infamously dubbed Mexicans "drug dealers" and "rapists", reportedly used derogatory language to describe some African countries and claimed knife crime in London had left a hospital there "like a war zone". Undiplomatic diplomats: Are there more? Yes. In October 2017, US ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa Scott Brown said he was under investigation for telling a woman at a Peace Corps event she was "beautiful" and could "make hundreds of dollars" if she worked as a waitress in the US. In a video statement to New Zealand media, Mr Brown admitted he had made the comments, but only did so because the people he saw before the event "were all dirty and grungy, and when we walked in, they were all dressed to the nines; they looked great". And US ambassador to the Netherlands Pete Hoekstra was recently caught out over his claims about "no-go zones" in the country due to Islamic extremism. | German politicians have hit back at the new US ambassador for having said he wanted to "empower" Europe's right. | 0.808777 |
The official Xinhua news agency said that at least 200 children in the area had elevated lead levels. It said the authorities had shut two battery factories in Huaning county in the eastern province of Anhui. China is the largest producer and consumer of lead for batteries, cars and electric bikes. The children sent to hospital were aged between nine months and 16 years old. Those affected came from homes close to battery factories, despite laws prohibiting factories from being located within 500m (1,600ft) of residential areas. Xinhua reported that the Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital had tested about 280 children from Gaohe Township in Huaning county for lead poisoning since late December. Most had been diagnosed with high blood lead levels, said Cheng Bangning, deputy director of the hospital's micro-elements testing laboratory. "We can draw a clear conclusion that the lead poisoning was caused by the lead pollution of the battery plants," said Zhang Gong, director of the hospital's child healthcare department. Excessive amounts of lead in the blood can cause damage to the digestive, nervous and reproductive systems, and also stomach aches, anaemia and convulsions. "My son is now very cranky and restless. He yells a lot," Xinhua quoted Huang Dazhai, the father of a five-year-old boy, as saying. The boy was found to have 330.9 micrograms (mcg) of lead per litre of blood. A level of 100mcg per litre is considered enough to impair brain development in children. | Twenty-four school children in eastern China have been taken to hospital with suspected lead poisoning from nearby battery factories. | 0.25 |
Emmanuel Lukenga, 21, was stabbed in the leg on 12 June and died at the scene on Franklin Grove, Coventry just after 14:30 BST. Bradley Richardson, 23, of Prior Deram Walk, Coventry, has been charged with murder and arson. He is the fourth man to be charged with Mr Lukenga's murder and is expected to appear at Birmingham Crown Court later on Friday. The other three men, 19-year-old Matthew Brankin and two 18-year-olds - Enroy Ruddock and Kyle Kinchen - were all remanded in custody ahead of their trial. They also face charges of arson. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. | A fourth person has been charged with murder after a man was fatally stabbed. | 0.895196 |
A spokesman for the university, in Newcastle, confirmed 770 students had tested positive since returning in mid-September, 78 of whom are symptomatic. All infected students, and their close contacts, have self-isolated for 14 days in line with government guidance. Meanwhile, Newcastle University confirmed it has had 94 students and seven staff test positive. A Newcastle spokeswoman said the "overwhelming majority of cases" were from "social and domestic settings". University and College Union (UCU) said it warned Northumbria University it was "far too soon for a mass return to campus". In a statement the UCU, which represents lecturers, said: "We told Northumbria University they had a civic duty to put the health of staff, students and the local community first and we take no pleasure in now seeing another preventable crisis play out. "We warned last month that, given the current restrictions in the region, the direction of the infection rate and the problems with test and trace, it was clearly far too soon for a mass return to campus." Student isolating Northumbria University said self-isolating students were being provided with food, laundry, cleaning materials and welfare support by the university, working alongside the students' union and Newcastle City Council. Ellie Burgoyne, 19, who studies social sciences, has been isolating since one of her flatmates tested positive a week ago. She said: "The uni and accommodation have been great in providing support and keeping us as comfortable as possible as not leaving our flat for two weeks isn't the most fun. "I moved a couple of weeks ago and immediately noticed how strict our accommodation was being when it came to students meeting with other flats, trying to have parties. "I think it's a common misconception that students haven't been listening to the guideline, my accommodation has been quiet aside from the odd flat having a few people over." 'Surge in induction week' Meanwhile, students will also receive additional academic support if they miss out on face-to-face tuition during their isolation period. The university spokesman added: "The increase in numbers comes in the week after students returned to university and reflects the good access to and availability of testing, as well as rigorous and robust reporting systems. "In parts of the UK where universities started term earlier, numbers of student cases surged in induction week, and then reduced. "We are making it clear to students that if they break the rules they will be subject to fines from police and disciplinary action by the universities which may include fines, final warnings or expulsion. "Both Northumbria and Newcastle universities have Covid response teams on call that are working closely with NHS Test and Trace, Public Health England North East and the City to identify and get in touch with anyone who has been in close contact with those affected." Around 56 universities across the UK have had at least one confirmed case of Covid-19. There have been more than 200 cases at the University of Sheffield and 177 University of Liverpool staff and students have tested positive, according to a PA news agency survey which contacted 140 institutions. Approximately 2,500 positive cases of Covid-19 have been identified at these universities, the analysis suggests. Are you a student at Northumbria University? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected]. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. | Hundreds of students at Northumbria University are self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19. | 0.496668 |
By David RhodesBBC News Data published by UK Finance shows households had outstanding loans worth £37bn in 2016-17. Christians Against Poverty (CAP) said January 2018 was its busiest ever month for people seeking debt advice. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said the "vast majority" of loans went to people who could afford repayments. Catch me up Statistics published by UK Finance, which cover 10 of the UK's biggest banks and building societies, shows the value of outstanding loans has increased by 25% since 2013-14. In comparison, wage data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the typical full-time worker has seen pay increase by 6.5%, over the same period. British households amassed £37bn in unpaid personals loans in 2017, an increase of £7bn from three years earlier. In Northern Ireland personal loan debt is just over £1bn and has risen 4% since 2014. Rising living costs and small increases in pay mean some people say they have had to borrow money to survive. 'Borrowing to pay for food' Mel Reynolds, a mother of two from Batley, West Yorkshire, said: "My salary simply covered my mortgage and utilities, meaning I was borrowing money to pay for food. "There was a moment just before payday where I had five pounds left in my purse. "I didn't have petrol in my car so I was left thinking, do I spend the five pounds on getting to work, or making packed lunches for my boys? I chose to feed my kids." Ms Reynolds, who works full time for a car auction house, accumulated debts worth nearly £28,000 through bank lending and credit cards, between 2007 and 2015. "I get upset thinking about that period in my life because I know there are a lot of other people out there going through exactly the same situation now," she said. CAP, which has helped Ms Reynolds, said January had been its busiest ever month for people seeking help with their debt problems. It was founded in 1996. Daniel Kelly, a manager at the charity, said: "We estimate about eight million people will be in their homes worrying about how they're going to be paying the bills." The data published by UK Finance covers 60% of personal loans made by banks and building societies in the UK - it excludes student loans, credit cards and payday lending. The analysis by the BBC England Data Unit also revealed that: The Bank of England says households in the UK in total currently owe more than £1.5tn (including mortgage debt) and has warned that a sharp rise in personal loans could pose a danger to the UK economy. Some charities are concerned people are receiving loans they will "never be able to repay". Sylvia Simpson, from Leeds-based charity Money Buddies said: "We had one client who came to see us who was signed up to a £20,000 loan from her bank, completely unsecured, and she was six months pregnant. "There was no way she was going to be able to start paying that money back while she was on maternity leave. "We have clients that have said to us they were struggling with their debts and the banks are willing to offer them more money." The FCA, which is responsible for regulating the lending market in the UK, said it would take action against those who lend "irresponsibly". Director of strategy and competition Chris Woolard said: "Overall current levels of personal debt are around the long-term average but we are concerned about vulnerable consumers who could be exposed to high-cost lending. "The vast majority of lenders are sticking to the rules which mean that when a bank lends money to someone it needs to make sure the repayments are affordable, and we will take action where we see our rules being broken". A UK Finance spokesperson said its members "are committed to lending responsibly to help their customers, and always undertake a thorough risk assessment of a customer's finances whenever they apply for credit." They added: "The vast majority of borrowers repay their loans without getting into financial difficulty, but if a customer is struggling with repayments we would always advise they speak to their lender straightaway. "It's also important to remember these figures don't reflect total borrowing or indebtedness by area, as they exclude other sources of credit such as car loans, payday lenders and student loans." For more stories from the BBC England Data Unit visit our Pinterest board. | The value of outstanding personal loans in Great Britain has grown four times faster than wages, research by BBC News has found. | 0.18778 |
Three rifles were found at The Minister School, prompting staff suspensions until the outcome of an investigation. A statement issued on behalf of dozens of parents said they had been "reassured children were at no point at actual risk of harm". It added they had "voiced overwhelming support for the suspended teachers". Read more Yorkshire stories The North Yorkshire school is a fee-paying preparatory school for 180 day pupils aged between three and 13. The statement from parents was released at a meeting on Tuesday with the Chapter of York, the school's governing body which suspended the teachers. Vicky Selby-Jerrold, whose two children go the school, said some 100 parents had attended the meeting and agreed the statement that said: "Parents voiced overwhelming support for the suspended teachers and pressed for the prompt return of all three members of staff after the half term break. "The meeting ended on a positive note with parents declaring their pride in and overwhelming support for the school." The school campus is close to York Minster on Deansgate and was originally founded for the education of choristers. Its choristers, who still lead worship at the minster, currently number about 40 children. | Parents have called for the return of three teachers who were suspended after "unsecured" air rifles were discovered at a private school in York. | 0.569333 |
A section of the audience laughed when Owen Smith - who is challenging Mr Corbyn for the Labour leadership - said Ms Dugdale was doing a "brilliant job". Ms Dugdale, who was not at the debate, has backed Mr Smith's campaign for the leadership. But Mr Corbyn said he did not think anyone should be jeered. It comes as allies of Mr Corbyn dismissed claims they could seek to remove Ms Dugdale if Mr Corbyn wins the leadership contest. 'Respectful debate' Speaking in Edinburgh on Friday, Mr Corbyn said: "I don't think anyone should jeer at anyone else. I don't do that myself and have asked other people not to and made it very, very clear - let's have an honest, open and respectful debate." Mr Corbyn insisted "the Scottish party is not going to split off from the UK party", and said he would continue to work with Ms Dugdale despite her support for Mr Smith. But he said it was "a matter for the Scottish Labour party" whether Ms Dugdale faced a leadership challenge in the future. Mr Corbyn added: "I'll be happy to work with her after this election and we will work together because we're in the same party, we're in the Labour Party, we want to see a better society." Earlier, former Labour advisor Paul Sinclair claimed in an interview with BBC Scotland that Ms Dugdale could face a challenge from her deputy, Alex Rowley, if Mr Corbyn continues as UK Labour leader. 'Large mandate' Mr Rowley is backing Mr Corbyn in the leadership contest, as is former Scottish Labour leadership candidate Neil Findlay. But Mr Rowley insisted a leadership challenge was "absolutely not on the cards" and said suggestions he wanted to replace Ms Dugdale as leader were "rubbish". And Mr Findlay said there was "absolutely no way" he would consider standing again, adding that Ms Dugdale had a "very large mandate to lead the Scottish Labour party". Thursday evening's debate saw Mr Smith claim Labour had "gone backwards" in Scotland under Mr Corbyn, with the party finishing third behind the SNP and Conservatives in May's Holyrood election. Mr Corbyn said the party had to do more to challenge the "austerity" of the SNP government, but admitted Labour was facing a "big fight ahead and a long road back". Mr Smith is attempting to unseat Mr Corbyn less than a year after he was overwhelmingly elected as leader. The leadership contest was triggered after dozens of Mr Corbyn's frontbench team - including then-Work and Pensions spokesman Mr Smith - quit in the wake of Hilary Benn's sacking on 26 June. The result is due to be announced on 24 September. | Jeremy Corbyn has urged Labour members to show "respect" to the party's Scottish leader after she was jeered at a hustings debate in Glasgow . | 0.445474 |
By Riaz SohailBBC Urdu, Karachi Tanzeela Qambrani, 39, was nominated by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, to a women's reserved seat in the regional parliament of southern Sindh province. She hopes her nomination after last month's election will help wash away the stigma attached to the Sidi community, the local name for the ethnic African population concentrated in the coastal regions of Makran and Sindh. "As a tiny minority lost in the midst of local populations, we have struggled to preserve our African roots and cultural expression, but I look forward to the day when the name Sidi will evoke respect, not contempt," Ms Qambrani, whose ancestors came from Tanzania, told the BBC. Many Sidis are believed to be descended from slaves brought to India from East Africa by the Portuguese. Historians say their ancestors were also soldiers, traders, pearl divers and Muslim pilgrims. They enjoyed senior positions during the Mughal empire but faced discrimination under British colonial rule. Estimates put their population in Pakistan in the tens of thousands. They are well-integrated but keep alive some traditions, including an annual festival that blends Islamic mysticism, crocodiles and singing in a blend of Swahili and a local language called Baluchi. Sidi communities also live in the Indian states of Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. The Sidis dominate the Lyari district of Karachi and have been staunch supporters of the PPP, now chaired by Benazir Bhutto's son, Bilawal Zardari Bhutto. However, no Sidi had ever made it to parliament until Mr Bhutto Zardari nominated Ms Qambrani for the reserved seat. "Just as Columbus discovered America, Bilawal has discovered Sidis," said Ms Qambrani, whose great-grandparents came to Sindh from Tanzania. The PPP came third in the recent general election, which was won by former cricketer Imran Khan's PTI party. However the PPP again won the most seats in the Sindh provincial assembly. Ms Qambrani, a computer science postgraduate with three children, hails from the coastal area of Badin. Her father, Abdul Bari, was a lawyer while her mother is a retired school teacher. Her family has kept its African connections alive; one of her sisters was married in Tanzania, while another has a husband from Ghana. "When my sister married a Ghanaian husband, local youths and guests from Ghana put on such a show in our neighbourhood," she said. "They danced those typical Sidi steps to the Mogo drumbeat which they say comes from Ghana but which we've traditionally played in our homes. You couldn't tell a Sidi dancer apart from an African." Like most Sidis in Sindh, Tanzeela Qambrani has long been associated with the PPP. She already has experience of political office, having been a local councillor. But she says that taking a seat in the provincial parliament will present a whole new level of responsibility - especially to her own community. "I can already feel the weight," she said. "I'm a Sidi, and all these middle class, lower-middle class and working class Sidis know that I'm one of them. And this means there will be expectations." | Pakistan is set to have its first ever lawmaker of African descent, raising the profile of a small and mostly poor community that has been in the region for centuries. | 0.362746 |
He accused Mr Khan of offering a "pathetic excuse" for saying there was no reason for people to be alarmed. Mr Khan had in fact said people should not be alarmed by an increased police presence. After a vigil for the victims of the attack, Mr Khan said he would not allow Mr Trump to "divide our communities". Seven people were killed and 48 others injured in the attack on Saturday. Mr Trump took issue with Mr Khan's statement in the aftermath of the attack, when the mayor said: "Londoners will see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days. No reason to be alarmed." The US president responded: "At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is 'no reason to be alarmed!'" He followed this up with another tweet on Monday, saying: "Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his "no reason to be alarmed" statement. MSM [mainstream media] is working hard to sell it!" The mayor's spokesman earlier made clear that he was telling Londoners not to be worried about the increased presence of armed police officers in the city. Speaking to the BBC after the vigil, Mr Khan said: "We've got to recognise that some people want to divide our communities, some people thrive on fuelling division. "That's not me, that's not the London I know, and we aren't going to allow anybody, whether it's Donald Trump or anybody else to divide our community." His spokesperson earlier said he "has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump's ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context" the mayor's remarks. Calls to withdraw London invite Mr Trump's attacks on Mr Khan have drawn condemnation from both sides of the Atlantic. His critics have accused him of being insensitive and twisting the mayor's words. Politicians in the UK on Monday called on the prime minister to withdraw the invitation for Mr Trump's state visit later this year. The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron, said: "This is a man insulting our national values at a time of introspection and mourning." Over the weekend, Prime Minister Theresa May refused to criticise Mr Trump, simply saying that Mr Khan was doing a "good job". British voters go to the polls on Thursday in a general election. "Try to imagine the UK prime minister attacking the Mayor of NYC the day after 9/11," said European Parliament cabinet member Simon O'Connor. US mayors back Khan New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was quick to defend Mr Khan, praising him for "doing exactly the right thing". "I don't understand why Donald Trump is trying to undermine a man who's trying to protect the people of London. It makes no sense," Mr de Blasio told the BBC's Nick Bryant during a press conference in New York on Monday. Trump renews feud with mayor of London The US Conference of Mayors, representing more than 1,400 American cities, backed Mr Khan. "He has risen above this crisis of death and destruction, as mayors continue to do, to alleviate fear, to bring comfort to his people of London," the mayors wrote in a statement on Sunday. Mr Khan, a Muslim, has previously criticised the president's plans to temporarily restrict travel to the US from six mainly Muslim countries. After Mr Trump as a presidential candidate announced his plan, Mr Khan told the BBC he hoped he would "lose badly", adding that he was a "buffoon". He also called Mr Trump's views on Islam "ignorant", leading the New York billionaire to challenge him to an IQ test. In the wake of the London attack, Mr Trump has been tweeting about his stalled travel ban. Federal courts struck down the first proposal in January. The administration replaced it with a less stringent version order in March, but that also ended up in limbo after legal defeats. On Monday, the president attacked the Justice Department for revising the original measure, leaving it "watered down" and "politically correct". The Trump administration is expected to take the proposal to the Supreme Court next week. He argues the measure is needed to prevent attacks in the US, but critics say the policy is discriminatory and has little national security justification. | US President Donald Trump has again lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan over his assurances to Londoners following Saturday's terror attack. | 0.89721 |
The 500-apartment development in Carlyon Bay by the Commercial Estates Group was stopped when a public inquiry rejected the plans. Critics say the original plans and the redesigned ones are too big and inappropriate for the site. The company said it had made a new planning application and the revised scheme took such concerns into account. 'Wrong message' Planning permission was first granted in 1991 for the project near St Austell and sea defences were originally built to protect the apartments and construction workers. But when developers applied to upgrade the defences, opponents claimed they were too big, unsafe, and could damage the environment. A subsequent public inquiry held in 2006 said it rejected the plans when its results were published in 2007. Commercial Estates said it believed the new 511-apartment plans were an "improvement on what we've considered previously". Spokesman Jonathan Kenny said: "We think that this new plan addresses a lot of the concerns that were previously expressed, such as improvements to the sea defences, reducing the density of the development and actually lightening the touch on the beaches." However, local campaigners against the development said it was still too large and could set an unwelcome precedent. Peter Price, of the Carlyon Bay Watch organisation, said: "People come to Cornwall for its natural coastline, its access to beaches. This development sends the wrong message. "The best thing for this site is for someone to take it over and clear it." A decision is expected from Cornwall Council before the summer. | Plans have been unveiled for a £250m redesigned development in Cornwall halted because of planning rows. | 0.286112 |
Trinity Western University's code of conduct states students can be expelled if they have same-sex relationships. Critics say the law school will produce lawyers with an anti-gay bias in a country with anti-discrimination laws and legal gay marriage. The university has said it welcomes gay and lesbian students. "We are thrilled with this news," university president Bob Kuhn said in a statement, adding "all students [gay or straight] are welcome to attend Trinity Western University, providing they meet our academic requirements and agree to respect our community values". In a statement, British Columbia's minister of advanced education, Amrik Virk, said the university had proven that graduates "could meet the national standards to practice law". The school reportedly plans to enrol its first class of law students in 2016. A letter petition in March against approving TWU's law school attracted signatures from more than 1,000 students at Canadian law schools, the CBC reported. Critics had specifically pointed to Trinity's Community Covenant Agreement, which says students should abstain from "sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman". The university "reserves the right to discipline, dismiss or refuse a student's re-admission" if the agreement is broken. | Canada's first faith-based law school has been approved over objections from gay-rights advocates and hundreds of law students. | 0.401051 |
By Secunder KermaniBBC News, Islamabad Inside, one of those involved in running the religious school acknowledged it is "said to be run by Jaish-e-Mohammad" - the militant group which claimed responsibility for last month's suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir's Pulwama district which killed some 40 troops and sparked a conflict between Pakistan and India. But the cleric said the allegations were untrue and the madrassa was, in fact, just another ordinary Islamic school. A small poster on the wall behind him, however, depicted an assortment of guns alongside a slogan evoking a famous battle from Islamic history. In the dusty street outside, a poster advertising a rally on behalf of the Kashmiri cause was emblazoned with the distinctive white and black flag of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). As part of a "crackdown" on militants in Pakistan, hundreds of seminaries and other buildings allegedly linked to groups, including JeM, have been taken over by the government in recent days. The brother of JeM founder Masood Azhar has been taken into "preventative detention" alongside another relative and dozens of others. No-one from the security forces had contacted this madrassa in Islamabad however. Azhar himself is believed have been in protective custody in Pakistan since 2016 - though he has continued to release audio messages to supporters. "It is our resolve that our soil will not be used to harm anyone else," Pakistan's Interior Minister Shehryar Khan Afridi told reporters earlier this week, stressing that the action was not due to any "external pressure" but had already been planned by the authorities. But there have been other highly publicised crackdowns on such groups before too, often when Pakistan has been in the international spotlight, only for the mosques and religious schools to be handed back to their previous owners, and those detained to be later released due a "lack of evidence." As a result some are sceptical that this latest action really means the Pakistani state will put an end to the activities of India-focused militant groups, long believed to have enjoyed the support of the country's intelligence services. Indian officials told the BBC they had "seen all of this before". Jaish-e-Mohammad was founded by Masood Azhar in 2000, shortly after he was released from prison in India following the hijacking of an Indian airline by fellow militants. Azhar had been an influential militant figure in the 1990s with links to the conflicts in both Afghanistan and Kashmir. Pakistani analyst Ahmed Rashid says in those early days JeM jihadists were "highly trained and highly motivated" fighters. And because they were not overtly linked to the Pakistani state, India had "no clear answer" on how to respond to their attacks. Pakistan retained an element of plausible deniability. Another militant group focused on Kashmir, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is also believed to have enjoyed the patronage of the security services. With the international community increasingly focused on the threats from jihadist groups after the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan banned both JeM and LeT. However, their leadership has never been convicted of any crime, and both organisations took on new names, with Lashkar-e-Taiba becoming Jamaat-ud-Dawa (though they claim they are separate.) In 2007, the Pakistani state's uneasy relationship with jihadist groups was finally shattered by a bloody standoff between militant supporters and the security forces in Islamabad. After that, jihadists grouped themselves into either "anti" or "pro" Pakistan camps. The former targeted Pakistani security forces and civilians, killing thousands. The latter remained focused on fighting American forces in Afghanistan, and Indian forces in Indian-administered Kashmir. The leaders of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, and Jaish-e-Mohammad remained loyal to the Pakistani state, although many of their fighters, particularly from JeM, defected to anti-state groups. One senior commander with the Pakistani Taliban, which has been fighting against the Pakistani army, told the BBC that many JeM members joined their "jihad" against the government. Although many later changed their minds, he said, there remain a number of former JeM militants within the organisation and other groups such as al-Qaeda. Pakistan's security forces have been remarkably successful in reducing the capabilities of anti-state militants. The number of those killed in terrorist attacks in Pakistan dropped from close to 2,500 in 2013, to 595 in 2018 according to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies. However, that leaves the question of what to do with the more loyal groups such as JeM and LeT/JuD, who are alleged to have continued to launch attacks on India. JeM is believed to have carried out two major attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir in 2016, while Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed has been accused by Indian authorities of orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai attacks - though he denies that. At the time it was alleged the Pakistani intelligence services were complicit, and although they denied that, legal action against those suspected of involvement has been suspiciously slow. But now the activities of these militant groups seem to be an obstacle to Prime Minister Imran Khan's stated aim of improving the country's relationship with India; and perhaps more crucially they have also contributed to Pakistan being placed on the Financial Action Task Force "grey list" for not doing enough to tackle the financing of militant organisations. A "grey list" designation can make international businesses think twice before conducting business in a country, and Pakistan's economy is in need of foreign investment. Pakistani officials, however, have expressed concern that directly confronting JeM or JuD could provoke another spike in violence. Last year, analysts and Pakistani military figures floated the idea of "mainstreaming" some of those linked to militant groups. Shortly afterwards, ahead of the elections that Imran Khan won, supporters of JuD (and LeT) founder Saeed created a political party. Although they were unable to win a single seat, they may still prove easier to deal with than JeM. Over the years Saeed has managed to establish a large charity network of ambulances and basic healthcare facilities. Many of them are now being taken over by the government, but analyst Amir Rana from the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies says the authorities have "very little concerns about retaliation" from his supporters. JuD have signalled they will challenge the moves in court. By contrast, Mr Rana told the BBC, officials are worried about the potential of violence from the more secretive JeM - the group responsible for the Kashmir attack. After JeM was banned in 2002, splinter elements of the group tried to assassinate the country's then military ruler Pervez Musharraf. At a recent closed meeting between the head of the Pakistani Army and a group of politicians, a source told the BBC that military leaders gave assurances that the militants would be tackled. However the military officials warned there were too many to completely eliminate by force alone, and instead suggested some be mainstreamed. Early proposals by the government reportedly include establishing de-radicalisation centres for members of these groups, and finding them jobs, including somewhat bizarrely using them as a kind of "paramilitary" force. A senior politician told the BBC that there was now an understanding in Pakistan that the use of "proxy" forces in Kashmir is counter productive, distracting from allegations of Indian "human rights abuses". But, he added, the preference would be to engage with militants peacefully if possible. The latest takeovers of madrassas and mosques linked to militants will give the Pakistani government some favourable headlines, but it's what they do next that will count. Will there be actual prosecutions? Will the groups really be prevented from carrying out activities across the border? Are attempts at "mainstreaming" really aimed at weaning jihadists away from violence? Or are they simply a way to give them a veil of legitimacy? I visited another madrassa, in another poor Islamabad suburb, that was taken over last year by the government from Hafiz Saeed's charity, JuD. The staff in charge there remains the same. They tell me the only change is that a local government official carries out regular inspections, and that they are now funded by the government rather than by donations. The traditional shalwar kameez garment worn by the security guard at the madrassa is even still embroidered with the now officially banned group's name: JuD. | Standing guard at the gate of a madrassa on the outskirts of Islamabad was a stern-looking young man, armed with what appeared to be a powerful automatic rifle, and missing one eye. | 0.485212 |
By Greg CochraneNewsbeat music reporter The US singer shifted more than 5,000 extra passes for her arena gigs after slashing ticket prices. Festival Republic's Melvin Benn said the emerging trend "undoubtedly works" while another promoter called the strategy "incredibly damaging". Spears' concert organisers Live Nation had "no comment". Earlier this month deal websites such as Groupon and Travelzoo made tickets available for Spears' shows in Manchester, Birmingham and London for half the original price of £62.50. Festivals Rene Freling, general manager for local deals and entertainment at Travelzoo, said: "We are starting to see a few more pop events being promoted. "Promoters are thinking, instead of shows being 90% sold out, they'd rather have it full and promote it to a wider audience." Groupon, who have more than five million subscribers in the UK, told Newsbeat that this year they'd offered discount tickets to a number of events including shows from N-Dubz, Bon Jovi, Snoop Dogg, Westlife and JLS. Melvin Benn, who organises festivals such as Latitude and Reading and Leeds, said fans should expect to see more of this tactic to sell tickets. "It's been demonstrated to work and works particularly well for an awful lot of concerts," he said. Explaining it was a hot topic in the music industry, he added that it was part of the industry's move towards "dynamic pricing". "It's definitely emerging. In tough economic times people will look at varying ways of pricing their tickets." Melvin Benn said he would not use the method for his own festivals. "People would come to expect it year on year," he admitted. "It would damage the viability of the festival in the long-term." 'Damaging' John Rostrum, an independent promoter from south Wales, said he had refused an approach from a deal website to sell discounted tickets for his festival SWN, held in Cardiff earlier this month. "I would never use a discount site," he said. "To start discounting for me would seem horribly wrong. It's very short-term. "It's incredibly damaging for shows because in future when a show goes on sale people will sit back and go, 'I won't buy until the week before.'" He said it sent out the wrong message about an act, adding it "could effectively kill other parts of their career". Will Kennard from dubstep act Chase & Status, who've recently completed a sold-out UK tour, said: "It cheapens the way it looks and maybe looks a bit desperate. "It'd maybe turn me off from going to a concert." Last week primary ticket agent Ticketmaster launched their own website offering ticket deals for music, theatre and sports events. | Britney Spears' UK tour is dividing the music industry over whether promoters should use voucher websites to sell discounted tickets. | 0.451619 |
Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said women needed to "step up" when asked about the lack of recognition they received on Sunday. Only 17 out of 86 awards went to women or female-fronted bands at the 2018 ceremony. He now says they were a "poor choice of words" and that "gender bias" in the industry needs to be addressed. "We will place ourselves under a microscope and tackle whatever truths are revealed," he said of the investigation. Pink had earlier addressed Mr Portnow in an open letter, stating: "Women have been stepping since the beginning of time." The Recording Academy, which is comprised of 13,000 music professionals who vote on the industry's most prestigious awards, said it will "identify where we can do more to overcome the explicit barriers and unconscious biases that impede female advancement in the music community." Prior to Portnow's announcement a group of female record executives, including Pharrell and John Legend's managers, called for his resignation. "We step up every single day and have been doing so for a long time," their letter said. "The fact that you don't realise this means it's time for you to step down." Lorde was the only female artist nominated for best album, and was also the only act in the category not to be asked to perform solo on the night. She took out an an advert in the New Zealand Herald appearing to respond to the lack of female representation. A recent University of Southern California study claimed that between 2013 and 2018 less than 10% of Grammy nominees were female. The only woman to win one of the main awards at this year's ceremony was Alessia Cara, for Best New Artist. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here | An independent task force is being set up to examine "the role of gender" at the Grammy Awards. | 0.25 |
The funds will pay for the monument's design and installation at The National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire. The campaign was started by an Oxfordshire car dealer, who aims to donate a proportion of his takings. The ATA was formed on 15 February 1940 and its pilots moved aircraft from factory to airfield during the war. The pilots were those considered unsuitable for front line duty and included the pioneering British aviator Amy Johnson. Johnson and 14 other female pilots died during the war while undertaking the vital role of ferrying military aircraft around the country. Joy Lofthouse was one of the first female pilots to fly a Spitfire during World War II and learned to fly before she learned to drive. She attended the launch ceremony in Abingdon on Wednesday, where the organisers staged a Spitfire flypast. Mrs Lofthouse said: "It's very rewarding that we are now being feted in a way, it livens up old age." She was trained to fly all types of single-seater aircraft with the ATA during the war. The auxiliary suffered 156 casualties, mostly due to bad weather, but Mrs Lofthouse said at the time she was not put off flying. "When you're young you don't think about the danger," she said. The man behind the campaign, car dealer Peter Jewson, intends to donate £5 from every car he sells at his garage in Abingdon for a whole year. Mr Jewson said: "I believe that their bravery, sacrifices and service to the country should be celebrated." | A campaign is under way to raise £15,000 for a national monument to commemorate the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) girls of World War II. | 0.25 |
By Roger HarrabinEnvironment analyst The European Commission is attempting to reform the EU’s agriculture policy, under which farmers get subsidies based on the amount of land they own. The Commission says part of their subsidy should be tied to environmental benefits such as, for example, leaving a portion of arable land uncultivated. But many MEPs are fighting the proposed changes. And some are backing an amendment which would effectively see farmers get paid twice over for protecting the environment. Green campaigners say the double payment row is further sullying the reputation of the already-controversial Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Tony Long from WWF said: “Already the CAP is struggling to win public legitimacy. Citizens don’t understand why many farmers are receiving blank cheques while destroying the environment. “If double payments are being introduced taxpayers will feel that they have been cheated.” The double payments row applies to farmers who currently get a direct payment for owning land - about £200 ($316; 237 euros) per hectare - then top it up with an extra stewardship grant for farming environmentally, which is typically another £80 a hectare. That gives them, say, £280 a hectare from the taxpayer. Under the Commission’s reform they would be expected to protect the environment anyway as part of their £200 direct payment. To win an extra £80 they would need to do more green good deeds. According to the Institute for European Environment Policy (IEEP), some MEPs want these farmers to be able to continue collecting the full £280 in future – but without having to work any harder for it. The IEEP says in a paper that this effectively means they will be paid twice for the same activity. “It may sound bizarre to hear that some people are proposing double payments for farmers, but it’s true,” said David Baldock, the institute’s director, told BBC News. “This would be illegal and really does have to be quashed.” I understand the UK government believes that the double funding amendment may be passed when it is voted on Wednesday and Thursday. If it succeeds, it will be resisted fiercely by the Commission (and the UK) in ongoing negotiations which are supposed to be settled by the summer. A Commission spokesman said: "We will strongly oppose double payments - this is not what the EU budget is for." But a source close to the negotiations told me: “The amendment is worded in such a way that it may be very difficult for the Commission to unpick. Some MEPs and member states want their farmers to keep getting the same subsidies for doing pretty much the same.” Cheaper scheme The complex mix of views from nation states, MEPs and the Commission renders agricultural reform almost impossible. The UK government says the Commission’s proposals do not go far enough. Ministers want direct payments radically reduced, and say the Commission’s attempt to “green” the CAP are a device to keep farm subsidies high overall. They want a much cheaper and simpler scheme that is less complex to administer. Conservative MEP Julie Girling, who represents South-West England, is a member of the European Parliament Agriculture Committee. “We think the greening is greenwash,” she told BBC News. “The process in Parliament is extremely complicated. We are voting on a series of elaborate compromises which contain many elements each – so it may well be that at the end of the day we will have voted for double payments. If that’s the case we will have to get it taken out at a later stage. This reform process is in danger of taking policy two steps backwards.” The IEEP is critical of the “greening” plan, too. It says the rules are too vague and that tying 30% of subsidies to environmental services under direct payments is arbitrary and unrelated to the impact of what those services might be. MEPs backing the double payments were not available for comment at the time of writing. Follow Roger on Twitter | Plans to force Europe’s farmers to earn their subsidies by protecting the environment are under attack by MEPs. | 0.69723 |
Joel Richards, from Wednesbury, died alongside uncle Adrian Evans, grandfather Patrick Evans and 35 others in terror attacks near Sousse in 2015. The 19-year-old Walsall fan was awarded a string of posthumous honours. His mother Suzanne said charity Smile for Joel keeps his memory alive: "I take comfort from it - I love it, it keeps me going." "I feel Joel's still around, I feel Ade's still here, dad's still here, because we're constantly doing Smile for Joel." There will be 5k and 3k fundraising runs at Sandwell Valley Country Park in September. Joel's younger brother Owen witnessed the attack and said it felt "really weird" to be called brave for his response. He said he missed his "perfect big brother" every day. "He was definitely someone to look up to," he said. "He achieved so much stuff - everyone loved him." | The family of a young referee killed in Tunisia has set up a charity to support the loved ones of terror victims. | 0.313951 |
By Steven McIntoshEntertainment reporter In 2003, when Little Britain was first televised, the best-selling book of the year was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Its author JK Rowling might not have known it at the time, but one of the BBC comedy show's breakout stars would go on to become one of her peers as a hugely popular children's writer. Indeed, David Walliams found himself not just outselling Rowling in 2017, but also veteran children's authors like Philip Pullman and Julia Donaldson. (Admittedly, Rowling hasn't released a new children's book since Potter - but that series continues to sell by the bucketload.) 'Cheeky and a bit wrong' Walliams's hugely popular books such as Gangsta Granny and The World's Worst Children have become a publishing phenomenon and been translated into 53 languages. "He's almost like a continuation of Roald Dahl," says Nick Coler, who has adapted Walliams's Billionaire Boy as a new stage musical with songwriting partner Miranda Cooper. "Those stories have always been really popular because they're a bit cheeky and a bit wrong. And there's nothing like kids for wanting that sort of thing." In case you don't have Walliams-obsessed children of your own, the billionaire boy at the centre of Billionaire Boy is 12-year-old Joe Spud. The premise is that Joe has all the money he could possibly want, hence the book's title, but no friends - something he is keen to put right. When it came to bringing the story to the stage, there were fewer people better placed than Cooper and Coler - two of the UK's most respected and prolific songwriters. If their names sound vaguely familiar, it may be because you've spotted them in the credits of countless pop hits over the last two decades. 'A jolt of robo-disco?' As part of songwriting team Xenomania, they were responsible for hits by Sugababes, Kylie Minogue, Alesha Dixon and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Perhaps most notably, they were the brains behind just about every major Girls Aloud track - a group loved by critics for songs such as Love Machine and Biology, which took more innovative approach to pop. In an article for The Guardian, published at the height of their success, Craig McLean said: "These are pop songs that don't follow the rules of pop." "Choruses take yonks to come in. Contrary musical ideas are mashed together (anyone for a trumpet break? A jolt of robo-disco?)" The Telegraph, meanwhile, acknowledged Xenomania's role in making the group "arguably the most musically inventive British pop act of the decade". But writing a stage musical is, of course, an entirely different discipline to writing a pop single. "It's far more rigorous lyrically, it obviously has to move the narrative of the show along, whereas a pop song can often be much more static," Cooper explains. Which presumably means it's a case of starting with the lyrics, and then coming up with the melodies? "Yes, which is actually not dissimilar to how I wrote a lot of the Girls Aloud songs," she says. 'Killer melody' "I would always have a notebook, just lots of concepts or first lines of choruses or just words, just so I was constantly trying to keep myself fresh in terms of what song I was writing, and not going into the rut of writing the same song over and over again. "So with Can't Speak French, I had the lyric 'I can't speak French, so I let the funky music do the talking, talking'. With Gabriella Cilmi, I had 'Sweet about me, nothing sweet about me'. "And the great thing about that is that you just keep singing the same lyric until you get a killer melody." But Coler points out that writing music for a stage show requires more than just catchy hooks. "In a musical, you can't just have the script going along telling a story and then you have a song - the story has to run through the song to the other side, and move the plot forward. "Whereas a pop song is a very self-contained thing... there's a thin line between making something repetitive but also making it interesting, and doing it all in under three minutes." Reflecting on her time writing such songs with Xenomania, Cooper adds: "We had the luxury of time... so we were able to experiment. People 'emulate your sound' "[Girls Aloud's] Biology, Love Machine, Sound of the Underground, they all came out of experimentation, which you don't really do if you have one day and the clock ticking, you probably play it safe and say 'what's in the charts right now, let's do something like that'. "We'd start an idea and come back to it a week or month or years later. With Call The Shots we wrote the chorus of that two years before we wrote the rest of it. So things were allowed to distil." Coler left Xenomania on good terms in 2010. By that point, Girls Aloud had started to wind down, and he was keen to pursue other ventures. "There's only a five-year period of when you can be successful [as a songwriter] because nobody's caught up with you, and then people start to emulate the sound you're making," he explains. "And obviously as they do that, they start to water down what you sound like. So the process sort of starts to break down in a way, and you have to start again, and I think around that time we were all feeling like we wanted a change anyway, and I had a few other projects." Coler and Cooper kept in touch, and the first musical they wrote was a stage adaptation of 2007 film Son of Rambow, which debuted earlier this year. Sam Hodges, the artistic director of the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton, where that show played, then asked the pair if they'd work on another. Breaking the rules Billionaire Boy's music, which accompanies the script adapted by Jon Brittain, was written in the space of just a few months - quite a feat considering musicals often take years to put together. "We were fans of musicals, but we'd never written one before Rambow, which I think has served us quite well, because we don't know the rules," laughs Cooper. "So we've been breaking them left right and centre! And sort of just going on instinct." Walliams has had a fairly hands-off approach, Cooper explains, allowing them "carte blanche to just get on with it". "He's been really supportive," she adds, "but I guess the punch will come when he sees it!" Billionaire Boy opens at Nuffield Southampton Theatres on 28 November. | Two of the UK's most successful songwriters are swapping pop music for musicals as they adapt a David Walliams book for the stage. | 0.822485 |
Seren Bernard's body was found in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. Police have said the death was not suspicious. Sarah Pollock, from Haverfordwest, has complained to an ombudsman, claiming her concerns and views were ignored. Pembrokeshire council said the death of a child was a "matter of great concern" and all issues would be examined. Dyfed-Powys Police have said Seren's death, earlier this month, was not suspicious, but a report would be prepared for the coroner. Her mother told BBC Wales she used to be close to her daughter, and described her as a grade A student who loved sport. She said that about two years ago, Seren started behaving aggressively. Ms Pollock said her daughter started smoking, drinking and playing truant. Her mental state had deteriorated, she added, and she tried to get counselling for her. Ms Pollock says: "Her escalating behaviour was really attitude towards others, aggressive, which was why I requested the counsellor." Seren rejected her, she said, and claimed she did not want to live with her mother on the grounds that she was aggressive. "It was easy to see for everybody that this was a child going down the slope," Ms Pollock said, but she does not believe that she as her mother was the problem. Ms Pollock said her daughter "didn't like the rules and the boundaries that were being put down" about such behaviour as smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol. "I need help making sure that there's a thorough inquest, my voice is heard. I need help obtaining answers. "I would rather be facing a kidnap charge right now because to go and identify your child is not very good at all, it's not the most pleasant thing you'll ever do in your life." Pembrokeshire council said a child's death was "a matter of great concern and sadness" in all circumstances. It added: "Every child death in Pembrokeshire is referred to the Pembrokeshire Local Safeguarding Children's Board. "The board will examine all the issues surrounding the death which is currently under the jurisdiction of HM Coroner." | A mother has called for answers over the death of her 14-year-old daughter while under the care of social services. | 0.110741 |
UK banks have reserved £16bn to compensate customers sold unnecessary or irrelevant insurance, with Lloyds setting aside more than any other. The bank, still part-owned by the taxpayer, made the announcement as it reported its third-quarter results. Shares in Lloyds fell by 3.5% as markets opened. Its profits for the nine months to the end of September were £1.69bn. Chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio said: "We are well on our way to becoming a better, simpler, low-risk bank, which delivers the products our customers need and the strong performance and sustainable returns our shareholders expect." Dividends The charge for PPI had an impact on the third-quarter profit figure and helped to leave Lloyds with a loss of £440 million for the three months to the end of September. The group also put the loss down to a £330m charge against losses incurred selling its German life insurer Heidelberger Leben, to meet tougher regulatory requirements, in August. The government sold £3bn of its stake in the bank in September, and still retains more than a third of the company. It offered big investors 6% of Lloyds. US demand for the shares was reportedly high, with stronger than expected interest from institutional investors. Singapore government-owned Temasek also reportedly bought a large amount of the Lloyds shares, around 0.5% of the total. During Lloyds' bailout in 2008, the government bought shares at an average price of 73.6p and injected £20.5bn in total into the bank. TSB The group also announced it was talking to regulators about starting to pay dividends again, for the first time since 2008. The average market price at the time was 61p, so the government booked the difference as a loss and added it to the national debt. Lloyds stopped making a loss earlier this year, with first half-year profits of £2.1bn. It recently revived the TSB brand and has transferred five million accounts to the new bank, which started operating a month ago. The new bank will be sold off next year, as part of a process ordered by the European Commission to provide greater competition. | Lloyds Bank says it will set aside another £750m for compensation for mis-sold personal protection insurance (PPI), taking the total to £8bn. | 0 |
By James GallagherHealth and science reporter, BBC News A fifth of athletes surveyed said their oral health actually damaged their training and performance. The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggested cavities, tooth erosion and gum disease were common. Researchers said athletes, as a group, had worse dental health than other people of a similar age. The beaming smiles of gold-medal winners Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah are some of the defining memories of London 2012. But a team at University College London says many competitors had dental problems. "Our data and other studies suggest that, for a similar age profile, the oral health of athletes is poor. It's quite striking," said lead researcher Prof Ian Needleman. He said eating large amounts of carbohydrates regularly, including sugary energy drinks, was damaging teeth. He added that the stress on the immune system from intense training may leave athletes at risk of oral disease and that a fixation on training, preparation and other aspects of health may leave little time or awareness of oral health. The study looked at those visiting the dental clinic at the Games, which offered free check-ups and mouth guards. Competitors using the clinic may have been more likely to have dental problems than other athletes, but the research group say their findings are consistent with previous studies. Of the 302 athletes examined, from 25 sports, 55% had evidence of cavities, 45% had tooth erosion and 76% had gum disease. One in three said their oral health affected their quality of life and one in five said it affected training or athletic performance. Teeth to training Oral health is already a suspect in other seemingly unrelated conditions such as heart disease. People who do not brush twice a day are at higher risk of a heart attack and inflammation is common to both. The researchers suggest inflammation elsewhere in the body may also affect recovery time and susceptibility to injury. They added that tooth pain and the resulting impact on diet and sleep may also damage performance. Prof Needleman, who is also director of the International Centre for Evidence-Based Oral Health, told the BBC: "We know the differences at the high end of elite sport are small, it would not be surprising if oral health was having an impact on those differences. "Many sports medics have anecdotes about athletes missing medals at major competitions as a result of oral health problems." | Dentists have found "striking" levels of bad teeth in athletes competing at the London 2012 Olympic Games. | 0.713024 |
Behind him, Ed Sheeran and George Ezra are up for four awards and Brighton duo Royal Blood have three nominations. But despite saying he's "hysterical" about his band's two nominations, Clean Bandit's Milan Neil Amin-Smith tells Newsbeat he's not too comfortable with "all white boys" leading the way. "It seems a bit weird and a problem," he says. Having referenced Kwabs and MNEK as notable black male artists from the last 12 months, Milan says: "It's bizarre." "The Oscars [nominees] were announced today and it was all white men doing everything. "I think there is something that needs talking about there." There are no female nominees up for best album, which is probably the most sought-after award at the Brits. There were no women in this category last year either. Emeli Sande took home the prize in 2013 for Our Version of Events. Paloma Faith was also in the running that year. Clean Bandit member Grace Chatto, who noted Brit nominees Jess Glynne and Jessie Ware as having a "great year", says: "I was kind of surprised because there have been big female singers this year. "I wonder why that [more male acts being nominated] is. I don't think it's because they're men, is it? Milan replies: "Well, I think it has been the year of the white man, which is quite depressing isn't it?" 2013 also saw Adele's Skyfall win best British single with six female acts in the category. This year there are two with Ella Henderson nominated for Ghost and Jess Glynne named twice for features on Route 94's My Love and Clean Bandit's Rather Be. The singer tells Newsbeat that she didn't see a problem with men dominating some of the major categories. She says: "Women have ruled [the Brits] for quite a while. It's the men's turn." In a statement, the British Phonographic Industry who are in charge of the Brits told Newsbeat: ""The BRIT Awards nominations process starts off with a list of the best-selling artists from the past 12 months. "This is drawn up based on Official Charts Company data. A Voting Academy - comprising more than 1,000 artists, executives, critics and music enthusiasts from right across the UK music sector - then cast their vote to determine which acts make the final shortlist. "It is an open and transparent process driven by a combination of market data and personal taste." Charli XCX, who said she was "surprised" by her best video nomination for Boom Clap, tells Newsbeat this year's nominations don't reflect a "bad year for women" and suggested the acts with more nominations "have obviously had very big years". She says: "I think there are some amazing British women winning all over the world who have had amazing year like [FKA] twigs I don't think it's a bad year for women at all. "But yes it was a shame that the scope wasn't wider and more diverse." The winners of the 2015 Brit Awards will be announced at a ceremony at London's O2 on 25 February with performances from Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith among others. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube | Sam Smith is the overall frontrunner for this year's Brit Awards, having been nominated in five categories. | 0.386857 |
Independent candidate George Ferguson has described the bus rapid transit scheme as a "terrible compromise". Mr Ferguson said: "We should be spending our money on building a proper integrated transport system that looks at improving rail and we should look at small self-driving trams as an option." The £200m scheme involves bus-only routes and co-ordinated traffic lights. Arena aims Mr Ferguson has also urged the city council to postpone any further spending until the Bristol mayoral elections are held. He has also committed to revoke Sunday parking charges and to apply for world heritage status for Clifton Suspension Bridge. Another pledge in his election "vision" is to bring an arena to the Temple Meads area of the city. He said: "I've discussed it with previous cabinet members and financiers and it can be done. "My aim would be to have one well under way by the end of my first term, but to say that it can definitely be delivered within three and a half years would be rash. "My promise is that it will be advanced and that it will eventually come, Bristol is a lesser city for not having one." Mr Ferguson has also pledged to "put Bristol first" rather than have any allegiance to any political party. In May, Bristol voted in favour of having a directly-elected mayor to run the city council. The election will take place on 15 November. Election candidates announced so far are: Craig Clarke (Independent), Tim Collins (Independent), George Ferguson (Independent), Geoff Gollop (Conservative), Neil Maggs (Respect), Spud Murphy (Independent), Eric Mutch (Independent), Daniella Radice (Green), Marvin Rees (Labour), Jon Rogers (Liberal Democrat) and Andy Thorne (Independent). | A Bristol mayoral candidate has pledged to scrap a multi-million pound bus transport project. | 0.526507 |
Property owners have welcomed the prospect of being able to evict squatters faster. Others say the new law fails to address homelessness and the reasons why people choose to live in other people's properties. BBC News website readers on both sides of the divide tell their stories. Jacky, UK - Property owner I am currently a victim. I invested my savings in a brand new apartment last December. I have the tenants from hell who haven't paid a penny in rent since April. They are now squatting and I have been going through the lengthy business of legal proceedings. The court case is in two weeks time, but when I get a possession order, it will probably take another month before I get them out. If I could use this new law, I would be very pleased indeed. I'm afraid I am not a charity and I have had very little money to live on courtesy of these vile people. Dominic McGlone, Greater Manchester - Squatter I squatted until about three years ago. I squatted at the Commonwealth Institute building in Kensington and used to squat in many other buildings as well, like cinemas, bingo halls, churches, schools, bowling alleys, even a boat. I didn't do it because I was lazy or because I wanted to live for free, I did it because I had lost everything and at the time had no family contact and was sleeping in Hyde Park in London. I met what I would call some alternative people, free people, modern hippies if you like and they helped me - they gave me a home. I tried many different charities and organisations but I didn't fit the criteria. I wasn't a single, pregnant female, I wasn't a drug addict or alcohol dependant, I hadn't been released from prison and I wasn't an asylum seeker. I was just a single guy going through life's difficulties. I was even told by social services that in order to prove my homelessness I needed to give a location like a shop doorway or park bench and they would visit me four or five times to make sure I'm sleeping rough where I say I am. It was the middle of winter, so I went and lived in a squat. It saved me, it helped me get on my feet and look to a brighter future. It took me years and years on the housing list before I got a flat, yet it takes minutes to open a squat. I have a job now after six years of unemployment and am able to rent a flat. I am now no longer squatting but remain friends with many people in the squatting community, as it is sometimes called. I sometimes think that if I end up in the same situation I'd be OK because there's always squatting. Ms Cuninghame, London - Property owner A couple of years ago, I was going to let a property, so I employed builders to redecorate it. They finished the work the day before I went on holiday for three weeks. I also gave a set of keys to the lettings agency to start the viewings. On my return, I noticed that someone had entered the flat through the back-garden door by removing the section for cats and then stealing the key on the door inside the flat. The door had been left wide open, a fabric cloth was put over the window like a curtain, and messy things like beer cans, jeans and clothes were lying on the floor. I immediately alerted the police, but they said they could not help. I said this surely should be treated like burglary, as they entered the flat as a trespasser and had caused damage to the door. I said they were using electricity and gas without paying anything, which itself is theft. They said no, squatting is not an offence. I couldn't do anything. In the meantime, I kept receiving calls from the person living in the flat downstairs complaining about the squatters behaviour at midnight, saying, "They are very noisy, drinking, playing loud music. I can't sleep." She was also claiming that there were at least four or five people in the two-bedroom flat. Imagine the disturbance they caused to the neighbours and then I got the blame despite having no control over it. I had to go through expensive legal proceedings and managed to get them out within a few months. I am glad that the government has finally woken up and noticed our concerns. Gel, London - Squatter I have squatted for over 10 years. I no longer squat, but when I did, we'd tell the landlords their rights. We're squatters, not thieves. With all of the places I have squatted, we have made them better and even some slum landlords have given us money for the work we did. You can be evicted in 24 hours. I was evicted three times in one month. The longest it has taken me to be evicted is 21 days at a cost of £350. Landlords can get an immediate possession order for £350 from the county court. Most of the squatters that have abused the system are not even from this country - they just found the loophole and abused it. Interviews by Priya Shah | Squatters in England and Wales could face jail or a fine when the law changes on Saturday to make squatting a criminal offence. | 0.166667 |
Players are being urged to check their tickets after one that was bought in West Lothian scooped the sum in the 11 December draw. The ticket, which matched the five main numbers and one lucky star number, is worth a total of £1,886,380. If no-one comes forward to claim the winning ticket the money will go to good causes. Camelot's Andy Carter, a senior winners' advisor at The National Lottery, said the ticket holder has until 9 June next year to claim their prize. He said: "We're desperate to find this mystery ticket holder and unite them with their winnings. "We're urging everyone who bought a ticket in this area to check their old EuroMillions tickets again or look anywhere a missing ticket could be hiding." | The holder of a £1.8m EuroMillions lottery prize has still to claim their winnings. | 0.299612 |
Speaking to Radio 1's Zane Lowe about the song, Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever), he said: "It was a song looking right back on that moment that you first get with someone and everything feels like its going to go on forever." He also revealed details of Muse's elaborate stage plans for their forthcoming worldwide stadium tour. Informed by George Orwell's novel 1984, the production will feature an "an all seeing eye" pyramid structure and a "chrome UFO". Twilight invitation The soundtrack for the third instalment of the vampire movie franchise, released on 8 June, will also feature tracks from Vampire Weekend, Florence and the Machine and The Dead Weather. Speaking about their contribution Bellamy explained that he wanted fans to hear the track now whilst its subject matter still felt "relevant". He said: "I broke up with my girlfriend - it must have been about 8 months ago or something. I basically wrote that song pretty much immediately after that. "The Twilight people contacted us and were very keen to get a song for their film and I thought 'Why not?'. "I might as well just bung it in there and get it out there because this song represents a bit of a difficult period for me in my life. It's the kind of song that by the time we get to the next album might not be relevant any more. My life might have changed and moved on. It's kind of like a cheesy love sentiment I suppose. "When I wrote the song, it was quite a heavy thing." Summer tour The trio, who released their fifth album The Resistance in 2009, are set to play a string of huge stadium, gigs this summer including dates at London's Wembley Stadium and Lancashire County Cricket ground. Bellamy said the shows will feature a brand new set including a "very futuristic pyramid-shaped office building". He added: "From the front the whole thing looks like this gigantic…you know the all seeing eye with a big eye-ball on top? It basically looks like that. "It's supposed to be a cross between that and George Orwell's ministry from 1984 - we've got a chrome UFO." Joking about the band's over-the-top nature Bellamy said: "We're totally gone these days - I don't know quite how we got to this point. I'm just going to go with it." | Muse lead singer Matt Bellamy has explained how their new song, appearing on the forthcoming The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack, is about the recent "break-up" with his girlfriend. | 0.1646 |
By Elin ClarkeManylu, BBC Radio Cymru Cardiff council leader Huw Thomas also said that one of the current schools - Ysgol Plasmawr - would be expanded within the next two years. More children will want to start Welsh-medium secondaries within two years than there are places, BBC Wales research found. Campaigners say the current situation is unsustainable. BBC Radio Cymru's Manylu programme found that the number of applications for year 7 pupils is already higher than the places available at two of the city's three Welsh-medium secondary schools. Mr Thomas said it was a story of success and he was delighted that figures were "growing in a wave" and the council would be speaking to the Welsh Government about its duty to meet the demand. "We've already put one bid in to expand one of the secondary schools in Cardiff by 30 places," he said. "Although that wasn't successful initially we'll be looking at how we can draw in other sources of funding to make sure that provision is there." Mr Thomas added: "I certainly envisage that over the five-to-10 year period we will certainly be looking at building a fourth secondary school in Cardiff. "Where exactly and when, I think, is a matter to be worked through over the coming years and in consultation in a way that doesn't de-stabilize the existing three schools." Manylu has found: Mabli Jones, co-chair of the Cardiff branch of campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, said there needed to be ambition and leadership from the council. "The current situation is not sustainable, clearly because if the three secondary schools are going to be full in the next couple of years then we definitely need to look at what the council will do after that," she said. Lib Dem councillor Rhys Taylor added: "It's worrying that we haven't got to grips with the trends that are showing us already that some schools will have capacity problems in 2019 and again in 2020." Iwan Pritchard, head teacher at Bro Edern in Llanedeyrn, said his personal opinion was that "we have got to do everything" to ensure that enough places were available for pupils who wanted them. "Opening a new secondary school is an expensive process and in the current financial situation we need to make sure that the three current schools are financially viable, and that is also as important," he said. "Securing the current three schools is as important as securing provision for all the pupils who are going to receive secondary education within a couple of years." Ms Jones argues that we should move away from a system where Welsh medium education "is an exception or something that parents have to campaign for". "The council is not succeeding in meeting the demand that's already there and definitely not succeeding in moving towards a new way of doing things which gives every single child Welsh medium education," she added. 'It certainly felt like a battle for us' Angharad Naylor lives in Heath but wasn't able to receive a place for her sons, aged seven and four, at their catchment primary school as it has been at capacity for a number of years. When it was time for her eldest to be allocated a place they went for the next nearest school at the time but the initial application for the youngest at the same school was refused. "Not being allocated a place at the school where his sibling was was a shock, but a very emotional time as well," she said. They were allocated a place for the youngest child after an appeal. "It certainly felt like a battle for us and something we really shouldn't have to battle for," she said. "There were a number of us as parents facing a similar situation where we would have siblings in different schools and how you overcome that is quite stressful and emotional for us as parents. "There is hope that there will be change. There are new Welsh medium schools within Cardiff opened in recent years which is excellent. I think there is a need to look at Cardiff North in particular and certainly the catchment of Heath area." The council said it did monitor patterns of take-up in Welsh-medium provision and was committed to see Cardiff "play its full part in contributing to the million of Welsh speakers we want to see by 2050." There is a commitment that 30% of Welsh children should receive Welsh medium education by 2031, although Cardiff council's own projections show only about 15% of Cardiff secondary pupils will receive their education through the medium of Welsh by that time. This is similar to the projections for Swansea, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Wrexham. Manylu can be heard on BBC Radio Cymru at 12:30 GMT on Thursday 14 March and also via the BBC iPlayer. | A fourth Welsh-medium secondary school is likely to open in Cardiff within a decade to cope with growing demand. | 0.702111 |
The move follows similar price decreases in San Francisco and Boston. Most analysts see the move as an effort to undercut competitors like Lyft and Hailo, as well as attracting newcomers. Uber drivers - who are paid around 80% of the total fare - will be forced to accept lower payments as a result. In a blog post announcing the fare changes, Uber countered: "What we've seen in cities across the country is that lower fares mean greater demand, lower pickup times and more trips per hour — increasing earning potential and creating better economics for drivers." In June, Uber raised $1.2bn in capital, in a move which valued the car-sharing service at more than $18bn. However, it has faced competition from other firms, questions from regulators and angered traditional taxi drivers in cities across the globe, from Berlin to Paris to Madrid. A protest by cab drivers in London in early June caused widespread gridlock, and France has recently been mulling a ban on GPS for car-sharing apps. New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission did not reply to a request for comment. | Mobile car hire service Uber has temporarily cut the price of its cheapest service, UberX, by 20% to match the rate of New York City's yellow taxis. | 0.345648 |
Operated by Historic Scotland, the castle is Scotland's number one paid-for visitor attraction, with more than 1.4 million visitors in 2013. Historic Scotland also saw record July figures at Stirling Castle, Skara Brae, Urquhart Castle and St Andrews Castle. Linlithgow Palace had record single-day visitor numbers for its jousting event. More than 7,000 people descended on the palace and Linlithgow Peel on Saturday 5 July. World-class Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "This has been an incredible summer for Scotland so far, and in the year that Scotland welcomes the world, I am delighted that Edinburgh Castle, along with a number of our most iconic historic attractions, is enjoying record-breaking visitor numbers. "Such buoyant figures illustrate the key role that our historic environment plays in informing our rich cultural identity, attracting visitors to Scotland and supporting economic growth. "The income generated by these visits is invested back into the historic environment, ensuring that it is cared for and maintained for future generations." Stephen Duncan, director of commercial and tourism at Historic Scotland said: "Edinburgh Castle enjoyed a record-breaking July in 2013, so it's hugely encouraging to see those impressive visitor numbers being surpassed this year. "In the Year of Homecoming 2014 and during a summer when the eyes of the world are on the international events taking place in Scotland, it is wonderful to see that pattern reflected across a number of sites in our estate. "As the biggest operator of visitor attractions in Scotland, we continue to invest in our visitor experience, from retail and membership products to our award-winning events programme. "I am delighted that record numbers of visitors from around the globe are coming to our sites to enjoy the world-class experience we have to offer." | Edinburgh Castle saw its busiest July on record, with 223,107 visitors heading to the site, up 5% on the same month the previous year. | 0.208333 |
Frontex plans to deploy six ships and three aircraft monthly in Operation Triton, starting on 1 November. The operation's monthly budget will be 2.9m euros (£2.3m; $3.7m). This year there has been a surge of migrants trying to reach Italy by boat. A joint EU police operation is under way to intercept people-traffickers. The boats - often overcrowded and unseaworthy - mostly set sail from Libya, which Frontex describes as "a de facto failed state without a functioning law enforcement". Last year Italy launched a major search-and-rescue operation called Mare Nostrum off the Libyan coast and it is continuing. It was triggered by a boat disaster off Lampedusa in which more than 300 migrants drowned. Frontex has already been helping Italy in the Mediterranean, but with a budget of just 5m euros annually. The Frontex statement said the agency would send "debriefing" teams to Italy to help collect intelligence on people-smuggling networks. Equipment for Operation Triton has been pledged by several countries including Finland, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and non-EU member Iceland. Frontex director Gil Arias Fernandez welcomed the pledges but said Frontex still needed more technical equipment in order to be able to fully implement the operation. EU's migrant pressure Q&A: Migrants and asylum in the EU Pressure points Police forces across the EU launched a joint operation on Monday to intercept illegal migrants with no papers or fraudulent ones, and to combat people-smuggling gangs. An internal EU mission statement leaked by several media outlets said the Mos Maiorum police operation would run for two weeks, until 26 October, co-ordinated by Italy, which currently holds the six-month EU presidency. The plan is to get intelligence from illegal migrants about organised crime groups, so that efforts against them can be better targeted. Italy, Greece and Malta are major entry points for migrants fleeing war and abuses in the Middle East and Africa. Their migrant reception centres are overcrowded and often squalid, with many migrants held there for months or years as the authorities struggle with thousands of asylum claims. The tiny Spanish territory of Melilla in Morocco has also become a magnet for poor sub-Saharan migrants. About 100 tried to scale the border fence there on Tuesday and at least five got in. Migrants hoping to get to the UK have also incurred local resentment in Calais, northern France. Their numbers have risen to at least 1,500 this year, Calais officials say. Several hundred shopkeepers, police officers and farmers demonstrated in Calais on Monday, demanding police reinforcements to keep control of the migrants. | The EU border agency Frontex says it has pledges of new equipment to help Italy cope with the migrant influx in the Mediterranean but more is needed. | 0.848797 |
Mary Unwin, 65, disappeared in October 2012 while trying to sail overnight from Cornwall to Devon to surprise her husband. A coroner recorded an open conclusion and said Mrs Unwin "did not have the requisite skill" to complete the trip. Fisherman Finbar Jones said he had advised her not to attempt the journey. Mrs Unwin's husband Carol said: "Mary in attempting to surprise me had taken on a challenge too great. "It was her own strong-willed confidence that led to this tragic accident." Wreckage of the vessel, the Seagair, was found between Land's End and Sennen Cove but mother-of-four Mrs Unwin's body was never found. The inquest in Truro heard she had bought the yacht in Falmouth on 11 October 2012, and had a four-hour sailing lesson the next day. Her instructor advised her against making the journey home to north Devon, suggesting instead she hired a skipper and crew. 'No stopping her' On Sunday 14 October 2012, Mrs Unwin was seen crashing into a boat as she moored in Mousehole harbour, and failed to use fenders to stop her boat scraping on the harbour wall. Fisherman Mr Jones said: "She was scatty and unsure what she was doing. But she was very determined. There was no stopping her." Det Con Martin Hearn, from Devon and Cornwall Police, told the inquest: "Experienced fishermen, coastguards and lifeboatmen have told me they wouldn't ever try to sail at night single-handed in the way she attempted." Cornwall's assistant coroner Stephen Covell said: "She did not have the requisite skill to sail the boat single-handed in daylight, let alone the dark." Recording the open conclusion, he added: "She died on or about 14 October 2012 when the boat she was sailing foundered on rocks between Land's End and Sennen." | A woman who died when her yacht crashed into rocks near Land's End ignored warnings from experienced boat users before setting off, an inquest heard. | 0.377476 |
Bases at Aberdeen, Guernsey, Inverness, Isle of Man, Jersey and Newcastle are due to close as the airline looks to save £85m over the next few years. The company also released details of the proposed redundancies it announced on Monday. Exeter faces the biggest hit, with 116 proposed redundancies, while Belfast City faces 52 job losses. Flybe said it would be reducing its workforce by 500, despite returning to profit. Chief executive Saad Hammad, who took over in August, said: "I know that these proposals are creating great personal uncertainty, but they are necessary to secure a long-term future for Flybe and I am grateful to the various union and staff representatives for the very constructive manner in which we have been able to commence the consultation process." Jim McAuslan, general secretary of pilots' union Balpa, said: "Flybe needs to get back on the right track, but it is extremely disappointing that redundancies will be needed to do that. "Pilots and their families will be suffering as they await further news. But so will the communities and islands served by Flybe." Soaring share price This week, the company reported pre-tax profits of £13.8m for the six months to 30 September, compared with a loss of £1.6m a year earlier. Flybe cut 490 jobs in 2012-13, with a further 100 going in the first half of 2013-14. It now employs 2,700 people. Investors welcomed Flybe's decision to carry out additional cost cuts, sending its shares up by 40.5% to 95.75p on Monday. Then on Wednesday, Flybe's biggest shareholder, Rosedale Aviation Holdings, sold its entire 48.1% stake in the airline to institutional investors, including Schroders, Artemis and Standard Life. Existing shareholders, such as George Soros and Polar Capital, increased their stakes. Flybe's share price has risen nearly 83% over the last 52-week period. | Flybe, the Exeter-based airline, is proposing to close six bases as part of its cost-cutting plan. | 0.526649 |
Gatiss, who won an Olivier Award for his role in Three Days in the Country earlier this year, also said audiences could be put off if they pay a lot to see a show and then do not like it. "You can't really take a risk [at that price]," he told The Stage. But he praised theatres running schemes offering cheaper tickets. They include the National Theatre's £15 tickets and the Donmar Warehouse initiative giving free tickets to under-25s. Gatiss, who also acts in Sherlock, joins fellow actors Mark Rylance and Juliet Stevenson, who have also complained recently about the price of West End tickets. The average price for a theatre ticket in London last year was £42.99, according to the Society of London Theatre. 'Accessible to all' Gatiss told The Stage: "I went to see a show the other day, I won't name it. And it cost about a quarter of million pounds to see it, and it wasn't very good. You can't really take a risk [at that price]." The former League of Gentlemen performer added: "If you pay for a night out in the West End and it's about £95, and you don't have a good time, you feel it. That will probably put you off going." Speaking at a launch event for his new play The Boys in the Band, which opens at the Park Theatre in London later this month, he also said his relatives go to the theatre "once in a blue moon", adding of such an attitude: "You need to fight that." A Society of London Theatre spokesman responded by saying: "The theatre industry is committed to ensuring tickets are available at every price point. "The industry's support of initiatives like Mousetrap Theatre Projects, Kids Week, Get Into London Theatre and many other schemes help make theatre accessible to all." Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Sherlock creator Mark Gatiss has said West End theatre can feel like an "exclusive club for rich white people" because tickets are so expensive. | 0.389568 |
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for snow, meaning be prepared, across the Midlands, London and south-east England. Flooding has caused major disruption in parts of Wales, with police and fire crews reportedly inundated with calls. Snow is currently falling across parts of Scotland, northern England, the Midlands and into eastern England. A number of incidents were reported on Friday, including: The Environment Agency also has 18 flood warnings and more than 70 flood alerts in place. In south-west Wales, flooding is causing major problems, particularly in Whitland in Carmarthenshire and Narberth, Haverfordwest, and St David's in Pembrokeshire. Mid and West Wales Fire Service said it had received more than 270 calls on Friday evening, with "quite a large number of flooding incidents" across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthen and Swansea, including incidents of properties flooding and people becoming trapped in their cars. Local councils have been asked to assist with sandbags and unblocking drains. In Narberth, Pembrokeshire, residents are reported to be battling to keep water out of their homes, and roads in the area are flooded. Local councillor Wyn Evans told the BBC that melting snow and torrential rain had caused "severe flooding and destruction" in the area. "Even our police station has been flooded this evening and that's never ever happened before, so all our police officers had to relocate elsewhere," he said. Milder weather Met Office amber "be prepared" warnings for snow are currently in place for the Midlands, London and south-east England, and are valid until 03:30 GMT on Saturday. The Met Office warned of up to 10cm (4in) of snow spreading from the west, but said sleet and snow were likely to ease before dawn. Yellow "be aware" warnings for snow and ice are also in place across most of the UK, valid until 04:00 GMT on Saturday. BBC weather forecaster Steve Cleaton said there was a mixed picture: "When a weather front coming in from the west meets the cold air which has been hovering over the country the rain will turn to snow in Scotland, central and eastern England. "But there will be heavy rain in Wales, western England and Northern Ireland." He said several inches of snow had already been reported in Glasgow and Stirling. Mr Cleaton said temperatures would rise over the next few days and, with the heavy rain in the west, there was the potential for flooding over the weekend in some parts. The Environment Agency has warned of the risk of minor localised flooding in some areas due to the rapid thaw. Flood risk manager Phil Rothwell said: "We are closely monitoring the situation and have teams ready to respond to any potential flooding. People should check out if they are in a flood risk area, and sign up to free flood warnings on the Environment Agency website." | Heavy snow is falling across parts of Scotland and England, amid warnings of flooding to come this weekend. | 0.806799 |
Wales became the only nation in the UK to introduce a "deemed consent" system in December 2015. Kerry Smith, from Abergele, Conwy county, but now living in Cheltenham, said it could save even more lives. The Department of Health in England said it was waiting to see how changes in Welsh legislation impact donations. Ms Smith's daughter Megan Carson, 15, first became ill on a school trip last summer and medical tests revealed she had auto-immune hepatitis - a disease in which the body's own immune system attacks the liver. She needed a liver transplant and luckily a donor was found within a couple of months. Ms Smith told the BBC's Wales Today programme the experience made them realise the shortage of donor organs could be helped if England adopted the same system as across the border. It means adults would be regarded as having consented to organ donation unless they have opted out. The problem is particularly acute for children's organs, as those aged under 20 make up only 4% of those on the donor register. "The more organs that are available, the more lives that are saved," Ms Smith said. "My daughter Megan had to wait just less than two months, we were incredibly lucky to get a donor that quickly." She added it would also "ease the decision that upset relatives have to make at that time". Megan said: "There aren't enough people who are donating in England. "One person can donate several organs and I think presumed consent can help so much more than just opting-in because not enough do." Labour's Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West, has already called for change and has introduced a Private Members Bill that, if passed, would see presumed consent adopted across the UK. "The system has proved to be a huge success and has saved a great many lives," he said. "Every day that goes by, those in the rest of the United Kingdom have to suffer the anxiety of waiting for an organ and in many cases it's not available and they tragically die." In a statement, the Department of Health in England said it had "no plans to introduce an opt-out system but were waiting to see how changes in legislation in Wales impact on donations". It added that it would "continue to work closely with the Welsh Government to identify ways to build on the significant increase in organ donations already achieved since 2008". "Ongoing work as part of the implementation of the Transplantation 2020 strategy aims to bring UK donor and transplant rates to a world class level, giving many more people the opportunity of a transplant," the statement said. "We encourage everyone to discuss their organ donation wishes with their family and friends." | A campaign for Wales' organ donation laws to be adopted in England has been launched by a mother whose daughter needed a transplant. | 0.474175 |
It will cover a 14.7km (nine-mile) stretch of the A6 from Randalstown in County Antrim and Castledawson in County Londonderry, either side of the Toome bypass. Upgrading the stretches of road to dual carriageways is expected to cost £160m. Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard said the work would "strengthen the links between Belfast and Derry". He added that it would help to address an "infrastructure deficit" west of the River Bann. Standstill The route will replace the existing road from Castledawson to the M22 motorway to Belfast, which sees lengthy tailbacks during peak hours on a daily basis. "Road users and the local community will directly benefit from this new all-purpose dual carriageway as it will reduce journey times and improve road safety," he added. "I am determined to contribute towards economy growth in a regionally-balanced way, and I believe it is vital that infrastructure projects such as this are prioritised." On occasions during the morning rush-hour on the current route, traffic grinds to a complete standstill, resulting in traffic jams stretching for miles. The scenario is reversed during evening rush-hour as commuters return to the north-west from the direction of the M22 motorway. Investigations Earlier this year, Northern Ireland's roads authority said the proposed route would affect about 120 landowners. The Department for Infrastructure said ground investigation work has begun and archaeological investigations along the route will start this week. Construction is expected to begin in October. Mr Hazzard added the project was "welcome news" for the construction industry. | Four years of roadworks are to begin on the main road between Belfast and Londonderry road this autumn. | 0.1875 |
By Stephen EvansBBC News, Seoul Let's define some terms. Impeachment is the process of getting rid of an official. It is not the end of the process - the sacking of the official - but the process itself. It is like a trial but done by a country's ruling assembly and ultimately the country's highest court, rather than an ordinary criminal court. Just as in a trial, the result may be an acquittal - Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998 but stayed in office when, at the end of the process in 1999, the Senate voted against his dismissal. Those who voted for impeachment did not even get a plain majority, let alone the two-thirds majority necessary to succeed. In the case of the South Korean president, the National Assembly has to get a similar two-thirds majority before Ms Park can be stripped of office. There are 300 members in total so they need 200. At the moment, there are 172 non-government party lawmakers who want the president removed. That means the opposition needs 28 of the 128 lawmakers from the governing conservative Grand National Party to join them. There is a narrow window in which this can be done, from Friday 2 December to Friday 9 December. After that the parliamentary session ends and all bets are off, probably over the winter break (though, in theory, the assembly could be recalled for a special sitting). If the Assembly did vote to do the deed (the two-thirds finding of guilt), sacking the president would still need the agreement of six of the nine judges on the country's Constitutional Court. Even if lawmakers (not to mention the public and papers) overwhelmingly wanted to end President Park's rule, the judges could block it and she would keep the presidency. During any impeachment process, President Park would step aside from her duties and the government would be led by the prime minister. If, at the end of the process, the votes were not there or the judges do not support her removal from office, she would return and see out her term which is due to end at the end of next year. If on the other hand, she was stripped of office, she could face trial. The prosecutor has already said he thinks she was complicit in the corrupt scheme with which President Park's long-time friend Choi Soon-sil is already charged. Would she be found guilty at trial? That is by no means clear. She has denied wrongdoing and as she put it in her statement on Monday: "With the problems that have surfaced, I thought at the time we were pursuing a public project and it was not in any way for my personal benefit, and I didn't profit personally in any way." The difficulty is that we do not know precisely what the allegation is. Broadly, it is that Ms Choi controlled two funds and pressured companies into donating tens of millions of dollars on the strength of her link to the president. The funds were ostensibly for good causes - one for sports promotion - but we do not know what their actual purpose was. If President Park was not aware of (or cannot be proved to have been aware of) illegal alternative uses, then she may well be in the clear. It may be a similar situation with the companies being investigated. A string of the biggest conglomerates in Korea from Samsung down have had their offices raided and computer hard drives taken away. We do not know if that is because the companies and their computers may have evidence of the corruption of others like the president and her friend, or whether it is because they are suspected of corruption themselves. They definitely paid money to the contentious funds - in the case of Samsung about $3m (£2.3m) - but how much pressure was put upon them? Were specific promises made of payback in favourable treatment? The upshot of all this is that any proceedings against President Park make take many months. She would be the first sitting president of South Korea to be deposed in the democratic era and she will clearly fight tooth-and-nail to avoid that dishonour. Her concession that she would be prepared to step down makes a longer process more likely because it opens the way for negotiation. It may persuade lawmakers in her own party to stay with her a little longer in the hope a less dishonourable deal can be done. Some have criticised her apology, in which she said that her personal mistakes had "caused grave concern to the Korean people. Watching the people's hearts being broken, my heart is also distraught, knowing that a hundred apologies will not be able to ease the disappointment and anger of the people". So what had she done wrong? "My big mistake was not being able to manage the people around me," she added. The people may feel that she has been disloyal to them, in which case they may turn on her - and they know the detail of whatever crime was or was not committed. A circular firing squad may have formed. | The South Korean parliament is likely to vote on whether to impeach the country's president. If they succeed, Park Geun-hye would be the first president to be removed from office. | 0.607425 |
Sage Gateshead is a hub for the performing arts, home to the Royal Northern Sinfonia, it has hosted concerts including Sting and Blondie. It has been closed since lockdown began, and faces a projected £10m loss. Most of its 500 staff have been on the government's furlough scheme, but following a consultation it said 110 were to be made redundant. It said despite a good response to a fundraising campaign, the decision was necessary to protect its future. The organisation now awaits the outcome of its application to the government's £1.57bn arts recovery fund, which is due in coming weeks. A spokesperson said: "We have done absolutely everything we can to avoid this situation. "Each and every one of the team are highly skilled and dedicated, and it is with deep regret that 110 of our friends and colleagues will be leaving us. "We know that music and culture have a role to play in the city and the region's recovery and we are determined to contribute to this. "Our goal throughout this process of consultation, therefore, was to ensure that the organisation has a team which can deliver for people and communities as part of this Covid-19 recovery." It recently announced there would be a seven-week series of live performances from 23 October, with the safety of audiences, artists and staff had been at the forefront of planning. Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]. | More than 100 jobs are to be axed at one of north-east England's biggest music venues. | 0.232824 |
By Duncan CrawfordNewsbeat reporter It's run by the militant group Hamas and is home to 1.5 million Palestinians, with most aged under 30. Gaza is blockaded by Israel. The UN says this is illegal under international law but Israel rejects that. Newsbeat has been to the Gaza border to see what life is like for people there. Last week a 19-year-old, Omar Arafa Ma'arouf, was shot dead by the Israeli army. 'Buffer zone' His cousin, Ammar Ma'arouf, told Newsbeat Omar had been collecting rubble close to the border. "Words can not explain, can not express about our feelings. "His father, his mother and his brothers - they are just weeping, all of us weeping," he said. Many Palestinians, often teenagers, scavenge for rubble in border areas, then sell it for building materials. Israel says it fires on Palestinians "acting suspiciously" within around 300m (984ft) of the border - it's what's known as a "buffer zone". Lieutenant Colonel Avital Leibovich from the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) told Newsbeat that's why Omar was shot. "We are constantly under rocket fire from the Gaza strip. Therefore what one has to do is to defend himself," she said. "If that means to identify someone walking in the buffer zone which is a forbidden area to be in, in a suspicious manner, we have to protect ourselves," she added. Palestinians, however, say shots are fired from Israeli watch-towers at people up to 1,000m (3,280ft) from the barrier. So far two people have been killed and 30 injured in the buffer zone this year, according to the UN. The IDF says the zone is meant to protect them from Palestinian militant attacks. ISRAELI SIDE OF BORDER 3,278 rockets and mortars landed in Israel in 2008, 774 in 2009 and 180 in 2010, according to the IDF. The decrease in attacks follows an Israeli offensive into Gaza in December 2008, with 60 landing in Israel so far this year. Atara Orenbouch lives in Sderot, an Israeli city near the border. She said the situation has improved but emergency alarms still go off. "You don't have to be injured physically, but we're all injured mentally. "My 5-year-old says, 'I hope there won't be missiles'," she said. "You have 20 seconds to stop the car and decide which of your children you can take out and into the shelter room, if you're lucky to stop near a shelter room. "Will I take out my baby? Or my three-year-old? I've got to decide which of my children's lives I'm going to save. That's not normal," she continued. Israel holds Hamas, the Palestinian militant group which runs Gaza, responsible for the rocket attacks. LIFE UNDER HAMAS Since taking control of Gaza, Hamas has promoted Islamic religious law. "Life here is like a big jail. I have a girlfriend I cannot go out with. I have to meet her in secret," 25-year-old Aman told Newsbeat. He said it's hard for unmarried men and women to meet in public. "I just talk to my girlfriend on the phone and sometimes I feel that my phone is watched by the Hamas government." Israel has enforced a tight blockade on the Gaza border since Hamas took control of the area in 2007. The UN says the restrictions collectively punish Gaza's people. Israel says it will only lift the blockade if Hamas recognises Israel's right to exist, renounces violence and releases a captured Israeli soldier. Osama, a 24-year-old student, said it's hard for young Palestinians to look to the future. "Not only because of the Israeli blockade, but because of the mental blockade that has occupied Palestinian minds ever since Hamas took over. "There is zero tolerance," he said. | The Gaza Strip, on the border of Israel, has been described as the world's largest prison camp. | 0.452819 |
Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford also promised £10m for a pilot scheme to provide 30 hours of free childcare for three and four year olds. There are cuts to some areas of local government and community projects, plus the end of the £20m Schools Challenge Cymru scheme. But total spending rose by 2.7% to £14.95bn, according to published figures. Spending plans had been shaped by the "unprecedented challenges" posed by Brexit and the resulting loss of European funding, Mr Drakeford told the Senedd on Tuesday. How important is the budget for the whole of Wales' economy? Is the extra cash for the Welsh NHS enough? Boost for poorest pupils in budget "In these uncertain times, we have published a one-year revenue budget, which will provide stability and assurances for our valued public services in the immediate future while we work collectively to plan for the future," he said. Funding commitments in the budget include £111m for apprenticeships and traineeships, and £4.5m towards a pledge to raise the savings limit for people in residential care to £50,000. The end of the flagship Communities First anti-poverty programme - costing £30m a year - had previously been announced. Local government has been given a real-terms cut in its day-to-day spending, but a large increase in the amount of capital funds available for one-off projects. Mr Drakeford warned AMs of "further cuts to come" from UK government decisions. "We cannot hide from the challenges this presents," he said. But a UK government spokesman said that, under the 2016 Treasury Budget, the Welsh Government's allocation is to increase by £370m over the next four years compared to what had been set out in the spending review. The spokesman added that the spending review for 2015 announced capital spending in Wales would rise by £900m. Responding for the Welsh Conservatives, finance spokesman Paul Davies said he hoped the draft budget would "deliver for Welsh communities where so many others before it have failed". UKIP's Mark Reckless questioned whether ministers could protect local government funding, asking if there was a risk of "very significant cuts" following next May's council elections. With Labour just short of a majority in the Senedd, ministers have struck a deal with Plaid Cymru to ensure the budget will pass. The agreement - covering £119m worth of spending - included a promise of £30m extra funding for higher and further education and £5m to boost the Welsh language. Plaid Cymru finance spokesman Adam Price said his party had secured "tangible improvements to the lives of people in Wales" by finding "common ground" with Labour. However, Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies has dismissed the deal as "groundhog day again", telling BBC Radio Wales that "the nationalists are rowing in behind Labour and propping them up for another 12 months of failure". | An extra £240m for the NHS has been announced in the Welsh budget. | 0.375 |
Football referee Joel Richards, 19, of Wednesbury, died along with uncle Adrian Evans, 49, grandfather Patrick Evans, 78, and 35 others near Sousse. The hall is part of Sandwell council's £8.1m leisure centre complex, which is due to open this year in Wednesbury. Mr Richards' mother Suzy said she felt "very honoured" the council chose to name the sports hall after him. A University of Worcester student and Walsall FC fan, Mr Richards used to attend Wednesbury's Stuart Bathurst and Wood Green schools. His mother said the family felt "very honoured and proud that they have chosen to name the new sports centre after Joel". She added: "Joel was a very talented and inspirational young man who had the world at his feet. "He spent a lot of time volunteering within the community, encouraging and teaching young people all types of sports." She said she also saw the move as a "fitting tribute" to her father, Pat Evans, and brother Adrian Evans "who supported Joel with all that he had achieved at such a young age". The naming of the sports centre will take place as part of an official opening ceremony later this year. The new £8.1m Joel Richards Sports Hall complex includes a 25m pool, a learner pool, two dance studios and a fitness suite. From the 38 killed in the beach attack on 26 June, 30 were from the UK. | A sports hall is to be named after a West Midlands victim of the Tunisia terror attack. | 0.265923 |
Retired Pacific Investment Management Company (Pimco) chief Douglas Hodge paid nearly $1m in bribes to get four of his children into top US colleges. Hodge has received the longest sentence of the high-profile parents convicted so far. Prosecutors called him one of the "most culpable" of the 35 parents charged. In October, Hodge pleaded guilty to money-laundering and fraud. He paid $850,000 (£660,000) in bribes over a decade to have four of his seven children win places at Georgetown University in Washington DC and the University of Southern California as fake athletic recruits. Prosecutors say Hodge was also attempting to bribe his way into a seat for a fifth child at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. They had asked for Hodge to serve two years in prison. At the sentencing in Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday, Judge Nathaniel Gorton said: "There is no term in the English language that describes your conduct as well as the Yiddish term 'chutzpah.'" The judge said he would have given a prison term of a year, as Hodge had participated in the scam repeatedly and for the longest time, but took into consideration Hodge's charity work. Hodge, who retired from his position as Pimco's chief executive in 2016 before the scandal broke, has expressed remorse for his actions. His defence team had argued the ex-CEO deserves a reduced sentence in light of his history of philanthropy. They said he has given more than $30m to causes benefitting children around the world. But prosecutor Justin O'Connell dubbed this the "height of hypocrisy". A tearful Hodge said in a prepared apology following the sentencing that "ego" or "status" did not drive his decision. "Rather, I was driven by my own transformative educational experiences and my deep parental love." The US college admissions scandal has seen dozens of defendants indicted for allegedly cheating and bribing to get their children into elite universities, like Yale and Stanford. The parents - many of whom are celebrities or wealthy business executives - allegedly paid a firm as much as $6.5m (£4.9m) to cheat on students' college entrance exams or bribe top coaches to offer fake athletic scholarships. The colleges have not been accused of any wrongdoing and are investigating the matter internally. Fifteen parents are still contesting the allegations, and their trials are expected to take place later this year. US actress Lori Loughlin, of the sitcom Full House is among the 50 total individuals - including coaches and other associates - is charged in the case. So is Michelle Janavs, the heiress to the Hot Pockets (a microwavable snack) fortune. Ms Loughlin and her husband, designer Mossimo Giannuli, allegedly paid $500,000 in bribes to have their two daughters admitted to the University of Southern California as fake rowing-team recruits. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison and a $30,000 fine last October for paying $15,000 to participate in an exam cheating scam. The ringleader, William "Rick" Singer, 58, is co-operating with the authorities. Authorities say the scam earned him $25m between 2011-18 through his firm Edge College & Career Network. Children of wealthy Americans often win places at elite universities after their parents make generous donations, an entirely legal practice. | The former head of a top US investment firm has been sentenced to nine months in prison for his role in the US universities admissions scandal. | 0.348673 |
Morrisons said like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, rose by 8.7% in the six months to the beginning of August. However, profit fell by more than a quarter after costs rose by £155m to deal with the pandemic, including hiring temporary workers and bonuses. It also said poor fuel sales hit income as people "took fewer car journeys". Pre-tax profits dropped by 28.2% to £145m for the six months to 2 August. However, Morrisons said extra costs associated with coronavirus had been partly offset by four months of business rates relief of £93m, In March, all UK retailers were given a one-year business rates holiday as the country entered lockdown. The decision prompted criticism because supermarkets have seen sales grow strongly during the pandemic. Profit was also hit by the shift from customers buying in-store to shopping online where growth was "very substantial", according to Morrisons but generates lower profit margins. Shoppers also chose to stock-up on lower margin goods such as canned goods and cereals as well as alcohol, instead of more profitable produce such as "food-to-go" and its service counters offering fresh meat and fish. Sophie Lund-Yates, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said that while Morrisons' profit statement "made for pretty ugly reading", she added there was "more than just a light at the end of the tunnel". She said that while the supermarket had a smaller online and delivery business than its rivals, it had grown strongly "and starting from a lower base means there's more room to grow". The rise in demand for online shopping and deliveries spurred Morrisons to take on 45,000 extra temporary staff. It spent an extra £47m on recruiting more workers during the first half of its financial year. About 25,000 of these people still working for the supermarket, and more than 6,000 have already been given permanent jobs. Morrisons said total sales for the first half dropped by 1.1% to £8.7bn because of poor fuel sales, which sank by 37.4%. It said demand was "severely affected during lockdown and the immediate aftermath by the impact of Covid-19". However, it said fuel sale volumes had been "gradually recovering" during the May-to-July quarter. | Sales at Morrisons surged in the first half of its financial year but the supermarket saw profits drop because of coronavirus-related costs. | 0.886856 |
The singer jumped on stage during Jedward's performance of Queen's Under Pressure with a pineapple on his head. He was due to be a guest on the show's spin-off programme The Xtra Factor, but was ejected from the London Studios by security. Speaking to Radio 1's Chris Moyles he explained: "For the greater good of the nation I wanted to go out there and make an idiot of myself and bring the whole show into another area in which it's treated as a joke." Harris explanation Explaining his antics he said: "I was backstage waiting to go on and I was listening to everyone taking it incredibly seriously. "I was inspired to make a mockery of the show. As a music competition it is a joke and I think it should be treated as such. "I got on really easily. I did my little thing. I noticed that nobody was coming to get me. I went off of my own accord. In came security about two minutes later, I was waiting for them. "They did it perfectly; they made clear that it was time for me to leave." Harris, who's from Dumfries, said his protests were not aimed at contestants John and Edward but the show itself. "I want them to win, I love them. Where can they go from there? Where can X Factor go from there? It's not a music competition. "If you look at music it's a frightening stranglehold that Simon Cowell has over the got over the entire music chart in the UK at the moment." Harris has previously topped the chart with his hits Ready For The Weekend and Dizzee Rascal collaboration Dance Wiv Me. He concluded by saying: "I'm not an attention seeker." The singer added that he hoped to auction the pineapple online for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. | Calvin Harris has told Radio 1 about his stage invasion during this weekend's X Factor (14 November) saying "I was inspired to make a mockery of the show". | 0.319792 |
By Lucy WilliamsonBBC Paris correspondent There has been feverish speculation here about whether holding the poll during an epidemic would be sensible. The government has banned gatherings of more than 100 people, shut schools and universities and suspended big sporting events. But despite labelling coronavirus France's "biggest health crisis in a century", President Emmanuel Macron confirmed this week that Sunday's vote would go ahead. In the tiny town of Lamorlaye, an hour's drive north of Paris, mayor Nicolas Moula is upbeat. "Information is the number one key," he says, opening the door to the polling station, in a low modern building behind the town hall. Inside, it looks as if Lamorlaye is preparing for an agricultural show. There are metal railings creating closed lanes inside the room, and copious amounts of black-and-yellow striped tape on the floor. "This is where we'll have the hand gel and gloves," he explains. "And here, these markers are to show voters where to wait in the queue, to stop them getting too close to the person in front." More on Macron's France The French government has issued guidelines to polling stations across the country, asking that people are kept at least a metre away from each other at all times. The interior minister even asked voters to bring their own pens, to avoid transmitting the virus that way. Lamorlaye is in the Oise region, one of the worst-hit by the virus so far. All social gatherings here have been banned, schools are closed, and people have been told to stay at home as much as possible. Will people really want to come and vote? "That's why we're reassuring everyone," says Mayor Moula, "by sending out leaflets explaining the procedures. There really isn't any risk." One of France's biggest polling agencies suggested this month that almost 30% of French voters would avoid the election, for fear of catching the virus. The government reportedly came close to calling it off. But President Macron appeared convinced that the poll could be held safely - at least, when it comes to public health. How safe his party will be in the nation's polling stations is another question. This election is the latest political duel between the liberal president and his far-right nationalist rival, Marine Le Pen. Ms Le Pen's party, National Rally, is hoping to hold on to the eight town halls it currently holds, and also has its eye on winning its first big city, Perpignan. Close race for Paris Mr Macron's party, La République En Marche (LREM), was newly-created four years ago and is contesting local seats here for the first time. It's locked in a headline race for Paris, against the Socialist incumbent, Anne Hidalgo, and a centre-right candidate, Rachida Dati. The original candidate for the president's party, Benjamin Griveaux, was forced to quit last month after a sex scandal. He was replaced by France's former health minister, Agnès Buzyn. Out of the frying-pan of coronavirus, into the fire of local politics, some might say. Anne Hidalgo is currently ahead in the polls by a few points, despite her divisive strategy for an eco-revolution in Paris, which has already seen roads dug up to make bike lanes, and part of the riverside in Paris closed to vehicles. Paris has been left-wing for almost 20 years, but the conservative Rachida Dati is thought to be a real challenge this time, with her promise of a cleaner, safer city, with more housing and better transport. Many believe LREM could be heading for a loss in Paris, predicted by one French paper as "modest at best, humiliating at worst". France's two-round voting system means LREM should have a second chance at the run-off polls a week later. The interesting question will be whom the party aligns with between the two rounds. An alliance with Rachida Dati could play into the president's image as a centre-right liberal who's abandoned the left-wing part of his base. Away from Paris, this election is a chance for the president's party to begin putting down roots across the country. The fear is that it'll be a chance for coronavirus to do the same. Second chances are part and parcel of French politics. Not so much global pandemics. | Elections are usually risky for leaders, not for voters. But France's local elections this weekend have raised fears of a health crisis, not just a political one. | 0.419782 |
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