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Have baby boomers stolen the family silver? - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Research shows that those in their 20s and 30s, the so-called millennials, could become the first generation to be worse off than their parents.

Business

We take it for granted that our children will be better off than us but the so-called millennials - anyone born in the 1980s or 1990s - could become the first generation to earn less than their parents. And are those parents, mostly baby boomers who benefited from economic good times, tax cuts and free higher education to blame? Baby boomers, people born between 1946 and 1965, will on average earn £740,000 during their lives, according to the Resolution Foundation. Generation X, those now aged between 35 and 50, are projected to earn 13% more than that - £835,000 on average. But the figure for millennials, the under-35s, is lower than that - they are forecast to earn £825,000 over their working lives. Laura Gardiner, author of the Resolution Foundation's report Stagnation Generation found a range of reasons for the dismal outlook for millennials. Millennial Laura Gardiner says that her generation has been particularly hard hit by the financial crisis Laura, a millennial herself, says the timing of the financial crisis was particularly bad for her generation. "This pay squeeze in particular hit millennials just at the point you expect your pay to be rising most quickly, in your early twenties," she says. There's still a chance that millennials' lifetime earnings could outstrip those of their parents because they are likely to live longer and work longer, Laura says. She adds, however, that the slowdown in productivity growth (which affects national income) and the rise of insecure or precarious work, such as zero-hours contracts, self employment and short-term contracts, could prove so devastating that millennials would still earn less than their parents. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Father and daughter Ian and Claudia discuss their financial prospects Claudia Wells, who is 24, graduated from university in 2015 and since then has had a series of temporary and short-term contracts, the most recent of which has taken her to France. "In today's market," she says, "finding a job can be hard." Claudia also faces other financial burdens compared with her baby boomer father Ian. As soon as she starts earning more than £21,000 she will have to start paying off more than £40,000 of student debt. Ian compares his daughter's circumstances with his own: "At 23 I was in a secure, big company job with a good pension scheme, I had bought my first modest house and I was paying off a mortgage, not student debt." "I live in a shared house and the idea of me or any of my friends owning a house by ourselves is pretty unforeseeable," Claudia says. Housing supply has failed to meet demand - another problem facing millennials In fact, by the age of 30, Claudia's generation are 50% less likely to own their own homes than their baby boomer parents. Almost two-thirds of Ian's generation were homeowners by the same age. Part of the problem is that supply has failed to keep up with demand for housing as the population has grown. And Angus Hanton, co-founder of the Intergenerational Foundation, which exists to promote fairness between the generations, believes that older people are hogging the housing that is available. "Partly," he says, "because they are living longer and partly because there aren't suitable places to downsize to, but they are taking more than their share." This matters for Claudia's generation because property remains the single biggest asset owned by people in the UK and is a valuable source of wealth and, potentially, rental income in later life. Angus Hanton, a baby boomer himself, says his generation is taking "more than their share" Ian and his wife own their home outright and receive rental income from properties overseas that will supplement his already generous defined benefits pension and large savings pot, should he choose to retire. For "generation rent" - as millennials are also known - their retirement prospects look a lot bleaker. Not only are they more likely to forego income and wealth from owning property, they also face much higher pension costs. And, despite the start of auto-enrolment into company pension schemes, the shift towards defined contribution pensions and the rise in self-employment (excluded from auto-enrolment) could dramatically reduce millennials' retirement income. The state is often seen as the arbiter of fairness between generations. But, there is evidence that government policy itself may have widened the intergenerational divide. Prof Sir John Hills of the London School of Economics found that baby boomers were, on average, net beneficiaries of the welfare state - they will get more in benefits than they have paid in tax. They have enjoyed tax cuts and a boom in welfare spending. Subsequent generations, by contrast, are likely to be net contributors over their lifetimes and get back less than they have paid in, thanks to austerity cuts to state benefits. "The older generation have more voting power... they lobby more, the MPs and the policy makers are more likely to be baby boomers so [young people's] interests tend to be treated as less important," says Angus Hanton. So government decisions to protect the state pensions with a "triple lock" guaranteeing an annual rise of at least 2.5%, at a time when other working-age benefits are being cut, has added to the controversy over intergenerational fairness. "In the UK we have a huge number of pensioners who are wealthy, probably two million over-60s who live in households with more than a million pounds' worth of assets," adds Angus. "It seems odd that they should be getting this handout of the state pension." Baroness Greengross, who is from the "silent" inter-war generation, doesn't believe parents are at war with their children Not everyone, however, puts the blame quite so squarely on the shoulders of the baby boomers. "I would dispute the fact that the generations are at war," says Baroness Greengross, president of the Pensions Policy Institute. "The older generation has no desire to fight the younger generation... these are their children and grandchildren." There is evidence that, in some countries at least, state level transfers of wealth from the young are, to some extent, offset by private transfers from old to young within families. And, Ian admits that, like most parents, he is setting aside money to help Claudia get on to the housing ladder. Talking Business: Generations at War will be broadcast on BBC World News at 15:30 GMT on Friday, 13 January and on the BBC News Channel at 20:30 GMT on Saturday, 14 January.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38558116

Baftas 2017: La La Land leads film award nominations - BBC News

2017-01-10

La La Land has received the most nominations for the British Academy Film Awards with 11 nods.

The Bafta nominations have been revealed. La La Land has received the most nods, with 11 nominations, including best film.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38568173

Mental health care: 'The system is broken' - BBC News

2017-01-10

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People share their experiences of mental health problems and services.

Health

Theresa May has unveiled plans to do more to help those, particularly young people, with mental health conditions. In her speech at the Charity Commission, the prime minister announced a number of pledges including training at every secondary school, training for employers and organisations, and the appointment of a mental health campaigner. Here, people have been sharing their experiences of mental health services. For the last three years, I have been saying exactly what the prime minister has announced today. I lost my daughter Chloe Rose to suicide two and a half years ago - she was 19. She was under the care of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) but discharged at 16. There is a gap in care from the age of 16 to 18. After 16, you're put into the adult mental health category. But a young person in a dark place may miss an important appointment - who follows them up to see if they're OK? I've carried out talks to police recruits and college students, and have done many charity events. I ran a 100km [62-mile] ultramarathon in memory of my daughter - it was for the charity Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide, which is a great charity I use who support people going through suicide grief. I'm currently serving in the Army as a sergeant, and I'm going through a transfer to become an Army welfare worker. Also, I will soon be getting qualified as a adult and young persons' mental-health first-aid instructor and also a trainer in applied suicide-intervention skills training. Being in the military, I'm well aware of the stigma and lack of resources that are not available to us and the community. I run a social media page, Miles for Mental Health, to raise awareness of organisations as well as funds to help pay for people to do mental health first-aid courses. I'm pushing for the courses to be brought into the curriculum in both primary and secondary schools, as well as in companies, communities, and the military. I'm a firm believer that experience, education, research, intervention and preparation can potentially save a life. The new measures have received praise from some, but others think the government has not gone far enough Mental health services have been in crisis for the last five years. [In my job as a community psychiatric nurse,] we have no beds or resources. My team has over 90 people on its caseload. We struggle to cope with 45. We take people on to avoid admission, but we have no beds to admit to. This year, [after 40 years,] I have had enough, it's time for me to go, I cannot cope with the strain and pressure anymore. The government do nothing, they lie and manipulate all the time. Trust managers know what is happening but are unable to act. I've had experience of both NHS and private mental health facilities recently, and the NHS is far worse at dealing with mental health issues. I had quite a bad experience with a GP who was very dismissive of these issues, so I opted to go through a Live Well facility in my local area. This was better for me, but still has a very light touch and [is] generic, without any effort or in my view ability to deal with mental health issues. I'm in a position where I can afford private healthcare, however many are not, so I can only imagine how widespread this issue is. I'm glad that there will, hopefully, now be a far greater focus on mental health, but there needs to be both words and action to tackle the problem. My daughter had anorexia last year. She suffers from self-esteem issues and the feeling of needing to be perfect. She was diagnosed [at] the beginning of April, but the nearest appointment to see a Camhs worker was the middle of June, which I feared would have been too late for my daughter. I took her to the GP again due to her deteriorating health, but he told me that I had to wait for the Camhs appointment. At this point her weight was in the danger zone, down to five stone. In the meantime, I tried manage it all myself, using all kinds of approaches to help my daughter. When she was eventually seen by Camhs, she was so ill she was admitted to hospital. She had to stay in a general hospital for two weeks before there was a bed available in a specialist hospital. But the nearest bed was over 120 miles from home in Middlesbrough, as there is no provision in the whole of Cumbria. She stayed in Middlesbrough for seven weeks - it affected her mental health further by being so far away from home, but in the end it was the best place for her. When she was discharged, she needed to see a dietician, but the only one in Cumbria was off sick. My daughter didn't see a dietician for six weeks. My main issue is that GPs didn't understand the seriousness of this mental health disorder - the system is woefully inadequate.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38561016

Falling in love in wartime Iraq - BBC News

2017-01-10

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When two Iraqi men fell in love during intense fighting in the city of Ramadi in 2003, it was the beginning of a long, long struggle to live together as a couple.

Magazine

US Army interpreter Nayyef Hrebid and Iraqi soldier Btoo Allami fell in love at the height of the Iraq War. It was the start of a dangerous 12-year struggle to live together as a couple. In 2003, Nayyef Hrebid found himself in the midst of the Iraq war. The fine art graduate had signed up to be a translator for the US Army after he couldn't find a job. "I was based in Ramadi, which was the worst place at that time. We would go out on patrols and people would be killed by IEDs [roadside bombs] and snipers. I was asking myself: 'Why am I here? Why am I doing this?'" However, a chance encounter with a soldier in the Iraqi army changed everything. "One day I was sitting outside and this guy came out of the shower block. I saw his hair was shiny and very black and he was smiling. I just thought, 'Oh my god, this guy is really cute.' "I felt like something beautiful had happened in this very bad place." Hrebid was secretly gay. He hadn't come out because same-sex relationships are taboo in Iraq and gay people are at risk of violent attacks. "In Iraq being gay is seen as very wrong and brings shame on your family. You can even get killed for it so you have to be very careful," he says. Hrebid worked as a translator for the US army What Hrebid didn't realise was that the soldier, Btoo Allami, was also attracted to him. "I had this strange feeling like I had been looking for him. My feelings grew over time and I knew I wanted to talk to him," Allami says. They had a chance to get to know each other when they took part in a mission to clear insurgents from the city's general hospital. "After patrols we would come back to the safe house and one day Btoo invited me over to eat food and talk with him and the other soldiers," Hrebid says. "We talked night after night and my feelings for him grew. " Three days after the dinner, Hrebid and Allami found an excuse to go outside to talk on their own. They sat in a dark parking lot, full of US Humvees. "I felt very close to Nayyef and I felt it was time for me to say something," Allami says. "So I told him about my feelings and that I loved him. And then he kissed me and left. It was an amazing night. I didn't eat for two days afterwards." Btoo, pictured by a Humvee, was a sergeant in the Iraqi army The relationship swiftly developed and they spent an increasing amount of time together at the camp. "On missions I'd try to be close to him, when I should have been with the Americans. We would walk together and we took some pictures together," Hrebid says. Their American and Iraqi colleagues soon noticed. "I was telling my American captain about Btoo and he helped bring him over to stay with me at the American camp for a few nights," says Hrebid. "But some of the other soldiers stopped talking to me after they found out I was gay. One of my translator friends from my home city ended up hitting me with a big stick, which broke my arm." In 2007, Hrebid and Allami were both deployed to Diwaniyah in southern Iraq. They were lucky to be in the same city but still had to keep their relationship secret. But in 2009, Hrebid applied for asylum in America, as his long involvement with the US Army made it too dangerous to stay. "I thought I could go and then it would be easy to apply for Btoo to come afterwards," Hrebid says. "I knew if we stayed in Iraq we had no future. We were going to end up married to women and hiding our whole lives. But I had watched the TV series Queer As Folk and I realised there were gay communities on the other side of the world." Hrebid was granted asylum and settled in Seattle. However, his attempts to get a visa for Allami to join him were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Allami's family had discovered he was gay and started putting pressure on him to marry a woman. With help from Hrebid's friend Michael Failla, a refugee activist, he escaped to Beirut. "It wasn't an easy decision to make as I had a 25-year contract with the army," Allami says. "Plus I was the only one supporting my family. But I knew I had to be with Nayyef." Allami (left) and Hrebid knew they couldn't live openly as a gay couple in Iraq Allami applied to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for resettlement but his tourist visa ran out before they resolved his case. As an illegal immigrant he had to steer clear of soldiers and checkpoints to avoid being sent back to Iraq. "The waiting was hard," says Allami. "I felt like I was stuck and not moving forward. But then I would speak to Nayyef and that always made me feel stronger." They talked to each other on Skype every day. "He would watch me cook breakfast and I would watch him cook dinner and we would talk as if we lived together," Hrebid says. Although homosexuality is legal in Iraq, activists say many gay men, and some women, have died in targeted killings In 2012, a BBC World Service investigation found that law enforcement agencies had been involved in systematic persecution of homosexuals The Islamic State group killed dozens of gay men between 2015 and 2016 - many were thrown to their deaths from high-rise buildings Allami was interviewed by the UNHCR several times, but his application was beset with problems and delays. Again Michael Failla provided support, flying twice to Beirut to advocate on Allami's behalf. "I call him my godfather," Allami says. But while awaiting the UNHCR decision Allami got an interview at the Canadian Embassy in Lebanon. With Failla's help he was able to fly to Vancouver in September 2013. The couple were now living just a tantalising 140 miles (225 km) apart across the border. "I came across every weekend to see Btoo and any day I had off work," Hrebid says. The couple got married in Canada in 2014 on Valentine's Day. Hrebid then applied for a US visa for Allami as his husband. In February 2015 they were invited for an interview with US immigration in Montreal. "It was a long flight, six or seven hours, and it was freezing - like 27 below zero," says Hrebid. "The officer asked us three or four questions and after about 10 minutes she told Btoo: 'You've been approved to live as an immigrant in the United States.' "I had to ask her to repeat it again. I put my hand over my mouth to stop myself screaming. We went outside and I was just crying and shaking. I could not believe it was finally happening. We were going to live together in the place where we wanted to live." In March 2015, Hrebid and Allami travelled from Vancouver to Seattle by bus. They decided to have another wedding ceremony in the US and tied the knot in Washington State. "We did not celebrate the first one and we wanted to have a dream wedding," says Hrebid. "It was the most happy day of my life." Today they live together in an apartment in Seattle. Hrebid, who now works as a home decor department manager is a US citizen. Allami has a green card and is due to become a citizen next year. He works as a building supervisor. Their story has been turned in to a documentary called Out of Iraq, which premiered at the LA Film Festival last year. "We do not have to hide. I can hold his hand when we walk down the street," Hrebid says. Allami agrees. "It's so different for us now," he says. "Before we were so hopeless but now we feel like a family. It's a gay-friendly city. I'm living the dream. I'm free." Pictures courtesy of World of Wonder Productions Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38506269

World Cup: Fifa to expand competition to 48 teams after vote - BBC Sport

2017-01-10

The World Cup finals will feature 48 teams from 2026 after football's governing body Fifa votes to expand the tournament from 32.

Last updated on .From the section Football The World Cup will be expanded to host 48 teams, up from 32, Fifa has decided. An initial stage of 16 groups of three teams will precede a knockout stage for the remaining 32 when the change is made for the 2026 tournament. The sport's world governing body voted unanimously in favour of the change at a meeting in Zurich on Tuesday. The number of tournament matches will rise to 80, from 64, but the eventual winners will still play only seven games. The tournament will be completed within 32 days - a measure to appease powerful European clubs, who objected to reform because of a crowded international schedule. The changes mark the first World Cup expansion since 1998. It will make a mockery of the qualification process for most confederations Campaign group New Fifa Now Why expand? 'Football is more than just Europe and South America' Fifa president Gianni Infantino has been behind the move, saying the World Cup has to be "more inclusive". "We are in the 21st century and we have to shape the World Cup of the 21st century," he said at a news conference after the announcement. "It is the future. Football is more than just Europe and South America, football is global. "The football fever you have in a country that qualifies for the World Cup is the biggest promotional tool for football you can have. "This football promotion, in many parts of the world where today they have no chance to play [at the World Cup], was at the top of our thoughts." According to Fifa research, revenue is predicted to increase to £5.29bn for a 48-team tournament, giving a potential profit rise of £521m. Campaign group New Fifa Now described the expansion as "a money grab and power grab". But Infantino said: "It's not at all a money and power grab, it is the opposite, it's a football decision." He added the decision was taken "based on sporting merit". He says the decision on who will get the extra qualification slots has yet to be decided but "this will be looked at speedily". "No guarantees have been made," he added. "The only sure thing is that everyone will have a bit more [representation] than they have." He says there is no rush to decide what will be used to separate teams who finish on the same points and goal difference. Reports had suggested there could be a penalty shootout at the end of each drawn match. But Infantino said: "This will be part of the regulations to be decided a few years before the event, it is nothing for now." The Football Association said in a statement: "We will work with Uefa, Fifa and the other European associations to understand how the 48-team Fifa World Cup will work. "The priority has to be consideration of the potential impact on fans, players, teams and leagues, and also recognition of the importance of sporting integrity and commercial viability. "In terms of the allocation of places, we note that further discussions will follow across the confederations and would expect a proper consultation process to be carried out before any decision is made." Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan welcomed the expansion, saying it was a a "positive step, particularly for the smaller nations". Uefa, European football's governing body,said: "It was clear that all other confederations were overwhelmingly in favour of expanding the Fifa World Cup to 48 teams. As a result, Uefa decided to join in supporting the new format of the competition. "Uefa is satisfied that it succeeded in postponing the final decision regarding the slot allocation of every confederation in the future format of the Fifa World Cup. "We would also like to state that we are happy that the new proposed length and format of the tournament does not increase the burden on players. We will also ensure that clubs' interests will continue to be protected." What the critics say: 'It will dilute the competitiveness' The European Club Association (ECA), which represents the interests of clubs at European level, reiterated it was not in favour of an expansion. It said Fifa had made a political rather than sporting decision. "We fail to see the merits to changing the format of 32 that has proven to be the perfect formula from all perspectives," it said in a statement. "Questionable is also the urgency in reaching such an important decision, with nine years to go until it becomes applicable, without the proper involvement of stakeholders who will be impacted by this change. "ECA will analyse in detail the impact and the consequences of the new format and will address the matter at the next meeting of its executive board, scheduled for the end of January." New Fifa Now says the governing body needs to reform, said it would "dilute the competitiveness of the tournament". "It will not help development of the game or provide improved competitive opportunities for lower-ranked nations," it added. "Instead, it will make a mockery of the qualification process for most confederations." 1 group of 4 and 3 groups of 3, with only top team progressing to semi-finals 3 groups of 4 and 1 group of 3, with top side progressing to final group of four 4 groups of 4, but only 2 games in each group, with top 2 sides through to quarter-finals 4 groups of 4, this time with 3 games. Top 2 sides through to quarter-finals 4 groups of 4 but now followed with 2 groups of 4, the 2 top sides competing the final 6 groups of 4 followed by 4 groups of 3, the winner of each qualifying for the semi-finals 6 groups of 4, top 2 sides and 4 best 3rd-placed teams qualifying for round of 16

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38565246

Can North Korea's nuclear expansion be stopped? - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Examining the options available to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Asia

When President Trump (as he will then be) enters the White House, he will have an item flashing as urgent in his email inbox: North Korea. In the election campaign, he offered to sit down with the country's leader Kim Jong-un over a burger, but that generosity seems less likely now. Eight years ago, when President Obama moved in, the tone was similarly helpful. Right at the start of his tenure, the new president made a gesture of conciliation to the North Korean leader, not quite an offer of friendship but an indication that nose-to-nose threats need not be the way. In his inaugural address in 2009, President Obama said he would offer an outstretched hand to those who would "unclench their fists". A few months later, Kim Jong-un responded with the launch of a substantial, multi-stage rocket and an underground explosion of a nuclear device. Both tests were seen by the United Nations as a defiant contravention of the policy of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Some presidents talk tough but trip over realities. George W Bush said in 2006 that North Korea launching a long-range missile would be "unacceptable" - just before one was launched. A year earlier, he had said that "a nuclear armed Korea will not be tolerated." Yet, on all expert estimates, North Korea has made substantial progress in achieving that aim, of having a nuclear arsenal capable of devastating cities in the United States at very short notice. The ability is not there yet but many technology experts think it is getting there. So the Obama (and Hillary Clinton) policy of strategic patience is giving way to louder talk of military impatience. The doctrine of squeezing North Korea with sanctions and waiting for change is being supplemented by military plans. South Korea said it was bringing forward plans to form army units trained to "decapitate" the regime - in plain English, to kill Kim Jong-un. The outgoing secretary of defence in Washington said that any test of a long-range missile which threatened the United States or its allies (South Korea and Japan) would result in it being shot down. The Pentagon planners are working overtime. But what are the military options? Not many, is the answer of most experts. Dr Jeffrey Lewis, of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California, said that shooting down a test missile fired by North Korea would be very difficult to do and the attempt might lead to massive retaliation by conventional artillery against Seoul, the outskirts of which are within sight of North Korea. He told the BBC that North Korea's nuclear and missile sites were scattered and that, in any case, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) could be launched from mobile trucks. Another expert echoed that view. Rodger Baker, an analyst of the region with Stratfor, a global consultancy on geo-politics, said that the trouble with any limited military action against North Korea was that it could easily trigger all-out conflict. South Korea's capital, Seoul, is within range of North Korean artillery "They could fire additional short range missiles into South Korea and US military facilities," he explained. There is similar scepticism about the idea of assassinating Kim Jong-un in the absence of open war. Dr Heather Williams, who lectures at the Defence Studies Department at King's College London, said: "If South Korea pursues this option, they are really playing with fire and might be testing whether or not North Korea really will retaliate - but it would be retaliation against South Korea." She is annoyed at Mr Trump's tweeting - after Kim Jong-un's assertion that North Korea might get ICBM, the president-elect tweeted: "It won't happen." Dr Williams added that "so much of nuclear strategy is about signalling and what type of message you are sending. Deterrence is rooted in signalling, so changing from a very carefully-crafted, nuanced nuclear messaging to nuclear messaging in 140 characters is incredibly dangerous." Much more likely military options than overt aggression, according to the experts, are attempts to slow the nuclear programme by, say, assassinating scientists or inserting viruses into the industry's computer systems (as was apparently done in the case of Iran). It is worth noting, too, that Iran and North Korea are very different. Iran did not have nuclear devices, whereas North Korea has already detonated five of them and has a well-developed and large testing site (3D images courtesy of the Nuclear Threat Initiative). South Korea says it will form army units to "decapitate" - assassinate - North Korea's leadership Iran had elections and so the leadership had to take more account of the economic discontent of the people. It had a much more open society, internally and towards the outside world. All this makes the North Korean nut so much harder to crack. Some experts - and not just from dovish institutions - say that there may come a time soon when the reality of a nuclear North Korea has to be accepted. Eric Gomez, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute in the United States, told the BBC: "The US long-term goal is de-nuclearisation and that is a noble long-term goal and I think it should remain a long-term goal. "But, given the status of their nuclear programme now, I just don't think it's a very realistic goal in the immediate term. "If we can come to the table over some sort of limitation to the current arsenal in terms of delivery systems, that might be the first step towards a larger agreement down the road." But there are difficulties with that: It is not a word he likes. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38559877

Police officer released from handcuffs in Aberdeen - BBC News

2017-01-10

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A police officer had to be freed from handcuffs by firefighters when a training exercise in Aberdeen went wrong.

NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland

A police officer had to be freed from handcuffs by firefighters when a training exercise in Aberdeen went wrong. It happened during officer safety training on Saturday. Police Scotland said there appeared to have been a "malfunction" with a set of handcuffs and fire service personnel were called in. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said boltcutters were used to free the officer. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Officer safety training is a vital skill for police officers and involves training with handcuffs and other equipment. "On this occasion there appears to have been a malfunction with a set of handcuffs which our colleagues at the fire service were fortunately able to assist with. "This type of situation is thankfully rare but as has been demonstrated procedures are in place to deal with such an occurrence." A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "On Saturday, firefighters attended at Mounthooly Way where they used boltcutters to free a police officer from a set of handcuffs that had malfunctioned." The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-38571600

Barack Obama legacy: Did he improve US race relations? - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Barack Obama sealed his racial legacy the moment he sealed victory in the 2008 election.

US & Canada

Barack Obama sealed his racial legacy the moment he sealed victory in the 2008 election - a black man would occupy a White House built by slaves, a history-defying as well as history-making achievement. In 1961, the year of Obama's birth, there existed in the American South a system of racial apartheid that separated the races from the cradle to the grave. In some states, his very conception - involving an African father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas - would have been a criminal offence. When in the 1950s, a former TV executive by the name of E Frederic Morrow became the first black White House aide not to have a job description that included turning down beds, polishing shoes or serving drinks with a deferential bow, he was prohibited from ever being alone in the same room as a white woman. Back then, as Morrow recounted in his memoir, Black Man in the White House, African-Americans were routinely stereotyped as sexual predators incapable of controlling their desires. Little more than half a century later, a black man ran the White House - occupying the Oval Office, sitting at the head of the conference table in the Situation Room, relaxing with his beautiful young family in the Executive Mansion - a family that has brought such grace and glamour to America's sleepy capital that it is possible to speak of a Black Camelot. President and first lady on the first day of his presidency When Jack and Jackie Kennedy lived in the White House, that would have been unthinkable, even though the civil rights movement was starting to hammer more insistently at the walls of prejudice, and seeking legal and legislative redress for a malignant national condition described as the "American dilemma". When demonstrators assembled in August 1963 to hear Martin Luther King deliver his I Have a Dream Speech at the Lincoln Memorial, few would have thought that a black man would one day take the oath of office at the other end of the National Mall. Likewise, how many of the protesters bludgeoned by white policemen on Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma in 1965 would have dared to imagine that, 50 years later, they would cross that same bridge hand in hand with the country's first black president? For veterans of the black struggle, those remarkable images of Obama marking the 50th anniversary of the Selma protest became instantly iconographic, a truly golden jubilee. In legacy terms, his very presence in the White House is one of the great intangibles of his presidency. Just how many black Americans have been encouraged to surmount colour bars of their own? Just how many young African-Americans have altered the trajectory of their lives because of the example set by Obama? And behaviourally, what an example it has been. Because of the lingering racism in American society, the Obamas doubtless knew they would have to reach a higher standard, and they have done so, seemingly, without breaking a sweat. In deportment and personal conduct, it is hard to recall a more impressive or well-rounded First Family. The "when they go low, we go high" approach to racists who questioned his citizenship has made the Obamas look even more classy. His family's dignity in the face of such ugliness recalls the poise of black sit-in protesters in the early 60s, who refused to relinquish their seats at segregated restaurants and lunch counters even as white thugs poured sugar and ketchup over their heads, and punched, kicked and spat at them. Yet racial firsts, of the kind achieved by Barack Hussein Obama, can present a distorted view of history and convey a misleading sense of progress. They are, by their very nature, a singular achievement, a milestone indicative of black advance rather than a destination point. Hollywood did not become colourblind the moment in 1964 that Sidney Poitier became the first black man to win best actor at the Academy Awards any more than discrimination ended in the justice system when Thurgood Marshall first donned the billowing robes of a Supreme Court jurist. Years after Poitier's win, black acting success at the Oscars continued to elude many America's racial problems have not melted away merely because Obama has spent eight years in the White House. Far from it. Indeed, the insurmountable problem for Obama was that he reached the mountaintop on day one of his presidency. Achieving anything on the racial front that surpassed becoming the country's first black president was always going to be daunting. Compounding that problem were the unrealistically high expectations surrounding his presidency. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Barack Obama: What would he have done differently? His election triumph is 2008 was also misinterpreted as an act of national atonement for the original sin of slavery and the stain of segregation. Yet Obama did not win the election because he was a black man. It was primarily because a country facing an economic crisis and embroiled in two unpopular wars was crying out for change. Doubtless there have been substantive reforms. His two black attorneys general, Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch, have revitalised the work of the justice department's civil rights division, which was dormant during the Bush years. The Affordable Healthcare Act, or Obamacare, as it was inevitably dubbed, cut the black uninsured rate by a third. Partly in a bid to reverse the rate of black incarceration, he has commuted the sentences of hundreds of prisoners - 10 times the number of his five predecessors added together. As well as calling for the closure of private prisons, he became the first president to visit a federal penitentiary. "There but for the grace of God," said a man who had smoked pot and dabbled with cocaine in his youth. Janitor Fred Thomas shows off his Obama subway fare card in Washington in 2009 Early on, he used the bully pulpit of the presidency to assail black absentee fathers, and, more latterly, spoke out against police brutality. But that record of accomplishment looks rather meagre when compared to the drama of hearing "Hail to the Chief" accompany the arrival of a black man on the presidential stage. Race relations have arguably become more polarised and tenser since 20 January 2009. Though smaller in scale and scope, the demonstrations sparked by police shootings of unarmed black men were reminiscent of the turbulence of the 1960s. The toxic cloud from the tear gas unleashed in Ferguson and elsewhere cast a long and sometimes overwhelming shadow. Not since the LA riots in 1992 - the violent response to the beating of Rodney King and the later acquittal of the police officers filmed assaulting him - has the sense of black grievance and outrage been so raw. Historians will surely be struck by what looks like an anomaly, that the Obama years gave rise to a movement called Black Lives Matter. Public opinion surveys highlight this racial restlessness. Not long after he took office in 2009, a New York Times/CBS News poll suggested two-thirds of Americans regarded race relations as generally good. In the midst of last summer's racial turbulence, that poll found there had been a complete reversal. Now 69% of Americans assessed race relations to be mostly bad. An oft-heard criticism of Obama is that he has failed to bring his great rhetorical skills to bear on the American dilemma, and prioritised the LGBT community's campaign for equality at the expense of the ongoing black struggle. But while he was happy to cloak himself in the mantle of America's first black president, he did not set out to pursue a black presidency. He did not want his years in office to be defined by his skin colour. The impact of Obama's presence in the White House on a black generation is impossible to calculate As a candidate, he often left others to attach racial meaning to his candidacy, rather than doing so himself. His famed race speech in the 2008 primary campaign, when his friendship with a fiery black preacher threatened to derail his candidacy, was as much about his white heritage as his black. This remained true when he won election. Besides, there were pressing problems to deal with, not least rescuing the American economy in the midst of the Great Recession and extricating US forces from two long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Early on in his presidency, his efforts at racial mediation also seemed ham-fisted. The "beer summit" at the White House, when he brought together the black Harvard academic Henry Louis Gates and the white police officer who had arrested him on the porch of his own home in an affluent suburb of Boston, all seemed rather facile. A clumsy photo-opportunity rather than a teachable moment. Obama, one sensed, wanted to speak out more forcefully - initially he said the Cambridge police "acted stupidly" - but his political cautiousness reined him in. Seemingly, he did not want to come across to the public as a black man in the White House. Rather in those early years, it was as if he was trying to position himself as a neutral arbiter in racial matters, though one sensed his preference was for not intervening at all. As his presidency went on, however, it became more emphatically black. He spoke out more passionately and more intimately. Telling reporters that his son would have looked like Trayvon Martin, the unarmed high school student shot dead in Florida by a neighbourhood watch coordinator, was a departure. This new, more candid approach culminated in Charleston, South Carolina, when Obama delivered the eulogy at the funeral of Reverend Clementa Pinckney, the black preacher slain, along with eight other worshippers, by a white supremacist at a bible study class at the Emanuel American Methodist Episcopal church. That afternoon he spoke, as he often does in front of mainly black audiences, with a cadence that almost ventriloquised the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr, and ended, electrifyingly, by singing Amazing Grace. The acquittal of Martin's killer led to the creation of Black Lives Matter That month he seemed to be at the height of his powers. The Confederate flag, a symbol for many of black subordination, was about to brought down in the grounds of the South Carolina State Capitol because the Charleston gunman Dylann Roof had brandished it so provocatively. Obamacare had withstood a Supreme Court challenge. On the morning that he flew to Charleston, the Supreme Court decreed same-sex marriage would be legal in every state. Progressivism seemed to have triumphed. Obama seemed to have vanquished many of his foes. But that month Donald Trump had also announced his improbable bid for the White House, and the forces of conservatism were starting to rally behind an outspoken new figurehead, who sensed that nativism, xenophobia and fear of the other would be central to his electoral appeal. That America's first black president will be followed by the untitled leader of the Birther movement, a candidate slow to disavow support from the Ku Klux Klan and happy to receive the backing of white nationalists, Donald Trump can easily be portrayed as a personal repudiation and also proof of racial regression. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The truth, though, is more complicated. Obama is ending his presidency with some of his highest personal approval ratings, and clearly believes he would have beaten Trump in a head-to-head contest. Moreover, although Trump won decisively in the electoral college, almost three million people more voted for Hillary Clinton nationwide. In judging the mood of the country, the 2016 election hardly produced a clear-cut result that lends itself to neat analysis. What Trump's election does look to have done, however, is end Obama's hopes of being a transformative president, not least because of the proposed rollback of his signature healthcare reform. Truly transformative presidents, like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, enact reforms, like social security, that become part of the nation's fabric rather than being ripped apart. If Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress get their way, Obamacare will be shredded. Nor has he been transformative in the attitudinal sense. Indeed, Trump's victory, messy though it was, can easily be viewed partly as a "whitelash". Much of his earliest and strongest support came from so-called white nationalists, who saw in his candidacy the chance to reassert white cultural and racial dominance. Some of the loudest cheers at his rallies came in response his anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim invectives. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Millennials worry about what's in store for the next generation of black Americans Trump's message, from the moment he announced his candidacy to the final tweets of his insurgent campaign, was aimed primarily at white America. The billionaire's victory also makes it harder to view Obama as a transitional president. Eight years ago, it was tempting to cast the country's first black president as the leader who would oversee a peaceable demographic shift from a still strongly Caucasian America - the last census showed that 62.6% of US citizens are white - to a more ethnically diffuse nation. But the talk now is of walls, not human bridges. Of course, the notion that Obama would usher in a post-racial America was always fanciful, and a claim wisely he steered clear of himself. For all his cries of "Yes we can," he was never that naïve. A young visitor to the Oval Office asks Obama if his hair feels like his, in 2009 But the black writer Ta-Nehisi Coates makes a persuasive case that Obama has always been overly optimistic on race, in large part because he did not have a conventional black upbringing. His formative years were spent in Hawaii, America's most racially integrated state, and the whites he encountered, namely his mother and grandparents, were doting and loving. Obama was not the victim of discrimination in the same way as a black kid growing up in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, or even New York or Illinois. As a result, he may have underestimated the forces that would seek to paralyse his presidency and to impede racial advance more broadly. The president has said repeatedly since election night that the result proves that history is not linear but rather takes a zig-zagging course. Caught in the act, asleep in the White House He is also fond of paraphrasing Martin Luther King's famed line that the arc of history bends towards justice. However, that curvature has veered off in a wholly unexpected direction. Besides, even to talk of arcs of history at this moment of such national uncertainty seems inapt. For as we enter the final days of the Obama presidency, the more accurate descriptor of race relations is a fault-line - the most angry fault-line in US politics and American life, and one that continues to rumble away, threatening small explosions at any time. From Obama we expected seismic change of a more positive kind. And although it was a presidency that began atop a mountain, it ended in something of a valley.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38536668

Gasman under pressure over Bowie tribute - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Customer support worker ignites controversy with David Bowie tweet.

BBC Trending

A Twitter mention of the Thin White Duke made some see red As David Bowie fans around the world marked the anniversary of the star's death, one particular tribute sparked controversy like no other. It came not from Bowie's widow Iman, nor from one of his many famous collaborators such as Iggy Pop or Brian Eno. No, the unlikely source was Paul - surname unknown - who works on the British Gas Help Twitter account. On Tuesday, when Paul tweeted to let everyone know he was on shift and ready to help with customer queries about dodgy boilers and other gas-related matters, he also mentioned an unrelated subject that was on many people's minds: While much of the reaction was positive, others who saw the tweet were enraged at what they saw as corporate bandwagon jumping. Others were offended by Paul's use of grammar. And some referenced Bowie lyrics as they mused on whether utility company employees might have better things to do with than to tweet about dead rock stars. Stung by the negative responses, Paul tweeted again to insist that his motives were sincere. Some seemed prepared to accept the sentiment, but felt there was a time and a place - and this wasn't it. However, by now the initial ferocity of the onslaught against Paul had produced a backlash against the backlash. Those who had been charmed rather than alarmed by a corporate account showing some personality took up arms. Writer Jon Ronson was among those who applauded. And there were some tongue-in-cheek expressions of solidarity. A spokesman for British Gas confirmed to BBC Trending that Paul is a real person and that he and and his colleagues working on the help account are encouraged to add personality to their tweets. He added that the company had nothing to add on the content of the tweets. The Russian embassy in London sent a picture of Pepe the frog to British PM Theresa May. READ MORE You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-38573232

Fighting for survival on the streets of North Korea - BBC News

2017-01-10

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As a young child, Sungju Lee dreamed of becoming an officer in the North Korean army. But by the time he was a teenager, he was fighting for survival in a street gang.

Magazine

As a young child in the capital of North Korea, Sungju Lee lived a pampered life. But by the time he was a teenager, he was starving and fighting for survival in a street gang. It was one of many twists of fate on a journey that has led him to postgraduate studies at a British university. In the early 1990s, Sungju Lee was living comfortably with his parents in a three-bedroom apartment in Pyongyang. He attended school and Taekwondo classes, visited parks and rode on Ferris wheels. He assumed that, like his father, he would grow up to become an officer in the North Korean army. But in 1994, this life came to an abrupt end with the death of North Korea's founding father, Kim Il-Sung. Although Sungju did not know it at the time, his own father, who had been working as a bodyguard, had fallen out of favour with the new regime. The family was forced to flee the capital. To hide from their child the danger they were in, his parents told him they were taking a holiday. Sungju wanted to believe his father, but when he boarded a dirty, damaged train he had doubts. "I saw beggars - kids my age - and I was shocked," he says. "I asked my father, 'Are we in North Korea?' Because when I was in Pyongyang, I was taught that North Korea was one of the richest countries in the world." Their destination was the north-western town of Gyeong-seong, where they moved into a tiny, unheated house. At school Sungju found the other students malnourished and behind in their classes. One morning his teachers marched the children to an outside arena where they were told to sit and watch. Three police officers with guns appeared and a man and woman were led out and tied to wooden poles. The crowd was told the man had been caught stealing and the woman had tried to escape into China. They had both been convicted of high treason, and this was a public execution. "Each of the police officers shot three bullets for each person. Bang, bang, bang," Sungju says. "Blood came out. There was a hole in their forehead, and at the back of their head there was nothing left." As the months passed, Sungju struggled to adapt to his new harsh circumstances. Food was becoming more scarce as North Korea descended into a crippling famine and many of his classmates had dropped out of school to forage for squirrels or to steal from the local market. Then suddenly Sungju's father announced he was leaving. He told his son he was going to China to look for food, and would come back in a week with rice cakes. The week passed, but Sungju's father did not return. Soon afterwards, his mother told him she was going to travel to his aunt's house to find food. Fearing she would also not return, Sungju refused to leave her side. But eventually he fell asleep and she slipped away, leaving a note telling him to eat salt with water if he was hungry. He never saw her again. "I started hating my parents," he says. "They were so irresponsible. They just left me and I completely lost everything." This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sungju Lee fought other children and stole food to survive the streets of North Korea At that point Sungju realised the only way he would survive was to form a street gang. He banded together with six other boys and they studied how to pick pockets and distract merchants so they could grab produce from their market stalls. "We trusted each other. We could die for each other and we were all bound to each other and that's how we survived," he says. Every few months, when the merchants began to recognise them, the gang had to move to another town. Finding new territory also meant fighting the gang that was already working there. "I was picked as a leader by my brothers because I knew how to do Taekwando," says Sungju. "They thought I was really good at fighting, but it was different from street fighting. I lost many times, but my brothers believed in me. Their trust made me stronger," he says. Although, as time went on, Sungju began to win his fights the boys in his gang were still only young teenagers. When they came up against older teens armed with weapons, the fights became more dangerous. In one such encounter, one of his gang members was hit on the head and died. Then Sungju's closest friend was killed by a farm guard for trying to steal a potato. Sungju was devastated. After more than three years fighting on the streets, the gang began to drift apart and Sungju turned to opium for solace. With few options left open to them, the boys decided to return to Gyeong-seong. It was there that Sungju was approached by an elderly man, whom he recognised as his grandfather. After Sungju's family had left Pyongyang, his grandparents had never given up searching for them and had eventually moved to a farm a few hours' walk from Gyeong-seong. Every Sunday the old man would travel into the town in the hope of finding his grandson. Now rescued from the streets, Sungju spent a few happy months living on his grandparents' farm. Once a week he walked to the market, carrying with him a backpack of food to share with his gang members, who had now found jobs helping the merchants. Then a stranger arrived with an important message. "The messenger passed me a letter that said: 'Son, I'm living in China. Come to China to visit me,'" Sungju says. The stranger was a broker - a person who helped North Koreans escape from the country. He had arrived to smuggle Sungju over the border. "I had two emotions in my heart," says Sungju. "The first one was anger, I just wanted to punch my father. And the second emotion was that I missed him so much. I told my grandparents that I wanted to go to China to see my father and to punch him and then to come back," he says. With the broker's help, Sungju crossed into China by foot and then, after he was given fake documents, he boarded a plane to South Korea. It was here that he was finally reunited with his father. "My father hugged me and we cried together," he says. "I had tons of questions, but I just said, 'I've missed you dad.' He said, 'Where is your mother?' and I cried again because I didn't know." Despite years of searching, Sungju and his father still do not know where his mother is. In 2009, a broker told them about a woman living in China who was similar to her in appearance and background. It turned out not to be Sungju's mother, but his father helped her leave China anyway. Sungju has also lost touch with the other boys in his gang, despite paying brokers to find them. He suspects they have been drafted into the North Korean army. For a while, Sungju struggled with his identity in South Korea. When he first arrived he felt isolated. His accent marked him out as someone from the North, and many South Koreans believe North Koreans are brainwashed, he says. "South Koreans keep saying that North Koreans are their brothers and sisters, but many times they treated me as a foreigner. Sometimes worse than that," he says. He also struggled with the concept of freedom, saying he was told constantly that he now had it, but he wasn't sure what it meant. It was only when he was standing in a shop deciding what brand of pen to buy that he understood. "I tried every pen, it took two hours," he said. "I suddenly thought that this must be freedom, because I can choose a pen that I like." Sungju says he came to terms with his new life by defining himself as someone from the Korean peninsula. Since then, he has decided to devote his life to the reunification of both Koreas, which he believes could happen within a generation. "Those born after the 1990s don't have any respect for the government," he says. "They only care about their private lives." He believes that the markets where he once stole food are where change will begin, as North Koreans will realise they can make money from buying and selling goods without government control. "In time, these people will become the core power of North Korea. The country will not collapse but one day the government will evolve, based on the market," he says. Sungju's studies have taken him out of South Korea to the US and the UK. He now hopes to complete a PhD on Korean reunification. Initially he was reluctant to speak out about his own painful journey from privilege to poverty, and finally escape. But over time he came to realise that by telling his story he could overcome his own personal trauma and give others insight into the struggles that many North Korean children face. He has now turned his story into a book for young adults, Every Falling Star, which was released in September. "I have had so much encouragement and thanks from my readers," he says. His dearest dream is to one day return to the North Korea of his childhood. To see the Ferris wheels and parks of Pyongyang, but also to find the friends who helped him through the darkest time of his life. "I dream of my brothers," he says. "Sometimes we're swimming in a river and catching fish, laughing and wrestling together. "Going home means seeing the people I love." Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37914493

One million people watch 500ft snooker trick shot - BBC News

2017-01-10

More than one million people have watched a snooker trick shot set up across a bar in Bristol, after it was shared on social media.

More than one million people have watched a snooker trick shot set up across a bar in Bristol. Allstar Sports Bar shot the video as their late Christmas trick shot and it's since gone viral online. The 500ft (152m) putt took about 11 hours to set up and was filmed by general manager Shane O'Hara and bar assistant Tom Woolman. [Note: This video has no sound] BBC Sport's live coverage of the 2017 Masters starts on Sunday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-38573364

Mrs Brown star set to front new Saturday night BBC show - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Comedy star Mrs Brown is to front a new Saturday night TV show on BBC One.

Entertainment & Arts

Brendan O'Carroll's alter-ego Mrs Brown will welcome celebrity guests as part of the show Comedy star Mrs Brown is to front a new Saturday night TV show on BBC One. All Round to Mrs Brown's will be hosted by Agnes Brown, the female alter-ego played by Brendan O'Carroll in the sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys. O'Carroll said: "The entire cast is excited by this. I think Agnes may be worried that she'll need a bigger kettle to make tea for everyone that's coming round!" The series will be shown later this year. The BBC said the show would feature "celebrity guests, surprise audience shenanigans and outrageous stunts" in front of a live studio audience. Charlotte Moore, director of BBC content, said: "Bringing one of our biggest comedy stars, Mrs Brown, to Saturday nights in 2017 with a new entertainment show is going to be full of fun and mischief and totally unpredictable." Mrs Brown's Boys became a hit when the BBC sitcom first aired in 2011. Mrs Brown first appeared on Irish radio station RTE 2fm in 1992 and has been the focal point of a series of books and a long-running stage show. But it was not until O'Carroll's matriarch hit the small screen that he became an international star. A Saturday night live episode of Mrs Brown's Boys was watched by more than 11 million viewers last year. The sitcom was also voted the most popular of the 21st Century in a Radio Times poll. In 2014, the spin-off film Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie topped the UK and Ireland box office. All Round to Mrs Brown's is to be produced by Hungry Bear Media in conjunction with O'Carroll's production company BocPix. 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-38563190

Jeremy Corbyn on pay disparity within organisations - BBC News

2017-01-10

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says he is looking at pay disparity within companies, but stopped short of confirming that he would cap the pay of top earners.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says he is looking at pay disparity within companies, but stopped short of confirming that he would cap the pay of top earners.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38567081

Marissa Mayer not on new Yahoo holding group board - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Yahoo's Marissa Mayer will not be on the board of the new company that emerges from the Verizon deal.

Business

Yahoo says its chief executive Marissa Mayer will not be on the board of a company that emerges from the $4.83bn (£4bn) takeover deal by Verizon. Yahoo is in the process of selling its email, websites, mobile apps and advertising tools to Verizon. What is left after that sale will be owned by a holding company to be named Altaba. Its main assets will be a 15% stake in Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba and a 35.5% stake in Yahoo Japan. Five other current members of the Yahoo board also won't be on the board of the new firm. Ms Mayer is expected to remain with Yahoo's core business. Verizon's deal for Yahoo's core internet assets came under renewed scrutiny last month after the Yahoo disclosed one of the largest known data breaches in history. Verizon is examining the impact of the data breach and there is speculation that the deal may not go through.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38565690

Nicole Kidman 'cries at adoptive mother's love' shown in Lion - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Nicole Kidman has said she was brought to tears by the "beautiful" depiction of an adoptive mother's love in her latest film, Lion.

Entertainment & Arts

Kidman says she is 'so connected' to the issues portrayed in Lion Nicole Kidman has said she was brought to tears by the "beautiful" depiction of an adoptive mother's love in her latest film, Lion. The actress, who plays adoptive mother Sue Brierley, has two adopted children in real life. Kidman told the Victoria Derbyshire programme she wished she had more children. But, she added, her husband Keith Urban tells her to "shut down" such urges. Kidman told the programme that - in showing how an adoptive mother's love for a child is the same as a birth mother's - the film makes her cry. "When it's shown in the film with such warmth and openness and compassion, I think that's a beautiful thing for people to see." She said it brings her to tears "probably because I'm so connected to it, and it's so succinctly put by the writer". Kidman has two adopted children with her former husband Tom Cruise - Isabella, 24, and Connor, 21. The film tells the story of a young boy adopted by an Australian couple In the film, directed by Garth Davis, her character adopts a five-year-old boy, Saroo, from an orphanage in the Indian city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). Saroo had become tragically separated from his family after he boarded a train and was transported hundreds of miles from his rural village. Kidman says one scene in the film - which is based on a true story - epitomises an adoptive mother's love for her children. When Saroo begins his journey to find his birth mother, Kidman says her character Sue Brierley "wanted his biological mother to know she'd kept him safe [and] raised him with love into a beautiful human being". Kidman describes the film as a "love letter" to all her children, and "to other mothers and children too". "It's rare that we get [to talk about] unconditional love - that no matter where you go, what you do, what your journey is… I'm here and I love you." Kidman has two young children, Sunday Rose, eight, and Faith, six, with country musician Urban. Kidman, 49, is the same age her grandmother was when she gave birth for the final time. She told Victoria Derbyshire she wished she had "two or three more children". But, she added: "My husband says 'that is the wanting mind Nicole, shut it down'." Nevertheless, Kidman told Derbyshire: "I love children, I love raising children. My sister has six children… they make me feel good. "I love being around them, the ups and downs, watching them grow - the things they say and teach." Kidman said she did not have any regrets in life, counting herself as "blessed". But, she added: "Would I enjoy giving to more young people? Yes." The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38560832

Jeff Sessions: 'Southern racist caricature painful' - BBC News

2017-01-10

US attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions says US can 'never go back' to discrimination of past.

Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, has faced tough questioning about past allegations of racism during a confirmation hearing. He dismissed the claims and in response to a Republican colleague who asked him how it felt to be labelled a "racist or bigot" insisted he would defend the rights of all Americans.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/38577627

Home Secretary Amber Rudd's heel gets stuck in Downing St - BBC News

2017-01-10

Home Secretary Amber Rudd's high heel gets stuck between the paving slabs at Downing Street.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd's heel got stuck between the paving slabs as she walked along to 10 Downing Street for the first cabinet meeting of 2017. An assistant had to come to help free her foot, as Ms Rudd held onto the railings.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38568577

How schools promote pupils' mental wellbeing - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Schools have long been are at the front line when it comes to identifying and helping children with mental heath problems.

Education & Family

Teachers are often the first to notice changes in the wellbeing of their pupils, say heads Schools have long been are at the front line when it comes to identifying and helping children with mental heath problems. But some heads wonder how much longer they can continue to provide in-school counselling and mentoring as budgets flatline and costs rise. At Whalley Range High School in inner-city Manchester, students' mental wellbeing is a priority. "There is a lot of stress," executive head teacher, Patsy Kane, told the BBC. There is a waiting list for the school's counselling service, funded from its general budget, and two specially trained support staff run a child protection service. Teaching staff were "vigilant", keeping an eye out for pupils showing raised levels of stress and anger, said Ms Kane. Each year group at the 1,500 strong girls' secondary has its own pastoral manager whose duties include ongoing assessment of pupils' mental health. There is also a school nurse and a school counsellor available four or five days each week, all paid for from the school's overall budget. The academy trust that runs Whalley Range also includes Levenshulme High School for girls and East Manchester Academy, which is mixed. They serve some of the most deprived and culturally diverse wards in the city and all have a strong focus on pupils' mental health. The real difficulties come when pupils' problems go beyond the capacity of the professionals in the school, according to Ms Kane. "Local services are just overwhelmed," she said. "These are very challenging times." Ms Kane said the schools often had to advise parents to take children with suicidal thoughts straight to accident and emergency "as this can be the only way to get support quickly". And one pupil "in extreme need" had been sent to a hospital in the north-east of England "hundreds of miles away as there was not a single adolescent mental health bed available in this region". "If there isn't a bed, a child's life could be at risk," she said But being treated so far from home was even more disorientating for distressed teenagers. Demand for in-school counselling was growing and pupils were offered the service "for as long as they need it," said Ms Kane. But changes to the way school budgets were calculated in England meant that many inner city schools, including in Manchester, faced cuts. "I don't know how much longer we are going to be able to protect counselling," she said. Under government plans, announced on Monday, all secondary schools will be offered mental-health first-aid training. The plans also include a pledge that by 2021 no child will be sent away from their local area for treatment. But with budget pressure on existing services already apparent, head teachers' leaders are anxious to know how the plans will be funded. "This is a highly complex area," said Malcolm Trobe, interim general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, which represents secondary heads. "Many schools already provide their own support on site, and do a very good job despite limited resources, but they often face serious difficulties in referring young people to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. "There is simply not enough provision - and families face excessively long waiting times," said Mr Trobe. According to the National Association of Head Teachers, about three-quarters of schools already lack the funds to provide good enough mental health care for pupils. "Rising demand, growing complexity and tight budgets are getting in the way of helping the children who need it most," said NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby. "Moves to make schools more accountable for the mental health of their pupils must first be accompanied by sufficient school funding and training for staff and should focus only on those areas where schools can act, including promotion of good mental health, identification and signposting or referrals to the appropriate services," he added. For Ms Kane, the emphasis is on making the schools she runs "safe and welcoming places". Counselling and other forms of psychological support were more important than ever as changes to the exam system "are creating more stress", she said. "There is a lot of memorising required and less course work." The school holds assemblies for candidates, on how to revise and relax, and mindfulness training. And there are lessons in small groups for some of the more vulnerable pupils. There is also an emphasis on sport, and the school encourages volunteering. "You feel better if you help someone else," said Ms Kane. "We want students to learn strategies for life. It's not just about protecting them."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-38571628

Why addicts take drugs in 'fix rooms' - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Britain could soon see its first "fix room" for drug users. But who uses such places and how do they work?

Magazine

Angelea Let works as a prostitute to fund her drug addiction Britain could soon see its first "fix room" for drug users - a safe space where addicts can take illegal narcotics under medical supervision. But who uses such places and how do they work? On a cold and wet Thursday morning, there are already users inside Skyen, one of Copenhagen's fix rooms. Angelea Let, 49, sits in one of the cubicles in the smoking room to take crack cocaine. "I get a good feeling from my legs to my head, it has already taken away 50% of my pain," she says as she smokes. Angelea told the Victoria Derbyshire programme she can spend around £600 a week on crack. She is one of hundreds of users who visit Skyen each day. The irony of the situation is not hard to see. The fix room has an area where people can inject themselves with drugs While the hard drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, are illegal, in a fix room they can be taken under the watchful gaze of medical supervisors. The equipment they are given, including needles for injecting, is clean and supplied by the shelter. Everything is laid on - bar the drugs, which users must bring with them. Injecting rooms have been around for more than 30 years. Drug rooms exist officially in several European countries, including Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Spain, as well as in Canada and Australia. There are six fix rooms in Denmark, and many others around Europe And Britain could be next in line. Glasgow is planning to open the UK's first drugs consumption room and those behind it have been looking to countries like Denmark for inspiration. Denmark opened its first fix room in 2012 and Skyen, which started three years ago, is one of six now running in the country. Funded by public money, it costs about £1m a year to run. The set-up is organised and managed. There are two separate areas for people to take drugs - the injecting room, which seats up to nine people, and another room with eight seats, for those who want to smoke hard drugs. But don't such facilities encourage illegal drug use? "The situation in the area before we had the drug consumption room was that we had all the drug users sitting around in the streets, shooting drugs in public," says Christiansen. "After we opened this place, about 90% of the outdoor drugs use is gone. "We have had hundreds of overdose situations, not a single one has been fatal. Rasmus Koberg Christiansen says it is better to take people's drug use away from the streets "Our purpose is harm reduction, however, if or when a user expresses a wish to stop or cut down on their drug use, we react immediately and help the person to make contact to a relevant facility." Located in the heart of the Danish capital's red light district, Skyen is conveniently situated for Angelea, who volunteers in a soup kitchen by day and works as prostitute by night. It was the effects of a car accident almost 20 years ago that led to her drug habit, she says. "After I was in the accident, there was no feeling in my left leg and arm for about six years. I have the feeling back now, but I'm in constant pain." To take the edge off, Angelea smokes mostly crack cocaine, and occasionally heroin. She feels safe in the fix room, knowing that the staff and one of the nurses constantly on duty will watch over her. They are there to prevent people from dying from overdosing. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Could you live my life for one week?' There is a constant flow of people in an out of the Skyen rooms throughout the day. Some of them are new faces to the staff, but many are regular users and can come multiple times in a few hours. Angelea is back later in the afternoon to smoke crack again. "I'm here again because I'm in so much pain," she says as she rushes into the smoking room. The drugs room stays open through the night, closing only for an hour each morning for cleaning. It is not a treatment facility to get addicts off drugs, and many people will use it before going back to their difficult and sometimes dangerous lifestyles. Late in the evening, only a few streets away, Angelea is out working, trying to find customers to pay for her next fix. "I'm going to work, make some money and then smoke cocaine, then go back to work, make more money and smoke more cocaine again in the fix room. This is my lovely life," she says, laughing bitterly. Another room in Skyen is set up for those who smoke hard drugs Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38531307

Southern rail strike: Commuter confronts rail bosses and RMT union - BBC News

2017-01-10

Sara Beare, a commuter, confronts Southern Rail and RMT bosses.

Sara Beare is a commuter from Lingfield on Southern Rail. She teamed up with Today's Matthew Price to put questions to Southern and the RMT. Alex Foulds, passenger services director at Southern, said that the unions have overreacted, while Mick Lynch from the RMT defended their reasons for striking. Did Sara get some answers for herself and her fellow commuters?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38567600

Labour happier now over immigration? - BBC News

2017-01-10

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How are Jeremy Corbyn's views on freedom of movement going down with activists and voters?

UK Politics

"Jeremy Corbyn hasn't changed his mind about anything in 40 years," goes the mocking refrain. It sounds scornful, and it's meant to. It's also unfair. Just a little, anyway. Today, it became abundantly clear that Labour's leader has not changed his mind on the value, as he sees it, of free movement of people between European states. It's become equally clear - behind the scenes - that a great many colleagues wish he would. And not just his many ideological and political opponents. Some of Mr Corbyn's close and loyal supporters think so too. As evidence accumulates of Labour's slide in the opinion polls (and yes, I know we don't swallow polling numbers without chewing anymore, but consistent double-digit Tory leads can't be discounted), so concern has grown about a liberal approach to EU migration widely judged to be costing Labour dearly on countless doorsteps. John Trickett, Labour's national campaign co-ordinator and a strong Corbyn ally, is said to be concerned. How could he not be? Those hoping, praying, for a shift are said to include some within Mr Corbyn's inner circle. It's also suggested that his staunchest, arguably most powerful ally, Unite trade union leader Len McCluskey, might welcome a line closer to the instincts of many voters. "Voters", in this context, encompasses disillusioned Labour supporters, those who backed Brexit, and perhaps members of Unite who may not share their general secretary's enthusiasm for Mr Corbyn or, for that matter, Labour under any leader at all. The overnight briefing promised a declaration that Mr Corbyn was not "wedded" to free movement of people in the EU "on principle". Some headlines promised a significant shift, even a "U-turn". Yet this morning, as the party leader ran through a series of broadcast media interviews, and later when he delivered the much-trailed speech setting out his thinking on Brexit, it seemed somewhere along the line, Mr Corbyn may have missed a meeting. "He messed it up," a senior shadow cabinet member told me, only he used a much stronger word than "messed". The pressure will continue. "Jeremy moved on NATO, eventually, and we ended up with a no-score draw on nuclear weapons," added the shadow minister. "Jeremy can be budged. Sometimes. But it takes a hell of an effort and a lot of time." He was right, of course. Mr Corbyn now accepts, however unenthusiastically, that NATO is a defence alliance Britain must back and not merely a hangover from the cold war. He has put aside his dream of Labour returning to a policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament. He is still adamant that he would never order a nuclear strike, a flat contradiction to the principal of nuclear deterrence which Labour has yet to confront. He has moved, nonetheless. His position, if not his thinking, has changed. Now he talks of free movement as a possible component of an EU divorce settlement still to be negotiated. That's a long way from the thinking of shadow Brexit secretary, Sir Keir Starmer, who expressed sympathy, when I interviewed him on my Sunday morning 5 live programme, Pienaar's Politics, for the idea of limiting access to the UK jobs market to EU migrants who have a job guaranteed. But it opened at least the possibility of further movement in future. Only a possibility, mind. The Labour leader is stubborn. Or a man of deep conviction. Take your choice. The enthusiasts who elected and continue to sustain Mr Corbyn continue to be zealous and loyal. Supporters of free movement of people as a useful, as well as necessary element of the EU single market may welcome Mr Corbyn's reluctance to forsake them. But a lot of Labour MPs have moved from bitter resentment to weary fatalism, hoping that, somehow, the mood among party members changes sufficiently to produce a change. Preferably a change of leader. These include the senior Labour MP who told me privately today that his constituency - a northern stronghold with a majority of around 15,000 - now felt like a marginal seat, vulnerable to the overtures of UKIP. Some allies of Mr Corbyn had grown resentful that the mainstream media appeared to have lost interest in reporting the doings of Labour, or analysing the party's policy development. No-one can make the same complaint today. I'm not sure the party's position is any happier as a result.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38577329

FA Cup: Cambridge Utd 1-2 Leeds Utd highlights - BBC Sport

2017-01-10

Championship side Leeds United avoid an FA Cup third-round upset as they fight back to win 2-1 at League Two opponents Cambridge United.

Championship side Leeds United avoid an FA Cup third-round upset as they fight back to win 2-1 at League Two opponents Cambridge United. Watch all the best action from the FA Cup third round here. Available to UK users only.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38564153

Pakistan test launches submarine cruise missile - BBC News

2017-01-10

Pakistan's military says it has test launched a submarine cruise missile from the Indian Ocean.

Pakistan's military says it has test launched a submarine cruise missile from the Indian Ocean. The nuclear-capable missile is seen flying over the coast and hitting its flag target.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38561939

Desmond, Montgomery and the Express - BBC News

2017-01-10

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National newspapers could soon have new owners, as the media sector continues to contract.

Entertainment & Arts

I wrote on this blog in December that titles such as the Telegraph or Express might be for sale in 2017. Overnight, it has been revealed that Trinity Mirror PLC has been in discussion with Richard Desmond's Northern & Shell about taking a minority interest in a new company which would - probably but not certainly - include the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday and their websites. Trinity's interest in the Express titles goes back years. But there is a much bigger story going on here. The man behind a deal to potentially take these titles off Richard Desmond is none other than David Montgomery, the former editor of the News of the World and Today who went on to become a major investor in media. Over recent months, Montgomery has been trying to raise the necessary finances, speaking to several banks, as well as equity partners. Montgomery is being advised by Lloyds, Bank of Canada, and the familiar figure of Jonnie Goodwin of Lepe Partners. Before Christmas, he had raised £125m. This comprises £60m of debt finance, £10m from Montgomery, £30m from other equity backers - and £25m from Trinity Mirror. Mark Kleinman of Sky News has reported that the investors Montgomery is speaking to include Towebrook Capital Partners. I have not been able to verify this yet myself. Richard Desmond, who bought the Express titles in 2000, spoke to me about his intentions. In May last year, Express Newspapers, which is part of Northern & Shell, announced it had tripled pre-tax profits in 2015 to £30.5m. Desmond told me that with OK! Magazine doing well, and his printworks in Luton owning assets now worth "around £100m", Express Newspapers was making around £50m. I asked Desmond if he was intent on selling to Montgomery and had received an offer. "There's a lot of talk, nothing has happened. I haven't had an offer." Asked specifically if he wished to sell Express Newspapers, Desmond said: "Why would I? You tell me, why would I?" But he swiftly added that he was "interested in everything". Asked if he would demand a five-times multiple of profits for Express Newspapers, he said: "Why wouldn't I?" Desmond hasn't seen Montgomery since his Christmas party. "My people have been speaking loads to his management." His preference, as things stand, is to consolidate back-office staff rather than sell Express Newspapers - though he would, of course, entertain the latter option if he was offered a suitable price. "If we can bring in a minority partner to share back-office staff, that could save tens of millions," he added. He specifically referred to "IT, ad sales" in reference to these back-office operations. Using what were clearly ballpark figures on a deal that hasn't yet transpired, about an entity not yet clearly defined, Desmond told me the savings for Trinity Mirror of a combined company could be around £30m, and for Desmond they could be around £60m. "If Trinity then owned 20% of the new company, which should make £80m, that's £16m." I should urge caution about these figures, because Desmond himself did: when I asked what exactly would make £80m, he was open that this was a generalisation about a possible future company. Desmond is a brilliant deal-maker who sold Channel 5 to Viacom for £463m in 2014, having bought it in 2010 for just £103.5m. By the way, Viacom has had an excellent two years with Channel 5, with ratings up, in the years since that sale. He didn't give me the impression he is keen to get out of media in a hurry. I asked David Montgomery if the above figures were accurate and indeed whether he was being advised by those I mention above. At the time of writing he hadn't responded to my queries. I asked a Trinity Mirror PLC spokesman whether the £25m figure was accurate. I have spoken to multiple sources across the industry about the likelihood of a deal going through between Montgomery and Desmond. As things stand, it is very uncertain. Desmond won't sell for a knockdown price: after all, he has stable profits. And any consolidation of back-office operations depends on a huge range of specifics that are yet to be hammered out. But as I have repeatedly said on this blog, there is a coming consolidation in the media sector, and indeed in over-supplied sub-sectors such as that of national newspapers in Britain. By over-supplied I simply mean we have plenty for an island with our population. Expect more on this soon. And I will publish Montgomery's response if and when I get it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38574233

Jeremy Corbyn on Brexit, immigration and a maximum wage - BBC News

2017-01-10

The full interview between Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told BBC Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg that he does not believe that immigration to the UK was too high. But he said that he wanted to end exploitation of workers under freedom of movement laws, a move which he believed would "probably" see a fall in the numbers moving to the UK. In this full video of the interview, he also set out his thinking on the idea of a cap on maximum wages and his response to a suggestion by senior union leader Len McCluskey that he would be willing to consider his position if Labour's poll ratings remained low in 2019.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38570490

Mosul battle: Iraq gaining momentum against IS - BBC News

2017-01-10

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The battle for Mosul against so-called Islamic State is showing signs of gathering pace, writes Michael Knights.

Middle East

Iraqi forces have gained ground since launching a "second phase" in the operation The announcement by the Iraqi military that its forces have reached the Tigris River for the first time in the battle for Mosul marks a significant moment in the 12-week campaign to recapture so-called Islamic State's (IS) last major stronghold in the country. Lieutenant General Abdal-Amir al-Lami, the Iraqi deputy chief of staff for operations, confirmed on 8 January that the Iraqi security forces (ISF) had seized the eastern end of one of the bridges linking the two sides of the city. A solid foothold seems to have been made in the riverside Beladiyat area, which is the site of many of Mosul's newer municipality offices and the Salam Hospital, the scene of a daring earlier attempt by Iraqi forces to punch a corridor through to the river. North of Beladiyat, the 2nd Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) brigade experienced a simultaneous breakthrough towards the river in the Muthana neighbourhood and the ancient ruins of Nineveh. Gains are also being made in north-east Mosul, as the 1st and 3rd ISOF brigades attempt the recapture of the Kindi military base and adjacent upper income neighbourhoods. Broad-based advances suggest that IS resistance is "showing signs of collapse" in east Mosul, as suggested by Brett McGurk, the senior US official in the counter-IS coalition, in a tweet on 8 January. One causal factor was clearly the concentration of all available ISF forces in east Mosul, achieved by closing down ancillary assaults north and south-west of the city. During a two-week hiatus the 2nd Emergency Response Brigade and 5th Federal Police division troops were shifted from areas south-west of Mosul to new positions east of the Tigris. These forces re-energised the ISF thrust towards Beladiyat and the bridges inside the city when the offensive was restarted on 29 December. Another accelerant was the coalition's role in reconfiguring the Iraqi battle plan, fostering greater co-ordination between Iraqi headquarters and providing more powerful artillery and air strikes. The latter boost in firepower required US howitzers to be deployed at the eastern edges of Mosul city. Over 400 coalition special forces were inserted into the urban battle as advisers and strike co-ordinators, often well within the range of IS attacks. Steady advances in east Mosul will provide a welcome bright spot as the gruelling battle for the city enters its 12th week. Iraqi forces are now present in 35 of east Mosul's 47 neighbourhoods, including the largest and most densely populated parts of the east side. Thousands of Iraqis have fled the fighting, though not as many as some predictions Hard fighting may still be ahead for Mosul University and the Kindi army base, both of which are in east Mosul. None of the 29 large and heavily populated west Mosul neighbourhoods have been liberated. Unless an unexpectedly rapid collapse of IS unfolds, the western side of the city will need to be assaulted in a separate military operation launched after some weeks of reset and planning for the ISF. This suggests that east Mosul may be cleared in January 2017 or early February, whilst the clearance of west Mosul may stretch well into the second quarter of 2017. The sequential clearing of different quarters of Mosul city may succeed in limiting the time that civilians are exposed to intense combat in individual neighbourhoods. Thus far the battle has seen far less damage done to Mosul's infrastructure than previous attritional struggles like Ramadi in Iraq or Kobane in Syria, though the daily damage to neighbourhoods has intensified since the offensive restarted. Frame from video by Amaq news agency appearing to show a collapsed section of the Old Bridge The coalition has specifically sought to minimise the cost and time required to rebuild bridges, selectively destroying easy-to-replace spars and off-ramps to deny the bridges to IS but to leave them quickly repairable after the battle. The number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Mosul city itself was estimated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs at 42,000 in early December, around 4-6% of Mosul's remaining population and a far lower number than many pre-battle projections. The flow of IDPs from the city has increased since 29 December according to OCHA, including 15,942 in the eight days after the offensive restarted. However, OCHA also announced that security in liberated areas has also allowed 14,000 IDPs to return to Mosul city. Away from most media coverage, the liberated zones of east Mosul city are witnessing the gradual return of policing, running water and diesel-run neighbourhood electrical generation networks. Most important, the cross-sectarian and multi-ethnic ISF in Mosul city have broadly been accepted by local Sunni Arab residents, who seem grateful for their largely humane treatment of the population and their sacrifices in coming to the distant northern Sunni city of Mosul to liberate it from IS. IS is expected to step up attacks in other parts of Iraq as it loses hold of Mosul The most likely IS response to the loss of east Mosul will be efforts to intensify anti-civilian bombings in Baghdad, where seven bombings in the first eight days of 2017 have killed 87 people and wounded as many as 231. The Iraqi government and coalition are currently building up Baghdad's perimeter defences, installing sensors on tethered blimps and launching disruptive security operations in the rural outskirts of the city to break up bombing cells. Dr Michael Knights is the Lafer Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He has worked in all of Iraq's provinces, and spent time embedded with the Iraqi security forces. His recent report on post-battle stabilisation of Mosul is available via the Washington Institute website. Follow him on Twitter at @mikeknightsiraq

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38552980

Brazil prison riots: What's the cause? - BBC News

2017-01-10

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A spike in violence violence in Brazil's prisons has cast a spotlight on failures its penal system.

Latin America & Caribbean

A spate of violence in Brazil's prisons has cast a spotlight on a system which appears to be near a state of collapse. Almost 100 inmates lost their lives in the first week of January alone - brutally murdered, the guards apparently unable to stop the bloodshed. But how has it come to this? A crackdown on violent and drug-related offences in recent years has seen Brazil's prison population soar since the turn of the century. The prison in Roraima state where 33 inmates were killed on 6 January held 1,400 inmates when a deadly riot started. That is double its capacity. Overcrowding makes it hard for prison authorities to keep rival factions separate. It also raises tensions inside the cells, with inmates competing for limited resources such as mattresses and food. In the relatively wealthy state of Sao Paulo, a single guard oversees 300 to 400 prisoners in some prisons, Camila Dias, a sociologist at the Federal University of ABC in Sao Paulo and expert on Brazil's prison system, told Reuters. That means it is relatively easy for prisoners - and gangs - to take control of the facilities. As a result, "when the prisoners want to have an uprising, they have an uprising," Ms Dias said. Killings are already common within the walls of Brazil's prisons - 372 inmates lost their lives in this way in 2016, according to Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper - but this recent surge has been linked to the breakdown in a two-decade truce of sorts between the country's two most powerful gangs. A lack of guards means prisoners can take control, experts say. Pictured: A riot in 2014 Up until recently, the Sao Paulo-based First Capital Command (PCC) drug gang and Rio de Janeiro's Red Command had a working relationship, supposedly to ensure the flow of marijuana, cocaine and guns over Brazil's porous borders and into its cities. But recently they have fallen out - although the exact reasons why remain unclear. And following the government crackdown on criminal gangs, there are thousands of members of both gangs locked up inside Brazilian prisons. Rafael Alcadipani, a public security expert at the Getulio Vargas Foundation think tank in Sao Paulo, told Reuters it means any feud between the two sides on the streets will almost certainly spill over into the largely "self-regulated" jails. "We see that as soon as we have a gang war, these killings are inevitably going to happen because the state has no control over the prisons," he said. The army patrols outside a prison in northern Brazil where more than 30 inmates died Following the deadly riots in Amazonas, state governor Jose Melo asked the federal government for equipment such as scanners, electronic tags and devices which block mobile phone signals inside prisons. His request illustrates the lack of basic equipment in prisons which house large numbers of prisoners. He also said that the state police force was struggling to cope and requested that federal forces be sent. Poorly-trained and badly-paid prison guards often face inmates who not only outnumber them but who also feel they have little to lose as they face long sentences already. Following the 1 January riot, which left 56 inmates dead in a prison in Manaus, the Brazilian government announced a plan to modernise the prison system. But with Brazil going through its worst recession in two decades and a 20-year cap on public spending in place, it is hard to see how the government plans to fund it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-38534769

Jeremy Corbyn and the immigration question - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Jeremy Corbyn, it turns out, has not changed his mind on the most basic question about immigration.

UK Politics

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Here's the thing. Despite the impression given by Labour HQ overnight that Jeremy Corbyn was on the point of ditching his long held backing of the freedom of movement of European citizens - that allows an unlimited number of them to come and live and work in the UK - when push came to shove in interviews this morning, he couldn't quite bring himself to say it. Yes, in a speech he'll say that he wants "fair" and "managed" levels of immigration, and a clampdown on abusive practices at work by many employers. But he has not changed his mind on the most basic question when it comes to immigration. Does he think that the current levels, with 190,000 EU citizens coming to the UK last year are too high? "No." For many of his supporters, that might be a relief. He has continually defended the rights of people to come to the UK and refused to put a limit on numbers. So, if the Labour leader had a genuine change of heart, that could have caused him problems with his ardent base among the party membership, not least because his whole reputation is built on his long held adherence to a set of firm principles. But for the increasing number of Labour MPs who have come to believe that the public demands a very different approach, it is a problem. Whether it is the party's Deputy Leader Tom Watson, or the former leader Ed Miliband, even before the referendum when so much public concern about immigration was aired, there was a building view that the freedom of movement rules had to be changed. That is driven partly because of the looming electoral threat to them from UKIP. More straightforwardly and importantly, it is what many MPs simply say voters tell them they want - and they might not vote for them next time unless they do something about it. Their leader though, won't budge on the big question, his position on numbers. He is instead putting forward again a policy that Labour has had since the last General Election, where the rules on employers would be tightened, to stop employers undercutting wages by exploiting foreign workers, and banning recruitment agencies from hiring only from overseas. He told me this would "probably" reduce the numbers, and his team believe it could have a significant effect, but they can't put a figure on the kind of difference they believe it would make to the level of immigration. Right now, that does not seem the kind of policy that is likely to convince millions of undecided voters when the clamour for limits to the country's record levels of immigration have only grown. Just for good measure, Mr Corbyn repeated his idea of putting a limit on earnings that he first proposed last year, immediately lambasted by his political enemies. As 2017 begins, Mr Corbyn's internal party critics will sigh, that still as the world changes around him, Mr Corbyn stays in his comfort zone, in the hope that eventually, more members of the public will join him there.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38570495

My fear of dating as someone with dwarfism - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Paralympic hopeful Pani has never had a girlfriend and faces his fear of dating by appearing on The Undateables.

Disability

Athlete and law student Pani Mamuneas has never had a girlfriend and says he suspects the only women who approach him want to tick "dwarf" off their bucket list. The 19-year-old decided to do something about it and applied for a TV dating show. You always hear girls say 'ooh what's your type? Oh tall, you know tall and handsome' and I'm the total opposite of that. At 4ft 7in people have always asked me 'would you have wanted to be born taller?' But now, I can't imagine life any other way. When I was younger I never saw myself as having a disability. I wasn't even aware of it until my teenage years when growth spurts happened to others and I started to see that I was different and school became very difficult. My fellow students at school in Leicester would ask 'Pani why are you so small? Were you born the size of a pea?' Thinking back, all those things that hurt me could have easily been avoided by realising people were just curious - they were kids asking silly questions. I have what's known as Achondroplasia - a form of dwarfism. Apparently I'm taller than average for my condition but still quite tiny and it definitely affected potential relationships and how I have viewed myself over the years. My male friends and I would always talk about girls and celebrities, the ones we would dream of marrying and how we would ask them out. But this is when things went very wrong for me. At the age of 12 I asked a girl out. We went to the cinema and seemed to have a good time, but the next day the gossip began. I secretly told a friend in the school library that I liked her but he wrote it in big letters on the whiteboard for everyone to see - when I saw it I wanted to disappear from the face of the earth. Myself and the girl both ended up in tears and she felt too embarrassed to talk to me again. That was when I lost all of my confidence and thought I was not good enough because of my height. I stopped talking to girls and I certainly wouldn't reveal if I fancied someone. I was afraid of what girls would think of me, always worrying they might ignore or tease me, or treat me like a nobody, because I was different. It was a very difficult time of my life. When I reached college, however, things started to look up. Everyone seemed to have matured and the general bullying stopped. It became a time for me to discover who I was, and what I wanted to do with my future. Sadly, this new way of thinking didn't mean my love life improved and I had other challenges to overcome including going to nightclubs with friends. I wouldn't have the confidence to go up to girls, chat to them or ask them to dance. I always felt that because I was different if a woman approached me it was so she could tick it off her bucket list. It was at this point, having never had a girlfriend, I decided to contact Channel 4's The Undateables - a reality show which tries to match disabled people with a partner - and so face my fear of dating with the hope of potentially finding somebody. It was a drastic thing to do but I thought if I could successfully go on a date on a television show I wouldn't have any confidence problems in the future. Facing my fears worked and I now feel able to approach a woman and have a conversation with her because I have learned there isn't anything to be afraid of. If the girl doesn't like me fair enough, but some open-minded people will like me. I had been competing internationally in shot put and javelin and hoped to compete in the Paralympic Games in Rio last year but injury forced me to take time out. Participating in The Undateables helped me to focus on a different aspect of life and took my mind off the injury although I've now returned to training with my sights set on the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo as well as taking a degree in law. This process has further boosted my confidence and I've realised that being short isn't a barrier it's a feature. All this time I shouldn't have thought of myself as less of a person. Being me is the best thing I can do better than anyone else. The Undateables transmits on Monday nights at 21:00 GMT on Channel 4 and is also available on All 4. For more Disability News, follow on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to the weekly podcast.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-38528816

Fort Lauderdale airport shooting: Shooter on CCTV - BBC News

2017-01-10

CCTV has revealed the moment a man opened fire at Fort Lauderdale airport on Friday, as a suspect appears in court charged with killing five people and injuring six others.

CCTV has revealed the moment a man opened fire at Fort Lauderdale airport on Friday. Suspect Esteban Santiago, 26, is appearing in court charged with killing five people and injuring six others.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38564017

Southern rail strike: 'My three-and-a-half hour commute' - BBC News

2017-01-10

Commuter Alison Braganza's journey from Three Bridges to central London normally takes 45 minutes but today's Southern Rail strike made it a lot, lot longer.

Commuter Alison Braganza's journey from Three Bridges to central London normally takes 45 minutes. Today's Southern Rail strike made it a lot, lot longer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38567080

Iran Rafsanjani death: Thousands attend ex-president's funeral - BBC News

2017-01-10

Tens of thousands of Iranians attended the funeral of the former president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, on Tuesday. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers at the ceremony.

Tens of thousands of Iranians attended the funeral of the former president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, on Tuesday. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers at the ceremony. Rafsanjani, president from 1989 to 1997, died of a heart attack on Sunday at the age of 82.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/38570048

Pretend you're in The Italian Job or get the bus? - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Renting a car from neighbours makes environmental and economic sense. Can tech take it mainstream?

Business

"Betty" the 1999 Paul Smith Mini Cooper adds some fun to private car hire Handing over the keys is a tweed-wearing, bearded Tony Grant, who owns 10 such Minis with names like Poppy, Mildred and Lulu. Self-styled "Head Gasket" at Small Car Big City, he is adding a new twist to the car hire and car-sharing business. As part of the fun, there are fancy dress outfits in the boot to match The Italian Job film theme, along with a crowbar and a bar of (imitation) gold. I booked Betty through recently launched car-sharing app Turo, which is aiming to bring an Airbnb vibe to the world of wheels. While car-sharing firms, such as ZipCar which owns its own fleet, have been around for more than a decade, so-called peer-to-peer (P2P) car sharing - private owners renting out their cars - hasn't really taken off. And yet, given that we use our cars just 5% of the time, as Andre Haddad, Turo's chief executive tells me, the business potential remains. Small Car Big City founder Tony Grant and one of his beloved Minis This is why Turo, and a handful of other recent start-ups like easyCar, Getaround, and Rentecarlo, are hoping to unlock all this unused capacity sitting idle in the street. "ZipCar's fleets at their maximum reached 15,000 vehicles, so they were not able to reach massive scale," says Mr Haddad. "They obviously built a very successful company, but globally, hourly car sharing reached, at its peak, less than 1% of the entire car rental market space," he adds. For Turo, the minimum rental is a day, he says, and their average is four days. Other firms, like Getaround, which has a presence in 10 US cities, focus more on hourly rentals. Mr Haddad, who describes himself as a car enthusiast, says Turo gives people the opportunity to try out interesting cars, from cute Minis to rugged off-roaders. "It would be really fun to go out in a Jeep Wrangler if you're going up a mountain, but it doesn't really justify owning one," he says. One practical challenge of P2P rental is getting the key to the customer if the car's owner isn't around. Richard Laughton, chief executive of easyCar Club, which launched in 2014, says: "We provide owners with lockboxes they can attach somewhere outside their house, and send a one-use pin to the renter to take the key out, and put it back at the end." Next year easyCar Club will try out unlocking cars by mobile app, he says. EasyCar Club owners and renters are vetted by the company Another challenge is overcoming the trust issue. After all, would you rent out your precious motor to a total stranger? "I think one thing that will continually hold back the P2P model is the reluctance of people to put an asset on a shared platform," says Adam Stocker, a researcher at Berkeley University Transportation Sustainability Research Center in California. "The fear that their vehicle gets trashed, misused, or breaks faster - but this is just human nature." One early US car-sharing start-up, HiGear, shut down in 2012 following the theft of several members' cars. So most P2P companies engage in detailed vetting of new members, and incorporate feedback and user ratings. Turo says it has developed machine learning tools to help with the screening process. EasyCar believes telematics boxes could help track how renters have used - or abused - the car and act as a sort of onboard policeman. EasyCar Club boss Richard Laughton does not own a car And what if the renter crashes or damages your car? "Insurance has been a really big challenge," admits Jacob Nielsen, co-founder of Rentecarlo, a P2P car-sharing firm founded by "three guys from Denmark" two-and-a-half years ago. Admiral Insurance has worked with several P2P start-ups to develop a suitable product, says Mr Nielsen. The insurer even allows renters to earn up to five years' no-claims bonus while driving someone else's car, providing they drive more than 30 days in a year, he says. Such innovations and technological improvements have enabled easyCar to "double bookings year-on-year", says Mr Laughton. Other P2P car-sharing firms seem to be enjoying similar rates of growth, as younger people in particular embrace the concept of "mobility as a service" and eschew ownership. So what does this mean for car manufacturers' traditional business models? "I would say 2016 definitely was the year the major auto manufacturers woke up to the shared mobility space," says Mr Stocker. In September, Ford bought Chariot, a San Francisco-based crowd-sourced shuttle service, and is even investing in a bike-sharing start-up called Motivate. Manufacturers clearly understand that personal car ownership is becoming old hat. General Motors tried to buy Uber rival Lyft this summer, but was rebuffed, despite both companies joining forces to develop driverless taxis. Car sharing may worry public authorities less than house sharing. Property-sharing giant Airbnb has recently come under fire from city authorities - in Amsterdam, for instance - over concerns that it increases city centre congestion and enables guests to avoid paying hotel tax. But car-sharing companies like Turo and others could help decrease the overall number of cars on the road to start with as fewer people see the need to own their own vehicle. But once driverless cars come in, authorities might worry they pose threat to public transport systems, some analysts believe. "It would be very inexpensive to run electric driverless Uber taxis that go around cities and provide transport in a fluid way," says Philippe Houchois, an automotive sector analyst at equity research company Jefferies. "If you get to a point where your cost-per-mile is less than £1," says Mr Houchois, "public transport would seem less attractive." Paradoxically, we could then see a rise in car numbers on our roads, not a reduction.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38554004

Sir Dave Brailsford: Team Sky can be trusted despite 'regrettable' doping questions - BBC Sport

2017-01-10

Sir Dave Brailsford says Team Sky can be trusted "100%", despite "regrettable" questions over Sir Bradley Wiggins' medical records.

Last updated on .From the section Cycling Sir Dave Brailsford says Team Sky can be trusted "100%", despite "regrettable" questions over Sir Bradley Wiggins' medical records. Wiggins and Team Sky boss Brailsford have come under scrutiny since information on the rider's authorised use of banned drugs to treat a medical condition were released by hackers. There are also questions over a medical package he received in 2011. "Can people believe in Team Sky? 100%," Brailsford told the BBC. UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) has been investigating allegations of doping in cycling after it emerged a mystery medical package was delivered to a Team Sky doctor for Wiggins on the final day of the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine, which the Briton won. Brailsford, the former performance director of British Cycling, last month told a parliamentary select committee he understood the package contained a legal decongestant, Fluimucil. Ukad chairman David Kenworthy last week told BBC Sport he found the evidence of Brailsford and British Cycling president Bob Howden "extraordinary", saying the answers to the select committee on the content of the medical package were "very disappointing". But when this was put to Brailsford, he answered: "The only extraordinary thing I could see was that he [Kenworthy] actually commented on the whole process himself. "There is an open investigation that is still ongoing." Wiggins, 36, announced his retirement from cycling last month. Britain's most decorated Olympian's use of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) came to light after his confidential medical information was leaked by hackers 'Fancy Bears'. TUEs allow the use of otherwise banned substances if athletes have a genuine medical need, and Wiggins, who has asthma, said he took them to "put himself back on a level playing field". There is no suggestion Wiggins, British Cycling or Team Sky have broken any rules. "It is regrettable," added Brailsford. "But equally the test of time is the key thing, and over time we will continue to perform at the highest level, continue to do it the right way, continue to give people a reason to get behind us and feel proud of our achievements. "The judgement of what happened in the past will be made in the appropriate time, but for me we have done it the right way, and we'll continue to do it the right way. He added: "I'm proud in what I've done, I've been doing this a long time, and I've been doing it for 20 years. I'm very much focused on the season ahead."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/38570591

Drenched Thailand still waiting for its green revolution - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Mark Easton, on a visit to Thailand, reflects on its plans for a green revolution as the rains fall.

Asia

Tourists use inflatable rings to cross a road on the Thai island of Koh Samui Mr Supit bows low, palms together, fingers pointing to the wrathful heavens above. The north-east monsoon should have left the Thai island of Koh Samui more than a month ago, but the start of 2017 there has been greeted by a week of unremitting tropical storms. Supposedly the high season, Mr Supit's hotel is dripping with umbrellas and soaking towels. The rains have prevented many staff from getting to work, made his international guests miserable and washed away his organic garden. He breaks his wai - the traditional palms together gesture of greeting - throwing his arms apart with a shrug and a shake of his head. "What more can I do?" he asks. "We are going to cross the sea in front of us," he jokes as he attempts to drive down Main Street, floodwater sloshing up to the gunwales of his Ford. "This is very strange weather. We had similar storms five years ago, but that was in March. I have never known a new year like this. We are thinking this must be the result of climate change." Supit Choo-in: "We must focus on green again." Like the scooters abandoned beside the flooded roads, many of the resorts dotted around Samui's coast have spluttered to a stop. A few plucky guests have filmed themselves laughing on lilos bobbing down the street, beers in hand, but Thai tourism is an industry that floats on sunshine and there has been virtually none of that for a week. The local TV news is reporting that hundreds of families on the holiday island have been left homeless, bridges are down and many roads are impassable beneath brown, malodorous floodwater. Elsewhere in the province, the unexpected deluge has killed at least 18 people. A mile from his hotel, Mr Supit stops his car to look at a rockfall that has crashed across the ring road, red boulders brought down by the heavy rains. "We need to be focusing on green again," he murmurs. Mr Supit recalls the environmental initiative launched with much fanfare by hoteliers and tour companies on Koh Samui in the late 90s after a landmark speech from the late king. Thailand is still in mourning for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died last October after 70 years on the throne. Black and white shrines to his memory are everywhere, reverence for the monarch akin to worship of a deity, his utterances regarded almost as sacred texts. In 1997, after massive currency speculation led to the total collapse of the Thai economy, mass unemployment and food shortages, King Bhumibol addressed the nation. He appealed for what he called a "sufficiency economy", a philosophy of moderation, balance and caution that, he argued, would help Thailand cope with the socio-economic, cultural and environmental challenges of globalisation. Some translated the speech as a decree to introduce a sustainable tourism policy - a change long overdue in a country that had witnessed almost unconstrained development for decades. Deforestation, the destruction of natural habitats and a brazen prostitution industry were among the ugly faces of the tourism goldrush. Officials cautioned that without the kind of restraint implicit in the king's crisis speech, many of the unspoiled natural environments that attracted travellers would be destroyed. Thailand's famous white beaches would be lost to the sea, one minister warned. Vibrant marine habitats and dense tropical jungles would be obliterated. A number of private hoteliers joined the Green Leaf Foundation, committing them to make their resorts carbon neutral. There are eco-friendly tour companies offering trips to the beautiful Angthong National Marine Park. On Koh Samui, a government-backed initiative called Seven Greens was introduced, promoting sustainable practices and philosophy. Recently, the Ministry of Tourism has urged holiday businesses to focus on attracting "quality" visitors - sophisticated and environmentally aware travellers who will value Thailand's natural and cultural treasures. The days of low-cost mass tourism are supposed to be numbered. Unseasonal downpours in southern Thailand have turned many streets into canals But political rhetoric has not always matched reality. The tourist strips are still overflowing with sex bars, cheap beer and greasy burgers. Among Koh Samui's top attractions are monkey shows that animal welfare groups blame for wiping out half of Thailand's white-handed gibbon population. This is not a country that finds it easy to embrace the sacrifices of a green revolution: government figures suggest the average Thai uses an astonishing eight plastic bags a day. In the last two decades around 60 environmental activists have been killed in Thailand while campaigning against powerful logging companies and industrial polluters. Some question just how serious the military-backed government is in pursuing green policies. In his flooded organic garden, Mr Supit reflects on the 40 years since he landed his first tourist job as a pot washer in a Bangkok kitchen. "In the early days, people spent more money than now," he tells me as we assess the damage wreaked by the unwelcome storms. In 1960, only 81,000 tourists visited Thailand, mostly high-rollers and adventurers from Europe and the Far East, people prepared to pay for something exotic. "Today many more come, but they don't spend - particularly the Chinese," Mr Supit laments. Not much is left of Mr Supit's organic garden A record 33 million tourists visited Thailand in 2016, more than eight million of them from China, pushing revenues up 18% in a single year. But Mr Supit is not alone in worrying that the country is overstretching itself. "I am very much concerned," he confides. "We have to lift up the quality and we must focus on green again. At the moment I don't think my guests are prepared to pay more for that." His two-acre organic garden is an act of defiance: beds of traditional Thai basil and morning glory, lemongrass and lime trees are fed with homemade fertiliser, brewed on the plot from pineapple, molasses and water. When available, the Fairhouse Villa hotel chef makes full use of the fresh fruit, vegetables and spices. Sadly, his kitchen will not benefit for a while, with many of the garden's tender plants washed into the sea by the unseasonal storms. "It is tough work," Mr Supit says, surveying the damage. "But we will keep planting. We will get there." He smiles and looks ruefully at the darkening sky. With the rains still falling, Thailand needs more people like Mr Supit.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38559206

Maria Sharapova to return from doping ban in April in Stuttgart - BBC Sport

2017-01-10

Former world number one Maria Sharapova will make her professional comeback in April following her 15-month doping ban.

Last updated on .From the section Tennis Maria Sharapova will make her professional comeback at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart on 26 April after her 15-month doping suspension. The 29-year-old former world number one was given a two-year ban in March after testing positive for meldonium. Her suspension was then reduced in October following an appeal. The tournament in Germany starts two days before the Russian's suspension runs out and she will not be allowed to attend until the day of her match. Sharapova, whose main sponsor is Porsche, will return to tennis without a ranking and needs a wild card to enter the tournament. "I could not be happier to have my first match back on tour at one of my favourite tournaments," she said. "I can't wait to see all my great fans and to be back doing what I love." The five-time Grand Slam champion won the Stuttgart title for three years in a row from 2012 to 2014. She last played a professional tournament at the Australian Open 12 months ago, where she failed the doping test. Sharapova was a long-time user of meldonium and says she was unaware it had been added to the banned list at the start of 2016. She has already taken part in two exhibition events since her ban was reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/38570187

Is a personal tank the latest luxury must-have? - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Could a tank developed by twin brothers Mike and Geoff Howe become the latest luxury must-have?

Business

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dealing with the luxury market is "a learning curve", says Geoff Howe Some of the very rich like to go further than just displaying their wealth. They want things that few others can have, such as vehicles like an armour-plated SUV. And now there's another extreme machine aimed at the moneyed motor-mad: the EV2. "It's a luxury, high-speed vehicle," explains one of its makers, Mike Howe. "You hit a button and the gull-wing doors pop up just like a Lamborghini. Inside you have eight-way leather seats, reverse camera, cameras up top, state of the art tracks, state of the art suspension..." In fact, according to Mike's twin brother Geoff, the EV2 is a "luxurious tank". That's because the machine has tracks like a tank, rather than wheels. Twin brothers Geoff (left) and Mike Howe began building and inventing things while still at school The brothers claim that, thanks to its tracks, their vehicle can move at high speed across all kinds of rugged terrain in a similar fashion to its military counterpart - but unlike the latter, the EV2 is devoid of armaments. They say that there is demand for the product. However, the luxury market is a new departure for them, and a far cry from their normal line of business. The brothers trace the origin of their enterprise (based in Maine, in the US) all the way back to their childhood. "We were always pushing the envelope," recalls Geoff. "We built our own log cabin because the other kids down the street had a tree house that their father helped build. Mike and I didn't have a father figure at the time. So we had to do it on our own. We wanted to make it bigger, better." As time passed, they graduated from log cabins to unusual vehicles, such as off-road racers. In their college years, they converted a tour bus into a mobile stage for their rock and roll band. Thanks to its tracks, their vehicle can move at high speed across all kinds of rugged terrain, the brothers claim Later, they became obsessed with the idea of building an extremely fast, tracked vehicle. After years of work, they ended up creating a small tank, which they called the Ripsaw. The device caught the attention of the US Army, which eventually ordered manned and unmanned versions for research and development. As a result of the US military's interest, the brothers were able to turn their hobby into a business. The challenges they faced in creating the Ripsaw were formidable. The company also invented the Ripchair, an off-road wheelchair with tracks For example, the faster you try to make a tracked vehicle go, the more likely you are to lose a track. "It's like a wheel coming off on a car," explains Mike. Engineering problems like these proved tough to solve. The brothers looked beyond the automotive world for answers, and took lessons from elsewhere, such as from the technology employed in chainsaws. As they gained experience, they expanded their range to include products like robotic systems that could help to disable bombs, and the Ripchair, an extraordinary off-road wheelchair with tracks. Hollywood also began to take an interest, and the brothers' vehicles have appeared in several big-budget pictures, like GI Joe 2 and Mad Max: Fury Road. It was collaboration with the movie industry that led to a new direction for the business. The brothers see luxury forming only a small part of their range One day, the brothers received a call from someone working for a wealthy individual who had seen one of their vehicles on screen, and wanted a bespoke leisure version of the Ripsaw. They were at first surprised by the request, but after careful consideration, they decided to give the idea a go. The result was the EV2. They find dealing with the luxury market a whole new challenge. One of the biggest difficulties is establishing clear lines of communication. He is rarely able to talk directly to the end client - so it is vital to ensure that the customer's wishes are being met, rather than those of any intermediaries. The company has also made robotic systems to help disable bombs The brothers have found that clients in this market are interested in a range of options. In addition to those already mentioned, they include a night vision and thermal imaging system, which displays images of the road ahead and around the vehicle. "You can shut all the lights off at night and the vehicle is completely dark and you can run 60 miles an hour down the road and see everything you need to see to be able to drive safely," says Mike. Some of the tanks are equipped with thermal imaging or night vision He adds that it's up to the client to establish where and how the vehicle can be driven safely and legally. The high cost of EV2 (a typical model costs hundreds of thousands of dollars) presents another challenge. Because so much money is at stake, the brothers sometimes need to do some delicate checking on potential customers, to establish that they are able to afford the cost. They say they have enjoyed adding a "luxury" product to their portfolio - but they do not want it to end up skewing the direction of the whole business, which is why they see it forming only a small part of their range in future. This approach is wise, says author and consultant Peter York, who has advised many large luxury enterprises. Luxury tanks will only form a small part of the business, the twins say "If you start spending time on billionaires' private fantasies then there are immense opportunity costs. "A technologically innovative business and a luxury business are very different," he says. Still, the brothers are always open to new ideas, and for a special client, they will continue to push the envelope. At present they are working on a variant with 2,000 horsepower - nearly four times the power of a standard EV2. "We have no idea how it's going to work out," says Mike Howe. "We're riding that edge between what's physically possible and what's a dream." The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38561556

FA Cup: Man Utd face Wigan, Chelsea host Brentford, Derby meet Leicester - BBC Sport

2017-01-10

Holders Manchester United will host 2013 winners Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup fourth round.

Last updated on .From the section Football Holders Manchester United will host 2013 winners Wigan Athletic in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Premier League champions Leicester City will travel to Derby County in an East Midlands derby, while Chelsea meet Brentford in a west London derby. League One Millwall's reward for beating Bournemouth is to host another Premier League side, Watford. Liverpool will be at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers of the Championship. Sutton United, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, will face Leeds United. The fourth round represents the last-32 stage of the competition, and all ties are scheduled to be played from 27-30 January.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38564239

Starving to death on NHS wards? - BBC News

2017-01-10

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How big a problem is malnutrition on hospital wards?

Health

The Sun newspaper on Monday carries the headline "Kill by mouth: Two die in NHS each day of thirst or starvation". A shocking claim, based on figures from the Office of National Statistics. The data for England and Wales shows that in 2015, hunger and/or dehydration were a factor in 828 patient deaths in hospitals and care homes. But that doesn't mean all of these patients starved to death or died of thirst, experts at the ONS were quick to point out when I spoke with them about it. Malnutrition may be recorded on the death certificate as a factor contributing directly to a death when it was a complication of a different underlying cause, such as cancer of the stomach, for example. If you are very sick, it might not be feasible or desirable to eat and drink. Having a disease such as advanced cancer can cause malnutrition. That's not to say that patients who are terminally ill should have fluid and nutrients withheld. On the contrary, guidelines make it clear that even if a patient can't eat or drink they should still be provided for. They were drawn up after reports revealed some patients at the end of life were being denied this basic right when they were put on a care protocol called the Liverpool Care Pathway. The LCP was scrapped in 2015 after relatives complained that their loved ones had been put on it without their knowledge and denied fluids, which hastened their deaths. Another dark period in history for the NHS was the Stafford Hospital Scandal, where hundreds of patients died amid appalling levels of care between 2005 and 2009. An inquiry identified terrible and unnecessary suffering, including examples where patients had been provided with food and drink, but it had been left out of their reach. Joan Morris suffered a heart attack and died four weeks after being admitted to Stafford General Hospital Joan Morris, 83, was admitted to Stafford Hospital in December 2006 with a chest infection. Her family said that food and water had been left on a table instead of being given to her. Another patient, Tom Wilhelms, resorted to drinking from a vase. In response to the Francis Inquiry into the failings at the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust, the government published new hospital standards including around nutritional and hydration care. And it asked the Care Quality Commission to make sure that the hospitals and care homes it inspected were following these standards. The CQC's first dedicated review was in 2012. It inspected 500 care homes and 50 hospitals in England and found 83% of care homes and 88% of hospitals it inspected met people's nutritional needs, which means patients were provided a suitable choice of food and drink and given help to eat and drink when they needed it. It says this shows things have improved. Prof Sir Mike Richards, CQC Chief Inspector of Hospitals, said: "We expect the food provided to be nutritious, to meet people's dietary requirements, and for this to be included as part of patients care planning while in hospital, and we look closely at this on our inspections. Where we find this is not happening or identify concerns that people's nutritional needs are not being met we take action and have a range of enforcement powers at our disposal where required." Age UK agrees that there's been progress, but says malnutrition in the NHS is still a big issue. Lesley Carter, who works of the charity and is programme manager of the Malnutrition Task Force, says a third of people going into hospitals and care homes are already malnourished or at risk of malnutrition when they are admitted. "That means they are already vulnerable to start with." She said that on busy wards, mealtimes might get rushed or overlooked without the right staffing. "Older people in particular might need help to eat and drink, and they aren't always getting this. Food can still be left out of reach. "Some hospitals have employed nutrition nurses to spot those patients that need help, and nutrition assistants to help with the feeding, which is good. "But it is time consuming to feed someone properly." She says friends and families have a responsibility to keep a check on elderly loved ones too. "We all need to realise that it's not natural to lose weight as we age." Although elderly people should be encouraged to eat a healthy diet, she says this can backfire. A salad might be worse than cake in terms of nutrition for someone who is old and frail and has a poor appetite, for example. "Some residents in care homes are being given low fat yoghurt and semi-skimmed milk when instead they should get full fat milk."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38554077

Newspaper headlines: 'Broken' A&E and Streep takes on Trump - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Many of the UK front pages focus on the NHS's accident and emergency departments and the actress Meryl Streep takes centre stage on others, after her comments about Donald Trump.

The Papers

Many papers agree there is a "crisis" in accident and emergency departments in England, with some saying patient safety is at risk. The Daily Mail is outraged by the government's suggestion that 30% of people turning up at casualty don't need to be there and says the reason so many people go to hospital is that they find it impossible to get an appointment with their GP. The Daily Mirror says the NHS is "a victim of failed Tory austerity" and that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt isn't up to the job. He stupidly shut hospital beds when demand was growing, the paper says, and should be signed off work - permanently. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is under fire from the Daily Mirror who say he isn't up to the job But the Sun believes it is pointless to hurl abuse at Mr Hunt when the government has found billions more for the health service - which it says is a bottomless pit. The paper supports the Labour MP Caroline Flint's call for cross-party agreement on the long-term future of the NHS and suggests that politicians might consider new ways of funding it. Writing in The Guardian, Polly Toynbee chides PM Theresa May for "ignoring an NHS falling apart before our eyes" and says "a full-blown NHS crisis risks engulfing her". The Sun says Whitbread has been adding pork to lasagne in its restaurants as a cost-cutting measure without telling customers. It predicts the revelation will cause "outrage" among Muslims and Jews, whose religion forbids them to eat pork. Whitbread apologised "for any concern or confusion" and said their supplier had not broken food labelling laws. The Financial Times is among the papers to report that a box at London's Royal Albert Hall has come on the market for the first time in almost a decade - priced at £2.5m. It seats 12 and is said to be close to the venue's royal box. The Financial Times said the new owner will have the right to attend two-thirds of events at the venue The Times says some of the hall's supporters are irked that all the money will go to the box's owner, and none to the venue itself. The paper believes the sale will also reignite the row about whether the Royal Albert Hall, which is a charity, should allow seat owners to make hundreds of thousands of pounds a year by selling tickets for performances online. And finally, several papers are intrigued to learn that the Queen is a fan of the BBC teatime television quiz show, Pointless. The Times reports that Her Majesty is a fan of the weekday quiz programme The Daily Express says courtiers have told one of the programme's presenters, Alexander Armstrong, that she watches the programme in her private sitting room in Buckingham Palace while drinking a cup of tea and tries to beat the contestants. The Times says the revelation "may shed some light on how the Queen has been filling her time while she was cooped up indoors with a cold. If one is not taking the corgis for a walk, there are only so many ways one can while away a long winter's afternoon in Norfolk".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-38565081

Manchester United 2-0 Hull City - BBC Sport

2017-01-10

Second-half goals from Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini give Manchester United a 2-0 first-leg win over Hull in the semi-final of the EFL Cup.

Last updated on .From the section Football Jose Mourinho moved a step closer to a major trophy in his first season as Manchester United manager as goals from Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini secured a first-leg victory over Hull City in the semi-final of the EFL Cup. A near full-strength United struggled to break down resilient Hull in a first half in which the hosts had just two shots on target - Mata forcing a good save out of goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic, who also tipped over Paul Pogba's long-range effort. The visitors had chances of their own against a side who had won their eight previous games in all competitions, Robert Snodgrass causing problems from set-pieces. However, Mata got the breakthrough just before the hour mark when he tapped in from Henrikh Mkhitaryan's knockdown. Substitute Fellaini scored a second late on, heading in from Matteo Darmian's cross to put United in command heading into the second leg on 26 January. The League Cup represents a genuine opportunity for Mourinho to claim a major trophy to add to the Community Shield collected last summer. He has named strong sides throughout the competition and it was no different against Hull as several first-team regulars, including Wayne Rooney, Pogba and David de Gea, started. With Hull bottom of the Premier League and struggling badly with injuries - they could only name six substitutes - a first Tigers victory in 65 years at Old Trafford seemed unlikely. They were given odds of 20-1 to win before kick-off and their prospects looked even more bleak when midfielder Markus Henriksen went off injured inside 20 minutes. But since new Portuguese boss Marco Silva - described by some as the new Mourinho - took charge last week the Tigers have looked much improved. They beat Swansea in the FA Cup at the weekend and more than held their own for long periods of the game against the Red Devils despite having to field a makeshift defence. Fellaini's late goal means a turnaround in the second leg might be too big a challenge, but their overall performance will give their fans hope in the battle to stay in the Premier League. Rooney moved level with Sir Bobby Charlton at the top of Manchester United's all-time scoring chart with his 249th goal for the club against Reading in the FA Cup on Saturday, meaning he had the chance to claim the outright record against Hull. He came close to scoring goal number 250 inside the opening 10 minutes when Marcus Rashford scuffed a shot across goal, but Rooney was just beaten to the ball by Andrew Robertson. The England forward should have got the landmark goal just after half-time when he was picked out by an excellent Pogba ball over the defence, but sent his shot wide of the far post. His game came to an end just before the hour mark when he was replaced by Anthony Martial, but his departure without a goal means he now has the chance to grab the historic strike in what is arguably a more significant fixture for himself and United fans - the visit of Liverpool this weekend. What they said: Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho: "Maybe I didn't prepare the team right. I didn't give them enough intensity, and we had to change that at half-time. Maybe I should pay more attention to the dynamic of the game. "We have to improve for Sunday. Today our performance was enough to win, but Sunday we all have to improve." More from Mourinho here. Hull City manager Marco Silva: "There's only been four training sessions with me and with many, many things to change, I'm happy with the work my players did during this game." • None Manchester United have won their past nine games in all competitions, their best run since an 11-game winning streak in February 2009. • None Juan Mata has scored in three of his past four League Cup matches (two goals for Manchester United, one goal for Chelsea). • None All three of Henrikh Mkhitaryan's assists for Manchester United have been in the EFL Cup. • None Marouane Fellaini has scored his first League Cup goal since August 2013 (Everton v Stevenage). • None The Red Devils have progressed from all three of their previous League Cup semi-finals having won the first leg (1983 v Arsenal, 1991 v Leeds, 1994 v Sheffield Wednesday). • None United have won 12 and lost none of their past 13 matches against Hull City in all competitions (D1). • None The Red Devils have lost only one of their past 26 home League Cup games against fellow top-flight sides (W24 D1), losing 2-1 against Chelsea in January 2005. • None Hull have failed to score in each of their past four matches with United, losing three and drawing the other. What the papers say It's back to the Premier League for Manchester United as they take on Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on Sunday (16:00 GMT) knowing a win could take them into the top five. Hull, meanwhile, host Bournemouth as they look to move off the bottom of the table. The Tigers have not won in the league since 6 November. • None Delay over. They are ready to continue. • None Substitution, Hull City. James Weir replaces Josh Tymon because of an injury. • None Delay in match Josh Tymon (Hull City) because of an injury. • None Attempt saved. Anthony Martial (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Antonio Valencia with a cross. • None Goal! Manchester United 2, Hull City 0. Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United) header from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Matteo Darmian with a cross. • None Ryan Mason (Hull City) wins a free kick on the right wing. • None Attempt missed. Shaun Maloney (Hull City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38493198

Obituary: Clare Hollingworth - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Celebrated war correspondent who broke the news of Germany's invasion of Poland.

UK

Clare Hollingworth was the war correspondent who broke the news that German troops were poised to invade Poland at the start of World War Two. She went on to report on conflicts across the world but it was that moment that defined her career. She was by no means the first female war reporter, but her depth of technical, tactical and strategic insight set her apart. And, even as she approached her 11th decade, she still kept her passport by her bed in case she should be called to another assignment. Clare Hollingworth was born in Leicester on 10 October 1911 and spent most of her childhood on a farm. What should have been idyllic years were overshadowed by World War One. "I remember the German bombers flying over the farm we lived in to bomb Loughborough," she reminisced. "And the next day we got Polly the pony and took the trap into Loughborough to see the damage they had done. " She had set her heart on a writing career early on, much to the exasperation of her mother. British authorities did not believe the German army had entered Poland "She didn't believe anything journalists wrote and thought they were only fit for the tradesmen's entrance." After school she attended a domestic science college in Leicester, which instilled in her a lifelong hatred of housework. More interesting to her by far were the battlefield tours that her father arranged to sites as diverse as Naseby, Poitiers and Agincourt. Eschewing the prospect of life as a country squire's wife, Hollingworth became a secretary at the League of Nations Union before studying at London University's School of Slavonic Studies and the University of Zagreb. In 1936 she married a fellow League of Nations worker, Vandeleur Robinson, but soon found herself in Warsaw, distributing aid to refugees who had fled from the Sudetenland, the Czech territory occupied by the Nazis in 1938. She had written the occasional article for the New Statesman and, on a brief visit to London in August 1939, she was signed up by the editor of the Daily Telegraph, Arthur Wilson, who was impressed by her experience in Poland. In this period of heightened tension, the border between Poland and Germany was sealed to all but diplomatic vehicles. After borrowing a car from the British consul in Katowice and proudly displaying the union jack, she drove through the exclusion zone and into Germany. She had a deep knowledge of military strategy While driving back to Poland, having bought wine, torches and as much film as possible, she passed through a valley in which huge hessian screens had been erected. As the wind blew one of the screens back, it revealed thousands of troops, together with tanks and artillery, all facing the Polish border. Her report featured on the front page of the Daily Telegraph on 29 August, 1939. Less than a week after becoming a full-time journalist, she had scooped one of the biggest stories of the 20th Century. Three days later, Hollingworth saw the German tanks rolling into Poland. But when she phoned the secretary at the British Embassy in Warsaw, he told her it could not be true as negotiations between Britain and Germany were still continuing. "So I hung the telephone receiver out of the window," Hollingworth later recalled, "So he could listen to the Germans invading." Working on her own, often behind enemy lines, with nothing more than a toothbrush and a typewriter, she witnessed the collapse of Poland before moving to Bucharest, where she realised that her marriage was over. "I thought that for me - and in a different kind of way for him - my career was more important than trying to rush back home," she reflected later. Her story about the spy Kim Philby was blocked by The Guardian Hollingworth spent a busy war in Turkey, Greece and Cairo. When Montgomery - who could not stomach the idea of a woman reporting from the front - captured Tripoli in 1943, he ordered her to return to Cairo. She decided to attach herself to Eisenhower's forces, then in Algiers. Though diminutive and bespectacled, Hollingworth was as tough as nails. She learned how to fly and made a number of parachute jumps. During the latter part of the war, she reported from Palestine, Iraq and Persia, where she interviewed the young Shah. After the war, Hollingworth, by now working for the Observer and the Economist, married Geoffrey Hoare, the Times's Middle East correspondent. The couple were just 300 yards from Jerusalem's King David Hotel when it was bombed in 1946, killing 91 people. The attack left her with a hatred of the man behind the attack, the Irgun leader Menachem Begin, who eventually became prime minister of Israel and won the Nobel Peace Prize. "I would not shake a hand with so much blood on it," she explained. She celebrated her 100th birthday in her adopted home of Hong Kong In 1963 Hollingworth was working for the Guardian in Beirut when Kim Philby, a correspondent for the Observer, disappeared. She was convinced that he was the fabled "third man" in a British spy ring that already included Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean. After some detective work, she discovered that Philby had left on a Soviet ship bound for Odessa and filed copy to that effect with the Guardian. But this second huge scoop was spiked by the paper's editor, Alastair Hetherington, who feared a libel suit. Three months later, the Guardian ran the story, tucked away on an inside page. The following day the Daily Express splashed it on the front page, prompting the government to admit that Philby had, indeed, defected to the Soviet Union. Hollingworth reported on the Algerian crisis and the Vietnam War. She was one of the first journalists to predict that American military muscle would not prevail and that a stalemate was inevitable. She made a special effort to speak to Vietnamese civilians, away from the watching eyes of the US PR people, to ensure she accurately captured the views of those who were suffering the most. Hoare died in 1966, and Hollingworth, who had become the Telegraph's first Beijing correspondent in 1973, retired to Hong Kong in 1981. She spent her final years in the former colony and was a daily fixture at the Foreign Correspondents' Club, venerated by her colleagues. Although she lost her sight later in life, Clare Hollingworth, a true journalist's journalist, retained an acute interest in world affairs right to the end. She was once asked where she would want to go if the phone rang with a new assignment. "I would look through the papers," she said, "And say, 'Where's the most dangerous place to go?', because it always makes a good story."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13960347

Justin Thomas & Hideki Matsuyama: PGA Tour's in-form pair ready to win majors - BBC Sport

2017-01-10

Justin Thomas and Hideki Matsuyama are the in-form pair on the PGA Tour - it would be no surprise if either landed a first major this year, says Iain Carter.

It is an event that promotes Hawaiian tourism more than it provides signals for the golfing year, but last week's Tournament of Champions could prove more significant than usual thanks to the outstanding performances of its top two finishers. Champion Justin Thomas and runner-up Hideki Matsuyama both appear ready to mix it with the game's leading figures in the biggest events of 2017. It would be no surprise if either or both landed first major titles this year. I think it's floodgates opening. The guy hits it forever. He's got a really, really nifty short game. He manages the course well. It's awesome to see Yes, this scenic January gathering on the PGA Tour is a gentle affair, with a limited field restricted to winners from the previous year. But Thomas and Matsuyama both showed they had not lost any of their increasingly impressive edge during the Christmas break. World number one Jason Day was taking his first, relatively rusty steps back into the competitive arena after three months off and headlined a field that included US Open champion Dustin Johnson and US PGA winner Jimmy Walker. Two-time major champion Jordan Spieth and Ryder Cup hero Patrick Reed were also competing, yet Thomas and Matsuyama separated themselves from these elite chasers to maintain the impressive momentum they had built towards the end of 2016. While Thomas triumphed, his 24-year-old Japanese rival came second to continue an extraordinary run of form. In his past six tournaments Matsuyama has won four times and now been runner-up twice. The only player to have beaten him in this sequence is Thomas, who also triumphed by three strokes when he successfully defended the CIMB Classic in Malaysia in October. Matsuyama's hot streak began a couple of weeks earlier with a fifth place at the Tour Championship. Since then, he has picked up two titles in Japan, as well as the WGC HSBC Champions crown in Shanghai and Tiger Woods' Hero World Challenge. Last Sunday, an eagle at the 14th in the final round in Kapalua piled pressure on Thomas, who then steadied himself after a double bogey at the 15th to claim his fourth professional victory. "I think it's potentially floodgates opening," Spieth said of his 23-year-old compatriot's promise, after he finished three shots clear of Matsuyama. "The guy hits it forever. He's got a really, really nifty short game. He manages the course well," Spieth added. "It's awesome to see." Thomas was unlucky to miss out on a wildcard debut in last year's US Ryder Cup team. The Kentucky youngster admits that he feared he was losing ground on contemporaries such as Spieth, who is already a Masters and US Open winner. "I think it drove me a lot," Thomas said. "I wasn't mad, but it was maybe a little frustrating sometimes seeing some friends and peers my age do well - not because I wasn't cheering for them, but because I feel like I was as good as them. It's just immature of me. "I mean, the fact of the matter is, over the course of a long career, we're going to beat each other. That's just how it is. "I think now, I feel so much more comfortable. I really do. Maybe the first time in Malaysia when I won [in 2015], I was kind of like, what am I doing here? "But now it's like, OK, I belong here. I should be here." Thomas, now ranked 12th in the world, and Matsuyama will remain in Hawaii to continue their rivalry in this week's Sony Open at Waialae CC in Honolulu. Spieth is also competing, along with Olympic champion Justin Rose. Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson were the only members of the world's top six who did not play last week's tournament. McIlroy comes out of hibernation to take part in the South African Open in Gauteng, which starts on Thursday. The Northern Irishman is embarking on a busy schedule that provides a strong opening to the European Tour year. He will play the following week in Abu Dhabi and joins Tiger Woods in the field for February's Dubai Desert Classic. Off the course, the Tour as a whole has made an impressive start to 2017 by attracting Chinese money to bolster the French Open. Played at the end of June, the tournament will be known as the HNA Open de France and with a prize fund in excess of $7m (£5.75m) becomes the eighth event in the elite Rolex Series. The idea behind these big-money tournaments is to provide Europe's young stars with a viable alternative to the PGA Tour. If they succeed in this objective it can only raise standards and, as Thomas and Matsuyama have just demonstrated, they are already sky-high on the other side of the pond.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/38559519

Up and away? Your Tube strike solutions - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Travellers in London have been hit by a Tube strike, with more than four million people affected. Some have seen the lighter side.

UK

Artist Claudine O'Sullivan offers an alternative to the Tube Commuters and travellers in London have been hit by a Tube strike. More than four million people could be affected, but some have taken to social media to see the lighter side. From The Daily Grindstone, there was just a hint of sarcasm about alternative routes, such as the bus, which no-one else would have thought of: Earlier, Clapham Junction rail station was evacuated, but commuters were appeased by a little light music, as tweeted by Alicia Harries: It's not just commuters who were struggling. Rupert had his tongue in his cheek when he wondered how the tourists would manage with the three-minute walk between two London destinations. The motto "Be prepared" might be well known in the Girl Guides, but these skills could also prove useful for some commuters, as Alex tweets his survival kit: Not everyone has been having such a terrible time of it, however. Twitter user Mark was glad people could enjoy the walk: And Sofia noted an increase in the capital's cyclists: On a more serious note, some organisations, like the MS Society, have been using the strike as an opportunity to highlight the suffering of others:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38554573

Women Who Draw website reveals world's 'hidden' female illustrators - BBC News

2017-01-10

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New website Women Who Draw has been overwhelmed by support for its bid to promote female illustrators.

US & Canada

Applicants for the Women Who Draw website were asked to submit an illustrated portrait of a woman A website designed to showcase the work of female illustrators and promote diversity has got off to a flying start, after receiving submissions from around the world. The Women Who Draw website, which had its "soft launch" in December, crashed under the weight of more than six million page views in its first three days, according to its US founders, Wendy MacNaughton and Julia Rothman. "We had to close submissions because we were overwhelmed. We received 1,200 submissions in 24 hours," said Ms Rothman, citing contributions from Iran, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa, among others. The site's mission statement is to "increase the visibility of female illustrators, female illustrators of colour, LBTQ+, and other minority groups". On Monday, it is relaunching, backed by a new server and showcasing 700 new members, whose work organisers have collated within three weeks. They also have more than 300 artists on the waiting list. Ms MacNaughton and Ms Rothman, who are both successful illustrators, said they were motivated to create the project after noticing certain publications were dominated by male artists. "We counted a certain magazine that often has illustrated covers, and noticed that in the past 55 covers, only four were by women," said Ms Rothman. Something seemed to be amiss, considering that the arts field within education is often dominated by women. In the UK, data from higher-education admissions service Ucas shows that in 2016 the number of women enrolled in design studies courses (including illustration) was more than double the number of men. So, do the women behind Women Who Draw think sexism in the industry is an enduring problem? "When I see who wins the awards, who are on the juries and who speaks at conferences, it is clear that there is a bias. Although no-one has specifically said to me that you are a woman so I am not going to hire you," said Ms Rothman. Sabrina Scott, an artist, illustration lecturer, and PhD student at Toronto's York University, has conducted a study of seven years of images within the American Illustration (AI) annual, a collection of award-winning images, chosen by a jury. She looked at how people - male and female - were represented in nearly 3,000 images. Ms Scott said: "Over seven years from 2008 to 2015, white men appear in 55% of AI award-winning illustrations, on average. The representation of white women has remained fairly steady at an average of 32%, as has the representation of men and women of colour, whose seven-year averages are 8% and 4%, respectively." She also found that while men were drawn as nude or nearly nude 3% of the time, that figure rose to 30% for female figures. "The only dead bodies depicted during the timeframe of my analysis are those that belong to men of colour," she added. The site allows artists to highlight different aspects of their identity. Artists can be tagged according to their sexuality, religion, and location. Trans women are also encouraged to join, and are not differentiated from other women. Artist Kaylani Juanita lists herself on the site under the categories African American/black, LBTQ+, west coast (US), multiracial, and native Hawaiian/Pacific islander. Did she worry that she might get pigeonholed? "I'm far more worried about invisibility or erasure of identity rather than being pigeonholed for making my identity visible," she said. "I joined because it's an inclusive list that's well needed within publishing and illustration," she added. "For women artists, it provides solidarity, visibility, and community. I would have loved a list like this when I was in college and high school." Bryan Gee, an art director at Canadian national newspaper The Globe and Mail, says he has already commissioned three artists he found on the site. One was themed on female sexuality. He also finds the categorisation of artists based on location useful, as part of his job involves showcasing Canadian talent. "The biggest challenge to Women Who Draw as they to continue to add to their roster will be how to balance inclusivity with the quality of the work that I currently find there," he said. However, some of the features he is less convinced about. "It seems a bit odd, for example, to see 'atheist' pop up so frequently as a primary defining quality of some of the illustrators." "I don't think it is about tokenism," adds Lizzy Stewart, an artist from London, who has joined the site. "I think work will still be commissioned based on talent, after all no-one wants to pay for bad work. It'd just be great if that work could come from a wider range of sources." Women Who Draw has decided not to include tags to denote writers who are white or straight. "That was a big decision that we debated a lot," said Ms MacNaughton. "We decided we didn't want to support art directors in search of more white women." But Ms MacNaughton adds that it is an evolving project and they are open to feedback. "Ultimately it is the work that matters," she said. "The site creates a signpost. It is up to the art director to choose the work and the people."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38524131

Cristiano Ronaldo beats Lionel Messi to win Fifa best player award - BBC Sport

2017-01-10

Cristiano Ronaldo is named the world's best player at the inaugural Best Fifa Football Awards in Zurich.

Last updated on .From the section European Football Cristiano Ronaldo was named the world's best player at the inaugural Best Fifa Football Awards in Zurich. Real Madrid and Portugal forward Ronaldo, 31, beat Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann to the prize. Ronaldo also won the Ballon d'Or in December, with both honours recognition for success in the Champions League with Real and Euro 2016 with Portugal. Carli Lloyd of the United States was named the world's best female player. Leicester's Claudio Ranieri was named best men's coach, ex-Germany boss Silvia Neid won the female coach award, while Penang's Mohd Faiz Subri received the Puskas award for the best goal of 2016. • None Quiz: World's best - but who did he vote for? Hold on... haven't we already had the Ballon d'Or? We have - but this is different. For the past six years, the world's best player has received the Fifa Ballon d'Or award. A version of that prize has been awarded by France Football magazine since 1956, but last year world football's governing body ended its association with that honour. Instead, it introduced the Best Fifa Football Awards, with Ronaldo the first recipient of its main prize. Voting for the player and coach categories was by national team captains and managers, selected journalists and, for the first time, an online poll of fans. Each counted for 25% of the points. 2016 was quite a year for Ronaldo. As well as scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout to win the Champions League, rescuing Real with a hat-trick in the final of the Club World Cup, captaining Portugal to Euro 2016 glory and being recognised with a fourth Ballon d'Or, he now has something Messi does not - the honour of being named best Fifa men's player. The former Manchester United forward had been the favourite for the award, following a year in which he continued to deliver remarkable statistics. These included: • None The third best minutes-per-goal rate (83.68) of anyone scoring a minimum of 10 goals across Europe's top five leagues during 2016, behind Luis Suarez (82.57) and Radamel Falcao (59.6). • None Finishing top scorer in the Champions League in 2015-16 with 16 goals, seven more than second-placed Robert Lewandowski. "It was my best year so far," said Ronaldo. "The trophy for Portugal was amazing. I was so happy and of course I cannot forget the Champions League and the Club World Cup. We ended the year in the best way. I'm so glad to win a lot of trophies, collective and individual. I'm so, so proud." Ronaldo and Messi have a history of not voting for each other for major awards and they continued that habit, both filling their top three with club-mates. Messi, the Argentina captain, went for Luis Suarez, Neymar and Andres Iniesta. Despite being on the shortlist for best individual player, Griezmann did not make the best XI. The line-up features five players from Real Madrid, four from Barcelona, one from Juventus (Dani Alves, who was at Barca for the first half of 2016) and one, Manuel Neuer, from Bayern Munich. That means no Premier League players were included. Despite the United States failing to finish on an Olympic podium for the first time, co-captain Carli Lloyd has continued her exceptional form both for her club, Houston Dash, and country. The 34-year-old saw off competition from Germany's Olympic gold medallist Melanie Behringer and five-time winner Marta of Brazil. "I honestly was not expecting this," said Lloyd. "I know Melanie did fantastic in the 2016 Olympics." Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri, who has also led his side to the last 16 of the Champions League this season, won the award ahead of Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane, who lifted the Champions League in his first season in charge, and Portugal's Fernando Santos, who led his team to an unexpected success at Euro 2016. Germany's Silvia Neid retired in 2016 after capping an 11-year spell in charge of the national team by guiding them to Olympic gold for the first time. Success in Rio added to her extensive trophy collection, which includes the World Cup and two European Championships. The best goal of 2016 was, officially, scored by Penang's Mohd Faiz Subri. It came in the Malaysia Super League, the forward converting a superb, swirling free-kick from 35 yards which started out heading towards the top left corner but ended up in the top right. The fan award went to supporters of Liverpool and German club Borussia Dortmund, who together sang a moving rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' - an anthem adopted by both teams - before their Europa League quarter-final in April. The match came the day before the 27th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 Liverpool fans died. Liverpool went on to produce a stirring display, coming from behind to win the match 4-3 and advance to the semi-finals 5-4 on aggregate. Colombian side Atletico Nacional were given the fair play award for their part in the aftermath of the plane crash which killed 19 players and staff of Brazilian side Chapecoense. Chapecoense were en route to play the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana final when the plane crashed, killing 71 people. Atletico Nacional said the title should be awarded to Chapecoense. Fifa recognised their "spirit of peace, understanding and fair play".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38561266

Corrie Mckeague: Missing serviceman 'to become father' - BBC News

2017-01-10

Missing RAF serviceman Corrie Mckeague is due to become a father, his girlfriend has said.

Missing RAF serviceman Corrie Mckeague is due to become a father, his girlfriend has said. Mr Mckeague has been missing since 24 September after a night out in Bury St Edmunds, in Suffolk. April Oliver, 21, said she had become pregnant after a relationship with the 23-year-old who is based at RAF Honington, Suffolk. She said their baby is due in late spring/early summer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-38555646

Is your child a cyberbully and if so, what should you do? - BBC News

2017-01-10

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What should you do if you find out your child has been bullying others online?

Technology

One in five teens claims to have been cyberbullied but few admit to being the bully Parents worry about their children being bullied online, but what if it is your child who is doing the bullying? That was the question posed by a BBC reader, following a report on how children struggle to cope online. There is plenty of information about how to deal with cyberbullies, but far less about what to do if you find out that your own child is the source. The BBC took advice from experts and a mother who found out her daughter had been cyberbullying her school friends. Nicola Jenkins found out that her 12-year-old daughter was posting unpleasant comments online from her teacher Few parents would want to admit that their child was a bully but Nicola Jenkins has gone on record with her story. You can watch her tell it here. "Nobody thinks that their own child is saying unkind things to other children, do they? I let them go on all the social media sites and trusted the children to use it appropriately. "Our form tutor phoned me up during school hours one day to tell me that there'd been some messages sent between my daughter and two other friends that weren't very nice. One of the children in particular was very upset about some of the things that had been said to her. "Her friend's mum spoke to me about it and showed me the messages that had been sent. When I approached my daughter about it, she denied that there had been anything going on. It took a while to get it out of her, but I was angry with her once I actually found out that she had been sending these messages. "I spoke to her teacher and to the other parents, and between us we spoke to the children to let them know that they can't be saying unkind things and to just make them aware that whatever they do is recorded and can be kept. And they all did learn a lesson from it. "I removed all the social media websites from her so she wasn't able to access them for a while and then monitored her input and what she's been saying to people. "But it did make me feel angry and quite ashamed that my daughter could be saying things like that to her friends, but she has grown up a bit since then and she's learnt her lesson. "You want to trust your children, but they can get themselves into situations that they can't get out of. "And as they get older, they look at different things. I know my son looks at totally different things to what my daughter does, so it's just being aware of what they are accessing and make sure that they are happy for you to look at what they are looking at as well." There is plenty of advice for parents on coping with cyberbullying but less on what to do if your child is the bully According to not-for-profit organisation Internet Matters, one in five 13-18 year olds claim to have experienced cyberbullying but there are few statistics on how many children are bullying. Carolyn Bunting, general manager of Internet Matters, offers the following advice: "First, sit down with them and try to establish the facts around the incident with an open mind. As parents, we can sometimes have a blind spot when it comes to the behaviour of our own children - so try not to be on the defensive. Talk about areas that may be causing them distress or anger and leading them to express these feelings online. "Make clear the distinction between uploading and sharing content because it's funny or might get lots of 'likes', versus the potential to cause offence or hurt. Tell them: this is serious. It's vital they understand that bullying others online is unacceptable behaviour. As well as potentially losing friends, it could get them into trouble with their school or the police. "If your child was cyberbullying in retaliation, you should tell them that two wrongs cannot make a right and it will only encourage further bullying behaviour. Stay calm when discussing it with your child and try to talk with other adults to work through any emotions you have about the situation. "Taking away devices can be counterproductive. It could make the situation worse and encourage them to find other ways to get online. Instead, think about restricting access and take away some privileges if they don't stop the behaviour. "As a role model, show your child that taking responsibility for your own actions is the right thing to do. Above all, help your child learn from what has happened. Think about what you could do differently as a parent or as a family and share your learning with other parents and carers." Twitter's image has been tarnished by trolls Many critics blame social media for not doing enough to deal with cyberbullying. Abuse is prolific on Twitter and it has pledged to do more, including improving tools that allow users to mute, block and report so-called trolls. Sinead McSweeney, vice-president of public policy at Twitter, explained why the issue is close to her heart: "As a mother of a seven-year-old boy, I've always tried to strike the right balance between promoting internet safety and encouraging the type of exploration, learning and creativity that the internet can unlock." She offered the following advice: "If you find that your child is participating in this type of behaviour, a good first step is to understand the nature of the type of material they're creating, who is the target, and try to ascertain their motivations. "If the bullying is taking place on a social media platform, make sure to explain to them why the behaviour is inappropriate and harmful, and to supervise the deletion of the bullying content they have created. If it continues, it may be worth seeking additional advice from a teacher or trusted confidant." The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38529437

Chris Robshaw: Harlequins flanker out of England's Six Nations campaign - BBC Sport

2017-01-10

Harlequins flanker Chris Robshaw will miss England's 2017 Six Nations campaign with a shoulder injury.

Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union Harlequins flanker Chris Robshaw will miss England's 2017 Six Nations campaign with a shoulder injury. The 30-year-old will have an operation on Monday and is expected to be sidelined for three months. Robshaw, who has won 55 caps, aggravated a problem with his left shoulder at Worcester on 1 January. The back row captained the national side between January 2012 and January 2016, but was replaced as skipper after Eddie Jones became England head coach. Jones led the side to a Grand Slam in 2016 but the Australian has a number of injury worries going into this year's tournament, which England begin against France at Twickenham on 4 February. Saracens forwards Billy and Mako Vunipola have been ruled out with knee injuries, while Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi is out for the season with cruciate ligament damage. Lock George Kruis is a doubt with a fractured cheekbone, and flanker James Haskell was concussed on his return from six months out with a foot injury. Captain Dylan Hartley, who is suspended until 23 January, will need to prove his fitness before the competition starts. After losing the captaincy following the World Cup, Chris Robshaw was a talisman for England on the blind-side flank in 2016 - playing in all but one of the 13 straight victories. He was also repeatedly singled out for praise by head coach Eddie Jones for his outstanding performances. However, while Robshaw's leadership and consistency will certainly be missed in the Six Nations, it may present Jones with the opportunity to move Maro Itoje from the second row into the back row, especially if locks Joe Launchbury and George Kruis can prove their fitness over the coming weeks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38559130

Could a national maximum wage work? - BBC News

2017-01-10

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Jeremy Corbyn’s call on Radio 4’s Today programme for a high earnings cap is not a unique position. Franklin D Roosevelt called for something similar.

Business

In 1942, Franklin D Roosevelt - not known as a Socialist radical, though he had his moments - proposed that anyone earning over $25,000 should be taxed at 100%. Effectively, the President of the United States was calling for a high pay cap of, in today's money, just under $400,000 or £330,000. Interviewed this morning on the Today programme, Jeremy Corbyn rekindled the debate on high pay, saying that a "cap" should be considered for the highest earners. With legislation if necessary. Franklin D Roosevelt - not known as a socialist radical Given that a direct limit (making it "illegal" for example for anyone to earn over, say, £200,000) would be almost impossible to enforce in a global economy where income takes many forms - salary, investments, returns on assets - very high marginal rates of tax could be one way to control very high levels of pay. Another could be by imposing limits on the pay ratio between higher and lower earners in a company - possibly a more politically palatable option. The High Pay Centre, for example, supports considering this approach. Their research reveals the ratio has increased substantially. "The average pay of a FTSE 100 chief executive has rocketed from around £1m a year in the late 1990s - about 60 times the average UK worker - to closer to £5m today, more than 170 times," the organisation said in 2014. Firms have been under fire over high rates of executive pay In its submission to the review of corporate governance by the House of Commons business select committee in October, the centre said executive pay was "out of control". It is only relatively recently that high marginal rates of tax have been dropped as a way of limiting "out of control" pay. Although America's Congress couldn't quite stomach the wartime 100% super tax (the actor Ann Sheridan commented "I regret that I have only one salary to give to my country") by 1945 the marginal rate on incomes over $200,000 was 94%. Post-war, very high rates of income tax on high earners were the norm and income inequality was far lower. By the 1970s in the UK, the marginal rate on higher incomes was 84%, a figure that rose to 98% with the introduction of a surcharge on investment income. Denis Healey, then the Labour chancellor, famously said he wanted to "squeeze the rich until the pips squeak" - a quote he subsequently denied. The mood changed with economic stagnation, industrial strife and the arrival of mainstream monetarism and its political leaders - Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Strikers gather round a brazier at a picket line in London in 1979 They built an economic and political philosophy based on a belief that it wasn't the state's job to spend, in Thatcher's famous phrase, "other people's money" - it was better to allow people to retain the money they earned and spend it as they saw fit, even if it was an awful lot. Lower levels of income tax were the result and economic growth strengthened for a period. Income inequality also grew, maybe a price worth paying for the economic riches which, it was argued, were flowing around the country. For many, especially since the financial crisis, the pendulum has swung back, away from lower taxes towards a more punitive approach to high incomes. Mr Corbyn was speaking about a belief that some individuals at the top of the income scale now have far too much money to spend compared with the "just about managing" classes. Theresa May has also made it clear that "fat cat pay" is on her radar. The economics of high pay and whether it should be limited are based on a judgement between two competing interests. The first is summed up by the Laffer Curve, popularised by the US economist Arthur Laffer, which argues that if income taxes are too high (or pay limits in any guise too strong) they reduce the incentive to work, which ultimately affects growth, national wealth and government income. At its most basic, under the "Laffer rules" a 0% income tax rate would collect no revenue. And a 100% income tax rate would also collect no revenue, as no one would bother working. Ronald Reagan slashed the top rates of US income tax It has been used from Reagan onwards as the economic underpinning for an argument that lower taxes support growth. In the 1980s, US government revenues increased as taxes were cut, although that was as much to do with general strong levels of growth as it was to do with the tax cuts themselves. The second, contrary, economic pressure, as countless studies from the World Bank and others have shown, is that countries with high levels of income inequality have lower levels of growth. Tackling that inequality, by whatever method, incentivises people to work more effectively. The problem is that lifting lower wages by increasing, for example, productivity levels, could be a more effective way of reducing the gap between low and high pay, although it would take many years of concerted effort to be successful. Since the 1970s, the notion of a government inspired "incomes policy" has been - in the popularity stakes - right up there with multi-millionaire bankers at a meeting of Momentum, the organisation that supports Mr Corbyn's Labour leadership. But, ever since the introduction of the minimum wage in the 1990s, the government has made it clear that the amount people are paid is not simply a matter for private businesses and the free market. Mr Corbyn has said he wants to consider a national maximum wage. Many might nod in agreement. How to do it, though, and whether it is economically helpful for growth, is a very different matter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38570434

Mourners turn out for war veteran Reginald Watson - BBC News

2017-01-10

More than 200 people attended the funeral of a World War Two veteran who died with no surviving family.

More than 200 people attended the funeral of a World War Two veteran who died with no surviving family. Reginald Watson, who served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, died on 23 November aged 90. The Reverend Mandy Bishop, of Ormesby St Margaret, Norfolk, made a social media plea for mourners after learning he faced a pauper's service. She said she was "overwhelmed" by the response to details of the funeral, which she had posted on Facebook. The service at St Margaret's Church heard Mr Watson was a "quiet, unassuming" man and "perfect gentleman" who had treasured his certificate of service book. Mr Watson enlisted in Norwich in January 1945, aged 18. He was initially in the General Service Corps and then in the King's Royal Rifle Corps. He served until 1948. The funeral saw Royal British Legion standard-bearers line the path from the hearse to the church.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-38576438

MS Dhoni resigns as India one-day captain ahead of England series - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

MS Dhoni steps down as India one-day captain ahead of the ODI series against England, which begins on 15 January.

Last updated on .From the section Cricket MS Dhoni has stepped down as India's limited-overs captain ahead of the ODI series against England, which begins on 15 January. The wicketkeeper will, however, remain available for selection for the three-match series and the three subsequent Twenty20 internationals. Dhoni, 35, had been India's limited-overs captain since September 2007. Under his leadership, India won the 2007 World Twenty20, 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy. Test captain Virat Kohli - ranked second in the world's ODI batting rankings - is the leading candidate to replace Dhoni. "The Indian team has touched new heights and his achievements will remain etched forever in the annals of Indian cricket," said Rahul Johri, chief executive of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Dhoni led his country in 199 ODIs and 72 Twenty20 internationals, also taking charge of 60 Tests between 2008 and 2014, to hold the overall record for the most international matches as captain with 331. In terms of victories, he is the most successful captain in all three formats in Indian cricket history. He was put in charge of the India squad for the inaugural World T20 in South Africa in 2007, leading his side to a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final. It was this success which is credited with starting his country's obsession with the shortest format of the game. Already established as a powerful middle to lower-order batsman, Dhoni developed a reputation as an adept finisher in run chases, as epitomised by his man-of-the-match performance in the 2011 World Cup final. The captain struck 91 off 79 balls, including a six to win the game, as he guided India to a six-wicket win against Sri Lanka in front of a raucous home crowd in Mumbai. There was further success in a dramatic five-run victory over England in the 2013 Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston, before finishing runners-up to Sri Lanka in the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/38510978

India's double first in climate battle - BBC News

2017-01-04

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India opens two world-leading clean energy projects - the world's biggest solar farm and a chemicals plant using CO2 to make baking soda.

Business

Two world-leading clean energy projects have opened in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A £3m industrial plant is capturing the CO2 emissions from a coal boiler and using the CO2 to make valuable chemicals. It is a world first. And just 100km away is the world's biggest solar farm, making power for 150,000 homes on a 10 sq km site. The industrial plant appears especially significant as it offers a breakthrough by capturing CO2 without subsidy. Built at a chemical plant in the port city of Tuticorin, it is projected to save 60,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year by incorporating them into the recipes for soda ash and other chemicals. The owner of the chemicals plant, Ramachadran Gopalan, told a BBC Radio 4 documentary: "I am a businessman. I never thought about saving the planet. I needed a reliable stream of CO2, and this was the best way of getting it." He says his operation has now almost zero emissions. He hopes soon to install a second coal boiler to make more CO2 to synthesise fertiliser. The chemical used in stripping the CO2 from the flue gas was invented by two young Indian chemists. They failed to raise Indian finance to develop it, but their firm, Carbonclean Solutions, working with the Institute of Chemical Technology at Mumbai and Imperial College in London, got backing from the UK's entrepreneur support scheme. Their technique uses a form of salt to bond with CO2 molecules in the boiler chimney. The firm says it is more efficient than typical amine compounds used for the purpose. The plant is projected to save 60,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year They say it also needs less energy, produces less alkaline waste and allows the use of a cheaper form of steel - all radically reducing the cost of the whole operation. The firm admits its technology of Carbon Capture and Utilisation won't cure climate change, but says it may provide a useful contribution by gobbling up perhaps 5-10% of the world's emissions from coal. Lord Oxburgh, former chairman of Shell, and now director and head of the UK government's carbon capture advisory group, told the BBC: "We have to do everything we can to reduce the harmful effects of burning fossil fuels and it is great news that more ways are being found of turning at least some of the CO2 into useful products." Meanwhile, the nearby giant Kamuthi solar plant offers a marker for India's ambition for a rapid expansion in renewables. The world's largest solar farm at Kamuthi in southern India It is truly enormous; from the tall observation tower, the ranks of black panels stretch almost to the horizon. For large-scale projects, the cost of new solar power in India is now cheaper than coal and Prime Minister Modi plans to power 60 million homes from the sun by 2022. But solar doesn't generate 24/7 on an industrial scale, so India has adopted a "more of everything" approach to energy until then. Its recently-published National Electricity Plan projects no further additions to coal-based capacity between 2022 and 2027, and estimates that the share of clean generating capacity (including nuclear) will increase to 56.5% by the end of that period. The firm behind the solar plant, Adani, is also looking to create Australia's biggest coal mine, which it says will provide power for up to 100 million people in India. Renewables, it says, can't answer India's vast appetite for power to lift people out of poverty. Will India stick to its renewables promises with Donald Trump as US president? And questions have been raised recently as to whether India will stick to its renewables promises now President-elect Donald Trump may be about to scrap climate targets for the US. At the recent Marrakech climate conference, China, the EU and many developing countries pledged to forge ahead with emissions-cutting plans regardless of US involvement. But India offered no such guarantee. Some environmentalists are not too worried: they think economics may drive India's clean energy revolution. Roger Harrabin presents Climate Change: The Trump Card on BBC Radio 4 at 20:00 GMT on Tuesday, 3 January. Correction 8 January 2017: This article was updated to change 'Baking soda' to 'Soda ash', and to include more details from India's National Electricity Plan

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38391034

Zambia women's 'day off for periods' sparks debate - BBC News

2017-01-04

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A law that gives women in Zambia the right to take a day off work if they're on their period is finally being discussed openly.

Africa

Ndekela Mazimba, who works in PR, says Mother's Day helps her manage her period pain Discussing female menstruation publicly is something of a taboo in Zambia. This is no doubt why a provision in the country's labour law that allows female workers to take off one day a month is known as Mother's Day, even though it applies to all women, whether or not they have children. The legal definition is not precise - women can take the day when they want and do not have to provide any medical justification, leading some to question the provision. "I think it's a good law because women go through a lot when they are on their menses [periods]," says Ndekela Mazimba, who works in public relations. Ms Mazimba is neither married nor does she have children but she takes her Mother's Day every month because of her gruelling period pains. "You might find that on the first day of your menses, you'll have stomach cramps - really bad stomach cramps. You can take whatever painkillers but end up in bed the whole day. Mutinta Musokotwane-Chikopela says there are already too many holidays in Zambia "And sometimes, you find that someone is irritable before her menses start, but as they progress, it gets better. So, in my case, it's just the first day to help when the symptoms are really bad." Women in Zambia do not need to make prior arrangements to be absent from work, but can simply call in on the day to say they are taking Mother's Day. An employer who denies female employees this entitlement can be prosecuted. Ms Mazimba's boss, Justin Mukosa, supports the law and says he understands the pressure women face in juggling careers and family responsibilities. A married man himself, he says the measure can have a positive impact on women's work: "Productivity is not only about the person being in the office. It should basically hinge on the output of that person." But he admits there are problems with the current system in terms of losing staff at short notice and also the temptation for people to play the system: "It could be abused in the context that maybe an individual might have some personal plans they wish to attend to so she takes Mother's Day on the day. Ndekela Mazimba's (R) boss Justin Mukosa (L) is supportive of the law Not everyone is so supportive of Mother's Day, and there are many women among the critics. Mutinta Musokotwane-Chikopela is married and has three children. She has a full-time marketing job but never takes Mother's Day, arguing that it encourages laziness in working women. "I don't believe in it and I don't take it. Menses are a normal thing in a woman's body; it's like being pregnant or childbirth," she says. "I think women take advantage of that, especially that there's no way of proving that you are on your menses or not." Ms Chikopela says the provision should have been made more clear in the law. "The problem in Zambia is that we have too many holidays - including a holiday for national prayers. So I guess Mother's Day makes those that love holidays happy." Women in Zambia are traditionally the primary care-givers in the family The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), the umbrella body representing the country's workers, is also a supporter of the law. But the entitlement "would have to be forfeited" if a woman were to take it on a day that she was not on her period, says Catherine Chinunda, national trustee at ZCTU. "We have been educating women about Mother's Day, telling them that on that day, they are supposed to rest and not even go shopping or do other jobs because that is wrong," she says. The law itself provides no guidance about what is allowed and it would appear that very few, if any, employers have internal policy guidance in that respect. She dismisses the idea that men should also get a day off every month, as has been suggested by some: "Men sometimes go to drink and miss work…. they don't know how it feels to be on menses." But while praising the concept of Mother's Day, some argue that the reality is bad for business. "Your superiors may have planned work for you to do and when you suddenly stay away from work, it means work will suffer, says Harrington Chibanda, head of the Zambia Federation of Employers. Lawyer Linda Kasonde says the law recognises the important role Zambian women play in society "Imagine a company that has a number of employees and six or seven take Mother's Day on the same day. What will happen to productivity?" he asks. Labour Minister Joyce Nonde-Simukoko, a former trade union activist, tells me that Mother's Day was initially informally observed in the 1990s before eventually being brought into law. But she has stern words for anyone thinking of using the entitlement to bunk off work: "If you absent yourself yet you are found in a disco house, then it will not be taken as Mother's Day. "You shouldn't even leave town, be found doing your hair or shopping. You can be fired. For example, somebody was found farming after taking Mother's Day and she was fired." One of the problems with the law is that it does not make this explicit, leading to confusion among employers and employees alike. But perhaps even more than the practical benefits, it is the intention and the spirit of the legislation that many Zambians support. "The reason why mother's day is important within the Zambian context is that it recognises that women are the primary care-givers in our society - regardless of whether they are married or not."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38490513

Cairngorm mountain rescue couple speak about ordeal - BBC News

2017-01-04

A couple rescued from the Cairngorm mountains after being forced to shelter down for the night have spoken about their ordeal.

A couple rescued from the Cairngorm mountains after being forced to shelter down for the night have spoken about their ordeal. Bob and Cathy Elmer from Leicestershire, who were reported missing on Sunday, said at times the snow came up to their waists.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-38501505

Sofiane Feghouli: West Ham midfielder's red card rescinded - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

West Ham midfielder Sofiane Feghouli has the red card shown to him during Monday's defeat by Manchester United overturned.

Last updated on .From the section Football West Ham played for 75 minutes with 10 men after Sofiane Feghouli was dismissed for this challenge on Phil Jones West Ham's Sofiane Feghouli has had the red card shown to him during Monday's defeat by Manchester United rescinded by the Football Association. The midfielder was sent off by referee Mike Dean for a challenge on Red Devils defender Phil Jones 15 minutes into a match the Hammers lost 2-0. West Ham boss Slaven Bilic said Jones "made a meal" of the tackle from the Algeria international. He will now be available for Friday's FA Cup tie against Manchester City.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38497190

The ex-CIA agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Ex-CIA agent John Nixon describes how he interrogated former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein after his capture.

US & Canada

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. John Nixon says Saddam Hussein was the most secretive man he has ever met When former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was captured in December 2003, the CIA required a specialist who could identify and interrogate him for information. That person was John Nixon. Mr Nixon had studied Saddam Hussein since joining the CIA in 1998. His role was to gather insight into leaders around the world, analysing "what made them tick," he tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme. "When a crisis hits, policy makers come to us with the questions about who these people are, what they want, why are they doing this." He had been in Iraq when the ousted leader was discovered by US troops in a small, underground hole next to farm buildings near his hometown of Tikrit. When the news of Hussein's discovery came through, the US needed him to be identified - a task presented to Mr Nixon. There had been rumours at the time that Saddam Hussein had numerous body doubles, but Mr Nixon - who left the CIA in 2011 - says "there was no doubt in my mind as soon as I saw him, that it was him". The "spider hole" where Saddam Hussein was hiding when he was captured "When I started talking to him, he gave me the same look he had on a book that had sat on my desk for years. Surreal doesn't come close." Mr Nixon took on the role of interrogator and was the first person to question Saddam Hussein at length, doing so across a number of days. "I had to keep pinching myself that I was questioning the most wanted man in the world. It seemed ludicrous," he says. Mr Nixon, author of Debriefing the President: The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein, describes the former leader as a "mass of contradictions". He saw "the human side" of Saddam Hussein, he says, in great contrast to the depiction presented by US media. "He was one of the most charismatic individuals I've ever encountered. When he wanted to be he could be charming, nice, funny and polite." But he could also switch to a much darker side. Mr Nixon describes him as rude, arrogant, nasty and mean-spirited - and scary when he lost his temper. "There were two or three occasions when my questioning got on his bad side," Mr Nixon says. Hussein had been unrestrained as he sat in the small, dingy room in which he was interrogated, sitting on a metal, foldable chair. Only Mr Nixon, a polygrapher and an interpreter were also present in the room. Nevertheless, Mr Nixon says the former leader - as a narcissist - "liked the interaction he got by talking to me". At the end of the first session, in which Mr Nixon tried to establish a rapport with Saddam Hussein in the hope he would cooperate, Saddam said he had enjoyed the conversation. "He had been in hiding for months and hadn't had many conversations," Mr Nixon says. It was a positive start, but the next day Mr Nixon says Saddam Hussein "came back more suspicious". "He is one of the most suspicious men I've ever met - every question I asked him he had one for me." Mr Nixon admits the CIA had little to offer Hussein in the way of an incentive to speak. "We had to appeal to sense of history and the prospect of him getting his views heard on record, and by the highest of powers in the world." In 2006, Saddam Hussein was convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging There were certain subject areas he was required to cover by the CIA, but otherwise he was left to his own devices. "I knew I had to try and get answers. "Working for the agency, you are taught how to debrief sources and make them into potential assets. "But you have to be very careful as you don't want to risk not being able to extract the most information possible by going at a topic in the wrong way." The most important subject area was that of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The US and UK had used allegations of Iraqi WMDs as a key reason for going to war. Mr Nixon says "it was all the White House wanted to know", but - from his conversations with Saddam Hussein, his advisers and subsequent research to verify or dismiss his claims - he came to the conclusion that the former Iraqi leader had stopped the country's nuclear weapons program years before and had not intended to restart it. It was a view that led him and his colleagues to be seen as "failures". He was not invited to debrief President George W Bush until five years later, in 2008, following separate findings on Saddam Hussein from the FBI. Mr Nixon is particularly scathing of President Bush, saying - as one of few people that have shaken the hands of both him and Saddam Hussein - he would rather spend time with the latter. President Bush, he says, was "isolated from reality", with advisers that would "rally around him regardless and nod in agreement". "I used to think what we said at the CIA mattered and the president would listen, but it doesn't matter what we say, politics trumps intelligence." Mr Nixon says he is "ashamed" of what has happened in Iraq since the ousting of Saddam Hussein. He says the Bush administration gave no thought as to what events might take place after Saddam's removal, and - in light of the rise of extremist groups such as the so-called "Islamic State" - believes the region would have been better off had he remained in place. Such claims have been dismissed by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who led the country at the time of the invasion. The BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel. • None Blair: World better because of Iraq War

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38497767

Syncing feeling lifts music industry - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Bands used to be accused of "selling out" if a TV programme or commercial used their music, but now "sync licensing" is a big earner for them.

Business

Sting's campaign for his Desert Rose single relied heavily on "sync licensing" It seems quaint to recall that bands used to be accused of "selling out" if a TV programme or commercial used their music. Nowadays, rock and pop artists of all kinds have become reconciled to that particular way of doing what the Clash used to call "turning rebellion into money". So when did it all change? Well, one of the big turning points came when Sting not only allowed a carmaker to use one of his songs in an advert, but even appeared in it too. In the year 2000, Sting was having trouble selling his Brand New Day album, while radio stations were shunning its second single Desert Rose, a duet with Algerian rai music artist Cheb Mami. Then, in a landmark for what is now known as "sync licensing", the singer and his manager, Miles Copeland, had a brainwave. The video for the song showed Sting travelling in a brand new Jaguar S-Type car. So why not approach Jaguar's advertising agency and offer them the chance to make a commercial based on the video? The Jaguar S-Type was in production from 1999 to 2009 "He was actually in the commercial," says Matt Bristow, who is business affairs manager at independent UK record label Cherry Red. "If you had gone back to Sting in the 80s and said, 'Would you fancy being in a car commercial?', he would probably have said no." After that, the single reached the top 20 in 10 countries, including the UK and the US. And since then, sync deals placing music tracks in TV commercials, TV series, films and even video games have become steadily more important as a revenue earner for the music industry. With record companies unable to sell physical copies of their releases in the same quantities that they used to, they have sought other sources of revenue, and sync licensing is now one of the key ones. As a result, previously obscure job categories have come to the fore as the industry rebalances to reflect this. The 21st Century has seen the rise of music supervisors, people who oversee the process of finding the right song for a scene and making sure the right people get paid for it. These are the gatekeepers who decide which tunes you will be hearing in that latest hit TV show, the essential liaison between the creative types who make the programme and the business people who control ownership of the music. Cherry Red, like other record companies, fosters relationships with music supervisors and does whatever it can to make them aware of the music it has to offer. The Netflix series Stranger Things features one of Cherry Red's tracks "If you go back a decade or more, I think certainly the bigger artists were not very receptive to these kinds of licences," says Mr Bristow. "When a thriving physical market was still with us, there was a view that you were selling out if you did that. "But that's changed. There's more awareness of the importance of maximising your income. "The door has definitely been opened. Artists at all levels are more receptive to doing these kinds of deals than in the past." Cherry Red's most notable success in sync licensing to date has been placing a song on the soundtrack on the hit Netflix show Stranger Things, which successfully applied to use the track Green Desert by German electronic music pioneers Tangerine Dream. "The approach came from Nora Felder, who is well known in the music sync world as a passionate music supervisor," says Mr Bristow. "We didn't haggle over the fee," he adds. "Obviously I can't tell you what it was, but it was comfortably in the ballpark of what that sort of deal would be." In this case, approval was required from the recording artists. Since Tangerine Dream's frontman Edgar Froese died in 2015, his widow Bianca was the one who gave it the green light. But the deal was not sealed until the final cut of the scene using the music had been signed off by the show's creators, at which point Cherry Red was able to invoice them for the money. Tangerine Dream's Edgar Froese died in 2015 at the age of 70 "That's really great for us, it's like having a calling card when we go and see other music supervisors," says Mr Bristow. "When we say we've got a track on Stranger Things, they immediately know what we're talking about." When music supervisors are seeking to obtain permission to use a track, they need to clear two different sets of rights: the rights to use the actual recorded piece of music, known as the "master rights", and the rights to use the written composition, or the "publishing rights". "It's very attractive in the sync world when you control both rights and they can just clear with you," says Mr Bristow. "It's a one-stop shop when you control both rights." When Cherry Red signs a new artist these days, the label is seeking to acquire both master and publishing rights. However, music publishers and record companies have different priorities and it can be hard for one firm to give equal weight to both. As a result, musicians have traditionally been reluctant to put all their eggs in one basket, so that's another way in which the industry is having to change. "It's an old adage that you don't put your masters and publishing in the same place. It's historically the unwritten rule in the artists' community," says Mr Bristow. At present, Cherry Red controls the master rights of about 50,000 tracks and the publishing rights of about 16,000. The major labels - Universal, Sony and Warner - own far more tracks, especially the well-known big hits that are sought after by advertising agencies. But as an indie label, Mr Bristow says, Cherry Red can be "flexible on price" and sometimes benefits when the song that the ad agency wanted to use turns out to be too expensive. "When the music supervisor has been given a big-name track and they just can't clear it for the budget, they're looking for something that sounds similar," he says. Mr Bristow says the amount of money coming in from sync licensing is set to grow. "It's still pretty small overall, but it's increasing, the opportunities are increasing. "The more depth and breadth in catalogue you have, the more opportunities there are in the sync world." The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38341251

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg takes up challenge to tour US - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg plans to spend 2017 touring the US - in his latest ambitious challenge.

Business

Mark Zuckerberg has announced plans to spend 2017 touring the US - in the Facebook founder's latest ambitious New Year's resolution. He posted that this year's personal challenge is to "have visited and met people in every state in the US". The 32-year-old tech titan added that he needs to travel to about 30 states to fulfil the pledge. His previous New Year challenges have included running 365 miles, reading 25 books and learning Mandarin. The US tour comes amid speculation that a future personal challenge by Mr Zuckerberg could include running for president of the United States. "After a tumultuous last year, my hope for this challenge is to get out and talk to more people about how they're living, working and thinking about the future," Mr Zuckerberg said in his Facebook post. "For decades, technology and globalization have made us more productive and connected. "This has created many benefits, but for a lot of people it has also made life more challenging. This has contributed to a greater sense of division than I have felt in my lifetime. We need to find a way to change the game so it works for everyone." He added that the road trips would help him to make "the most positive impact as the world enters an important new period". "My trips this year will take different forms - road trips with [wife] Priscilla, stops in small towns and universities, visits to our offices across the country, meetings with teachers and scientists, and trips to fun places you recommend along the way," the statement continued. Last year there was speculation that he could one day launch a bid for the White House. That was fuelled by documents showing he has made provisions to keep control of the company if he works for the government. Mr Zuckerberg also said last week that he was no longer an atheist. He posted a Christmas message, prompting someone to ask: "Aren't you an atheist?" Mr Zuckerberg replied: "No. I was raised Jewish and then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important". • None Facebook to do more tackling fake news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38503437

Pete Reed: Olympic champion announces plans to chase fourth Olympic gold - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

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Three-time Olympic champion Pete Reed ends his brief break from the sport to compete for a fourth Olympic rowing gold.

Rowing

Three-time Olympic champion Pete Reed has announced his rowing comeback as he aims for a fourth Olympic gold medal. Reed, 35, returned to his job in the Navy following last summer's Rio Olympics, where he won gold in the men's eight. But the Briton, who also won Olympic gold in Beijing and London, now plans to compete at Tokyo 2020, when he will be 39. "I felt I had more to give, more to do. It feels natural," he told BBC Sport. In Rio, Reed was part of Britain's eight-man crew which won gold to regain the Olympic title for the first time since 2000. He had won his first two Olympic golds in the men's four in Beijing and London. Should the former Oxford Blue, already one of the most decorated rowers in British history, secure a fourth Olympic gold he will join the list of greats such as Sir Ben Ainslie, Sir Mo Farah and Sir Matthew Pinsent. "I'm really pushing the ages of what rowers are capable of," added Reed, also a winner of five World Championships golds and three silvers. "I've seen great stuff before - Dame Katherine Grainger, Greg Searle and people like Sir Steve Redgrave, who was 38 when he won gold in Sydney, so it's definitely possible. "The most important thing is that I'm hungry to train, I want to be here."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rowing/38511984

Police hunt $6m jewellery heist suspects - BBC News

2017-01-04

CCTV footage shows two men alleged to have stolen $6m (£4.9m) of jewellery from a wholesalers in New York.

CCTV footage shows two men alleged to have stolen $6m (£4.9m) of jewellery from a wholesalers in New York. Police said they were still searching for the pair and a third man in connection with the robbery at the Gregg Ruth jewellery company.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38501506

Newspaper headlines: EU ambassador's resignation dominates press - BBC News

2017-01-04

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The resignation of the UK's ambassador to the European Union, Sir Ivan Rogers, dominates the front pages of Wednesday's newspapers.

The Papers

Sir Ivan Rogers has quit as the UK's ambassador to the EU The Daily Telegraph speculates about what the government will do now that the UK's ambassador to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers, has stepped down. "May to pick Brexiteer as our man in Brussels" is its headline. The paper has been told by senior Conservatives that ministers see his resignation as an opportunity to appoint someone who backs leaving the EU wholeheartedly. The Telegraph says Number 10 had "lost confidence" in Sir Ivan, over what it describes as his "pessimistic" view of Brexit. The Times has a two-page spread exploring events leading up to Sir Ivan's departure, and the possible fallout. Under the headline "Our man in Brussels gave everyone a reality check", it suggest Sir Ivan was performing a vital function - trying to "tell it how it is, even if his political masters did not like the message". But the Sun says it will not shed a tear for his departure. "He was reportedly always happy to take no for an answer from Eurocrats," its leader says "when Britain desperately needed someone to fight our corner in Brussels". There is anger in the Daily Mail about personal injury claims lawyers who advertise in hospitals. Simon Stevens, who is head of the NHS in England, tells the paper they should be banned from doing so. NHS boss Simon Stevens criticised what are known as ambulance-chasing lawyers He says the legal firms cost the health service more than £400m a year in claims for alleged medical blunders. The Mail agrees that they should be kicked out. Under the headline "Leeching off the NHS", its leader says allowing them to advertise in hospitals is "a grotesque act of self-harm". The Daily Mirror front page headline is "The fattest of cats". The paper says that, by lunchtime on Wednesday, the bosses of Britain's biggest corporations will have already earned as much as the average person will be paid all year. In its opinion column, the paper says "inflated rewards for the overpaid elite aren't even linked to ability or performance while most of the country grafts hard for a relative pittance". Members of the French National Front are upset, according to the Guardian, about the apparent depiction of their party leader, Marine Le Pen, in the trailer for a new film called Chez Nous. Front National vice-president Florian Philippot is quoted describing it as "scandalous" and expressing outrage that the film is being released in February, two months before the French presidential election. But the director of Chez Nous, Lucas Belvaux, defends his work, saying it is not against the National Front but about "the populist message and how people relate to politics". Finally, several papers report on the story of Stuart Wilson, an amateur archaeologist who bought a field in south Wales, dug it up - and found the remains of the ancient city of Trellech. The Daily Express explains that, 12 years ago, Mr Wilson paid £32,000 for the field suspecting there might be something worthwhile buried there. He has since found evidence of streets, foundations, and even a well. The paper's leader describes him as "outstanding in his field". The Sun's headline is: "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Landmark".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-38503503

Mein Kampf: Is Mein Kampf really a hit with Germans? - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Hitler's Mein Kampf has many readers but it is not among Germany's best-sellers.

Europe

Original editions of Mein Kampf: It urged Germans to avenge their defeat in World War One "Mein Kampf becomes German best-seller" reads one international headline. "Hitler's Mein Kampf a hit in Germany" reads another. The fact that the Nazi manifesto reached number one in Der Spiegel's non-fiction charts in April is cited as evidence that Adolf Hitler's propaganda is making a comeback in Germany. But the term "best-seller" does not necessarily mean very much. A quarter of all books sold in Germany are bought in the run-up to Christmas. At other times of the year it is possible to top listings with relatively few sales. Mein Kampf (My Struggle) is an expensive academic text, costing €58 (£49; $60), and is being bought by libraries, schools and history academics. "This was a very special case. You can't really compare it with other books," Thomas Koch from the German Publishers' and Booksellers' Association told me. "It's the first time that an annotated version has been published. So I can imagine that was why figures were relatively high." The plain IfZ edition of Mein Kampf: Publication has not been contested in court Most of the book's sales were made in the first quarter of 2016, before tailing off after April. This suggests that the initial run, when the book was republished in German for the first time, was followed by market saturation. For a German non-fiction book, sales of 85,000 are not bad. But the figures don't indicate a runaway hit. The current biggest non-fiction seller is The Hidden Life of Trees, a book about the ecosystem of woodland, which has sold half a million copies so far. The major hit of the last few years is a witty explanation of how the human bowel functions, by a medical student in her 20s, that sold over a million. The top-selling non-fiction book of the past decade, by comedian Hape Kerkeling, sold five million copies. Mein Kampf on the other hand is ranked 79th for non-fiction sales on the German Amazon site, narrowly beaten by a handbook on web coding, and a long way behind a handbook explaining how to get more Twitter followers. Nevertheless it is understandable that the publishers might be overwhelmed. IfZ, which printed the book, is a non-profit research institute, not a publishing house, and had expected lower sales of what is a dense academic text. Prof Wirsching says publication of Mein Kampf with scholarly notes did not help neo-Nazis And the institute believes this edition of Mein Kampf is helping to demystify, rather than empower, Hitler's legacy. "It turned out that the fear the publication would promote Hitler's ideology, or even make it socially acceptable and give neo-Nazis a new propaganda platform, was totally unfounded," said IfZ director Andreas Wirsching. "On the contrary, the debate about Hitler's world view and his approach to propaganda offered a chance to look at the causes and consequences of totalitarian ideologies." • None History Extra: When Poland was torn to pieces The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38500422

Bournemouth 3-3 Arsenal: Arsene Wenger says Gunners refused to lose - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says his side "refused to lose the game" as they came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at Bournemouth.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his side "refused to lose the game" as they came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at Bournemouth. It was the first time the Gunners had recovered from a three-goal deficit to draw a Premier League match. "It was a physical and mental test - they started much faster but we showed we are mentally strong," Wenger said. "At 3-0 down after 70 minutes you'd take a point, but in the end we were frustrated not to win the game." Charlie Daniels, a Callum Wilson penalty and Ryan Fraser put Bournemouth on top by the hour mark but Alexis Sanchez and substitute Lucas Perez hit back before Olivier Giroud levelled in stoppage time. "We wanted to win the game and we wanted three points, but on the other hand some big teams have dropped points here," Wenger added. "We had to cope with the pace of Bournemouth, who scored four against Liverpool here. "But when you're 3-0 down you have to acknowledge the quality of the response of your team." Having spoken before the game about the "uneven" festive fixture programme, Wenger's side were in action two days after playing Crystal Palace on Sunday, against a Bournemouth team with an extra day's rest after their win at Swansea on Saturday. Both sides played their three Christmas games in the space of 198.75 hours - 81.75 hours more than Southampton, who had the toughest schedule. "Bournemouth deserve a lot of credit as they are a good team who played with pace, but the disadvantage is too big to play against a team with three and a half days' recovery," the Frenchman said. "It's too uneven to only have two days' rest. That's too big a handicap. "We had three or four players we had to play tonight that we had to wait until the warm-up to see if they could play. "Hector Bellerin had a knock so he was uncertain to play, and that's the problem with only 48 hours [between games] - you have to play some players again. Laurent Koscielny too, and we had Gabriel that we didn't start in the end. "And then I didn't start Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain because I didn't take a gamble with him, because I didn't know who we'd have to take off. "This complicates the job a lot, but we have to shut up and cope with it." Asked whether his side would have won with an extra day's rest, Wenger replied: "I'm ready to play tomorrow, as long as we play an opponent who has played today. We want to play a team with the same rest that we have had." Wenger's opposite number Eddie Howe also conceded that the schedule had aided his team. "I'm not going to deny it had an impact," the Bournemouth boss said. "That's what you have a squad for and make changes, like we did." • None Who got the most rest this Christmas? The top six's busy Christmas: Did Chelsea have an advantage? Hours taken from the start of a team's first game to the end of their third game. *Chelsea play Tottenham on 4 January 'Arsenal cannot grind it out' BBC Radio 5 live summariser Steve Claridge felt Arsenal's performance raised serious concerns about their ability to challenge for the title. "There are one or two players that are not good enough to take that club where they need to go - particularly ones Wenger has brought in recently, who have made absolutely no difference. "They're not a better side than they were last year. Mustafi, not good enough tonight. Xhaka, not good enough tonight - that's £70m already there. "Clearly there are one or two deficiencies that need to be addressed. When they don't dominate, they lose or they concede. They can't dog games out, they cannot grind it out. "They haven't got people that go 'hold on a minute, this isn't our time in the match, let's stay nice and tight and we are not going to lose, we'll not concede and when we do have our moment that's when we'll win the game'." • None Hear Claridge in full in the 5 live Football Daily Howe was left frustrated after captain Simon Francis was shown a straight red card for fouling Aaron Ramsey eight minutes from time. "It was a foul but I don't think it was a sending-off, I don't think he's lifted his studs in a dangerous way," Howe said. "Whether it was the defining factor, I'm not sure. But I don't want to be negative - I was proud of the players and their effort. They gave absolutely everything, and they should be congratulating each other. We have to acknowledge we've got a point against a very good team. "It was a real committed performance from us. We wanted to disrupt their rhythm and we did that perfectly. The key moment was their first goal, which changed the momentum of the game, and you have to praise Arsenal for the way they came back into it." Howe also felt Bournemouth were hampered by losing Joshua King and goalscorer Ryan Fraser to injury within the space of five minutes at 3-0. Striker Benik Afobe was unavailable after failing to receive international clearance, having pulled out of the DR Congo squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. "Ryan and Josh were being a real nuisance, and I thought we lost that threat when they went off," Howe added. "I'm not going to deny having our best players to bring off the bench might have made a difference. There's been dialogue between Benik and his association, they've been very good about it, but we're waiting for final confirmation from them."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38503563

Chicago zoo welcomes baby orangutan - BBC News

2017-01-04

A two-week-old baby orangutan makes its public debut at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.

A two-week-old baby orangutan has made its public debut at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. The Bornean orangutan was born on 20 December and was described as "significant to the zoo population" by the Chicago Zoological Society.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38504396

CES 2017: Smart hairbrush listens for breaking hair - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Beauty giant L'Oreal unveils a smart hairbrush at the CES tech show, which is packed with a microphone and other sensors.

Technology

The L'Oreal brush uses acoustic sensors to listen for breaking hair Beauty giant L'Oreal has unveiled a smart hairbrush packed with sensors to help consumers improve their brushing technique. The Hair Coach, which will retail at just under $200 (£160), contains a microphone, gyroscope and accelerometer among other sensors. It also vibrates if you brush too hard. The brush is one of a handful of new beauty gadgets that have been announced at this year's CES tech show in Las Vegas. The brush's in-built microphone records the sounds of breaking hair. The firm says the other sensors are used to build up a profile of the way the owner looks after their hair. The brush then shares the data via wi-fi or Bluetooth to an app. The software uses the information to assess hair quality and monitor the effects of different routines - as well as recommending products. "You'd be surprised by how many women around the world are concerned about hair breakage," Guive Balooch, global vice president of L'Oreals' research and innovation technology incubator told the BBC. "One of the biggest challenges when brushing your hair is making sure you don't brush too hard and break the fibres. "That can lead to damage of hair that doesn't look good for consumers." Three skin-analysing gadgets were also announced at CES Other gadgets vying to become part of tech savvy beauty routines at CES include: "I am sure there are people who care about their hair quality that much - if you think that a good hair straightener costs around $90, $200 does not seem that bad," said tech analyst Caroline Milanesi of Creative Strategies. "That said, I feel we will have a lot of things that companies will add sensors to just because they can." Health and beauty tech is generally acknowledged as an as-yet unproven gadget category, but many brands are now developing devices with the hope of snagging an early corner of the market. L'Oreal's Hair Coach has been developed over the last 18 months as a partnership between its brand Kerastase and Withings, which is owned by former smartphone maker Nokia. Follow all our CES coverage at bbc.co.uk/ces2017 The brush is battery-powered with disposable batteries and has no charging port. "There is limited real estate on the bathroom in terms of charging stations," said Mr Balooch. He added that the device is water resistant but not fully waterproof and will be marketed as a luxury product when it launches later this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38503932

Crystal Palace 1-2 Swansea City - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

Newly appointed Swansea boss Paul Clement watches his new side gain a dramatic win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Last updated on .From the section Football Newly appointed Swansea boss Paul Clement watched his side gain a dramatic win against Crystal Palace to move off the bottom of the Premier League table. Clement was appointed earlier on Tuesday, although first-team coach Alan Curtis had picked the team for the game at Selhurst Park. Alfie Mawson headed Swansea ahead from Gylfi Sigurdsson's free-kick, before Wilfried Zaha volleyed an equaliser. The result means Palace have only picked up one point in the three games since Sam Allardyce replaced Alan Pardew as manager in December. Plenty for Clement to be encouraged with Clement, a former Derby County boss, left his job as assistant manager at Bayern Munich to take over the Welsh side and said he was "excited" by the challenge. He will also be delighted with and encouraged by his side's performance in a hard-fought victory. They dominated the first half with Ki Sung-yueng shooting just wide and Fernando Llorente and Federico Fernandez heading narrowly off target before Mawson put Swansea ahead. Clement began the game watching from the stands but later joined Curtis in the technical area to help guide Swansea to only their fourth league win of the season. Another pleasing aspect for Clement will be the defensive performance. Centre-halves Mawson and Fernandez excelled, restricting Palace to only three shots on target. A spectacular scissor kick from Zaha from 18 yards out looked to have denied Swansea before Rangel's first goal of the season, in the 88th minute, made it a perfect day for Clement. The result takes Swansea above Hull up to 19th, only one point behind Crystal Palace in 17th. This was Allardyce's first home game in charge of the Eagles and he will be disappointed with his side's efforts against a team that came into the game with one away win in the league all season. To make things worse for Allardyce, he will be without Ivorian goalscorer Zaha and Malian second-half substitute Bakary Sako, who will both now go to the Africa Cup of Nations. Zaha has scored four goals this season, while Sako made an impact as a second-half substitute, forcing Lukasz Fabianski to tip a free-kick over, and causing the Swansea defence problems with his power. Palace will also be hoping that a shoulder injury to top scorer Christian Benteke is not serious after he landed badly following a clash with Fabianski. Allardyce was unhappy at two potential penalties that his side were denied - for Fabianski's challenge on Benteke and when Rangel appeared to handle the ball. • None Swansea ended a run of eight away Premier League games (drew one, lost seven) without a win • None Crystal Palace have now kept only one clean sheet in their last 25 Premier League games. • None Alfie Mawson scored his first Premier League goal for Swansea in his 10th appearance for the club. • None Only Hull (20) have conceded more goals from set pieces than Crystal Palace (17). • None Since August 2014, only one Premier League midfielder (Sadio Mane - 43) has had a hand in more goals than Gylfi Sigurdsson (42 - 23 goals and 19 assists). • None Sam Allardyce has lost his first home Premier League match as a boss for the very first time - he had previously won four and drawn one. • None Angel Rangel ended a run of 95 Premier League matches without a goal by grabbing the winner - it was his first since May 2013 against Wigan. What they said Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce: "The lack of energy the players had showed massively. We struggled to keep up with Swansea, we hadn't recovered properly. I should have made more changes but I still don't know the squad too well. "The second half was ours, we saw a wonder goal from Wilfried Zaha that should have got us at least a point, but we switched off and it's massively disappointing. "You can see it with your own eyes, you don't need to be a football manager. Some people say it's rubbish but it's not, the players were trying 100% but they were not physically able to reach their usual levels. They are shattered. "It's beyond our control, certain elements. But we can defend better for the two goals and our first-half performance was nothing like I expect to see from my team." Swansea first-team coach Alan Curtis: "It is a terrific result for us and a huge three points. The first-half performance, we were excellent and we could have gone in with more than the one goal. "We have been accused of lacking character but we came back and won it and we deserved it. In training you see the players have the ability, it is just the confidence that has been lacking. "Any team under Sam Allardyce will come on strongly, they have some terrific players. We had 24 hours more rest compared to them and that may have made a difference." On the club's new manager Paul Clement, who joined Curtis in the technical area later in the match, he added: "He came down for some moral support, he made his presence felt at half-time, but there was not too much to say. We would have surprised a lot of people with our performance today." Paul Clement will take charge of a Swansea match for the first time when they play an FA Cup third round tie away at fellow Premier League strugglers Hull City on Saturday, 7 January (15:00 GMT). Crystal Palace are also in cup action at the same time, with an away game at League One side Bolton. Both sides are next in Premier League action at 15:00 GMT on Saturday, 14 January. Palace play at West Ham with Swansea at home to Arsenal. • None Angel Rangel (Swansea City) wins a free kick on the right wing. • None Goal! Crystal Palace 1, Swansea City 2. Angel Rangel (Swansea City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Leroy Fer with a through ball. • None Attempt blocked. Leroy Fer (Swansea City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. • None Attempt blocked. Ki Sung-yueng (Swansea City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kyle Naughton. • None Fraizer Campbell (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the right wing. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38441016

Leeds United: Owner Massimo Cellino sells 50% stake to Italian businessman - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino sells 50% of his stake in the Championship club to Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani.

Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has sold 50% of his stake in the club to Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani. Radrizzani has purchased his stake through his company Aser Group Holding. The 42-year-old has been in talks to invest in the Championship club since August 2016, when BBC Sport broke news of his interest. "I am excited by the challenge ahead and I will work alongside Massimo and everybody at the club to make Leeds as successful as possible," he said. Cellino took over at Elland Road in April 2014 but the 60-year-old has received three Football Association bans in that time. In December 2016 he was banned from all football activities for 18 months and fined £250,000 for breaching the FA's football agent rules over the sale of Ross McCormack to Fulham in 2014. He is appealing against the punishment. Radrizzani, who co-founded sports media agency MP & Silva in 2004, added: "I am fully aware of the great heritage and traditions of Leeds United and I will endeavour to be a fitting custodian on behalf of the many thousands of Leeds supporters, who are the lifeblood of the club. "I am making a long-term commitment to Leeds United and will work to bring stability through ongoing investment. I aim to bring sustainable growth. I won't do anything that will put the club's future at risk. "Through working in the sports industry for many years, I have developed a great passion for the English game and I am honoured to have become joint owner of one of the country's biggest clubs. "I am very impressed with the job [head coach] Garry Monk has done this season and I will do all I can to support him and the team moving forward." 'I needed to bring in a new partner' Cellino, who had sacked six managers and head coaches before appointing Monk in June, said he felt "that the only way we can get better is for me to bring in a new partner". The former Cagliari owner added: "Andrea is young and brings a new energy with him, as well as having a good experience in the football media business, which is the future for all clubs. "I feel that bringing Andrea in as a 50% shareholder to work with me is the best choice we could have made. We will continue building a strong and healthy football club for the future." Leeds are fifth in the Championship after winning four of their last five matches and seven points off the automatic promotion places.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38511004

Jermain Defoe: Sunderland reject West Ham's £6m bid for striker - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

Sunderland reject West Ham's £6m bid for 34-year-old striker Jermain Defoe.

Last updated on .From the section Football It is understood the Hammers will raise their offer for the player who began his career at the east London club. Defoe, 34, has scored 11 goals in 21 appearances for the Premier League strugglers this season. His latest goals came on Monday as Sunderland twice fought from a goal down to draw 2-2 with in-form Liverpool, which left manager David Moyes's side in 18th position. Defoe's senior career began at West Ham before he moved to rivals Tottenham in a £7m deal in 2004, with striker Bobby Zamora going the other way. A £7.5m move to Portsmouth followed in January 2008 before he returned to Spurs the following year for £15m. Defoe made a surprise move to Canadian team Toronto FC in 2014 before he was lured to Sunderland in 2015 by former Black Cats boss and ex-Spurs team-mate Gus Poyet. West Ham will return to test the resolve of Sunderland, but it's unthinkable the Black Cats can afford to sell Defoe given their precarious position. David Moyes recently described Defoe as "priceless" and his goals will be the difference as to whether they can preserve their top-flight status. Premium and proven goalscorers are in short supply which is why West Ham themselves are looking at the 34-year-old. They say money talks but Defoe is invaluable to Sunderland's cause.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38511254

The Jump: Kadeena Cox has UK Sport funding suspended - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

Paralympic champion Kadeena Cox has her UK Sport funding suspended while she takes part in Channel 4 show The Jump.

Last updated on .From the section Disability Sport Paralympic champion Kadeena Cox has had her UK Sport funding suspended while she takes part in Channel 4 winter sports programme The Jump. Cox, 25, will join Olympic taekwondo champion Jade Jones and Rio silver medal-winning gymnast Louis Smith on the show. She won cycling and athletics gold at the Rio Paralympics. British Athletics made the decision to withdraw Cox's funding with the support of British Cycling. Cox, who has multiple sclerosis after a stroke in May 2014, later tweeted that her condition is a "ticking time bomb" which prompted her decision to go and "enjoy skiing". UK Sport told BBC Sport the participation of funded athletes in the show was a matter for the individual sports concerned. Cox does not have a major cycling event this year, with no Para-cycling Track World Championships officially confirmed, but she would be expected to take part in the Para Athletics World Championships in London in July. "Due to the nature of the activities on the show, the athlete cannot continue to be supported by the WCPP (World Class Performance Programme) during this time," said a statement from British Athletics. "Her UK Sport funding will be suspended until she returns to training and proves her fitness." The medical teams from both sporting organisations are believed to have advised Cox against participating in the show but have allowed her to make her own decision. "Kadeena enjoyed a fantastic 2016, making history by winning Paralympic gold in both athletics and cycling, and we respect her decision to take some time away from the sport to pursue the opportunities that her success has afforded her," added British Cycling. Both organisations wished Cox well and said they look forward to her return after the show. On Tuesday, GB Taekwondo said they "had reservations" but "understood" Jones' decision to take part and had held "extensive" talks with the 23-year-old about the risks involved. Jones will still receive her full UK Sport funding during her time on the programme. The show, which sees celebrities competing at winter sports, including ski-jumping, bobsleigh and speed skating, has seen a number of serious injuries. Last year, Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle needed surgery to have fractured vertebrae fused together after she was injured in training, while double gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington suffered a shoulder injury. Former Holby City actress Tina Hobley sustained knee, shoulder and arm injuries and has only recently stopped using crutches and Made In Chelsea star Mark-Francis Vandelli broke his ankle. In addition, athlete Linford Christie pulled a hamstring, ex-EastEnders actor Joe Swash chipped a bone in his shoulder, Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding injured a ligament and model Heather Mills hurt her knee and thumb. Channel 4 says there has been a "thorough review of safety procedures" before this year's series.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/38505652

Manu Tuilagi: Leicester Tigers and England centre out for rest of season - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

England and Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi will miss the rest of the season after suffering cruciate ligament damage.

Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union England and Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi will miss the Six Nations and the rest of the Premiership season with anterior cruciate ligament damage. The 25-year-old is out for at least six months after he was injured in Sunday's Premiership defeat by Saracens. He has made just 23 appearances for Tigers since the start of the 2013-14 season because of a string of injuries. Only one of his 26 England caps has been under Eddie Jones, who was named head coach in November 2015. The Samoa-born player was forced to pull out of a two-day training camp with the national team after suffering his latest setback. As well as missing the Six Nations, which starts on 4 February, he will not be available for the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in the summer. "It's devastating for him," Tigers head coach Aaron Mauger said. "He's got himself into such a good position, I think he's really matured as a person over the last 12 months and that's probably helped him get back to the space that he's been in. "He'll have everything he needs to come back a better player and a stronger person and I'm sure he will." Tuilagi last started an England game in June 2014, before sustaining a groin injury in September of that year which kept him sidelined for 15 months. He had previously missed two games of the 2012 Six Nations campaign with a hamstring problem, and all but one game of the 2014 tournament after tearing a pectoral muscle. A further recurrence of his groin injury in Tigers' opening game of the current Premiership season on 2 September then forced him to miss almost three months of action, making his return in a win over Bristol on 25 November.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38507813

Yannick Bolasie: Everton winger out for possibly a year, says Ronald Koeman - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

Everton winger Yannick Bolasie will be out for 11-12 months with a knee injury, says manager Ronald Koeman.

Last updated on .From the section Football Everton winger Yannick Bolasie could be out for a year with a knee injury, says manager Ronald Koeman. Bolasie, 27, injured his right knee during the Toffees' 1-1 draw with Manchester United on 4 December. Manager Koeman said on Wednesday: "It will be around 11-12 months before he is back. That is a big disappointment but he will come back." Bolasie is due to have a second operation - on his anterior cruciate ligament - in the coming weeks. The DR Congo international signed for Everton from Crystal Palace in a £25m deal in August, and had played in every league game this campaign up until his injury. Manchester United's Memphis Depay could be brought in to fill the position in attacking midfield, with Koeman having this season expressed his desire to sign his fellow Dutchman.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38512945

Veganuary: Is following a vegan diet for a month worth it? - BBC News

2017-01-04

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A record number of people have signed up for Veganuary - swerving meat and dairy for January - but does it do any good?

UK

The Veganuary campaign, encouraging people to try a vegan diet for the month most commonly associated with resolution and change, is under way, with a record 50,000 people signed up. But can forgoing meat, fish, dairy, eggs and honey for 31 days do any good? The adverts are on display, supporters on board and partner restaurants are promoting their meat and dairy-free dishes. Campaign organisers say following a vegan diet, even for such a short spell, can bring benefits. It promotes the animal rights argument - that sentient animals should not be eaten or used in food production. And environmental grounds - warning about the pollution caused by raising animals and as a by-product of agriculture. But it also says a balanced vegan diet can provide the nutrition people need in concord with health benefits - catchy at a time of year when people look to make up for festive excesses. Veganuary spokeswoman Clea Grady told the BBC she feels "brilliant - better than I ever have" as a result of trying, and staying with, a vegan diet. The charity says the change can lessen obesity, cut blood pressure, and lower the levels of type 2 diabetes. "More than 75 per cent of people who have tried going vegan for a month report an improvement in their health. "They said they slept better and they lost an average of 6lbs as a result of their changed diet," the Veganuary website says. There is a lot to be said for "strict dietary changes" says Lucy Jones, consultant dietician and spokeswoman for the BDA, the Association of UK Dieticians. "If people follow a restricted diet, they think about what they're eating - you can no longer pop into the office and eat a biscuit or a cake." They tend to "plan their meals in advance, prepare and cook from scratch". "It is certainly possible to have an awful diet. But, as a vegan, you tend to have more plant proteins, beans and pulses and more fruit and vegetables," she says. "We have to be cautious about what you can achieve. But having a month where you are eating more fruit, vegetables and nuts can't be a bad thing." Proponents say it's a time for change Veganuary can lead to changed eating habits throughout the year. Will all those greens and pulses have an impact on pounds and pressures? "The impact on blood sugars is fairly immediate, cholesterol takes a few weeks and blood pressure takes longer, and comes with the weight loss," says Lucy. All burgers, and all dinners, are not created equal There's a bias in play after years of being told meat, eggs and animal fats are bad for us, she says. "There is a world of difference between hamburgers and hot dogs, fried eggs and pasteurised milk, versus grass-fed organic meat, pastured poultry, poached organic eggs and raw, or at least organic, dairy," she says, touching on the continuing debate about the benefit of organic foods. "Vegan is a plant-based diet with high vegetables but also large amounts of cereal grains (both refined and unrefined) and legumes, both of which are low in bio-available nutrients and high in anti-nutrients such as phytate. "On the other hand wholefood animal produce such as organic meats, fish and shellfish and eggs are among the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat," she explains. Vegans can run low on minerals and vitamins like B12, iron, zinc, D and calcium - in fact the Veganuary website points towards supplementing B12 to ensure it's covered. And, whereas some studies show vegans and vegetarians living longer, she says, they often include people who pursue other healthy lifestyle traits, like exercise and not drinking alcohol, comparing them with the junk food-lovers. In January, both experts observe that anyone going from Christmas excess to a vegan diet plus exercise will feel different. But Kahler warns they can become nutrient-deficient down the line. "People use the words 'balance' and 'in moderation' as a cover to incorporate whatever they want in their diet. Moderation isn't the key to health," she says. "Setting boundaries is the key along with an understanding that there are certain 'foods' - like fizzy drinks and doughnuts - that we consume which simply should not be labelled with the word 'food'". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38506418

Tales from the bar - a tour of London's 'great pubs' - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Giant barrels, mosaic ceilings and ghostly visions - stories from some of London's oldest and most intriguing public houses.

In Pictures

Giant oak wine barrels sit above the bar of the Cittie of Yorke in Holborn - which is more reminiscent of a great hall in a Tudor mansion than than a traditional pub. The jury is out as to whether or not the massive casks were ever used as genuine storage vessels - or simply part of the inn's Tudor makeover in the 1920s. The Cittie of Yorke features in a new book, Great Pubs of London, written by George Dailey and featuring photographs taken by his daughter Charlie. The book examines the histories of 22 pubs. Take a look at some of them here. On a quiet street in the heart of one of London's most exclusive neighbourhoods, the Nags Head's first customers would have been staff from the mansions on neighbouring streets. "The likelihood is that, because of its location, most of the early landlords were connected with horses, carriages and stabling," writes Dailey. The pub's main bar - with its 150-year-old Chelsea pottery beer engine pump handles - is unusually low, with short stools in front. This is because the floor of the bar servery is positioned midway between the main bar and the lower back bar to the rear, which was once possibly a stables or courtyard. The Nags Head is also filled with dozens of toys, penny arcade machines, posters and photos - and the current landlord's collection of military memorabilia. The Blackfriar - built in 1875 - stands on the site of London's Dominican friary in the parish of Ludgate. The Dominicans are known as "the blackfriars" because of the black cloaks they wear. In the early 20th Century the pub's interior was remodelled by the sculptor Henry Poole, who created a vision straight out of medieval England. There is a sumptuous mosaic ceiling, with marble columns and copper clay friezes. And black-cloaked friars can be spotted just about everywhere - all appearing to enjoy sins of overindulgence. The interior of the French House looks more like a Parisian backstreet bar, than a traditional London pub - and it remains a favourite of artists, writers, actors and photographers, George Dailey describes the inside as "a little tired, faintly bohemian - but with unmistakeable Gallic charm". For most of the 20th Century the pub's official name was The York Minster. Its metamorphosis into "The French" started in 1914, when its German owner sold the business to a Belgian - but "The French sounds more romantic", says Dailey. The inn on this site was first built in 1520 - on the north bank of the Thames to the east of the City. It would have been a timber structure surrounded by gardens and marshland. It was rebuilt in the 18th Century. Regular visitors included the writers Charles Dickens, Samuel Pepys and Samuel Johnson - and the venue was known for its bare-knuckle and cock fights. It's thought the pub's strange name derives from the fact that a collier - a ship carrying coal - from Whitby in North Yorkshire used to moor regularly beside the pub. Initially it was just called The Prospect. For people heading to London from the south, Borough High Street in Southwark was a terminus. The walled City of London was only a bridge away, but it was closed at night. Latecomers were forced to take rooms at one of the local inns - including The George. The George became a home for political debate and gossip - and Shakespeare's plays were often performed in its courtyard. According to Dailey: "There is no pub in London that can boast of having a completely untouched 18th Century interior - but The George comes very close." The current building, which backs on to the shore of the Thames, dates from 1720 - built on the site of a previous pub, which burned down in 1710. In 1865, Charles Dickens is thought to have written about The Grapes - or The Bunch of Grapes, as it was then known. He describes "a tavern of dropsical appearance... long settled down into a state of hale infirmity. It had outlasted many a sprucer public house, indeed the whole house impended over the water but seemed to have got into the condition of a faint-hearted diver, who has paused so long on the brink, that he will never go in at all." Although rebuilt in the 1920s, there has probably been a pub on the site of The Ship since the mid-16th Century - and in its early incarnation it was known as a haven for persecuted Catholics. The pub is now just behind a busy underground station, but initially it would have overlooked a rough area of pasture land - Lincoln's Inn Fields. This narrow pub on the Thames is one of the best places to watch the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race - if you can find a space to stand. Anecdotal evidence suggests the Dove was actually a licensed pub as early as 1730 - when the green fields and orchards of 18th Century Hammersmith offered tranquillity away from the City of London, which was then only a two-hour coach ride away. With all the hallmarks of a village inn, The Flask is very close to Highgate Cemetery - the burial place of Karl Marx. It also claims to have two ghosts - a Spanish barmaid who took her life when the landlord rejected her amorous advances, and a hapless man dressed as a cavalier who crosses the main bar and disappears into a wall. The poets Byron, Shelley, Keats and Coleridge were regular drinkers here. Coleridge believed the clean air on the hill at Highgate was beneficial in his attempts to cure himself of opium addiction. When the building now known as The Lamb and Flag was built, in the mid-17th Century, Covent Garden was a relatively new urban area - a smart and desirable address. But a century later, the gentry had moved away and the area had become a red-light district. Records from 1772 show that The Lamb and Flag - or Coopers Arms as it was known then - was trading successfully, but the clientele was drawn from the lower levels of society. A century later, and the venue was a popular location for unlicensed bare-knuckle fights. Great Pubs of London by George Dailey is published by Prestel.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-38384519

Trump v the car industry - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Ford's decision to cancel its $1.6bn investment in Mexico will be seen as evidence that Trump's nationalism is having the desired effect.

Business

Ford's decision to cancel a $1.6bn investment in Mexico and invest an extra $700m in Michigan will be widely seen as concrete evidence that Donald Trump's economic nationalism is having the intended effect. Coincidentally, Ford's decision comes on the same day that the new President-elect launched an attack on General Motors for producing cars in Mexico bound for the US market. "Build them in the USA or face big border tax" said the incoming US president on Twitter. Cars made in Mexico can move across the border tax free thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), something that Donald Trump attacked during his campaign for causing the loss of US manufacturing jobs to cheaper labour. In fact, only a tiny fraction (2,400 out of 190,000) of the GM model he singled out, the Cruze, are made in Mexico. But while he may have picked on the wrong model, the message was unmistakable - the President-elect's hostility to NAFTA hasn't faded post-victory. That position - and its popularity among many US consumers - is clearly not lost on car makers. GM was quick to take to the airwaves to assure US customers that most GM cars are still made in the US and shares in the company recovered from early falls. The Ford Focus will be made in Mexico and while Ford's boss credited the business-friendly promises of the incoming President, he insisted it was switching investment in petrol cars in Mexico to electric cars in Detroit for its own business reasons. Shares in other targets of Mr Trumps ire, like defence contractor Lockheed Martin, did not recover so quickly and the President-elect will know his comments can cause ructions in boardrooms. Precisely the effect he is going for - and after today, one he will feel is working a treat.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38502177

Donald Campbell: 'Hero' remembered 50 years after death - BBC News

2017-01-04

Hundreds gather at Coniston Water to remember "hero" and record-breaker Donald Campbell 50 years after his death.

Hundreds have gathered at Coniston Water to remember "hero" and record-breaker Donald Campbell 50 years after his death. Campbell died at 08:51 GMT on 4 January 1967 while trying to break his own water speed record in Bluebird. His daughter Gina said she was "humbled" his achievements were still recognised half a century on from his death. She and former friends and colleagues took to the water as part of several days of events to mark the anniversary.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-38511908

Sir Ivan's resignation sign of greater Whitehall strain - BBC News

2017-01-04

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What does the resignation of the UK's ambassador to the EU say about the Brexit process?

UK Politics

For one minister - an enthusiast for Brexit - it was very simple: "You're either on board, or you're not. He wasn't. We move on." The minister sounded rather cheerful. So, Sir Ivan Rogers had gone because his face didn't fit. Now the way was clear for a true believer in the opportunities opened up by the vote to leave the EU. If only winning a good deal for Britain in its divorce from the European Union, and eventually on the terms of trade for the UK outside the EU, was half so simple. But the resignation of Sir Ivan Rogers has revealed more than the difficulty and complexity of Britain's EU divorce. It has highlighted wider strains in Whitehall between some mandarins and some ministers, up to and including Theresa May. Mandarins and ambassadors perennially advise more junior mandarins on the importance of speaking truth to power. On this occasion, Sir Ivan's leaked farewell memo can fairly be read as a protest and a warning. Concern is growing among some high-ranking officials that ministers don't understand or won't admit the scale of the task they're facing. That concern broke surface last week, when the head of the top civil servants' trade union, the FDA, suggested ministers lacked the courage to own up to the difficulties of Brexit for fear of displaying political weakness. Dave Penman's particular worry, as the nearest thing mandarins have to a shop steward, was that ministers might leave the government machine unable to cope adequately with the day-to-day business of government. Of course, trade unions tend to demand more resources on behalf of their members. It's their job. But it was an unusually political contribution from an organisation which represents the most exalted, and rigidly non-political, beings in Whitehall. By extension, if the complaint is justified, refusing to recognise the scale and complexities of Brexit might jeopardise the success of the mission itself. Theresa May has promised to give a major speech on Brexit The mere suggestion that senior officials might lack commitment to the task of making Brexit work as a result of political prejudice makes officials bristle. They insist they don't take sides - they take orders and try to make them work. For their part, Brexit enthusiasts insist Britain's future outside the EU is assured, if only all concerned would recognise the strength of the UK's position as a strategic and trading power. Their conviction is strengthened by a sense that the scepticism they detect in Whitehall and elsewhere is not merely faint-hearted or unpatriotic but also undermining to the prospects of eventual success. No-one can say Brexit is coming off the rails. It hasn't even started. But as if preparing to face 27 other European states, the European Parliament and the European Commission wasn't daunting enough a task to begin with, confidence in Whitehall and Westminster about the negotiations and life after Brexit is being undermined by tension between the people who run the government machine and their new political masters - and by old rivalries between Remainers and Brexiteers, even though that civil war was fought, and lost and won half a year ago. In Downing Street the driving motivation is not ideological passion. Theresa May stood on the Remain side in the June referendum, admittedly with no great display of enthusiasm. Her prime concern now is making the plan work. The prime minister is a pragmatist. The trouble with that, just now, is there's no clear sense of what the plan is. We are promised a major speech by the prime minister in coming weeks, giving more detail of the plan for Brexit. Who knows? It may even relieve some of the steady pressure on her and her ministers for more clarity. Given the fact Mrs May and her team above all want to keep their cards closed, and their options open, I'll believe it when I see it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38509459

London visitors' last chance to see Dippy ahead of tour - BBC News

2017-01-04

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The UK's most famous dinosaur skeleton is on show for the last time ahead of nationwide tour.

London

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dippy is to be replaced by the skeleton of a whale A museum's famous 112-year-old dinosaur is set to leave London for a national tour. Dippy the diplodocus, a 70ft long (21.3m) plaster-cast sauropod replica made up of 292 bones, is set to leave the Natural History Museum in Kensington later this year. A six-person team will start a three-and-a-half week task of dismantling of Dippy on Thursday. He is being moved as the museum is having a front-of-house makeover. Dippy's spot is being taken by the skeleton of an 83ft (25.2m) female blue whale, weighing 4.5 tonnes. Dippy was first installed at the museum in 1905 She will take up position in a diving pose as she is suspended from the ceiling of the hall. The whale is also more than 100 years old but - unlike Dippy - she is not a cast. About 90 million people are estimated to have seen Dippy On Thursday, construction will also begin on a tunnel to protect visitors during the dismantling of Dippy. This tunnel will take three to four days to build and will almost totally obscure Dippy from view. Parts of Dippy will be cleaned and repaired ahead of the two-year tour. The tour will start in 2018, with Dorset County Museum set to be the first stop from February to May. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Head of Conservation at Natural History Museum tells Today Dippy is like "huge 3D jigsaw puzzle" The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38502339

Your #BackToWork tweets of sorrow - BBC News

2017-01-04

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The hashtag #BackToWork is trending on Twitter as those returning to their jobs after the Christmas and new year break share their sorrow.

England

The hashtag #BackToWork is trending on Twitter as those returning to their jobs after the festive break share their sorrow that the fun is over and normal service is forced to resume. The sudden withdrawal from lie ins, naps and all-day snacking has hit some people - and even their pets - quite hard. And this morning's rude awakening has proved as alarming as the need to remain conscious for the duration of a 09:00 to 17:00 shift. The uncomfortable shift from lying horizontal on a sofa to sitting upright at a desk has proved difficult for some - with reports of email amnesia and password mind blocks. The drastic change in diet from a constant graze on festive leftovers and tins of chocolates to a one-hour slot to fill up on "new year, new you" salads is leaving a bitter taste in many mouths. Even animals are affected by the back to work blues - Pete the office pooch at the Dogs Trust is reluctant to get out of his bed - or his Christmas jumper.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38495874

Guantanamo Bay: What's it like inside? - BBC News

2017-01-04

As Donald Trump tweets that no-one should be released from Guantanamo Bay, the BBC's Gordon Corera takes a tour of the camp.

As Donald Trump tweets that no-one should be released from Guantanamo Bay, the BBC's Gordon Corera takes a tour of the camp.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38512158

French cyclist Robert Marchand sets new record aged 105 - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Robert Marchand sets a new hour record at the national velodrome but regrets not going faster.

Europe

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Robert Marchand: "I'm wondering if it's really true" He may not be the fastest cyclist round a velodrome, but he is easily one of the oldest. Robert Marchand has clocked up 105 years and now a new record for the furthest distance cycled in one hour. The French cyclist managed 22.547km (14 miles) at the national velodrome, taking the top spot in a new category - for riders over 105. Mr Marchand already holds the record for those aged over 100 - 26.927km - set in 2012. He "could have done better", he says, but missed a sign showing 10 minutes to go. "My legs didn't hurt," he told BFMTV. "My arms hurt but that's because of rheumatism." To be fair, he had admitted before the event at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome near Paris that breaking his previous hour record would be tough. "I'm not in such good shape as I was a couple of years back," he told AFP news agency. "I am not here to be champion. I am here to prove that at 105 years old you can still ride a bike," he said. Hundreds of spectators cheered him on trackside. Born on 26 November 1911, Mr Marchand puts his fitness down to diet - lots of fruit and vegetables, a little meat, not too much coffee - and an hour a day on the cycling home-trainer. A prisoner of war in World War Two, he went on to work as a lorry driver and sugarcane planter in Venezuela, and a lumberjack in Canada. No stranger to sport outside cycling, he competed in gymnastics at national level and has been a boxer. The current men's hour record is held by the UK's Bradley Wiggins - 54.526km - which he set in June 2015.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38510439

House price predictions for 2017 - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Experts give their predictions for the UK housing market in 2017 and look back at some of the key issues for property buyers and sellers over the last 12 months.

Business

Radstock Street is being marketed as "desirable lateral living" Buyers of a four-bedroom family home in London need deep pockets - but perhaps not as cavernous as a year ago. Asking prices in the capital for these top-of-the-ladder properties fell by 8.7% over the past year, according to search site Rightmove. House prices grew much faster in eastern England and the West Midlands than in London, according to Zoopla. London's annual house price growth for 2016 (3.7%) was below the UK average of 4.5% for the first time since 2008, the Nationwide Building Society says. So has the London bubble burst? Are bargains to be had? Well, these things are relative. One new development in Radstock Street in Battersea will see eight large apartments go on the market in February for £3.65m each. For most people around the UK, that is an eye-watering price for a three-bedroom property. Yet, the developers say these homes will be attractive to downsizers - people aged in their 50s and 60s already owning a home in central London. The idea of downsizing to a £3m-plus home might make those eyes water a little more, but Louisa Brodie, head of search at Banda Property, says these apartments are "realistically priced". "They have car parking, a porter, and are brand new. Properties like this are rare to find, and areas like this have a unique selling point," she says. "London is still one of the most desirable places to live, anywhere." This is surely a sign that London property has been decoupled from the rest of the country for many years. Despite the drop in activity in London, the average house price in the capital is still £474,000, more than double the typical price of £217,000 in the UK as a whole, according to the latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The slowdown in central London is the result of the most significant change in the housing market in 2016 - a stamp duty surcharge on buy-to-let and second homes. Since April, anyone buying a home that is not their main residence has had to pay a 3% stamp duty surcharge. This meant that, for second homes or buy-to-let properties, the rate for properties priced at more than £1.5m reaches 15%. The surcharge led to a burst of activity in March followed by a steep drop in transactions in April - a "hangover" that still persists, according to Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). In Scotland, the equivalent tax - the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) - was also up-rated. The new surcharge, alongside a rise in normal stamp duty costs for £1m-plus homes since 2014, had a bigger impact on the market than the Brexit vote in June, according to experts. Ray Boulger, of John Charcol mortgage brokers, says it led to many at the expensive end of the market choosing to extend their homes rather than move. This made it more difficult to create chains lower down the market. Ed Stansfield, chief property economist at Capital Economics, says the housing market recovered "remarkably quickly" after cooling immediately after the UK's vote to leave the EU. He says a "degree of nerves" surrounding the economy and potential buyers' caution over stretching too far financially had kept a lid on house prices. Another major factor in the market over the last 12 months, according to the experts, is a lack of homes going on to the market. This supply squeeze has meant that, despite all the other pressures on affordability, prices continued to increase. The constraint on supply proved to be more problematic than expected, according to Mr Rubinsohn of Rics, whose prediction of a 6% rise in house prices for 2016 looks to be the most accurate. This trend will continue, he says, spelling more difficulties for first-time buyers whose incomes may fall in real terms. Many will continue to rely on the Bank of Mum and Dad for help with raising a mortgage deposit, while others will look to the government's Help to Buy projects to find somewhere affordable. Others see first-time buyers as key to the buoyancy of the housing market. "First-time buyers still underpin the wider market. So long as the government continues to support them either directly via Help to Buy or by further tax changes then the market should not plunge but this is not completely in the gift of politicians who frankly have more pressing matters to attend to," says property buying agent Henry Pryor. "Like last year if you already own a home then you are probably better off than someone who doesn't. If you don't, then it seems unlikely that 2017 will see a swift solution emerge." The experts have a relatively wide spread of predictions for 2017 - from price falls overall to rises matching or outstripping the general level of inflation. Martin Ellis, housing economist at mortgage lender the Halifax, is offering a hedge-your-bets prediction of between a 1% and 4% rise. "The relatively wide range for the forecast reflects the higher-than-normal degree of uncertainty regarding the prospects for the UK economy next year," he says. Given that a buying a home is the biggest financial transaction of most people's lives, they - and their mortgage lender - will want some certainty over their job and income before taking the plunge.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38389967

Exec pay under fire on 'Fatcat Wednesday' - BBC News

2017-01-04

Execs will have earned more by midday on January 4, than ordinary workers earn in the entire year, says the High Pay Centre think tank.

Execs will have earned more by midday on January 4, than ordinary workers earn in the entire year, says the High Pay Centre think tank.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38512258

Rail fares: Who are the season ticket winners and losers? - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Rail fare increases have been called a "kick in the teeth" by critics. Yet commuters using annual season tickets in some parts of England find themselves worse off than others.

England

The cost of annual season tickets has increased by 1.9%, analysis by the BBC England Data Unit found Commuters in some parts of England will be worse off than others from rail fare rises, which were called a "kick in the teeth" by critics. In some areas there was no increase in annual season ticket prices, despite wage growth. Others have seen their annual fares rise despite average pay having fallen. Across the UK rail fares of all types - from season tickets to single journeys - increased by an average of 2.3% on the first weekday of the new year. Analysis by the BBC England Data Unit found annual season tickets had increased in cost by 1.9%, while median take-home pay had increased by 2%. The government said wages were growing faster than regulated fares, which include season tickets. Passengers commuting to Manchester with the most popular annual season tickets saw no increase at all, while the median take-home wage increased 2.8%. Annual passes from East Didsbury, Macclesfield, Stockport, Altrincham, Wilmslow, Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne, Bolton, Glossop and Knutsford are all the same price as they were before the increase. Yet commuters in Liverpool will pay 1.9% more for an annual pass. This is despite median wages having fallen, according to the Office for National Statistics. For more stories from the BBC England Data Unit follow our Pinterest board. Someone travelling from Runcorn to Liverpool would pay £1,532 for their annual pass, £28 more than in 2016. In Liverpool the average full-time wage, after tax and National Insurance deductions, fell from £21,901 in 2015 to £21,634 in 2016. The most expensive annual season ticket per mile travelled is Harlow Town to London Liverpool Street. A commuter pays £3,496, which is £64 more than in 2016. It works out at 39p per mile travelled. The figures are based on a Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) list of the most commonly used commuter services in six major cities. Our analysis of the figures was based on full-time workers using an annual season ticket five days a week, except on bank holidays or on 25 days of annual leave. Lianna Etkind, public transport campaigner at the CBT, said: "Wages remain stagnant and trains continue to be hopelessly overcrowded, so commuters are rightly angry at annual fare rises when they see little or no improvement in the service they receive. "Many commuters are now being charged at a similar level to a premium rate phone number for their season tickets and are left feeling equally as fleeced. "It's high time the government introduced a fairer ticketing system that actively encouraged rail travel, not penalised people for choosing to take the train." According to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operators, about 97p in every pound paid by passengers goes back into running and improving services. RDG chief executive Paul Plummer said: "Money from fares is helping to sustain investment in the longer, newer trains and more punctual journeys that passengers want." The Department for Transport said it had saved commuters money by capping season ticket increases so they are in line with inflation. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "Thanks to action by the government on train ticket prices, wages are growing faster than regulated fares." Northern Rail, which runs commuter services into Manchester, confirmed it had not increased annual season ticket fares but said other prices had risen. It declined to comment further.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38497987

Call the Midwife is top Christmas Day show but ratings fall - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Call the Midwife was the most-watched programme on Christmas Day - but audiences fell to their lowest level on record.

Entertainment & Arts

The Christmas special saw the team of midwives relocate to South Africa Call the Midwife was the most-watched programme on Christmas Day - but audiences on 25 December fell to their lowest level on record, figures show. The historical drama attracted an audience of 9.2 million. It is the smallest number of viewers for Christmas Day's top show since the current ratings system began in 1981. Mrs Brown's Boys got nine million viewers, the Strictly Come Dancing special had 8.9 million and The Great Christmas Bake Off had 8.2 million. Data from those watching on-demand services on smartphones and computers is not included in the figures, from research body Barb. Call the Midwife fans saw the nuns and nurses from Nonnatus House travel to South Africa in a bid to prevent a hospital from closing down. Heidi Thomas, creator and writer of the Call the Midwife, said: "We are always so proud to be part of BBC One's Christmas Day schedule, and absolutely delighted that so many people joined us. "At this special time of year it really feels as though the cast, crew and audience of Call The Midwife are one big family, and we can't wait to share series six with everyone." The new series returns to BBC One later this month. The Queen's Christmas Message was in the top 10 BBC One had eight of the 10 most-watched programmes on 25 December, while ITV had two. The other top 10 programmes for Christmas Day were Doctor Who, EastEnders, The Queen's Christmas Message and Disney film Frozen. Audiences for Christmas Day - which traditionally attracts big audiences - have been falling in recent years with the introduction of catch-up and on-demand services. No programme has attracted more than 20 million viewers since 2001, and the figure of 15 million has not been achieved since 2008. Call The Midwife's 9.2 million is just over half the number who watched Wallace And Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf And Death in 2008 (16.2 million). The single biggest Christmas Day TV audience was recorded in 1989 when 21.8 million watched the UK premiere of the film Crocodile Dundee. The average Christmas Day audience this decade is 11.1 million. In the 1980s, it was 18.5 million. 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-38498985

Bournemouth 3-3 Arsenal - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

Arsenal complete a dramatic comeback at Bournemouth as they rescue a point in injury time having been 3-0 behind.

Last updated on .From the section Football Arsenal completed a dramatic comeback at Bournemouth as they rescued a point in injury time having fallen 3-0 behind. The Gunners looked destined for a third away league defeat in a row before a late rally that began with a diving Alexis Sanchez header and gathered momentum when a stunning Lucas Perez left-footed volley reduced the gap to a single goal. Bournemouth went down to 10 men when Simon Francis was sent off for a challenge on Aaron Ramsey and Arsenal capitalised as Olivier Giroud headed a 92nd-minute equaliser. The home side had overwhelmed the Gunners early on and taken the lead when Charlie Daniels cut inside Hector Bellerin and stroked a shot past on-rushing keeper Petr Cech. Callum Wilson scored a penalty to extend Bournemouth's lead and Ryan Fraser sent a shot through Cech's legs for the Cherries' third before the hour mark. But the hosts buckled under Arsenal's late pressure as Arsene Wenger's side moved eight points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, who play Tottenham on Wednesday. Arsenal had produced a feeble display for 70 minutes and were second best in the face of Bournemouth's energy and desire but that all changed when Sanchez headed in at the far post following Giroud's flick-on. The momentum of the match changed and five minutes later Giroud clipped a lovely ball to substitute Perez and he sent an angled volley inside the far post. Francis' sending-off helped Arsenal, although Cherries boss Eddie Howe felt it was a "harsh" decision by referee Michael Oliver. Giroud headed in from a Granit Xhaka cross as Bournemouth failed in their desperate attempts to hang on during six minutes of added time. Arsenal have been accused of lacking the character to maintain a title challenge in recent seasons and they did little to change that perception before Sanchez's goal. They were continually second best to the home side and frustrations rose to the surface in the first half. Sanchez and Ramsey exchanged angry words at 2-0 down, while Giroud showed his annoyance when Shkodran Mustafi failed to find him with a pass that went harmlessly out of play. That they regrouped in such thrilling manner was doubtless a relief but not one that entirely satisfied goalscorer Giroud. "I'm pleased to help the team by scoring the equaliser but I'm still disappointed," said the Frenchman. "It's nice to come back but the way we played at the end, that made me think we should have done better. At least we came back, showed great mental strength and I will take it." On this date in 2009, boss Eddie Howe was taking caretaker charge of his first match at Bournemouth - who were then second from bottom in League Two. Success with the Dorset side as they won promotion to League One saw Howe lured away by Burnley, before he returned in October 2012 to complete the club's transformation with two more promotions in three seasons. It is a mark of the turnaround he has instigated that he and his side were left bitterly disappointed at failing to avenge their defeat at Emirates Stadium in November. The Cherries' 3-1 defeat at Arsenal was harsh on them and they looked more than capable of making amends for the majority of this game as the Gunners struggled to deal with their attacking 4-4-2 formation. Even with the Arsenal comeback under way, Howe's men had a chance to go 4-2 up when Dan Gosling turned superbly in the visitors' area only to shoot well wide of Cech's goal. A point keeps the Cherries ninth in the table. What they said: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "At the start we suffered from the quality of Bournemouth. One team had over three days to recover and on top of that we suffered at the back. "It was a physical test but we came back into the game and we showed we are mentally strong. I am happy to play every day but only if our opponent has done the same." Read more from Wenger here. Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe: "It's a strange one for us. At 3-0 up you hope the game is over but you can't underestimate the quality of Arsenal and as soon as they got the first goal the game changed. "We didn't see the game out in an effective manner from our perspective but you have to praise their resilience." • None Arsenal came back to draw a Premier League game from three goals down for the first time. • None Only Hull (nine) have conceded more Premier League penalties than Arsenal this season (six, level with Southampton). • None Charlie Daniels has provided more assists than any other Premier League defender since the start of last season (eight). • None Sanchez's goal was Arsenal's first shot on target in the match, in the 70th minute. • None Sanchez has now matched his Premier League goal tally from last season (13 in 20 games this season, compared with 13 in 30 games last season). It's FA Cup third-round action for both these teams in their next outings with Bournemouth at Millwall at 15:00 GMT on Saturday, 7 January and Arsenal at Preston for a 17:30 kick-off on the same day. • None Attempt saved. Harry Arter (Bournemouth) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Adam Smith. • None Goal! Bournemouth 3, Arsenal 3. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Granit Xhaka. • None Attempt blocked. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Lucas Pérez. • None Attempt missed. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. • None Attempt missed. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Alexis Sánchez following a corner. • None Attempt blocked. Lucas Pérez (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Granit Xhaka. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38440999

Qatar Open: Sir Andy Murray extends winning streak to 26 matches - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

Sir Andy Murray extends his winning run to 26 matches with a 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 win over Austrian Gerald Melzer at the Qatar Open.

Last updated on .From the section Tennis Sir Andy Murray reached the Qatar Open quarter-finals with a battling 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 win over Austrian Gerald Melzer. World number 68 Melzer produced a gutsy display, saving eight first-set points before eventually succumbing to the world number one in the tie-break. The Austrian broke as Murray served for the match at 5-4 but the Scot won the next two games and will next play world number 44 Nicolas Almagro of Spain. Murray extended his career-best winning streak in competitive matches to 26. He paid tribute to Melzer, saying: "He played great tennis and dominated large parts of the match. If he plays like this again this year he'll move higher and higher up the rankings. "I played pretty good. The depth in men's tennis is great right now." After shaking hands at the end of the contest the Argentine asked for a selfie with the Serb 12-time Grand Slam champion. "That was the first time that I ever had this kind of experience in my career,'' Djokovic said. "So, Horacio, well done. Very original." Meanwhile, Roger Federer was defeated by German teenager Alexander Zverev at the mixed teams Hopman Cup in Perth. The Swiss 17-time Grand Slam winner lost 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-4) in two hours and 30 minutes in a match of high quality. The tournament in Australia is the 35-year-old's first after a six-month knee injury lay-off.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/38512939

Marijuana brands aim for high-end retail in Canada - BBC News

2017-01-04

As brands fight for a share of the Canadian cannabis market before the drug is fully legalised, one store wants to make "seedy" so-called head shops a thing of a the past.

With retailers jockeying for position before cannabis is fully legalised in Canada, "seedy" so-called head shops could soon be a thing of the past.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38500023

Dabbing son upstages new US congressman - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Rep. Roger Marshall was upstaged by his son during a swearing-in photo op with US House Speaker Paul Ryan.

US & Canada

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Finding your feet in a new job can be difficult at the best of times, so spare a thought for Republican US congressman Roger Marshall, whose son decided a photo op at his swearing in was the perfect time to do some dabbing. As Marshall and family members posed with Paul Ryan, re-elected on Tuesday as House Speaker, the teen, Cal Marshall, can clearly be seen raising his arm into a distinctive dabbing pose. Dabbing - a dance pose which involves burying your face in the crook of your elbow - gained momentum in 2015 when US musicians popularised the move. Whilst his dad remains oblivious to his actions, Speaker Ryan is on to him. "Do you want to put your hand down?" he says to Cal, who sheepishly apologises and blames the unusual contortions of his arm on needing to sneeze, before smiling for the camera and adopting a more conventional pose. The video has been widely shared on social media. Despite his crash course in dabbing, Ryan still wasn't entirely sure what had happened. One politician's child who probably won't be following Cal Marshall's lead is the 17-year-old son of Utah Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox. He was firmly warned off a copycat performance by his mother, Abby. And what now for Cal after upstaging his dad on his big day? Well, according to the elder Marshall he may not be seeing much of his friends for a while.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38506818

Kim Kardashian's ex-boyfriend Ray J and Calum Best are in Celebrity Big Brother - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Kim Kardashian's ex-boyfriend, a Game of Thrones actor and a former Strictly dancer are among this year's Celebrity Big Brother housemates.

Newsbeat

Kim Kardashian's ex, a Game of Thrones actor and a former Strictly dancer are among this year's Celebrity Big Brother contestants. The line-up also includes stars who've previously appeared on the show. Billed as All Stars versus New Stars, the 14 celebs will spend the next month in the CBB house together. Big Brother has already started the fun and games by forcing the housemates to choose one contestant to "edit" out of the show. As always we expect the show to be a slow burner but here are a few of the faces that could prove very entertaining. The singer got to number three in America with single Sexy Can I in 2007 The 35-year-old's CV might list his occupation as singer but most people will know him as Kim Kardashian's ex-boyfriend. Most notably - he was the man in the sex tape alongside Kim which leaked on the internet. Ray J describes himself as "real, raw and ready" and says he wants people to get to know the real him and not "what they read or see on TV, or what I did in bed". He appeared in 12 episodes of Games of Thrones between 2011-2013 as Jeor Mormont. James Cosmo also played Father Kellan Ashby in Sons of Anarchy "I'm looking forward to the psychological experiments of living with people I don't know. It depends on the duration; there are not many people I could not live with for even a short period of time." The 68-year-old may have braved the cold as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch but admitted he expects things to get frosty in the house. Calum Best might just be having second thoughts about signing up to take part. The reality TV star not only has to live with old flame Bianca Gascoigne for the next month but also his mum. Calum is known as a bit of a playboy but might have to behave with Angie sleeping in the same room as him. This one is the combination of Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt. The pair were originally on the 11th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 They are reality TV show veterans who made their names in, MTV's The Hills. The couple say they are taking part in CBB for one reason and that's to win. Spencer and former Strictly Come Dancing pro James Jordan hit it off straight away after Speidi played a prank on the dancer as he entered the house. Footballer Jamie O'Hara, Loose Woman Coleen Nolan and model Jasmine Waltz are also taking part this year. Jasmine Waltz was a contestant in Celebrity Big Brother 13 in 2014 Completing the group are glamour model Nicola McLean, X Factor USA contestant Stacy Francis, DJ Brandon Block and model Austin Armacost. Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/38504767

Yemen conflict: The front line battle for capital Sanaa - BBC News

2017-01-04

The BBC's Nawal Al-Maghafi visits the front line of the army's battle for the capital of Yemen.

The BBC's Nawal Al-Maghafi has been granted access to the front line of the Yemen army's battle for the capital Sanaa, which has been controlled by Houthi rebel fighters since 2015.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38504068

Eddie Jones open to Richard Cockerill joining England set-up - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

Eddie Jones says he is open to the possibility of sacked Leicester boss Richard Cockerill joining England's coaching set-up.

Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union Eddie Jones says he sympathises with Richard Cockerill and is open to the possibility of the sacked Leicester boss joining England's coaching set-up. Cockerill, 46, was dismissed as Tigers' director of rugby on 2 January, with the club fifth in the Premiership. England head coach Jones told BBC Sport that despite having a forwards coach he would "never close the door". Jones also said Dylan Hartley would continue to captain England if he was fit enough to be selected. Northampton hooker Hartley is serving a six-week ban for catching Leinster's Sean O'Brien with a swinging arm in a Champions Cup match in December. Jones, 56, said last month that the 30-year-old had "let his country down" with the third red card of his career. But the Australian said on Tuesday that Hartley was "doing everything right" to be England captain for the forthcoming Six Nations. Cockerill had been a member of Leicester's coaching staff since 2004, taking over as head coach in 2009 and becoming director of rugby in 2010. But following a 16-12 defeat by Saracens on New Year's Day, and with Leicester 15 points adrift of leaders Wasps, Cockerill was sacked. Leicester won three Premiership titles under Cockerill and were twice runners-up Leicester were runners-up in the European Cup in Cockerill's first season in charge and won the LV= Cup in 2011-12 Jones said: "I have a massive amount of sympathy for Richard Cockerill. "He is a great rugby guy, a great player for Leicester, has been a very successful director of rugby and coach. "You don't like to see that happen to anyone but the reality of being a coach is that everyone goes through that and I am sure he will end up somewhere else. "It has been a discussion point for the Leicester players. They are disappointed for Richard but know they have to get on with the job. "We are very well endowed with the forwards coaches we have at the moment so we can always look at the possibility of that [getting Cockerill]." Former England lock Steve Borthwick is currently England's forwards coach. Hartley's dismissal in Northampton's 37-10 home defeat by Leinster had jeopardised his involvement in England's Six Nations campaign, with their opening fixture against France at Twickenham on 4 February. However, he is eligible to play again from 23 January. Jones added: "A prerequisite to get into the England side is to be very fit and not playing games means he needs to undergo an unbelievably stringent fitness programme over the next five or six weeks. He is doing that and is in the best position to continue as captain. "If Dylan is right to play, he will be captain. "Everyone makes mistakes. In the last 12 months, he has made one mistake and done a hell of a lot of good things so his batting average is pretty high. If that falls, then we need to look at things. "We have had a number of chats, not any longer than five minutes, but plenty of information has been exchanged. He understands where he is at and what he needs to do. He will do it." The former Australia coach said it was a "big relief" to have James Haskell back in contention after the flanker missed the autumn internationals with a toe injury. Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi has been ruled out of England's training camp in Brighton next week after a knee injury cut short his involvement in the Tigers' defeat by Saracens. "He was coming back into some form, getting his power back so it is enormously frustrating for him," said Jones. Former England captain Chris Robshaw also faces a nervous wait to discover the extent of the shoulder injury sustained with Harlequins on New Year's Day, with England ordering a scan. World Rugby has tightened the tackle law with immediate effect, clamping down on high and dangerous tackles by lowering the acceptable height of the tackle and increasing the severity of on-field punishment. "I think it is fantastic," said Jones. "The game of rugby is such a great game and we have to keep improving it. "Concussions is an issue that will be there more and more so the scrutiny for head injuries is nothing like it was three or five years ago. "Over the next period of time, it is going to be quite difficult. We will then have a safer, healthier game. "We played against Argentina with 14 men and it was a great game. We are preparing for that. The penalties over the next period of time will be harsh."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38503190

The slow death of Myanmar's typewriter industry - BBC News

2017-01-04

Myanmar is one of the few places where many still rely on typewriters - but as change creeps in, numbers are dwindling.

With the dawn of the computer age the typewriter has disappeared into obscurity in most parts of the world, but in Myanmar many people still rely on typewriters to make a living. In a country where electricity is still unstable and computers remain prohibitively expensive for many, typewriters are seen less as a product of a bygone era and more as a necessity. However, as change creeps into the country their numbers are dwindling and the few who have stuck with them are struggling to survive.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38452242

Losing hope in Mae La - BBC News

2017-01-04

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Depression is all too common in refugee camps for Burmese people on the Thai border - and so, unfortunately, is suicide.

Magazine

On Thailand's border with Myanmar, also known as Burma, more than 100,000 people live in a string of refugee camps. Many fled ethnic conflict in their homeland decades ago, and have brought up their children here. Gracia Fellmeth arrived in one of the camps a year ago to study depression in women before and after childbirth. After an hour's bus journey through forest from the town of Mae Sot, Mae La appears suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere. In the morning mist, thousands of bamboo huts cling to steep limestone crags. It is the largest of nine refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border, and home to almost 40,000 people. Many residents have spent their entire lives in this isolated place, unable to work and dependent on outside aid. The majority are Karen, one of Myanmar's largest ethnic minorities. It is a Wednesday morning, three months after my arrival, and the dusty waiting room is full. Pregnant women wait patiently to be seen by nurses, midwives and medics. They will have their bellies examined, their blood pressure monitored and their blood screened. Since my arrival, women are also offered a depression screen - a series of 10 questions to look for symptoms of depression, which is common in pregnancy. Our first patient today is 18-year-old Myo Myo. She is nine weeks pregnant. She enters the room, smiling. Lar Paw, a Karen counsellor and midwife I am working with, explains what the interview involves. Myo Myo agrees to take part. We sit down on the bamboo floor and begin. "In the past month, have you ever felt sad or down for long periods of time?" I ask. "Sometimes," Myo Myo replies. "We have some family problems. And not enough money." Gracia Fellmeth screened many young pregnant women for signs of depression Calm and composed, she continues her story - a story by now familiar to me. She describes a happy relationship with her husband. Despite his alcohol dependency, he is good to her, she says, and she loves him. They are both happy about the pregnancy. However, there are tensions with her mother-in-law, who disapproves of Myo Myo and rebukes her for not contributing to household expenditure. I want to know more about her symptoms. She tells us that the episodes of sadness are short-lived, occurring only once or twice a month and lasting an hour or so. "Do you ever think about hurting yourself, or about suicide?" I probe. "Sometimes I think about it, if we have been arguing with my mother-in-law," she admits. She has never attempted suicide though, and assures us she is not planning to. A quarter of all women we speak to think about suicide at least occasionally. A smaller proportion - about 3% - have made attempts. We lack the resources to follow up all of these patients, so we focus only on those with pronounced thoughts of suicide or severe symptoms of depression. Myo Myo has other symptoms, too - low energy and "thinking too much" - but they occur only once in a while and do not seem to be out of the ordinary. We don't arrange a follow-up but we tell her to come and talk to us any time, if she wants to share her worries with anyone. Two days later I am on the bus to Mae La when a colleague asks me: "Did you hear about the suicide? A young girl. She was pregnant." My heart pounds. Was it someone I had interviewed? Someone we had been following up? Or worse, someone we hadn't followed up? Lar Paw stands outside the clinic waiting for me. "Doctor! We have a suicide. Do you remember this patient?" She hands me a file. It is Myo Myo's. I feel shaky. I remember her, and I remember that we had not considered her to be high-risk. Among the hundreds of women we had spoken to, Myo Myo, tragically, had not stood out. "Her husband also. They did it together," Lar Paw continues softly. A double suicide? I couldn't think straight. We had seen Myo Myo only two days ago. How could this have happened? Had we given her the idea of taking her own life? Was this all my fault? Later that day we go to Myo Myo's home to pay our respects. The family sits quietly. The two bodies lie in the middle of the room under a sheet, surrounded by candles. Two cups wrapped in plastic are lined with a fluorescent blue liquid - remnants of the toxic weed-killer that led the couple to their death. We sit in silence until Myo Myo's mother-in-law stumbles in, drunk. Myo Myo's sister-in-law shouts at her. "This is all your fault," she sobs. Later we find out about an altercation that had taken place earlier in the week between Myo Myo's husband and his mother, during which she had slapped him in the face. The death of this young couple left us deeply saddened, but also troubled. Should we have done more to encourage Myo Myo to put aside her thoughts of suicide? Could we have stopped her? Had it been the impulsive act of an adolescent in response to a family feud? Had a Buddhist belief in rebirth enticed the couple to leave this world and start a new, better, life together? We will never know. What we do know is that suicide is too common in Mae La - last year it accounted for half of all deaths among pregnant women and new mothers. What is the explanation? There could be many factors - including chronic uncertainty, hopelessness, boredom, and the legacy of the conflict that led these families to Mae La in the first place. The names of the people in this story have been changed Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38423451

Istanbul attack: Inside Reina nightclub - BBC News

2017-01-04

The BBC's Mark Lowen is one of the first journalists to access the site of Istanbul's deadly New Year attack, which left 39 people dead.

The BBC's Mark Lowen is one of the first journalists to access the site of Istanbul's deadly New Year attack, which left 39 people dead.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38501613

Forceps removed from stomach after 18 years - BBC News

2017-01-04

A Vietnamese man has had surgical forceps removed from his stomach after 18 years.

A Vietnamese man has had surgical forceps removed from his stomach after 18 years. Ma Van Nhat believes the forceps were left there during surgery in 1998.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38497547

Terrorism 'first-aid training needed' - BBC News

2017-01-04

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People are being urged to learn lifesaving skills in case they are caught up in a terror attack.

Health

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. CitizenAID aims to help the public save lives before the professionals arrive People need to learn lifesaving skills in case they are caught up in a terror attack in the UK, a team of senior military and civilian medics has said. They say people need to know how to help each other because it could take some time before it is deemed safe for paramedics to arrive on the scene. The idea is supported by counter-terrorism police. Security services say a UK terror attack is highly likely. Although an individual's chance of being caught up in an incident is small, Brig Tim Hodgetts and Prof Sir Keith Porter, co-developers of CitizenAID, say it is a good idea for people to have a plan and the knowledge and skills to help each other. Their app, pocket book and website suggest how best to deal with injuries in the immediate aftermath of a mass shooting or bombing incident. The system includes instructions on how to treat severe bleeding - one of the major causes of death in these scenarios. It guides people through packing, putting pressure on and elevating a wound, and how to use a tourniquet safely, for example. The programme also explains how to prioritise those who need treatment first and what to tell the emergency services once they arrive. CitizenAID is not a government initiative but its developers say it builds on national advice from national counter-terrorism police to: The system describes how to make a tourniquet out of a scarf to help stop bleeding The CitizenAID system says people should follow these steps and then go one step further. It suggests once people are safe, they should start treating casualties. Ch Insp Richard Harding, head of the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, told the BBC: "One of the challenges we have is that when a serious incident, particularly a terrorist incident occurs, the first responders from a police perspective to a terrorist incident will inevitably be trying to deal with the people causing the threat. "They won't have time to deal with the people who are injured and that gap is vital to saving people's lives. "So we are really interested in the concept of CitizenAID. It allows the public and people involved in very rare incidents like this to help themselves and help others and their loved ones survive the situation." According to its founders, CitizenAID builds on lessons learnt on the battlefield. Sir Keith Porter, professor of clinical traumatology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, told the BBC: "I have treated hundreds of soldiers whose lives have been saved by simply the applications of tourniquets when they have been shot or blown up. Teaching individual soldiers these skills has saved lives. "And I think it is essential we train the public in those skills and that is exactly what CitizenAID does." Brig Tim Hodgetts, medical director of the Defence Medical Services, told the BBC; "We don't know when the next incident will be that will involve blasts or gunshots so we need a critical mass of the general public to learn these first aid skills. "They are the people who are always going to be at the scene. They are the ones who are going to make a difference." He added: "I think we are doing the opposite of scaring the public, we are empowering the public. ''By giving them a step-by-step system we take away the anxiety because the decisions are already made and the right decisions in the right order can save lives." The app is free to download and the pocketbook costs £1.99 to order. Sue Killen, of St John Ambulance, added "First aid can be the difference between life and death. Knowing basic first aid in a terror attack or in an everyday emergency at home or in the community, will give you more confidence to deal with a crisis. "First aid is easy to learn and our first aid techniques cover a wide range of injuries that could occur in a terrorist incident including severe bleeding, crush injuries and shock. "We encourage anyone who would like to learn first aid to go to our website to view our first aid videos, download our app or attend a first aid course." What do you think? Join the conversation on Facebook. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38495234

The spy with no name - BBC News

2017-01-04

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In 1977 a woman thought she had finally tracked down the son she had abandoned as a baby. What followed was an extraordinary tale of deception and heartbreak.

Magazine

In 1977, Johanna van Haarlem finally tracked down the son, Erwin, she had abandoned as a baby 33 years earlier. She immediately travelled to London to meet him. What followed, writes Jeff Maysh, is an unbelievable story of deception and heartbreak. It was a cold Saturday morning in April 1988 when a van full of detectives arrived outside the North London home of Erwin van Haarlem. The self-employed art dealer, 44, lived alone in sleepy Friern Barnet, a smattering of brick homes beside the grim North Circular ring road. The Dutchman's apartment building on Silver Birch Close had become the centre of an investigation led by the British intelligence agency MI5. It suspected that Van Haarlem - whom neighbours described as an "oddball" - was not in the art business at all, but a sinister foreign agent. Inside, Van Haarlem was hunched over a radio in his kitchen. He was still wearing his pyjamas, but his hair was parted neatly to one side. He was tuned in, as he was every morning, to a mysterious "number station". In his earpiece, a female voice recited numbers in Czech, followed by the blip-bleep of Morse code. At 09:15 detectives from Special Branch, the anti-terror unit of London's Metropolitan Police, crashed into his apartment. Van Haarlem tried to lower his radio's antenna. It jammed. When he pulled open a drawer and grabbed a kitchen knife, an officer tackled him, and yelled: "Enough! It is over! It is over!" Hidden among his easels and paintings, detectives discovered tiny codebooks concealed in a bar of soap, strange chemicals, and car magazines later found to contain messages written in invisible ink. Investigators suspected Van Haarlem was not really from the Netherlands, but was a spy for the UK's Cold War adversary, the Soviet Union. Under a bright spotlight at a police station in Central London, Van Haarlem protested his innocence. Then, 10 days later, things turned really strange: a visitor arrived claiming to be the prisoner's mother. Johanna van Haarlem was a Dutch woman in her early sixties, who peered at detectives from behind huge glasses. Her son was no spy, she insisted, but an honest Dutchman - the child she had abandoned in 1944 and rediscovered 11 years earlier. The baffled detectives allowed her to visit their suspect. "Tell me, I'm hearing all these strange stories," she said. "You're not really a spy, are you?" "We have a saying that where you see the smoke, there will be a fire," Van Haarlem told her. "But this time it is not true. Too much of the smoke and no fire. I did absolutely nothing that could harm England." Johanna sighed with relief. "But why? Why all of this, then?" she said. "Don't ask me. Ask them." And then he noticed a tiny red spot on her forearm. The DNA blood test results from the Home Office laboratory indicated, with near certainty, that they were not related. Johanna van Haarlem broke down in tears as her world collapsed. Johanna van Haarlem was 52 on her first visit to London to meet Erwin On 6 February 1989, at London's Old Bailey, prosecutor Roy Amlot told a jury that the defendant had stolen her son's identity. "You may think that if he knew all along, it was a cruel thing to do to her," he said. The trial captivated the press. The Daily Express described Van Haarlem as "an old-fashioned... slick-suited spy who inhabited a world of dead letterboxes and secret codes". Exotic beauties came forward to kiss-and-tell about their love affairs with the spy. But the most wounded victim stood in the witness box, the tragic Dutchwoman, Johanna van Haarlem. On 4 March 1989, at 11:45, the judge sentenced Erwin van Haarlem to 10 years in prison for espionage. "He is probably the first person to be tried at the Old Bailey under an alias," one senior Scotland Yard officer told a reporter. The "spy with no name", as the newspapermen called him, would take his secrets with him to his cell. After months of negotiation and false starts, I met Erwin van Haarlem on a spring day in Prague, in 2016. Although he had lived quietly as a free man for the past 23 years, spies famously do not talk. Introduced to me by the Czech crime journalist, Jaroslav Kmenta, Van Haarlem arrived at a restaurant near the city's Old Town Square, wearing a smart blue blazer. After carefully checking my identification he began, in accented English, to tell me his story. It began on 23 August 1944, when he was born Vaclav Jelinek in Modrany, a small village near Prague. His father had owned a small bakery there, selling biscuits and ice creams, until the Communists took power. Young Jelinek enlisted in mandatory military service, and, as the Cold War intensified, he graduated to a position in the Czechoslovak Ministry of the Interior. He dreamed of military valour and excitement. But what he got was mind-numbing shifts and grunt work. One day his superiors caught him studying German vocabulary instead of guarding a checkpoint in the snow. They marched him to an upstairs office where he expected disciplinary action. Instead he was introduced to two members of Statni bezpecnost - the Czechoslovak secret State police. The StB was a shadowy spy agency that reported directly to the Soviets. The StB agents had studied his file and learned that Jelinek was defiant, a womaniser, highly intelligent, prone to violence, patriotic, and a risk-taker. In other words, perfect spy material. After careful training, they decided he was ready to begin an undercover mission abroad, spying on the West. The StB searched through its files of missing persons and assigned Jelinek a false identity - that of a Dutch boy, abandoned at an orphanage in Holesovice, Prague, at the end of World War Two. The child had been born just one day before Jelinek. "Your new name," they told him, "is Erwin van Haarlem." He applied for a Dutch passport, and arrived in London by train in June 1975. To the boy from Prague, it was an alien city swarming with traffic, fashion, and danger. He took a job at the 24th-floor Roof restaurant at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, Mayfair, hoping to spy on the Royals down the road at Buckingham Palace. At night, he exchanged coded messages with his home country via radio. One of his first ideas was to try planting listening devices in the Queen's furniture, he recalls, though he and his bosses realised it was technically unrealistic. His secret career was running smoothly until late 1977, when he received a disturbing message from Prague: "YOUR MOTHER IS TRYING TO FIND YOU IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA WITH THE HELP OF THE RED CROSS. SHOULD THE RED CROSS FIND YOU, A MEETING IS TO BE AGREED WITH." He read the message over and over again. In October of that year, Van Haarlem received a handwritten letter from Johanna van Haarlem. The Dutch embassy had given her his address, she wrote. She was thrilled to find him. As he had been ordered, the spy politely replied in November, enclosing some photographs. He began the letter: "Dear mother". When he sent a cordial invitation to visit him in London, she left immediately. Johanna woke up early on 1 January 1978, in a West London hotel. Her stomach was knotted with nerves. She stepped on to the street littered with the detritus of New Year's Eve. It was her plan to arrive early and check out her son's address. But on the opposite side of the street a familiar-looking young man walked past. "Are you Mrs van Haarlem?" the spy said, stopping in his tracks. "Hello Mother, it's your son." They embraced in the middle of the street. Johanna stepped back to look at him. Tears were rolling down her face. "Your father did not have such dark hair," said Johanna, studying him. Then she commented that he was shorter than his father. Inside his apartment a champagne cork popped as Johanna breathlessly told him her life story. The bottle had frozen in the refrigerator but Van Haarlem managed to pour a couple of glasses. She had grown up in The Hague, in Holland, and was an 18-year-old virgin when she met his father on a train, in November 1943. Gregor Kulig was a Nazi. He was blue-eyed, 23, and Polish. Handsome. At a party four weeks later, she said, he raped her. And when her father discovered she was pregnant, he exploded. "You are a sinner!" he told her. He ordered her to take the child to a distant town and give him away. Full of sadness and desperation, in autumn 1944 Johanna travelled to Czechoslovakia by train. After a brief effort to survive there as a single mother, she walked into an orphanage in Holesovice, Prague. Sobbing, she kissed baby Erwin goodbye, and returned to Holland alone. Her father - a Jew who had joined the National Socialist Movement to protect his family - destroyed the adoption papers and banned her from ever speaking about her son. Over the years, dozens of letters arrived from the orphanage asking Johanna to take back her child. They went unanswered. But every year on his birthday, Johanna silently remembered her missing son, his name she could not even speak: Erwin van Haarlem. Now she had found him. As they finished their champagne, he took her hand in his. "You have to believe it," he told her. "I am your son." Shortly after their emotional "reunion", Johanna invited Erwin to meet the Van Haarlem family in Holland. When the spy arrived at her bungalow in early 1978, one-by-one he shook hands with the whole family. They studied him like a specimen in a zoo. Johanna's niece approached Van Haarlem, and seemed to scan him from head to toe. Did she know? "He has the nice Van Haarlem legs," she told the crowd, approvingly. Back in London, having a Dutch, Jewish mother only improved Van Haarlem's cover. His main task, the spy told me, was to gather information about Refuseniks, the Jews held in the Soviet Union despite their requests to emigrate, who had become political pawns in Cold War peace talks. He also gained prize information about underwater sonar chains, which alerted Nato to Soviet submarine movements. British defence journalist Kim Sengupta later described Van Haarlem in this era as "a brilliantly successful deep penetration agent", who, over the years, visited the Polaris submarine base at the British Admiralty's Underwater Research Unit, as well as "a string of sensitive military installations". For these fantastic intelligence scores, Van Haarlem received a medal from the Soviet Union at a private party held in his honour in Prague. "He moved a lot," Johanna later told a Dutch radio station. "From that small apartment I visited the first time to bigger, fancier places… I had no idea why he moved so much. He was doing better and better, you could tell by his clothes, shoes and houses that he was going in the right direction." Erwin showered Johanna with presents including a Wedgwood vase, a gold and sapphire ring, and a gold coin. But at heart he was tiring of this relationship with his "fake" mother. In his mind she was a Nazi, a fascist, and a collaborator with foreign soldiers. He recalls travelling to Holland to introduce a girlfriend to Johanna - keeping up appearances. Inside the Dutch restaurant, folk music played and locals danced. Johanna got carried away, he said. A local man whirled her around the dance floor, and suddenly the spy saw her as a young girl, dancing with the Nazi soldiers. A blind rage swept over him like a fire. "She is at that again," he thought. "She never changes. She is 60!" One of the men held Johanna close, and gave a friend a suggestive wink. It nearly tipped van Haarlem over the edge. Some time later, back in London, Van Haarlem's telephone shrieked. The blissful silence in his apartment was shattered. He sat up in bed and checked the time. It was 03:00. "Dear son, I could not help it, I had to hear your voice." Johanna was slurring. Van Haarlem guessed she had been drinking. "I will sell my house and come to London," she said. "We will live together." "I absolutely understand why you are so upset, Mum," he said. "Of course it would be wonderful to live together, especially since our fate prevented us doing so in the past. Mum, you know what? Let's go to bed now and think about it overnight. I will call you tomorrow." He slammed down the phone but could not drift back to sleep. He was growing increasingly concerned about her behaviour. He simply couldn't afford her to be a liability. His life depended on it. But there was little he could do - he was stuck with her. On her next visit, mother and son were driving through Golders Green in North London when Van Haarlem forgot to give the right of way to another car. The other driver slammed on his brakes to avoid a crash. "Sorry, friend!" said Erwin pleasantly, with a wave of his hand. Johanna snapped. "Why are you apologising?" she shouted. "You are so yielding, so soft! A typical Slav!" Van Haarlem was shocked. "He had the right of way," he said. "Right of way! Right of way!" she parroted. Gripping the wheel, the spy fumed. "You'll pay with interest for that," he thought. But he would never get the chance. One afternoon in autumn 1986 Van Haarlem noticed two cars driving closely behind him, pulling manoeuvres he recognised from his spy training. "They must be tailing someone," he thought. Then the penny dropped: "They are tailing you! You stupid ass!" He had by now quit his job at the Hilton - after rising from a lowly waiter to assistant purchase manager. He had set up himself up as a freelance artist and art dealer, and paid cash for the unassuming flat in Friern Barnet. It should have been the last place anyone would look for a foreign spy, but it soon became a hotbed of chicanery. There was the technician who came to "fix" his telephone, the new postmen, and the dedicated window cleaners who washed his windows not weekly, but seemingly daily. Van Haarlem was not the only one who noticed peculiar goings-on. Mrs Saint, 61, who co-ordinated the local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme, said she telephoned the police in November 1987 to report strange noises and a "Morse code" interference which affected her television reception every night at 21:20. Soon afterwards, in April 1988, that mysterious van parked outside Van Haarlem's apartment. Johanna van Haarlem heard about the arrest on BBC radio. Then investigators arrived at her home and asked her to testify against the spy at his trial. "When we finally made eye contact I felt hurt. I didn't see any sign of remorse, not a wink, no warmth, nothing," she said of the trial. A part of her was in denial, continuing to look in vain for a son's affection. "He showed me coldness," she said, "and looked at me like this was the end." Van Haarlem was sent to Parkhurst prison on the Isle of Wight. After five years, the end of the Cold War, and a hunger strike, he was released and deported to what had by then become the Czech Republic. I asked if he ever felt any compassion for Johanna. "I had no pity whatsoever," he said. "She was rather dominant and I had to put up with her. Sometimes I had enough of her," he added, describing many real mother-son relationships. During the five years he spent in a prison cell, he went on, one thing about his case remained a puzzle. It was a statement that Johanna made about how she found him. "Without being asked," he told me, "she said only on her own, from her own will, she started the whole action, trying to find me." From her own will. It was a funny thing to say, he thought. Was it a coincidence that Johanna's motherly instincts awakened just months after his application for a Dutch passport? Who else might have inspired her to track down her son, and why? We may never know, as Johanna van Haarlem died in 2004. However, the spy has his own theory. "We thought she was under the guidance of MI5 or the Dutch security service," he said. Could Johanna also have been a spy? Though it seems unlikely, in this world of disguise and deception, anything is possible. Adapted from The Spy With No Name by @JeffMaysh (Amazon Kindle Singles), published today. Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38261956

Ivan Rogers resignation: Dear Sir, I quit! The resignation quiz - BBC News

2017-01-04

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How much do you know about famous resignations?

Magazine

Sir Ivan Rogers has quit his job as British ambassador to the EU, issuing a resignation statement that urged his team to "continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking". But he's not the first person to make headlines with a biting departure. Test your knowledge about some of history's more celebrated resignation statements. Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38510071

The Jump: GB Taekwondo has 'reservations' over Jade Jones' participation - BBC Sport

2017-01-04

GB Taekwondo chiefs admit "reservations" over Olympic champion Jade Jones taking part in a Channel 4 ski jump show before the World Championships.

Last updated on .From the section Sport GB Taekwondo chiefs say they "had reservations" but "understand" double Olympic champion Jade Jones' decision to take part in Channel 4's The Jump. The programme involves competitors learning to ski jump, and the last series saw several serious injuries. Gymnast Louis Smith and Paralympic cyclist and athlete Kadeena Cox will also take part in the new series. GB Taekwondo says it has has held "extensive" talks with Jones about the risks involved. The 23-year-old from north Wales is set to compete in taekwondo's World Championships later this year. She, Rio silver medallist Smith, and Cox, who won gold in both her disciplines at the Rio Paralympics, all receive funding from UK Sport to help them train for their respective events. Jones will still receive her full UK Sport funding during her time on the programme, while Cox will not. British Gymnastics has not yet responded to BBC Sport's request for a comment. A GB Taekwondo spokesperson said: "While we had our reservations, we understand Jade's desire to try new challenges and to take part in this show. We have held extensive discussions with Jade and her management and she is aware of the risks involved. "She has made an informed decision to take part in the show and has ensured that The Jump and its production company has all the requisite cover and medical provision is in place." Former Olympic heptathlete Louise Hazel, who finished second in the 2015 series after retiring from athletics, told BBC Radio 5 live that she was surprised current athletes were considering taking part in the show. "As an athlete you are always looking for the next thrill but I would advise them to withdraw," she said. "For those athletes who have retired it is OK to take a risk, but for those still in sport this could easily turn into a career-ending injury. "As a participant you know there is an element of risk, but there was a part of me seeking that out and it is a calculated risk. The question is whether people know the full extent of the risk before signing up." In the show's previous editions, Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle needed surgery to have fractured vertebrae fused together after she was injured in training, while double gold medal winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington suffered a shoulder injury. Former Holby City actress Tina Hobley sustained knee, shoulder and arm injuries and has only recently stopped using crutches and Made In Chelsea star Mark-Francis Vandelli broke his ankle. In addition, athlete Linford Christie pulled a hamstring, ex-EastEnders actor Joe Swash chipped a bone in his shoulder, Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding injured a ligament and model Heather Mills hurt her knee and thumb. Channel 4 says there has been a "thorough review of safety procedures" before this year's series. How would injury harm the athletes' prospects? Jones, who was named BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality 2016 after going through the year unbeaten, is scheduled to take part in the World Championships in South Korea in June, aiming to claim the only major international title that has eluded her so far. Cox, 25, does not have a major cycling event this year, with no Para-cycling Track World Championships officially confirmed, but she would be expected to take part in the Para-Athletics World Championships in London in July. Also among the competitors are retired Olympic cycling champion and Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins, former rugby players Jason Robinson and Gareth Thomas, and ex-Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/38494638