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Las Vegas shooting: Gun used 'bump-stock' device to shoot faster - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Bump-stocks, or "slide fires", allow semi-automatic rifles to fire hundreds of rounds per minute. | US & Canada | Bump-stocks can be fitted to standard semi-automatic rifles like the Colt AR-15
Police say that the gunman who killed almost 60 people at a concert in Las Vegas had outfitted a legal but controversial accessory onto 12 of his semi-automatic rifles to enable them to fire hundreds of rounds per minute.
Officials say that theses devices - known as bump-stocks - have been found along with 23 guns inside Stephen Paddock's room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
Bump-stocks, or slide fire adapters, allow semi-automatic rifles to fire at a high rate, similar to a machine gun, but can be obtained without the extensive background checks required of purchasing automatic weapons.
Audio analysis of one clip estimated that about 90 rounds were unleashed in only 10 seconds - far faster than a human being could repeatedly pull a trigger.
Lawmakers have questioned the legality of these devices while gun owners - sensing a legislative crackdown - have reportedly begun stockpiling them.
One of the rifles recovered from the crime scene appears to be fitted with a bump stock
Since Congress passed the Firearm Owners' Protection Act in 1986, it has been relatively difficult for civilians to buy new, fully automatic weapons, which reload automatically and fire continuously as long as the trigger is depressed.
However, thousands of "grandfathered" weapons - those manufactured and registered before 1986 - can still be bought but are very expensive and all sales must be approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How the horror unfolded - in two minutes
It is also illegal to modify the internal components of semi-automatic rifles - which typically manage about 60 aimed shots per minute - to make them fully automatic.
Gun owners can instead legally buy accessories to increase the rate of fire.
One option is a "trigger crank", "hellfire trigger", or "gat crank", which bolts onto the trigger guard of a semi-automatic rifle and depresses the trigger several times with every rotation.
But the bump-stock, which was used by Stephen Paddock in Sunday's Las Vegas shooting, harnesses a rifle's recoil.
It replaces the weapon's stock, which is held against the shoulder, and allows the rest of the rifle to slide back and forward with every shot despite having no mechanical parts or springs.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What gunfire tells us about weapons used
The motion makes the trigger collide with, or bump, the shooter's finger as long as they apply forward pressure with the non-shooting hand and rearward pressure with the shooting hand.
Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut in 2012, California Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced a bill that sought to ban bump-stocks and similar devices, saying that manufacturers were exploiting "loopholes" to circumvent gun laws. However, the bill was defeated in the Senate.
In the wake of the Las Vegas shooting, Mrs Feinstein re-introduced a bill on Wednesday that would outlaw the sale and possession of bump-stock equipment and other similar devices. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41482010 |
Match of the Day 2: Newcastle subtitle error leaves BBC red-faced - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Subtitling software misunderstood the word "comma" and inserted "scum" into the text. | Tyne & Wear | An "unfortunate error" in subtitling led to Newcastle United being labelled "black and white scum" during the BBC's Match of the Day 2 programme.
Commentator Guy Mowbray said Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge had scored five goals against the black and whites.
But software confused the word "comma", spoken by a subtitler, and put "scum" into the on-screen text.
The BBC said the error was spotted and corrected immediately.
It was noticed by football writer Paul Brown, who tweeted a screenshot from the show on Sunday night, saying "MOTD2 subtitler evidently not a Newcastle fan."
During the commentary Guy Mowbray said: "Sturridge has scored in all four of his previous Premier League starts at Newcastle. For the Reds against the black and whites, he boasts five goals in five appearances."
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Paul Brown This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Football commentary is re-voiced for subtitles by someone known as a "respeaker".
A BBC spokeswoman said: "Our live subtitling service is normally very accurate and makes our content much more accessible, but there are times when unfortunate errors occur.
"On this occasion the error was spotted and corrected immediately."
The Magpies went on to draw 1-1 in the Premier League home game.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-41473443 |
Tom Petty: How he influenced Sam Smith, Foo Fighters... and Spinal Tap - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Sam Smith, Big Boi and Norah Jones are among the stars who have felt Tom Petty's influence. | Entertainment & Arts | A long list of singers and bands owe Tom Petty, who has died aged 66, for influencing them - from rock and pop stars to country acts and even, in a roundabout way, rappers and the legendary Spinal Tap.
Here are some of those who took inspiration from Tom Petty.
In 2015, Tom Petty and his collaborator Jeff Lynne were added to the songwriting credits for Sam Smith's hit Stay With Me because of similarities to his 1989 track I Won't Back Down. Smith's people said it was "a complete coincidence".
"All my years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen," a sanguine Petty later said. "Most times you catch it before it gets out the studio door but in this case it got by. Sam's people were very understanding of our predicament and we easily came to an agreement."
"Tom Petty was the first album I ever bought with my own money," singer Caleb Followill has said. "I've been listening to him ever since, so I know there's a huge influence on me."
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The Kings of Leon hosted Petty Fest in Nashville in 2013, celebrating the singer-songwriter with The Black Keys' Patrick Carney, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones and Jakob Dylan.
The opening riff and drum pattern of The Strokes' second single Last Nite bore a striking resemblance to the intro of American Girl, from the 1977 album Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Petty himself had no hard feelings. He told Rolling Stone in 2006: "There was an interview that took place with them where they actually admitted it. That made me laugh out loud. I was like, 'OK, good for you.' It doesn't bother me."
"Growing up in the 1980s in MTV America, Tom Petty might as well have been the Beatles," the hitmaker wrote on Instagram, calling Petty "culturally important". He added: "It was the music you wanted to hear in your car. It was the music you'd hear at a baseball game."
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Petty's song Running Down A Dream was "the first lyric I heard as a pre-teen that maybe made me understand what grown-up melancholy was", Ronson said, while as he grew up, You Got Lucky and American Girl "resonated with a rawness that spoke to me on another level".
After Nirvana ended in 1994, Dave Grohl was recruited to perform with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - who were without a drummer at the time - on Saturday Night Live.
Petty was said to have been so impressed that he offered Grohl a permanent place in the band. But Grohl turned him down and started Foo Fighters instead. The biggest musical influence can be seen on the Foos' Wheels, which pays some homage to Petty's Learning To Fly.
A ridiculously deep voice chants the words "Thom Pettie that ho/Free falling, we out all night" on a song titled Thom Pettie on the former Outkast rapper's 2012 album Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors.
Big Boi explained that it was inspired by Petty's hit Free Fallin'. He said: "If you're going out for the wild night and you never know where the night is going to take you, we call it free falling. That's called Tom Pettying! If you Tom Petty for the night, you don't know where you're going to end up at in the morning."
"We've all been trying to copy him," Dave Haywood of country megastars Lady Antebellum told BBC Breakfast. "Everyone's been trying to emulate what he does... He'd be in our top five of influences for us as a band."
Bandmate Charles Kelley added: "Tom Petty is probably even a bigger influence to our generation of country artists than even some of the traditional country artists, just because that's what we grew up on. Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw... I would say they would put him in their top 10 of artists that influenced them."
Petty and Adams both released albums in 2014. That led Billboard to snark that "the best Tom Petty album to come out this year may be the one by prolific singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer Ryan Adams".
Asked on Twitter earlier this year whether he was "this generation's Tom Petty", Adams batted back: "Tom Petty is this generations @tompetty. He is a stone cold badass."
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Some fans saw parallels between Adams' 1984 hit Run To You and Petty's single Refugee, which reached number 15 in the US chart four years earlier.
Jones performed a few times at Petty Fest - performing a cover of You Don't Know How It Feels with Kristen Wiig in 2016. She also appeared when Petty was named the Grammys' MusiCares Person of the Year earlier this year, alongside an all-star cast that also included George Strait, Randy Newman, Jackson Browne and Stevie Nicks.
"He's meant a lot," Jones said of Petty before that show. "I've been a fan for so long… You know every song even if you don't realise you do. They're such good songs."
Petty showed his relaxed attitude to being borrowed from again when comparisons were made between the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 2006 hit Dani California and Petty's 1993 single Mary Jane's Last Dance.
Petty told Rolling Stone: "I seriously doubt that there is any negative intent there. And a lot of rock 'n' roll songs sound alike. Ask Chuck Berry."
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Lots of artists have covered Free Fallin', which is among Petty's most enduring songs. But my favourite version is by delicate Norwegian duo Kings of Convenience.
They covered it live, leading the audience in a spine-tingling a capella sing-along refrain. That was captured live and released on their Failure single in 2001.
The scene in This Is Spinal Tap in which the fictional band get hideously lost in the bowels of a venue in Ohio as they try to find their way to the stage is one of the more unlikely moments in rock 'n' roll history to have been inspired by Tom Petty.
Writer and star Christopher Guest said: "We saw a tape of Tom Petty playing somewhere in Germany, where he's walking backstage and a door's opened and he ends up on an indoor tennis court and there's just this moment of stunned, you know, 'Where am I?'"
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41482121 |
Stourbridge stabbing: Aaron Barley admits murder - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Homeless Aaron Barley turned on Tracey and Pierce Wilkinson after the family helped him off the street. | Birmingham & Black Country | Tracey Wilkinson died at the family home in Stourbridge and her teenage son Pierce died in hospital
A "manipulative" homeless man who turned on a family who befriended him has admitted the "frenzied" murder of the mother and her 13-year-old son.
Tracey and Pierce Wilkinson were stabbed to death at their home in Stourbridge, West Midlands in March.
The boy's father, Peter, was seriously injured in the attack but survived.
Aaron Barley, 24, of no fixed address, admitted the killings at Birmingham Crown Court on what would have been the first day of his trial.
He previously admitted the attempted murder of Mr Wilkinson.
The family first met Barley after Mrs Wilkinson decided "off-the-cuff" to help him when she saw him trying to keep warm in a cardboard box while she was out shopping.
She helped him find accommodation and arranged daily meals for him, while her husband went on to employ him as a labourer in April last year.
He left the company on "amicable terms" last September after he began to take drugs.
Aaron Barley admitted the two murders on what would have been the first day of his trial
Prosecutor Karim Khalil QC told the court Mr Wilkinson was "naturally intent" on trying to continue to support Barley and his work colleagues "spent a huge amount of time and effort trying to find ways to support the defendant".
But despite this he went on to attack the family just months later.
Mr Khalil said Barley killed Mrs Wilkinson in her bed and attacked Pierce in his room while Mr Wilkinson was out walking the dog on the morning of 30 March.
He had hidden in the garden shed overnight after failing to gain entry to the home he once shared with the family.
CCTV played to the court showed him emerging from the shed with a hammer as Mr Wilkinson returned home.
Brandishing a knife over his head, he shouted "Die you bastard" as he stabbed Mr Wilkinson a total of six times - twice in the face, twice in the abdomen and twice in the back, the court heard.
Barley, described as a "compulsive liar and manipulator" with 21 previous convictions, wore a balaclava and was clad entirely in black, even covering his yellow trainers in black socks.
Mr Khalil said Mr Wilkinson described the defendant as "acting like a ninja".
"He realised immediately who his attacker was", he said.
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"The defendant was wielding a knife, stabbing and slashing at Peter in a frenzied attack with such aggression that this alone demonstrated an obvious intention to kill him."
The company director managed to contact emergency services, and was found in the garden of the family home with facial lacerations and deep stab wounds.
Barley fled the scene in the family's Land Rover and was pursued by police before he crashed in a nearby road and was arrested.
Mrs Wilkinson, 50, was pronounced dead at the scene, while Pierce died after being taken to hospital.
Mr Wilkinson, 47, spent 11 days in hospital recovering from his wounds.
Before the killings, Barley was reported to police after his former foster carer became concerned about messages posted on Facebook, the court was told.
Among the posts was a threat from him towards his family and the possibility of a "killing spree".
Less than a week before the stabbings, the court heard, the Wilkinsons cancelled a mobile phone contract they had paid for Barley.
Pierce Wilkinson (left) was killed in the attack while his father Peter was seriously injured. Pierce's sister Lydia was at university at the time
The couple's daughter Lydia, 19, was away at Bristol University at the time.
She said she was warned to expect the worst and when she saw her father hooked up to "countless machines" she doubted he would survive.
When he did eventually regain consciousness, Mr Wilkinson did not know his wife was dead and was unaware his daughter had been to the mortuary to identify her mother and brother.
Both the family and police said they did not know what Barley's motive was.
Mr Wilkinson said he had shared a "curry and a couple of bottles of beer" with Barley about a month before the attack.
"The next time I saw him he was sticking a knife into my shoulder," he said.
He said Barley had joined the family on Christmas Day last year and he wrote a card to his wife that said 'To the mother that I never had'.
"My wife was very caring and he treated her a bit like a second mother," he added.
He suggested that Barley, whose parents died when he was young, knew his life was "going bad ways" and wanted to take it out on the people that had "cared and looked after him".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lydia Wilkinson thought all her family was dead
Det Supt Tom Chisholm said Barley has remained uncooperative while in custody and given officers no reason for the "horrific attack".
Describing the "random" murders as the most shocking he had dealt with, the veteran detective added: "There is usually a build-up or a motive or a grudge of something, but this one is just very random."
The court also heard that psychiatric reports found no evidence of diminished responsibility.
Barley fled from the scene in the family's 4x4
Emergency services were called to Greyhound Lane, Norton on 30 March
Mr Wilkinson and Lydia have now moved back into the family home and said they have been "astounded" by the support they have received.
Ms Wilkinson described her mother as a "stunning" woman with a "beautiful personality".
"To have my best friend taken from me in life at such a young age is a hardship I would never wish on anyone," she said.
"Because it has to be the most awful experience. Especially when something happens… I can't ring her up any more."
She said her brother was "handsome, funny, clever" and made friends with everybody around him.
"My mum and brother were just the iconic mother/son relationship," she said.
Barley will be sentenced on Wednesday. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41484206 |
Stourbridge stabbings: Lydia Wilkinson 'feared triple funeral' - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A student recalls the moment she found out her family had been attacked by a knifeman. | Birmingham & Black Country | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lydia Wilkinson thought all her family was dead
Lydia Wilkinson was in another county when she found out her whole family had been stabbed in a "frenzied" knife attack.
The 19-year-old Bristol university student was in halls when her boyfriend called her about a stabbing in her hometown of Stourbridge, West Midlands.
Unknown to Lydia, Aaron Barley, a 24-year-old homeless man who had been taken in by the Wilkinsons, had armed himself with a knife and entered her family's home.
"I remember typing into Google 'Stourbridge, stabbings," she said.
"And the first link showed a photo of my house with police tape around it. I remember ringing him [my boyfriend] back and saying 'It's me, it's us, they've been stabbed'."
Lydia did not yet know Barley had killed her 13-year-old brother Pierce, and her mother, Tracey. Her father, Peter, was gravely wounded in the attack.
Shaken by what she had seen online, Lydia went into a friend's room, where she called the police. Her friend took her phone while they waited for officers to arrive.
"West Midlands [Police] got to me and asked what I knew - I said just that they have all been stabbed," she said.
"They said 'we are very sorry to tell you that your mum and brother have passed away and your dad is in theatre and we don't know whether he will survive or not, we have had no news'."
Lydia, a first-year biology undergraduate, was set to return to the family home a day after the attack on 30 March.
She had promised to meet Pierce at his school gates, and was looking forward to going dress shopping with her mum, she said.
Instead, she found herself rushing to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, unaware if her father had survived.
"I remember coming back in the car from Bristol," she said. "I was planning a triple funeral and how I was going to go about that on my own."
Lydia Wilkinson laid flowers at her family home after the murders
About three hours after learning her mum and brother had died, Lydia arrived at her father's bedside.
"They took me to critical care and that was the first time I saw my dad - with countless machines hooked up to him, a lot of doctors around his bed," she said.
"I remember thinking at that point in time that I was going to lose him as well because nobody could survive that state."
"I thought he was going to pass away that night."
"I knew there was nothing I could do to help my mum and Pierce as they had tragically passed away, so my sole focus at that moment in time was my dad, because he was the only thing I had left in life."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Peter Wilkinson woke up in intensive care to learn his son was dead
Lydia sat beside her father, who was under heavy sedation, holding his hand.
"I said that I was there and he opened his eyes and looked at me and then went back unconscious," she said.
"He woke up later on that evening."
"I started to hope that he was going to [pull through] because before that there was just no hope. I genuinely thought it was going to be just me," she said.
"And from that moment he started to come round."
Pierce Wilkinson (left) died in hospital after paramedics battled to save him
Lydia, who has since continued her studies at Bristol, said she did not really talk to her father "about the outside world" until he came out of critical care.
"He didn't know I had been to the house [to lay flowers] and he didn't know that I identified the bodies of my mum and brother," she said.
Tracey Wilkinson had a "beautiful personality", her daughter said.
Lydia paid tribute to her mother, who had first met Barley when he was living on the streets. She found him meals and accommodation and let him temporarily stay in their home.
"To have my best friend taken from me in life at such a young age is a hardship I would never wish on anyone," she said.
"Because it has to be the most awful experience. Especially when something happens… I can't ring her up any more."
After Barley admitted killing Pierce and Mrs Wilkinson, Lydia faced him in court.
Addressing the killer as he stood in the dock, she said: "My parents helped you - you repaid them with destruction and heartache.
"You have obliterated my life, murdered half my family, very nearly all of it, and for this I will never forgive you." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-41488407 |
Kursk sub disaster: Russia fined over free speech violation - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Judges in Strasbourg say Russia violated free speech over the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster. | Europe | The Kursk disaster in 2000 was an international embarrassment for the Russian military
The European Court of Human Rights says Russia must compensate journalists who were sued for articles about the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster in 2000.
The case was won by Novaya Gazeta, an investigative newspaper often critical of the Kremlin.
Russia must now pay it 3,388 euros (£3,007; $3,984), and 2,170 euros to its correspondent Yelena Milashina.
The paper had alleged failure by the military to properly investigate the deaths of 118 Kursk sailors.
The European court ruled that by prosecuting the journalists, the Russian defence ministry had violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which safeguards freedom of expression.
In an investigation, the paper disputed the conclusion of a naval forensic expert, Viktor Kolkutin, that 23 sailors had died eight hours after explosions which had killed most of the crew immediately.
Novaya Gazeta alleged that the sailors had survived longer than that, and that the navy had bungled the rescue attempt. It meant that there was no punishment of Northern Fleet officers for criminal negligence over the Kursk disaster.
An official investigation found that two explosions had wrecked the submarine after fuel leaked from a torpedo during a naval exercise.
Another military expert reported that dull repeated knocking heard from the sunken submarine was not an SOS message from the survivors, but some other unidentified noise from a surface ship.
In 2005 a Moscow court had made the newspaper and Milashina pay 57,000 roubles (£744; $985 at today's rates) in fines for defamation, over their reporting of the military experts' conclusions. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41485883 |
Steve Coogan awarded damages in phone-hacking case - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The actor and comedian says he will receive a six-figure sum and an apology over phone hacking. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Steve Coogan said the phone hacking was "a disgrace" to the record of the newspaper group
Comedian Steve Coogan is to receive a six-figure sum in damages from Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) after it admitted to unlawful phone hacking.
Speaking after the High Court judgement, the actor and comedian said he felt "vindicated" by the agreement.
It follows an action by Coogan for misuse of his private information.
Publisher Trinity Mirror said it had "no comment" on the case but lawyers for MGN, which is part of Trinity Mirror, said the group had apologised.
MGN's lawyer admitted Coogan was the target of unlawful activities and that they were concealed until years later.
They said: "MGN apologises to Mr Coogan and accepts that he and other victims should not have been denied the truth for so long."
The exact figure of the settlement has not been revealed - but most of the money would be distributed to good causes, Coogan said.
More than 40 celebrities have already settled phone-hacking claims against MGN, including Lord Archer, footballer Kevin Keegan and actresses Patsy Kensit and Michelle Collins.
They were resolved by the payment of undisclosed sums and an apology from the newspaper group.
Phone hacking was used to listen to people's mobile voicemails, giving journalists access to private information to use for stories.
Coogan's lawyer, David Sherborne, told the court that the Mirror had written stories using unlawfully obtained personal information - including phone hacking, from third parties and surveillance by private investigators.
He claimed 62 news articles were "likely to have been produced by use of these means," adding that they caused "enormous distress" to Coogan, who wrongly suspected people he knew were leaking his private information.
Before bringing the case, Coogan gave evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics, which was launched in 2011 after revelations of phone-hacking first became public and concluded in 2012.
It followed the closure of the News of the World by its owner, Rupert Murdoch, following the revelation that the mobile phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler had been hacked.
Coogan's lawyer said his participation in the inquiry led to a number of attacks on him by national newspapers.
The actor then complained to MGN in July 2015 and it admitted to misusing his private information.
Coogan issued his claim in October 2016, and tried to find out the extent of the wrongdoing and identify the relevant newspaper articles.
Coogan believed that if Trinity Mirror had conducted a proper investigation at an early stage, then the unlawful activity could have been stopped - and prevented the distress and damage it caused its victims, their family and friends, his lawyer said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41481307 |
Catalonia vote: Spain's biggest crisis for a generation - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Catalonia has plunged Spain into its biggest crisis since a 1981 coup attempt, writes James Badcock. | Europe | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Spanish police clashed with people trying to get to polling stations to vote
The sight of masked police smashing their way into polling stations was evidence - if any were needed - that Catalonia's independence drive has plunged Spain into its biggest political crisis for a generation.
After the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, Spaniards approved the current constitution in 1978.
But the democratic will of all political forces was tested, and ultimately consolidated, by an attempted military coup on the night of 23 February, 1981, when Lt Col Antonio Tejero of the Guardia Civil held lawmakers at gunpoint.
That night the then king of Spain, Juan Carlos, remained loyal to democracy and the putsch was suppressed.
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The deadly violence of Basque Country militant group Eta also tested Spain's democratic consensus. But the organisation laid down its weapons in 2011 and the stated aim of today's Basque leaders is that they, and Catalonia, be allowed to hold a legal referendum resulting from a negotiation with Madrid.
It is unclear how the Catalan crisis can be resolved.
Spain's conservative Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, defended Sunday's fierce crackdown, making no mention of the more than 800 people injured while participating in a ballot deemed illegal by Spanish courts.
"We did what we had to do. We are the government of Spain and, as its leader, I assume my responsibility," he said.
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont is also sticking stubbornly to his script, saying the Yes vote is a first step on the road to declaring independence and creating a new republic.
Barcelona the day after: Catalan students protest against Spanish police
Read more of our Catalonia coverage:
Where, some Spaniards ask, is today's king in the midst of a political crisis that threatens the future of his kingdom? "Where is he? He should be defending our cause," said a woman who only wished to be named as Africa, at an anti-independence demonstration in Madrid.
While Juan Carlos enjoyed an active role in the cut and thrust of politics, King Felipe cuts a distant figure. He has cancelled all appointments for the coming week, but the Royal Household said there were no plans for meetings or public statements at this stage.
Meanwhile, across Spain, criticism of the Rajoy administration's dogged defence of the constitutional status quo is not confined to Catalan and Basque nationalists.
The leaders of Spain's second- and third-largest parties, the traditionally socialist PSOE and left-wing Podemos, both expressed alarm at the images beamed around the world of heavy-handed police intervention.
PSOE's Pedro Sánchez said Spain was in need of a "national political regeneration", while Podemos chief Pablo Iglesias expressed his "disgust at what [Rajoy's] Popular Party is doing to our democracy". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41466619 |
Wimbledon station commuters flee train in 'Bible' panic - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | People climbed on to tracks after being "panicked" by a man reading verses aloud from the holy book. | London | Some passengers forced open the doors of train
Passengers forced open the doors on a busy rush-hour train and climbed on to tracks after becoming "panicked" in the carriage.
It happened outside Wimbledon station in south-west London at 08:30 BST as a man apparently began reading lines aloud from the Bible.
Commuters became scared when the man also began saying "death is not the end", a passenger said.
Rail power lines were cut as passengers "self-evacuated", police said.
Trains on the route were disrupted for nearly 12 hours, but are now running normally.
Ian, who was on the train, said the man's Bible-reading led to a "commotion" and a "crush".
He said someone then asked the man to stop speaking "as he was scaring people" and "the guy stopped and stood there with his head down".
The train had been travelling between Shepperton and London Waterloo. British Transport Police (BTP) said no arrests had been made.
A Network Rail spokesperson said no passengers or train staff were injured but "significant delays" would continue on services in and out of Waterloo.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-41466140 |
Five-year-old girl 'misses' Muslim fosterers, court hears - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Tower Hamlets Council says the five-year-old girl's foster family gave "warm and appropriate care". | UK | A Christian girl said to have been fostered by a Muslim family had a "warm and appropriate" relationship with the carers, a family court has heard.
The five-year-old, who is now living with her grandmother, was placed into the family's care in March by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
The judge, Khatun Sapnara, said the girl expressed "she misses the foster carer and wants to see her again".
She said the council was happy the family care was "warm and appropriate".
Judge Sapnara said Tower Hamlets produced an "interesting and robust defence" to the media's reporting of the case - following claims reported in the Times that the family did not speak English and that the girl had not been allowed to wear a crucifix.
She said: "The local authority has satisfied itself that the foster carer has not behaved in any way which is inconsistent with their provision of warm and appropriate care for the child."
The council will be allowed to publish an "agreed narrative of events" in the coming days, Judge Sapnara added.
The court also heard that the child, who was taken from her mother after police became concerned for her welfare, would be taken to her maternal grandmother's country of origin if a permanent order was made to grant her care of the girl.
The girl holds dual nationality of both the UK and that country, which cannot be named to protect the child's identity.
The judge said allowing Tower Hamlets to make a statement about the child would quell "frenzied speculation" around the case and allow the child a degree of privacy.
She said the court would not make a finding about newspaper reporting of the case, adding: "It is simply about providing balanced information in the public domain."
Judge Sapnara disclosed in August that the child had been removed from her mother, who has problems with substance abuse.
The case will conclude in a final hearing in December. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41476357 |
Why don't I want to have sex with the man I love? - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | At first Stacey thought she wasn't normal, then she thought she might be ill. Finally she discovered she was actually asexual. | Magazine | It is thought that between 1-3% of the population is asexual, meaning they do not feel any sexual attraction to other people. For years Stacey was puzzled about why she never wanted to sleep with anyone, even her husband. As she explains here, it was her doctor that told her the truth.
For a really long time I thought I was broken mentally or physically in some way, I thought it wasn't normal to not want to have sex with people.
Friends of mine would be talking about boyfriends they'd had or celebrities they'd like to bed, and I just didn't think about anybody in that very specific, sexual sense.
When I was in my early twenties I really started noticing it, but I didn't talk to anybody about it because I just thought, "They're going to think I'm well strange," so I just kept quiet.
Asexuality has quite a spectrum so although I might not be sexually attracted to people I do get very romantically attracted to people.
I'd met my boyfriend - who is now my husband - when I was 19, and I didn't know what asexuality was then, so I just thought I was bonkers or really behind the curve or something.
I was thinking, "I absolutely love this man, and if he proposes to me I will 100% say yes because I know I want to spend the rest of my life with him, so why don't I want to sleep with him? That's crazy."
Stacey spoke to BBC Radio 4's iPM, the programme which starts with its listeners. If you want to contact the programme, please send an email.
We sort of went on a bit of journey of discovery together, me and the hubby. He was very much, "I am in love with you. I will wait as long as it takes, if it ever happens."
He was really supportive and never tried to make me do anything I wasn't comfortable with.
Societal norms suggest that sex and children are the way forward in a relationship and all my friends were going off and getting married and having babies. I thought, "Oh God, there's this expectation that I should be sleeping with my husband and having children."
I started having a recurring nightmare that my husband was going to leave me for somebody who looked exactly like me but who would actually sleep with him, and I got to a point where my own anxieties were making me almost unbearable.
I thought, "Do you know what? I've got to sort this out, I've got to find out what's going on."
By this point I was probably 27 or 28.
I made the massive mistake of searching the internet for medical reasons that might cause low sex drive. That was a mistake, an absolute mistake. There were lots of little things that were easily fixable like dodgy hormone levels, but the one that caught my eye was brain tumours.
I was like, "Oh no, I'm dying of a brain tumour."
I went to my doctor and I said, "Look, is it serious? Am I going to die?"
She was like, "Calm down, you're probably just asexual."
I was like, "What's that? What?"
So she pointed me towards some websites - and it was like I'd found my people, it was so exciting.
I'd never heard the term "asexual" before.
I did some more research and I started feeling a lot more comfortable in myself, so I spoke to my husband about it and I said, "This label does kind of take things off the table permanently."
And he pretty much just said, "Well, I'd kind of assumed that anyway, so it's fine."
He's been absolutely great, he's been so understanding. I like to think it's because of my shining personality that he thinks, "I've got to hold on to that one."
I've never felt what most people would describe as horny and if I ever do feel any slight inkling of that it's very, very small, like an itch that I need to scratch.
It's a very biological process for me rather than an arousal kind of thing, if that makes sense, and I don't want to involve other people, not even my husband.
It's like, "Yeuch, here's this feeling, I'll go deal with that."
I almost disassociate from it.
"I'm 60 years old and have never knowingly met another person who is asexual. I had never even heard it publicly acknowledged." - Lucy
"When I first discovered that I was asexual, I tried to come out to a few people, and while some were very open to it, I've had some very negative reactions. A group of team mates from my university sports team decided to arrange a night out for me to 'help' me get laid, when they discovered that I hadn't had sex, not caring that it was due to my asexuality." - Scott
"I have been met with scorn, disbelief and disgusted looks when I have shared my asexuality with other people. People have told me that 'it's not a real thing' and that 'I'm making it up for attention.' I have only now begun to think of myself as a whole human being, with no 'missing pieces'." - Anonymous, 14 years old
"I don't have a problem with physical contact. It's just I don't see any others as sexual prey… Even though I have never discussed this with my wonderful mum, she is not blind to the fact that I live happily alone, child-free and have no interest in dating. She has even been on the brink of tears, concerned that - and I quote - 'It might be something I did that made you... not normal.'" - Dani
Asexuality is a spectrum and there are a lot of asexual people who, once they've built up a relationship with a person, feel comfortable having sex with them. But for me, any time I've ever got close, my whole body's been like, "No, no thank you, stop that now, not having it."
It's just the kids thing - people that I tell almost always immediately say, "Oh my god, but how are you going to have kids, though?"
Well, there are a lot of ways that I could have kids if I wanted them, it's not completely out of the realms of possibility.
I've only been aware about asexuality for about three or four years. I like the label ACE [short for "asexual"]. I find it almost comforting, and it has really helped me understand who I am, how I behave and how my mind works.
I do celebrate being ACE, I'm quite proud of it, and I do like to talk about it because I would like more people to understand it and not judge people for not wanting to have sex. I think if I'd known what asexuality was back when I was 18 or 19 my mental health could have been a whole lot better for most of my twenties.
Funnily enough, before I discovered asexuality my husband used to call me Stace Ace.
For more information on sex and relationships you can visit BBC Advice.
You can listen to iPM on Radio 4 at 05:45 on Saturday 7 October, or catch up later on the BBC iPlayer
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-41469511 |
Detective Leanne McKie death: Husband charged with murder - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Detective Leanne McKie was discovered in the water at Poynton Park, Cheshire, on Friday. | Manchester | Det Leanne McKie had worked at Greater Manchester Police since 2001
The husband of a serving police detective who was found dead in a lake has been charged with her murder.
Mother-of-three Leanne McKie, 39, was discovered in the water at Poynton Park, Cheshire, on Friday.
Det McKie joined Greater Manchester Police in 2001 and worked in the force's serious sexual offences unit.
Darren McKie, 43, from Burford Close, Wilmslow, who is also a police officer, is due before South and East Cheshire Magistrates' Court in Crewe on Tuesday.
He was arrested in the early hours of Friday.
Leanne McKie joined Greater Manchester Police in 2001 and "worked tirelessly to provide support and seek justice for victims" according to Chief Constable Ian Hopkins.
Earlier Cheshire Police said they are keen to speak to four people who were seen walking along A523, London Road North, towards Stockport at about 00:15 BST on Friday.
They also want to speak to anyone who may have seen Det McKie's car - a red Mini with the registration number DA12 DFO - between Thursday afternoon and the early hours of Friday.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-41473750 |
Las Vegas shooting: Veterans, nurse and teachers among the dead - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The identities of some of the 58 people killed in Las Vegas become clear. | US & Canada | Details are emerging of the 58 people a gunman killed when he opened fire on innocent concert-goers in Las Vegas on Sunday night. They included a war veteran, a nurse and teachers.
Chris Roybal, 28, was a US Navy veteran from southern California who had recently returned from Afghanistan. In his last public Facebook post, back in July, he described what is was like to be shot at, and spoke of the feelings of anger engendered by conflict. His friend and fellow navy colleague Matthew Austin wrote on Facebook: "It breaks my heart and infuriates me that a veteran can come home from war unharmed and events like these occur."
Another military veteran also lost his life. Charleston Hartfield was a police officer in Las Vegas, off duty when he went to the concert. He also coached youth football, and was described as "the epitome of a citizen-soldier" by Brig Gen William Burks of the Nevada National Guard.
The Tennessean reported the death of Sonny Melton, 29. The paper quoted his wife, Heather, as saying the nurse, from Big Sandy, saved her life by grabbing her as the shooting started. She says he was shot in the back.
It took days of waiting next to the phone before the family and friends of Steve Berger found out he was dead, the Star Tribune reports. The financial adviser, whose three children are all aged under 16, had gone to Las Vegas to celebrate his 44th birthday. Friends who were next to him when he was shot managed to escape, but hoped he was alive.
Denise Burditus, from West Virginia, was at the festival with her husband Tony. He later wrote on Facebook that she had died in his arms. She was a mother of two and "soon to be a grandmother of five", he wrote.
A special education teacher from Manhattan Beach in California, Sandy Casey, died after being shot in the back. She was with her fiance, Christopher Willemse, at the concert. Manhattan Beach Middle School, where they were colleagues, described her as "absolutely loved by students and colleagues alike".
Also from Manhattan Beach was Rachael Parker, a records technician with the local police department, who was with three other off-duty colleagues at the concert. She was among two who were shot, ultimately losing her life in hospital. Her colleague suffered minor injuries, the Manhattan Beach Police Department said, adding that Ms Parker had been with them for 10 years and would be greatly missed.
Jennifer T Irvine, 42, was a family law attorney with her own practice in San Diego. Her website said that outside work, she was a black-belt in Taekwondo, an avid snowboarder and was aspiring to learn to rock climb and skydive.
Michelle Vo, 32, from San Jose, California was remembered by friends as a "very bubbly and happy" person who donated blood every two weeks and was never short of energy. The financial adviser had recently ended a relationship and was attending the Las Vegas concert by herself. Kody Robertson, an Ohio man whom she had befriended earlier that night and danced with at the concert, said he had tried in vain to save her by jumping on top of her as the gunfire began.
Thomas Day, a house builder in California, was at the concert with his four children, who survived. "He was the best dad. That's why the kids were with him," his father told the LA Times.
Mr Day's friend Austin Davis, a pipe fitter from Riverside in California, was later confirmed to have died too. He played softball and liked to sing karaoke to country music.
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Stacee Etcheber, a hair stylist and mother of two, was at the concert with her husband, a San Francisco police officer. San Francisco police called her "well-loved" in a statement, continuing: "Stacee was taken in a senseless act of violence as her husband, SFPD Officer Vinnie Etcheber, heroically rushed to aid shooting victims in Las Vegas on Sunday."
Redondo Beach, California native Christiana Duarte, 22, had recently graduated from Arizona University and was beginning her first full time job for the Los Angeles Kings hockey team.
"Chrissy was a bright beautiful young woman, full of life and energy," friends said on a fundraising page set up to help her family with funeral expenses.
Erika Eastley, who had been friends with "Chrissy" since the age of four, told the BBC she "was a big sports fan and adventurer".
"She just had so much going for her."
Thirty-five-year-old skydiver and mother-of-three Hannah Ahlers was "a devoted mother and wife", a friend said, and "one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, with a heart to match".
Cameron Robinson, 28, had taken Monday off work to attend the festival with his boyfriend, Bobby Eardley. Mr Eardley, who was injured in the attack, described holding Robinson in his arms as he died. He was an "amazing, determined, hardworking man that spent his life always striving to be better", Mr Eardley told US media.
He added that "he was quiet and shy, but once you got to know him he was goofy and fun and so enjoyable".
According to the fundraising page set up in his memory, Robinson enjoying cooking, entertaining, running marathons, travelling, camping, boating and being outdoors.
On Facebook, his sister wrote: "I was never suppose to say goodbye to you, little brother. You were suppose to take over the world... I love you to the moon and back."
Cameron Robinson (right) with his boyfriend
Heather Warino Alvarado, will be remembered as a "devoted wife and mother, willing to do anything for those in her life", said her friend Megan Gadd.
The mother of three from Cedar City, Utah, was married to a local firefighter, and the fire station has set up a fundraising account in her name.
"She was happiest when she was together with her family, especially her children and she would do ANYTHING for them," her husband Albert said in a statement.
Jack Beaton, 54, had road-tripped with his wife from California to attend the concert for their 23rd wedding anniversary.
As gunfire rang out, Jack threw himself and his wife Laura to the ground and laid on top of her to shield her from the bullets.
"He told me 'I love you, Laurie' and his arms were around me, and his body just went heavy on me," she recounted to the Associated Press.
"I knew every day that he would protect me and take care of me and love me unconditionally, and what he did is no surprise to me, and he is my hero," she said.
Candice Bowers, 40, raised two girls before recently adopting her two-year-old niece.
The never-married restaurant waitress rarely took time for herself so friends, and family were thrilled when she decided to go to Las Vegas for a weekend of country music.
"She was a generous girl," her grandmother told OCregister.com, adding that "she never had any support, except herself".
Californian Andrea Castilla was celebrating her 28th birthday at the festival when she was shot in the head. Her friends and boyfriend tried to shield her as the gunfire continued, a GoFundMe page set up for her family says. She worked in a cosmetics shop and her brother told People magazine that she had been inspired by their mother's cancer treatment to help others look and feel beautiful.
Angie Gomez, a cheerleader from Riverside, California, was "a cheerful young lady with a warm heart and loving spirit" according to a fundraising page set up for her family.
Melissa Ramirez, 26, had recently graduated from California State University Bakersfield (CSUB), and had been working for AAA Automobile Club of Southern California, according to her Facebook page.
"We are terribly saddened to learn that we lost a member of our CSUB family in this senseless act of violence," the university president said in a statement, adding that flags on campus would be flown at half-mast for the week.
Dana Gardner, 52, had been a San Bernardino county employee for 26 years and was described as a "go-to person" and a "dedicated public servant".
Lisa Patterson, 46, had three children aged 19, 16, and eight, said her husband Bob, adding that she was a constant presence at the girls' softball games.
"My daughter loved her mommy so much," he told People magazine.
"I don't think it has completely sunk in yet that mommy's not coming home ever."
John Phippen, from Santa Clarita in California, was reportedly shot in the back. The Signal reports that Mr Phippen's son, Travis, was shot in the arm but survived.
Also from near Santa Clarita was kindergarten teacher Jenny Parks, who was at the concert with her husband Bobby. "She was truly one of the most loving people you could ever hope to meet," Mr Parks' uncle said. A fundraising page has been set up to help Mr Parks, who was injured in the attack, and their two children.
Vista Elementary School in Simi Valley, a few miles west of Santa Clarita, confirmed it had lost its office manager, 53-year-old Susan Smith. Principal Julie Ellis told Simi Valley Acorn news website in an email she "was a wonderful person - kind, loving, patient with our students, efficient, and she had a wonderful sense of humour".
Another school official, 48-year-old Lisa Romero-Muniz, was also killed. The mother and grandmother was secretary at Miyamura High School in Gallup, New Mexico, local education officials confirmed, describing her as "an incredible loving and sincere friend, mentor and advocate for students in many of our schools".
Jordyn Rivera, 21, of La Verne, California travelled to Las Vegas with her mother for the concert.
Rivera was a fourth-year student in the healthcare management programme at California State University, San Bernardino, the university said confirming her death.
She had recently spent time in London on a study-abroad programme, school administrators said.
Jordyn Rivera attended the concert with her mother
Couple Denise Cohen and Derrick Bo Taylor had attended the concert together after travelling from California.
Taylor, a prison corrections officer, had led inmates around the state helping to extinguish wildfires.
Cohen, a property manager in Santa Barbara, California, was very active in her church and had planned to volunteer an avocado festival this coming weekend, her friends say.
Leana Orsua, Cohen's roommate, wrote online: "Denise, we love you so much, I know you are in heaven right now dancing to a country song, and dancing and smiling at all of us."
A fundraising page has been set up for the family of Rhonda LeRocque, from Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Her aunt, who set up the page, said she was a much-loved wife and mother of a six-year-old girl.
Youth baseball and wrestling volunteer coach Bill Wolfe Jr, 42, had travelled from Pennsylvania with his wife for their 20th wedding anniversary.
"His leadership, enthusiasm, and care and concern for these children will be greatly missed and certainly never forgotten in this community," said the Shippensburg Little League association, where he volunteer coached for six years.
California IT firm Technologent confirmed that one of its employees, Neysa Tonks, had died in the shooting. They described her as a great mother, colleague and friend who "brought so much joy, fun and laughter... she will be greatly missed by all!" They too have set up a fundraising page.
Disney boss Robert Iger paid tribute to Carrie Barnette, who had been part of the Disney California Adventure culinary team for 10 years and "was beloved by her friends and colleagues". He also prayed for the recovery of another Disney staff member, Jessica Milam, who was seriously injured in the attack.
Kelsey Meadows, 27, worked as a substitute teacher and was honoured by one of her students who wrote "thank you for all the great time you gave me as well as many other students".
Her alma mater, Fresno State University, said they would fly the flag on campus at half-mast for her.
A vigil was held for 20-year-old country music fan Bailey Schweitzer at her place of work, Infinity Communications in Bakersfield, California, on Monday evening. "She was everything to us," her colleague Amie Campbell was quoted as saying.
The Alaska Dispatch News reports that two Alaskans were killed in the shooting - Adrian Murfitt, 35, a salmon fisher who was at the country music festival with friends, and Dorene Anderson, 49, a stay-at-home mother who was there with her daughters. Both came from Anchorage.
Mr Murfitt was taking a picture with a friend when he was shot in the neck, the friend said
Kurt Von Tillow, 55, of Cameron Park, California, went with several members of his family to the concert. His sister and niece were wounded but are expected to recover, while his wife, daughter and son-in-law escaped uninjured, Sacramento TV station KCRA reported. His brother-in-law described him as a true patriot who loved a beer, "smiling with his family and listening to some music".
At least four Canadians are among the dead.
Calla Medig had made visiting Las Vegas an annual adventure, but Sunday's concert would be her last. The 28-year-old waitress from Jasper, Alberta was remembered by colleagues as a "beautiful soul" whose smile lit up the room. The Jasper Royal Canadian Legion branch lowered its flag in Medig's memory.
Jordan McIldoon was not alone when he died in the Las Vegas shooting. When the 23-year-old from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, was separated from his fiancee Amber Bereza, bartender Heather Gooze took his hand and held it while he died.
His parents describe him as "fearless" and said he enjoyed outdoor sports like BMX biking and snowboarding.
"He was our only child and no words can describe our pain in losing him," his mother Angela McIldoon wrote in a statement.
Single mother of four Jessica Klymchuk was in Vegas with her fiance Brent Irla when the shooting started.
The 34-year-old from Valleyiew, Alberta "wore many hats" as a bus driver and an educational assistant and librarian at a local Catholic primary school.
"She did so much for her children, she went over and above for them," her former colleague Tina Moore told the Edmonton Journal.
Tara Roe, 34, was the third Albertan to be identified as a victim of Sunday's attack. A mother of two and model, she was shot after she was separated from her husband and friends at the concert.
The Okotoks, Alberta, resident is remembered for being a "caring spirit".
This page will be updated as more information comes to light | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41476879 |
Has Mumbai become India's most unliveable city? - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A deadly stampede is the latest tragedy in a city that seems to be crumbling at the seams. | India | People say the stampede that killed 23 people on Friday was an accident waiting to happen
A deadly stampede at a busy Mumbai station that killed 23 people last Friday has caused anger, not only because it could have been avoided, but because residents feel that it is yet another example of the city suffering due to officials' apathy, writes the BBC's Ayeshea Perera.
The feeling is overwhelming. The stampede at Mumbai's Elphinstone Road railway station was an accident waiting to happen.
The stairway leading out of the station into a busy office district in central Mumbai was far too narrow to handle the thousands of passengers who used the station every single day. Daily commuters spoke of how it would unnervingly shake every time a train pulled in or out of the station.
Mumbai, with a population of roughly 22 million, is the world's fourth most populated city. And population has been its nemesis. Surrounded by water on three sides, the city has no space to expand. And the result is an enormous pressure on public services.
There had been a number of petitions to civic authorities, asking for Elphinstone bridge to be renovated, but to no avail.
"The foot overbridge and staircases are cramped, and the station was always at risk of a stampede. We often brought this up, but railway authorities ignored our concerns," Subash Gupta, a member of Mumbai's railway passengers' association told BBC Marathi.
A report said Mumbai's residents showed an unusual "willingness to put up with inconveniences for a livelihood"
In a twist of irony, one newspaper reported that the long overdue funds to renovate the station bridges had been granted on the same day as the deadly accident. Another quoted the former minister of railways Suresh Prabhu as saying he had allocated 120m rupees ($1.8m;£1.3m) towards boosting the infrastructure in 2015 and did not know why it had not been used. Public documents accessed by a television channel show that of that sum, a meagre 1,000 rupees had been set aside for the repairs.
And it's not just the railways that are the problem. A few weeks ago, heavy rains caused severe flooding, stranding tens of thousands of residents as roads literally turned into rivers. A few days later, a residential building collapsed, killing more than 30 people. The crumbling infrastructure of India's financial capital seems to be breaking down all at once.
The Mumbai Human Development Report of 2009, noted that a "willingness to put up with inconveniences for a livelihood" appear to be among the unique features of the city's residents.
So inconveniences like cramped and unhygienic housing, diminishing open space and crowded train travel are accepted as part and parcel of daily life.
But now people have just about had enough.
The anger is palpable. Fed up residents are being vocal about how much they feel their city is suffering due to political and official apathy.
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"Everything has gone wrong. Politicians either don't understand or they don't care. Mumbai pays a bulk of India's taxes, but it gets nothing back," senior urban planner Chandrashekhar Prabhu told the BBC.
The problem, according to Mr Prabhu, is that Mumbai is being "slowly strangled" by politicians and corporate lobbies who treat the city as a "milking cow" and have no sense of responsibility towards its people.
"We only notice when a stampede kills 23 people in one go. But about eight to 10 people die every day in stations due to issues like unsafe crossings and overcrowding. It's become so normal, no-one talks about it. It's like these deaths mean nothing".
Mumbai's train system, according to a 2010 estimate by the World Bank, suffers from some of the most severe overcrowding in the world, carrying 4,500 passengers in trains with a rated capacity of just 1,700.
It funded a project to increase the number of carriages from 9 to 12 in an effort to decongest the lines, but the project took so long that, by the time it was implemented, it did very little to change the situation.
Naresh Fernandes, the editor of Indian news portal scroll.in and an author of several books on the city, said the lack of planning in Mumbai could only be described as "criminal".
Some urban planners believe Mumbai's infrastructure is in serious trouble
"Mumbai has had so many wake up calls and yet it's as if these things don't sink in," he told the BBC. "Take the terrible flooding the city saw in 2005. There was so much anger and yet officials continue to pass and enact policies that only exacerbate the issue."
The 2005 Mumbai floods, when the city received an unprecedented 944 mm of rain, killed some 500 people and brought the city to a complete halt. The airport was shut for more than 30 hours, offices and schools were closed and citizens were stranded in waist deep water across the city.
The biggest issue at the heart of everything, both Mr Prabu and Mr Fernandes say, is poor urban planning, driven by Mumbai's high real estate values and a powerful builders lobby that influences policy in the city.
The result is that money is sucked out of essential public infrastructure projects and pushed instead into things like clearing land for new housing projects, gated communities for the very rich and infrastructure projects that not everyone can use.
"Mumbai is being taken away from its people," said Mr Fernandes who described this as his "pet peeve". "It has given up on the notion of the public."
The 2005 floods were a "wake up call" that have not been heeded, says local journalist Naresh Fernandes
Mr Fernandes alleged that the railways suffered in particular because there was no money or kickbacks to be had from them any more. "This is why we end up with things like sea links and the upcoming coastal road, which are essentially vanity projects," he said.
Travel expert Sudhir Badami believes that part of the solution, at least, is a radical overhaul of the transport system. He is an avid proponent of introducing a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to ease the congestion on the railways and give people another viable commuting option.
But Mr Fernandes says that Mumbai's citizenry also has to stand up and be counted. "It is a callous system. It is tempting to blame individuals and yes, we are being serviced very badly, but plastic is in the drains because someone put it there. We should also take some responsibility." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-41464636 |
My work as a prostitute led me to oppose decriminalisation - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Sabrinna Valisce worked as a prostitute for 25 years and long campaigned for decriminalisation. Now she describes herself as an "abolitionist". | Magazine | For most of her life in prostitution in New Zealand, Sabrinna Valisce campaigned for decriminalisation of the sex trade. But when it actually happened she changed her mind and now argues that men who use prostitutes should be prosecuted. Julie Bindel tells her story.
When Sabrinna Valisce was 12 years old her father killed himself. It changed her life completely. Within two years, her mother had remarried and the family had moved from Australia to Wellington, New Zealand, where her life was miserable.
"I was very unhappy," says Valisce. "My stepfather was violent, and there was no-one to talk to."
She dreamed of becoming a professional dancer and set up a lunchtime ballet class at her school, which proved so popular that a well-known dance group, Limbs, came to run lessons.
But within months she found herself on the streets, selling sex to survive.
Walking through the park on her way home from school, a man offered her $100 for sex.
"I was in school uniform so there was no mistaking my age," she says.
Valisce used the money to run away to Auckland, where she checked into the YMCA.
"I tried ringing someone to ask for help in the phone booth which was outside the hostel, but it was engaged, so I waited," she says.
"The police stopped and asked what I was doing. I said, 'Waiting to use the phone'."
The officers pointed out that no-one was using the phone, so there was no need to wait. They thought they were being "terribly clever" Valisce says - but didn't seem to understand when she explained that it was the telephone she was calling that was engaged.
"They searched me for condoms thinking I was a prostitute because the YMCA was behind Karangahape Road, the infamous prostitution area.
"Ironically, that was what gave me the idea to go get some money. The police scared me but I knew I was going to be on the streets if I didn't get cash, and the act of leaning against a wall was all it took to be searched and threatened anyway, so I figured it made no difference if I was or wasn't."
Karangahape Road pictured in 2003, shortly after the law legalising prostitution was passed
Valisce walked over to Karangahape Road and asked one of the women working there for advice.
She pointed out two alleyways where Valisce could work. "She also gave me a condom, told me basic charges and advised me to make them fight for services I was prepared to do, to avoid fighting against services I wasn't prepared to do. She was very nice. Samoan, too young to be there, and clearly been there for too long already."
In 1989, after two years working on the streets, Valisce visited the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective (NZPC) in Christchurch.
"I was looking for some support, perhaps to exit prostitution, but all I was offered was condoms," she says.
She was also invited to the collective's regular wine and cheese social on Friday nights.
"They started talking about how stigma against 'sex workers' was the worst thing about it, and that prostitution is just a job like any other," Valisce remembers.
It somehow made what she was doing seem more palatable.
She became the collective's massage parlour co-ordinator and an enthusiastic supporter of its campaign for the full decriminalisation of all aspects of the sex trade, including pimps.
"It felt like there was a revolution coming. I was so excited about how decriminalisation would make things better for the women," she says.
Decriminalisation arrived in 2003, and Valisce attended the celebration party held by the prostitutes' collective.
When prostitution was legalised in 2003, job adverts appeared in the New Zealand press
But she soon became disillusioned.
The Prostitution Reform Act allowed brothels to operate as legitimate businesses, a model often hailed as the safest option for women in the sex trade.
In the UK, the Home Affairs Select Committee has been considering a number of different approaches towards the sex trade, including full decriminalisation. But Valisce says that in New Zealand it was a disaster, and only benefited the pimps and punters.
"I thought it would give more power and rights to the women," she says. "But I soon realised the opposite was true."
One problem was that it allowed brothel owners to offer punters an "all-inclusive" deal, whereby they would pay a set amount to do anything they wanted with a woman.
"One thing we were promised would not happen was the 'all-inclusive'," says Valisce. "Because that would mean the women wouldn't be able to set the price or determine which sexual services they offered or refused - which was the mainstay of decriminalisation and its supposed benefits."
Aged 40, Valisce approached a brothel in Wellington for a job, and was shocked by what she saw.
"During my first shift, I saw a girl come back from an escort job who was having a panic attack, shaking and crying, and unable to speak. The receptionist was yelling at her, telling her to get back to work. I grabbed my belongings and left," she says.
Shortly afterwards, she told the prostitutes' collective in Wellington what she had witnessed. "What are we doing about this?" she asked. "Are we working on any services to help get out?"
She was "absolutely ignored", she says, and finally left the prostitutes' collective.
Until then, the organisation had been her only source of support, a place to go where no-one judged her for working in the sex trade.
The English Collective of Prostitutes also campaigns for decriminalisation
It was while volunteering there, though, that she had begun her journey towards becoming an "abolitionist".
"One of my jobs at NZPC was to find all of the media clippings. There was one thing I read: it was somebody talking about being in tears and not knowing why, and it wasn't until they were out [of the sex trade] that they understood what those feelings were.
"I had been through that for years [thinking], 'I don't know what's going on, why am I feeling like this?' and realised when I read that: 'Oh God, that's me.'"
For Valisce, there was no turning back.
She left prostitution in early 2011 and moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, seeking a new direction in life, but was confused and depressed. When her neighbour tried to recruit her into webcam prostitution, she politely declined. "I felt like I had 'whore' stamped on my forehead. How did she know to ask me? I now know being female was the only reason", says Valisce. Afterwards the neighbour hurled insults at Valisce whenever she saw her.
Valisce began to meet women online, feminists who were against decriminalisation and described themselves as abolitionists - the abolitionist model, also currently being considered by the UK's Home Affairs Select Committee, criminalises the pimps and punters while decriminalising the prostituted person.
Valisce set up a group called Australian Radical Feminists and was soon invited to a conference. Held at the University of Melbourne last year, it was the first abolitionist event ever to be held in Australia, where many states have legalised the brothel trade.
Melbourne itself has had legal brothels since the mid-1980s, and although there is a lot of vocal support for the system, there is also a growing movement against it.
One Melbourne bordello floated on the stock exchange in 2002
She describes this period, when she became a feminist activist against the sex trade and began to feel free of her past, as "the start of my new life".
"I exited first emotionally, then physically and lastly intellectually," she says.
After the conference Valisce went to a doctor and was diagnosed with PTSD.
"It was as a result of my time in prostitution - it had affected me badly, but I was good at covering up the effects," she says.
"It takes a long while to feel whole again."
For Valisce, the best therapy is working with women who understand what it's like to go through the sex trade, and those who also campaign to expose the harm prostitution brings.
She is also determined to ensure that the women who are usually silenced by their abusers have a voice.
"It's not my goal to trap people in the industry or tell anyone to go get out," she says. "But I do want to make a difference, and that means speaking out as much as I can, in order to help other women."
Julie Bindel is the author of The pimping of prostitution: Abolishing the Sex Work Myth
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-41349301 |
Portishead shooting: Dead man named as Spencer Ashworth, 29 - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The man was shot dead by police near Bristol last week near junction 19 of the M5. | Bristol | Officers opened fire on a car on the A369 Portbury Hundred near junction 19 of the M5 on Wednesday
A man who was shot dead by police near Bristol last week has been named.
He was 29-year-old Spencer Ashworth, whose last known address was in Portishead, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said.
Officers opened fire on a car on the A369 Portbury Hundred near junction 19 of the M5 on Wednesday morning.
The IPCC said information indicated officers had responded to a report of a man travelling on the M5 with a handgun who had threatened another motorist.
A commission spokesman said it had also been informed of an earlier incident in which a similar report was received by West Mercia Police.
Authorised firearms officers from Avon and Somerset Police were involved, and a number of shots were fired by four officers. A non-police issue firearm found at the scene was undergoing ballistics and forensic tests.
The IPCC said it would not now be investigating Gloucestershire Police or West Mercia Police after the forces referred themselves to the organisation over how they dealt with information received from a member of the public before the incident. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-41474518 |
Amber Rudd accuses tech giants of 'sneering' at politicians - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The home secretary says Silicon Valley should stop "sneering" at her attempts to fight terrorism online. | UK Politics | Amber Rudd has accused tech giants of not doing enough in the fight against extremism
Home Secretary Amber Rudd has accused technology experts of "patronising" and "sneering" at politicians who try to regulate their industry.
She said Silicon Valley had to do more to help the authorities access messages on end-to-end encrypted services like WhatsApp.
And she said she did not need to understand how they worked to know they were "helping criminals".
She was speaking at a Spectator fringe meeting at the Conservative conference.
WhatsApp says all messages sent on WhatsApp have end-to-end encryption, meaning they are designed to be unreadable if intercepted by anyone, including law enforcement and WhatsApp itself.
The service is used by MPs, including Tory backbenchers, to swap confidential gossip, the meeting was told.
Ms Rudd is concerned it and other encrypted services, provided by Facebook and Google among others, are being used by terrorists to plot attacks.
She insisted she does not want "back doors" installed in encryption codes, something the industry has warned will weaken security for all users, nor did she want to ban encryption, just to allow easier access by police and the security services.
Asked by an audience member if she understood how end-to-end encryption actually worked, she said: "It's so easy to be patronised in this business. We will do our best to understand it.
"We will take advice from other people but I do feel that there is a sea of criticism for any of us who try and legislate in new areas, who will automatically be sneered at and laughed at for not getting it right."
She added: "I don't need to understand how encryption works to understand how it's helping - end-to-end encryption - the criminals.
"I will engage with the security services to find the best way to combat that."
Michael Beckerman, chief executive of the Internet Association, which represents Google, Microsoft, Amazon and other US tech giants, said it was an "understandable goal" for the home secretary to "want to remove it from end-to-end".
But, he went on, "since it is just math and it has been invented it can't uninvented".
"So even if every internet company that we represent said 'ok we are turning off encryption' you are just weakening the security for everybody in this room but that math, that technology still exists for others to use on other platforms."
"I am not suggesting you give us the code," the home secretary shot back, telling him: " I understand the principle of end-to-end encryption - it can't be unwrapped. That's what has been developed.
"What I am saying is the companies who are developing that should work with us."
She added that "we don't get that help - although we sometimes get it in a fulsome way after an event has taken place".
She told the meeting Silicon Valley had a "moral" obligation to do more to help the fight against crime and terrorism. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41463401 |
Millions of metres of dangerous cable 'in homes across UK' - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Millions of metres of dangerous electrical cable may be installed in homes around the UK, a BBC investigation reveals. | UK | Some seven million metres of the hazardous cable was destroyed - but the remainder remains unaccounted for and much of it may be in homes or businesses
Millions of metres of dangerous electrical cable may be in homes across the UK, a BBC investigation has found.
In 2010 it was discovered Atlas Kablo, a now-defunct Turkish company, had sold 11 million metres of cable that posed a potential fire risk in the UK.
The Health and Safety Executive decided against a compulsory recall and only seven million metres were recovered.
Critics say more should have been done. The HSE insisted its response was proportionate to the risk.
The British Approvals Service for Cables (Basec) had found the cable had too little copper, meaning it was at risk of overheating.
Chief executive Jeremy Hodge told the BBC: "We identified about seven million metres, which was intercepted and scrapped, which means four million metres or 40,000 reels of cable are still out there.
"It will be tricky to find - most electricians don't keep a record of where cable has gone and there's no requirement to do that."
The unaccounted-for cable was enough to fully rewire 8,000 houses, electrical experts told the BBC.
Under the Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations (1994) it was within the HSE's power to order a full statutory recall of the cable, forcing retailers to act.
But after Basec raised the alarm, the HSE decided on a voluntary approach, writing to wholesalers and warning them about the product.
It was subsequently found on sale at four branches of Homebase and was still on shelves at the stores as late as 2013, although it is unclear how much of the cable the shops sold.
Sam Gluck, technical manager at electrical fire consultants Tower Electrical Fire and Safety, said this approach had "planted a bomb in the system".
He explained: "If it overheats, it will ignite anything that touches it. If it's against a plasterboard wall that will ignite.
"There should have been an immediate recall and they [shops and electricians] should have been instructed to hand the cables back."
In laboratory conditions Basec replicated how the cable might reach 150C, melting and giving off smoke
Dr Maurizio Bragagni, chief executive of leading London-based cable manufacturer Tratos, said: "It could be in any shopping centre, any venue, any building."
Of the potential risk of fire, he said: "On a scale of one to 10 it's an eight. I would not like to have this inside my house."
Andy Slaughter MP, a Labour shadow minister for both housing and London, said: "It's extremely alarming. It's revealed that we have inadequacy both in the regulations that are there, and we are not enforcing the ones we have."
He pointed out that both the Grenfell disaster and another fire in his Hammersmith constituency were caused by faulty white goods, and said it was sad that it had taken so many deaths to bring the issue of electrical fire safety into sharp focus.
"This shouldn't have happened. This is cable that's now hidden away in peoples' homes and could be a latent problem for years," he said. "Clearly it should have been recalled. The horse has bolted."
The cable was sheathed in grey plastic and marked with the manufacturer's name. Basec advised that anybody worried about the cable in their home should commission an electrician to test the system.
The BBC has also learned that after the concerns were raised, a three-year sampling programme carried out by the HSE suggested 5% of cable on the market was not up to safety standards.
An HSE spokesman said: "We acted as soon as we became aware of these claims. After the cabling failed independent tests, we worked to ensure that Atlas Kablo took steps to withdraw or recall the cabling from the market voluntarily.
"As a result, many millions of metres of the non-compliant cabling were taken off the market."
He continued: "Following this issue, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy funded HSE to carry out a market surveillance project between 2010 and 2012. Most of the tested cabling met the relevant standards.
"HSE reminded distributors of their legal obligations and their liability for trading unsafe products."
A spokeswoman for Homebase said: "The Atlas Kablo cable was withdrawn from sale in 2010, when Homebase was still owned by Home Retail Group.
"Following a full review, Home Retail Group's team of experts deemed the product low-risk, due to the specified usage of the cable for low-voltage items, and did not issue a public product recall.
"Homebase, which was acquired by Bunnings in February 2016, no longer sells this product. The safety of our customers is our number one priority."
The BBC was unable to trace anyone connected with Atlas Kablo to comment.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41391343 |
Demi Lovato on dating and disappointment - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The pop star talks about disastrous dates, and how once she had a crush on a famous friend. | Entertainment & Arts | Demi Lovato: "I know I have a platform and I want to make the biggest change in the world that I can"
"Five, four, three, two, one!"
Pop star Demi Lovato is doing her best impression of Nasa's mission control as she records an insert for a forthcoming TV show.
Standing in an alcove of BBC Broadcasting House, as staff mill around with laptops and coffee cups, she's really giving it some welly - which is impressive considering she has literally no idea what she is counting down from, or to.
"Yeah, I don't know what that was for," laughs Lovato as she sidles into a seat to chat about her new album, Tell Me You Love Me.
It's the 25-year-old's sixth record since she began her career as a child actress on the TV show Barney and Friends. Since then, she's starred in Camp Rock alongside the Jonas Brothers, appeared as a judge on The X Factor USA, and become a fierce advocate for anti-bullying and mental health campaigns.
That's partly because she's had to face her own problems - including cocaine use, bulimia, self-harm, and bipolar disorder - culminating, in 2012, with a year-long stay in a sober living facility.
The star was going to take 2017 off, but was inspired to go back into the studio after a Grammy nomination for her last album, Confident
She addresses some of those issues for the first time on her new record, in particular on You Don't Do It For Me Anymore, which describes giving up drugs in the form of a break-up ballad.
The album also dwells on the end of her six-year relationship with actor Wilmer Valderrama (Lonely); and the lasting effects of her birth father's absence (Daddy Issues).
But there's also space for a few of her trademark party anthems and, on the title track, the vocal performance of her career.
With the countdown out of the way, Demi spills the beans on the stories behind the songs - and the time she almost killed a Beatle.
I know it's a cliche, but this feels like your most personal album yet. Was that the goal?
It just came out in the writing. I would go into the studio with an idea based off of a personal experience… Like one of the songs, Games, I went on a bad date and I wrote a song about it.
Oh! I'd rather not say. But just being disrespected. This guy just treated me really poorly, and was playing games the whole time.
Is it harder to date when you're in the public eye?
It's easy and it's difficult, too.
But it's kind of nice because if you find somebody attractive, you can just hit them up or, like, slide into their DMs [direct messages] and be like, "Hey, what's going on?"
The star's hits include Sorry Not Sorry, Cool For The Summer and Heart Attack
One of the songs on the album, Ruin The Friendship, is about making a move on a close friend. It's almost a comedy of errors...
A lot of people read the title and think it's about animosity - but it's a very sexy song.
Have you ever been tempted to hook up with a friend?
Yes! That's what I wrote the song about! A certain friendship that I have with someone - and I want to ruin that with them.
How long have you kept it secret?
I think it's been a long time coming.
I actually ended up sending this song to the person. And it turned out they had a song they wrote about me! So we, like, exchanged songs, which was funny.
So did that lead to something romantic, or did you just laugh about it together?
OK... On Concentrate, you sing about listening to Coldplay while you're in bed with someone. I can't imagine a less sexy band...
Oh really? I think his voice is sexy! But also - I didn't write the song.
So what would be your baby-making music?
I once asked Usher if he knew of any babies that been conceived to his music, and he said "yes, my son".
Oh. Wow. That's creepy. I can't say I listen to my own music while I'm… I'm doing it!
The singer says she is looking forward to performing her new album live
You employ a huge range of vocal colours and tones across the album. What's your favourite?
My favourite is to sing very soulfully. I think Tell Me You Love Me is my ideal, because I really get to sing in it.
I didn't write that one - but when I recorded it I was going through a break-up, and it said exactly what I was wanting to tell that person. I wanted to hear them tell me that they loved me. So I really related to that song when I recorded it.
Does Lonely refer to the same relationship?
Yeah. I didn't write on that one either, but I definitely related to it.
Daddy Issues has one of the most cutting lyrics I've heard this year: "You're the man of my dreams because you know how to leave."
That was a lyric that I came up with. When you grow up with an absent father, you have relationship issues - and sometimes you go for the type of person who feels familiar. So that lyric was about something that felt familiar.
It's about anticipating disappointment and almost thriving off it.
Yes, feeling comfortable with it. Sometimes it's more comfortable to feel pain when that's all you've known in certain situations.
Lovato has remained close friends with her Camp Rock co-star Nick Jonas, and toured with him last year
You've just been named a mental health ambassador by Global Citizen. What does that involve?
I partnered with Save The Children and Global Citizen, for the HEART programme [Healing and Education through the Arts], which is going to help displaced children and refugees in Iraq.
It started when I went over there last year, just see how I could help - and I talked to a bunch of Isis victims. I asked one girl, "What is it that you want?" and she said, "I want to be happy again."
I realised there was so much PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] that they deal with - so we're starting a pilot programme to try to help, using art therapy.
You've spoken quite candidly about your own mental health issues in the past. How do you keep on top of that when you're in the middle of promoting and touring a record?
I maintain a very healthy lifestyle, so I eat very clean, I get a lot of sleep and I set aside some time to myself every day.
What do you do in that time? Meditation?
I make sure that I work out. And that's like an hour-and-a-half of me devoting to myself.
An hour-and-a-half a day? That's tough. I manage to run about half an hour a week.
Mixed Martial Arts. [She has a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu]
So don't get on the wrong side of Demi Lovato.
Yes - don't mess with me!
The singer shows her fun side in the video for Sorry Not Sorry
Speaking of which, is it true you once nearly ran over Paul McCartney?
Yes, but it's not as dramatic as I made it sound! He was standing in a parking space I was trying to get into and I honked the horn because someone was in my way. Then he turned around and it was Paul McCartney!
Did he give you the thumbs-up?
He turned around and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry" and I was like, "Don't worry about it! You're a Beatle!"
You realise no-one's honked their horn at Paul McCartney in years…
You know, I don't remember if I honked the horn, or if I just kept inching up so he would move…
Oh God, you could have crushed a Beatle!
Yes, it would have been a very bad headline! And the headline's bad enough already.
Demi Lovato's album, Tell Me You Love Me, is out now on Polydor records.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41441941 |
Newspaper headlines: 'Stop fights and do your duty' - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The press takes a look ahead to Theresa May's Tory conference speech - and back to Boris Johnson's. | The Papers | "The roaring lion" is the headline in the Daily Telegraph - referring to Boris Johnson's address to the Conservative conference which, it concludes, provided a "dose of much needed optimism".
Peter Oborne in the Daily Mail agrees, calling it one of the best speeches of Mr Johnson's career and praising him for talking about Brexit "with vim and gusto".
He also thinks he was "loyal" to Theresa May, adding this is not a quality with which the foreign secretary is usually associated.
The Sun criticises Mr Johnson for being short on solutions for improving the lot of the young or the fed-up.
"What practical help will this roaring be to those paid less than they were in 2007," it asks.
According to the lead in the i, one way the government may try to win over younger voters is through the re-introduction of maintenance grants to help the poorest students in England.
It reports that Education Secretary Justine Greening is battling with the Treasury to push through the plans.
"Inside the killer's lair" is the Daily Mirror's front-page headline as it pictures the Las Vegas attacker lying dead in his hotel room beside two assault rifles.
Crime scene tape frames a photo on the front of the Sun showing another of Stephen Paddock's weapons, primed and ready to fire.
Guardian columnist Richard Wolffe accuses the gun lobby of trying to stifle debate about new controls.
"We don't stop talking about air safety after a passenger jet goes down," he writes. "If we can't demand gun control after Las Vegas, then when?"
According to the paper, the Scottish government is facing claims it prioritised populism over the evidence of its scientific advisers.
Trade body UK Onshore Oil and Gas tells the Scotsman that the SNP is cherry picking evidence to match dogma and argues that relying instead on low-carbon sources of energy will condemn more people to fuel poverty.
But the paper also hears from Friends of the Earth which says the decision will be celebrated around the world, with the potential health risks of fracking enough to merit a ban.
The looming postal strike makes the lead for the Daily Express and the Daily Mail, which both warn industrial action may target Christmas deliveries.
The Mail says workers could walk out on November 24th and 25th, coinciding with the so-called Black Friday sales when many families buy discounted items online.
The Mirror says there was a "thumping majority" in favour of the strike and Royal Mail needs to negotiate fast to head off problems.
Merlot is making a comeback, according to the Times, but it has taken 13 years for it to recover after sales were destroyed by a cult comedy.
The paper reports that the variety suffered a big decline after the release of the film Sideways in which one of the characters, played by Paul Giamatti, declares he will leave if anyone orders Merlot.
Yet, the paper reports, although the movie was calamitous for one wine sales soared for the character's preferred tipple, Pinot Noir. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-41493422 |
What will stop these self-driving lorries colliding? - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | 5G broadband could be 10 times as fast as 4G and underpin many new technologies of the future. | Business | What impact could 5G - the new high-speed mobile technology being trialled around the world - have on the way we work and play?
Swedish transport company Scania believes lorries could use far less fuel if they drove much closer together, controlled by wirelessly communicating onboard computers.
But to prevent these "platooning" lorries crashing into each other, you'd better be sure your communications are fast and reliable.
So Scania is working with Ericsson on trials of the new 5G (fifth generation) wireless broadband technology, due to be rolled out globally in 2020.
It promises much faster data transfer speeds, greater coverage and more efficient use of the spectrum bandwidth.
"Platooning works very well with wi-fi, but in dense traffic situations with many vehicles communicating, 5G is designed to offer more reliable communication," says Andreas Hoglund, Scania's senior engineer for intelligent transport systems.
This is because 5G direct communication is designed to handle fast moving objects and congestion more efficiently, he says.
"Faster communication will make it possible to reduce the distance between vehicles in the platoon, which might further reduce the air drag and give positive effects on fuel consumption," he explains.
This could help create "a more efficient, greener" world.
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5G is designed to accommodate the growing number of devices reliant on a mobile internet connection - from fridges to cars - and is 10 times faster than the highest speed 4G can manage.
"It will enable a lot of applications which were unthinkable before," says Mischa Dohler, professor in wireless communications at King's College London.
South Korea has plans to implement 5G for the Winter Olympics in February 2018, giving visitors access to virtual reality (VR) content on their mobiles.
One of the UK's first 5G test-beds is in Brighton, where non-profit innovation hub, Digital Catapult Centre, has just completed a series of workshops for small businesses.
"Hypothetically, 5G is fast enough to download a 100GB 4K movie in two-and-a-half minutes," says Richard Scott, innovation manager at Digital Catapult.
"But it isn't just about speed - [5G] has specific features that will unlock and enable new technologies."
Chiefly, these include fewer dropped connections and lower latency - the time it takes for data to be stored or retrieved.
"Wi-fi is fine if you are sitting with a few people in a meeting, or moving slowly around indoors," explains Rahim Tafazolli, head of Surrey University's 5G Innovation Centre.
"However, once you start to move quickly and the number of people increases to more than 10 - at Waterloo Station, for example - you need to have a system that can hand over connection between radio cells without causing a drop in signal, and which can accommodate several people simultaneously.
This is because every wi-fi signal has a defined range, whereas 5G will be flexible, enabling mobile devices to switch automatically between the various newly available frequencies.
One frequency will be for long-range connections, across rural areas for example; one will be for urban environments, providing high numbers of users with high-speed connectivity; and there will also be a high-capacity frequency for densely populated areas, such as sports stadiums and railway terminals.
This flexibility will lead to "an ever-expanding array of new business services", Mr Tafazolli believes, and could be critical to the success of autonomous vehicles and the internet of things.
Faster wireless connectivity should also give VR and augmented reality (AR) technologies a boost, argues Digital Catapult's Mr Scott.
"If you have a very detailed, immersive VR experience and you try to run it over a mobile headset currently, there is enough latency... that it makes you feel sick," he explains.
So high-quality VR experiences rely on headsets being "tethered" to a computer, which provides the necessary computing power.
5G offers the opportunity to recreate high-quality experiences on the move.
"It could enable you to have an experience comparable with home gaming on your mobile," says Mr Scott, "allowing you to compete or collaborate with other people in real time."
Andy Cummins of Brighton-based digital agency, Cogapp, says 5G will allow his firm to create much more exciting AR and VR content for visitors to museums and galleries.
"Without [5G] these types of experiences... would at best seem laggy and unintuitive," he says.
And Tim Fleming, founder of Future Visual, another Brighton company preparing to trial 5G, says: "We are very interested in in-store retail VR experiences, and creating a flagship VR experience that can be taken to any location.
"At the moment we have to use a dedicated PC, but with 5G you just need a headset and a mobile device. The heavy lifting is done in the cloud. That's very interesting."
5G enthusiasts say it could underpin smart cities and augmented reality services
Of course, 5G roll-out is not without its technical challenges.
Installing all the base stations and antennae is very expensive, and many of today's devices will not be compatible with the new technology.
But Ericsson's head of 5G commercialisation, Thomas Noren, is confident that 5G services will be cheaper to run because the network will be more energy efficient and production and operational costs will be lower.
There is clearly still much detail to iron out, but research consultancy Ovum predicts that there will be 389 million 5G subscriptions globally by the end of 2022.
Users still struggling with patchy 4G coverage maybe forgiven for being a little sceptical about the ambitious claims being made for 5G.
But the potential to transform a number of businesses - and create many new ones - is clearly there. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41467871 |
Recap: How Theresa May's eventful conference speech unfolded - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Theresa May had to battle a sore throat, being interrupted by a prankster and parts of the backdrop falling off. | UK Politics | It's fair to say there was plenty going on in the conference hall during Theresa May's speech earlier.
One thing that did not go unnoticed on social media, although it was not widely commented upon at the time amid the wider fallout from the speech, was the PM's unusual choice of accessory.
She was wearing a bracelet featuring a huge picture of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo as well as other images associated with the celebrated artist.
Kahlo, whose extraordinary life was the subject of a 2002 Hollywood biopic starring Salma Hayek, was a member of the Mexican Communist Party, and had an affair with Leon Trotsky.
Kahlo recovered from a near fatal accident aged 18 to become one of the most influential female painters of the 20th Century and a feminist icon.
A footnote, perhaps, on a remarkable day but a statement all the same? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-41466961 |
Flu vaccine: NHS patients wanted to test 'universal' jab - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The experimental vaccine should work against most flu types and offer years of protection, research says. | Health | Researchers are seeking about 500 NHS patients to try out a new "universal" vaccine against seasonal flu.
The experimental vaccine works differently from the one currently available, which has to be remade each year based on a "best guess" of what type of flu is likely to be about.
The new jab targets part of the virus that does not change each year.
This means the vaccine should work against human, bird and swine flu, say the team at University of Oxford.
It will offer people better protection, they believe.
Immunisation is the best defence we have against flu but it is not always effective.
Last winter's vaccine cut the risk of flu in adults under the age of 65 by about 40%, but barely worked in people over 65, despite being a good match for the type of flu in circulation.
As people age, their immune systems are often weaker and their bodies may not respond as well to a vaccine as younger people's bodies.
Prof Sarah Gilbert and colleagues believe that using their vaccine alongside the current one could help.
It is the world's first widespread human testing of such a vaccine, according to the National Institute for Health Research, which is supporting the project.
Patients aged 65 or older and living in Berkshire and Oxfordshire will be invited to take part in the trial.
Half of the 500 volunteers will receive the usual seasonal flu jab and a placebo or dummy jab, while the other half with get the regular vaccine plus the new experimental one.
The new vaccine uses a novel way to get the body to ward off flu.
Flu viruses look a bit like a ball covered in pins. Current flu jabs work by getting the body's immune system to recognise and attack the pin heads or surface proteins of the virus.
But these surface proteins can change, meaning the vaccine must change too.
The experimental vaccine instead encourages the body to make other immune system weapons, called T cells, against unchanging core proteins housed within the "ball" part of the virus.
It should fight multiple strains of influenza and will not need to be redesigned each year, unlike the current one used by the NHS.
Prof Gilbert, co-founder of Vaccitech, a spin-out company from University of Oxford's Jenner Institute that is part-funding the work, told the BBC: "We expect that the protection from the new vaccine will last longer than a year, but we will need to test that with more clinical trials in the future.
"It is possible that, in future, vaccinations against flu might be given at longer intervals - maybe every five years instead of every year. But first we have to test protection in the first flu season following vaccination."
Free NHS flu jabs are available for:
She said the current trial will take two years to complete. If further studies go well the vaccine could then be licensed for wider use.
The NHS is braced for a bad flu season this winter, following the worst outbreak in many years in Australia and New Zealand.
Flu is easily transmitted and even people with mild or no symptoms can infect others.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41467097 |
Former women's college fields all-male University Challenge team - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Former all-female Oxford college St Hugh's was criticised for its University Challenge squad. | UK | A former all-female Oxford college, that was set up by a woman for women, has been criticised for fielding an all-male team in University Challenge.
St Hugh's College began admitting men in 1987, but presenter Jeremy Paxman joked: "On the basis of tonight's team, we could be forgiven for thinking they'd (men) rather taken it over."
The quiz show has faced complaints in the past that it is male-dominated.
St Hugh's said team members were selected by students.
The BBC said each university has its own selection process.
St Hugh's was set up in 1886 by Elizabeth Wordsworth for women who could not afford the cost of existing colleges.
Famous alumnae include Theresa May, politician Barbara Castle and actor and writer Rebecca Front.
Some questioned the decision to have an all-male team on social media, including the pro-vice-chancellor of the University of Brighton, Professor Tara Dean:
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Viewers also pointed out the lack of women:
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One woman linked the show's lack of balance to her own choice to attend an all-female college at Cambridge:
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But others argued that intelligence was not about gender:
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Paxman himself addressed the issue earlier this year, writing in the Financial Times that "since we know that intelligence is not determined by gender, it must be a question of taste."
"The teams are not chosen by the college or university authorities but by the students themselves," he wrote.
"The students are encouraged to enter teams which broadly reflect their institution. I suspect that - like football or darts - more males than females care about quizzing."
He added that "long experience" had convinced him that "the contest cannot be engineered at any stage."
A BBC spokesperson said: "The make-up of each team is determined by the universities themselves, and whilst we do encourage them to reflect the diversity of their student population, ultimately each university has their own team selection process." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41481520 |
US musician Tom Petty dies aged 66 - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The guitarist died after being found unconscious and not breathing at his home in California. | Entertainment & Arts | Tom Petty was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002
US musician Tom Petty has died in California aged 66, says a statement issued on behalf of his family.
Petty was found unconscious, not breathing and in full cardiac arrest at his Malibu home early on Monday.
He was taken to hospital, but could not be revived and died later that evening.
Petty was best known as the lead singer of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, and his hits included American Girl, Breakdown, Free Fallin', Learning to Fly and Refugee.
"He died peacefully at 20:40 Pacific time (03:40 GMT Tuesday) surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends," said his long-time manager Tony Dimitriades.
A statement on the singer's Twitter page described Petty's passing as an "untimely death".
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Petty was also a co-founder of the Traveling Wilburys group in the late 1980s, recording albums with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne and George Harrison.
"I thought the world of Tom. He was a great performer, full of the light, a friend, and I'll never forget him."
Other tributes include those from fellow musicians Sir Paul McCartney, Carole King, Brian Wilson and Cyndi Lauper.
McCartney tweeted that he was "sending his love" to Petty and his family, while King said her "heart goes out" to "family, friends and fans of Tom Petty, of which I'm one".
Beach Boys star Brian Wilson tweeted that he was "heartbroken" to hear of the news.
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Canadian singer Bryan Adams thanked Petty "for all the great rockin' music".
He tweeted: "Today America lost one of its musical giants. Thank you Tom Petty for all the music. To me you will live forever."
Petty also found solo success in 1989 with his album Full Moon Fever, which featured one of his most popular songs, Free Fallin', co-written with Jeff Lynne.
In 2002, Petty was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tom Petty was known for his songs American Girl and and Free Fallin'
Petty was born in Gainesville, Florida, on 20 October, 1950.
He endured a rough childhood, living in poverty with an alcoholic, abusive father - but his life changed in 1961 when he met Elvis Presley and shook his hand.
"That was the end of doing anything other than music with my life," he said.
He joined two bands at school, The Sundowners and The Epics, before dropping out to play with Mudcrutch, aged 17.
After that band broke up, Petty and several of its members formed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, releasing their debut album in 1976.
Tom Petty (right) and The Heartbreakers just last week wrapped up a tour to mark 40 years of the band
Their career was slow to take off, but heavy touring - including a well-received support slot with future E Street Band member Nils Lofgren in the UK - eventually pushed them into the chart.
Over the next four decades, they became one of rock's most reliable live acts, doggedly sticking to their no-frills rock template, and producing a stream of radio staples including Don't Come Around Here No More and the Stevie Nicks duet Stop Draggin' My Heart Around.
Petty scored solo hits with the platinum-selling albums Full Moon Fever and Wildflowers, while the 1991 album Into The Great Wide Open gave the band a number one single, Learning To Fly.
The video for the title track was also in constant rotation on MTV, thanks in no small part to cameos by Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway and a then-unknown Matt LeBlanc.
Petty gave his last live shows just a week ago, playing three sold-out dates at the Hollywood Bowl as part of a 40th anniversary tour.
Last December, he told Rolling Stone magazine: "I'd be lying if I didn't say I was thinking this might be the last big one. We're all on the backside of our 60s.
"I have a granddaughter now I'd like to see as much as I can. I don't want to spend my life on the road."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41475013 |
'I was forced from my job for giving birth' - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The scale of maternity discrimination is being hidden due to the use of gagging orders, it's warned. | UK | Around one in nine of the more than 3,000 mothers questioned had lost their jobs
The scale of maternity discrimination is being hidden because of the use of gagging orders when women who have lost their jobs settle out of court, experts have told the Victoria Derbyshire programme.
"My boss said if I'm not going back to work, then I'd have to pay back all the maternity payment."
"Emma" - not her real name - was working as a beautician when she became pregnant.
She did not realise at the time that her boss's request was against the law.
She was called into the salon and told by the owner she would no longer be needed at the company.
"I didn't know what to do. I'm a single mum, no family. No-one can help me," she tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
"How can I pay my rent? How can I pay my bills? I was floored."
Emma went on to settle out of court. She signed a confidentiality agreement preventing her from speaking out about the case - which is why she is anonymous.
Around one in nine of more than 3,000 mothers questioned said they had been dismissed, made compulsorily redundant, or treated so badly they felt they had to leave their job, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2015.
This is despite the Employment Rights Act and Equality Act protecting women from unfair dismissal because they are pregnant or on maternity leave.
Last year, the government described the findings as "shocking" and "wholly unacceptable", but no new protections have been brought in since.
Karen Jackson believes confidentiality agreements should not be allowed
Karen Jackson, director of law firm Didlaw and a specialist in discrimination cases, says the true scale of the problem is masked by the fact that many women sign settlement agreements containing a confidentiality clause - which stops them from speaking out.
"I've never seen a settlement agreement that didn't have a very strict confidentiality term in it," she says.
"I wish I could talk about some of the companies that I've dealt with and their attitudes to pregnancy and maternity.
"Household names, brands that we know, banks, insurers, utility companies, big conglomerates, retail - you name it, these companies have all at some point had some issues.
"If I look at the FTSE 100 there's a good chunk of companies on that list that I've acted against around pregnancy and maternity."
Conservative MP Maria Miller, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, says women must be allowed to speak out.
"The government needs to take this situation very seriously indeed.
"We shouldn't have the problem hidden by confidentiality clauses," she explains.
Kiran Daurka, an employment solicitor at Leigh Day, says in 14 years she cannot recall one of her clients who was pregnant or had recently given birth taking her employer to a full tribunal.
She says such women are likely to settle and "accept a lower offer, as they don't really want to be in litigation during that time for emotional and financial reasons, which employers often exploit".
Catherine McClennan won a maternity discrimination employment tribunal in 2015 against her employer, the TUC - which represents trade unions.
She received damages and costs of £21,000.
"My job and job title was omitted from the [company's] directory, which was really hard to see in print to be honest with you.
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"At one point, when I said... 'Look, I've come back. I'm a competent, able, professional woman. I've always done a really good job. I just want to continue with my career', he asked a female colleague if I had post-natal depression," she continues.
Catherine says she did not expect such treatment from the TUC.
"I was very sad actually because I felt, as an organisation who stand for fairness, equality and justice, a number of individuals were obviously bringing the reputation of that into disrepute."
The TUC says there was "no malicious or conscious attempt to discriminate", and that it challenged the tribunal case "vigorously".
The government says it is "determined to tackle pregnancy and maternity discrimination" and there should be "zero tolerance" of it.
It adds that it is still reviewing whether stronger protections are needed. No date has been given for when a decision will be made.
The Women and Equalities Committee has previously recommended to the government that it brings in a "dismissal ban", similar to the one in place in Germany.
This means that only in very rare circumstances can a woman be dismissed while pregnant, or for four months after they give birth.
One German discrimination solicitor, Anna Lindenberg, said in 10 years she had only had to represent one woman who was dismissed during this period of time - such was the effect of the ban.
Catherine says she hopes change will come to the UK soon.
"It's a travesty really that women in 2017 are still faced with this level of discrimination," she says.
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40586451 |
Newspaper headlines: 'An act of pure evil' - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | America's worst mass shooting, at a music festival in Las Vegas, dominates the front pages. | The Papers | Many front-page headlines use US President Donald Trump's words to describe the Las Vegas shootings: "An act of pure evil."
The Daily Mirror's headline is "Slaughter in Sin City".
The Daily Mail asks: "What turned Mr Normal into a mass killer?"
The Times describes Stephen Paddock as a retired accountant with no criminal record.
According to the Sun, he is thought to have had gambling debts.
The Daily Telegraph quotes an official as saying Paddock had a "history of psychological problems".
Despite this, the paper adds, he was able to buy his arsenal legally.
The Guardian says Las Vegas will be seen as the first major test of a president for whom the gun lobby was a key part of his electoral coalition.
The Las Vegas Herald says Paddock's massacre of music fans sent chills down every American's spine.
What distinguished his lethal attack from most mass shootings, the Washington Post says, were the size of the arsenal he smuggled into the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and the great height from which he shot.
For the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the massacre has tarnished the Strip's reputation as one of the safest streets in the US.
It says experts believe hotels will have to rethink security procedures.
While they cannot install metal detectors or other elements deemed intrusive without damaging the whole concept of hospitality, the paper adds, they will have to rely even more on the eyes and ears of housekeeping and front desk staff to detect unusual behaviour.
Elsewhere, there is extensive coverage of the collapse of Monarch Airlines.
The Telegraph says it understands the government was pre-warned that the airline faced financial ruin and has been planning for its collapse for a month.
The Daily Express reports that in the scramble for alternative flights passengers accused rival airlines of profiteering, with prices reportedly going up every minute as demand outstripped supply.
The Telegraph and the Sun, meanwhile, report that Brexit Secretary David Davis plans to retire in less than two years and leave Boris Johnson to steer the country through the transitional period following the UK's departure from the EU.
Friends of Mr Davis have told the Telegraph that he believes Brexit will be his "last big job".
According to the Sun, he has signalled that he has no wish to see the next phase through, saying: "Someone else can do that, Boris can do that."
Government proposals for a "deposit return scheme" for plastic bottles in England are welcomed.
The Sun thinks the plan by Environment Secretary Michael Gove to keep plastic bottles out of rivers and off beaches is worth pursuing.
Only 57% of them are recycled, it says, and must increase it somehow.
The Mail, which has campaigned on the issue, says after the charge on plastic bags and a ban on microbeads, the plastic bottles scheme would be another massive contribution to cleaning up polluted oceans, rivers and open spaces.
It praises Scotland and Wales for leading the way - and hopes England will not be far behind. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-41478583 |
A strange encounter with St Vincent - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The art-pop star invites the BBC into her "psychedelic womb" for a rather unusual interview. | Entertainment & Arts | St Vincent: "The tone of the record is quite manic and painful"
"Are you ready for this?"
St Vincent's press officer is making small talk ahead of our interview, on a scorching hot summer's day in London.
"Sure," I reply. I've listened to her new album. I've made copious notes. I've jotted down about two dozen questions.
"No, but are you ready for this?" he asks.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
The singer says the inspiration for her new artwork is "The Cramps playing at a mental institution"
A few minutes later, a cloaked woman appears and, without speaking, leads me by the hand into the street, through a fire escape and into a bare concrete room.
She gestures to a billboard-sized poster of St Vincent, which has a non-disclosure agreement at the bottom. I sign it in pink felt tip, and am led to a prefabricated wooden cube. The monk woman unbolts a door, barely big enough for a medium-sized Labrador, and I stoop through.
Inside, the walls are bright pink. There are two pink standard lamps, with pink light bulbs, placed in opposite corners. And there, sitting at a cheap wooden table, is St Vincent, playing ambient guitar music through her iPhone.
Her hair is, I think, painted blue and cut in a close bob. She makes unwavering eye contact as we shake hands and the door is shut (locked?) behind me.
"Wait til the paint fumes get to you," she deadpans. "It'll be really awesome."
As she describes the room - "it's like a psychedelic womb" - the 34-year-old sips a drink through a bendy straw that's been moulded into the word "No".
"That's in case there's a yes or no question. We can just save time."
This, I suspect, will not be your average interview.
The musician has designed her own brand of guitar, which is more ergonomically suited to women's bodies
St Vincent is here, ostensibly, to promote her new album MASSEDUCTION (that's "mass seduction", not "mass education"). It's the follow-up to 2014's St Vincent, an expectation-defying art-pop record that cemented Texas-born Annie Clark as one of her generation's greatest guitarists.
If anything, the new record is even better - pitching wildly between jittery electronics and despondent ballads as Clark exposes her feelings on sex, drugs and sadness.
"It's an incredibly sad album," she says. "Quite manic and painful.
"I listen to it, and some points of the album are so sad it makes me laugh. It's just so tragic. But that's human life."
The first single, New York, is a disarmingly simple ode to lost love.
"New York isn't New York without you, love," she sings over lonely piano chords, with the pulsing heartbeat of the city submerged deep within the mix.
"It's a kind of dance song that you listen to in your bed and cry," she says.
Clark became a tabloid fixture during her relationship with Cara Delevingne
New York is one of several break-up songs on the album. It's safe to assume they're about Cara Delevingne, the elaborately-eyebrowed supermodel she dated for 18 months until last September - but Clark isn't going into specifics.
"Songs are Rorschach tests," she deflects, referring to the inkblot psychological tests.
"The interpretation of the song, or the feeling of the song, has more to do with the listener than it does with my intention and I'm fine with that.
"But that song's a love letter to New York, certainly, and to me it's a composite of so many people and so many experiences in New York."
The album also continues the saga of Johnny, who first appeared on St Vincent's debut album, Marry Me. Back then, she pleaded to be his partner, singing, "Let's do what Mary and Joseph did / Without the kid".
By her fourth record, though, they were distant and estranged, as he embraced New York's party scene. In the latest instalment, Johnny is dependent on drugs and living on the street. When Clark crosses his path, he accuses her of abandoning him.
"What happened to blood. Our family?" he hisses. "Annie, how could you do this to me?"
It's heartbreaking, and savagely self-critical - but Clark won't say whether it's based on a real person.
"It doesn't make sense to make a whole record that's brightly coloured and vibrant and then do an interview in a tea room."
It seems evasive. It is evasive. But the singer is a thoughtful, considerate interviewee. She seems to taste the questions, chewing them over before answering. Her responses are precise, but never abrupt.
So why, then, are we talking inside a bright pink Tardis?
The point, Clark explains, is to put both of us "in uncomfortable positions".
"You've done a million interviews. I've done a million interviews. There's only so many times you can repeat your Wikipedia page to someone.
"So what happens if we shake that up? Maybe you and I react differently, and that's interesting."
What actually happens is that we spend 15 minutes talking about the process of being interviewed.
She winces as she recalls a journalist quizzing her on the time she played New York while dressed as a toilet.
"I had just made a horror movie," she says, referencing her short film Birthday Party, "and this was a costume from it".
"Then I had an interviewer say to me, 'Was that some Freudian display, as if you feel you've been pissed upon?'
"I was like, 'Wow, that says a whole lot more about you than it does about me.'"
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Principally, though, she's bored of being asked the same old questions.
"I'll give you an example!" she says, grabbing her phone and scrolling through a series of about 30 voice memos.
"I get asked to justify my existence as a woman in music all the time, so here is an example of something I might say."
She clicks play and sits back in her chair, arms crossed. Her voice, in a bored monotone, emits from the speaker.
"Being a woman in music means being asked about being a woman in music. And when you ask me a question about being a woman in music, what you're really doing is presenting me with two very tired narratives, and asking me to choose one of them.
"The first one goes like this: I am a victim, and now is the time to list, in great detail, my many grievances in order to assert my place in the hierarchy of victimhood.
"Or you're asking me to defend now, in words, as if my work wasn't enough, why I deserve a spot at the table.
"I refuse to participate in either narrative."
Her protest duly noted, we proceed to safer ground.
Clark notes that her new album was finished exactly 10 years after her debut was released, and marvels that she's made it this far.
"I've been happy every place that I've been - and every place that I've been, I felt like I had made it. Even when I was playing pizza parlours, or clubs in London for six people - three of whom were listening - I was like, 'I'm playing in London!'
"So for me, it's been a constant, irrepressible desire to make things."
The album was recorded in New York, and is set to appear in two versions - one electronic and one acoustic
Making this album with Jack Antonoff (Taylor Swift, Lorde), she employed the absurdist tactics of her idols David Bowie and David Byrne, placing "motivational phrases" on the music stand as she sang.
One, shared on Instagram last year, simply read "dead meat."
"Sometimes, when you're doing vocal takes you have a pad and pencil there so you can make notes, and I'd subconsciously written 'Dead Meat'. It just made me laugh that that was whatever was coming out of my brain at that time."
Her Freudian scribbling had no impact on the song, though. "Self laceration is just another form of ego. It doesn't really help," she insists.
"I've learned that the hard way. Trust me, it's not that usable. You really have to get out of your own way, especially when singing."
And that, it transpires, is what really motivates her - the "meditative state" she achieves while making music.
"I need it. And I realise I need it when I haven't done it for a while and I feel very agitated.
"You know, it's like some people get really frustrated and angry and they're like, 'Oh, I need to have an orgasm!'. And then you do that and you feel so much better. It's just that easy."
At that moment, the cloaked woman knocks at the door and our time is up.
"Thank you very much, it was a pleasure to meet you," says Clark.
"You too," I reply, expressing relief that I didn't trigger any of her "stock answers".
"You've done well!" she laughs. "You passed! Bye!"
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41467671 |
Nuclear submarine captain relieved of command - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The captain is being investigated after allegations of an "inappropriate relationship". | Glasgow & West Scotland | The captain of the submarine HMS Vigilant is at the centre of the investigation, the BBC understands
A nuclear submarine captain has been relieved of his command after an alleged "inappropriate relationship" with a member of his crew.
The Royal Navy captain is being investigated following the allegations, which involve a female member of crew.
The BBC understands the captain of the submarine HMS Vigilant is at the centre of the investigation.
HMS Vigilant is a Vanguard class submarine based at HMNB Clyde at Faslane in Argyll and Bute.
It is one of four British submarines armed with the Trident ballistic missile system.
The Royal Navy has confirmed an investigation is ongoing but said it had not had an impact on current operations.
A ban on women serving on board submarines was only lifted in 2011.
Since then, a few dozen women have undergone specialist training to serve on board Royal Navy submarines.
All Royal Navy vessels have a "no touching rule" that prohibits intimate relationships on board, but the Navy takes a particularly harsh view when it might affect the chain of command.
In 2014, the first female captain of a Navy warship - HMS Portland - was removed from command after she was found to have breached strict rules on relations with a member of her crew.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-41474888 |
Monarch chief Andrew Swaffield 'devastated' at closure - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Closure decision was made after it was estimated that losses for 2018 would be "well over" £100m. | Business | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The chief executive of failed airline Monarch tells Today projected losses were too great to stay operating
Monarch chief executive Andrew Swaffield has said he is "absolutely devastated" at the airline's collapse.
Mr Swaffield said the decision not to continue trading was made on Saturday night after estimating that losses for 2018 would be "well over £100m".
He told the BBC's Today programme that Monday was a "heartbreaking day".
Meanwhile, the first stage of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rescue scheme led to nearly 12,000 people being brought back to the UK on Monday.
A similar number of people are due to return to the UK on Tuesday.
Monarch Airlines ceased trading early on Monday, leading to nearly 1,900 job losses and the cancellation of all its flights and holidays.
The collapse of the 50-year old company is the largest ever for a UK airline.
Mr Swaffield said every effort was being made to help Monarch's staff
Mr Swaffield blamed the company's demise on "terrorism and the closure of some markets like Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt," which led to more competition on routes to Spain and Portugal.
"Flights were being squeezed into a smaller number of destinations and a 25% reduction in ticket prices on our routes created a massive economic challenge for our short-haul network," he told the BBC.
He explained that it was impossible for the airline to keep on flying beyond the weekend once the decision to close had been taken.
"The UK insolvency framework doesn't allow airlines to continue flying unlike in Germany and Italy, where we see that Air Berlin and Alitalia continued when they were in administration.
"We tried to operate a normal schedule all day Sunday so we could be ready for the CAA rescue flights on Monday morning without causing a massive backlog."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What happened when passengers turned up at Manchester airport for their flights?
Mr Swaffield said the staff at Monarch had been a "great family" and said every effort was being made to find new employment for the 2,000 people who had lost their jobs.
"We are doing all we can," he said. "We are talking to our competitor airlines, trying to organise job fairs and trying to connect staff with our competitors.
"We also have hundreds of head office staff in Luton and are trying to organise the same kind of conversations with employers in Luton and Bromley."
Administrators KPMG said all Monarch employees would receive packs of correspondence later this week to help them with making claims to the Redundancy Payments Office.
CAA chair Dame Deirdre Hutton told the BBC that their programme to return holidaymakers to the UK had got off to a good start.
"Day one went really well and day two is going well so far but it is a huge undertaking and I'm sure there will be some glitches on the way," she said.
Dame Deirdre denied that the collapse of Monarch and cancellation of some winter flights by Ryanair meant that the airline industry was in trouble.
"The industry is very buoyant and during this year passenger numbers have been up, airlines have been doing very well and airports have been reporting record numbers of passengers," she said.
She also explained why the CAA could not act before Monarch's announcement, even though it was known the firm was in difficulty.
"The regulator really can't step in until a company goes into administration, that is completely a matter for the company directors," she said. "It would be neither possible nor legal for us to give out confidential financial information while a company is still operating legally.
"Monarch didn't own the planes, the planes were leased so as soon as the company went into administration, the owners of the planes took them back and that's why we've had to acquire planes from 16 different countries."
The government is set to pick up the tab for flying Monarch passengers home, but is talking to credit card companies about sharing some of the cost.
Have you got a flight booked with Monarch? Are you Monarch staff? Are you a travel agent? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41481661 |
Kingdom of Us: Family's tragedy becomes Netflix film - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Kingdom of Us tells the story of Vikie Shanks and her seven children after their father's suicide. | Coventry & Warwickshire | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The film Kingdom of Us is due for a 13 October release
A mother and her seven children trying to come to terms with their father's suicide have had their story turned into a Netflix documentary.
Vikie Shanks from Warwickshire, whose husband Paul died in September 2007, said the film was "brutally honest".
Six of her children, who were aged six to 16 at the time, are on the autism spectrum, and she hopes the film will raise awareness about the condition.
Lucy Cohen spent three years filming the family for Kingdom of Us.
It will be premiered at the London Film Festival on Saturday and released globally on Netflix on 13 October.
There are six daughters and one son in the Shanks family
Filmmaker Cohen described the Shanks as a "fascinating and warm family".
"Entering the Shanks household in the early days was a bit like walking into a whirlwind," she said. "There are a lot of siblings, each with very different characters.
"There's laughter, tears and every emotion in between - sometimes all at once - as well as at least eight cats and dogs and sometimes chickens.
"But beyond the chaos, I immediately thought there was something very special there, an openness and a bravery in them all."
Vikie Shanks said her children had very different needs and experiences after her husband's death
Mrs Shanks - an advocate and campaigner from Kenilworth calling for a better understanding of autism and mental health - said the film was originally going to be about autism but via an "evolutionary process" became much wider.
"Lucy just felt the story was about more than just autism and she put her life into it for four years," she said.
"We built a very solid relationship with her, very much based on trust."
The filmmaker looked through hours of home videos made by Mr Shanks, who documented the children's lives, including shows and songs they had written with him.
Mrs Shanks said her husband could not have left "any greater gift" than the children
This footage was combined with her own during a year of editing.
The children talked to her about their father, the enormous impact of his death and their lives since.
"When we started filming we were all absolutely adamant that it had to be real, completely real, nothing staged," Mrs Shanks said.
"And when we started to see the edits, there were things in it that were very uncomfortable and we weren't happy with - but we had to stand by that initial philosophy."
Mrs Shanks said she knew her husband had been suffering with mental health problems and depression but he became much worse about six years before his death.
"He started to become quite scary and very worrying, and I also thought that was the point I felt it started to really affect the children more which I found very worrying," she said.
After his death, she found he had built up debts of about £1m and had to deal with this while running the family's corporate entertainment business and caring for her grieving children.
Paul Shanks filmed hours of home videos of his children
Mrs Shanks said the documentary traces how the "mental process works".
"I hope it raises a lot of awareness for mental health and also for autism and how autism affects the way you recover from things like this," she said.
Mirie, 22, one of her six daughters, found it difficult to watch "because it is so honest as to who we all are as a family".
But Mirie and sister Kacie, 23, said there was also much hope and laughter.
"It is a beautiful film. It has been made beautifully by Lucy," Mirie added.
Speaking about the time after her husband's death, Mrs Shanks said: "I look back and think I was a bit like a runaway train.
"You just do it, bit by bit: it is sometimes minute by minute or hour by hour, day by day."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41470651 |
Monarch Airlines: Holidaymakers and staff 'devastated' by airline collapse - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Holidaymakers arrive at airports to find their flights cancelled and staff are made redundant by email. | England | Natasha Slessor had worked as cabin crew for Monarch for nearly four years
Holidaymakers and airline staff have been left "devastated" by the collapse of flight operator Monarch.
Hundreds of people arrived at Leeds Bradford, Gatwick, Birmingham, Luton and Manchester airports to find their flights had been cancelled.
Cabin crew member Natasha Slessor was one of nearly 1,900 staff made redundant on Monday.
"How can you wake up and not have a job?" she said. "I still can't believe it really."
Monarch staff were in tears after being made redundant
Ms Slessor said she was keeping positive about her future.
"I love this job, I love my career," she said.
"I was hoping I would progress further and do it forever but I'm young enough to get another job. I will. I'm certain of that."
Ms Slessor said she was due to go on maternity leave and was worried for her colleagues.
"There's other people in this company who won't be so lucky and they've given their heart and soul to Monarch," she said.
Monarch had employed about 2,100 people. Administrators said 1,858 staff had been made redundant, with the remaining workers helping to bring back 110,000 Monarch holidaymakers from overseas.
Flight attendants Katie Leary, Kate Halbo, Debbie Jackson and Charlie Winter have worked for Monarch for 19 years and call themselves the "sky sisters".
It was more than just a job, it was "a way of life", they said.
The friends said they felt sorry for the customers who were stranded abroad and it pained them they could not be there to bring them back home.
From left, Katie Leary, Kate Halbo, Debbie Jackson and Charlie Winter said they had given 19 years of their lives to Monarch
Passenger Steve Walker said he was "gutted" he would miss defending his World Masters Powerlifting title in Sweden.
The 61-year-old from Hardingstone, Northamptonshire told the BBC he was off to compete in the 74kg Masters three class in Sundsvall on Tuesday.
He was on his way to Luton airport when he got a text from a friend at 04:30 BST telling him all Monarch flights were cancelled, he said.
"I'd been training for this for three months and this championship was supposed to be my last."
He added: "I've just had to cut my losses. I'm absolutely gutted. The competition will be streamed live online, but I don't want to see it. I don't want to watch a competition I should be in."
Steve Walker said he was "absolutely gutted" his cancelled flight meant he would miss a powerlifting competition
Customers in the UK yet to travel: Don't go to the airport, the CAA says.
Customers abroad: Everyone due to fly in the next fortnight will be brought back to the UK at no cost to them. There is no need to cut short a stay.
Those with flight-only bookings after 16 October are unlikely to have Atol scheme protection, so will need to make their own arrangements.
Customers currently overseas should check monarch.caa.co.uk for confirmation of their new flight details - which will be available a minimum of 48 hours in advance of their original departure time.
The CAA also has a 24-hour helpline: 0300 303 2800 from the UK and Ireland and +44 1753 330330 from overseas.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'So much for a cheap couple of days away'
Jenny Collin from Colchester was ready to fly from Luton to Barcelona with her husband for their golden wedding anniversary celebrations.
"We've got two cases all packed up ready to go," she said. "I just feel devastated and let down.
"It's just made me sick. I won't trust a travel company again."
Alan Jee said he and his family were "stranded"
Alan Jee was due to get married in Gran Canaria on Saturday and arrived at Gatwick Airport with 30 members of his family.
"I have spent £20,000 on my wedding and now I can't even go and get married," he said.
"I am gutted, absolutely gutted, and my missus is in tears, an emotional wreck."
About 250 passengers turned up Leeds Bradford Airport to find flights cancelled.
Phil Morcom from Leeds said: "Myself, my wife and my daughter were going to Dubrovnik for my niece's wedding on Wednesday.
"We are probably not going now but are busy scouring the web. We were not Atol-covered and had bought flights only so will lose the money it seems."
From left Rickey Lal, Tony Lal and Steven Singh were going to Barcelona from Birmingham
Manchester Airport said a "few hundred" people turned up for Monarch's early morning flights.
Denise Parry, 51, from Salford, said she had "thrown up with the stress of it all".
"We got to the airport at 03:00 and it was at 04:00 while we were in the queue that we found out," she said.
Ms Parry and her partner initially booked alternative flights to Dalaman with Thomson later on Monday but she was later told no more places were available on the plane.
"It is so annoying, we have had the holiday booked for 12 months. We're going home now," she said.
Ricky Lal, Tony Lal and Steven Singh were travelling to Birmingham Airport for their flight to Barcelona when they received a text from Monarch at 04:09.
"No one's told us anything, just given us these leaflets with no information," said Mr Lal.
The trio are now booked on another flight but say they are "frustrated" as they are out of pocket.
Anne and Barrie Chittenden from Nottinghamshire and Walters and Cathy Flanagan from Hartlepool were off to Lisbon for six nights.
They saw the news on Twitter at 04:30 while they were on the bus to Birmingham airport and have not heard from Monarch.
They said they were in "good spirits" and would sit it out to see what happened.
People due to return to England on Monarch flights have started to arrive back on planes drafted in from other airlines.
Joe Simon flew from Palma, Majorca, to Manchester and said he found out about Monarch's collapse from the taxi driver taking him to the airport.
"When we got there it was all normal, everyone seemed to go with the flow and no-one was worried," said Mr Simon from Bagillt in North Wales.
"When we got off the pilot said if passengers were going to Leeds and Gatwick, people would help them in the airport." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41467851 |
Stephen Paddock: Vegas suspect a high-roller and 'psychopath' - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Stephen Paddock is said to have been a professional gambler who recently made some big bets. | US & Canada | "It was like living next to nothing," said a former neighbour of Paddock
Las Vegas concert gunman Stephen Paddock was a wealthy former accountant and high-stakes gambler who appeared to be living in quiet retirement with his girlfriend in a desert community.
The 64-year-old, of Mesquite, Nevada, had pilot's and hunting licences and no criminal record, said authorities.
One former neighbour said twice-divorced Paddock was "weird".
But his brother described him as a regular guy who liked playing video poker, live music and eating burritos.
Paddock has been identified by police as the man behind the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, with the death toll surpassing the 49 killed at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in June 2016.
He opened fire from the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino on Sunday night, killing 58 people and wounding almost 500 others, before turning the gun on himself as police closed in, said officials.
Police shared this updated timeline of events on Wednesday
Stephen Paddock had a troubled childhood, with a bank robber for a father, who regularly beat him, and a mother who struggled to bring him and his three brothers up, according to reports.
One of the gunman's brothers, Eric Paddock, told reporters the family were stunned.
"He liked to play video poker," he said. "He went on cruises. He sent his mother cookies."
Their father was once on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What gunfire tells us about weapons used
Twenty-three weapons were found in the 32nd-floor hotel room that Paddock checked into last Thursday.
Police found "in excess of" 19 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition in his Mesquite home, within a quiet retirement community 80 miles (130km) north-east of Las Vegas.
They also found several pounds of an explosive called tannerite, and ammonium nitrate, a type of fertiliser used as an explosive, in his car.
Police said no manifesto or anything else had been discovered to explain Paddock's actions.
"I can't get into the mind of a psychopath at this point," Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said.
The FBI said its agents had established no connection between Paddock and any overseas terrorist group, despite so-called Islamic State describing him as a "soldier of the caliphate".
Paddock only previous known brush with the law was a routine traffic violation.
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David Famiglietti, of the New Frontier Armory, told the BBC that Paddock had purchased firearms at his store in north Las Vegas last spring, meeting all state and federal requirements, including an FBI background check.
However, the shotgun and rifle Paddock bought would not have been "capable of what we've seen and heard in the video without modification", Mr Famiglietti said.
Two gun stocks were found in the hotel room, AP news agency reported, which can enable a weapon to fire hundreds of shots per minute.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Eric Paddock says he is in total shock after police named his brother, Stephen, as the shooter
According to NBC News, Paddock recently made several gambling transactions in the tens of thousands of dollars, but it was unclear if those bets were wins or losses.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Trump on Las Vegas shooting: 'It was an act of pure evil'
He had shown no sign of financial problems and reports said he owned a number of properties that he rented out.
Separately, Eric Paddock said that Stephen came up with the cash to ensure that family members - including their elderly mother - were provided for.
"Steve took care of the people he loved. He helped make me and my family wealthy. He's the reason I was able to retire. This is the Steve we know, we knew. The people he loved and took care of," Eric Paddock said in a news conference, according to CBS News.
He described his brother as "intelligent" and "successful."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Witnesses say people were being trampled
Stephen Paddock moved to his two-storey house in Mesquite from Reno, Nevada, in June 2016.
He lived in the property in Babbling Brook Court with his girlfriend Marilou Danley, 62.
Police have ruled out any involvement by Ms Danley, who was overseas at the time of the massacre but has now returned to the US, where she is facing questioning.
She is an Australian citizen who moved to Nevada 20 years ago, the government in Canberra said.
Marilou Danley, initially described as a person of interest, was located by police outside of the US
A former neighbour, Diane McKay, 79, told the Washington Post the couple always kept the blinds closed at home.
"He was weird," she said. "Kept to himself. It was like living next to nothing.
"You can at least be grumpy, something. He was just nothing, quiet."
Elsewhere the newspaper quoted neighbours in "several states" where Paddock owned retirement homes, describing him as "surly, unfriendly and standoffish".
But those who lived close to a house he owned in Melbourne, Florida, have described him as "very friendly".
According to US media, Paddock had a licence to fly small planes and owned two aircraft.
In 2012, he filed a negligence lawsuit against The Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas, after a fall he said was caused by an "obstruction" on the floor, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported.
The legal action was reportedly dropped in 2014.
The relative lack of red flags in Paddock's personal history has only heightened the sense of bewilderment as a shocked nation asks: Why? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41472462 |
Boris Johnson Libya 'dead bodies' comment provokes anger - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Boris Johnson says Sirte could be the new Dubai - "all they have to do is clear the dead bodies away". | UK Politics | Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said Libyan city Sirte could be the new Dubai, adding, "all they have to do is clear the dead bodies away".
His comments at a Conservative fringe meeting sparked anger, with a number of Tory MPs calling for his sacking and Labour labelling him "crass and cruel".
Mr Johnson claimed his critics had "no knowledge nor understanding of Libya".
A Downing Street source said it was not an "appropriate choice of words" but the PM regarded the matter as closed.
"I look at Libya, it's an incredible country," Mr Johnson told the meeting.
"Bone-white sands, beautiful sea, Caesar's Palace, obviously, you know, the real one.
"Incredible place. It's got a real potential and brilliant young people who want to do all sorts of tech.
"There's a group of UK business people, actually, some wonderful guys who want to invest in Sirte on the coast, near where Gaddafi was captured and executed as some of you may have seen.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Libyan politician Guma El-Gamaty: "Some 750 young Libyan men died while liberating Sirte from IS"
"They have got a brilliant vision to turn Sirte into the next Dubai.
"The only thing they have got to do is clear the dead bodies away," he said, before laughing.
The host of the conference fringe event, Legatum Institute chief executive Baroness Stroud, stepped in to say "next question", as the foreign secretary continued to speak.
The coastal city of Sirte is the former stronghold of so-called Islamic State, or Daesh, and recently the scene of fierce fighting.
Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed government managed to oust IS fighters from Sirte, the birthplace of former leader Muammar Gaddafi
Reacting on Twitter, Ms Allen said: "100% unacceptable from anyone, let alone foreign sec. Boris must be sacked for this. He does not represent my party."
Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston called on Mr Johnson to apologise and urged him to "consider his position", adding that the comments were "crass, poorly judged and grossly insensitive - and this from the person who is representing us on the world stage. I think they were really disappointing."
And Justice Minister Philip Lee tweeted that "anyone decent" would condemn the comments.
But fellow Tory MP Nadine Dorries tweeted that "the campaign by Remain MPs on here calling for Boris to resign" was "co-ordinated and mendacious".
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Mr Johnson defended his remarks, adding on Twitter that he had been making a point about the need for optimism in Libya, after a recent visit to the country.
"The reality there is that the clearing of corpses of Daesh fighters has been made much more difficult by IEDs and booby traps," he tweeted.
"That's why Britain is playing a key role in reconstruction and why I have visited Libya twice this year in support."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tory MP Sarah Wollaston calls on Boris Johnson to "consider his position" after Libya 'dead bodies' comment
But Damian Green, the first secretary of state, told BBC 5 live he believed Mr Johnson's remarks were unacceptable, adding: "It was not a sensitive use of language. As I say, we all need to be sensitive in our use of language, particularly in situations like that."
Labour's shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, said: "It is less than a year since Sirte was finally captured from Daesh by the Libyan Government of National Accord, a battle in which hundreds of government soldiers were killed and thousands of civilians were caught in the crossfire, the second time in five years that the city had seen massive loss of life as a result of the Libyan civil war.
"For Boris Johnson to treat those deaths as a joke - a mere inconvenience before UK business people can turn the city into a beach resort - is unbelievably crass, callous and cruel.
"If these words came from the business people themselves, it would be considered offensive enough, but for them to come from the foreign secretary is simply a disgrace.
"There comes a time when the buffoonery needs to stop, because if Boris Johnson thinks the bodies of those brave government soldiers and innocent civilians killed in Sirte are a suitable subject for throwaway humour, he does not belong in the office of foreign secretary."
Lib Dem deputy leader Jo Swinson said the "unbelievably crass and insensitive comment" was further proof Mr Johnson was "not up" to a job for which diplomacy was "a basic requirement".
• None May: Johnson's not undermining me | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41490174 |
Catalan crisis: More populism than separatism? - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Catalan crisis looks more like populism than separatism, Europe editor Katya Adler writes. | Europe | Spain is gripped by the duel between Prime Minister Rajoy (L) and Catalan leader Puigdemont
Emotions are running high in Catalonia today. Of course they are.
"The Spanish government is like an abusive husband," one activist raged at me today. "He says he loves you, that he can't live without you. Then, he beats you to stop you from leaving."
Sunday's scenes during the Catalan referendum were awful and played over and over again across social media.
Barca football idol and Catalan-born Gerard Pique wept openly on Spanish television when questioned about the violence.
But it would be wrong to interpret the anger and anguish so palpable in Catalonia right now as an expression of political unity.
Catalans are as divided as ever on the question of independence.
What unites them today is a seething fury and resentment at the heavy-handedness of the Spanish government, represented by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, with what Catalans perceive as his Madrid-centric arrogance, brutishness and disregard for the rights of individuals.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Spanish police clashed with people trying to get to polling stations to vote
This is far less about separatism than populism. Anti-establishment, nationalist sentiment a la Catalana.
While the majority of Catalans say they don't actually want to leave Spain, they demand the right to choose. Legally and with dignity, in contrast to the chaos and intimidation on show at the weekend.
They are frustrated that their region pays more in taxes to Madrid than it gets back in investment, such as new infrastructure.
They are irritated that pledges of increased autonomy for Catalonia (already one of Europe's most autonomous regions) were then watered down, and still smarting that ordinary people in Catalonia - as across Spain - suffered so much in the 2008 economic crisis, while their tax contributions were used to bail out the banks.
To give you an idea - Catalonia is one of Spain's wealthiest regions. Youth unemployment is far lower here than across the rest of Spain. But it's still a shocking 35%.
Catalans want change, but that does not amount to a common call for independence.
Before this weekend, Mariano Rajoy - nicknamed by opponents as "The Robot", as he could never be accused of having the common touch - had all the cards:
But he's thrown those cards away.
He and the Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, have walked if not arm-in-arm then at least back-to-back, duel-like, to the cliff's edge.
A cynic might point out that both men benefit personally from this constitutional crisis - arguably Spain's most severe in the 40 years since the transition to democracy.
Mr Rajoy heads a minority government, so short of support that it recently withdrew plans for the 2018 budget, for fear it wouldn't make it through the Spanish parliament. Meanwhile, Mr Puigdemont presides over one of the largest regional debts in Spain.
Both men are tainted by allegations of corruption, which swirl persistently around their governments.
The Catalan question is a very public distraction from unwelcome financial questions.
Both men score political points from standing their ground now, as opinions in Catalonia and across Spain harden.
As for the EU, some analysts have painted a picture of Eurocrats quaking in their blue and yellow boots. Refusing to condemn Sunday's violence, as they fear the flames of separatism will now spread from Catalonia to Corsica, northern Italy, Flanders and beyond.
But that was the early 2000s, when Basque separatist violence raged too.
Now Basque separatists support Prime Minister Rajoy in the Spanish parliament. Regional separatism is not a 2017 problem for the EU. Populism is. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41475770 |
'No point trying to be cool' - the Tories seeking young voters - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | More young people are voting than at any time in the last 25 years, but largely not for the Conservatives. What should they do? | UK Politics | The Conservatives have a problem. More young people are voting than at any time in the last quarter of a century, but largely not for them - so what can the party do to change that?
It's been labelled - perhaps unfairly - the "Tory Glastonbury". Around 200 activists, MPs, sympathetic thinkers and business people meet in the low September sunshine to discuss how the party can attract young voters.
Just two years ago, the split in support between Labour and the Conservatives among 18 to 29-year-olds was fairly even, 36% to 32%.
Fast forward to this June's general election and that small gap had become a chasm - according to pollsters YouGov - with Labour now on 64% to the Tories' 21%.
In fact, unless you were touching 50, you were in a minority if you voted Conservative.
Addressing worried-looking party figures at the Big Tent Ideas festival in Berkshire, Lord Cooper - one-time director of strategy for ex-Prime Minister David Cameron - puts it starkly.
Older Conservative voters, he says, are dying. And younger, more "open" voters are not going to decide when they hit 50 that "feminism and the internet and the green movement are a bad thing after all".
Unless the party responds, he adds, "it is going to die".
Bim Afolami says the party "realises that there is a problem" in not attracting enough young voters
"Somebody famous and clever said the Conservative Party only knows two modes - complacency or panic," says one of the Tories' youngest MPs. "And we're definitely in panic mode."
Bim Afolami, an old Etonian and former banker, is 31 and has only been an MP for a few months, but his thoughts have already turned to this question.
"The party generally, collectively, realises that this is a problem," he says.
With the Budget less than two months away, he says Chancellor Philip Hammond recently told a meeting of Conservative backbenchers that the party must address two of the key issues for younger voters - housing and student debt.
Victoria Borwick - who represented the safe seat of Kensington until she became one of the 33 Conservative MPs swept away by Labour's better-than-expected showing in June - echoes the message.
"Every single MP should go back to their own area and see how they can build more housing for the next generation."
It might be only 100 miles away, but the Big Tent Ideas Festival couldn't be further from Glastonbury.
The music is Bach - perfectly rendered by a violinist. The buffet is delicate and refined. And there are more MPs in attendance than the young voters whom the ideas are intended to reach.
"This is not Glastonbury," Mr Afolami points out. "It's more akin to (literature festival) Hay-on-Wye."
The comparison is clearly unfair, but does it matter?
The story goes that the brains behind the event, Conservative MP George Freeman, saw Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn cheered by thousands at Glastonbury over the summer and asked, "Why is it just the left who have all the fun in politics?"
MP James Cleverly says young people were offered an "electoral bribe" by Jeremy Corbyn
"Wow, a left-wing leader getting a good reception at a rock festival," he says, ironically.
"What kind of crazy world is it we live in that that kind of thing happens?
"It's a bunch of young people who've just been given a massive electoral bribe."
Mr Corbyn - who said before the election he would "deal" with student debt - will be punished for taking "younger voters for fools", Cleverly says.
"Being hip, being popular, being cool, that's really easy," says Cleverly.
"Until you have to make tough decisions. And when you have to make tough decisions, that veneer of coolness comes off real quick.
"So the better thing to do is to be right and be doing the right things for the right reasons rather than trying to be cool and popular and saying whatever thing is going to get good headlines or a big cheer at Glastonbury."
What, then, can the party learn?
Labour's general election campaign was praised for its use of social media and for reaching young people previously unmoved by party politics.
Tobi Alabi - a south Londoner who was invited to attend the ideas festival, and was courted by Conservatives there, but isn't a supporter - says the party was an irrelevance for most of his friends.
Labour, he says, related and appealed to young people.
Tobi Alabi says the Conservative Party did not display diversity
"That's something the Conservative Party didn't do. They didn't display diversity. They didn't display an appeal to young people. You have to tap into young people's interests."
So - if they do that - could those young people won over by Jeremy Corbyn's Labour one day support the Tories?
"Those people can be won back," says a hopeful Bim Afolami.
"Those are not people who have decided forever to vote for one person or one party.
"I think if we show them that we've got the right policies - but, more importantly, the right values - those are people that we can at least compete for in the future."
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41434873 |
Grooming victim fear over Coronation Street courtroom error - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Court artist drawing a grooming victim "wasn't a true representation of procedure", ITV admits. | Manchester | Former chief crown prosecutor Nazir Afzal said up to now the programme was "to be applauded"
Child sexual exploitation victims may fear coming forward after a courtroom sketch of a grooming victim was shown in Coronation Street, it is feared.
The character Bethany Platt, 16, is at the centre of a grooming storyline. The soap showed a sketch of her being drawn during the trial of her alleged abuser.
By law, sexual assault victims are granted anonymity for life.
Former chief crown prosecutor Nazir Afzal said he was "concerned". ITV apologised for the mistake.
In the long-running story Nathan Curtis, played by Chris Harper, was arrested for sexual exploitation and accused of forcing the teenager to have sex with his friends in a series of "parties".
Mr Afzal said up to now the programme had been "a very accurate reflection of a victim's experience".
The story of Bethany being groomed by Nathan has gripped viewers
He said: "I think it was especially brave before the watershed and it has undoubtedly encouraged victims to come forward.
"But I'm concerned over their mistake. A court artist must always draw from memory and must not draw victims.
"We make an enormous play of telling victims that nobody will know who you are.
"Those victims might pick up the mistake and it might make them uncomfortable and we shouldn't have to do that.
"We're having to put the genie back in the bottle; we're having to fix something, which should be unnecessary."
A spokesman for ITV said the artist was "solely used to illustrate the passing of time".
He said: "We accept this wasn't a true representation of court procedure and we apologise for including it.
"We repeatedly focused on support for victims throughout the court process, which we hope would encourage anyone watching to recognise the fact they would be in a safe place when giving evidence."
In June, five complaints were made to broadcast regulator Ofcom after child grooming scenes involving Bethany Platt were shown before the watershed.
The long-running Coronation Street storyline showed three men paying for sex then following the teenager, played by Lucy Fallon, into a bedroom.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-41478202 |
Sale of acids to under-18s to be banned, Amber Rudd says - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Home Secretary Amber Rudd announced the crackdown after a rise in attacks using corrosive substances. | UK | The government will ban the sale of acids to anyone under the age of 18, Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said.
Her pledge, at the Conservative Party conference, comes as more than 400 attacks using corrosive substances were recorded in the six months to April.
She also said she would "drastically limit" sales of sulphuric acid, given that it can be used to make explosives.
And Ms Rudd called on internet firms and social media platforms to "act now" and remove extremist content online.
Speaking at the conference in Manchester, she said: "Acid attacks are absolutely revolting.
"We have all seen the pictures of victims that never fully recover - endless surgeries, lives ruined.
"So today, I am also announcing a new offence, to prevent the sale of acids to under-18s."
The government said new laws to target people caught carrying acid would be modelled on current legislation around knife carrying, which carries a maximum of four years in prison, a fine, or both.
Plans to tackle the sale of corrosive substances would be similar to the law involving knives, which bans the sale to anyone under the age of 18 and carries a penalty of six months in prison, or a fine.
"We are currently considering the range of substances this would cover," the government added.
More than 400 acid or corrosive substance attacks were carried out in the six months to April this year, according to figures from 39 police forces in England and Wales.
According to NHS Digital data, there have been 624 admissions since 2011/12 because of an "assault by corrosive substance". In 2016/17, there were 109 hospital admissions due to such attacks.
Mrs Rudd said the "drastic" crackdown on the sale of sulphuric acid would help tackle homemade explosive devices containing triacetone triperoxide - often referred to as "mother of Satan" explosives.
Similar devices were used in this year's Manchester Arena bombing and last month's attack at Parsons Green, in west London.
"This is how we help make our communities safer as crime changes," she told delegates.
The home secretary also unveiled plans to make it harder for people under the age of 18 to buy knives online and announced a major investment in technology to help track down indecent images of children online and remove them quickly.
She announced more than £500,000 of investment in a "cutting-edge web crawler", which experts say can process thousands of image hashes per second as a way of removing child abuse images.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Andreas Christopheros was attacked with acid in 2013
Mrs Rudd told the conference there had been "an exponential surge in the volume of child sexual abuse referrals" and called on messaging service WhatsApp to help tackle the problem.
"Our investment will also enable internet companies to proactively search for, and destroy, illegal images in their systems," she said.
"We want them to start using it as soon as they can."
In another policy announcement, she also said people who repeatedly view extremist material online could face up to 15 years in prison.
She said extending prison sentence for those viewing extremist content online would close an important gap in the legislation, with tougher sentences only applying at the moment if people have downloaded or stored the material.
Ms Rudd told party activists in Manchester that security services had foiled seven terrorist plots this year. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41484909 |
Instagram baby photo thief banned from social media - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Kati Ringer, 21, claimed other people's babies were sick or dead in an attempt to get money. | Norfolk | Kati Ringer (face obscured) leaves Norwich Magistrates' Court where she appeared for sentencing
A woman who stole photos of babies from Instagram and claimed they were sick or dead in a bid to get money has been banned from social media.
Kati Ringer, 21, claimed the pictures, copied from accounts belonging to two unsuspecting mums, were her own.
When challenged by her victims, Ringer became abusive and threatening, Norwich Magistrates' Court heard.
Ringer was caught after police traced her IP address to a computer at her mother's house.
She was sentenced to a two-year criminal behaviour order which bans her from using any social media accounts, passing any other person's photo off as her own or asking any third party for a donation unless as a legitimate volunteer for a registered charity.
Ringer was also handed a jail term of 30 weeks, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £225 costs.
Kati Ringer was sentenced to a two-year criminal behaviour order which bans her from using any social media accounts
Jane Walker, prosecuting, said Ringer had targeted two women, copying photos of their babies from their Instagram accounts and reposting them on her own "saying they were her child, the child had died and trying to get money".
She said when challenged by the first victim, Ringer "became threatening towards her and made threats to rape and harm the child".
The court heard Ringer sent the mother a "laughing face" emoji on Instagram, then a further message saying "I've already posted pictures saying she's dead, I've got £600 so far".
When the victim accused Ringer of being jealous, Ms Walker said, the defendant replied: "Jealous of a disgusting little runt that should have been drowned at birth."
Ringer targeted the second victim by using images of her prematurely born daughter.
"The victim challenged the suspect and asked she stop using the images," said Ms Walker.
"It was then that she said she would find out where the victim lived and kidnap and rape her daughter.
"She was using the picture of the victim's baby reporting to people that the baby was premature, that she was seriously ill, struggling to pay for her treatment and funeral."
Ian Fisher, mitigating, said Ringer pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and a number of events in her life had contributed to her "lacking any ability to empathise".
He said of the offences: "They are made possible by the advent of quite complex social media forms on the internet, and the defendant set about something that no normal, decent human being would do."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-41488799 |
NFL anthem protests after Las Vegas attack anger fans - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Kansas City Chiefs players protest during the national anthem on a day of mourning for Las Vegas. | US & Canada | Fans have criticised three Kansas City Chiefs players who protested during the US national anthem amid a day of national mourning for a mass shooting.
The demonstration at Monday's game against the Washington Redskins came a day after a gunman killed 59 people and wounded hundreds in Las Vegas.
Fans held up signs such as one urging players, "protest on your own time".
Some NFL players have been kneeling or sitting during the anthem to protest against racial inequality.
Cornerback Marcus Peters was the only player shown on TV seated as the anthem was played on Monday.
But his teammate Ukeme Eligwe sat, too, and Justin Houston knelt apparently in prayer.
Kansas City Star newspaper sports editor Jeff Rosen tweeted: "Man, can't get behind Marcus Peters and Ukeme Eligwe sitting tonight.
Flags flew at half mast at Arrowhead Field in Kansas City on Monday night, and a moment of silence was observed before the Star-Spangled Banner was sung.
Sports television network ESPN had already made a decision not to show the anthem due to ongoing protests, but reportedly reversed course after the Las Vegas shooting attack.
The Redskins team all stood for the anthem
At the stadium in Kansas City - Richard Conway, BBC Sport
The atmosphere outside the Arrowhead stadium was rowdy and loud as fans "tailgated" before going to see their team play.
But speaking to some, it was clear that many were not happy with players protesting during the national anthem.
One Chiefs fan even told me he wouldn't celebrate a touchdown if a protesting player scored.
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Fans held up counter-protest signs including one that said: "Praying 4 Vegas - take a knee 4 the right reason".
The national anthem protests began last year against police treatment of African-Americans, but took on a new lease of life after US President Donald Trump said such players should be fired.
Their defenders say they have the right to free speech under the constitution.
The Chiefs won 29-20 against the Redskins.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41487808 |
Boris Johnson: Let the British lion roar - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The foreign secretary says the UK can "win the future" as he praises Theresa May's leadership. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: "It is up to us now... to let that lion roar."
Boris Johnson has said it is time to "let the British lion roar" as he called for Brexit to be a moment of national renewal.
The foreign secretary told Tory activists the UK "can win the future" and should stop treating the referendum result as if it were "plague of boils".
In his speech, he praised Theresa May's "steadfast" leadership over Europe.
And he insisted the whole cabinet was united behind her aim of getting a "great Brexit deal".
In a tub-thumping speech which was cheered by Tory activists, he played down claims of Brexit divisions, saying he and his colleagues agreed with "every syllable" of the PM's recent Florence speech about Brexit.
And he suggested that the UK's best days lay ahead once it left the European Union.
"We can win the future because we are the party that believes in this country and we believe in the potential of the British people.
"We are not the lion. We do not claim to be the lion. That role is played by the people of this country. But it is up to us now - in the traditional non-threatening, genial and self-deprecating way of the British - to let that lion roar."
Mr Johnson's highly-anticipated speech, which Mrs May is reported to have read in advance, followed criticism of his recent interventions over Brexit, which have prompted speculation about a leadership challenge and led to calls from some MPs for him to be replaced.
Mr Johnson said global Britain would be "team players" around the world
The foreign secretary took aim at Labour's claim that it had won the snap election which saw the Tories lose their majority, pointing out that it had won nearly 60 fewer seats than the Conservatives.
"Jeremy Corbyn didn't win. You won - we won. Theresa May won.
"She won more votes than any party leader and took this party to its highest share of the vote in any election in the last 25 years and the whole country owes her a debt for her steadfastness in taking Britain forward as she will to a great Brexit deal."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson wants to send the "superannuated space cadet from Islington" into space
Amid talk of continuing cabinet division over the terms of the UK's exit, he said he shared the PM's goal of creating a "deep and special partnership" with the EU after it leaves and believed that the UK would remain a "quintessential European nation".
"Based on that Florence speech on whose every syllable, I can tell you the whole cabinet is united," he said.
"Since it is manifestly absurd to argue that European values or culture or civilisation are somehow defined or delimited by the institutions of the EU, we will be no less European. Britain will continue to be European in culture, geography, history, architecture, spiritually, morally, you name it."
The prime minister was not in the hall for her foreign secretary's speech
Throwing down the gauntlet to Labour, he joked Jeremy Corbyn was "Caracas" for his support for socialist regimes in Venezuela and elsewhere.
But, Mr Johnson said, at the same time as the Conservatives defended the benefits of free markets they must do more to make capitalism "work better" for people.
"We may have the most illustrious battle honours of any political party but now we have to win the battle for the future," he said. "The way to win the future is not to attack the market economy, not to junk our gains but to make it work better."
"Make it work for all those who worry their kids will never find a home to own and make it work better for parents who can't find good enough childcare."
Mr Johnson's Labour shadow, Emily Thornberry, said mentions of the Yemen crisis, and Saudi Arabia's role, had been "conspicuous by their absence" in his speech.
In the run-up to Mr Johnson's speech, the prime minister insisted she was in charge of the government and Brexit negotiations but believed a range of voices around the cabinet table made for better decision-making.
"I think leadership is about ensuring you have a team of people who aren't yes men," she told the BBC.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. In full: Theresa May speaks to Laura Kuenssberg
Mr Johnson was one of a succession of top Tories to bang the drum for Brexit on day three of the conference. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox called for an end to "self-defeating pessimism" while Brexit Secretary David Davis urged people to disregard the noise coming out of Brussels and "keep your eyes on the prize". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41489674 |
How Trump turned against gun control - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Donald Trump was once in favour of strengthened gun regulation. Then he ran for president. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Trump on Las Vegas shooting: 'It was an act of pure evil'
When attempting to interpret Donald Trump's statements on firearm regulation, and how they could shape a presidential policy response to the Las Vegas mass shooting, the key is to note when he said them.
As with many of his political opinions, Mr Trump's views on gun control have shifted to the right over the years.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Mr Trump expressed support for a ban on so-called assault weapons - long rifles with military-style features to more easily fire multiple rounds.
"I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun," he wrote in his 2000 book, The America We Deserve.
In 2012 Mr Trump praised Democrat Barack Obama's call for more firearm regulation after the shooting at a Newtown, Connecticut, school that claimed 26 lives, including 20 children.
As Mr Trump began more seriously contemplating a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, however, his views on gun control changed. By the time he announced his entry into the race in 2015, he was well within the mainstream of the Republican Party, which viewed most forms of additional gun regulation as a violation of Second Amendment constitutional protections.
It was Mr Trump's way of establishing his conservative cultural bona fides - proving that he wasn't the big-city liberal he had at times seemed.
In an October 2015 Republican debate, for instance, he boasted that he carried handguns "a lot" and said government-mandated gun-free zones in places like schools, churches and military bases were a "catastrophe" and made for "target practice for the sickos".
Mr Trump would frequently say the answer to mass shootings was having more citizens with firearms - contending that the death toll in the Paris and San Bernardino attacks would have been much lower if bullets had been going "both ways" - towards the victims and the assailants.
Trump at a National Rifle Association event, the largest US gun lobby, in April
To the surprise of many, Mr Trump secured the endorsement of the National Rifle Association in May 2016, at a time when some Republicans were still uncomfortable with the New Yorker as their presumptive nominee.
"Now is the time to unite," NRA Executive Director Chris Cox said at the time. "If your preferred candidate got out of the race, it's time to get over it."
From then on Mr Trump - in his statements and on his campaign website - largely echoed the NRA's hard line on firearm issues. The group would end up spending more than $30m (£22m) to support Mr Trump's presidential bid.
During the general election, Mr Trump attacked Democrat Hillary Clinton as being in favour of stringent gun control and pledged that he was the candidate that would protect the rights of the estimated 55 million Americans who currently own firearms.
There was one moment during last year's campaign, however, when Mr Trump did break with the NRA's line. After the Orlando nightclub shooting in June, he appeared to endorse limiting gun purchase for national security purposes.
"I will be meeting with the NRA, who has endorsed me, about not allowing people on the terrorist watch list, or the no fly list, to buy guns," he tweeted.
Nothing came of that meeting, however, and as president Mr Trump appears to have made little effort to follow through on it.
Mr Trump's only significant action on guns as president has been to sign a law rolling-back Obama-era limitations on the ability of those being treated for mental illness to purchase firearms.
During a recent campaign rally in Alabama, Mr Trump even revisited his old attacks against Mrs Clinton, warning "you'd be handing in your rifles" if she had been elected.
Congress is currently considering legislation that would make it easier for Americans to purchase silencers for their weapons - a proposal Mrs Clinton criticised in a tweet after the Las Vegas attack.
The president, so far, has not commented publicly on the legislation, which was expected to be approved by the House of Representatives but has little chance of passage in the Senate.
If the legislation becomes the centre of post-Las Vegas political controversy, however, it may be difficult for the White House to stay above the fray.
In the meantime, Mr Trump now has the unenviable task of trying to heal the nation after yet another "deadliest mass shooting in modern US history" and explaining what - if anything - he proposes to do to stop future tragedies.
George W Bush's turn came in April 2007, as a shocked nation mourned 32 dead on a Virginia college campus.
Barack Obama had his moment in June 2016, following the Orlando Pulse nightclub attack that left 49 dead.
"This massacre is … a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theatre, or in a nightclub," he said after Orlando.
"And we have to decide if that's the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well."
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The story of Mr Trump's response is still unfolding. The number of dead has risen to 58, with the estimated number of wounded an astounding, incomprehensible 500.
After tweeting out his "warmest sympathies" to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting on Monday morning, Mr Trump took to the lectern at the White House to deliver a statement heavy on prayers, mourning and calls for unity but light on hints of what comes next.
During his morning remarks the president said that, in the search for "meaning in the chaos", answers do not come easy.
In coming days and weeks ahead, many answers for how to respond to the bloodshed in Las Vegas will be offered. They're already pouring in from the president's friends and critics.
Many will be policies - often contradictory - that Mr Trump, at one time or another, has supported. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41478293 |
Las Vegas shootings: Is the gunman a terrorist? - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Debate gathers pace online about how to label the Mandalay Bay shooter. | US & Canada | Stephen Paddock has been identified by police as the man behind the deadliest shooting in modern US history
As details emerge about the Las Vegas gunman who killed at least 58 people and injured more than 500 others, an online debate has begun about why Stephen Paddock has not been labelled a terrorist.
Instead the 64-year-old who opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel towards an open-air music festival on Sunday evening has been described by news outlets as a "lone wolf", a "granddad", a "gambler", and a "former accountant", but not a terrorist.
We do not know yet what motivated Paddock to carry out the deadly attack. There has been no link found to international terrorism and no confirmation of mental illness.
Yet on social media, many have been pointing out that if Paddock had been a Muslim, the term "terrorist" would have been used almost immediately to describe him, as a link to Islamist terrorism would be assumed even without evidence.
Celebrities, TV personalities and academics have all been discussing why this hasn't happened in this case.
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According to Nevada state law, an "act of terrorism" is described as follows: "Any act that involves the use of violence intended to cause great bodily harm or death to the general population."
At federal level, the US defines "domestic terrorism" as activities that meet three criteria - "dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law", those that are intended to intimidate or coerce civilians or governments, and which occur primarily within the US.
The FBI, too, suggests there must be an intent to "intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives".
This element seems to be key - is the perpetrator of violence not only attempting to cause mass harm but trying to influence government or further a particular ideology?
Many on social media shared an image of a definition of Nevada state law and questioned why, despite the clear outline, the sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Joseph Lombardo said during a press conference about Paddock: "We do not know what his belief system was at this time. Right now, we believe it is a sole actor, a lone-wolf-type actor."
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On Twitter the phrase "lone wolf" has been used more than 200,000 times since Monday's attack. The words "terrorist attack" have been used more than 170,000 times as people argued about why there seemed to be a clear disparity between how white suspects and those of colour are described.
On Facebook the discussion has also been escalating. Mursal in Indonesia said: "He's not considered an international terrorist? Maybe because his face is not Arabic!"
Muslim American Facebook user Mahmoud ElAwadi expressed his sadness at hearing the news, but described how the attack would not affect white people in the way his family was affected by Islamist attacks.
"Every mass shooting means my wife's life is in danger because she chose to cover her hair, that my son will be attacked at school because his name is Mohamed, that my 4 year old daughter will be treated unfairly because she speaks Arabic, unless the terrorist is a white and Christian then suddenly he is a mentally sick person and everything is normal."
At the BBC there is clear guidance on the use of the words terrorist, or terrorism. BBC editorial guidance says:
"There is no agreed consensus on what constitutes a terrorist or terrorist act. The use of the word will frequently involve a value judgement.
"As such, we should not change the word 'terrorist' when quoting someone else, but we should avoid using it ourselves.
"This should not mean that we avoid conveying the reality and horror of a particular act; rather we should consider how our use of language will affect our reputation for objective journalism."
Despite an overwhelming majority of comments criticising officials and the media for not labelling Paddock a terrorist, there were some counter arguments and suggestions as to why.
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By UGC and Social News Team, additional reporting by BBC Reality Check | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41483943 |
Conservative fears of a downward spiral - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The worry in Manchester is not really that Boris Johnson is grabbing all the attention, it's that the party could be dying inside. | UK Politics | Guess what. It's not about Boris Johnson. He sucks the oxygen, grabs the attention, "the blond one" excites the Tory crowds, as well as driving his colleagues up the wall with his behaviour.
Today in a speech about "the lion that will roar", (wonder what he's trying to say there?) activists may cheer him and colleagues will gnash their teeth as, in a way only he can, he tickles the party's tummy.
The fuss around Boris Johnson is the symptom not the cause. The problem that is increasingly on people's minds at this grisly conference is that the Tories might be only at the start of a decline, which becomes impossible to escape.
One former minister says, "there is a smell of decay", another, that it is "hopeless, but we are resigned to the nightmare". Cabinet ministers fret that Theresa May simply doesn't have the ideas or imagination to reboot either her leadership or their party.
One of her colleagues says "how did she blow the party up in 12 months?", lamenting how her premiership has paralleled Gordon Brown, who after years of hoping to get to Downing Street arrived there with little to say, bewildered by the sudden challenge of the top job. Another says she looks "bent and broken".
But there is little evidence yet that there is anyone willing or brave enough to confront this publicly, the younger generations of Tory MPs are furious with the top brass, but none of them yet ready to step up to the plate.
For now, Mrs May's glum cabinet colleagues mostly believe the best option is to get behind her, to show loyalty with the hope of regaining authority to govern, the slow grind of government competence could restore credibility over time.
These are unpredictable times. One minister even told me they feel optimistic about the next election, believing the Corbyn phenomenon can't sustain for five years.
But in government and on the backbenches and in Manchester, optimism is a minority view. Stopping the slide the priority.
The fear here is not really that Boris Johnson is grabbing all the attention, it's that this party could be dying inside, and it finds itself with a leader who might struggle to stop the downward spiral.
• None May: Johnson's not undermining me | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41482140 |
Calls for Amazon to ban 'anorexia hoodie' - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | One woman living with anorexia said it could "damage" the mental health of those with the condition. | Health | Beth Grant, who has lived with anorexia for 13 years, said selling the product was "absolutely disgraceful"
Amazon has been described as "irresponsible" for selling a hoodie that describes anorexia as "like bulimia, except with self control".
One woman living with anorexia said it could "damage" the mental health of those with the conditions.
Anorexia expert Dr Susie Orbach told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme the online retailer should "remove it immediately".
Amazon said the hoodie was not sold on its UK website.
It has previously been criticised for stocking T-shirts which say: "Keep calm and rape a lot".
Beth Grant, who has lived with anorexia for 13 years, said selling the product was "absolutely disgraceful".
"It could be extremely damaging to anyone suffering with either bulimia or anorexia," she told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
"I think it could damage their mental health even further and cause them to potentially harm their life."
Dr Susie Orbach, a psychotherapist and expert on anorexia, described the hoodie as "a way to make people feel really awful" when they were "already anguished enough".
"This is terribly irresponsible on Amazon's part," she said.
"We're breeding a culture [where people think] you should transform your body, you should comment on it, and if it isn't the way you want it to be it's got to be some other way."
Dr Orbach called for Amazon to "remove it immediately".
"They really don't need to be making money this way," she added.
Amazon declined to offer a statement, but a spokesman said the hoodie was not available to buy from the company's UK website.
Beth Grant said this would make little difference to those with anorexia or bulimia.
"You can still see it on the internet," she said.
"It can still harm them, even if they're not wearing it.
"I think they should issue a statement saying it is 'so sorry it's on our website'."
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41483592 |
Yahoo 2013 data breach hit 'all three billion accounts' - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The internet giant says three billion user accounts were affected, more than originally thought. | Business | Yahoo has said that all of its three billion user accounts were affected in a hacking attack dating back to 2013.
The company, which was taken over by Verizon earlier this year, said an investigation had shown the breach went much further than originally thought.
The stolen data did not include passwords in clear text, payment card or bank account data, it added.
Previously the internet giant had said "more than one billion" of its accounts had been hit.
Yahoo said that while its latest announcement did not represent a new "security issue" it was sending emails to all the "additional affected user accounts".
The company added that it was "continuing to work closely with law enforcement".
Yahoo's takeover by the huge US telecoms firm Verizon was completed on 13 June.
The deal was first announced last year when the struggling company agreed to sell its main internet business to Verizon for $4.8bn.
That figure was later cut to $4.5bn after Yahoo disclosed that it had been the victim, in 2013 and 2014, of two huge security breaches.
Verizon has combined its AOL subsidiary and Yahoo into a new business called Oath.
In Tuesday's statement Verizon's chief information security officer Chandra McMahon said: "Verizon is committed to the highest standards of accountability and transparency, and we proactively work to ensure the safety and security of our users and networks in an evolving landscape of online threats."
"Our investment in Yahoo is allowing that team to continue to take significant steps to enhance their security, as well as benefit from Verizon's experience and resources." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41493494 |
Corrie Mckeague: Suffolk Police to resume landfill search - BBC News | 2017-10-03 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Airman Corrie Mckeague disappeared while on a night out in September 2016. | Suffolk | Corrie Mckeague was last seen entering a bin loading bay in Bury St Edmunds
Police investigating the disappearance of missing airman Corrie Mckeague are to resume a search of a landfill site.
Mr Mckeague has not been seen since he went on a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in September 2016, when CCTV showed him entering a bin loading bay.
Suffolk Police spent 20 weeks trawling through the landfill in Milton, near Cambridge, before calling off the search in July.
The search will restart this week and is expected to take up to six weeks.
It will focus on an area next to the site of the earlier search, which was identified as that most likely to contain Mr Mckeague.
The force said it took the decision to restart the search in conjunction with East Midlands Special Operations Unit, which is reviewing its investigation.
Det Supt Katie Elliott, from the Suffolk force, said: "We can't be 100% certain, and that's because of the variances there are with what happens to waste, but the information we have gathered has given us the case to go back there."
She said officers have "explained fully" why they are restarting the search to Mr Mckeague's family.
"They are pleased that there is a further active line of inquiry and some hope we may be able to provide the answers."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Corrie Mckeague went missing after a night out in Bury St Edmunds
Corrie Mckeague's girlfriend April Oliver (centre) announced the birth of their baby daughter on Father's Day
Mr Mckeague, who was 23 when he went missing, was last seen at 03:25 BST on 24 September 2016.
The gunner from Dunfermline, Fife, was out with friends from RAF Honington, where he is based.
Although police established early on in the investigation his mobile phone tracked the same route as a bin lorry, the landfill search did not start until March.
Police later revealed Mr Mckeague had been known to sleep in bins during nights out.
Material from the time and place of the serviceman's disappearance was found during the initial landfill search, but he was not found.
In June, Mr Mckeague's girlfriend April Oliver, from Norfolk, gave birth to their daughter Ellie-Louise.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41490459 |
I should be home-schooled, but I spent 10 months on Xbox - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | After Mohammed was excluded for bad behaviour, he was home-schooled - but it didn't work out. | Magazine | Mohammed spends his days playing computer games and looking after his granddad. He's only 14, but he hasn't been to school since December. The idea was to home school him - but things didn't quite work out like that, reports the BBC's Sue Mitchell.
He lives in a spotlessly clean Bradford semi-detached house, with pale wood flooring and deep, comfortable sofas. His mother works part time as a nursery nurse and his father is a taxi driver.
His mum admits she is totally out of her depth.
She says she agreed to try to educate Mohammed herself at the suggestion of his school, after he was excluded for bad behaviour. She wanted to keep him out of the only alternative, a pupil referral unit.
Mohammed wasn't opposed to the idea at first. "I thought it would be good because I wouldn't mix in with bad children," he says.
But it was harder than he expected. "My mum isn't a proper teacher, she just helps nursery kids. She's not a teacher for maths, science and English. I couldn't learn from her."
His dad, who works long hours, tells him that he is squandering his life opportunities. "He says: 'You've just ruined your chances' - that I could have had a good education and done my GCSEs and had a good life, but now I've wasted that," Mohammed says.
Many families say home schooling works well for them. But Mohammed is one of a growing number of children who find themselves falling out of the state education system, according to Richard Watts, the chair of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People's Board.
He says it's increasingly common to hear of schools "effectively putting a lot of pressure on parents to home educate their kids to get them off their rolls, particularly when exam time comes around".
Mohammed was only 13 when he was excluded from school for setting off fireworks in the corridor with other boys. "We went to a meeting, but they said there's no way of him coming back to the school," says his mum.
Mohammed had already been in trouble with the school authorities for fighting. "At school he thought they ganged up on him and called him names, trying to provoke him. Mohammed is really quiet, but if he hasn't done nothing he'll be upset by it," his mother says.
"When Mohammed first settled into secondary education he was good. I think it's that he finds it hard to settle down and so much depends on his friendship group."
By year nine it became clear that he would no longer have a place in mainstream education. It was either home education or a place at the same pupil referral unit that his older brother had attended. His family didn't want him getting into the same bad crowds as his brother.
So when the school suggested home education as the only alternative, Mohammed's mother readily agreed. "I never knew about the home schooling. I'm not that very educated myself and I'm not good with computers," she says.
The council had suggested a home education website. "We had a few links but because of my home life situation and working I hadn't enough hours. He'd be depressed every morning and I'd put him on the home education website but it wasn't working for him," says Mohammed's mum.
When she tried to get Mohammed out of bed to work, he refused.
Now she doesn't bother trying and he passes his time helping his granddad, who has a serious lung condition and needs round-the-clock care.
For a brief period he attended Raising Explorers, an after-school facility in Bradford that tutored Mohammed for a couple of hours a week.
"It was hard to start over and not mess about and think about what I'm doing and to concentrate," he says.
"When I first went to the after-school club I was new, my background was different and I made mistakes. I got put on report and was doing good, but when people disturb me I just get annoyed and retaliate back," he says. He was excluded for brawling with another boy.
Mohammed says he regrets the bad behaviour that lost him his place in a mainstream school.
"I used to go to school and do stupid things I didn't think it would come to this, I thought I'd just do it a bit and I'd have a chance. I was falling behind at school anyway, but now that I don't have school I won't have any education for my GCSEs. I do think about my future - it's not going to be good."
Out of School, Out of Sight is broadcast at 11:00 on Wednesday 4 October on BBC Radio 4, or listen again on iPlayer
Abdur Rahman, who runs a project working with excluded youngsters, says that like Richard Watts he is coming across an increasing number of cases where parents are persuaded to home educate, yet don't have the capacity to do so.
"These schools don't ask about the ability of parents to teach - that isn't part of the discussion. Schools work like businesses and it isn't about looking out for the child, it's about saying to Mum and Dad that: 'This is what you have to do because your child isn't engaging and it will keep you out of trouble.' It's a strategy that the schools are increasingly using."
The inspection of home education is carried out by local government officials, but it is a voluntary register and although numbers are thought to be growing, there is no real idea of how many families are doing this. It's because so little is known about the extent and quality of home education, that Lord Soley recently introduced a private members bill aimed at bringing in a mandatory registration system.
He says that there are concerns about the quality of education some youngsters are receiving. There is also a cost for schools who take back pupils like Mohammed when home education hasn't worked.
"These pupils who fall behind have disruption to their own education outcomes, but then if they go back into schools they cause problems across the board as they try to catch up. It isn't helping them and it isn't good for the schools when it doesn't work," he says.
Bradford Council is currently discussing school options with Mohammed and his family. A spokesman says the details of individual cases cannot be discussed, but any parent has the right to choose to home educate their child at any stage of their formal education.
"Local authorities can give advice but have no role in deciding whether this should happen," the spokesman continues.
"When the local authority becomes aware of an electively home-educated child, we offer a home visit or to meet at another venue. The local authority has no statutory duty to monitor the quality of home education on a routine basis. However, we always work to keep contact with parents to ensure our information about the child is kept up to date.
"All parents of electively home-educated children can contact our home education team at any time and parents can apply to the local authority for a school place at any point. The local authority will always look to work with the district's schools to find a solution which works for the child and their parents."
Mohammed's mum is currently trying to get her son back into school.
"I want him to do his GCSEs and go further, to study and move on to what he wants to do - instead of just finishing with no qualifications in a cruel world. I want him to try hard and I've told him, but there's nothing else I can do. Mohammed says he'll do anything to go back to school and to study," she says.
Mohammed agrees. He says he desperately wants to be back in the classroom.
"When I used to go to school I used to be around other children and I was happy. Now I'm by myself and it's just boring alone, I don't like it."
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-41476718 |
Could Catalonia make a success of independence? - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A Catalan regional election revived the fortunes of separatist parties, so could independence work? | Europe | Pro-independence parties have won a slim majority in the Catalan parliament. The regional election backfired on the Spanish government, but for now Madrid remains firmly in control, under emergency powers invoked in October.
What if Catalonia were to secede eventually - would it be able to stand on its own two feet?
To the casual observer, Catalonia looks like it has already got many of the trappings of a state. Flags. A parliament. But its leader, Carles Puigdemont, is in self-imposed exile in Belgium.
The region has its own police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra. It has its own broadcast regulator, and even boasts a series of foreign "missions" - mini embassies that promote trade and investment in Catalonia around the world. Catalonia delivers some public services already - schools and healthcare, for example.
There'd be much more to set up in the event of independence, though. Border control. Customs. Proper international relations. Defence. A central bank. Inland revenue. Air traffic control.
All of these are currently run by Madrid.
But assuming it did create these new institutions - would it be able to pay for them?
Catalonia already has its own police force
"Madrid nos roba" is a popular secessionist slogan - "Madrid is robbing us". The received wisdom is that comparatively wealthy Catalonia pays in more than it gets out of the Spanish state.
Catalonia is certainly rich compared with other parts of Spain. It is home to just 16% of the Spanish population, but 19% of its GDP and more than a quarter of Spain's foreign exports.
It punches above its weight in terms of tourism too - 18 million of Spain's 75 million tourists chose Catalonia as their primary destination last year, easily the most visited region.
Tarragona has one of Europe's largest chemical hubs.
Barcelona is one of the EU's top 20 ports by weight of goods handled.
About a third of the working population has some form of tertiary education.
It's also true that Catalans pay more in taxes than is spent on their region.
In 2014, the last year the Spanish government has figures for, Catalans paid nearly €10bn (£8.9bn) more in taxes than reached their region in public spending. Would an independent Catalonia get the difference back?
Some have argued that even if Catalonia gained a tax boost from independence, that might get swallowed up by having to create new public institutions and run them without the same economies of scale.
And some argue that it makes sense for the state to redistribute money from richer to poorer regions in this way.
Perhaps of greater concern is Catalonia's public debt.
The Catalan government owes €77bn (£68bn) at the last count, or 35.4% of Catalonia's GDP. Of that, €52bn is owed to the Spanish government.
In 2012, the Spanish government set up a special fund to provide cash to the regions, who were unable to borrow money on the international markets after the financial crisis. Catalonia has been by far the biggest beneficiary of this scheme, taking €67bn since it began.
Not only would Catalonia lose access to that scheme, but it would raise the question of how much debt Catalonia would be willing to repay after independence.
That question would surely cast a shadow over any negotiations. And on top of the sum owed by the regional government - would Madrid expect Barcelona to shoulder a share of the Spanish national debt?
Many Catalans are proud to be EU citizens - that might be tricky to maintain after independence
The uncertainty created by the struggle for independence has already hit the Catalan economy.
More than 3,100 companies have moved their legal headquarters out of the region, including major banks Caixabank and Banco de Sabadell.
At least part of the uncertainty is over Catalonia's relationship with Europe.
Two-thirds of Catalonia's foreign exports go to the EU. It would need to reapply to become a member if it seceded from Spain - it wouldn't get in automatically or immediately.
And it would require all EU members to agree - including Spain.
Some in the pro-independence camp feel that Catalonia could settle for single-market membership without joining the EU. Catalans may well be happy to pay for access, and continue to accept free movement of EU citizens across the region's borders.
But if Spain chose to, it could make life difficult for an independent Catalonia.
There is also the question of currency.
In 2015, the governor of the Bank of Spain warned Catalans independence would cause the region to drop out of the euro automatically, losing access to the European Central Bank.
Normally, new EU member states must apply to join the euro.
They have to meet certain criteria, such as their debt not being too large a percentage of their gross domestic product (GDP).
Even if they meet those criteria, a qualified majority of eurozone countries has to approve their entry.
In theory, that means even if Catalonia became a new EU member state, it may well take time to rejoin the eurozone - and Spain and its allies could block that.
In practice, we just don't know what would happen.
Nobody has ever declared independence from a member of the eurozone then asked to rejoin as a new country.
Could Catalonia use the euro without joining the eurozone? It does happen.
Some countries such as San Marino and Vatican City do so with the eurozone's blessing, since they're too small to ever become EU member states.
Others, such as Kosovo and Montenegro, use the euro without the EU's blessing, and so don't have access to the European Central Bank.
Again, whether either solution would be practical in Catalonia remains to be seen. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41474674 |
What now for Theresa May and her party? - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | In the next few days, the balance between the desire to end the torment on display today and preserve stability will be endlessly discussed by Conservative MPs. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Nothing quite like it' - Laura Kuenssberg on PM's speech
The conference has packed up. The prime minister is home. No one will forget her speech. And there are MPs who believe that today's surreal events ought to mark the beginning of the end.
There is a group of them ramping up their discussions about persuading her to go. One minister said the situation is "brutal" but the events will hasten her departure because it is "like the moment when the vet tells you it is more cruel to keep the labrador alive".
Politics is certainly cruel, and clearly the prime minister was the victim of some appallingly bad luck.
Another former minister told me that after the election and Grenfell it would only have taken one more event to trigger her exit and this "was the event".
In normal political times, it is probably the case that what one minister described as a "tragedy" today would have led to a prime minister being forced out or quitting.
But these aren't normal times. Allies of Theresa May say today she has shown her resilience and determination in spades, demonstrating exactly why she deserves to stay in the job.
A senior colleague of hers told me she importantly did manage to put forward a coherent vision and talked about her personal beliefs. More than that, for those who want her gone there are three obstacles.
First, with Brexit negotiations under way, any change of leader could be destabilising at a time when the UK needs to look strong. Second, Tory MPs don't agree on who a natural successor is, and a leadership election could open a Pandora's Box with untold consequences.
And third, many Tory MPs are terrified of a general election. Doing anything that could precipitate a national contest means their jobs are at risk.
But in the next few days the balance between the desire to end the torment on display today and preserve stability will be endlessly discussed by Tory MPs.
And in these volatile times few would predict what they will conclude. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41506741 |
Catalonia beset by divided loyalties in protest aftermath - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The sight of Spanish police beating voters in Catalonia will not be forgotten, says the BBC's Patrick Jackson. | Europe | The protesters say the violent reaction of the Spanish authorities to their independence demands has strengthened their cause
She cried when she saw the news, he could hardly believe what he was watching.
Here in 21st Century Spain, police were beating people for trying to hold a vote.
Never mind that Ana didn't turn out herself for a ballot she believes was illegal in her beloved Spain.
Never mind that Xavier had already made up his mind to break away from the very same Spain.
Like many others, both are deeply upset about the violence at the polling stations.
At least, though, they have the comfort of being head over heels in love with each other.
On Laietana Street, there's no love lost for the police among the protesters.
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"Spanish murderers!" they chant at the building marked with a furled Spanish flag that looks lonely against the Catalan flags on nearby walls.
The building is protected by a line of Catalan riot police and vans.
One man all but shoves an "anti-fascist" flag into the face of a policeman, like a red rag to a bull.
The bull doesn't react, though the two sides are so close, you can imagine they smell each other's breath, as well as the heady fumes of whatever it is people are smoking in the crowd.
Many in Catalonia are especially angry with Spanish police officers
There is shock that police were used against people for trying to hold a vote
It's 24 hours after the referendum and hundreds of hyper-young protesters are jubilantly occupying the street outside the Barcelona headquarters of Spain's National Police.
They're on a roll wrapped in their lone-star Catalan rebel flags, yelling up at the windows, demanding Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy takes his 10,000-odd extra police officers out of Catalonia.
"When they're gone, we'll turn the building into a library!" one young man tells me with a grin.
Events on Sunday have left many people traumatised
Through the balaclavas, it's hard to tell how the Catalan riot police are taking all this, protecting their Spanish comrades from a hostile crowd, but their helmets hang unused from their belts along with the truncheons and pistols.
The only things being thrown this evening are paper planes which come down like volleys of toy darts on the police and their vans, to gales of triumphant laughter from the crowd.
On Sunday, in one Catalan town (Carles de la Rapita), there was a particularly bloody clash outside a polling station, and stones were hurled at Spanish police cars.
"If you'd asked me three or four years ago, I would probably have said independence was not the right way - it doesn't matter to me what's on the flag," says one of those at the Barcelona protest, 23-year-old Yes voter Jo, who doesn't want to give his full name.
"But every day now, basic rights are being violated. When we ask for more self-government, they only send police to beat old people and kids.
"In the past two weeks, Spain did more for Catalan independence than the Catalans in the past 10 years because if you point a gun at people they feel under attack, and if they feel under attack, it's logical that they won't want to stay with you.
"If we become independent tomorrow, I will congratulate Mariano Rajoy because he has done more than most to bring it about."
In a cafe across town, Xavier Querol, 25, wants to make something very clear.
Xavier and Ana speak both Catalan and Spanish
"It's not a fight," he says. "We don't have a good side and a bad side - both sides are right. People are angry and disgusted but we are not fighting each other - that is all politics.
"Sunday was a disgrace and a shock. I know Spanish people who say they feel ashamed to be Spanish, but we still talk. It's the politicians who won't talk."
But his girlfriend Ana Jorques, 20, has noticed how the mood among some groups of Spanish and Catalan friends in Barcelona has soured.
"I am Spanish and there are Catalans who think that I am bad person after what happened on Sunday," she says.
There does tend to be more arguing, Xavier agrees. "When they see the pictures of police fighting old people and children, people get stressed and blame those who feel Spanish."
"I like and respect the police," says Ana. "They were doing their job. They have a boss and they have to do what the boss says, but they didn't behave correctly."
When Xavier saw the pictures on TV he says it felt like he was looking at a report from another country, not Spain.
"I would rather stay in Spain than see this happen again," he says.
He didn't vote because he couldn't download the referendum app (banned by a court order) and by the time he found his polling station, the huge queue meant he had missed his chance.
Fire fighters in Barcelona took part in Monday's protests
"I don't trust politicians but I am Spanish and want to stay in Spain," says Ana.
So what does she think of Catalans?
"Well, this is a good Catalan," she says with a smile, gesturing towards Xavier, who is tickled pink.
But it's not easy for her, she adds, to hear Catalans call Spain a "country full of corruption".
So Spaniards never say mean things about Catalans? They sure do. A common view is that they are moaners who don't know how well off they are, she says.
"And there's corruption in Catalonia too," Ana points out.
But independence would mean a fresh start, Xavier believes. "I'm not angry with the Spanish people, but I want to choose my own future."
In his view, Spain is ruled by the same small group of people who were in power under the Franco dictatorship.
It's true Mr Rajoy's Popular Party has its roots in the Franco establishment but, 40 years on, can a democratically elected Spanish government really behave like Franco?
Huge numbers of people took part in protests against police violence on Monday
Ballot boxes used in Sunday's vote were put on display in various parts of Barcelona
"Totally!" says Josep, 86, a Catalan who grew up under the old regime before migrating to Germany for work.
Back living in Barcelona again, he has found his evening stroll with his daughter Maria (they also don't want to give their full names) interrupted by the demo at the police headquarters.
"Both sides are crazy," he says.
The father and daughter may be proud Catalans, but they see their future inside Spain - "only not with Rajoy", Josep adds. Perhaps Spain could adopt a federal structure like in Germany? he suggests.
Maria says she feels both Catalan and Spanish and "it's always better together", and she is worried about Catalan radicalism.
She tried to vote No on Sunday but her designated polling station had been shut down.
The police's use of force will have swayed more people towards independence, she thinks, leaving the future even more uncertain.
"Following orders is one thing, but using violence where there is no violence is excessive," Maria says. "People were only demonstrating that they wanted to vote." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41486358 |
Conservative fears of a downward spiral - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The worry in Manchester is not really that Boris Johnson is grabbing all the attention, it's that the party could be dying inside. | UK Politics | Guess what. It's not about Boris Johnson. He sucks the oxygen, grabs the attention, "the blond one" excites the Tory crowds, as well as driving his colleagues up the wall with his behaviour.
Today in a speech about "the lion that will roar", (wonder what he's trying to say there?) activists may cheer him and colleagues will gnash their teeth as, in a way only he can, he tickles the party's tummy.
The fuss around Boris Johnson is the symptom not the cause. The problem that is increasingly on people's minds at this grisly conference is that the Tories might be only at the start of a decline, which becomes impossible to escape.
One former minister says, "there is a smell of decay", another, that it is "hopeless, but we are resigned to the nightmare". Cabinet ministers fret that Theresa May simply doesn't have the ideas or imagination to reboot either her leadership or their party.
One of her colleagues says "how did she blow the party up in 12 months?", lamenting how her premiership has paralleled Gordon Brown, who after years of hoping to get to Downing Street arrived there with little to say, bewildered by the sudden challenge of the top job. Another says she looks "bent and broken".
But there is little evidence yet that there is anyone willing or brave enough to confront this publicly, the younger generations of Tory MPs are furious with the top brass, but none of them yet ready to step up to the plate.
For now, Mrs May's glum cabinet colleagues mostly believe the best option is to get behind her, to show loyalty with the hope of regaining authority to govern, the slow grind of government competence could restore credibility over time.
These are unpredictable times. One minister even told me they feel optimistic about the next election, believing the Corbyn phenomenon can't sustain for five years.
But in government and on the backbenches and in Manchester, optimism is a minority view. Stopping the slide the priority.
The fear here is not really that Boris Johnson is grabbing all the attention, it's that this party could be dying inside, and it finds itself with a leader who might struggle to stop the downward spiral.
• None May: Johnson's not undermining me | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41482140 |
Theresa May speech: What's the problem with affordable housing? - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The prime minister has pledged £2bn to build more council houses. | UK Politics | The prime minister has promised to invest an additional £2bn in affordable housing.
The Conservative Party says that will fund the building of an additional 25,000 new homes for social rent, expected to be mainly council housing, over two years from 2019. Let's put that into perspective.
In 2010-11, 39,570 additional homes were made available for social rent in England, either through being built or bought. In 2015-16 there were only 6,800 extra homes.
That's been concerning campaigners, because those on the lowest incomes are affected by the availability of houses for social rent.
This graph shows how the government's priorities have been shifting away from building homes for the cheapest social rents towards building those available for the more expensive "affordable" rents.
Wednesday's announcement signals a change in the policy of recent years and is expected to be targeted at areas such as London and the South East, where market rates are significantly higher.
What does the government mean when it talks about "affordable" housing? It includes social rent, affordable rent, affordable homes to buy and shared ownership.
The rapid fall in houses being built or acquired for social rent has meant the total number of extra homes categorised as "affordable" has been on a downward trend, from 61,090 in 2010-11 to 32,630 in 2015-16.
The spike in 2014-15 was the culmination of a four-year programme of house-building that saw a big rise in homes being completed. The rise was driven by a surge in homes for affordable rent being built.
In response to the prime minister's announcement, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) said: "As we have been saying for some time, social rents, which are significantly cheaper than market rents, are the only truly affordable option for many people on lower incomes, so the recognition that we need more of these homes is a vital step forward."
According to the CIH, only 20% of the government's current housing budget goes on affordable homes.
The main focus of government policy has been on private housing schemes with the remaining budget being spent on projects such as the Help to Buy scheme.
Unlike in the private sector, both social and affordable rented properties are allocated on the basis of need.
Some affordable housing is built through government funding and some is built by private house builders as part of a planning agreement with councils.
In 2015, the Conservatives promised to build a million more homes of all types by 2020 - the equivalent of 200,000 per year - but they have fallen behind on this. There were 168,350 homes built in the year to March 2016.
In May this year, the Conservatives promised a "new generation" of council houses, a proportion of which would have to be sold privately after 10-15 years.
The tenants would be given the first opportunity to purchase their homes, under the Right to Buy scheme, and the proceeds would go towards building more social housing. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41498353 |
Amazon and Apple caught in latest EU tax crackdown - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | EU tells Amazon to repay €250m as it also launches legal action against Ireland over Apple taxes. | Business | The European Union has launched a fresh crackdown over taxes paid by tech giants Amazon and Apple.
Amazon has been ordered to repay €250m (£221m; $293m) in back taxes after the European Commission said it had been given an unfair tax deal in Luxembourg.
The Commission also plans to take Ireland to court over its failure to collect €13bn of back taxes from Apple.
Amazon denied it owed any back tax, saying it did "not receive any special treatment from Luxembourg".
"We will study the Commission's ruling and consider our legal options, including an appeal," an Amazon spokesperson said.
But European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said the Luxembourg arrangement meant that Amazon had been allowed to pay "substantially less tax than other businesses", which it said was "illegal under EU state aid rules".
"Luxembourg gave illegal tax benefits to Amazon. As a result, almost three-quarters of Amazon's profits were not taxed," Ms Vestager added.
She said Amazon paid four times less tax than other local companies.
"Member states cannot give selective tax benefits to multinational groups that are not available to others," she added.
The Commission said until the taxes were recovered Apple was still "continuing to benefit from an illegal advantage"
Meanwhile, the Commission said it planned to refer Ireland to the European Court of Justice for failing to recover €13bn in back taxes from tech giant Apple.
It concluded last year that the US firm's Irish tax benefits were illegal, enabling the firm to pay a corporate tax rate of no more than 1%.
The Commission said that more than a year on from that decision, Ireland had still not recovered the money.
As a result, it was referring Ireland to the European Court of Justice, it said.
Ireland, which has contested the decision, claiming that EU regulators were interfering with national sovereignty, said the decision was "extremely disappointing".
"Today's decisions are to order Luxembourg to recover unpaid tax from Amazon and refer Ireland to the European Court for failing to recover unpaid tax from Apple. I hope that both decisions are seen as a message that companies must pay their fair share of taxes, as the huge majority of companies do," said Ms Vestager.
The decision on Amazon follows a three-year long investigation by the European Commission, which said in 2014 that it had suspicions the arrangement had broken EU rules.
The tax deal between Luxembourg and Amazon was struck in 2003.
The Commission said it had enabled Amazon to shift the "vast majority" of its profits from Amazon EU to Amazon Europe Holding Technologies, which was not subject to tax.
It said this arrangement had "significantly reduced" Amazon's taxable profits.
At the time the deal was struck, Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission's president, was the prime minister of Luxembourg. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41497459 |
Stourbridge stabbing: Aaron Barley admits murder - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Homeless Aaron Barley turned on Tracey and Pierce Wilkinson after the family helped him off the street. | Birmingham & Black Country | Tracey Wilkinson died at the family home in Stourbridge and her teenage son Pierce died in hospital
A "manipulative" homeless man who turned on a family who befriended him has admitted the "frenzied" murder of the mother and her 13-year-old son.
Tracey and Pierce Wilkinson were stabbed to death at their home in Stourbridge, West Midlands in March.
The boy's father, Peter, was seriously injured in the attack but survived.
Aaron Barley, 24, of no fixed address, admitted the killings at Birmingham Crown Court on what would have been the first day of his trial.
He previously admitted the attempted murder of Mr Wilkinson.
The family first met Barley after Mrs Wilkinson decided "off-the-cuff" to help him when she saw him trying to keep warm in a cardboard box while she was out shopping.
She helped him find accommodation and arranged daily meals for him, while her husband went on to employ him as a labourer in April last year.
He left the company on "amicable terms" last September after he began to take drugs.
Aaron Barley admitted the two murders on what would have been the first day of his trial
Prosecutor Karim Khalil QC told the court Mr Wilkinson was "naturally intent" on trying to continue to support Barley and his work colleagues "spent a huge amount of time and effort trying to find ways to support the defendant".
But despite this he went on to attack the family just months later.
Mr Khalil said Barley killed Mrs Wilkinson in her bed and attacked Pierce in his room while Mr Wilkinson was out walking the dog on the morning of 30 March.
He had hidden in the garden shed overnight after failing to gain entry to the home he once shared with the family.
CCTV played to the court showed him emerging from the shed with a hammer as Mr Wilkinson returned home.
Brandishing a knife over his head, he shouted "Die you bastard" as he stabbed Mr Wilkinson a total of six times - twice in the face, twice in the abdomen and twice in the back, the court heard.
Barley, described as a "compulsive liar and manipulator" with 21 previous convictions, wore a balaclava and was clad entirely in black, even covering his yellow trainers in black socks.
Mr Khalil said Mr Wilkinson described the defendant as "acting like a ninja".
"He realised immediately who his attacker was", he said.
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"The defendant was wielding a knife, stabbing and slashing at Peter in a frenzied attack with such aggression that this alone demonstrated an obvious intention to kill him."
The company director managed to contact emergency services, and was found in the garden of the family home with facial lacerations and deep stab wounds.
Barley fled the scene in the family's Land Rover and was pursued by police before he crashed in a nearby road and was arrested.
Mrs Wilkinson, 50, was pronounced dead at the scene, while Pierce died after being taken to hospital.
Mr Wilkinson, 47, spent 11 days in hospital recovering from his wounds.
Before the killings, Barley was reported to police after his former foster carer became concerned about messages posted on Facebook, the court was told.
Among the posts was a threat from him towards his family and the possibility of a "killing spree".
Less than a week before the stabbings, the court heard, the Wilkinsons cancelled a mobile phone contract they had paid for Barley.
Pierce Wilkinson (left) was killed in the attack while his father Peter was seriously injured. Pierce's sister Lydia was at university at the time
The couple's daughter Lydia, 19, was away at Bristol University at the time.
She said she was warned to expect the worst and when she saw her father hooked up to "countless machines" she doubted he would survive.
When he did eventually regain consciousness, Mr Wilkinson did not know his wife was dead and was unaware his daughter had been to the mortuary to identify her mother and brother.
Both the family and police said they did not know what Barley's motive was.
Mr Wilkinson said he had shared a "curry and a couple of bottles of beer" with Barley about a month before the attack.
"The next time I saw him he was sticking a knife into my shoulder," he said.
He said Barley had joined the family on Christmas Day last year and he wrote a card to his wife that said 'To the mother that I never had'.
"My wife was very caring and he treated her a bit like a second mother," he added.
He suggested that Barley, whose parents died when he was young, knew his life was "going bad ways" and wanted to take it out on the people that had "cared and looked after him".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lydia Wilkinson thought all her family was dead
Det Supt Tom Chisholm said Barley has remained uncooperative while in custody and given officers no reason for the "horrific attack".
Describing the "random" murders as the most shocking he had dealt with, the veteran detective added: "There is usually a build-up or a motive or a grudge of something, but this one is just very random."
The court also heard that psychiatric reports found no evidence of diminished responsibility.
Barley fled from the scene in the family's 4x4
Emergency services were called to Greyhound Lane, Norton on 30 March
Mr Wilkinson and Lydia have now moved back into the family home and said they have been "astounded" by the support they have received.
Ms Wilkinson described her mother as a "stunning" woman with a "beautiful personality".
"To have my best friend taken from me in life at such a young age is a hardship I would never wish on anyone," she said.
"Because it has to be the most awful experience. Especially when something happens… I can't ring her up any more."
She said her brother was "handsome, funny, clever" and made friends with everybody around him.
"My mum and brother were just the iconic mother/son relationship," she said.
Barley will be sentenced on Wednesday. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41484206 |
Europe 'to bill Amazon for Luxembourg back taxes' - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Brussels is poised to seek hundreds of millions of euros from the US retailer, say reports. | Business | Amazon is facing a bill for hundreds of millions of euros in back taxes linked to an alleged "sweetheart" tax deal with Luxembourg.
The European Union's (EU) competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager is expected to announce a recovery order later, reports the Financial Times.
It follows a three-year investigation into tax arrangements between the US online retailer and Luxembourg.
In a preliminary ruling the commission said the deal "constituted state aid".
Such a move by the European Commission (EC) would be similar to a 13bn euros (£11.5bn) bill it levied against US technology giant Apple last year for Irish back taxes, the Financial Times said.
Europe claimed that Ireland had given Apple, which employs around 4,000 people in the Republic, illegal state aid through special tax arrangements. Apple is appealing against the ruling.
The tax deal between Luxembourg and Amazon was struck in 2003.
At the time, Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission's president, was the prime minister of Luxembourg.
The European Commission declined to comment. Amazon was unavailable for comment.
Previously the EC has said that its "preliminary view is that the tax ruling... by Luxembourg in favour of Amazon constitutes state aid."
However, Amazon said it "has received no special tax treatment from Luxembourg".
"We are subject to the same tax laws as other companies operating here [in Luxembourg]," it said.
Separately, the European Commission is set to announce plans to crack down on VAT fraud which cost the 28-nation bloc 150bn euros in lost tax each year.
It is expected to set out a major reform of EU tax rules, including changes to cross-border VAT, on Wednesday. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41484025 |
100 Women: Can we wire our brains for confidence? - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | When we choose confidence, we are rewiring our brains and are able to change ourselves for the better, says neuroscientist Dr Stacie Grossman Bloom. | World | When we think about ourselves positively, we stimulate parts of our brains involved in reward, motivation, and pleasure, says Dr Stacie Grossman Bloom
Dr Stacie Grossman Bloom is a neuroscientist who has three daughters. She also has a successful career at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York. She has examined the role that neuroscience can play in boosting confidence. This is particularly useful to many women who need exactly that, she writes as part of this year's 100 Women Challenge.
Confidence is something that many women want, but don't know how to get. Yet, we need to embrace our abilities and our value and have self-esteem to be successful. Without it, we are less likely to seek promotion, speak up in meetings, and rise into leadership positions.
This ultimately has an enormous impact, as study after study shows that having women at work in positions of power correlates with profitability, more collaborative environments, and improved problem solving.
With some practice, we can use neuroscience to be more confident.
BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. In 2017, we're challenging them to tackle four of the biggest problems facing women today - the glass ceiling, female illiteracy, harassment in public spaces and sexism in sport.
With your help, they'll be coming up with real-life solutions and we want you to get involved with your ideas. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and use #100Women
We know that self-confidence, like all of our personality traits, resides within our brains. And while a large part of the architecture of our brains is predetermined, our experiences and the choices we make continue to shape us.
Over the course of our lives, we acquire new knowledge and abilities by modulating the intricate and malleable connections between the cells and circuits in our brains. We can utilise neuroscience to silence our negative inner voices and boost our confidence.
These strategies work by engaging the "value areas" of the brain.
When we think about ourselves positively, we are able to stimulate the parts of our brains that are involved in reward, motivation, and pleasure. One output of this pattern of neurological activation is that we literally feel good when we are confident, we hold our heads high.
Dr. Bloom with her three daughters
That feeling is contagious in that it also promotes those around us to be more engaged with us, whether that is our colleagues, our friends, or our troops. The reinforcing reactions we see and feel in response to our confidence also feed back to our brains to encourage more activity.
The first step is to push back against the obstacles we know stand in our way by being mindful of the situation, and deciding to be confident. Making that complex decision is a multi-step process that taps into our emotions and engages many other parts of the brain.
Once we have made the decision to be confident, we have to start training our brains.
The orange structure here is one of billions of neurons. It is stretching out to make all the connections (synapses) you see in yellow (more than 75,000). Those connections are what we are tweaking when we learn to choose confidence
Just like mastering any other talent, gaining self-assurance requires repetition and time. Every time we do or learn something new, our brains adjust to store our new skill or bit of knowledge.
This happens because parts of our brains are plastic, and the synapses that connect our brain cells, called neurons, to each other can be modified, strengthened, and even newly created to store what we have acquired - in this case our confidence boost.
From a scientific perspective, women can blame both nature and nurture for stacking the odds against us when it comes to how we value ourselves compared to men. It is a biological reality that women secrete different levels of hormones than men, causing us to react differently to the same world around us.
The areas of the brain in these images that are coloured to show they are activated are so-called “value areas” of the brain
Women tend to have a desire to please others, to seek acceptance and inclusion, and to avoid conflict. The way we respond to stressful situations is also different.
While men tend to take more risk under pressure, women look for surer successes and reach out to connect with others to manage stress.
Our genetic differences are compounded by the fact that we are socialised differently from the moment we are born and a pink hat is placed upon our heads.
As we grow up, young women are not necessarily taught to exhibit self-confidence, and if we do, we are often criticized for being "snobby" or "stuck-up" or "bitchy" - words seldom associated with men.
We hear damaging terms like "women's intuition" suggesting that we aren't making strategic analyses, but basing our decisions on some ethereal gut feeling when study after study shows that women and men are equally data-driven.
And the relentless emphasis placed on how we look erodes our self-image and for most of us, gets worse over time.
As a mother of three young girls, this resonates with me every time my daughters receive yet another impossibly-proportioned doll designed for dress up, caregiving, or primping.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Are women hitting a glass ceiling, or are they also climbing a broken ladder?
It is well-documented that we way we raise our girls and women has a lasting impact on the way they view themselves and their abilities. Negative messages will engender self-doubt and lead us to underestimate ourselves.
The result is not only a nearly universal feeling of imposter syndrome, but a fear of making mistakes, a suspicion that we are underperforming, and an unattainable quest for perfection.
This is what we are shutting down when we make the decision to be confident.
It doesn't matter what level of self-assurance you start at, the more time and effort you dedicate to practicing being more confident, the faster your brain will change and the faster you'll master it.
To start, it's important to remove ourselves from situations and people that make us feel bad because confidence largely comes from being in a supportive environment.
That environment comprises the people and environment around us and what we choose to focus our attention on.
It is beneficial to concentrate on things that are empowering and to steer clear of exposure to images and content that make us feel bad about ourselves.
The way we choose to hold and conduct ourselves is another factor.
Mental simulations also help - envisioning ourselves finishing a race, speaking in public to a standing ovation, mastering a job, getting a degree - can all help build ourselves up. Just as a coach gives an encouraging pep talk to the team before taking the field, we can give ourselves a confidence lift.
Notably, these practices have an impact on our overall health and wellbeing, serving as a buffer to stress and depression, and fostering good mental and physical health.
When we choose confidence, we are rewiring our brains and we are able to change ourselves, and maybe even the world, for the better.
Dr Stacie Grossman Bloom is Assistant Vice-President for Policy & Administration, and Associate Professor at the Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, NYU Langone Health. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-41097043 |
US gun laws: Why it won't follow New Zealand's lead - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A mass shooting in New Zealand has led to an assault-weapon ban six days later, drawing contrasts with the US. | US & Canada | Six days after the Christchurch mosque attack, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a ban on "military-style" semi-automatic rifles, prompting questions in the US.
Following a series of mass shootings in the US in recent years, there has been little in the way of sweeping gun-control reforms.
On the federal level, at least, the interest and attention in new legislation has led to almost no action in decades, despite numerous polls showing widespread public support for measures like strengthened background checks and banning certain types of high-capacity gun magazines and military-style assault rifles.
The Trump administration has issued a regulatory ban on bump-stock modifications that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machine guns, and there have been some tweaks to the background check database for gun-store purchases.
Last March, Donald Trump entertained the notion of more ambitious, "comprehensive" legislation, telling senators pro-gun lobbyists had little power over him. But there's been no such talk from the president since.
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Part of the reason New Zealand is ability to move quickly, of course, is that it's a parliamentary democracy, ensuring that the government is controlled entirely by one party or a politically compatible coalition. That's not the only explanation for why the US has charted a different course, however.
Here are five big obstacles that stand in the way of the kind of the US taking the kind of quick, major changes to firearm policy being advanced in New Zealand.
A woman shows off a model gun and holster at an NRA fashion show
The National Rifle Association is one of the most influential interest groups in US politics - not just because of the money it spends on lobbying politicians, but also because of the engagement of its five million members.
It opposes most proposals to strengthen firearm regulations and is behind efforts at both the federal and state levels to roll back many existing restrictions on gun ownership.
In 2016 the NRA spent $4m on lobbying and direct contributions to politicians as well as more than $50m on political advocacy, including an estimated $30m to help elect Donald Trump president.
Its overall annual budget is roughly $250m, allocated to educational programmes, gun facilities, membership events, sponsorships, legal advocacy and related efforts.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A guide to the weapons available in the US and the rate at which they fire
More than just the numbers, however, the NRA has developed a reputation in Washington as a political force that can make or break even the strongest politicians.
It grades politicians on their votes and directs its resources and those of its membership - both financial and organisational - to supporting its fiercest advocates and defeating staunch opponents.
As one former Republican congressman told the New York Times in 2013: "That was the one group where I said, 'As long as I'm in office, I'm not bucking the NRA.'" Last March the president said he wasn't "afraid" of the NRA - but that was a rhetorical flourish that has not resurfaced.
Could it change? Gun-control groups, backed by wealthy benefactors like former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, have become more organised in recent years, attempting to match the NRA's political might. They actually outspent the NRA in the 2018 mid-terms, during which some prominent pro-gun-control Democrats won close elections. The NRA's revenues dropped $56m in 2017, driven largely by a decline in membership dues. It still brought in $378.1m that year, however, ensuring that it will be the biggest single player in the firearm debate.
For the first time in eight years, Democrats have control of the House of Representatives - and their success in the 2018 mid-term congressional elections was fuelled largely by victories in suburban swing districts. In Atlanta, for instance, a gun-control activist won one of the closest races of the election, unseating an incumbent Republican.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What's Donald Trump said about guns and gun control?
Despite these advances for the party, the House electoral playing field is still tilted toward Republicans, who tend to be for gun rights. Due to the way the lines of House congressional districts are drawn, many by Republican-controlled state legislatures, there are more seats that tilt to the right than the left. While 2018 was a Democratic wave election, political gravity may eventually reassert itself, giving control of the chamber back to conservatives.
Demographics also play a part in the pro-gun sentiment in the House, as there are more rural districts with higher levels of gun ownership than there are urban ones. Racking up big pro-gun-control majorities in urban areas does little to change the political realities in the House.
House members sit on the floor "to demand action on common sense gun legislation"
For the moment, however, the initiative is with Democrats, and 2019 marked a significant step forward for gun-control proponents in Congress. One of their first actions was to pass a bill in the House requiring comprehensive background checks of private gun sales, including those that take place at gun shows. Previously the requirement to run the name of gun purchasers in a federal database was limited only to registered gun dealers.
Prior to 2019, attempts to pass new federal laws regulating firearms had been over before they ever really begin, stymied by House Republicans. In June 2016 a group of Democratic politicians staged a sit-in on the floor of the House to protest over the Republican House leadership's decision not to hold a vote on two gun-control bills.
Could it change? The House of Representatives was once one of the biggest obstacles to federal gun-control legislation. It no longer is - for now. With every House seat up for election every two years, and an American electorate that has proven fickle, the door could slam shut again with little advanced notice.
Now that gun-control bills have hopes in the House of Representatives, the Senate - where the rural-urban divide plays itself out on the state level - becomes the biggest obstacle to legislative success. States dominated by big-city voters, such as New York, Massachusetts or California, are outnumbered by rural and Southern states with pro-gun sentiments.
The rules of the Senate can also thwart efforts to enact more stringent firearm regulation, thanks to the "filibuster" - a procedural hurdle that means most major pieces of legislation need the backing of 60 out of 100 senators to pass, rather than a simple 51-vote majority.
In 2013, following the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting, it appeared that efforts to strengthen gun-purchase background checks had significant bipartisan support in the Senate. After a concerted lobbying effort by the NRA, however, the bill received only 56 votes in favour, four short of the mark necessary to break the filibuster.
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No gun-control measure has come close to passage since then. At least for the moment, there appears little chance the Senate will take up the House-passed universal background check bill, despite indications that a majority of senators would vote in favour of it.
Could it change? Mr Trump has been a vocal proponent of doing away with the Senate filibuster, as he views it as an obstacle to enacting his legislative agenda. Several Democratic presidential hopefuls have made similar calls. A majority of senators are on the record against changing the rules, however.
Protesters in front of the Supreme Court in 2008
With Congress deadlocked on new gun legislation, left-leaning US states have taken a greater role in implementing gun-control measures.
After the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, 21 states passed new gun laws, including imposing assault weapons bans in Connecticut, Maryland and New York.
Some of the laws have run up against another barrier, however - the US judicial system. In recent years the Supreme Court has twice ruled that the right to own personal weapons such as handguns is enshrined in the constitution.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How countries around the world introduced restrictions following mass shootings
The Second Amendment says that "a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed".
Gun-control activists point to the introductory clause as evidence that the amendment was meant primarily to create a "well regulated" militia. In 2008, however, a sharply divided court held that the Second Amendment provides a broad right to firearm ownership that prohibits stringent registration requirement for personal weapons.
Since then, lower courts have considered challenges to state-imposed assault weapon bans, registration requirements and open-carry prohibitions.
Could it change? Trump-appointed Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh have a record of viewing Second Amendment rights broadly. The president is filling out the ranks of the lower courts with pro-gun-rights judges. If anything, the judiciary is moving to the right on this issue. In the autumn, the Supreme Court will consider a challenge to a New York City law restricting how handgun owners can transport their firearms. Gun-control advocates fear the high court is poised to strike another blow against state and local regulations.
Perhaps the single biggest obstacle to new gun-control laws at the national level is that opponents tend to hold fiercely to their beliefs, while support for new regulation tends to ebb and flow around each new instance of violence.
The NRA's strategy, and that of pro-gun politicians, is to wait out the storm - to delay legislative efforts until attention turns elsewhere and the outcry fades.
Pro-gun politicians offer their thoughts and prayers, observe moments of silence and order flags flown half-staff. Then, in the quiet, legislative efforts are deferred and ultimately derailed.
The mass student-led protests following the Parkland school shooting focused white-hot attention on the issue for a time, but the marches have died down and the changes to gun laws, at least on the federal level, have been minimal.
Shortly after the Las Vegas shooting in October 2017, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters "there's a time and place for a political debate, but now is the time to unite as a country".
Mr Trump said "we will be talking about gun laws as time goes by".
As time goes by. As that song from the film Casablanca says, it's still the same old story.
Could it change? According to one poll during the 2016 presidential campaign, guns were an important issue for both Democrats and Republicans. That could be a reflection of that year's mass shooting in an Orlando nightclub or the first indication of a new trend. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41489552 |
Stourbridge stabbings: Lydia Wilkinson 'feared triple funeral' - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A student recalls the moment she found out her family had been attacked by a knifeman. | Birmingham & Black Country | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lydia Wilkinson thought all her family was dead
Lydia Wilkinson was in another county when she found out her whole family had been stabbed in a "frenzied" knife attack.
The 19-year-old Bristol university student was in halls when her boyfriend called her about a stabbing in her hometown of Stourbridge, West Midlands.
Unknown to Lydia, Aaron Barley, a 24-year-old homeless man who had been taken in by the Wilkinsons, had armed himself with a knife and entered her family's home.
"I remember typing into Google 'Stourbridge, stabbings," she said.
"And the first link showed a photo of my house with police tape around it. I remember ringing him [my boyfriend] back and saying 'It's me, it's us, they've been stabbed'."
Lydia did not yet know Barley had killed her 13-year-old brother Pierce, and her mother, Tracey. Her father, Peter, was gravely wounded in the attack.
Shaken by what she had seen online, Lydia went into a friend's room, where she called the police. Her friend took her phone while they waited for officers to arrive.
"West Midlands [Police] got to me and asked what I knew - I said just that they have all been stabbed," she said.
"They said 'we are very sorry to tell you that your mum and brother have passed away and your dad is in theatre and we don't know whether he will survive or not, we have had no news'."
Lydia, a first-year biology undergraduate, was set to return to the family home a day after the attack on 30 March.
She had promised to meet Pierce at his school gates, and was looking forward to going dress shopping with her mum, she said.
Instead, she found herself rushing to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, unaware if her father had survived.
"I remember coming back in the car from Bristol," she said. "I was planning a triple funeral and how I was going to go about that on my own."
Lydia Wilkinson laid flowers at her family home after the murders
About three hours after learning her mum and brother had died, Lydia arrived at her father's bedside.
"They took me to critical care and that was the first time I saw my dad - with countless machines hooked up to him, a lot of doctors around his bed," she said.
"I remember thinking at that point in time that I was going to lose him as well because nobody could survive that state."
"I thought he was going to pass away that night."
"I knew there was nothing I could do to help my mum and Pierce as they had tragically passed away, so my sole focus at that moment in time was my dad, because he was the only thing I had left in life."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Peter Wilkinson woke up in intensive care to learn his son was dead
Lydia sat beside her father, who was under heavy sedation, holding his hand.
"I said that I was there and he opened his eyes and looked at me and then went back unconscious," she said.
"He woke up later on that evening."
"I started to hope that he was going to [pull through] because before that there was just no hope. I genuinely thought it was going to be just me," she said.
"And from that moment he started to come round."
Pierce Wilkinson (left) died in hospital after paramedics battled to save him
Lydia, who has since continued her studies at Bristol, said she did not really talk to her father "about the outside world" until he came out of critical care.
"He didn't know I had been to the house [to lay flowers] and he didn't know that I identified the bodies of my mum and brother," she said.
Tracey Wilkinson had a "beautiful personality", her daughter said.
Lydia paid tribute to her mother, who had first met Barley when he was living on the streets. She found him meals and accommodation and let him temporarily stay in their home.
"To have my best friend taken from me in life at such a young age is a hardship I would never wish on anyone," she said.
"Because it has to be the most awful experience. Especially when something happens… I can't ring her up any more."
After Barley admitted killing Pierce and Mrs Wilkinson, Lydia faced him in court.
Addressing the killer as he stood in the dock, she said: "My parents helped you - you repaid them with destruction and heartache.
"You have obliterated my life, murdered half my family, very nearly all of it, and for this I will never forgive you." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-41488407 |
Why don't I want to have sex with the man I love? - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | At first Stacey thought she wasn't normal, then she thought she might be ill. Finally she discovered she was actually asexual. | Magazine | It is thought that between 1-3% of the population is asexual, meaning they do not feel any sexual attraction to other people. For years Stacey was puzzled about why she never wanted to sleep with anyone, even her husband. As she explains here, it was her doctor that told her the truth.
For a really long time I thought I was broken mentally or physically in some way, I thought it wasn't normal to not want to have sex with people.
Friends of mine would be talking about boyfriends they'd had or celebrities they'd like to bed, and I just didn't think about anybody in that very specific, sexual sense.
When I was in my early twenties I really started noticing it, but I didn't talk to anybody about it because I just thought, "They're going to think I'm well strange," so I just kept quiet.
Asexuality has quite a spectrum so although I might not be sexually attracted to people I do get very romantically attracted to people.
I'd met my boyfriend - who is now my husband - when I was 19, and I didn't know what asexuality was then, so I just thought I was bonkers or really behind the curve or something.
I was thinking, "I absolutely love this man, and if he proposes to me I will 100% say yes because I know I want to spend the rest of my life with him, so why don't I want to sleep with him? That's crazy."
Stacey spoke to BBC Radio 4's iPM, the programme which starts with its listeners. If you want to contact the programme, please send an email.
We sort of went on a bit of journey of discovery together, me and the hubby. He was very much, "I am in love with you. I will wait as long as it takes, if it ever happens."
He was really supportive and never tried to make me do anything I wasn't comfortable with.
Societal norms suggest that sex and children are the way forward in a relationship and all my friends were going off and getting married and having babies. I thought, "Oh God, there's this expectation that I should be sleeping with my husband and having children."
I started having a recurring nightmare that my husband was going to leave me for somebody who looked exactly like me but who would actually sleep with him, and I got to a point where my own anxieties were making me almost unbearable.
I thought, "Do you know what? I've got to sort this out, I've got to find out what's going on."
By this point I was probably 27 or 28.
I made the massive mistake of searching the internet for medical reasons that might cause low sex drive. That was a mistake, an absolute mistake. There were lots of little things that were easily fixable like dodgy hormone levels, but the one that caught my eye was brain tumours.
I was like, "Oh no, I'm dying of a brain tumour."
I went to my doctor and I said, "Look, is it serious? Am I going to die?"
She was like, "Calm down, you're probably just asexual."
I was like, "What's that? What?"
So she pointed me towards some websites - and it was like I'd found my people, it was so exciting.
I'd never heard the term "asexual" before.
I did some more research and I started feeling a lot more comfortable in myself, so I spoke to my husband about it and I said, "This label does kind of take things off the table permanently."
And he pretty much just said, "Well, I'd kind of assumed that anyway, so it's fine."
He's been absolutely great, he's been so understanding. I like to think it's because of my shining personality that he thinks, "I've got to hold on to that one."
I've never felt what most people would describe as horny and if I ever do feel any slight inkling of that it's very, very small, like an itch that I need to scratch.
It's a very biological process for me rather than an arousal kind of thing, if that makes sense, and I don't want to involve other people, not even my husband.
It's like, "Yeuch, here's this feeling, I'll go deal with that."
I almost disassociate from it.
"I'm 60 years old and have never knowingly met another person who is asexual. I had never even heard it publicly acknowledged." - Lucy
"When I first discovered that I was asexual, I tried to come out to a few people, and while some were very open to it, I've had some very negative reactions. A group of team mates from my university sports team decided to arrange a night out for me to 'help' me get laid, when they discovered that I hadn't had sex, not caring that it was due to my asexuality." - Scott
"I have been met with scorn, disbelief and disgusted looks when I have shared my asexuality with other people. People have told me that 'it's not a real thing' and that 'I'm making it up for attention.' I have only now begun to think of myself as a whole human being, with no 'missing pieces'." - Anonymous, 14 years old
"I don't have a problem with physical contact. It's just I don't see any others as sexual prey… Even though I have never discussed this with my wonderful mum, she is not blind to the fact that I live happily alone, child-free and have no interest in dating. She has even been on the brink of tears, concerned that - and I quote - 'It might be something I did that made you... not normal.'" - Dani
Asexuality is a spectrum and there are a lot of asexual people who, once they've built up a relationship with a person, feel comfortable having sex with them. But for me, any time I've ever got close, my whole body's been like, "No, no thank you, stop that now, not having it."
It's just the kids thing - people that I tell almost always immediately say, "Oh my god, but how are you going to have kids, though?"
Well, there are a lot of ways that I could have kids if I wanted them, it's not completely out of the realms of possibility.
I've only been aware about asexuality for about three or four years. I like the label ACE [short for "asexual"]. I find it almost comforting, and it has really helped me understand who I am, how I behave and how my mind works.
I do celebrate being ACE, I'm quite proud of it, and I do like to talk about it because I would like more people to understand it and not judge people for not wanting to have sex. I think if I'd known what asexuality was back when I was 18 or 19 my mental health could have been a whole lot better for most of my twenties.
Funnily enough, before I discovered asexuality my husband used to call me Stace Ace.
For more information on sex and relationships you can visit BBC Advice.
You can listen to iPM on Radio 4 at 05:45 on Saturday 7 October, or catch up later on the BBC iPlayer
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-41469511 |
Aaron Barley jailed for life for Stourbridge stabbings - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Homeless Aaron Barley was warned he may never be released after he "destroyed" the family who helped him. | Birmingham & Black Country | Aaron Barley admitted the two murders on what would have been the first day of his trial
A homeless man who "destroyed a family" by stabbing to death a mother and son who had helped him has been jailed for life with a minimum of 30 years.
Aaron Barley admitted murdering Tracey Wilkinson and 13-year-old son Pierce on the first day of his trial on Tuesday.
Mrs Wilkinson's husband Peter was also stabbed six times in the attack at their home in Stourbridge in March.
Mrs Justice Carr told Barley, 24, he had "betrayed their trust in every way" and warned he might never be released.
Barley murdered the pair after a year in which he was given food, friendship and shelter by Mrs Wilkinson, Birmingham Crown Court heard on Tuesday.
Tracey Wilkinson died at the family home in Stourbridge and her 13-year-old son Pierce died in hospital
Details of Barley's 21 previous convictions were read out in court, including an assault on his former partner.
The judge told Barley she had decided not to impose a whole-life tariff "principally because of your youth".
"You clearly represent a very significant risk of serious harm to members of the public," she said.
Prosecutor Karim Khalil QC said Barley killed Mrs Wilkinson, 50, in her bed and her son in his room before then attacking her 47-year-old husband as he returned home from walking their dog.
Mrs Justice Carr told the court of the "terror" Tracey and Pierce must have felt when Barley attacked them.
"One of them, at least, must have been aware of the stabbing of the other," she added.
The couple's daughter Lydia, 19, was away at Bristol University at the time of the attack.
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Passing sentence, High Court judge Mrs Justice Carr said Barley had carried out "a vicious and unprovoked attack" in the home where he had once been welcomed.
The judge told Barley: "You abused your knowledge of the family home, which you had only gained through the Wilkinsons' extraordinary kindness and generosity to you."
Mrs Justice Carr described the "chilling" security camera footage, showing Barley "crawling" on all fours around the back garden moments before attacking.
He had hidden in the garden shed overnight after failing to get into the home he once shared with the family.
Less than a week before the stabbings, the Wilkinsons cancelled a mobile phone contract they had paid for Barley.
Barley, whose parents died when he was a child, was brought up by a foster carer, who had reported concerns about his behaviour to the police before the killings.
The judge told him: "You have shown no remorse - indeed only regret that Mr Wilkinson survived his injuries and at times satisfaction in what you did achieve."
Lydia Wilkinson and her father Peter outside court
Mr Khalil told the court Barley was a "compulsive liar and manipulator" who was also given a job, accommodation and a mobile phone after Mrs Wilkinson met him outside a supermarket and took him home.
The court heard how hours after his arrest for the killings, Barley told a police officer: "I've stabbed three people up - I ain't bothered about taking one of you with me."
The judge said biology undergraduate Lydia had been left with "understandable anger" and distress over "remorseless" Barley's actions.
After Barley admitted the murders on Tuesday, Miss Wilkinson told him in court: "I will never forgive you."
At Wednesday's sentencing hearing the judge praised Miss Wilkinson for reading out her victim impact statement with "maturity and courage well beyond her years".
The judge said the 19-year-old was a "shell of her former self", adding Miss Wilkinson suffers anxiety attacks and cannot be left alone. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-41496292 |
Ex-GCHQ boss Brian Lord admits Truth or Dare assault - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Brian Lord placed his hand on a female party guest's knee for "two to three" minutes, a court heard. | Gloucestershire | A former GCHQ boss has admitted assaulting a female dinner guest during a "sexualised" Truth or Dare-style party game.
Brian Lord OBE, the ex-deputy director for intelligence and cyber operations at the Cheltenham spy base, denied sexually assaulting the woman by putting his hand on her knee.
Prosecutors instead proceeded with a charge of assault, which Lord admitted.
He was ordered to pay the woman £100 compensation and £200 costs.
The judge in the case also gave him a conditional discharge.
The court heard Lord, 56, who now works in the private sector, and his partner, Natasha Marshall, attended a colleague's dinner party in Churchdown, near Gloucester, on 26 November 2016.
Prosecutor Robert Duvall said: "During some party games the defendant placed his hand on the lady's knee.
"It was there for a significant time and caused her embarrassment and awkwardness."
Mr Duvall said the woman had not felt able to express her concern but when Lord's partner left the table, she followed her to the kitchen.
He said Lord was "apologetic and left without question" when the issue was raised.
"He was emphatic that his actions, however unwise, were not sexual in nature."
Rosemary Collins, defending, said everybody at the party had been drinking and Lord accepted he had put his hand on the woman's knee for "two to three minutes".
She said: "This was during the course of party games.
"They were sexualised party games such as 'Did you ever...?', 'Have you ever...?' that sort of thing.
"He intended no disrespect to her at all and accepts it was something that was stupid, done in drink.
"He thought he was getting on rather well with the complainant."
She added: "He has never been in trouble before.
"He is a family man, it is such a shame that it has come to this."
Judge Michael Cullum told Lord: "Your behaviour crossed the line to criminal behaviour, as a result of which you have lost your good name and your good character which, I know, you will have held dear."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-41503393 |
Pesto sauces: 'More salt than McDonald's burger' - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Consensus Action on Salt and Health says two products are 30% saltier than seawater. | UK | The salt content in some pesto sauces has increased despite a push to reduce levels, a campaign group has found.
Consensus Action on Salt and Health said Sacla's Italia Organic Vegetarian Pesto No 5 Basil and Italia Pesto No 1 Classic Basil now contain more salt per serving than a McDonald's hamburger.
It said none of the sauces it checked, including some made by Sainsbury's and Tesco, could be described as healthy.
Sacla said its products should be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.
Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) said salt levels in both Sacla sauces had increased in both products since they were last surveyed in 2009 - they now contained more than 1.5g of salt per 47.5g serving.
Cash found that Napolina Green Pesto with Basil, Gino D'Acampo Pesto alla Genovese Basil Pesto and Truly Italian Genovese Basil Pesto contained between 2g and 2.5g of salt per 100g.
Tesco Reduced Fat Red Pesto, Aldi's Specially Selected Italian Pesto Genovese and Italian Pesto Rosso, Jamie Oliver Green Pesto and Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Pesto alla Genovese contained less than 1g of salt per 100g.
Cash assistant nutritionist Sarah Alderton said: "Pesto is an everyday product eaten by adults and children alike, but people might not realise just how salty it can be.
"None of the products we surveyed could be described as 'healthy', so consider having pesto in smaller portions, less frequently or try other pasta sauces lower in salt and fat instead."
Cash called on Public Health England (PHE) to "act tough" on the food industry.
A Sacla spokeswoman said: "We work hard to make authentic Italian products which are good quality, safe to eat and should be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet."
PHE said it had been very clear with the industry on the importance of reducing salt and meeting targets.
Chief nutritionist Dr Alison Tedstone said: "Many popular foods can contain a surprising amount of salt.
"Although consumption has reduced by 11%, industry cannot be complacent and PHE will report on their progress next year."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41493440 |
Glee actor Mark Salling admits possessing child sex abuse images - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Mark Salling faces between four and seven years in prison, according to US media reports. | Entertainment & Arts | Mark Salling (pictured in 2016) starred in the musical series Glee for six years
Former Glee actor Mark Salling has pleaded guilty to possession of images of child sex abuse.
Salling, 35, now faces between four and seven years in prison and has been ordered to pay about $50,000 (£38,000) to each victim.
The actor was arrested in 2015 after a tip off he was in possession of images of children being sexually abused.
Investigators eventually found thousands of images on his laptop and hard drive.
Salling was charged with two counts of receiving and possessing images of child sexual abuse in May 2016, and faced a possible 20 years behind bars.
But documents obtained by several outlets show he has entered into a plea deal with California's district attorney.
As part of the agreement, Salling will be subject to 20 years supervised release and will have strict restrictions placed on his contact with under-18s, according to celebrity website TMZ.
Salling played bad-boy football player Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the hit US show Glee from 2009 to 2015. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41507130 |
Sydney and Melbourne could face 50C days 'within decades' - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Sydney and Melbourne could reach that temperature between 2040 and 2050, researchers warn. | Australia | Summers in Sydney and Melbourne will get hotter, researchers say
Australia's two biggest cities could swelter through 50C (122F) days within a few decades, a study has found.
Sydney and Melbourne are likely to endure such summers even if global warming is contained to the Paris accord limit of a 2C rise above pre-industrial levels, scientists said.
Limiting warming to below that would make 50C days less likely, they said.
Sydney reached a record 45.8C in 2013 while Melbourne hit 46.4C in 2009, the nation's Bureau of Meteorology said.
The study examined only forecasts for Victoria and New South Wales, but researchers said the rest of Australia could also expect rises.
"One of the hottest years on record globally - in 2015 - could be an average year by 2025," said lead researcher Dr Sophie Lewis from the Australian National University.
The research, also involving the University of Melbourne and published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, drew on observational data and climate modelling to predict future temperatures.
Dr Lewis said the cities could experience 50C days between 2040 and 2050, a forecast based on global temperatures being at 2C above pre-industrial times.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, the average global temperature in 2016, the warmest year on record, was about 1.1C higher than the pre-industrial period.
Australia's most recent summer broke 205 weather records while its winter was the warmest on record, according to the nation's independent Climate Council.
Last month, Australians were warned to prepare for a dangerous bushfire season in 2017-18. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-41493682 |
Canada forgets to mention Jewish people at Holocaust memorial - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A plaque is removed from the memorial after officials realised it failed to mention Jewish people. | US & Canada | Prime Minister Trudeau attends the opening of the National Holocaust Monument
A plaque has been removed from Canada's Holocaust memorial because it neglected to mention Jewish people.
PM Justin Trudeau opened the National Holocaust Monument last week in the capital Ottawa.
The plaque commemorated the "millions of men, women and children murdered" but did not specifically mention Jewish people or anti-Semitism.
About six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, the largest group to be persecuted by the Nazis.
The omission was seized upon by MPs and senators of the opposition Conservative Party on Tuesday.
"If we are going to stamp out hatred toward Jews, it is important to get history right," said MP David Sweet.
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Heritage Minister Melanie Joly assured parliament that the plaque had been removed, and would be replaced with one that reflects "the horrors experienced by the Jewish people".
The omission on the plaque appears to have been an oversight - during the opening on 27 September both anti-Semitism and the effects of the Holocaust on the Jewish people were mentioned.
"Today we reaffirm our unshakeable commitment to fight anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and discrimination in all its forms, and we pay tribute to those who experienced the worst of humanity. We can honour them by fighting hatred with love, and seeking always to see ourselves in each other," Mr Trudeau said at the unveiling.
Until then, Canada had been the only Allied power to not have a national Holocaust memorial.
Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump was admonished for failing to use the word Jew on Holocaust Remembrance Day. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41506700 |
Tillerson denies resignation rumours, but not 'moron' remark - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The US secretary of state did not deny media reports that he called Mr Trump a "moron". | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. In October, Rex Tillerson responded to a report he called Mr Trump 'a moron'
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has denied rumours of a rift with Donald Trump, amid media reports he had called the president a "moron".
"I'm not going to deal with petty stuff like that," he said, without denying the alleged remark.
Mr Tillerson called a news conference after an NBC report said he had considered resigning earlier this year.
He said his commitment to Mr Trump's White House was as strong as ever, and he would stay on as long as needed.
NBC had alleged, citing White House sources, that Mr Tillerson had to be talked out of resigning in July.
It said he had been advised by Vice-President Mike Pence "on ways to ease tensions" with the president, the report added - something which Mr Tillerson denies.
"The vice president has never had to persuade me to stay as secretary of state, because I have never considered leaving this post," he said.
"I'm new to Washington, I have learned there are some who try to sow dissension to advance their own agenda by tearing others apart in an effort to undermine President Trump's own agenda. I do not and I will not operate that way."
Just before Mr Tillerson spoke, Donald Trump took aim at their report, tweeting: "NBC news is #FakeNews and more dishonest than even CNN. They are a disgrace to good reporting. No wonder their news ratings are way down!"
Speaking in Las Vegas later, where he was visiting victims of the mass shooting, Mr Trump said he it was a "totally phony story... made up by NBC" and he had "total confidence in Rex."
State department spokeswoman Heather Nauert also later refuted the "moron" remarks, even though the secretary himself had not.
"The secretary did not use that type of language to speak about the president of the United States," she said. "He does not use that language to speak about anyone."
She added that Mr Tillerson was a "tough old bird" and daring those who want him to resign: "go ahead and keep pushing - because that will only strengthen his resolve."
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When asked if the president had instructed him to make a statement, Mr Tillerson said he had not spoken to Mr Trump since the allegations surfaced.
The vice president also issued a statement denying any discussion took place concerning the secretary of state's departure.
CNN, however, said it had confirmed the "moron" remark with its own source. A CNN White house reporter tweeted that Mr Trump "was aware that Tillerson had referred to him as 'a moron' this summer."
But the president followed up with his own tweet, saying NBC's story had been "totally refuted" and that "they should issue an apology to America".
It's a bit unusual for cabinet secretary to hold an impromptu press conference to effectively renew his vows of loyalty to the president, but this is no ordinary presidency.
The well-sourced NBC story about a Tillerson-Trump rift clearly touched a nerve and prompted a multi-pronged administration response.
The secretary of state said most of the right things, praising the president as smart and strong and denying he had to be talked out of resigning. He didn't, however, directly deny that he had referred to the president as a "moron".
Instead he professed an aw-shucks naivety about how Washington works - one belied by his decades of experience at the top of a multibillion-dollar corporation in the cut-throat global energy business.
Mr Trump insists the NBC story had been "fully refuted", but even if the details are adamantly denied by the White House, the reality is Mr Tillerson and the president frequently move in different directions on foreign policy.
Mr Tillerson may be fine with this. He says he's "just getting started". As long as it continues, however, questions will swirl about whether he can effectively serve as the top US diplomat - and when he might head for the exit.
On Sunday, Mr Trump tweeted that he had told his secretary of state that he was wasting his time attempting to negotiate with North Korea, just hours after Mr Tillerson had said the US was in contact with Pyongyang.
"Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!" Mr Trump publicly declared, in a move some pundits felt undermined the secretary's work.
As secretary of state, Rex Tillerson is one of the most senior US officials. He is fourth in line for the presidency, after the vice president and leaders of the House and Senate. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41502533 |
Newspaper headlines: 'Stop fights and do your duty' - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The press takes a look ahead to Theresa May's Tory conference speech - and back to Boris Johnson's. | The Papers | "The roaring lion" is the headline in the Daily Telegraph - referring to Boris Johnson's address to the Conservative conference which, it concludes, provided a "dose of much needed optimism".
Peter Oborne in the Daily Mail agrees, calling it one of the best speeches of Mr Johnson's career and praising him for talking about Brexit "with vim and gusto".
He also thinks he was "loyal" to Theresa May, adding this is not a quality with which the foreign secretary is usually associated.
The Sun criticises Mr Johnson for being short on solutions for improving the lot of the young or the fed-up.
"What practical help will this roaring be to those paid less than they were in 2007," it asks.
According to the lead in the i, one way the government may try to win over younger voters is through the re-introduction of maintenance grants to help the poorest students in England.
It reports that Education Secretary Justine Greening is battling with the Treasury to push through the plans.
"Inside the killer's lair" is the Daily Mirror's front-page headline as it pictures the Las Vegas attacker lying dead in his hotel room beside two assault rifles.
Crime scene tape frames a photo on the front of the Sun showing another of Stephen Paddock's weapons, primed and ready to fire.
Guardian columnist Richard Wolffe accuses the gun lobby of trying to stifle debate about new controls.
"We don't stop talking about air safety after a passenger jet goes down," he writes. "If we can't demand gun control after Las Vegas, then when?"
According to the paper, the Scottish government is facing claims it prioritised populism over the evidence of its scientific advisers.
Trade body UK Onshore Oil and Gas tells the Scotsman that the SNP is cherry picking evidence to match dogma and argues that relying instead on low-carbon sources of energy will condemn more people to fuel poverty.
But the paper also hears from Friends of the Earth which says the decision will be celebrated around the world, with the potential health risks of fracking enough to merit a ban.
The looming postal strike makes the lead for the Daily Express and the Daily Mail, which both warn industrial action may target Christmas deliveries.
The Mail says workers could walk out on November 24th and 25th, coinciding with the so-called Black Friday sales when many families buy discounted items online.
The Mirror says there was a "thumping majority" in favour of the strike and Royal Mail needs to negotiate fast to head off problems.
Merlot is making a comeback, according to the Times, but it has taken 13 years for it to recover after sales were destroyed by a cult comedy.
The paper reports that the variety suffered a big decline after the release of the film Sideways in which one of the characters, played by Paul Giamatti, declares he will leave if anyone orders Merlot.
Yet, the paper reports, although the movie was calamitous for one wine sales soared for the character's preferred tipple, Pinot Noir. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-41493422 |
Theresa May speech prank prompts security review - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Simon Brodkin had "legitimate accreditation" for the event where he handed Theresa May a P45. | UK | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A prankster interrupted the prime minister during her speech
Security at future Conservative Party conferences will be reviewed after a prankster got close enough to the prime minister to hand her a P45.
Comedian Simon Brodkin - also known as his TV persona Lee Nelson - handed the sheet of paper to Theresa May in the middle of her speech.
He was arrested by Greater Manchester Police to prevent a breach of the peace, but later released.
The force said he had "legitimate accreditation" to attend the event.
Brodkin approached the podium as the PM was giving her address to close the conference.
He held piece of paper up to Mrs May, which she took amid a sea of photographers.
He allegedly told her that the P45 was from Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, before giving her cabinet colleague a thumbs up.
Brodkin was then led out of the conference hall to angry shouts from party members.
The paper, a faked P45, was later discovered on the floor of the hall.
After being released by police, the comedian tweeted Mr Johnson.
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Brodkin has a reputation for carrying out pranks at big public events.
Political moves by the comedian include throwing US dollar bills over former Fifa president Sepp Blatter during the football organisation's bidding scandal.
He was also found handing out Nazi golf balls at a Donald Trump speech.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. UK prankster Simon Brodkin was behind the protest at the news conference
During Glastonbury Festival in 2015, he ran on to the stage as Kanye West was performing.
He pulled a similar stunt on The X Factor in 2014 as boy band Stereo Kicks were playing.
The incident split opinion online. Some praised the prank, including fellow comedian Russell Kane who tweeted that he was an "absolute ledge".
But Conservative MP George Freeman, head of the prime minister's policy board, said: "There should be some very serious questions - that could have been a terrorist."
He added that "questions will be asked about how he was allowed to get that close".
Even opposition MPs stepped in, with Labour's Angela Eagle tweeting that whilst the incident was "harmless", there were "worrying questions about her security".
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Shaun Hinds, chief executive of Manchester Central - where the conference was being held - said: "At the time of the disturbance, conference security protocols were immediately enacted resulting in the individual being quickly ejected from the venue and handed over to [police]."
A Conservative spokesman added: "In light of the arrest during the prime minister's speech we are working with the police to review the accreditation process and security arrangements for party conference." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41503374 |
Recap: How Theresa May's eventful conference speech unfolded - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Theresa May had to battle a sore throat, being interrupted by a prankster and parts of the backdrop falling off. | UK Politics | It's fair to say there was plenty going on in the conference hall during Theresa May's speech earlier.
One thing that did not go unnoticed on social media, although it was not widely commented upon at the time amid the wider fallout from the speech, was the PM's unusual choice of accessory.
She was wearing a bracelet featuring a huge picture of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo as well as other images associated with the celebrated artist.
Kahlo, whose extraordinary life was the subject of a 2002 Hollywood biopic starring Salma Hayek, was a member of the Mexican Communist Party, and had an affair with Leon Trotsky.
Kahlo recovered from a near fatal accident aged 18 to become one of the most influential female painters of the 20th Century and a feminist icon.
A footnote, perhaps, on a remarkable day but a statement all the same? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-41466961 |
RAF jets intercept flight after security 'hoax' - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | RAF Typhoon jets divert a passenger flight to Stansted Airport after a suspected hoax alert. | UK | RAF Typhoon jets intercepted a passenger flight and diverted it to Stansted Airport following a suspected "hoax" security alert.
The RAF said its quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft were deployed on Wednesday morning and safely escorted the plane to the airport, near London.
Flights were temporarily grounded at Stansted but have since resumed.
Ryanair said the flight from Kaunas in Lithuania to Luton was diverted "in line with procedures".
One passenger, Jonathan Zulberg, said when passengers boarded the flight they saw fire engines and a police car but were not told about a threat being made.
The flight was delayed for up to 40 minutes, he said, and he was told by a stewardess that a bomb threat had been made in Lithuania.
Mr Zulberg said the captain announced that a bomb threat had been made after the plane landed in the UK.
He said: "When I heard I was pretty surprised the plane was allowed to take off."
A sonic boom could be heard in Suffolk after the Typhoon aircraft were authorised to travel at supersonic speed for the operation, the RAF said.
The aircraft are kept on high alert and can take off "within minutes" from RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth to defend UK airspace.
Stansted is a designated airport for dealing with hijacks and major security alerts.
Flights were briefly held earlier, the airport said, but it is now open and operating normally.
Essex Police said it had completed investigating the incident and confirmed it had not found anything suspicious.
A Ryanair spokesman said the plane landed normally and passengers are being transferred to Luton by coach. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41495677 |
'I was forced from my job for giving birth' - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The scale of maternity discrimination is being hidden due to the use of gagging orders, it's warned. | UK | Around one in nine of the more than 3,000 mothers questioned had lost their jobs
The scale of maternity discrimination is being hidden because of the use of gagging orders when women who have lost their jobs settle out of court, experts have told the Victoria Derbyshire programme.
"My boss said if I'm not going back to work, then I'd have to pay back all the maternity payment."
"Emma" - not her real name - was working as a beautician when she became pregnant.
She did not realise at the time that her boss's request was against the law.
She was called into the salon and told by the owner she would no longer be needed at the company.
"I didn't know what to do. I'm a single mum, no family. No-one can help me," she tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
"How can I pay my rent? How can I pay my bills? I was floored."
Emma went on to settle out of court. She signed a confidentiality agreement preventing her from speaking out about the case - which is why she is anonymous.
Around one in nine of more than 3,000 mothers questioned said they had been dismissed, made compulsorily redundant, or treated so badly they felt they had to leave their job, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2015.
This is despite the Employment Rights Act and Equality Act protecting women from unfair dismissal because they are pregnant or on maternity leave.
Last year, the government described the findings as "shocking" and "wholly unacceptable", but no new protections have been brought in since.
Karen Jackson believes confidentiality agreements should not be allowed
Karen Jackson, director of law firm Didlaw and a specialist in discrimination cases, says the true scale of the problem is masked by the fact that many women sign settlement agreements containing a confidentiality clause - which stops them from speaking out.
"I've never seen a settlement agreement that didn't have a very strict confidentiality term in it," she says.
"I wish I could talk about some of the companies that I've dealt with and their attitudes to pregnancy and maternity.
"Household names, brands that we know, banks, insurers, utility companies, big conglomerates, retail - you name it, these companies have all at some point had some issues.
"If I look at the FTSE 100 there's a good chunk of companies on that list that I've acted against around pregnancy and maternity."
Conservative MP Maria Miller, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, says women must be allowed to speak out.
"The government needs to take this situation very seriously indeed.
"We shouldn't have the problem hidden by confidentiality clauses," she explains.
Kiran Daurka, an employment solicitor at Leigh Day, says in 14 years she cannot recall one of her clients who was pregnant or had recently given birth taking her employer to a full tribunal.
She says such women are likely to settle and "accept a lower offer, as they don't really want to be in litigation during that time for emotional and financial reasons, which employers often exploit".
Catherine McClennan won a maternity discrimination employment tribunal in 2015 against her employer, the TUC - which represents trade unions.
She received damages and costs of £21,000.
"My job and job title was omitted from the [company's] directory, which was really hard to see in print to be honest with you.
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"At one point, when I said... 'Look, I've come back. I'm a competent, able, professional woman. I've always done a really good job. I just want to continue with my career', he asked a female colleague if I had post-natal depression," she continues.
Catherine says she did not expect such treatment from the TUC.
"I was very sad actually because I felt, as an organisation who stand for fairness, equality and justice, a number of individuals were obviously bringing the reputation of that into disrepute."
The TUC says there was "no malicious or conscious attempt to discriminate", and that it challenged the tribunal case "vigorously".
The government says it is "determined to tackle pregnancy and maternity discrimination" and there should be "zero tolerance" of it.
It adds that it is still reviewing whether stronger protections are needed. No date has been given for when a decision will be made.
The Women and Equalities Committee has previously recommended to the government that it brings in a "dismissal ban", similar to the one in place in Germany.
This means that only in very rare circumstances can a woman be dismissed while pregnant, or for four months after they give birth.
One German discrimination solicitor, Anna Lindenberg, said in 10 years she had only had to represent one woman who was dismissed during this period of time - such was the effect of the ban.
Catherine says she hopes change will come to the UK soon.
"It's a travesty really that women in 2017 are still faced with this level of discrimination," she says.
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40586451 |
Theresa May speech: How can you combat a croaky voice? - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The PM coughed her way through a difficult speech, but could a quick fix have cleared her throat? | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Theresa May struggles with her cough
Theresa May might be stocking up on cough remedies after battling through a croaky voice during her Conservative Party conference speech - but could the prime minister have done anything to fix her faltering voice?
Mrs May had to stop several times to drink water during her party's annual conference address - at one point being handed a lozenge by Chancellor Philip Hammond.
To make matters worse, a heckler handed the PM a joke P45 before being bundled out of the hall, after which the slogan written behind the lectern fell apart.
Fellow politicians praised Mrs May for carrying on - with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson insisting she did a "fantastic job" while Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable said: "This was the speech of a brave prime minister struggling on."
But Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former aide and a public speaker, insisted that her pre-speech prep was "shocking" - claiming that doctors could "sort" a croaky voice for an hour.
BBC Radio 4 announcer Neil Nunes also offered his voice tips - tweeting that the PM should have spoken more softly, suggesting: "Take a moment, pause, drink and it'll come back."
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Prof Neil Tolley, a head and neck surgeon at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth in London, insists "no quick fix" could have covered up Mrs May's tired voice.
"She's had a very heavy workload," he says. "Life's tough for her at the moment."
Arguing the case for Brexit, shouting in the House of Commons and chairing cabinet meetings have all taken their toll, Prof Tolley explains.
He says many politicians suffer from voice problems, but they can combat overuse by practicing breathing techniques to help them vocalise more effectively.
"I would change my delivery technique by speaking more slowly to take tension out of my larynx [voice box], rather than trying to shout my way through a presentation," Prof Tolley says.
But he adds: "In the House of Commons she's got to overcome a wall of noise, and that can be particularly challenging."
Confidence coach Anne Walsh says Mrs May's body language also impaired her voice - saying she was in "fight or flight" mode.
"The cough will have thrown her off, but she wasn't breathing regularly," she says. "She doesn't fully extend her height and is exerting a lot of muscle tension."
Ms Walsh says the PM could have benefitted from simple voice exercises, like humming, to warm up her vocal chords.
"The best thing to do is to release your shoulders, ground your feet, and slightly bend your knees."
But what if you have to deliver a speech with a spluttering cough you really cannot suppress?
Some have expressed their sympathy for Mrs May's inability to stifle her coughs - including BBC Scotland's political correspondent Nick Eardley, who had a coughing fit at the SNP conference last year.
"We've all been there," he said.
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"The show must go on, so there's no choice but to acknowledge it with the crowd," suggests dialect coach Elspeth Morrison.
If a speaker really cannot hold their cough in, it is better to make a joke about it rather than to overlook it completely, she says.
"The same goes for a heckler - the worst thing is to ignore it because everybody knows it's happened and it's a chance to win over the audience."
After being interrupted with a fake P45, Mrs May got cheers from the audience for joking that the only redundancy notice she wanted to give out was to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
If you have a cold, Ms Morrison says drinking a hot beverage or inhaling steam can help, adding: "It might sound unsavoury but if you're feeling a bit phlegmy then swallow rather than cough to prevent further irritation."
She advises avoiding highly caffeinated drinks like coffee, as well as sugary foods, which can dry out the mouth.
And one final tip? "If your mouth suddenly goes dry, take a bite of a green apple - it will make your salivary glands go!" Ms Morrison says.
"If you act confident in the body often your voice will follow."
Have you ever been struck with a cough or lost your voice at a key moment? What happened? E-mail us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
You can also contact us in the following ways: | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41503413 |
Danielle McLaughlin: Goa murder case to be 'fast-tracked' - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A second post-mortem examination reaffirms that Irish woman Danielle McLaughlin was strangled. | Europe | Danielle McLaughlin went to university in Liverpool
The family of an Irish woman who was raped and murdered while on holiday in India have confirmed that her case is being "fast-tracked".
Danielle McLaughlin from County Donegal was found dead in a field in the western state of Goa in March.
A second post-mortem examination, this time in Ireland, reaffirmed brain damage and strangulation as the cause of her death.
Vikat Bhagat remains the only person charged in connection with the case.
The 24-year-old is to go on trial for her murder, he will also face rape charges.
In a statement, Ms McLaughlin's family revealed they have received the "charge" documentation in the case from the prosecution authorities in India.
They expressed their "sincere gratitude" to the coroner's office in Dublin and the Chief State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy.
Her report "among other things" confirmed the cause of Ms McLaughlin's death as being in line with the first Indian post-mortem examination.
They also thanked the British Consulate in Mumbai for their "invaluable assistance".
Ms McLaughlin grew up in Buncrana, County Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland. She had travelled to India in February.
The family's solicitor, Desmond Doherty, said they had dealt with a lot of documents and information over the last number of months.
"They are still trying to cope with and come to terms with the tragedy that has occurred," he said.
"Danielle's family remain hopeful that the truth in relation to Danielle's untimely death will be made known and that justice in her memory will be done." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41496152 |
Army sergeant 'removed parachute parts in bid to kill wife' - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Victoria Cilliers survived falling from 4,000ft after both of her parachutes failed, a court hears. | Wiltshire | An Army sergeant tried to kill his wife by removing parts of her parachute, causing her to spin thousands of feet to the ground, a court has heard.
Emile Cilliers, 37, is accused of two counts of attempted murder of Victoria Cilliers who survived the jump on 5 April 2015.
Mr Cilliers, who denies all charges, wanted to leave his wife for a lover he had met on Tinder, prosecutors said.
It is also claimed that just days before the jump, on 29 March 2015, the defendant tried to kill Ms Cilliers, 40, by deliberately causing a gas leak in the family home while he stayed away.
Police evidence showed the kitchen cupboard where the gas leak occurred (large arrow)
Prosecutor Michael Bowes QC said that on the night of the gas leak Mr Cilliers had left his wife at their home in Amesbury, Wiltshire, to stay at his Army barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire.
He said the following morning Ms Cilliers contacted her husband complaining of a gas smell coming from a kitchen cupboard next to the oven.
She noticed dried blood on the fitting which was later found to be a full DNA match to her husband, the court was told.
The jury was told the Royal Army Physical Training Corps sergeant lied to his lover, Stefanie Glover, that he was leaving his wife because she was having an affair and he was not the father of one of their children.
Mr Bowes QC said Mr Cilliers was also having an affair with his ex-wife Carly Cilliers.
He told the court the defendant had debts of £22,000 and believed he would receive a £120,000 life insurance payout on his wife's death.
Emile Cilliers made up lies about his wife having an affair, the court heard
Mr Bowes QC said Ms Cilliers was a highly experienced parachutist and instructor but when she jumped out of the plane 4,000ft (1,200m) above Netheravon Airfield in Wiltshire "both her main parachute and her reserve parachute failed".
"Those attending at the scene expected to find her dead, although she was badly injured, almost miraculously she survived the fall.
"Those at the scene immediately realised that something was seriously wrong with her reserve parachute, two vital pieces of equipment which fasten the parachute harness were missing," he said.
Police picture of the gas pipe which Sgt Cilliers allegedly tampered with
The day before the failed jump the couple had visited Netheravon together, the court heard.
While there Mr Cilliers collected a hire parachute for his wife and took it into the men's toilets at the base, where he is alleged to have tampered with it.
Mr Bowes QC said: "It's heavy, it's bulky, there is absolutely no reason to take it in there at all.
"The weather was so poor that afternoon that Victoria couldn't jump, the cloud base was too low."
The court heard that Mr Cilliers then arranged to keep the equipment overnight in his wife's locker, a move that was against normal procedure.
He added that at the time of the murder attempts, Mr Cilliers was leaving his wife and treated her with "callousness and contempt".
The third allegation, which Mr Cilliers also denies, is damaging a gas fitting, reckless to endangerment of life.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-41499604 |
Newspaper headlines: May 'on final warning after speech shambles' - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Theresa May's "disastrous" Conservative conference speech takes centre stage on the front pages. | The Papers | The Huffpost UK website chooses an image of the prime minister swigging water to control her cough, alongside the headline "The Cough Drop".
Its executive editor of politics, Paul Waugh, describes how "the PM's dogged persistence won her sympathy from her own tribe" but warns that she "is now in danger of being neither liked, feared nor respected, merely pitied".
Jason Beattie, in the Daily Mirror, warns that a position that "now relies on sympathy, not respect" is no way to win votes, adding that "the Tories are lumbered with supporting an ill-fated leader whose speech will become a metaphor for a party in poor health and struggling to find its voice".
The Sun pokes fun at the party slogan sliding off the backdrop behind her, employing the headline "things can only get letter".
Its editorial takes the view that, like the crumbling catchphrase, "the entire party has come unstuck".
The Times says Tory sources blamed the repeated standing ovations - led by ministers in an attempt to let her recover her voice - for loosening the magnets that were securing the motto on the wall.
Politics.co.uk editor Ian Dunt likens the "crescendo" of applause to "a parent clapping their child when he falls over during the school play".
The Daily Telegraph quotes former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell and a professional vocal coach as criticising Theresa May for failing to seek help to preserve her voice ahead of the speech.
Her former chief of staff, Nick Timothy, tells the paper the blame for a disastrous week lies with the whole government.
While Conservative former cabinet minister Lord Tebbit says she has been let down by advisers "lacking in experience and ability".
"Carry On Conference" is the headline for the Independent, which believes her performance "was so bad, the next P45 may not be a comic's prank".
It points out the "inevitable parallels" with the Tory conference address given in 2003 by Iain Duncan Smith who was forced to stand down as leader three weeks later.
The Daily Star claims Boris Johnson was "smirking" as the prime minister stumbled along.
Jenni Russell, in the Times, agrees that Mr Johnson "was the only cabinet minister looking alert and cheerful".
But she reports that support for him among his colleagues is evaporating amid an "icy realism that, severe as the party's problems are, Boris's fantasies are not the answer".
One Conservative MP tells the Financial Times that Mrs May's critics have already begun plotting her demise.
But the paper adds that most MPs fear a chaotic leadership contest if she is ousted before Brexit.
Politico reflects on reporting of the speech across Europe with Italy's La Repubblica describing it as an "odyssey", Spain's El Pais regarding her as "tiptoeing around Brexit" in an "anguished" address and Le Figaro of France referring to her "arriving weakened and ending up on her knees". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-41507073 |
100 Women: Do female leaders improve women's lives? - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | More women are smashing the glass ceiling than ever but are they taking 50% of the population with them? | World | The glass ceiling of the Javits Center ended up being horribly symbolic for Hillary Clinton
"I can't believe we just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet... if there are any girls out there that stayed up late to watch - I may become the next woman president, but one of you is next." The words of Hillary Clinton on becoming the Democrat nominee in July 2016.
In the end she failed to smash the ceiling, but Hillary Clinton's choice of election night venue was anything but coincidental.
The Javits Center is thought to have the biggest glass ceiling in New York City, and would have been the perfect setting for her to become the first woman president in US history.
But Mrs Clinton's defeat bucked the trend - the number of elected women in power globally has doubled over the past decade.
There are 15 women currently in power, eight of whom are their country's first female leader, according to analysis by Pew Research Centre.
But that still means that women leaders represent fewer than 10% of the 193 United Nations member states.
A study found girls with women leaders had higher aspirations for themselves
These leaders are clearly breaking down barriers - but are they taking other women in their country along with them? The political quota system in Indian local government may yield a clue.
Since 1993, one in three randomly selected Indian villages has been required to reserve the role of chief councillor for a woman, creating a naturalised social experiment.
A 2012 study of thousands of Indian adolescents and their parents discovered that having a female leader correlated with higher aspirations for young women in the village.
When asked what they wanted for their children in terms of education, age when they had their first child and job prospects, parents generally had higher aspirations for their sons.
But once a village had a female leader for two election cycles, the parents' "aspiration gap" for boys and girls closed by 25% compared with those who had never had a woman leader.
For the adolescents themselves, it narrowed by 32%. Expectations for boys didn't fall when there was a woman in charge, so the smaller gap was entirely down to higher aspirations for girls.
The authors noted the female leaders had limited scope to change the situation of women and girls through the policy. But their presence as positive role models was enough to improve the aspirations and education of the young women around them.
Images of Hillary Clinton and Angela Merkel both inspired women to make longer speeches
A 2012 Swiss study also suggests role models inspire women's behaviour in leadership situations, even from a distance.
The authors invited male and female students to make a speech in a virtual reality environment in four groups: one saw a picture of German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the wall, one saw Hillary Clinton (then US secretary of state), one saw Bill Clinton and a control group saw no picture at all.
Women spoke significantly longer when primed with a successful female politician than when primed with a male politician or no role model. And the longer they spoke, the more positively they rated their own performance.
"Not only is an increase in female politicians the goal of equality, it can also be (as our results show) the engine that drives it," the authors say in their report.
There is data to back up the idea that the mere existence of women in political roles can be linked with greater equality in everyday life.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) ranks countries in its Global Gender Gap Report based on four key factors - health and survival, educational attainment, participation in the economy and political participation.
In 2016, the countries that had the smallest overall gender gap - Iceland, Finland and Norway - were also the most likely to have women in politics. It suggests that women do better overall in countries where they are represented politically.
There are difficulties in making a concrete link between women leaders and an improvement in quality of life for their female counterparts. This is partly because equality has improved greatly over the past century in almost every country, regardless of whether or not it has had a female leader.
Also, because many women were either elected recently or were in positions of leadership for a short period of time, it's difficult to measure the direct impact of their policies.
However, the evidence we do have makes a case that women who are able to crack the glass ceiling raise the aspirations of their female citizens, and that their countries are also more likely to offer a better quality of life for women. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-41258332 |
Sputnik: How the Soviet Union spun the satellite launch - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | For the Soviet Union, the launch of the satellite was a triumph not just for science. but socialism. | Science & Environment | The launch of Sputnik, the first man-made satellite, 60 years ago kicked off the space race between the Soviet Union and America.
The satellite was a success not just in terms of scientific advancement but in terms of providing a propaganda opportunity for the socialist state.
Early reports detailed a wealth of technical information about the launch of the "Earth satellite", such was the general interest in it.
One news correspondent described seeing the satellite appear "like a flashing spark over the horizon" and the Communist Party's main newspaper, Pravda, wrote that "all the world heard the announcement of the launching of the artificial moon".
But reports by the state news agency Tass also mentioned its orbital velocity of about 8km a second, the fact that it was travelling at up to 900km above the surface of the earth, and that Sputnik was making one complete revolution in an hour and 35 minutes.
Sputnik was just 58cm in diameter and weighed 84kg
Russian media also detailed the frequencies and wavelengths on which Sputnik was emitting regular beeps, saying its transmitters were powerful enough for amateur radio operators to be able to receive them.
Later, radio broadcasts to America touted the fact that the Soviet magazine Radio was offering "special prizes" for radio hams who submitted reports of the signals.
Special broadcasts listed the places and times the satellite was expected to pass over.
BBC Monitoring, a unit of the World Service, recorded Soviet broadcasts about Sputnik's movements
The day after its launch, Tass and Russian radio reported world reaction to it, noting how major media outlets like AFP, the Daily Mail and the BBC had reported it and how "some US radio stations interrupted their programmes in order to broadcast the satellite's signals".
On Soviet radio, various scientists, such as jet propulsion expert Professor Kirill Stanyukovich, called it "a great victory not only for Soviet science but also for the Soviet order".
"I think that the very fact that this has been achieved in our socialist country must not be regarded as mere chance," another academic told listeners. "That we are not as rich as America is no secret to us. Why then has it happened that we have been capable of solving these most advanced and difficult scientific and technical problems ahead of Americans?"
Several digs at America made their way into reports.
"For 40 years they closed their eyes to the enormous successes of Soviet industry and agriculture," one radio broadcast said. "Now the most reactionary personalities in the USA are trying to raise some doubts about the tremendous value and great significance of this new success of Soviet science."
BBC Monitoring, a unit of the World Service which monitored Soviet broadcasts at the time, notes that "Leading officials were quoted by Tass as showing reluctance to accept the news; and Moscow radio told the home audience on the 7th that the United States Information Agency had adopted a policy of minimising the military and scientific significance of the achievement. US scientists, on the other hand, were given as expressing pleased congratulations."
Komsomolskaya Pravda described Sputnik as "the victory of Soviet power"
Today, the name Sputnik is also associated with an international news agency, which has a presence on the web and radio, and is one of the main media outlets through which Russia influences global opinion.
Sputnik tends to seek audiences on the political margins - whether it's supporters of the Front National in France, or the Democrat Bernie Sanders in the US.
Its political stances include the idea that NATO is a menace to world peace, criticism of what it sees as US hegemony, and the general decadence of Western democracies and their institutions, especially in the face of the challenges posed by Islamist terrorism and migration into Europe.
Sputnik is still potent force for Russian influence, just in a different sort of space now.
See also: The team that tracked Sputnik - and the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41498083 |
Boris Johnson Libya 'dead bodies' comment provokes anger - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Boris Johnson says Sirte could be the new Dubai - "all they have to do is clear the dead bodies away". | UK Politics | Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said Libyan city Sirte could be the new Dubai, adding, "all they have to do is clear the dead bodies away".
His comments at a Conservative fringe meeting sparked anger, with a number of Tory MPs calling for his sacking and Labour labelling him "crass and cruel".
Mr Johnson claimed his critics had "no knowledge nor understanding of Libya".
A Downing Street source said it was not an "appropriate choice of words" but the PM regarded the matter as closed.
"I look at Libya, it's an incredible country," Mr Johnson told the meeting.
"Bone-white sands, beautiful sea, Caesar's Palace, obviously, you know, the real one.
"Incredible place. It's got a real potential and brilliant young people who want to do all sorts of tech.
"There's a group of UK business people, actually, some wonderful guys who want to invest in Sirte on the coast, near where Gaddafi was captured and executed as some of you may have seen.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Libyan politician Guma El-Gamaty: "Some 750 young Libyan men died while liberating Sirte from IS"
"They have got a brilliant vision to turn Sirte into the next Dubai.
"The only thing they have got to do is clear the dead bodies away," he said, before laughing.
The host of the conference fringe event, Legatum Institute chief executive Baroness Stroud, stepped in to say "next question", as the foreign secretary continued to speak.
The coastal city of Sirte is the former stronghold of so-called Islamic State, or Daesh, and recently the scene of fierce fighting.
Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed government managed to oust IS fighters from Sirte, the birthplace of former leader Muammar Gaddafi
Reacting on Twitter, Ms Allen said: "100% unacceptable from anyone, let alone foreign sec. Boris must be sacked for this. He does not represent my party."
Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston called on Mr Johnson to apologise and urged him to "consider his position", adding that the comments were "crass, poorly judged and grossly insensitive - and this from the person who is representing us on the world stage. I think they were really disappointing."
And Justice Minister Philip Lee tweeted that "anyone decent" would condemn the comments.
But fellow Tory MP Nadine Dorries tweeted that "the campaign by Remain MPs on here calling for Boris to resign" was "co-ordinated and mendacious".
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Mr Johnson defended his remarks, adding on Twitter that he had been making a point about the need for optimism in Libya, after a recent visit to the country.
"The reality there is that the clearing of corpses of Daesh fighters has been made much more difficult by IEDs and booby traps," he tweeted.
"That's why Britain is playing a key role in reconstruction and why I have visited Libya twice this year in support."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tory MP Sarah Wollaston calls on Boris Johnson to "consider his position" after Libya 'dead bodies' comment
But Damian Green, the first secretary of state, told BBC 5 live he believed Mr Johnson's remarks were unacceptable, adding: "It was not a sensitive use of language. As I say, we all need to be sensitive in our use of language, particularly in situations like that."
Labour's shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, said: "It is less than a year since Sirte was finally captured from Daesh by the Libyan Government of National Accord, a battle in which hundreds of government soldiers were killed and thousands of civilians were caught in the crossfire, the second time in five years that the city had seen massive loss of life as a result of the Libyan civil war.
"For Boris Johnson to treat those deaths as a joke - a mere inconvenience before UK business people can turn the city into a beach resort - is unbelievably crass, callous and cruel.
"If these words came from the business people themselves, it would be considered offensive enough, but for them to come from the foreign secretary is simply a disgrace.
"There comes a time when the buffoonery needs to stop, because if Boris Johnson thinks the bodies of those brave government soldiers and innocent civilians killed in Sirte are a suitable subject for throwaway humour, he does not belong in the office of foreign secretary."
Lib Dem deputy leader Jo Swinson said the "unbelievably crass and insensitive comment" was further proof Mr Johnson was "not up" to a job for which diplomacy was "a basic requirement".
• None May: Johnson's not undermining me | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41490174 |
Instagram baby photo thief banned from social media - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Kati Ringer, 21, claimed other people's babies were sick or dead in an attempt to get money. | Norfolk | Kati Ringer (face obscured) leaves Norwich Magistrates' Court where she appeared for sentencing
A woman who stole photos of babies from Instagram and claimed they were sick or dead in a bid to get money has been banned from social media.
Kati Ringer, 21, claimed the pictures, copied from accounts belonging to two unsuspecting mums, were her own.
When challenged by her victims, Ringer became abusive and threatening, Norwich Magistrates' Court heard.
Ringer was caught after police traced her IP address to a computer at her mother's house.
She was sentenced to a two-year criminal behaviour order which bans her from using any social media accounts, passing any other person's photo off as her own or asking any third party for a donation unless as a legitimate volunteer for a registered charity.
Ringer was also handed a jail term of 30 weeks, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £225 costs.
Kati Ringer was sentenced to a two-year criminal behaviour order which bans her from using any social media accounts
Jane Walker, prosecuting, said Ringer had targeted two women, copying photos of their babies from their Instagram accounts and reposting them on her own "saying they were her child, the child had died and trying to get money".
She said when challenged by the first victim, Ringer "became threatening towards her and made threats to rape and harm the child".
The court heard Ringer sent the mother a "laughing face" emoji on Instagram, then a further message saying "I've already posted pictures saying she's dead, I've got £600 so far".
When the victim accused Ringer of being jealous, Ms Walker said, the defendant replied: "Jealous of a disgusting little runt that should have been drowned at birth."
Ringer targeted the second victim by using images of her prematurely born daughter.
"The victim challenged the suspect and asked she stop using the images," said Ms Walker.
"It was then that she said she would find out where the victim lived and kidnap and rape her daughter.
"She was using the picture of the victim's baby reporting to people that the baby was premature, that she was seriously ill, struggling to pay for her treatment and funeral."
Ian Fisher, mitigating, said Ringer pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and a number of events in her life had contributed to her "lacking any ability to empathise".
He said of the offences: "They are made possible by the advent of quite complex social media forms on the internet, and the defendant set about something that no normal, decent human being would do."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-41488799 |
NFL anthem protests after Las Vegas attack anger fans - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Kansas City Chiefs players protest during the national anthem on a day of mourning for Las Vegas. | US & Canada | Fans have criticised three Kansas City Chiefs players who protested during the US national anthem amid a day of national mourning for a mass shooting.
The demonstration at Monday's game against the Washington Redskins came a day after a gunman killed 59 people and wounded hundreds in Las Vegas.
Fans held up signs such as one urging players, "protest on your own time".
Some NFL players have been kneeling or sitting during the anthem to protest against racial inequality.
Cornerback Marcus Peters was the only player shown on TV seated as the anthem was played on Monday.
But his teammate Ukeme Eligwe sat, too, and Justin Houston knelt apparently in prayer.
Kansas City Star newspaper sports editor Jeff Rosen tweeted: "Man, can't get behind Marcus Peters and Ukeme Eligwe sitting tonight.
Flags flew at half mast at Arrowhead Field in Kansas City on Monday night, and a moment of silence was observed before the Star-Spangled Banner was sung.
Sports television network ESPN had already made a decision not to show the anthem due to ongoing protests, but reportedly reversed course after the Las Vegas shooting attack.
The Redskins team all stood for the anthem
At the stadium in Kansas City - Richard Conway, BBC Sport
The atmosphere outside the Arrowhead stadium was rowdy and loud as fans "tailgated" before going to see their team play.
But speaking to some, it was clear that many were not happy with players protesting during the national anthem.
One Chiefs fan even told me he wouldn't celebrate a touchdown if a protesting player scored.
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Fans held up counter-protest signs including one that said: "Praying 4 Vegas - take a knee 4 the right reason".
The national anthem protests began last year against police treatment of African-Americans, but took on a new lease of life after US President Donald Trump said such players should be fired.
Their defenders say they have the right to free speech under the constitution.
The Chiefs won 29-20 against the Redskins.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41487808 |
Theresa May's nightmare speech - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | There has never been a speech quite like it. Even before she took to the platform Theresa May was fragile. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Theresa May struggles with her cough
There has never been a speech quite like it. Even before she took to the platform Theresa May was fragile - politically, and in terms of her health, she has been struggling with a cold all week.
But the awkwardness of watching her cough her way through what was meant to be a fightback was intense.
Ovations were engineered by the cabinet to give her time to try to clear her throat.
The stage manager at the conference venue was continually handing her cough sweets to try to get through.
A prankster handing her a P45, interrupting her speech, ministers looking on in horror, trying to get him to leave before he was eventually bundled away in a huge media scrum, then handcuffed and surrounded by police.
At moments it felt like it would be impossible for the prime minister to carry on with the speech, but she made it, just.
But for how long can she continue in her job?
Her allies are proclaiming the ordeal as a demonstration of her best values - her resilience and determination to keep going.
No leader, though, wants the sympathy vote, they want to be respected, loved, and perhaps feared.
And remember most MPs already think it is impossible for her to lead the party into the next election.
Discussions have already been had about how and when she should go. There was a delicate consensus after the summer that she probably could stay in post until the Brexit negotiations were complete.
But that was based on the assumption that nothing major then went wrong.
Well, today might have been it. One senior MP tells me today's events may "accelerate those conversations", about her departure.
The conference was meant to be about restoring Theresa May's authority. It may prove instead to have been further undermined. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41503160 |
The dying art of the great song intro - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The rise of streaming means pop stars are neglecting the art of the build-up. | Entertainment & Arts | Clean Bandit have squeezed the intros in their hits
Great song intros, where a tune builds up before the vocal kicks in, are becoming an endangered species as fickle music fans skip tracks if they don't get immediate gratification.
That's the view of the man who co-produced two Clean Bandit number ones this year, and it's backed up by stats.
The average intro time has dropped from more than 20 seconds to five seconds since the mid-1980s, research has found.
Producer Mark Ralph said it is because the rise of streaming services means it's now much easier to move on to the next song if you're not instantly hooked.
"Attention spans have now decreased and that is potentially down to the ease with which you can chop and change between pieces of music if you're bored," he told BBC News.
"If you imagine trying to do that with one piece of vinyl, if you get bored in the first 10 seconds, to take it off the turntable, find another record, put it on and start again is quite a long-winded process.
"Nowadays, if you're sitting on Spotify and get bored within 10 seconds, you just flick a button and you're on to the next thing. I think you have to grab peoples' attention much more quickly."
Sam Smith's voice arrives almost immediately in Too Good At Goodbyes
Ralph worked on Clean Bandit's smash Rockabye, in which Sean Paul's vocal began after just a second; and Symphony, a number one in April, in which the vocal appeared after a whole seven seconds.
Three of this year's other UK number ones have had intros that lasted just a second or two before the vocals kicked in - DJ Khaled and Rihanna's Wild Thoughts; Artists for Grenfell's charity version of Bridge Over Troubled Water; and the current chart-topper, Sam Smith's Too Good At Goodbyes.
Feels, the mega-hit created by Calvin Harris, Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry and Big Sean, goes for 30 seconds before the main vocal arrives - but even that intro is punctuated by cries of "hey!", "oh yeah!" and "ha!".
In research published earlier this year, Ohio State University doctoral student Hubert Leveille Gauvin found that intro lengths had dropped by 78% between 1986 and 2015.
Katy Perry can't keep quiet during the Feels intro
"That's insane, but it makes sense," Gauvin said. "The voice is one of the most attention-grabbing things there is in music.
"It's survival of the fittest - songs that manage to grab and sustain listeners' attention get played and others get skipped. There's always another song.
"If people can skip so easily and at no cost, you have to do something to grab their attention."
There's another reason musicians want to grab fans' attention. If a tune is played for less than 30 seconds on Spotify, it doesn't count as a play and they don't get paid.
Those are factors that songwriters and producers are aware of when crafting their future hits, Mark Ralph says.
"I think they're talking about it a lot because obviously it's in their interests to be as successful as they possibly can, and they want to have their tracks streamed as many times and played on the radio as many times as they can."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41500692 |
Las Vegas shootings: Is the gunman a terrorist? - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Debate gathers pace online about how to label the Mandalay Bay shooter. | US & Canada | Stephen Paddock has been identified by police as the man behind the deadliest shooting in modern US history
As details emerge about the Las Vegas gunman who killed at least 58 people and injured more than 500 others, an online debate has begun about why Stephen Paddock has not been labelled a terrorist.
Instead the 64-year-old who opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel towards an open-air music festival on Sunday evening has been described by news outlets as a "lone wolf", a "granddad", a "gambler", and a "former accountant", but not a terrorist.
We do not know yet what motivated Paddock to carry out the deadly attack. There has been no link found to international terrorism and no confirmation of mental illness.
Yet on social media, many have been pointing out that if Paddock had been a Muslim, the term "terrorist" would have been used almost immediately to describe him, as a link to Islamist terrorism would be assumed even without evidence.
Celebrities, TV personalities and academics have all been discussing why this hasn't happened in this case.
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According to Nevada state law, an "act of terrorism" is described as follows: "Any act that involves the use of violence intended to cause great bodily harm or death to the general population."
At federal level, the US defines "domestic terrorism" as activities that meet three criteria - "dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law", those that are intended to intimidate or coerce civilians or governments, and which occur primarily within the US.
The FBI, too, suggests there must be an intent to "intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives".
This element seems to be key - is the perpetrator of violence not only attempting to cause mass harm but trying to influence government or further a particular ideology?
Many on social media shared an image of a definition of Nevada state law and questioned why, despite the clear outline, the sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Joseph Lombardo said during a press conference about Paddock: "We do not know what his belief system was at this time. Right now, we believe it is a sole actor, a lone-wolf-type actor."
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On Twitter the phrase "lone wolf" has been used more than 200,000 times since Monday's attack. The words "terrorist attack" have been used more than 170,000 times as people argued about why there seemed to be a clear disparity between how white suspects and those of colour are described.
On Facebook the discussion has also been escalating. Mursal in Indonesia said: "He's not considered an international terrorist? Maybe because his face is not Arabic!"
Muslim American Facebook user Mahmoud ElAwadi expressed his sadness at hearing the news, but described how the attack would not affect white people in the way his family was affected by Islamist attacks.
"Every mass shooting means my wife's life is in danger because she chose to cover her hair, that my son will be attacked at school because his name is Mohamed, that my 4 year old daughter will be treated unfairly because she speaks Arabic, unless the terrorist is a white and Christian then suddenly he is a mentally sick person and everything is normal."
At the BBC there is clear guidance on the use of the words terrorist, or terrorism. BBC editorial guidance says:
"There is no agreed consensus on what constitutes a terrorist or terrorist act. The use of the word will frequently involve a value judgement.
"As such, we should not change the word 'terrorist' when quoting someone else, but we should avoid using it ourselves.
"This should not mean that we avoid conveying the reality and horror of a particular act; rather we should consider how our use of language will affect our reputation for objective journalism."
Despite an overwhelming majority of comments criticising officials and the media for not labelling Paddock a terrorist, there were some counter arguments and suggestions as to why.
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By UGC and Social News Team, additional reporting by BBC Reality Check | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41483943 |
‘Don’t brand me’: The Indian women saying no to forced tattoos - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A fashion statement in the West and with affluent Indians, tattoos have a darker shade too. | India | For more than 2,000 years, the Baiga tribeswomen have been getting tattoos
In India, and across the world, getting a tattoo is nowadays seen as a sign of independence and rebellion. Many young people get inked to showcase their identity, what makes them distinctive and who they are.
But for me, a decision to not get a tattoo was my version of rebellion, an assertion of my hard-fought independence.
It was my way of saying: "I will not toe the line."
I grew up thinking of tattoos, along with nose and ear piercings, as symbols of the subjugation of women.
That's because my mother has a couple of tattoos. And my grandmother had more than a couple. And they told me they had no choice in the matter.
In many rural communities in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, where my family comes from, it's mandatory for married women to have tattoos, locally known as Godna.
"My family told me that if I didn't have a tattoo, no-one in my matrimonial home would drink water or take food offered by me. I'd be considered impure, an untouchable," my mother told me recently. My father, of course, didn't need to get one because, as mum says, "he was a boy".
She was a child bride, not even 11 at the time of her wedding in the 1940s. A few weeks after the ceremony, an elderly woman who lived in the neighbourhood was called to the house to brand her.
Her tools were rudimentary: a needle that she would heat with fire. The process involved burning the upper layer of skin and filling the tattoo with black colour pigment.
In those days, there was no anaesthetic to numb the pain and no ointments to quicken the healing process, and a tattoo would take a month to heal.
More than seven decades later, my mother's tattoos have somewhat faded, but the memory of the pain inflicted in childhood remains vivid.
"I cried through it. I kept kicking the tattoo maker. At the end, she went and complained to my grandfather. She told him I was trouble," she says.
She has no idea what the small patterns on her arms mean and I can't figure them out either. "Maybe it's phool-patti," she says, meaning flowers and leaves.
Keya Pandey, a social anthropologist at Lucknow University who has researched tattoos extensively in rural and tribal India, says flora and fauna are among the preferred designs.
Also high on the list are the names of husbands or fathers, or even the village, totems or other symbols of cultural or clan identity, and images of a god or local deity.
Ms Pandey says she's seen tattoos in every rural culture in India and estimates that millions of women in villages have them.
My mother was told that if she didn't get a tattoo, she would be regarded as impure
She has no idea what her tattoos mean
In some communities, especially in tribal areas, both men and women have tattoos.
"It's a symbol of identity, in life and even after death. The idea is that when you die and your soul travels up to heaven or hell and you'll be asked where you come from, you'll be able to trace your ancestry through your tattoos," she says.
There are also communities where women get tattoos for the purpose of beautification - though there are instances where low-caste women got tattooed to make themselves ugly and less desirable to avoid being sexually assaulted by influential men.
But in many communities, as in my ancestral village, tattoos are meant only for a woman, a sign of her marital status.
For my mother and grandmother, they were a symbol of purity, the idea that unless a woman was put through a painful purification ritual, she was not fit to serve the patriarchy.
The practice, however, is declining - and many young women, even girls, are saying no to being branded.
With modernity and development creeping in and growing contact with the outside world, things are changing in rural and tribal India.
Traditions and folklore are being modified and girls in villages are no longer interested in getting a tattoo, Ms Pandey says.
Nowhere is that more evident than among the girls of the Baiga tribe in central India.
Mother Badri Bai (left) has tattoos all over her body, daughter Anita has one and she has refused to get any more
For more than 2,000 years, the women here have been getting branded.
"The tattooing starts as they hit puberty when they get the first one on their forehead and over the next few years, most parts of their bodies are covered bit by bit with the exception of some part of the torso," says Pragya Gupta of WaterAid India.
Ms Gupta, who recently travelled to meet the Baigas to understand the access they have to safe drinking water, told the BBC that all the women she met had tattoos, but more and more girls today were refusing to get inked.
As road connectivity has improved, television and cellphones have arrived and children have begun going to school, many have started rejecting what's been passed on to them for generations in the name of tradition.
"I met this 15-year-old called Anita. She has a tattoo on her forehead and she told me that it was very painful and she would never get another one. Her mother, 40-year-old Badri, has tattoos covering most of her body," Ms Gupta says.
Anita's rebellion has won grudging support from her mother.
"I was illiterate and I accepted unquestioningly what my parents told me. But she goes to school and if she doesn't want a tattoo, it's fine by me," she says.
In recent years, educated affluent Indians in cities have begun to get tattoos, inspired by images of Hollywood actors and rock musicians. Many of my friends have got inked too.
But for me, because of my cultural heritage, tattoos remain taboo - a symbol of subjugation. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-41466751 |
Yahoo 2013 data breach hit 'all three billion accounts' - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The internet giant says three billion user accounts were affected, more than originally thought. | Business | Yahoo has said that all of its three billion user accounts were affected in a hacking attack dating back to 2013.
The company, which was taken over by Verizon earlier this year, said an investigation had shown the breach went much further than originally thought.
The stolen data did not include passwords in clear text, payment card or bank account data, it added.
Previously the internet giant had said "more than one billion" of its accounts had been hit.
Yahoo said that while its latest announcement did not represent a new "security issue" it was sending emails to all the "additional affected user accounts".
The company added that it was "continuing to work closely with law enforcement".
Yahoo's takeover by the huge US telecoms firm Verizon was completed on 13 June.
The deal was first announced last year when the struggling company agreed to sell its main internet business to Verizon for $4.8bn.
That figure was later cut to $4.5bn after Yahoo disclosed that it had been the victim, in 2013 and 2014, of two huge security breaches.
Verizon has combined its AOL subsidiary and Yahoo into a new business called Oath.
In Tuesday's statement Verizon's chief information security officer Chandra McMahon said: "Verizon is committed to the highest standards of accountability and transparency, and we proactively work to ensure the safety and security of our users and networks in an evolving landscape of online threats."
"Our investment in Yahoo is allowing that team to continue to take significant steps to enhance their security, as well as benefit from Verizon's experience and resources." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41493494 |
PM speech: Are fewer black people being stopped and searched? - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Black people remain more likely to be stopped and searched than any other ethnic group. | UK Politics | The claim: Prime Minister Theresa May said that following a speech at the Conservative Party conference in 2014, government action had meant "the number of black people being stopped and searched has fallen by over two-thirds".
Reality Check verdict: The number of black people being stopped and searched by police has fallen by two-thirds since 2010-11 but not since the 2014 conference.
Also, black people still form a disproportionately large percentage of those being stopped and searched and the percentage has actually risen since 2013-14.
As she delivered her keynote speech to the Conservative Party conference, the prime minister reminded Tories of what she sees as a key achievement - a reduction in the number of black people being stopped and searched, but all is not what it seems.
Theresa May spoke about a young black man called Alexander Paul who spoke at the conference in 2014 about his experience of police stop-and-search tactics.
She said: "Inspired by his example, we took action. We shook up the system, and the number of black people being stopped and searched has fallen by over two-thirds."
The overall number of stop-and-searches fell dramatically between 2010-11 and 2015-16, which is the most recent year for which data is available. So, the number of black people being stopped also fell.
This graph shows that the number of black people being stopped fell by two-thirds over the total period, but not since Mr Paul spoke at the conference in 2014.
But even though far fewer black people are being stopped and searched, they are still more likely to be stopped than any other ethnic group.
When you look at the percentage of those stopped and searched who define themselves as black, little has changed. It was 15.2% in 2010-11, and fell to about 11% in 2013-14. Then it rose, and in 2015-16 was back up to 15.1%.
The 2011 census found that 3.3% of people in England and Wales defined themselves as black - meaning black people are being stopped and searched nearly five times as often as you would expect them to be.
So, while the number of black people being stopped and searched fell, their proportion of the total rose since Mr Paul spoke at the 2014 Conservative party conference.
Just to be clear - these figures don't include stop-and-searches related to terrorism or that are carried out because police are trying to manage an incident that affects public safety - those fall under different legislation and are recorded separately. They would not have significantly changed the data. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41501683 |
Bird deaths: Pheasants 'most likely species' to die on UK roads - BBC News | 2017-10-04 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Pheasants are the bird species most likely to be run over on UK roads, according to new research. | Science & Environment | Pheasants are far more likely than other species to be the victims of road kill
Pheasants are the bird species most likely to be run over on UK roads, research suggests.
There has been a big rise in the number of pheasants being bred for shooting across the UK over the past 50 years.
The study in Royal Society Open Science journal says these captive bred pheasants are 12 times more likely than other species to end up as road kill.
University of Exeter researchers found pheasants were most likely to be killed on the roads in autumn and spring.
To gain a better understanding of what's causing the scale of road kill among pheasants, researchers looked at data from the early 1960s and the modern era. Fifty years ago there were far fewer of the species in the UK and most were wild bred.
Now, experts estimate that about 35 million pheasants are captive bred by the shooting industry across the UK every year.
Between 2013 and 2016 38.1% of reported road kill birds were pheasants.
The rise of captive breeding has played a role in making the birds more vulnerable to cars
Fifty years ago the worst time for road collisions with pheasants was in the breeding season in early summer. That has changed significantly, say the authors, and is the result in some measure of captive breeding.
"We see this spike in road kill in October. That's the time when the captive bred birds start to disperse from their release pens," said Dr Joah Madden from the University of Exeter, who led the study.
"Because they have been reared in the absence of any adults they have no one to show them how to live and so they walk around and get killed, they have no prior experience."
Dr Madden says that there is also a second peak in March or April. He believes that this is because commercial shoots put out food for the birds during the season. When that ends, so does the food supply. The birds have to forage more widely and end up being hit by traffic.
While the researchers had expected to see an increase in the proportion of pheasants being killed they were surprised to find it was consistent with the rate of attrition found in the 1960s.
The experts suspect that changes in behaviour among the gamekeepers in terms of feeding and keeping birds away from the roads may be limiting the level of road kill.
During the shooting season, gamekeepers give food supplements to pheasants
Natural behaviours and other factors are also likely playing a role in the continuing slaughter, with the chances of pheasants being killed on the roads almost 12 times higher than their share of the bird population would warrant.
"It may be to do with their small brains, but it's mainly to do with the fact that they are mainly terrestrial," said Dr Madden.
"They are not the world's best fliers and I think the numbers reported killed are high because they are easily spotted in their glorious plumage."
Despite the heavy toll on their numbers, Dr Madden says pheasants would persist in the UK even if they were not being bred for shooting.
The research team used road kill data provided by the citizen science group, Project Splatter.
"Our work demonstrates how changes in animal behaviour can be revealed by road kill data reported by members of the public, and the value of citizen science," said Dr Sarah from Cardiff University who co-ordinates the project.
Follow Matt on Twitter and on Facebook | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41487536 |
Royal Navy could lose 'fight on beaches' ships in planned cuts - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Royal Navy could lose ability to assault enemy-held beaches, under plans considered in the MoD. | UK | The Royal Navy could lose its ability to assault enemy held beaches, under plans being considered in the Ministry of Defence, BBC Newsnight understands.
Two specialist landing ships - HMS Albion and Bulwark - would be taken out of service under the proposals.
The plan - part of a package of cost-cutting measures - has caused alarm among senior Royal Marine officers.
The MoD told the BBC that no decisions have been made yet and that discussion of options was "pure speculation".
It is understood the head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Sir Philip Jones, formulated the move as part of a package designed to balance the books and free up sailors for the service's two new aircraft carriers.
Critics say the proposal would deprive the Royal Marines of its core mission.
Among other cuts envisaged are a reduction of 1,000 to the strength of the Royal Marines and the early retirement of two mine-hunting vessels and one survey vessel.
A senior Royal Marine officer blamed the introduction of the new carriers for exacerbating the senior service's financial and manning problems.
He told the BBC: "This is the worst procurement decision of the past half century - that's what the Royal Marines are being sacrificed for."
The proposed cuts are part of a raft of "adjustments" being considered by all three services - the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force - as the Ministry of Defence struggles to balance its books.
The Royal Air Force could slow down orders of its new F35 fighter, and the Army could lose dozens of helicopters as part of their efforts towards the same goal.
In 2015 there was a Strategic Defence and Security Review, a paper intended to act as a blueprint for the coming five years.
However the depreciation of sterling has made big buys of foreign equipment more expensive and the armed forces have crammed the programme with too many projects, creating a hole in the budget.
The government announced "additional work to review national security capabilities" in July - a review by stealth - under the leadership of its national security adviser Mark Sedwill.
The proposed cuts to the Royal Navy have been put forward as part of this exercise.
Under the 1997 defence review, a group of ships was created to improve the UK's ability to land its commando brigade, even in the face of opposition.
The helicopter carrier Ocean, two specialist landing ships - Albion and Bulwark - and four logistic support ships were to be acquired to allow the 5,000 strong force to continue performing operations such as the 1982 Falklands landing, or the one on the Faw peninsula during the 2003 Iraq conflict.
With the retirement of HMS Ocean already announced, and the new plans to lose the two landing ships, the Royal Marines' ability to use landing or hovercraft to get ashore would be drastically curtailed.
In recent years, as an economy measure, the Royal Navy has only been crewing Albion or Bulwark alternately - they are big ships, each requiring a complement of 325.
While the government has dubbed 2017 "the Year of the Royal Navy" and emphasised its commitment to a new national shipbuilding strategy, observers at the MoD noticed that this blueprint contained no commitment to renew the amphibious warfare fleet.
The service is already committed to putting its two new carriers into service, replacing Trident, buying a new class of hunter-killer submarines, and two new types of frigate.
"The Royal Navy has got us into this mess", said a senior MoD figure, referring to the department's budgetary black hole, "so it's up to them to take the pain necessary to get us out of it".
With budgetary responsibility devolved to service chiefs, it fell to the head of the Navy Admiral Sir Philip Jones, to come up with proposals for how he could run the fleet within the financial and personnel limits he has been set. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41511790 |
Fresh rail strikes hit services across England - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | RMT action is affecting Southern, Merseyrail, Arriva Rail North and Greater Anglia services. | England | The industrial action is over plans to make train doors driver-only operated
Train services have ended for the day in two companies affected by a second 24-hour strike by RMT members this week across England.
All services have finished on Arriva Rail North and all but one have ended on Merseyrail.
Both Southern and Greater Anglia said a lot of their services ran normally despite the 24-hour walkout.
Unions say the industrial action is over plans to make train doors driver-only operated.
Rail companies have said this means the guard's role will change but some workers believe safety procedures would be compromised.
Rail companies warned commuters trains that are running would be very busy and some beleaguered commuters chose to stay at home
Union members at South Western have also voted to strike, but any action first needs to be agreed with the executive body. The operator said it planned to increase numbers of drivers and guards and urged its staff to "avoid premature strike action".
The strikes have coincided with a planned closure of Liverpool Lime Street for refurbishment, something the boss of Merseyrail, Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde, said "doubled up the inconvenience".
Rail companies warned commuters that trains are running would be very busy and some beleaguered commuters chose to stay at home.
The strikes have coincided with a planned closure of Liverpool Lime Street for refurbishment
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "There is no safety issue, on Northern they haven't even set out in detail plans for how the new trains are going to work.
"Merseyrail have bought new trains in the wake of a safety investigation that recommended they take this approach.
"I'm afraid leading figures of the RMT have made it clear they are in a political battle with the government and the passengers are pawns, and I feel desperately sorry for the passengers."
A Southern spokesman said: "Today will be the 36th day of RMT strikes and we, like our passengers and the vast majority of our colleagues, simply want an end to this unnecessary dispute."
Passenger services director Angie Doll added: "The RMT is striking about changes we made almost a year ago as part of our modernisation programme.
"Nobody has lost their job over this, in fact we employ more on-board staff to help passengers than we did before, and we are providing a better service with fewer cancelled trains."
Industrial action by London Underground drivers that would have coincided with the rail strike was called off
Sharon Keith, regional director for Northern Rail, the operating name of Arriva Rail North, said she wanted to work with the unions.
"We're in the middle of a large modernisation agenda so we're investing in new trains [and] refurbished trains and what we want to do with our people is to modernise that role."
Jamie Burles, managing director of Greater Anglia, said all of the company's trains were operating "as promised".
He added: "Everywhere I've been all of our employees are working really well.
"The trains haven't all been on time because there's a couple of trees on the overhead lines but it's been been a good day with lots and lots of passengers."
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said union members "stand solid, united and determined this morning in the latest phase of strike action".
"Political and public support is flooding in as our communities choose to stand by their guards against the financially and politically motivated drive to throw safety-critical staff off our trains," he added.
"Again this morning I am calling on Theresa May and Chris Grayling to call off the centrally imposed blockade on serious talks in these disputes and allow us to get on with genuine negotiations with their contractors."
The union claimed members of the public were put at risk after the doors on one of Greater Anglia's trains was opened on the wrong side by stand-in conductors during Tuesday's strike action.
It is understood the doors were incorrectly operated when the service arrived at Ipswich train station, but no passengers were hurt.
The RMT claimed the rail company was "using staff who have had a few days training rather than the four months required by the company's own standards".
But Greater Anglia said the stand-in staff had "safely operated over 500 services" and they had been "fully trained and had to pass safety, competency and medical tests".
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Greater Anglia said a "full, normal service with no service alterations" was operating despite the industrial action.
Some routes operated by Southern will not run, and others will be a "limited service", running only at peak times.
Arriva Rail North says it will run a reduced service, and warned passengers the trains that do run are likely to be very busy.
Merseyrail is running reduced services and some stations will be closed.
Industrial action by London Underground drivers that would have coincided with the rail strike was called off following talks between management and the ASLEF union. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41503191 |
I should be home-schooled, but I spent 10 months on Xbox - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | After Mohammed was excluded for bad behaviour, he was home-schooled - but it didn't work out. | Magazine | Mohammed spends his days playing computer games and looking after his granddad. He's only 14, but he hasn't been to school since December. The idea was to home school him - but things didn't quite work out like that, reports the BBC's Sue Mitchell.
He lives in a spotlessly clean Bradford semi-detached house, with pale wood flooring and deep, comfortable sofas. His mother works part time as a nursery nurse and his father is a taxi driver.
His mum admits she is totally out of her depth.
She says she agreed to try to educate Mohammed herself at the suggestion of his school, after he was excluded for bad behaviour. She wanted to keep him out of the only alternative, a pupil referral unit.
Mohammed wasn't opposed to the idea at first. "I thought it would be good because I wouldn't mix in with bad children," he says.
But it was harder than he expected. "My mum isn't a proper teacher, she just helps nursery kids. She's not a teacher for maths, science and English. I couldn't learn from her."
His dad, who works long hours, tells him that he is squandering his life opportunities. "He says: 'You've just ruined your chances' - that I could have had a good education and done my GCSEs and had a good life, but now I've wasted that," Mohammed says.
Many families say home schooling works well for them. But Mohammed is one of a growing number of children who find themselves falling out of the state education system, according to Richard Watts, the chair of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People's Board.
He says it's increasingly common to hear of schools "effectively putting a lot of pressure on parents to home educate their kids to get them off their rolls, particularly when exam time comes around".
Mohammed was only 13 when he was excluded from school for setting off fireworks in the corridor with other boys. "We went to a meeting, but they said there's no way of him coming back to the school," says his mum.
Mohammed had already been in trouble with the school authorities for fighting. "At school he thought they ganged up on him and called him names, trying to provoke him. Mohammed is really quiet, but if he hasn't done nothing he'll be upset by it," his mother says.
"When Mohammed first settled into secondary education he was good. I think it's that he finds it hard to settle down and so much depends on his friendship group."
By year nine it became clear that he would no longer have a place in mainstream education. It was either home education or a place at the same pupil referral unit that his older brother had attended. His family didn't want him getting into the same bad crowds as his brother.
So when the school suggested home education as the only alternative, Mohammed's mother readily agreed. "I never knew about the home schooling. I'm not that very educated myself and I'm not good with computers," she says.
The council had suggested a home education website. "We had a few links but because of my home life situation and working I hadn't enough hours. He'd be depressed every morning and I'd put him on the home education website but it wasn't working for him," says Mohammed's mum.
When she tried to get Mohammed out of bed to work, he refused.
Now she doesn't bother trying and he passes his time helping his granddad, who has a serious lung condition and needs round-the-clock care.
For a brief period he attended Raising Explorers, an after-school facility in Bradford that tutored Mohammed for a couple of hours a week.
"It was hard to start over and not mess about and think about what I'm doing and to concentrate," he says.
"When I first went to the after-school club I was new, my background was different and I made mistakes. I got put on report and was doing good, but when people disturb me I just get annoyed and retaliate back," he says. He was excluded for brawling with another boy.
Mohammed says he regrets the bad behaviour that lost him his place in a mainstream school.
"I used to go to school and do stupid things I didn't think it would come to this, I thought I'd just do it a bit and I'd have a chance. I was falling behind at school anyway, but now that I don't have school I won't have any education for my GCSEs. I do think about my future - it's not going to be good."
Out of School, Out of Sight is broadcast at 11:00 on Wednesday 4 October on BBC Radio 4, or listen again on iPlayer
Abdur Rahman, who runs a project working with excluded youngsters, says that like Richard Watts he is coming across an increasing number of cases where parents are persuaded to home educate, yet don't have the capacity to do so.
"These schools don't ask about the ability of parents to teach - that isn't part of the discussion. Schools work like businesses and it isn't about looking out for the child, it's about saying to Mum and Dad that: 'This is what you have to do because your child isn't engaging and it will keep you out of trouble.' It's a strategy that the schools are increasingly using."
The inspection of home education is carried out by local government officials, but it is a voluntary register and although numbers are thought to be growing, there is no real idea of how many families are doing this. It's because so little is known about the extent and quality of home education, that Lord Soley recently introduced a private members bill aimed at bringing in a mandatory registration system.
He says that there are concerns about the quality of education some youngsters are receiving. There is also a cost for schools who take back pupils like Mohammed when home education hasn't worked.
"These pupils who fall behind have disruption to their own education outcomes, but then if they go back into schools they cause problems across the board as they try to catch up. It isn't helping them and it isn't good for the schools when it doesn't work," he says.
Bradford Council is currently discussing school options with Mohammed and his family. A spokesman says the details of individual cases cannot be discussed, but any parent has the right to choose to home educate their child at any stage of their formal education.
"Local authorities can give advice but have no role in deciding whether this should happen," the spokesman continues.
"When the local authority becomes aware of an electively home-educated child, we offer a home visit or to meet at another venue. The local authority has no statutory duty to monitor the quality of home education on a routine basis. However, we always work to keep contact with parents to ensure our information about the child is kept up to date.
"All parents of electively home-educated children can contact our home education team at any time and parents can apply to the local authority for a school place at any point. The local authority will always look to work with the district's schools to find a solution which works for the child and their parents."
Mohammed's mum is currently trying to get her son back into school.
"I want him to do his GCSEs and go further, to study and move on to what he wants to do - instead of just finishing with no qualifications in a cruel world. I want him to try hard and I've told him, but there's nothing else I can do. Mohammed says he'll do anything to go back to school and to study," she says.
Mohammed agrees. He says he desperately wants to be back in the classroom.
"When I used to go to school I used to be around other children and I was happy. Now I'm by myself and it's just boring alone, I don't like it."
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What now for Theresa May and her party? - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | In the next few days, the balance between the desire to end the torment on display today and preserve stability will be endlessly discussed by Conservative MPs. | UK Politics | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Nothing quite like it' - Laura Kuenssberg on PM's speech
The conference has packed up. The prime minister is home. No one will forget her speech. And there are MPs who believe that today's surreal events ought to mark the beginning of the end.
There is a group of them ramping up their discussions about persuading her to go. One minister said the situation is "brutal" but the events will hasten her departure because it is "like the moment when the vet tells you it is more cruel to keep the labrador alive".
Politics is certainly cruel, and clearly the prime minister was the victim of some appallingly bad luck.
Another former minister told me that after the election and Grenfell it would only have taken one more event to trigger her exit and this "was the event".
In normal political times, it is probably the case that what one minister described as a "tragedy" today would have led to a prime minister being forced out or quitting.
But these aren't normal times. Allies of Theresa May say today she has shown her resilience and determination in spades, demonstrating exactly why she deserves to stay in the job.
A senior colleague of hers told me she importantly did manage to put forward a coherent vision and talked about her personal beliefs. More than that, for those who want her gone there are three obstacles.
First, with Brexit negotiations under way, any change of leader could be destabilising at a time when the UK needs to look strong. Second, Tory MPs don't agree on who a natural successor is, and a leadership election could open a Pandora's Box with untold consequences.
And third, many Tory MPs are terrified of a general election. Doing anything that could precipitate a national contest means their jobs are at risk.
But in the next few days the balance between the desire to end the torment on display today and preserve stability will be endlessly discussed by Tory MPs.
And in these volatile times few would predict what they will conclude. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41506741 |
Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust patients 'died waiting for care' - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust is placed in special measures following a damning report. | Cornwall | Patients are suffering due to long waits at Royal Cornwall Hospital
Patients waiting for heart treatment have died and those waiting for ophthalmology care have lost their sight at Cornwall's main hospital, according to a report.
NHS Improvement has placed Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust in special measures after an inspection from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
It said patients suffered harm as a result of waiting too long for care.
Inspectors visited Royal Cornwall Hospital in July, after an earlier unannounced inspection found services had failed to improve since 2016.
The trust was told to make a number of immediate improvements after concerns were raised about safety in the maternity and paediatric emergency departments and long waiting lists in cardiology and ophthalmology.
In cardiology, 554 patients suffered delays waiting for appointments between December 2016 and June 2017. Two patients died of cardiac-related causes while on the waiting list.
Inspectors said: "While it is not possible to say the deaths were directly linked to the delay, the trust reported it was highly likely."
In ophthalmology, inspectors said long waits for treatment had caused harm to at least four patients "who had suffered partial loss of vision or complete blindness as a result".
Inspectors also identified serious problems in maternity, with unsafe staffing levels and inadequate neonatal life-support training.
There's been a long period of instability at board level at RCHT, and various critical inspections and warnings over at least three years.
Now, the Care Quality Commission is basically saying enough is enough - and that the people of Cornwall deserve better.
It says during the latest inspection in July, and in previous visits, it has found persistent evidence of care that falls below standard - and that it's clear these are not isolated lapses.
Worryingly, it also highlights some patients have been put at risk.
The chief inspector of hospitals, Prof Ted Baker, said people in Cornwall were entitled to safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care.
He said inspectors repeatedly found "persistent evidence of care that falls below those standards". As a result, patients had been "let down" with some "placed at risk".
But he paid tribute to staff at the trust, whom inspectors found to be caring and compassionate.
RCHT chief executive Kathy Byrne said she took the CQC report "very seriously" and the trust was "responding swiftly and effectively to every one of the CQC recommendations".
She said: "I want to apologise to any patient who has waited too long for treatment or nor received the very best care."
Members of the public have reacted strongly to the news on BBC Radio Cornwall's Facbook page, sharing their experiences of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, its services and its staff.
Hannah Richards Dash said "They need to stop closing cottage hospitals which also provide outpatient services", adding this would free up beds at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske and reduce waiting times.
She described emergency staff at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust as "high trained and professional", and said they had saved the lives her husband, son and father-in-law.
But added the 40 minute travel time to A&E at Treliske from Penzance and some areas in the west of the county was "not acceptable".
Diane Lowman Cahill said the staff at the hospital who helped her 11-year-old son were "amazing", and "could not have done more to help", but the level of care experienced by her grandmother was "appalling".
Ms Cahill added new housing developments "with no extra schools, doctors surgeries or hospitals" as well as "constant cutbacks" had to have a negative effect on the trust.
Deborah Nardone said her mother was almost blind in one eye after two years of waiting for appointments and "mess up procedures", which ended in her being told nothing could be done.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-41500555 |
The dying art of the great song intro - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The rise of streaming means pop stars are neglecting the art of the build-up. | Entertainment & Arts | Clean Bandit have squeezed the intros in their hits
Great song intros, where a tune builds up before the vocal kicks in, are becoming an endangered species as fickle music fans skip tracks if they don't get immediate gratification.
That's the view of the man who co-produced two Clean Bandit number ones this year, and it's backed up by stats.
The average intro time has dropped from more than 20 seconds to five seconds since the mid-1980s, research has found.
Producer Mark Ralph said it is because the rise of streaming services means it's now much easier to move on to the next song if you're not instantly hooked.
"Attention spans have now decreased and that is potentially down to the ease with which you can chop and change between pieces of music if you're bored," he told BBC News.
"If you imagine trying to do that with one piece of vinyl, if you get bored in the first 10 seconds, to take it off the turntable, find another record, put it on and start again is quite a long-winded process.
"Nowadays, if you're sitting on Spotify and get bored within 10 seconds, you just flick a button and you're on to the next thing. I think you have to grab peoples' attention much more quickly."
Sam Smith's voice arrives almost immediately in Too Good At Goodbyes
Ralph worked on Clean Bandit's smash Rockabye, in which Sean Paul's vocal began after just a second; and Symphony, a number one in April, in which the vocal appeared after a whole seven seconds.
Three of this year's other UK number ones have had intros that lasted just a second or two before the vocals kicked in - DJ Khaled and Rihanna's Wild Thoughts; Artists for Grenfell's charity version of Bridge Over Troubled Water; and the current chart-topper, Sam Smith's Too Good At Goodbyes.
Feels, the mega-hit created by Calvin Harris, Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry and Big Sean, goes for 30 seconds before the main vocal arrives - but even that intro is punctuated by cries of "hey!", "oh yeah!" and "ha!".
In research published earlier this year, Ohio State University doctoral student Hubert Leveille Gauvin found that intro lengths had dropped by 78% between 1986 and 2015.
Katy Perry can't keep quiet during the Feels intro
"That's insane, but it makes sense," Gauvin said. "The voice is one of the most attention-grabbing things there is in music.
"It's survival of the fittest - songs that manage to grab and sustain listeners' attention get played and others get skipped. There's always another song.
"If people can skip so easily and at no cost, you have to do something to grab their attention."
There's another reason musicians want to grab fans' attention. If a tune is played for less than 30 seconds on Spotify, it doesn't count as a play and they don't get paid.
Those are factors that songwriters and producers are aware of when crafting their future hits, Mark Ralph says.
"I think they're talking about it a lot because obviously it's in their interests to be as successful as they possibly can, and they want to have their tracks streamed as many times and played on the radio as many times as they can."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41500692 |
Kazuo Ishiguro: Nobel Literature Prize is 'a magnificent honour' - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The British writer is known for novels including The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go. | Entertainment & Arts | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
British writer Kazuo Ishiguro has won the 2017 Nobel Prize for Literature.
The novelist was praised by the Swedish Academy as a writer "who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world".
His most famous novels The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go were adapted into highly acclaimed films. He was made an OBE in 1995.
The 62-year-old writer said the award was "flabbergastingly flattering".
He has written eight books, which have been translated into over 40 languages.
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When contacted by the BBC, he admitted he hadn't been contacted by the Nobel committee and wasn't sure whether it was a hoax.
He said: "It's a magnificent honour, mainly because it means that I'm in the footsteps of the greatest authors that have lived, so that's a terrific commendation."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC producer Elizabeth Needham-Bennett is the first to tell Kazuo Ishiguro he's won
He said he hoped the Nobel Prize would be a force for good. "The world is in a very uncertain moment and I would hope all the Nobel Prizes would be a force for something positive in the world as it is at the moment," he said.
"I'll be deeply moved if I could in some way be part of some sort of climate this year in contributing to some sort of positive atmosphere at a very uncertain time."
Carey Mulligan starred in the film version of Ishiguro's novel Never Let Me Go
The Remains of the Day was turned into an Oscar-nominated film with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson
His work, which includes scripts for film and television, looks at themes of memory, time and self-delusion.
The Nobel committee praised his latest book The Buried Giant, which was released in 2015, for exploring "how memory relates to oblivion, history to the present, and fantasy to reality".
Fans gathered in Tokyo in the hope of celebrating Haruki Murakami, who had been the bookies' favourite - but ended up celebrating Ishiguro's win
Kazuo Ishiguro was inundated with members of the press at his north London home after his award was announced
Sara Danius, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, described his style as "a little bit like a mix of Jane Austen, comedy of manners and Franz Kafka".
She said Ishiguro was a writer of "great integrity", adding: "He doesn't look to the side. He's developed an aesthetic universe all of his own."
The Nobel comes with a prize of nine million kronor (£844,000, $1.1m).
For me, he is one of the great living writers working in any language. All writers can tell stories. Ishiguro tells stories on another level.
He places the reader in some sort of alternative reality - which might be the future, it might be the present, it might be the past. They feel like places that are whole and real, but you don't know them.
They're weird and not necessarily happy places. But they're places that you can inhabit and relate to, and you become deeply involved with the characters. That's the writer's job - he just does it better than most.
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Teens 'rebelling against social media', say headteachers - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Two-thirds of young people would not mind if social media had never been invented, survey suggests. | UK | Girls at Benenden School took part in a voluntary three-day "phone-fast"
Almost two-thirds of schoolchildren would not mind if social media had never been invented, research suggests.
A survey of almost 5,000 students, mainly aged between 14 and 16, found a growing backlash against social media - with even more pupils (71%) admitting to taking digital detoxes to escape it.
Benenden, an independent girls boarding school in Kent, told BBC News that its pupils set up a three-day "phone-fast".
Some girls found fears of being offline were replaced by feelings of relief.
Sixth former Isobel Webster, 17, said: "There's a feeling that you have to go on Instagram, or whatever [site], to see what everyone's doing - sometimes everyone's talking about something and you feel like you have to look at it too".
Prefects at Benenden set up a temporary ban on mobile phones and social media in March, after concerns that younger pupils were spending too much time on their phones in their rooms.
Headmistress Samantha Price said: "In the run-up I was worried about how the girls would cope, but afterwards they were wondering what all the fuss had been about and said we should do it again - but for even longer next time, which I found incredibly reassuring".
Isobel said that the ban stopped her from sitting in her room scrolling through social media
The survey of state and independent schools in England, by the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) and Digital Awareness UK, found that 57% of young people had received online abuse and 52% said it makes them feel less confident about themselves.
Some 60% thought that their friends show a fake version of themselves on social media.
Chris King, chair of the HMC and Headmaster of Leicester Grammar School, said the findings were among "the first indications of a rebellion against social media".
He said they remind us that teenagers "may need help to take breaks from [social media's] constant demands".
Some 56% of those surveyed said they were on the edge of addiction.
Pandora Mann said people realised they "don't enjoy their phones" as much as they thought
At Benenden, the girls' phones are taken away from them during lesson time but given back during lunch breaks and in the evenings.
One Year 10 pupil, Pandora Mann, 14, said she was a bit annoyed at the phone-fast initially, but soon realised "we don't enjoy our phones as much as we think we do".
"In terms of the way we view ourselves and our lives negatively," she explained, "I think people put what they see as their best image forward - it's not always the real image."
Isobel said that the ban stopped her from sitting in her room scrolling through social media and encouraged her to spend her work breaks chatting to friends.
She said it reminded her "what it was like before" - when as a Year 7 (aged 12) she would spend more time socialising in person.
The feedback in the HMC survey was not wholly negative, with students identifying memes, filters/lenses and storytelling features, such as Snapchat Stories, among the things they like.
Sixth former Flora Macpherson, 17, was surprised at just how many teenagers surveyed said they would rather social media did not exist.
For her, the most annoying thing about not having access to it was being unable to message groups of people.
Flora said: "I use it for the logistics - for extra sport practice, if we've got a big match on - we've got message groups for the firsts and seconds netball and lacrosse teams".
The school still has notice boards, but its pupils rely heavily on messenger groups. Isobel said she has a Facebook messenger group for every subject.
"If you have a question, normally at least one person will see it within 10 minutes," she said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41509402 |
Ever fancied owning the Joker's costume from Batman? - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Some film memorabilia fetches millions at auction, but it can cost nothing to start a collection. | Business | The Joker's suit, as worn by Jack Nicholson, was up for sale
Some film memorabilia fetches millions of pounds at auction, but it can cost nothing to start a collection.
A life-size replica of the Joker, as played by Jack Nicholson in the 1989 film Batman, leers down from a podium. His plum-coloured suit is unmistakable in its sinister glory.
A few metres away, a mannequin sports a coral and maroon-hued cowboy outfit that looks like it's seen better days.
It once belonged to fictional character Marty McFly and was worn by Michael J Fox in the 1990 film Back to the Future Part III.
It's the day of the Prop Store's memorabilia auction and at the BFI Imax cinema in London, some of the film world's most recognisable props and costumes are on display ahead of a sale that afternoon.
A helmet worn by Chris Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy
Also up for grabs are model miniatures of the Los Angeles skyline used in the making of Blade Runner, the 1982 sci-fi classic.
And there's a pair of Garth's "tighty whities" underpants from the 1993 comedy Wayne's World 2.
While some items will go on to fetch relatively modest sums, others, such as a helmet worn by Chris Pratt in recent superhero film Guardians of the Galaxy, will sell for more than £100,000.
So what is it that compels punters to spend a fortune on film props and costumes?
As chair of the David C. Copley Center for Costume Design at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Deborah Nadoolman-Landis is well placed to offer an opinion.
She's been a costume designer for more than 40 years and her work on Coming to America, the 1988 comedy starring Eddie Murphy, secured her an Oscar nomination.
Deborah Nadoolman-Landis designed the outfits for Raiders of the Lost Ark
In the industry, she's affectionately known as the "Mother of Indiana Jones" for designing the outfits worn in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
"People are supposed to fall in love with the people on screen and when you fall in love with Indiana Jones you want something from the character. Memorabilia is an extension of falling in love with the film."
It doesn't stop at cinema, she adds. Ms Nadoolman-Landis also designed the costumes for Michael Jackson's 1983 Thriller music video, which "everyone was obsessed with" at the time.
"Michael's red jacket ended up being sold for $1.2m (£900,000)," she says.
But not everything in the world of memorabilia costs the earth, says Jon Baddeley, head of Bonhams auction house in the UK.
Granted, Bonhams New York sold the piano from the film Casablanca for $3.4m, and Mr Baddeley hopes to sell a Robby the Robot prop, used in the 1956 classic Forbidden Planet, for seven figures at an upcoming auction.
Bonhams New York sold the piano from Casablanca for $3.4m
But he says it is quite possible to start a memorabilia collection for free.
"The film posters and lobby cards made to advertise films in cinemas often get thrown away. So why not make friends with your cinema manager and ask for posters or cut-outs when you see a film you like?"
So could today's rubbish be a future collector's item?
An original poster for the 1933 monster adventure film King Kong can fetch around £70,000.
"Who knows?" says Mr Baddeley. "But remember, whatever you buy you've got to live with it. Have it framed and enjoy it. If it goes up in value you've got a double whammy, if not, you've still got something you enjoy."
At the auction, Stephen Lane, the head of Prop Store, gives me a whistle-stop tour of the day's top lots.
He won't be giving anything away for free but says that, in amongst the stratospherically expensive nuggets of movie gold, there are some very affordable items.
A creature costume from Aliens was sold for £50,000
"The lots start at £40 to £60. For that you'd be buying crew items or gifts, things like call sheets which were used in the production. It might not be quite as personal but it's still something from your favourite film."
That's good news for first-time auction visitor and Blade Runner fan, Chris Dagger.
"I don't have a big budget, the most I can spend is around £500," concedes Mr Dagger. "I've got my eye on the Blade Runner crew jacket. I've always been a fan of the film and with the new one coming out, I'd love to buy it."
The jacket in question is dark maroon satin with the name "Tim" stitched onto the front.
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"I don't have much chance of getting it," says Mr Dagger. "There are people here with a lot of money to spend, a lot more than I've got, but we'll see."
In the imposing auditorium of the BFI Imax the auction gets underway. Things don't look good for Chris.
A single grey T-shirt, embossed with "Peace through superior firepower", which was worn in the film Aliens, is sold for £3,000. And a full alien creature costume from the same film fetches £50,000.
Chris holds his number "26" bidding card nervously, waiting for his lot to be called.
The auctioneer announces a starting bid of £250, and within seconds Mr Dagger is pushed to his maximum bid of £500 for the Blade Runner jacket.
There are no further bids in the auditorium, but there's an agonising wait as the auctioneer checks whether other offers have come in by phone or email.
None have, and to his delight and astonishment, Mr Dagger gets what he came for.
Out in the refreshment area, he takes a couple of deep breaths and poses for photos next to a poster for Blade Runner 2049, the film's soon-to-be released sequel.
"It's such an iconic film and if you're a fan you know all the trials and tribulations they went through to make it.
"And here we are, surrounded by posters for the current film. I'm just really happy, there's not much more I can say."
With the 22% buyer's premium, VAT and shipping charges, the final bill is £700, which doesn't make the jacket a cheap purchase.
But Chris says it was definitely worth it. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41467963 |
Jason Manford: My nan prefers my singing to my comedy - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The comedian reveals how his grandmother helped launch his singing career. | Entertainment & Arts | Jason Manford says his grandmother is his biggest fan
When TV funnyman Jason Manford announced he was releasing an album of serious show tunes, it may have come as a surprise to fans of his comedy.
But his biggest fan has known there was an album brewing in this old school entertainer for some time.
Her name, I hear you ask? Leah Manford - aka Jason's nan.
The Mancunian's debut record A Different Stage is being released this week - and if it does well then his beloved 93-year-old grandmother will be able to claim some of the credit.
"I never thought about it to be honest" said Jason. "Then about two years ago my nana said: 'You should do an album'. She's more of a fan of the singing than the comedy."
He added: "Then I went on tour with Alfie Boe and did a few tunes with him, including Stars from Les Miserables with his orchestra and it hit YouTube and went a bit viral.
"Loads of people on my Facebook were like 'do an album'.
"So when I looked at the two things, I thought this is something my nana would really love and if 'normal' people are into it - you know, people who are not my nana - then maybe there's something in this."
The 36-year-old, whose album goes up against fellow Manchester City fan and solo debutant Liam Gallagher on Friday, acknowledges that he isn't the first comedian to try his hand at singing - think Billy Connolly, Tim Minchin and Donald Glover.
When the crowd say Boe, select him
But he also has the added pressure of knowing that fellow comic Bradley Walsh achieved the biggest-selling British debut album of last year.
The host of game show The Chase sold 115,650 copies of his LP Chasing Dreams in the UK last year - putting him ahead of Mercury Prize-nominated Blossoms and former One Direction star Zayn.
So who's laughing now then?
"I'm pals with Bradley so I wouldn't mind being an album behind him," said Jason. "In my head, the main aim is to not become a quiz question in a few years time: 'Who sold seven albums on release of their debut?'."
Quick-witted Northerner Jason comes from a family of club singers (including his uncle Dennis, a bald Michael Buble impersonator) and may have more of a claim to this year's singing throne than he makes out.
He recorded his debut album after spending five years singing in musicals like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Producers and Sweeney Todd.
And while comedy remains the main focus for father-of-five Jason, there's no reason why he can't follow in his funny friend's footsteps.
"I guess I've just always done them both really, so it felt like the natural thing to do. At school I was in all the musicals so I've been an orphan many a time: Annie, Oliver, you name it.
"I did three musicals over the last five years and this felt like the next step.
"There's something about doing eight shows a week, singing every night, that suddenly your voice comes on - it's like training a muscle.
"Suddenly a few years on your voice is a million times better than when you first started, through sheer practice."
He added: "What's nice about the album is the reassurance that I'm not mad - this actually sounds alright. With the amount of messages I've had off people saying they really like it, I've been like: 'OK we're good. I'm not embarrassing myself!'."
As well as the aforementioned Stars, Jason points to track Hushabye Mountain - a duet with Rosanna Bates which he "sang 500 times in Chitty" - as one of his favourite moments on the new record.
"My kids love that one," he added.
Whatever form it takes, Manford - who also presents the Sunday morning breakfast show on Absolute Radio, always seems to find himself entertaining others.
He has previously crossed the sacred streams of comedy and song during his stand-up career - but says he won't be making a habit of it during next year's Muddle Class tour. Nor is there A Different Stage Tour lined up, bar a few gigs perhaps.
"Once or twice at the end of the show a few people have requested a song but generally it is two hours of straight stand-up," he said.
"Separately we've done a few shows with a band called 'Jason Manford and his band: A Different Stage' - so there's plenty of clues in the title!
"But entertaining is entertaining and as long as the audience know what they're coming for I think it's alright."
So if he had the hypothetical chance to sing his new songs on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury - but could never tell a joke again - would he take it?
"I'd have to say no" he replies, with little hesitation.
"There's something about stand-up - it's the rawest form of entertaining. It doesn't get any harder and it doesn't get any better. The highs are so high because the lows are so low.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jason Manford: Who are the funniest singers?
"So for me stand up is always going to be my bread and butter - but at the same time I just love singing. When you're singing in the shower you can trick yourself into thinking you are at Pyramid Stage anyway because music has that thing that's tuned into your emotions.
"I've spent a lot of time singing in the shower, thinking: 'I sound alright here'.
"I have to say the album is great - but I sound well better in the shower."
Jason Manford Sings the Show Tunes in the Shower has yet to be commissioned - but it's an early contender for a follow-up album.
If it is then Nana Manford has surely earned her free copy already.
A Different Stage by Jason Manford is out on Friday.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41390089 |
Emile Cilliers trial: Wife 'among top UK parachutists' - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Victoria Cilliers, whose ex-husband is accused of sabotaging her parachute, had made 2,600 jumps. | Wiltshire | The wife of an Army sergeant who survived a 4,000ft fall after her husband allegedly tampered with her parachute was among the UK's top parachutists, a court has heard.
Victoria Cilliers, 40, suffered multiple serious injuries at Netheravon Airfield, Wiltshire, on April 5, 2015.
Winchester Crown Court heard Mrs Cilliers has completed more than 2,600 jumps.
Prosecutors allege her ex-husband sabotaged both her main and reserve parachute by removing components.
Mark Bayada, chief instructor of the Army Parachute Association at Netheravon, told the court Mrs Cilliers was "in the top per cent of competency in the country".
He told jurors two vital components, known as slinks, were missing from Mrs Cillier's reserve chute.
It is "almost impossible", he said, for the "extremely strong" components to come off by mistake.
Mr Bayada said Mrs Cillier's main parachute was "distorted, rotated and bunched up".
He said the parachute's lines were "massively entangled".
It was "highly unlikely", he said, that user error "would result in a malfunction with that much entanglement".
The only "innocent explanation" for the missing slinks, he said, was that medics had cut them away.
The court was shown the various parachute parts
But upon checking, he said, the only thing at the scene which first aiders had cut was Mrs Cilliers' goggles strap.
Mr Bayada attributed Mrs Cilliers' survival to the relatively low height of her jump.
Its "sub terminal" nature meant she had not reached full speed, he said.
He also said her small size and "exceptionally soft" field had probably contributed to her survival too.
Prosecutors alleged Mr Cilliers wanted to leave his wife for a lover he had met on Tinder.
Alongside the allegation he tampered with his wife's parachutes, Mr Cilliers is also accused of deliberately causing a gas leak in the family home while he stayed away.
He denies two counts of attempted murder.
Mr Cilliers, who is based at the Royal Army Physical Training Corps in Aldershot, Hampshire, is also accused of a third charge of damaging a gas valve at their home in Amesbury, Wiltshire.
The trial will resume on Friday.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-41515862 |
Theresa May speech: What's the problem with affordable housing? - BBC News | 2017-10-05 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The prime minister has pledged £2bn to build more council houses. | UK Politics | The prime minister has promised to invest an additional £2bn in affordable housing.
The Conservative Party says that will fund the building of an additional 25,000 new homes for social rent, expected to be mainly council housing, over two years from 2019. Let's put that into perspective.
In 2010-11, 39,570 additional homes were made available for social rent in England, either through being built or bought. In 2015-16 there were only 6,800 extra homes.
That's been concerning campaigners, because those on the lowest incomes are affected by the availability of houses for social rent.
This graph shows how the government's priorities have been shifting away from building homes for the cheapest social rents towards building those available for the more expensive "affordable" rents.
Wednesday's announcement signals a change in the policy of recent years and is expected to be targeted at areas such as London and the South East, where market rates are significantly higher.
What does the government mean when it talks about "affordable" housing? It includes social rent, affordable rent, affordable homes to buy and shared ownership.
The rapid fall in houses being built or acquired for social rent has meant the total number of extra homes categorised as "affordable" has been on a downward trend, from 61,090 in 2010-11 to 32,630 in 2015-16.
The spike in 2014-15 was the culmination of a four-year programme of house-building that saw a big rise in homes being completed. The rise was driven by a surge in homes for affordable rent being built.
In response to the prime minister's announcement, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) said: "As we have been saying for some time, social rents, which are significantly cheaper than market rents, are the only truly affordable option for many people on lower incomes, so the recognition that we need more of these homes is a vital step forward."
According to the CIH, only 20% of the government's current housing budget goes on affordable homes.
The main focus of government policy has been on private housing schemes with the remaining budget being spent on projects such as the Help to Buy scheme.
Unlike in the private sector, both social and affordable rented properties are allocated on the basis of need.
Some affordable housing is built through government funding and some is built by private house builders as part of a planning agreement with councils.
In 2015, the Conservatives promised to build a million more homes of all types by 2020 - the equivalent of 200,000 per year - but they have fallen behind on this. There were 168,350 homes built in the year to March 2016.
In May this year, the Conservatives promised a "new generation" of council houses, a proportion of which would have to be sold privately after 10-15 years.
The tenants would be given the first opportunity to purchase their homes, under the Right to Buy scheme, and the proceeds would go towards building more social housing. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41498353 |