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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8951129.stm | Jamie Cureton opened his account for Exeter with two goals to beat 10-man Yeovil in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
The striker beat Adam Virgo to a long ball before firing past John Sullivan to put the Grecians ahead.
Yeovil's Sam Williams was then sent off for headbutting Troy Archibald-Henville but they equalised when Andrew Welsh fired past Paul Jones.
However, Exeter hit back when Cureton turned home Jake Thomson's cross before Ryan Harley floated in a free-kick.
"We're exactly where we were last season with the same amount of points and knocked out of both cups in quick succession and I'm disappointed because I think we've got a better squad.
"Silly decisions and sloppy goals have cost us tonight and that's something we've got to learn from.
"We're now without Sam Williams for three games for a piece of stupidity and now other people are going to get their chance."
90:00+4:47 The referee ends the match.
90:00+3:43 Jamie Cureton is ruled offside. John Sullivan restarts play with the free kick.
90:00+3:22 Ryan Harley decides to take the corner short.
90:00+1:06 GOAL - Ryan Harley:Yeovil 1 - 3 Exeter Ryan Harley finds the net with a goal direct from the free kick from outside the penalty box to the top left corner of the goal. Yeovil 1-3 Exeter.
90:00+0:25 Booking Paul Huntington goes into the book for unsporting behaviour.
88:59 Paul Huntington gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Liam Sercombe.
86:28 Ryan Harley has a shot on goal from outside the area which misses right.
85:43 Andrew Welsh crosses the ball, Rob Edwards manages to make a clearance.
84:56 The ball is crossed by Jamie Cureton.
84:32 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Jake Thomson by Andrew Welsh. Richard Duffy takes the free kick.
82:42 Substitution Cameron Stewart leaves the field to be replaced by Luke Freeman.
80:28 Jamie Cureton crosses the ball, save made by John Sullivan.
77:58 Assist by Richard Logan.
77:58 GOAL - Jamie Cureton:Yeovil 1 - 2 Exeter Jamie Cureton finds the net with a goal from close in to the bottom right corner of the goal. Yeovil 1-2 Exeter.
75:25 GOAL - Andrew Welsh:Yeovil 1 - 1 Exeter Andrew Welsh gets on the score sheet with a goal from deep inside the penalty box to the bottom left corner of the goal. Yeovil 1-1 Exeter.
74:37 Free kick awarded for a foul by Richard Logan on Adam Virgo. John Sullivan takes the free kick.
73:40 Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Ryan Harley from the right by-line, Close range header by Richard Logan misses to the right of the target.
72:44 Outswinging corner taken from the right by-line by Ryan Harley.
72:07 Shot by Richard Logan from deep inside the penalty area misses to the right of the target.
71:35 Outswinging corner taken by Cameron Stewart.
68:02 Dean Bowditch produces a right-footed shot from just outside the box that misses to the right of the target.
65:29 Foul by Scott Golbourne on Andrew Welsh, free kick awarded. Shot on goal comes in from Andrew Welsh from the free kick.
64:41 Outswinging corner taken by Ryan Harley, clearance made by Nathan Smith.
60:39 Substitution Luke Ayling replaces JP Kalala.
60:39 Jamie Cureton is caught offside. John Sullivan takes the free kick.
58:16 The ball is sent over by Nathan Smith.
57:14 Andrew Welsh takes a shot. Save by Paul Jones.
56:03 The referee blows for offside against Jamie Cureton. John Sullivan restarts play with the free kick.
54:27 Centre by Jake Thomson, save by John Sullivan.
51:51 Substitution Billy Jones goes off and Rob Edwards comes on.
51:51 Substitution Jake Thomson replaces Troy Archibald-Henville.
51:51 Foul by Paul Huntington on Jamie Cureton, free kick awarded. Free kick taken by Ryan Harley.
50:22 Steve Tully gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Cameron Stewart. Free kick crossed left-footed by Andrew Welsh from left wing, clearance by Troy Archibald-Henville.
49:07 Liam Sercombe gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on JP Kalala. Direct free kick taken by Craig Alcock.
47:55 Scott Golbourne produces a cross, Adam Virgo makes a clearance.
47:07 Short corner worked by Andrew Welsh.
46:52 Effort on goal by Owain Tudur Jones from just outside the area goes harmlessly over the target.
45:40 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Dean Bowditch by Troy Archibald-Henville. Paul Huntington restarts play with the free kick.
45:00+3:35 The referee blows for half time.
45:00+2:57 The ball is crossed by Andrew Welsh, Craig Alcock has a headed effort at goal from close range which goes wide of the left-hand post.
Correction - 44:49 Booking Troy Archibald-Henville is given a yellow card.
44:49 Booking Richard Logan goes into the book.
44:09 Sent off Red card for Sam Williams.
42:52 Outswinging corner taken left-footed by Andrew Welsh from the left by-line, Paul Jones makes a save.
41:20 Troy Archibald-Henville concedes a free kick for a foul on Dean Bowditch. Owain Tudur Jones fires a strike on goal direct from the free kick.
40:40 Shot on goal by Paul Huntington from inside the box goes harmlessly over the target.
39:40 Foul by Richard Logan on Dean Bowditch, free kick awarded. Cameron Stewart restarts play with the free kick.
35:20 The referee blows for offside. Craig Alcock restarts play with the free kick.
34:06 Outswinging corner taken by Billy Jones.
33:42 Shot from inside the area by Jamie Cureton clears the bar.
31:32 James Dunne gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on JP Kalala. Free kick taken by JP Kalala.
28:58 Free kick awarded for a foul by Sam Williams on Ryan Harley. Ryan Harley takes the free kick.
26:27 The ball is crossed by JP Kalala, Steve Tully makes a clearance.
25:54 Cameron Stewart takes the outswinging corner, clearance by James Dunne.
25:15 Booking Scott Golbourne receives a caution.
25:02 Free kick awarded for a foul by Scott Golbourne on Andrew Welsh. Direct free kick taken by Cameron Stewart.
24:29 Liam Sercombe produces a right-footed shot from outside the penalty box and misses left.
21:08 Jamie Cureton takes a shot. John Sullivan makes a save.
20:42 Andrew Welsh gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Scott Golbourne. Ryan Harley takes the direct free kick.
20:05 The ball is delivered by Scott Golbourne, save by John Sullivan.
18:48 Ryan Harley is flagged offside by the assistant referee. John Sullivan restarts play with the free kick.
18:12 Craig Alcock sends in a cross, clearance by Troy Archibald-Henville.
14:44 Outswinging corner taken left-footed by Andrew Welsh, clearance by Troy Archibald-Henville.
14:07 Paul Jones takes a shot. Save by John Sullivan.
13:08 The assistant referee flags for offside against Andrew Welsh. Troy Archibald-Henville takes the free kick.
9:53 Ryan Harley provided the assist for the goal.
9:53 GOAL - Jamie Cureton:Yeovil 0 - 1 Exeter A goal is scored by Jamie Cureton from close range to the bottom left corner of the goal. Yeovil 0-1 Exeter.
8:55 Corner taken left-footed by Andrew Welsh, Headed effort from deep inside the area by Sam Williams misses to the right of the goal.
8:30 Corner taken left-footed by Andrew Welsh, Troy Archibald-Henville makes a clearance.
8:03 Centre by Craig Alcock, Owain Tudur Jones takes a shot. Clearance by Paul Jones.
7:27 Sam Williams has an effort at goal from outside the penalty box which goes wide right of the target.
4:06 The ball is delivered by Andrew Welsh, Shot from deep inside the area by Cameron Stewart clears the bar.
3:36 The offside flag is raised against Richard Logan. Direct free kick taken by John Sullivan.
1:30 Scott Golbourne produces a cross. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3149588.stm | A row over women's rights to wear headscarves has broken out again in France - but this time supporters of the right of Muslim girls to cover their head in school have a new and unusual champion.
Laurent Levy is the father of two teenagers - Lila, 18, and Alma, 16 - who last week were barred from the Henri Wallon lycee in the northern Paris suburb of Aubervilliers.
He is a left-wing lawyer, highly articulate. And he is Jewish.
"Let us say I am Jewish by Vichy rules but not by the Talmud," he told me in a cafe in Montmartre where I met him with his daughters.
"Three of my grandparents were Jewish, but not the one that counts - my mother's mother.
"I have a historical identity as a Jew, but not a religious one. I am atheist."
Mr Levy has leapt with a passion to the defence of Lila and Alma - and of the right of all girls who wear the headscarf - to an education like everyone else.
He accuses the government of using his daughters as cannon-fodder as it tests the ground ahead of a possible new law on religious insignia in schools.
And he excoriates what he calls the "ayatollahs of secularism," hardliners of left and right who he says are preaching a new doctrine of intolerance - sowing the seed of even greater alienation and anger in France's high-immigration suburbs.
"Three quarters of the children at their school are from immigrant families. Perhaps a half are of Muslim origin.
"Saying to them that just because they practise the religion of their ancestors they are doing something ugly is a sure-fire way of creating an explosion," he said.
There is such incredible rigidity, such inflexibility here. That the land of Voltaire could show such intolerance!
Mr Levy's daughters received a letter from the school on 24 September telling them that the manner in which they covered their heads was "ostentatious" and incompatible with physical education lessons - so they were "forbidden to enter the establishment."
They are now at home pending a full decision by the local education authority's disciplinary board - and themselves seething with fury at they way they have been treated.
"It's more than anger. It is a deep sense of injustice," said Lila.
"They told us we have to show the roots of our hair, the lobes of our ears and our necks. But if we do that we might as well not wear a headscarf at all - we might as well carry it in our hands."
Lila and Alma began to get interested in Islam two years ago - their mother is a non-practising Algerian. About a year ago they began covering their heads, but it was only at the start of this term that the authorities took steps against them.
That is probably because the issue is now at the top of the national agenda - with the centre-right government of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin considering a law banning headscarves in schools outright.
The Levys believe they were "outed" by a group of hard-left teachers at their lycee.
"This is such a French story. If you came from England or Germany you would think you were on Mars.
"There is such incredible rigidity, such inflexibility here. That the land of Voltaire could show such intolerance!" lamented Mr Levy.
"The secularists invoke the 1905 law separating church and state. But that was supposed to stop the French republic protecting one religion - Catholicism. It was a way of opening up religious freedom for individuals - not a statement of official atheism.
"The teachers at their school said to me: 'But you don't understand how painful it is for us to stand there in front of children dressed like that', to which I replied: 'So it's a tough profession - you chose it!'" he said.
Mr Levy said his daughters had come under no pressure from radical Muslims, and remained as open-minded and as tolerant as they were brought up to be.
"They have simply 'got God' - like so many teenagers always have, and their religion of reference happens to be Islam," he said.
"It annoys me a little - the choice they have made. I think it is a mistake. I think it is a misunderstanding of the world. And I worry that the life of a woman in Islam may not lead to self-fulfilment. I say that as a father," he said.
To which Alma smiled: "If it didn't allow us to fulfil ourselves, we would not have chosen it." |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-37655676 | A 15th Century gold "love ring" found by an amateur metal detectorist in a field near Harrogate has sold for an undisclosed five-figure sum.
The rare Tudor ring, which has a ruby and an emerald in a flower-shaped form, was found by Lee Rossiter in Green Hammerton on 19 April last year.
Mr Rossiter only took up metal detecting 18 months before the discovery.
"When I first found the ring, I couldn't believe my eyes," he said.
"Until then I had only found the odd silver coin, but this looked like a proper piece of jewellery, which seemed to be made of gold."
The double bezel chased ring is engraved in Medieval French "ne mem - bon" with a heart at the end.
The technical writer from Castleford, who is part of a metal detecting club, said he picked up the signal as he was walking back to his car to fetch his coat.
"One of my friends said it was far too yellow to be real gold and looked like costume jewellery.
"He told me I should just throw it away but the ring was relatively heavy and I thought I better ask our dig organiser.
"Luckily, he confirmed that this was definitely an antique ring, most likely Tudor Gold."
It has been sold to an antique dealer in a private sale after local museums were unable to raise funds to buy the ring.
Mr Rossiter said he turned to the hobby after his daughter rejected the equipment he bought for her via an auction website. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8088672.stm | The mayor of China's southern boom town of Shenzhen, Xu Zongheng, is being questioned as part of a corruption investigation, state media has said.
He is the latest official to be caught up in an investigation into Wong Kwong-yu, founder of China's biggest electrical retailer, Gome Appliances.
Mr Xu was being questioned for "severe violations", the Xinhua news agency said in a short statement.
Chinese corruption investigations may also be part of political in-fighting.
"It must have something to do with economic irregularities... but it could also have something to do with a power struggle," an unnamed government source was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post.
Mr Wong, once ranked as China's richest man, has been under investigation for financial irregularities since last year.
Two senior police officials responsible for investigating financial crimes have also been caught up in the scandal.
Mr Xu has been put under shuanggui, which is a form of detention imposed on party officials, according to the Post. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-45414503/supreme-court-nominee-kavanaugh-i-would-be-a-team-player | Brett Kavanaugh: 'I would be a team player' Jump to media player US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh told senators that justices must never be partisan.
Kavanaugh hearing descends into 'mob rule' Jump to media player A Republican senator says a Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's hearing has dissolved in chaos.
Kavanaugh nominated for US Supreme Court Jump to media player Brett Kavanaugh has been nominated to replace Anthony Kennedy who is standing down from the court.
US in Supreme Court heaven or hell Jump to media player Fear or opportunity? Liberals and conservatives see vacancy on America's top court very differently.
What is the US Supreme Court? Jump to media player Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick is expected to restore the court's narrow conservative majority if confirmed.
In his first day of nomination hearings to join the US Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh told senators that justices must never be partisan. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34657187 | Austria has said it is planning to construct a fence at the main border crossing used by migrants entering the country from Slovenia.
Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said the move would not shut the border, but would allow better control of arrivals.
It came as Germany said it expected the number of deportations of failed asylum seekers to rise.
Meanwhile, at least three migrants drowned and 242 were saved when a boat sank off the Greek island of Lesbos.
"We do not have a picture of how many people may be missing yet," a Greek coastguard spokeswoman said.
Earlier, three migrant boats were reported to have capsized between Turkey and the Greek islands amid worsening weather in the area.
BBC Europe correspondent Damian Grammaticas says Austria and Germany, the two countries at the heart of Europe's refugee crisis, seem to be toughening their tone.
They appear to be trying to deter refugees from setting out on their journeys and to head off political critics at home, he adds.
The UN estimates more than 700,000 migrants have crossed to Europe by boat so far this year - mainly from war-ravaged Syria. The approach of winter has so far done little to slow the flow.
The latest moves came after Slovenia said it could erect a fence along its border with Croatia if an EU plan agreed on Sunday was not implemented. It follows suggestions from Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria that they might begin building their own barriers.
Some 85,000 refugees have poured into Slovenia in the last 10 days, after Hungary closed its border with Croatia.
On Sunday, 11 EU states and three non-EU countries agreed to set up reception centres with another 50,000 spaces in Balkan countries, and send 400 guards to assist Slovenia within a week. But EU members have previously been slow to deliver on pledges of such assistance.
"If the situation worsens and the Brussels action plan is not fulfilled, then Slovenia has several scenarios prepared, including the installation of a fence guarded by forces," said Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec.
Hungary has already fenced off its border with Serbia and Croatia, so such a move would, in theory, mean sealing off that route entirely.
Media captionThe BBC's James Reynolds on "one of the most organised crossings in the migrant trail"
Following a cabinet meeting, Austria's chancellor said a series of barriers would be erected at the Spielfeld border crossing with Slovenia, where several thousand migrants have been arriving every day.
The barriers would improve security, he said, but would be nothing like the hundreds of miles of razor wire fencing Hungary has put up along the length of its frontier.
"We want to be able to carry out controls on people, and for that one needs certain technical security measures," he told reporters.
However, in a joint statement later, Mr Faymann and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said "fences have no place in Europe".
"President Juncker called on Chancellor Faymann to work closely together with the Commission and UNHCR to ensure that the 50,000 objective is reached as soon as possible, including by means of an Austrian contribution," the joint statement said.
Germany's Interior Minister Thomas de Maziere has accused Austria of transporting refugees to the German frontier at night, leaving them there unannounced.
He warned that Germany would start to deport more people who didn't qualify for asylum, and described as "unacceptable" the fact that Afghans now made up the second largest source of arrivals in Germany.
Large amounts of aid had been spent in Afghanistan, Mr de Maziere said, and Afghans should stay in their country.
Ahead of the rescue of 242 people off Lesbos, the United Nations refugee agency said two migrant boats had overturned near the Greek island of Samos on Wednesday afternoon, while another capsized close to the coast of Lesbos.
Some of the migrants on board the three boats were rescued, but about 10 people - including 4 children - are said to be missing.
The weather in the area has worsened in the past few days, with gale force winds and rain affecting the Aegean Sea.
Some transit countries have been seeking to limit the influx, leading to bottlenecks and tensions with neighbours.
Most migrants have been making their way to northern Europe - primarily to Germany, which is expected to receive up to a million asylum seekers this year. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10297449 | UN climate talks have ended, with delegates speaking of an improved mood but with major gulfs remaining between various blocs.
A last-minute spat between Russia and Japan and the G77 bloc of developing countries showed the differing goals in play at the talks in Bonn.
But six months after the fractured Copenhagen summit, some were relieved that the process remained alive.
Many delegates played down prospects of a new UN deal by the end of this year.
The last day saw publication of a new document covering many of the most contentious issues, which may eventually form the basis of a negotiating text going forward to the next UN climate summit, to be held in Cancun, Mexico, at the end of the year.
"Fifty-fifty is what I'd give this last week," said Grenada's delegation chief, Dessima Williams, chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).
"We really revived a spirit here of wanting to work, of rebuilding confidence and trust," she told BBC News.
"But the [new] text did not accommodate sufficient views, and is very imbalanced in favour of developed countries."
Many other developing country delegates agreed; while on the other side of the coin, the US said some elements were "unnacceptable".
Yvo de Boer, the outgoing executive secretary of the UN climate convention (UNFCCC), made one last plea to Western nations to raise their game.
"The fact remains that industrial country pledges fall well short of the 25-40% range [from 1990 levels by 2020] that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said gives a 50% chance to keep the global temperature rise below 2C," he said.
"It's essential that current pledges grow over the next few years, otherwise the 2C world will be in danger, and the door to a 1.5C world will be slammed shut."
The meeting was prolonged many hours by a dispute concerning a proposed workshop to examine further emission cuts under the Kyoto Protocol, which involves all developed countries except the US.
Russia, with Japanese support, argued that the workshop should cover emission cuts by all countries.
What might appear a minor issue became a major sticking-point, with developing countries insisting that the rich countries had a historical duty to review and increase their emission pledges.
Such issues have dogged the UN climate process for years, and led Artur Runge-Metzger, the European Commission's chief negotiator, to ruminate on what might transpire in Cancun.
"The worst case is we would not see an outcome, we would not be able to conclude on the many items we are discussing," he said.
"What the chances are of this is hard to say, but there many be things that are pointing not to convergence [between blocs] but to divergence.
"We heard demands for example that 6% of our GDP should be transferred from rich countries to poor - these are extreme demands and... we only have two weeks negotiating time left before we meet in Cancun."
On Wednesday, there was an unusually public disagreement between developing countries over whether to commission a technical review of options for meeting the AOSIS-favoured target of keeping the global average temperature rise below 1.5C - a move that the Gulf states blocked.
"The discouraging news is that even as the BP oil disaster continued to unfold in the Gulf of Mexico, some oil-exporting countries - including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar - were so desperate to protect the oil industry that they blocked efforts to expand studies of the climate change problem," said Annie Petsonk, international counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund.
Mystery surrounded a subsequent incident in which Saudi Arabia's nameplate was apparently broken and placed inside a toilet bowl.
The Saudis demanded an investigation, a request to which the UNFCCC agreed, with delegations of all flavours condemning a serious breach of diplomatic etiquette.
But who was behind it remains unclear; and photos that are heavily rumoured to exist were kept under wraps.
The UN process reconvenes in August for a week-long meeting in Bonn; there is likely then to be another preparatory meeting in China in October before eyes turn to the Cancun summit. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42378638 | South Korea's spy agency believes that North Korea is behind hacking attacks on a crypto-currency exchange in the South, sources say.
At least $7m (£5.25m) in digital money was stolen in the hacks - although the money is now said to have ballooned in value to $82.7m.
The thieves also stole the personal information of some 30,000 people.
They were trading the virtual currencies Bitcoin and Ethereum on the Bithumb crypto-currency exchange.
Based on recent trading volumes, Bithumb is South Korea's biggest and one of the five largest in the world.
Analysts say North Korean hackers may have targeted crypto-currencies in order to evade the financial sanctions imposed as punishment for the North's development of nuclear weapons.
This attack is said to date back to February, when a Bithumb employee's home PC was targeted - though it was only discovered in June.
The hackers also demanded a further $5.5m from Bithumb in exchange for deleting traders' personal information, said reports.
The sources in the spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, similarly suspect the North of being behind the hacking of another exchange, Coinis, in September, South Korean news agency Yonhap says.
But a further attempt in October was thwarted, reports said.
Evidence has now been passed to prosecutors.
At present, virtual currencies are not regulated by South Korea's financial authorities but they are now vowing to toughen up regulation.
Three days ago the government imposed fines totalling $55,000 on Bithumb over its failure to protect users' information. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4696419.stm | City watchdog the Financial Services Authority (FSA) is revising the way it investigates companies in a bid to make the process clearer and fairer.
The FSA is under pressure to improve its reputation after a series of criticisms for being heavy handed.
In May, Prime Minister Tony Blair said the FSA was "seen as hugely inhibiting of efficient business".
Now the FSA says it will introduce more thorough investigations and give its rulings committee greater independence.
In the past, the watchdog's enforcement process has been criticised for its lack of transparency and the perception that firms do not get a fair hearing from the Regulatory Decisions Committee (RDC).
Currently, companies are excluded from seeing all information given to the RDC by the FSA's enforcement staff.
After a five-month review of its enforcement process, the FSA has decided that all substantive communication between the enforcement unit and the RDC will now be made available to firms.
This follows criticisms that the relationship between the enforcement team and the RDC was too close, affecting its impartiality.
The FSA said it would publish an annual account of its enforcement performance and will welcome any feedback from those firms under investigation.
It will also offer discounts of up to 30% on fines to firms who offer to settle their cases early.
The planned changes, which will be implemented by the end of the year, will cost the watchdog an extra £2.5m a year.
The FSA was criticised earlier this year when evidence it used in a case against Legal and General was found to be lacking and the £1.1m fine it imposed was halved.
An independent tribunal accused it of launching a "flawed" probe into the insurer. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1778971.stm | UK households have continued to spend the highest proportion of their income on leisure goods and services, official figures said.
Average leisure spending reached �70 a week per household during the 12 months to April 2001, compared with �64 on housing and �62 on food and drink, the Office for National Statistics said.
The British consumer's love affair with leisure activities, which began in earnest during the 1990s, has fuelled booming demand for holidays, audio and video equipment, DIY goods, and subscriber TV services.
Leisure goods and services now account for 18% of all household spending, up from 11% in 1974.
The UK leisure industry - a category which takes in businesses as diverse as tour operators and football clubs - is estimated to be worth about �1.7bn a week.
Some analysts have attributed high leisure spending to higher levels of disposable income and relatively long working hours, which, it is argued, can lead people to spend more heavily in the relatively little leisure time available to them.
But the leisure sector boom has also been fuelled by the development of technology-driven products and items such as compact discs, DVDs, video games and cable TV.
Earlier this month, UK electrical retailers attributed a sharp rise in Christmas sales to a surge in demand for DVD players.
The figures suggest that the UK leisure sector is built on solid foundations, despite a recent downturn due to the 11 September attacks and the deteriorating global economy.
The UK tourism sector, already reeling from the foot and mouth crisis, was hit particularly hard last year by a drop in overseas visitors in the wake of 11 September.
Hotels, guest houses and tourist attractions in the UK are estimated to have lost about �2bn in revenues last year.
And the UK entertainment media sector - including cable and satellite TV operators, film companies, and magazine publishers - was severely squeezed by savage cutbacks in corporate advertising budgets.
UK TV companies Carlton and Granada - joint owners of the struggling ITV Digital service - both reported hefty losses last year, partly blaming a slump in advertising revenues.
Of the leisure spend, UK households directed an average of �50.60 a week to services, with the remainder going on leisure goods, the ONS said.
Total spending per household averaged �390 a week, although there were wide variations according to income bracket and region.
Families in the top income bracket spent �850 a week compared with just �130 for those at the bottom of the scale.
By region, Londoners were the top spenders with an average weekly outlay of �440, while households in the North East of England spent the least, at �330 a week.
"With this extra money our priorities have changed" |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2008/france/7434764.stm | Thierry Henry celebrated his 100th cap for France in a 1-0 Euro 2008 warm-up win over Colombia in Paris.
The former Arsenal striker, now with Barcelona, is the sixth French player to reach the century milestone.
Winger Franck Ribery scored the game's only goal from the spot after Henry was fouled in the box on 24 minutes.
The 30-year-old, who made his debut for France in 1997 while playing for AS Monaco, is his country's all-time leading scorer with 44 goals.
Henry joins Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Vieira and Didier Deschamps as the French players to have played 100 internationals or more.
Defender Thuram, Henry's team-mate at Barca, holds the national record with 139.
After eight years at Arsenal, Henry joined Barcelona last year and has struggled to adapt, although he did recapture his goalscoring form towards the end of the season.
He was recently quoted in a newspaper interview as saying he might retire from international football after the tournament in Austria and Switzerland.
France travel to their Swiss base ahead of Euro 2008 on Wednesday.
They are in Group C with Italy, Netherlands and Romania, who are their first opponents on 9 June in Zurich. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/3623671.stm | Blasting has started at a west Cornwall tin mine with the aim of eventually restarting production.
South Crofty, Europe's last tin mine, closed as a working mine in 1998, bringing to an end a 3,000-year-old tin mining tradition in Cornwall.
The blasting of a new tunnel at the mine - a six-month operation - is to be followed by the "major step" of pumping out the mine, owners Baseresult said.
Since its closure, the mine's 300 miles of shafts and tunnels have flooded.
The water, an estimated total of 4.5 million gallons, is at a depth of 700 metres and within 61 metres of the surface.
It has so far attracted 1,500 people, who have been able to penetrate 46 metres into the workings.
However, the company which has owned the mine since 1991, Baseresult Holdings Ltd, said it is "two years away from being able to mine and produce tin".
It also said it predicted there would be an "80-year life for this mine".
The chairman and technical director of owners Baseresult, David Stone, said: "We think this will be a highly profitable operation."
Mr Stone said when pumping began to expose levels of the workings, the firm would be able to mine tin.
Baseresult said: "It is a very exciting step forward and represents yet more evidence of our absolute determination to get South Crofty working as a full operational tin mine again."
The company said improved mining methods meant lodes, or veins of tin in the mine, previously considered uneconomic would be made available and viable.
The company said changes to working practices could help cut production costs by 30%, while maintaining pre-closure production levels of 200,000 tonnes a year.
However, the Camborne, Pool and Redruth Regeneration Company wants to push through a compulsory purchase of all or part of the site so it can improve the run-down area. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/7658105.stm | Stand-in skipper Simon Davies has been named Welsh Footballer of the Year at the Welsh FA awards dinner in Cardiff.
The Fulham midfielder, who won his 50th cap this year, won the accolade for the second time in his career in Tuesday's Millennium Stadium ceremony.
Tottenham Hotspur's teenage full-back Chris Gunter, winner of eight caps, won the Young Player of the Year prize.
Joe Ledley, inspirational in Cardiff City's FA Cup final adventure, won the Club Player of the Year award.
"It is a massive surprise," Davies told BBC Sport.
"I honestly did not see that coming but I am delighted as it is one of the greatest honours of my career.
"I have been frustrated at time with my performances for Wales because I have been playing well for Fulham and scoring goals.
"But I haven't scored as many as I'd like for Wales and that is why I'm surprised to win this honour but it is nice that people have recognised what I do., hopefully I can do more in the future.
"I have loved every minute of being captain and proud to stand in for Craig who is a great skipper."
Wales boss John Toshack gave Davies the captain's armband in Craig Bellamy's absence and the 28-year-old midfielder was instrumental in Fulham's dramatic escape from Premier League relegation last season.
Bellamy is expected to be captain for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein in Cardiff. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4827424.stm | US military investigators have flown to Iraq to study reports that marines shot dead at least 15 civilians, including seven women and three children.
The incident is said to have happened in Haditha on 19 November 2005.
The military's initial claim that the civilians died in a roadside blast was disproved by an earlier investigation.
Investigators will now ask if the civilians died in crossfire or were targeted deliberately in a potential war crime.
Iraqis often accuse US troops fighting insurgents of committing war crimes.
Residents in Haditha, in the western province of Anbar, say the marines went on the rampage after one of their number was killed in a roadside blast and another two were injured.
They say the soldiers began shooting dead the inhabitants of nearby homes and others from the area.
A US military spokesman, Capt Lyle Gilbert, told the BBC News website "appropriate action will be taken if the investigation finds evidence of impropriety".
He said Iraqi insurgents routinely "put civilians in the cross-hairs" in order to turn public opinion against the US military.
A military report at the time had said insurgents opened fire from all directions after the roadside explosion and the marines responded, killing eight fighters.
In the report, the deaths of 15 civilians were blamed on the initial blast.
Locals offered a different version of events, and the case was taken up by US news weekly, Time.
Time reporter Bobby Ghosh told the BBC that a videotape, given to the magazine by an Iraqi human rights group, had shown the civilians "could not have been killed by a roadside bomb".
"Their bodies were riddled with bullets," he said. "There was evidence there had been gunfire inside their homes, there were blood spatters inside their homes."
The magazine says it presented its findings to the US military, which investigated the incident in January.
The preliminary investigation established that members of two Iraqi families were indeed killed by the marines, though it described the deaths as collateral damage.
Time says there is not enough evidence to show US soldiers deliberately targeted the civilians.
Now the case has been referred for criminal investigation by the US' Naval Criminal Investigative Service to establish whether the 12 marines involved were guilty of misconduct.
A spokeswoman for the US military, Lt Col Michelle Martin-Hing, told the BBC News website the video presented by Time magazine "doesn't tell the whole story".
Lt Col Martin-Hing said the investigation will examine whether the marines violated any rules of engagement in the five hours they spent tracking insurgents, who were "moving through the town amongst homes, civilian residents, other structures and palm groves".
Amnesty International has long accused the US military of failing to investigate adequately claims that its soldiers have killed Iraqi civilians.
Separately, the US military has announced it will investigate allegations that its soldiers killed 11 people in a raid north of Baghdad last week.
Iraqi police said five children and four women were among those shot dead by US soldiers in a house near the town of Balad last Wednesday.
The military said at the time that it killed only four people in the raid, which is said to have targeted an insurgent linked to al-Qaeda.
Lt Col Barry Johnson, a US spokesman in Baghdad, told Reuters news agency an investigation had been opened because of the "discrepancy" between the US and Iraqi police's accounts of what happened. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10181144 | BBC News - How does the new Apple iPad compare to its rivals?
How does the new Apple iPad compare to its rivals?
The much talked and Tweeted-about iPad has gone on sale in the UK.
Gadget lovers queued through the night to be among the first to get their hands on one.
Rory Cellan-Jones explains what all the fuss is about. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-39868519 | The family of a teenager shot dead in Londonderry in 1972 have begun legal proceedings against the decision not to prosecute the soldier who killed him.
Daniel Hegarty, 15, was shot twice in the head during an Army operation to clear "no-go" areas in the city.
A 2011 inquest found the boy posed no risk and was shot without warning.
The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction. His sister has said she will continue to fight for justice.
The family will be applying for leave for a judicial review of the decision.
Margaret Brady, Mr Hegarty's sister, said: "We have never got our day in court. I just can't understand the justice system.
"The house was never the same after it. My mummy and daddy didn't speak very much about Daniel and if they did they were always in tears."
The initial inquest was held in 1973 and recorded an open verdict. A second inquest was ordered by the Attorney General in 2009 following an examination by the Historical Enquiries Team.
The report found that the RUC investigation at the time was "hopelessly inadequate and dreadful".
As a result of the report, an inquest in 2011 found that the teenager posed no risk and dismissed claims that soldiers had shouted warnings before firing.
Daniel, a labourer, was unarmed when he was shot close to his home in Creggan during Operation Motorman, an army-mounted attempt to re-take areas of the city.
His cousin Christopher, 16, was also shot in the head by the same soldier, but survived.
The prosecution service's Assistant Director of Central Casework, Michael Agnew, said that careful consideration had been given to all of the available evidence and information.
"Our assessment remains that there is no reasonable prospect of proving to the criminal standard that Soldier B did not act in self-defence having formed a mistaken but honest belief that he was under imminent attack. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/8188305.stm | Scunthorpe put Saturday's 4-0 league defeat to Cardiff behind them with a confidence-boosting Carling Cup win.
The Championship side took the lead on 12 minutes when skipper Matthew Sparrow tapped home from close range.
Paul Hayes added second goal with a shot from outside the area but League Two outfit Chesterfield responded well.
Darren Currie slotted home from the spot after Rob Jones was judged to have fouled Drew Talbot, but the Iron stood firm to make the second round.
"Our performance was very good against a Championship side. I knew they were very good going forward and would cause us lots of problems.
"I think the goals were poor goals. The lads weren't very hard to stop them going through. The goals we conceded could have been avoided."
90:00+4:19 The referee blows his whistle to end the game.
90:00+3:56 Donal McDermott sends in a cross, Rob Jones manages to make a clearance.
90:00+3:37 Shot from 30 yards by Mark Allott. Clearance by Cliff Byrne.
90:00+2:43 Shot by Drew Talbot. Josh Lillis makes a save.
90:00+1:19 Substitution Sam Togwell comes on in place of Michael O'Connor.
90:00+0:10 Paul Hayes is ruled offside. Ian Breckin restarts play with the free kick.
89:24 Free kick awarded for a foul by Darren Currie on Andrew Wright. Free kick taken by Josh Lillis.
89:10 The ball is sent over by Mark Allott, clearance made by Rob Jones.
88:10 The ball is crossed by Paul Hayes.
87:14 Matthew Sparrow is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Free kick taken by Tommy Lee.
85:55 Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Michael O'Connor from the right by-line.
84:01 Foul by Phil Picken on Gary Hooper, free kick awarded. Free kick taken by Josh Wright.
83:15 Shot by Donal McDermott from 25 yards. Blocked by Rob Jones. Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Darren Currie, Rob Jones manages to make a clearance. Darren Currie produces a cross, clearance by Marcus Williams.
82:03 The ball is delivered by Donal McDermott. Darren Currie sends in a cross, clearance by Cliff Byrne. Corner taken by Darren Currie, clearance made by Matthew Sparrow. Corner taken by Darren Currie from the left by-line to the near post, Ian Breckin takes a shot. Save made by Josh Lillis.
81:04 Corner taken by Donal McDermott from the right by-line to the near post, clearance made by Josh Wright.
79:35 Substitution Jonathan Forte is brought on as a substitute for Garry Thompson.
79:35 Shot from just outside the area by Paul Hayes goes over the bar.
79:12 Shot by Donal McDermott from 25 yards. Save by Josh Lillis.
78:44 Shot from 20 yards from Paul Hayes. Save by Tommy Lee.
77:49 The assistant referee signals for offside against Drew Talbot. Josh Lillis takes the free kick.
77:35 Centre by Phil Picken, clearance by Andrew Wright.
75:59 Paul Hayes gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Phil Picken. Tommy Lee takes the direct free kick.
75:08 The assistant referee flags for offside against Paul Hayes. Tommy Lee takes the indirect free kick.
74:45 Centre by Darren Currie, save by Josh Lillis.
72:40 Substitution Josh Wright comes on in place of Martyn Woolford.
72:40 The ball is sent over by Daniel Hall, Headed effort from the edge of the area by Drew Talbot goes wide of the right-hand post.
71:44 GOAL - Darren Currie:Scunthorpe 2 - 1 Chesterfield Darren Currie scores a placed penalty. Scunthorpe 2-1 Chesterfield.
70:44 Penalty awarded for a foul by Rob Jones on Drew Talbot.
69:25 The ball is crossed by Darren Currie, save by Josh Lillis.
69:05 The ball is delivered by Donal McDermott, clearance by Rob Jones.
68:50 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Drew Talbot by Cliff Byrne. Derek Niven takes the free kick.
68:18 Shot by Derek Niven from outside the area goes high over the crossbar.
66:39 Substitution Darren Currie comes on in place of Martin Gritton.
66:39 Substitution Derek Niven is brought on as a substitute for Paul Harsley.
66:39 Free kick awarded for a foul by Mark Allott on Michael O'Connor. Cliff Byrne restarts play with the free kick.
65:44 Martyn Woolford challenges Phil Picken unfairly and gives away a free kick. Tommy Lee takes the direct free kick.
65:24 Foul by Jordan Bowery on Andrew Wright, free kick awarded. Direct free kick taken by Josh Lillis.
64:22 A cross is delivered by Martyn Woolford, clearance made by Kevin Austin. Outswinging corner taken by Michael O'Connor, Paul Hayes takes a shot from 18 yards. Blocked by Daniel Hall.
63:55 Donal McDermott gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Martyn Woolford. Marcus Williams restarts play with the free kick.
63:24 Centre by Garry Thompson, Phil Picken makes a clearance.
63:09 Phil Picken concedes a free kick for a foul on Martyn Woolford. Michael O'Connor restarts play with the free kick.
62:05 Gary Hooper takes a shot. Save by Tommy Lee. Inswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Michael O'Connor, clearance made by Ian Breckin.
61:32 The ball is swung over by Garry Thompson, Kevin Austin makes a clearance. Short corner taken by Michael O'Connor from the right by-line.
60:03 The ball is swung over by Donal McDermott, Michael O'Connor manages to make a clearance.
58:51 The assistant referee signals for offside against Gary Hooper. Ian Breckin restarts play with the free kick.
57:59 Shot from 25 yards by Paul Hayes. Garry Thompson crosses the ball.
57:36 The ball is sent over by Donal McDermott, save made by Josh Lillis.
55:49 Michael O'Connor takes a shot from 30 yards. Blocked by Ian Breckin. Corner from the left by-line taken by Michael O'Connor, Daniel Hall manages to make a clearance.
55:05 Mark Allott concedes a free kick for a foul on Martyn Woolford. Paul Hayes takes the direct free kick.
54:24 Martyn Woolford concedes a free kick for a foul on Paul Harsley. Daniel Hall takes the direct free kick.
53:35 GOAL - Paul Hayes:Scunthorpe 2 - 0 Chesterfield Paul Hayes gets on the score sheet with a goal from inside the area low into the middle of the goal. Scunthorpe 2-0 Chesterfield.
51:59 Gary Hooper fouled by Paul Harsley, the ref awards a free kick. Shot on goal comes in from Martyn Woolford from the free kick, save by Tommy Lee.
49:45 Matthew Sparrow produces a cross, Phil Picken makes a clearance.
46:00 Phil Picken concedes a free kick for a foul on Martyn Woolford. Michael O'Connor crosses the ball in from the free kick. The assistant referee flags for offside against Paul Hayes. Indirect free kick taken by Tommy Lee.
45:10 Free kick awarded for a foul by Garry Thompson on Martin Gritton. Free kick crossed by Donal McDermott, clearance by Michael O'Connor. Effort from outside the penalty box by Paul Harsley goes wide right of the goal.
45:00+2:56 The referee blows for half time.
45:00+2:06 Effort from just outside the box by Donal McDermott goes over the bar.
45:00+1:21 Drew Talbot crosses the ball, blocked by Andrew Wright. Paul Harsley takes the inswinging corner, clearance by Andrew Wright.
45:00+0:15 The ball is sent over by Drew Talbot, clearance by Rob Jones.
44:39 Martyn Woolford sends in a cross, Kevin Austin manages to make a clearance.
44:20 Unfair challenge on Martyn Woolford by Phil Picken results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Marcus Williams.
42:50 Free kick awarded for a foul by Marcus Williams on Drew Talbot. Free kick crossed by Donal McDermott, Michael O'Connor makes a clearance.
41:48 A cross is delivered by Jordan Bowery, Cliff Byrne makes a clearance. The assistant referee flags for offside against Jordan Bowery. Josh Lillis restarts play with the free kick.
38:40 Drew Talbot sends in a cross, save by Josh Lillis.
37:22 Michael O'Connor is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Indirect free kick taken by Tommy Lee.
36:47 Michael O'Connor takes a shot from 20 yards. Save by Tommy Lee. Corner taken right-footed by Michael O'Connor from the left by-line to the near post, Martin Gritton manages to make a clearance.
35:25 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Donal McDermott by Paul Hayes. Kevin Austin restarts play with the free kick.
33:59 The ball is sent over by Garry Thompson, clearance made by Donal McDermott.
33:33 Corner from right by-line taken by Michael O'Connor.
32:23 A cross is delivered by Paul Harsley.
32:17 The ball is sent over by Paul Harsley, Cliff Byrne manages to make a clearance.
30:37 Free kick taken by Paul Harsley, Mark Allott takes a shot from 20 yards. Blocked by Matthew Sparrow. The ball is sent over by Mark Allott, Cliff Byrne manages to make a clearance. Corner taken right-footed by Paul Harsley, Michael O'Connor makes a clearance.
30:37 Substitution Phil Picken on for Dan Gray.
30:37 Marcus Williams gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Donal McDermott.
29:24 Mark Allott sends in a cross, clearance made by Andrew Wright. Corner taken by Paul Harsley, save made by Josh Lillis.
28:49 Paul Hayes produces a cross. A cross is delivered by Garry Thompson, Mark Allott manages to make a clearance.
27:50 Drew Talbot produces a cross. Jordan Bowery has an effort from just inside the box that misses to the left of the goal.
27:16 Shot by Paul Hayes. Save by Tommy Lee.
26:47 The ball is crossed by Garry Thompson, clearance by Drew Talbot.
26:19 The referee blows for offside against Jordan Bowery. Rob Jones takes the free kick.
25:38 Dan Gray crosses the ball, Drew Talbot has a headed effort at goal from deep inside the area missing to the left of the target.
24:28 Centre by Paul Harsley, clearance made by Andrew Wright. Paul Harsley takes the inswinging corner, Andrew Wright manages to make a clearance.
22:23 Free kick awarded for a foul by Cliff Byrne on Martin Gritton. Paul Harsley takes the direct free kick.
17:45 Effort on goal by Martin Gritton from just inside the penalty area goes over the target.
17:37 The ball is delivered by Dan Gray, clearance by Michael O'Connor.
16:07 Michael O'Connor has an effort at goal from 25 yards. Save by Tommy Lee.
16:01 The ball is sent over by Martyn Woolford, clearance made by Ian Breckin.
14:47 Ian Breckin challenges Paul Hayes unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Michael O'Connor. The ball is swung over by Martyn Woolford, save made by Tommy Lee.
14:30 The ball is sent over by Martyn Woolford, blocked by Dan Gray.
12:54 The ball is swung over by Donal McDermott, Josh Lillis makes a save.
11:17 The assist for the goal came from Gary Hooper.
11:17 GOAL - Matthew Sparrow:Scunthorpe 1 - 0 Chesterfield A goal is scored by Matthew Sparrow from inside the penalty area to the bottom left corner of the goal. Scunthorpe 1-0 Chesterfield.
8:56 Jordan Bowery produces a cross, Rob Jones gets a block in. Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Drew Talbot from the right by-line, clearance made by Marcus Williams.
7:53 Shot by Martyn Woolford from 18 yards. Save made by Tommy Lee.
6:41 Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Michael O'Connor, Rob Jones has an effort at goal from 12 yards. Centre by Michael O'Connor, Tommy Lee makes a save.
6:16 The ball is swung over by Donal McDermott.
5:14 Donal McDermott has an effort at goal from 18 yards. Andrew Wright gets a block in. Corner from the right by-line taken by Paul Harsley, Cliff Byrne manages to make a clearance.
4:06 Centre by Garry Thompson, comfortable save by Tommy Lee.
2:55 Martyn Woolford delivers the ball, Drew Talbot makes a clearance. Corner taken by Garry Thompson from the left by-line, comfortable save by Tommy Lee.
2:23 Marcus Williams produces a cross, blocked by Dan Gray.
2:01 Gary Hooper takes a shot. Save by Tommy Lee.
1:26 Andrew Wright delivers the ball, Paul Hayes takes a shot. Blocked by Daniel Hall. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15425139 | Media captionDavid Cameron: "Greater fiscal and economic integration in the eurozone is inevitable"
Prime Minister David Cameron has clashed with French President Nicolas Sarkozy over the UK's involvement in discussions about the eurozone crisis.
Mr Sarkozy believes the final talks on Wednesday should be limited to nations which actually use the euro.
Mr Cameron said all EU leaders should be present to debate issues which could affect them in one way or another.
The clash came on the day when leaders agreed to change the Union's treaty if necessary to help resolve the crisis.
EU president Herman Van Rompuy said after a day of emergency talks in Brussels that members would "explore the possibility of limited change".
Mr Cameron said he had sought assurances to protect the UK's interest if there is change.
All EU leaders are now set to attend the final meeting on Wednesday, which was originally meant to be attended by only the 17 countries that use the euro.
That prompted French leader Mr Sarkozy to speak out. He said he was sick of reading in newspapers about advice Mr Cameron and his Chancellor George Osborne were offering the eurozone.
At one point in the exchanges, Mr Sarkozy was quoted as telling Mr Cameron: "We are sick of you criticising us and telling us what to do."
On Sunday morning the leaders of all the European Union's 27 members held talks about the Greek debt crisis, recapitalising banks, and bolstering the bailout fund.
This was followed in the afternoon by a separate meeting of the 17 nations that use the euro.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Van Rompuy said that altering the treaty was under discussion. Although no proposed details were given, any change is likely to involve closer fiscal and economic cooperation.
"The aim is deepening our economic convergence and strengthening economic discipline," Mr Van Rompuy said.
He said the words "limited change" meant "not a general overhaul of the institutional architecture".
He added: We also said that we would need the agreement of all the 27 (member states) before we can decide on a treaty change."
Mr Cameron said he had secured safeguards to ensure that Britain's national interest within the EU was protected as the eurozone nations moved towards greater fiscal and economic integration.
He told a news conference: "This must not be at the expense of Britain's national interest. I have secured a commitment today that we must safeguard the interests of countries that want to stay outside the euro, particularly with respect to the integrity of the single market for all 27 countries of the EU."
The prime minister said the EU needed to build on the progress of the work done on Saturday on recapitalising the banks.
"More progress is needed. I think we are beginning to see the elements of a strong package coming together," he said.
Mr Cameron has cancelled visits to Japan and New Zealand this week in order to attend Wednesday's summit.
Speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a joint press conference on Sunday, Mr Sarkozy said "a quite broad agreement was taking shape on the reinforcement" of the bailout fund.
Mrs Merkel said a French idea for the fund to acquire a banking licence was dead, leaving a mix of plans to use the fund to offer insurance to eurozone bond holders, and moves to create a "fund within the fund" that would be topped up by some of the main emerging nations.
On Saturday eurozone finance ministers struck a provisional deal that will see banks raise more than 100bn euros (£87bn) in new capital to shield them against possible losses to indebted countries.
It is conditional on a wider accord, including a write-down of Greek debt.
BBC business editor Robert Peston said the 100bn euros agreed in the deal will be provided to banks by commercial investors, national governments and the EU's bailout fund.
Debt-laden Greece has been bailed out - twice - along with the Irish Republic and Portugal.
The eurozone is working on a third package for Greece, as well as a solution that could help the much bigger economies of Spain and Italy, which are faltering. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44290352 | More than 60% of waste in Scotland was recycled, composted or re-used during 2016 leading to the lowest quantity of waste going to landfill since 2011.
Recycling and reuse levels reached 6.96 million tonnes, over half a million tonnes more than in 2015.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has published the findings highlighting the milestone.
Food recycling has increased by 20% while separately collected paper and cardboard waste has decreased by 20%.
Composting or anaerobic digestion (such as producing biogas) has increased by 102,580 tonnes from 2015 and has seen a 78.1% boost since 2011.
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: "I'm pleased to see that the amount of Scottish waste being collected in Scotland has decreased.
"For the first time we've recycled more than 60% of our waste from all sources which shows we are making progress towards our 2025 target of 70% and our work to promote and simplify recycling is paying off."
Sepa chief executive Terry A'Hearn said: "The scale of the environmental challenge is enormous and we know we live on one planet, but consume the resources of three.
"We are committed to helping all regulated businesses do more to support waste prevention and facilitate the use of secondary resources in the economy, helping communities and businesses thrive within the resources of our planet."
Statistics for waste land filled and incinerated in Scotland 2017 are due to be published later in the year. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42328104 | South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) is set to elect a new leader at a conference starting on Saturday following a fierce contest between seven candidates.
The scandal-hit President Jacob Zuma will step down as party leader, opening the way for his successor to spearhead the ANC's campaign for the 2019 general election.
The ANC has governed South Africa since the first democratic election more than 20 years ago, so there is a strong chance that whoever the party picks as its leader will also succeed Mr Zuma as president when his two terms end in 2019.
But under Mr Zuma the ANC has become wracked by infighting and allegations of corruption, raising, for the first time, the possibility that it could lose its majority.
So the incoming ANC leader will be expected to knock the party into shape, and regain the trust of voters.
While there are seven candidates, only two, Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, have a realistic chance of winning.
Currently the deputy president, Mr Ramaphosa is said to have long had his eye on the top job in South African politics.
He worked closely with anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela to negotiate an end to minority rule, and to give black people the right to vote for a government of their choice.
The legend goes that he was so upset about not being chosen by Mr Mandela as his deputy following South Africa's first democratic election in 1994, that he did not attend the presidential inauguration, and refused to take up a post in government.
He stepped out of the political limelight and went into business.
The former trade unionist is now one of the richest politicians in South Africa.
Mr Ramaphosa's track record in the private sector has helped him win the backing of the business community.
He supports the ANC policy of Radical Economic Transformation - putting more of the economy and land in black hands, in an effort to address the legacy of apartheid.
But Mr Ramaphosa has also sought to reassure the business sector, acknowledging the need to "improve investor confidence", and stressing the need for "partnership".
This is important because South Africa's economy has been in something of a tail-spin in recent years, with several credit-rating downgrades.
More than a quarter of the population is unemployed, and more than half live in poverty.
The country is one of the most unequal in the world.
Mr Ramaphosa has positioned himself as the man who can turn this around.
He has also spoken out against corruption and so-called "state capture", saying "If corruption holds our economy back, we must solve the problem of corruption. If state capture holds our economy, we must solve the problem of state capture."
And he is promising to unify the party, which has been torn apart by bitter rivalry over who should take over from Jacob Zuma as its leader.
What he cannot seem to shake off though, is the shadow of Marikana.
He is tainted by allegations that he pushed for police action against striking miners at the Lonmin mine in 2012.
Thirty-four miners were killed, in what was the worst police shooting since the end of apartheid.
At the time Mr Ramaphosa was a director at Lonmin.
Emails emerged showing he had called for "concomitant action" to be taken against the striking miners, who had been taking part in a violent, wildcat strike.
The leader of the opposition EFF party, Julius Malema, has repeatedly blamed Mr Ramaphosa for the killings, calling him a "murderer" and vowing not to let the matter rest.
Although Mr Ramaphosa was cleared of any responsibility for the tragedy by a judicial commission, going into an election with the opposition continuing to bring these allegations up is far from ideal.
He is also considered by some to be less in touch with ordinary people than his main rival Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, with a support base that is more affluent.
And Mr Ramaphosa's critics say the events at Marikana show he does not care about poor people.
The choice then for ANC delegates as they prepare to vote, is whether the candidate who seems more likely to steady the markets and rescue the country's troubled economy, is worth the risk of alienating its core support base.
She is a medical doctor, and has served in the cabinets of all four of South Africa's post-apartheid presidents.
After serving as Minister of Health, Foreign Affairs, and Home Affairs, she went on to become the chair of the African Union Commission - the first woman to lead the organisation.
Ms Dlamini-Zuma was born in KwaZulu-Natal, the second most populous province in the country, and which will have a big bearing on the outcome of any general election.
Whoever leads the ANC needs to bring votes from this province to guarantee victory.
Although it has been said that Ms Dlamini-Zuma lacks charisma, she is considered by many within the ANC to be someone who gets the job done.
She is credited with having turned around the performance of the Department of Home Affairs.
And the fact that she spent almost two decades in key positions at the heart of government, speaks to her political ability.
Ms Dlamini-Zuma has complained bitterly about being referred to as Mr Zuma's ex-wife, pointing out that she was a politician in her own right.
The national broadcaster, SABC, has apologised for doing so, admitting it was "sexist and demeaning".
Her relationship with Mr Zuma is one of her greatest strengths in this race, and her biggest weakness.
Her former husband is a formidable force who can mobilise support for her, particularly at grassroots.
And like him she is considered to be down to earth and more able to connect with voters than some of the other candidates.
But her detractors argue that Mr Zuma has cut a deal with his ex-wife, backing her candidature to avoid being prosecuted for alleged corruption once he steps down.
Kinder critics say that as the mother of four of his children, she would find it difficult to make sure he stands trial, even if she wanted to.
For those within the ANC who are tired of being hit by one corruption scandal after another, the elevation of Ms Dlamini-Zuma to the top job would be a perpetuation of the status quo.
And, they fear, that might be an election loser in 2019.
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma - South Africa's first female leader? |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6917332.stm | Moves by men to stop women wearing trousers in a South African township have been condemned by politicians and civil rights groups.
Earlier this week, a woman in Umlazi township, near Durban, was stripped naked and her shack burnt down.
Men in the township are demanding that all women wear skirts or dresses.
South Africa's Gender and Equality Commission told the BBC that this was the first time something like this had happened in the country.
"It is extreme and the issue around this matter is being investigated by the police," the commission's Mfanozelwe Shozi told the BBC Network Africa programme.
He said it was not uncommon for women to wear trousers in and around Durban.
Correspondents say men in conservative rural communities in southern Africa sometimes harass women for wearing trousers and short skirts.
Describing the incident on Sunday, he said the men tore off a woman's trousers.
"Unfortunately she did not wear any underpants; and they also burnt the woman's shack where she was living, just because she was wearing trousers," he said.
The incident happened in an area of Umlazi called T section which is a hostelry for men.
"Only men are supposed to stay there - emanating from the apartheid era when people were segregated in terms of areas.
"It's a place where men live from the rural areas so that they can be nearer their work environment."
According to South Africa's Mercury paper, after this a community meeting decided to ban women in the area wearing trousers.
Social anthropologist Prof Anand Singh told the paper the incident was a conflict of values.
"If one looks at South African societies, they are all patriarchal and it is difficult for people who assume authoritative roles in homes to adjust to women assuming their own roles and status within society," he said.
The Gender and Equality Commission and local politicians have condemned the actions.
"I was shocked when I learnt of the incident, because I wear pants myself and am not ashamed to do so. It is also not forbidden by our party," the paper quotes Theresa Nzuza from the Inkatha Freedom Party as saying. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-12080056 | Writing in the Observer, Dr Peter Carter said nurses would have "less time to give each patient and there is no doubt care will suffer".
The Department of Health said savings would be "reinvested" in patient care.
Mr Carter said the NHS was "now seeing some of the most widespread cuts in its history".
"The worry is that we have seen time and again what happens when staffing levels are slashed without thinking of the impact on patient care," the RCN general secretary said.
There was "indisputable evidence" linking patient mortality rates to staffing levels, Mr Carter said, citing a study that identified a 26% increase in survival rates in hospitals with the highest patient-to-nurse ratios.
Media captionDr Peter Carter: "In the short term it will jeopardise the quality and standard of patient care"
"More than half of nurses have already told us they are too busy to provide the standard of care they would like.
"When they are seeing further cutbacks, less shift cover, more patients to attend to, they will have less time to give each patient and there is no doubt care will suffer."
He added: "The NHS is not yet returning to the days of interminable waits for treatment and trolleys in corridors, but we are worried that on the trajectory already started, it may only be a matter of time until it does."
A Department of Health spokeswoman said the government had "protected NHS funding", pointing out that "next year primary care trust allocations are increasing by £2.7bn, an average increase of 3%".
She went on: "In this challenging financial climate, we need to get the best value from our protected health budget. The NHS needs to cut out waste and reduce bureaucracy. Every penny saved will be reinvested in frontline patient care.
"Our reforms will modernise the NHS, empowering clinical professionals to make best use of the available resources and ensure patients get the quality care they need." |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-41671623 | A review has been ordered into Wales' largest current road building scheme, amid concerns it is running over budget and is behind schedule.
Economy Secretary Ken Skates wants a "comprehensive" look at the £220m project to dual the eastern section of the A465 Heads of the Valleys road.
It was due to be completed by the spring of 2019.
But BBC Wales understands that it is now likely to be delayed - with significant cost implications.
Dualling of the four mile (6km) stretch between Gilwern and Brynmawr in Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent started in early 2015.
A Welsh Government official said: "The challenging nature of the scheme has meant that the programme for completion has been impacted and in light of this the cabinet secretary has ordered a comprehensive programme and cost review of the project to be undertaken.
"This process is expected to be completed shortly."
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies, a regional AM for south Wales central, called on the Welsh government to make a formal statement.
He said many of his constituents were employed by firms who "feared for their futures".
Businessman Gareth Thomas fears his Brynmawr-based waste management firm, which employs 68 people, may not last the next six months. He says the situation is "impossible" and that he has received "zero support" from the Welsh Government.
Mr Thomas said lorries now take up to three hours to take skips to Abergavenny, when the journey took an hour before the roadworks, meaning he has had to take on more staff.
The work is part of the Welsh Government's £800m upgrade programme for the road, turning the whole route from Monmouthshire to Neath Port Talbot into dual carriageways by 2020. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-30696224 | A 77-year-old woman has died after a two-vehicle crash in Shetland.
The crash happened outside the Brae Hotel on Monday just before 11:50.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent appliances from Brae and Lerwick, and crews used hydraulic cutting gear to release two "elderly" casualties, one male and one female.
Both were taken to hospital for treatment, but the female passenger later died. Police Scotland closed the road for a collision investigation. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-47298898 | A Liverpool supporter who survived the 1989 crush at Hillsborough has described "having to concentrate on staying alive" on the terrace.
Colin Moneypenny said he found himself in a central pen but managed to make his way back out after pressure eased.
Match commander David Duckenfield denies the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool fans.
Statements from some of the survivors of the disaster at the FA Cup semi-final, in which 96 people died, were read to the jury at the trial of Mr Duckenfield and former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell.
Mr Moneypenny said when he was in the central pen he was "presented with a situation where I had no longer come to see a football match, I was having to concentrate on staying alive".
He said: "On leaving the ground on to Leppings Lane I saw a group of policemen laughing and joking between themselves."
He added he told one officer: "There are people dying in there," but the officer "was obviously totally oblivious to problems inside the ground".
Christine Agnew QC, prosecuting, also read a statement from off-duty Merseyside Police officer Colin Allen who attended the ground as a fan and went into a central pen.
He described the crush as "vice-like" and said: "At one stage it was almost impossible to even raise your arm."
Mr Allen said he blacked out at one stage in the crush but was eventually able to get into a side pen and on to the pitch, where he helped treat fans.
He said police performance on the day was "pretty non-existent from start to finish".
The court heard a statement from former police inspector David Bullas, who was on duty in the West Stand above the terrace.
He described seeing a "river of people" entering the central pens in a scene that reminded him of when "molten lava is shown running down a hillside from an active volcano".
Retired police inspector Peter Darling, who was in charge of officers based on the perimeter track, told the court he helped to bring people out of the pens after realising there was a crush.
Asked if any instructions were given to him, he said: "At that time no, the officers were still having problems with communications on the radio and really officers round there were just doing what we thought the best to do in that difficult situation."
Sheffield Wednesday's ex-club secretary Graham Mackrell, 69, denies a charge related to the stadium safety certificate and a health and safety charge. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-24332012/does-nuclear-power-have-a-future-in-japan | Does nuclear power have a future in Japan?
BBC correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes moved to Japan with his family in 2012 and has spent a lot of time reporting on the aftermath of the tsunami in 2011 which led to the closure of the Fukushima nuclear power station.
He recently made a second trip inside the crippled plant at Fukushima, and has spent many days in the contamination zone, and talking to nuclear experts.
He asks if it is possible to fully recover from a disaster on the scale of Fukushima and if it is possible to guarantee that it will never happen again.
BBC News: The Editors features the BBC's on-air specialists asking questions which reveal deeper truths about their areas of expertise. Watch it on BBC One on Monday 30 September at 23.20 BST or catch it later on the BBC iPlayer or on BBC World News. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-31551386 | Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has been meeting football clubs and supporters' groups to discuss lifting the ban on alcohol at grounds.
He was also due to hear from representatives of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) at a summit at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
Mr Murphy would like to see the ban on alcohol lifted.
But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was far from convinced about changing the practice.
Labour announced plans for a consultation on the issue at the weekend, with Mr Murphy arguing fans were "paying for the sins" of the 1980s.
The ban was initially imposed after a riot at the 1980 Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Celtic but alcohol can be served in corporate hospitality areas of football stadiums.
Celtic fan Mr Murphy's call echoed that of Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, who first urged a review in September 2013.
Her party has carried out a survey of all clubs in the Scottish Professional Football League which suggests that 85% of the 26 clubs that responded wanted an end to the drink ban.
However, in The Herald newspaper, health experts, domestic violence awareness organisations and academics signed a joint letter calling for the restrictions on the sale of alcohol at football matches to remain.
Ms Sturgeon said she was concerned that removing the ban would be the equivalent of "taking a step backwards".
Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House said he would be "extremely concerned" at any proposal to change the law, but that if a consultation found public support for the idea then police would enter into formal discussions with the footballing authorities.
Scottish Green Party co-convener Patrick Harvie and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie have both spoken of their opposition to allowing alcohol in football grounds.
The SFA has already been consulting with fans on the issue of whether alcohol should be sold at stadiums during matches and will also seek to gauge the views of the public and non-football fans. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-42978952 | Fans have played a huge role in Lucy Rose's career.
After she parted ways with her record label in 2016, supporters in Latin America organised an intimate, two-month tour, which helped her rediscover her passion for music.
The trip became a documentary - and one fan's response to that film changed Lucy's outlook on life.
It began when Zoe Schofield, who has Asperger's syndrome and chronic fatigue, which leads to chronic pain, saw Lucy's show in Bristol last July.
"I was showing the documentary," the singer explains, "and after the show I had an email in my inbox, just before I went to bed, from a guy called Dave who turns out to be Zoe's dad. And actually the documentary had made her feel quite upset.
"He was like, 'I was so surprised by it - but she has disabilities, chronic pain, and this video made her think about all the things she wanted to do in her life and that she feels like she can't.'"
The email left a huge impression on 29-year-old Rose.
Lucy had never considered her overwhelmingly positive experiences in Ecuador, Peru and Brazil could have a negative impact on someone else.
"It was just so intense," she recalls. "In my naivety I hadn't thought that could be a difficult watch for people in different situations."
When she returned to Bristol last November, Zoe was back in the audience. After a chat at the merchandise stall, Lucy resolved to do something.
"I said, 'Let's make a music video. I know the documentary made you feel this way - and I'd love to make a music video with you that makes you feel the complete opposite.'"
Zoe reacted with a "mix of disbelief, excitement, and mild terror".
"It's not something I would ever have expected her to say," she tells the BBC via email, "and my ASD [Autistic Spectrum Disorder] and anxiety makes everything outside of my comfort zone daunting.
"Then I thought about how excited I would be if I saw someone with my disabilities in a music video: Someone like me, with all those struggles, out there being visible and living life anyway.
"The idea of being able to make that happen, to embrace my disabilities and go do something amazing anyway - it was still terrifying, but it was really exciting too."
Lucy put the entire project in Zoe's hands. The teenager listened to Lucy's song Strangest of Ways and, inspired by the lyric "Let me live in the wild tonight", booked a trip to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.
They flew out earlier this year and spent a day shooting the video in the bitter cold of Ulster's northern coast.
"I have so many great memories of shooting the video," says Zoe. "But my favourite was near the end of the shoot.
"After we'd been down to the causeway (and I'd had a rest) we decided to go up to the headland that overlooked it.
"There was this perfect moment where the sun burst out from behind the clouds and a rainbow formed on the horizon over the sea.
"Even thinking of it now when I'm at home and exhausted and aching - it fills me with this overwhelming sense of awe and pure joy that I felt then, that feeling of connection to the world, to the wildness in my soul, of being alive.
"Sharing that moment with this little group of really great people, and knowing I was a part of something - moments like that are what make life worth living."
The video, which premieres on Thursday, is "quite abstract," says Lucy, "because it's telling one part of this huge story of how we ended up here.
"I wanted the scenery and Zoe's words to do the talking."
Image caption The walk down to the causeway "is really steep," says Lucy, but "Zoe did her research and looked at disabled access. She was amazing."
It's an affecting and emotional watch, especially when you know the back story. But for Lucy, just making the video was reward enough.
"I was just so relieved and happy that Zoe had a great time - because it was a huge ask for someone in her situation to put her body through what we put her body through. And the repercussions of the whole trip was going to mean a week in bed, pretty much.
"It was just like a combination of euphoria that it happened, and pure happiness that she'd enjoyed it." |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-15575601/skyfall-new-bond-film-details-unveiled | New Bond film titled Skyfall Jump to media player The latest 007 adventure, Skyfall, which will star Daniel Craig for the third time, is set to start shooting on Thursday.
Daniel Craig's Bond film challenge Jump to media player The latest 007 adventure, Skyfall, which will star Daniel Craig for the third time, is set to start shooting on Thursday.
Craig: 'I wanted to be a cowboy' Jump to media player Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford talk about why they wanted to make their latest film Cowboys and Aliens.
The title of the 23rd James Bond film has been confirmed as Skyfall.
The latest 007 adventure will star Daniel Craig for the third time. Leading ladies have been confirmed as French actress Berenice Marlohe and Naomie Harris.
Director Sam Mendes, joined cast members, Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Berenice Marlohe and Naomie Harris alongside producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli at a news conference in London on Thursday. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-47502816 | Some of NI's largest businesses have written to MPs urging them not to let the UK leave the EU without a deal.
They say that no-deal would "result in significant damage to our export markets, supply chains, consumer spending power and the region's competitiveness".
The letter has been organised by the employers organisation, the CBI.
The DUP have said they should not "fall into line with the Government's attempt to foist a really bad deal on the UK".
The signatories are a range of locally-owned and multi-national businesses.
Aerospace firm Bombardier, Norbrook pharmaceuticals and Graham construction group are among the signatories.
The letter suggests that a no-deal could lead to the introduction of new checks at the Irish border.
It states: "A no deal Brexit will undoubtedly result in creating regulatory and tariff differences across the island of Ireland and will therefore have direct consequences for border checks and crossings.
"We therefore urge MPs across the UK to consider the damaging impact on Northern Ireland's economy and political stability in the event of a no-deal Brexit."
Responding to the letter, DUP MP Sammy Wilson said: "It is clear that there is a coordinated attempt to railroad MPs into accepting the toxic, union-destroying, Northern Ireland economy-damaging deal, which the prime minister had previously agreed with the EU.
"It is important that businesses in Northern Ireland do not simply fall into line with the government's attempt to foist a really bad deal on the UK because of its incompetence in negotiations."
Last week, the head of the NI civil service warned that a no-deal Brexit could have "grave" consequences including a "sharp increase in unemployment". |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-20578495 | DNA samples have been taken from a pair of seals thought to be the first twins born on the Farne Islands, off the Northumberland coast.
The grey seal pups were spotted in October by National Trust ranger David Steel, who had been monitoring a pregnant seal.
Multiple births in grey seals are rare and no records existed of any having been born on the islands before.
DNA samples have now been taken by the Sea Mammal Research Unit.
Mr Steel said: "Both are doing well and are close to independence.
"With the help of the Sea Mammal Research Unit, a DNA sample has been taken from both pups so we can prove without doubt that we do have a pair of grey seal twins - the first ever wild documented occurrence.
"As part of the process, we also took their body weights, which are hovering around the 31kg mark, so hopefully they'll be heading for a huge success.
"The Farnes has certainly produced some noticeable highlights this year and this is one of them."
Ailsa Hall, acting director of the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews, said it was "extremely rare" for twins to be born in grey seals and to her knowledge had not been recorded anywhere.
The Farne Islands are known for their huge seal colony and around 1,500 pups are born there each year. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-39459831/meet-the-grammar-vigilante-of-bristol | Could Banksy's city rid itself of graffiti? Jump to media player How Bristol's efforts to clean itself up could mean more street art but less graffiti.
Drawing 800 football stickers - badly Jump to media player Alex and Sian Pratchett want to draw 800 Panini football stickers before Sunday's final but aren't very good at drawing.
For years, it has been rumoured that somebody has been going out late at night, correcting bad punctuation on Bristol shop fronts.
The self-proclaimed "grammar vigilante" goes out undercover in the dead of night correcting street signs and shop fronts where the apostrophes are in the wrong place.
Jon Kay meets grammar's answer to Banksy and reveals the extent of his one man mission to improve standards.
Listen to more in The 'Apostrophiser', Radio 4, 20:00 BST, Monday 3 April, or afterwards on the BBC iPlayer.
Go to next video: Could Banksy's city rid itself of graffiti? |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-47856525 | CCTV footage showing a stolen digger being used to rip a cash machine from the side of a shop in County Londonderry has been released.
The footage shows the digger driving through a security gate then tearing the machine from the wall.
The cash machine was lifted into a Citroen Berlingo car which had part of its roof cut off. A number of masked men are seen in the footage.
The raid lasted just over four minutes. Afterwards the car was driven away with the cash machine sticking out of the roof.
It is the latest in a series of cash machine thefts on both sides of the Irish border, with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) saying it was the eighth such incident in 2019.
There have been eight cash machine robberies this year in Northern Ireland, mostly in rural areas, and police believe at least two gangs are involved.
The PSNI says there is no evidence paramilitaries are engaged in the raids directly, but they make take some of the proceeds.
In February, police established a special task force drawn from officers within its organised crime branch, while patrols have also been increased in areas deemed to be vulnerable to attack.
So far, one person has been arrested.
Cracking down on the robberies is currently a top priority and the PSNI is working closely with police in the Republic of Ireland. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7037219.stm | In Rainbows, the seventh studio album by alternative rock group Radiohead, has become available for download from their official website.
The band have let fans decide what to pay for the 10 MP3 files - from nothing to £100.
But they have refused to reveal how many people have ordered the album, or what they paid.
Sunday's top 40 will not provide an answer, either. The band's website does not report sales to chart compilers.
However, the Oxford-based band have scored number one positions for their last three studio albums - Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail To The Thief.
Bryce Edge, one of the band's managers, said he had evidence that fans would be willing to pay for the album.
He told BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat: "We're prepared to take a risk and we might come out looking very foolish. But we believe if your music is great, then people will pay for it."
Chris Hufford, another Radiohead manager, added: "There are actually people who are going on websites and saying:, 'I don't actually like Radiohead, but I'm going to give them some money because I think it's a brilliant idea.'"
Radiohead are the latest act to circumvent the traditional routes of supplying music to their fans.
Earlier this year, Prince gave away copies of his latest album, Planet Earth, with the Mail on Sunday newspaper in the UK.
Genius gimmick to get them into the headlines with their new album.
Indie band the Charlatans are also giving away their next album as a free download to fans who visit the website of radio station XFM.
The download version of Radiohead's album contains no artwork or lyrics.
The files are provided without copy protection - meaning fans can copy them to any other computer or music-playing device.
A retail version is expected next year, while fans can also pre-order a £40 "discbox" from the band's website, which has extra tracks, a vinyl version of the album, and a lyric booklet as well as the download.
What is Radiohead's album worth? |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42048479 | New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern says she regrets sharing an anecdote about her recent meeting with US President Donald Trump with her friends.
Ms Ardern met Mr Trump at the Apec summit in Vietnam earlier this month.
On Sunday, a local comedian told journalists Ms Ardern said Mr Trump had mistaken her for the wife of Canada's leader, Justin Trudeau.
Ms Ardern denied this, and said she had merely spoken about an outside observer's impression of the meeting.
Tom Sainsbury, a friend of Ms Ardern's, had told local radio: "I don't know if I should be saying this, but she said that Donald Trump was confused for a good amount of time thinking that she was Justin Trudeau's wife."
The interview sparked headlines in New Zealand that Mr Trump had not known who Ms Ardern was.
Ms Ardern later denied this. In a New Zealand TV (TVNZ) interview on Monday, she said: "Someone observed that they thought that it happened, but in all my interactions, certainly President Trump didn't seem to have confused me when I interacted with him. But someone else observed this."
She would not specify who observed the meeting, but admitted she had shared the incident with a number of friends afterwards.
Grilled by a TVNZ host for several minutes, she said she had told the "full story" to her friends. She said she had given Mr Sainsbury "a shortened version" of events, but believed she had made clear it was an observer's impression of what happened.
"I said there was some confusion over who I was," she said, adding that she could see now how it could have been misinterpreted.
"Tom's a mate of mine. I shared a story with him, he shared it with someone else, I can see how that then spirals ... it is a trifling matter.
It was "a bit of a funny yarn, something that I don't want to cause a diplomatic incident over", she said, adding: "I think I should never have recounted the story."
Ms Ardern, who took office in October, has just returned from her first series of international forums as leader, including the Asean summit in the Philippines and Apec in Vietnam.
The prime minister also caused some concern earlier, telling the website newsroom.co.nz how she had joked to President Trump about their respective election victories.
According to the website, she recounted how Mr Trump had commented on her recent election saying "This lady caused a lot of upset in her country".
"I said, 'You know', laughing, 'no-one marched when I was elected'," she told the website.
Ms Ardern pointed out though that the US president did not seem offended by her comment. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-39304137 | A five-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries when a suspected learner driver ran him over before smashing into a house.
The boy is said to be in a critical but stable condition after being hit in Gabriel Street, Saffron Walden, Essex.
One neighbour told BBC Essex she believed the boy had been "dragged quite a way" across the road.
An Essex Police spokesman said: "Police believe the driver was a learner and there were L-plates on the vehicle."
The driver of the car, a Renault Megane, and a passenger have been voluntarily interviewed by police. Inquiries are continuing.
Officers want to speak to any children accompanying the boy at the time of the accident, which happened shortly before 17:15 GMT on Wednesday.
It is understood the occupants of the house have had to move out due to structural damage.
Neighbour Kim Harris told BBC Essex: "I heard acceleration, tyres screeching and then a crash, bang. It made the house shake.
"I noticed the car first, then noticed the boy a couple of yards away. He was scooped and handed to the parents as they came running out.
"It was mayhem, there was lots of people shouting and screaming. He'd been dragged, I think, quite a way." |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-middle-east-14523631/syrian-warships-shell-port-city | Syrian warships 'shell port city' Jump to media player Syrian warships have joined a military assault targeting protesters in the northern port city of Latakia, activists say.
Syria: Tanks 'enter city of Latakia' Jump to media player Syrian activists have said two people were killed in the coastal city of Latakia when government tanks were deployed there.
Clinton calls for Syria sanction support Jump to media player The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has called for other countries to join US sanctions against Syria, in the face of escalating violence by the Syrian security forces. Speaking to CBS Evening News, Mrs Clinton said it was important that the message in opposition to President Assad's rule did not come from the US alone.
'Assad regime must be denounced' Jump to media player Sheikh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi calls for more international pressure on the Syrian regime after forces renewed their crackdown on protesters.
Syrian warships have joined a military assault targeting protesters in the northern port city of Latakia, activists say.
The BBC's Jim Muir said up to 23 people are thought to have been killed in the operation. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12550139 | Hazel Stewart has admitted in police interview tapes that she was part of a plan to kill her husband but insisted she wanted no part in it.
Mrs Stewart, 47, denies murdering her husband, Trevor Buchanan, 32, and her former lover Colin Howell's wife, Leslie, 31, in May 1991.
The court heard Mrs Stewart tell police how she got rid of evidence.
They also heard how she encouraged her husband to take a sleeping tablet on the night of the murders.
She denied giving him the drug, but admitted that sedating him was also part of Howell's plan.
The jury of nine men and three women at Coleraine Crown Court also heard how Mrs Stewart destroyed a garden hosepipe which was used to gas the victims while they slept.
As well as cutting up and burning the hose on an open fire, she washed and replaced bed covers in the room where her husband was poisoned.
She also opened the window to get rid of carbon monoxide fumes and got clothes which Howell used to dress her husband before driving him off in a car with his dead wife.
On the police tapes, the court heard Mrs Stewart insist she had tried to stop Howell at the house on the night of the murders.
"I didn't want him to do it. I said I was scared. I didn't want it and when I saw the bag it was terrible. It was horrible and I knew what he was coming to do.
"And I didn't want him to do it. But Colin is a strong person," she said.
Mrs Stewart said Howell was on a mission and she did not get him stopped.
Police originally thought Mr Buchanan and Mrs Howell died in a suicide pact. The investigation was re-opened in January 2009 after Howell admitted that he gassed them and then fooled police into believing they had taken their own lives.
Howell is serving a 21-year jail sentence after he admitted his guilt last year. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36103903 | Volkswagen will offer "substantial compensation" and car buy-back deals in the US as part of a settlement of the the diesel emissions scandal.
Final details of the packages offered will be announced in June, but a court had given VW and regulators until Thursday to reach a deal in principle.
Last year, US regulators discovered that VW cars were fitted with software that could distort emissions tests.
The German giant subsequently said 11 million cars worldwide were affected.
Details of the preliminary agreement were announced in a California court. US district court Judge Charles Breyer said the settlement would include a buyback offer for nearly 500,000 2.0-litre vehicles.
He did not give details of how much car owners would offered in compensation, but said the deal between Volkswagen, the US government and private lawyers would be "substantial".
Judge Breyer said VW would also pay into an environmental fund and commit other money to promote green car technology.
Volkswagen told its shareholders last year it had set aside $7.3bn to help defray the potential costs of a recall or regulatory penalties, but that figure could rise. The company faces as much as $20bn in fines for Clean Air Act violations alone.
Analyst Marc-Rene Tonn, at Warburg Research, estimated the direct financial impact on Volkswagen from the emissions scandal worldwide was $32.3bn.
The US settlement could influence what happens in Europe and in other countries, Mr Tonn said. "Very generous payments to US customers may add to some greediness here, too."
Volkswagen installed software in the diesel engines to detect when they were being tested and cheat the results. Some models could have been pumping out up to 40 times the legal limit of the pollutant, nitrogen oxide, regulators disclosed.
"Volkswagen is committed to winning back the trust of its customers, its dealers, its regulators and all of America," said VW lawyer Robert Giuffra. The agreements are "an important step forward on the road to making things right," he added.
The firm said in a statement that it "intends to compensate its customers fully and to remediate any impact on the environment from excess diesel emissions".
It said a deal in principle had been reached with the Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board.
It added that it had "reached an agreement on the basic features of a settlement with the class action plaintiffs in the lawsuit in San Francisco. This agreement will be incorporated into a comprehensive settlement in the coming weeks".
The deal announced on Thursday covers mostly 2-litre vehicles. Judge Breyer said he expects an agreement between VW and regulators covering about 90,000 larger vehicles and SUVs to be addressed "expeditiously". |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8393770.stm | For legions of gamers, entering Azeroth or the Kingdom of Khanduras is a chance to shake off the rules and conventions of the real world, and immerse themselves in fantasy.
In these mythical lands almost anything goes.
But for a select few, even the freedoms offered by these imaginary worlds are too restrictive.
These gamers turn to the world of the "private server", privately-hosted versions of commercially-available games where the creator's rules no longer apply.
For every game with an online community, it is likely that scores or perhaps even hundreds of these exist.
There is no official tally because such servers are usually under threat of closure from games firms. But a quick web search will turn up advertisements for hundreds.
Games such as the hugely-popular fantasy World of Warcraft (WoW) as well as plenty of first-person shooters have spawned numerous pirated worlds.
They are typically run by amateurs and allow gamers to assume powers unavailable in the commercial form of the game. Crucially, players rarely pay a subscription fee for the privilege of entering the world - unlike retail versions.
However, they are also notoriously buggy and many open and close within a short space of time.
For South African gamer, Hendrick (not his real name) it was a simple decision to set up his own WoW server.
"I made my server because the game wasn't available in the country at the time," he said.
The server was called One Shard and was advertised through word-of-mouth. At times it had up to 50 gamers online.
He set up the server to be as "Blizzlike" as he could, meaning it was as close to the real world of WoW created by Blizzard Entertainment.
One Shard was free to use, but like many such servers, full of bugs. Hendrick moved onto the retail form of the game fairly swiftly after it became available.
"I played games master, had a lot of fun creating items and spawning world bosses on unsuspecting players. But I only ran the server until about a week after the WoW launch in the country."
But for amateur coder Henri, 17, living on a farm with his parents in Belgium, there was a very different reason for hosting his server.
"Why? WoW requires 15 euros a month. Private servers are completely free. It's a huge reason if you ask me.
"In addition, private servers have possibilities that you don't have on retail."
Part of the attraction, he said, was the ability to customise the game world: its characters, buildings, items and so on. Another was the technical challenge of keeping the server running.
"Like everything that has to do with computers and programming, it's not hard at all once you know it. Now I'm familiar with it, it's a piece of cake."
But private servers can evolve far beyond a teenage playground.
Twenty-one-year-old Swedish musician, novelist and artist, S, had a day job "playing the stock-market".
However, he was also creator and owner of the Epilogue server, a private role-playing server for World of Warcraft.
It had strict codes of conduct and rules, as well as a high degree of customised content (such as new currency, methods of earning experience, the ability to construct buildings and hire non-player characters, plus 'permanent' player death) unavailable in the retail version of the game.
"I would consider Epilogue to be my first serious attempt at a private server," said S.
"The idea started when I quit playing retail: the almost non-existent role playing support from Blizzard was ticking me off.
"I'm definitely not alone about feeling that way; there are still thousands of role players out there feeling the same."
"I wanted Epilogue to be unique," he added. "Hated and loved. I think we did quite a good job."
S said that he had researched and played on many other private servers before designing Epilogue.
He even hired in writers to develop an entirely new background story, or "lore", for his world, separate to that created by World of Warcraft's owners.
He also gathered a team of coders and scripters to create some of the special effects he needed.
But with it requiring seven to eight hours of his time a day, S had to choose between Epilogue and his real life: the server recently closed, though others are trying to re-open it.
Unsurprisingly, the top games companies have been less than impressed by such developments.
Last year NCsoft and Blizzard went on the offensive.
NCsoft, publisher of massively multiplayer online games such as Guild Wars, Lineage II and City of Heroes, called the existence of private servers "a growing menace of intellectual property theft" and launched legal action against an inter-net cafe chain in Greece it claimed was hosting its games.
"Illegal game servers have a hugely negative impact on both NCsoft Europe and its customers," commented Max Brown, NCsoft Europe's sales & operations director.
Blizzard Entertainment, which produces World of Warcraft, Diablo, Starcraft and other titles similarly launched a legal crackdown last December, starting legal proceedings against several private server hosts.
"We take pride in the work we've created and are committed to helping reduce copyright infringement and software piracy," said a spokesperson, who claimed that the firm handled many complaints from gamers who have been exposed to malicious software or fraud after joining a private server.
"We also have a responsibility to our players to ensure the integrity and reliability of their World of Warcraft gaming experience and that responsibility compels us to protect our rights."
But not everyone feels the industry has got it right.
"The situation has strong parallels to the music industry and file-sharing," said Tom Lingard, senior associate in the intellectual property team at law firm Stevens & Bolton LLP.
"Games companies probably know that it is impractical or impossible to take action against every unauthorised server. However, they do need to be seen to be doing something and may also be compelled to take action against particularly popular servers in order to protect their revenues."
The music industry's approach to file-sharing has varied from targeting major sites, such as Napster and the Pirate Bay to suing people for downloading songs.
"There is a similar range of legal options open to games companies - including actions for breach of contract and copyright infringement - but the difficult part is striking a balance and picking their battles carefully."
It is a parallel that is not lost on Henri.
"It's illegal, but nobody cares," he says. "Everyone does it and the big guys can't help it. It'd be hard to go and arrest the whole world." |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11455884 | The director of operations of the firm which supplied the Tasers used during the stand-off with gunman Raoul Moat is understood to have killed himself.
Former police officer Peter Boatman, of the Daventry firm Pro-Tect, was found dead on Friday morning, his business partner said.
Earlier this week it emerged supplier Pro-Tect breached its licence by supplying X12 Tasers direct to police.
The Home Office confirmed the firm had had its licence revoked.
Mr Boatman's business partner, Kevin Coles, told BBC News that Mr Boatman had been found dead.
A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said officers were called to an address in Kingsthorpe just before 1310 BST where the body of a 57-year-old man was found.
The spokesman added: "We are not treating the death as suspicious and will be preparing a report for the coroner.
Mr Coles said he was "devastated" at his colleague's death.
He added that Mr Boatman was a "proud man" who had worked hard to protect the police and had felt "ashamed" at the recent developments.
Mr Coles said the Home Office ban and the subsequent coverage had "destroyed" his colleague.
A colleague of Mr Boatman at Northamptonshire Police said: "While he was in the force he was one of the guys who orchestrated the update of use of force for police officers in this country.
"He saw the benefit of using other non-lethal options like the Taser in successfully resolving situations.
"The Raoul Moat incident should never cloud the benefits that this man brought to modern-day policing."
Pro-Tect was accused of supplying a new Taser weapon to Northumbria Police during the Raoul Moat manhunt in breach of Home Office rules, because the Taser had not been fully tested.
Mr Coles said Mr Boatman had only wanted to help police officers in the hunt for Moat.
Last week Home Secretary Theresa May said Pro-Tect had only been permitted to supply the X12 Tasers to its scientific development branch testing.
The firm also "breached rules governing the secure transport of the devices and ammunition," the Home Office said.
The Taser, which is fired from a 12-gauge shotgun, was being tested by the Home Office before a decision was taken over whether it could be approved for use by police forces in England and Wales.
The Home Office said it was "satisfied that the company supplied X12 Tasers and XRep ammunition to Northumbria Police and to another police force contrary to its authority".
There is no suggestion firearms officers were at fault.
Moat died after a six-hour stand-off in Rothbury, Northumberland.
He was on the run after shooting his former girlfriend Samantha Stobbart, 22, killing her new boyfriend Chris Brown, 29, and blinding Pc David Rathband, 42. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/business-45448971 | Thanks for tuning in to Business Live. We'll be back at 6.30am sharp tomorrow, hope to see you then.
US stocks ended little changed as hopes of a breakthrough over US-China trade tensions were overshadowed by fears about tougher tech regulation.
The Dow, which had spiked earlier in the trading session, edged up 0.1% to 25,998.9 points. The S&P was flat at 2,888.9, while the tech heavy Nasdaq slipped 0.2% to 7,954.2.
Electric debut for Nio, the 'Chinese Tesla'?
Nio, a Chinese electric carmaker positioning itself as the country's Tesla, recharged after faltering in its stock market listing debut.
On the first day of trade on the New York Stock Exchange, the firm's shares opened below their listing price and plunged by more than 10% in early trade.
But they recovered to close the day up 5.4% at $6.6.
The firm had listed its shares at $6.26, a price that valued the firm at roughly $6.4bn and raised about $1bn.
Nio, backed by Tencent and other investors, was founded in 2014.
The firm, whose Chinese name translates to blue sky coming, had previously signalled it hoped to raise as much as $1.8bn in the initial public offering.
Nio's listing was the third-biggest in the US by a Chinese firm this year, according to Reuters.
Domino's: marketing fail or genius?
Free pizza for life. Who could resist?
The US chain Domino's launched that exact offer on social media in Russia recently. There was of course a catch. To get 100-years worth of pizza, you first had to get a permanent tattoo of the Domino's logo and post a picture of it online.
Problem is, the promotion proved to be a little too popular.
World Business Report got a branding expert to weigh in on whether the marketing gimmick was genius or tasteless.
It looks like cryptocurrencies are going to the dogs.
The most valuable one at the moment is called Dogecoin. It was inspired by a viral internet meme featuring the Shiba Inu, a popular Japanese dog breed. Even its own creator dismisses the coin as a joke, and yet it's value has surged.
Dogecoin's popularity highlights a much bigger problem. Overall, digital assets have seen around $640bn in market capitalisation wiped out in recent months as regulators have begun to crack down on the market's worst excesses.
Last year Bitcoin was worth nearly $20,000 at its peak as people bought into the idea of alternative currencies. Today, Bitcoin is worth a fraction of that. A quick check shows it trading at $6,260.
The second-most valuable digital currency, ethereum, has lost nearly 80% of its value this year.
The price collapse is giving credence to investors who said Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were nothing more than a speculative mania and that the bubble would burst.
Wall Street is in the red as hopes over a breakthrough on US-China trade are overshadowed by fears about tougher tech regulation.
The Dow, which spiked earlier, is now down 0.1% at 25,943.53 while the S&P 500 is 0.2% lower at 2,883.67. The tech heavy Nasdaq is 0.5% lower at 7,931.83.
Trade-sensitive firms such as Caterpillar, the construction machinery company, and Boeing climbed after the WSJ reported the US was proposing another round of trade talks with China.
Tech firms are struggling, however, as worries over regulation persist. Apple is down 1.2%, despite having unveiled a new iPhone at an event in California, Alphabet has lost 1.9%, Facebook is 2.3% lower, and Twitter is down 3.9%.
Will this be too pricey?
There had been concerns that the relatively high £999 entry price of older iPhone X would limit its appeal.
But Apple said it had consistently proven more popular than either of the lower-priced iPhone 8 models. Market research firms suggest it also outsold rival companies' flagshipdevices.
Apple has launched unveiled a lower cost handset - the iPhone 10R.
It has an 6.1 inch LCD display, Face ID, a 12 mega pixel camera system, longer battery life.
It joins the the more advanced 10S and 10S Max.
Apple says it wants one day not to use materials mined from the earth. That means making much greater use of recycled materials.
It says it using recycled tin in the new iPhone's logic board - something that will prevent the mining of 10,000 tons of tin ore a year.
It's also using bio plastics and making its hardware more durable and long lasting.
Shares in the tech firm have slipped back and are currently trading at $221.93, down 0.9% on the day.
US incomes increased for the third consecutive year in 2017, finally recovering to levels from before the financial crisis.
The median household income rose 1.8% to almost $61,400 - a record high, the US Census Bureau said.
However, officials said the figure represents roughly the same amount as in 2007 and 1999 after adjustments for inflation and other survey changes.
The poverty rate dipped to 12.3% from 12.7% in 2016, while the share of people without health insurance held steady at about 9%.
Tim Cook says the new iPhone 10s is "the most advanced iPhone" Apple has ever made.
It has a better picture resolution than the iPhone 10, and better sound. It also has an enhanced Face ID authentication system, and apps will open 30% faster.
All of this is powered by new, super powerful chip.
The phone comes in small and big sizes, with 5.8 inch or 6.5 inch displays.
The watches will cost $399 without mobile internet, and $499 with. Apple is also cutting the cost of its Series 3 watch to $279.
Investors seem to warming to this Apple event.
Shares had slipped 1% ahead of the expo, but have pared most of those losses now.
They are trading at $223.37, down 0.2% since the start of the day.
The new watch will be able to sense if you've had a fall - and will start calling emergency services if it thinks you have lost consciousness.
The watch promises also offers new heart health features - for example owners will be able to take electrocardiograms themselves.
"You can take an ECG anytime, anywhere from the app," says Jeff WIlliams, billing it as a first for consumers.
Jeff Williams has just unveiled the next generation of Apple Watch.
With Apple Watch Series 4, he says, the watch has been "redesigned" and "re-engineered".
The screens will be over 30% larger. They're also thinner, and less bulky than Series 3 watches.
The displays will also be highly customisable, the speaker is 50% louder, the mic has been re-positioned to reduce echo.
Tim Cook is sharing some Apple stats.
Its Apple stores welcomed 500,000 customers last year.
The firm recently sold its two millionth IOS device.
Apple Watch is not only the top selling smart watch in the world, it's the top selling watch per se.
Apple is about to unveil its new iPhones at a typically glitzy event at Apple Park in California.
A pre-recorded comedy video precedes the show, riffing off the Mission Impossible theme tune.
Apple shares aren't looking so cheerful though - they're down 1%. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-39806155 | The new Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man has been named as the Venerable Peter Eagles.
The 57-year-old is currently the Archdeacon for the Army as well as Deputy Chaplain-General of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department.
He succeeds the Right Reverend Robert Paterson who retired last November.
Rt Rev Eagles said he hopes to "support the people of the Isle of Man in their spiritual and historic identity and in looking confidently to the future."
The married father-of-one added: "Among many other tasks, the bishop is to be chief pastor, a focus of unity, and a leader of mission.
"I therefore hope to encourage all Christians on the island to support everyone who lives here, and to lead the Church in its work of caring for people in every community".
Sodor and Man is the smallest diocese in the Church of England, overseeing 45 churches and 27 parishes.
It is unique because the bishop is a member of the Legislative Council of Tynwald, the Manx parliament.
Rt Rev Eagles was appointed Honorary Chaplain to the Queen in 2013, and in 2015 was made an Honorary Canon of Salisbury Cathedral. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-18297048/syria-should-be-referred-to-the-icc-un-s-pillay | Syria 'should be referred to the ICC' - UN's Pillay Jump to media player UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay urges the UN Security Council to refer the case of Syria to the International Criminal Court.
UN's 'frustration' over Syria Jump to media player Chair of the United Nations Committee Against Torture, Claudio Grossman, describes ''a sense of frustration'' that the ''massive and systematic violations of rights'' in Syria cannot be stopped ''right away''.
Clinton accuses Russia over Syria Jump to media player Strong opposition from Russia and China is making it hard to stop the bloodshed in Syria, the US secretary of state has said.
Syria: 'Government killed my family' Jump to media player United Nations peace envoy Kofi Annan has arrived in Damascus for talks with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has repeated her request that UN investigators be granted full access on the ground in Syria, in a statement read out by her representative to an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council.
All those who ordered, helped or failed to stop attacks on civilians were individually criminally liable for their actions, Ms Pillay said.
She urged the UN Security Council to refer the case of Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC). |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32741688 | Nato has pledged to counter "hybrid warfare" from Russia.
The alliance said it must adapt to the mixture of conventional military tactics, subversive campaigns and cyber-warfare that Russia was using in Ukraine.
Nato says that Russia is backing rebels in Ukraine - a claim denied by Moscow.
Three Baltic countries are preparing to ask for a permanent presence of Nato troops on their soil to act as a deterrent to the Russian military.
"Hybrid warfare combines different types of threats, including conventional, subversion and cyber," said Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg.
"When the world has changed, Nato has to adapt," he added.
Speaking after a meeting of defence ministers in Turkey, Mr Stoltenberg said that a more assertive Russia had been using force to change borders and intimidate its neighbours.
The two-day conference was also attended by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Nato has said that it will look to increase its co-operation and intelligence sharing with the EU.
"We will ensure that the strategies we are developing are complementary, so that we can work together quickly and effectively in the case of a hybrid threat against any of our members," said Mr Stoltenberg.
In another development, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have said they are preparing to ask Nato to station one troop battalion in each country.
Lithuanian Army spokesman Capt Mindaugas Neimontas said that the request would be made in a joint letter later this week.
"It is necessary because of the security situation," he told The Associated Press news agency. "It's not getting better in our region, so it will be a deterrent."
There is growing concern over increased military activity from Russia.
On Thursday, RAF fighter jets were scrambled after two Russian military aircraft were seen flying towards UK airspace.
Nato forces have also stepped up military exercises, especially in eastern European nations.
The alliance is conducting its largest ever anti-submarine warfare exercise in the North Sea, off the coast of Norway.
The West has criticised Russia for annexing the Crimean peninsula and has accused Russia of arming rebels in the east of Ukraine.
More than 6,000 people have been killed in fighting which began in April 2014 between Ukrainian government forces and rebels in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The lull in the conflict in eastern Ukraine since February's ceasefire has been punctuated by frequent violations, and on Tuesday Ukraine said three of its soldiers had been killed in the past 24 hours. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4137950.stm | BBC television presenter Fearne Cotton is joining Radio 1 to co-present the early breakfast show on Fridays.
Cotton, 22, will host the morning slot with Top of the Tops co-presenter, Reggie Yates, from 30 September.
Radio 1 regulars JK and Joel will present the show, which starts at 4am, during the rest of the week.
Cotton, who presented backstage from Live 8, said: "I'm looking forward to talking about music, obsessing about music and playing loads of music."
"I'm so excited about joining Radio 1."
"When I was a kid I did the classic thing of taping shows off the radio and dropping my own voice in - hopefully this show will be better than that."
Yates added: "It'll be brilliant, Fearne and I are proper mates and we both have a genuine love of music."
A Radio 1 spokesman welcomed the move, saying said: "Reggie and Fearne are really hot at the moment and I'm chuffed they are ready to get up early to do this show.
"It'll be an ultimate guide to what to do at the weekend, and as they are passionate about different types of new music, love going to different gigs and generally having a good time, it should make for some great radio."
Nemone Metaxas, who currently presents the early breakfast show, will be leaving the station in September.
The early morning slot gave current breakfast host Chris Moyles his break at the station in 1997, turning it into a cult favourite. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/dorset/8023732.stm | A 31-year-old Dorset woman has become the UK's youngest ambassador, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office says.
Julie Chappell, from Shapwick, won a scholarship to St Swithun's School in Hampshire and studied international relations at the University of Oxford.
Ms Chappell, who will be posted to Guatemala next month, was awarded an OBE for her work in helping to form the governing council in Iraq.
She said: "Life is never dull - more young people should join the FCO."
"They should not get put off, they should apply for a job," added Ms Chappell.
The former pupil at Castle Court Preparatory School in Wimbourne has served in Jordan and Baghdad in Iraq, where she worked on the governing council.
Over the past 13 years, the FCO high-flier has also worked in Sudan, Chad, Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
She once represented England at lacrosse, winning a bronze medal at the under-19s World Championships in the USA. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39037586 | At least five people have been killed after suicide bombers tried to storm a courthouse in north-west Pakistan, police say.
The three bombers were also killed and more than 15 people wounded during the attack in Tangi, Charsadda district.
There was a 20-minute firefight at the gates to the courthouse complex.
The Pakistani Taliban group Jamaat-ur-Ahrar says it carried out the attack, the latest in a number of bombings to hit the country in recent days.
Pakistan's bloody week: Who is to blame?
Will Pakistan ever stamp out extremism?
In the latest attack, the suicide bombers reportedly threw hand grenades and opened fire as they tried to enter the court premises.
They were kept back by police guards on duty and were eventually killed - two by their explosives belts, and the third by police.
Five police officers were injured in the battle.
One witness told Reuters he had seen "many" dead bodies.
"I escaped towards the canteen and climbed the wall to save my life," said local resident Mohammad Shah Baz. "But there were many people dead and injured."
Pakistan has been hit by a wave of suicide bomb attacks claimed by various Islamist militant groups in recent days.
Police now say 90 people were killed when a bomber blew himself up at a shrine in the southern town of Sehwan last week in an attack claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS).
In response, Pakistan launched a security crackdown - which included closing border crossings with Afghanistan - and claims it killed 100 militants. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/4530905.stm | A shoe thought to be at least 2,000 years old, and the oldest in the UK, has been dug up at an English quarry.
The Iron Age relic was found in a hollowed tree trunk at Whiteball Quarry, near Wellington, Somerset.
Archaeologists say the shoe is the equivalent of a size 10 and is so well preserved that stitch and lace holes are still visible in the leather.
It has been sent for conservation to Wiltshire and should be displayed at Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter.
A team from Exeter Archaeology, led by Stephen Reed, unearthed the shoe when they were excavating at Town Farm, Burlescombe.
"What we have now found is a Bronze Age 'industrial' site consisting of two mounds of burnt stone - dated to 1460 to 1290 BC - and two water-filled troughs," he said.
"Close by were two timber-built wells, preserved by waterlogging and probably dating from the early part of the Iron Age."
One of the wells was constructed over a spring using a hollowed tree trunk set into the ground. The tree trunk was removed from the site so that its contents could be examined under laboratory conditions.
The "truly remarkable" discovery of the shoe was made when this was being undertaken by the Wiltshire Conservation Centre.
"As far as we know, this is the oldest shoe ever found in the UK," Mr Reed said.
"The shoe measures approximately 30cm, equivalent to a modern size nine or 10, perhaps suggesting its owner was male.
"The reason for its presence in the well or spring is a mystery."
It is hoped examination of the shoe will shed light on the method of its construction and identify the animal from which the leather was derived.
Quarry owner Hanson is working with archaeologists from Exeter Archaeology, Devon County Council and English Heritage, as well as other specialists, to ensure that all the finds from the site are properly recorded and treated.
It is hoped, following conservation, that the timbers and shoe will form the central feature of the proposed expansion of the archaeology galleries at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-47967394 | A decision to give an ammonia attack on a police officer an urgent, rather than emergency, ambulance response has been criticised by the police federation.
A sergeant suffered serious injuries in an attack in Darwen on Tuesday.
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) gave the response category three status, which means paramedics are expected to arrive within two hours.
Lancashire Police Federation (LPF) said it should have been "at least" category two, which aims for a quicker response.
An NWAS spokesman said the service was "looking into this incident to see if any learning can be obtained and the results will be shared with Lancashire Constabulary".
Seven officers were sprayed with ammonia after forcing their way into a home on Ash Grove at about 02:00 BST on Tuesday.
The sergeant was driven to hospital by colleagues after being told of the possible wait and was treated for serious injuries to his eyes, throat and lungs before being released.
Lancashire Constabulary said he would undergo an operation on his eyes in the coming days.
LPF chairwoman Rachel Baines said the call officers made for medical help should have been given a higher priority.
"You would like to think if that happened to anybody, regardless of whether they were a police officer, they would at least get a category two response, especially as it wasn't known what the substance was at that point," she said.
NWAS has four response categories, each aiming for a specific response time.
According to the trust's website, the service aims to respond to category two calls, which are designated as "emergency", within 40 minutes, while category three, marked as "urgent", means paramedics should be on the scene within two hours.
A 46-year old man from Darwen, who was arrested on suspicion of wounding, remains in custody. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-17868360/china-dissident-chen-guangcheng-escapes-house-arrest | One of China's best known dissidents, Chen Guangcheng, has escaped from house arrest and released a video addressed to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
In it he makes three demands, including one that Mr Wen investigate what Mr Chen, who is blind, calls the brutal beating up of his family members.
Rights activists say Mr Chen slipped out of his home in Dongshigu town in Shandong province on Sunday.
Damian Grammaticas reports from Beijing. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11741867 | Lee Baisden's mother described him as "one of a kind" and said his loss had "left a massive hole" in the lives of all those who knew him.
The 34-year-old, who lived in Romford, Essex, had worked as an accountant for the London fire service for 18 months, and used the Tube every day to get to his office in Westminster.
On the morning of 7 July, he left home an hour later than usual - a decision which put him on a Circle line train with Shezhad Tanweer.
Mr Baisden was the closest person to the bomber and is thought to have been killed instantly when he detonated his device.
Nicknamed Bazza since childhood, Mr Baisden spent much of his time outside work caring for his mother Denise, who is a widow and suffers from multiple sclerosis.
"Over the years, Lee's love and commitment to his family never faltered," she told the inquest in a statement.
"His love and support made life so much easier for me and I miss his companionship."
Mr Baisden's family said he loved music, animals, reading and travel, and had been planning a trip to Greece with his partner of three years, Paul, when he was killed.
"Lee was a brave person and did not have any strong political beliefs," his mother said.
"He was bright and could have achieved so much in his life.
"He planned to get married to his partner, Paul Groman, and he enjoyed life to the full.
"He was loyal, sensitive, trustworthy and caring. We will remember him as a fun-loving man who could be stubborn at times.
"Lee was somebody who never liked to be the centre of attention and would always shy away from having his photograph taken, but this was one of his endearing qualities."
Mr Baisden's colleagues at the London fire service also paid tribute to him, describing him as "friendly, conscientious and hard working". |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8295607.stm | Children asked to come up with ideas for life in 2020 have designed labour-saving devices, magic pencils to do their homework and, of course, robots.
Some 85,000 young inventors have submitted ideas to the UK's Intellectual Property Office, formerly the Patent Office.
The best of the ideas will be buried in a time capsule, to be opened in 2020.
It follows the Intellectual Property Office's sponsorship of The Science Museum's Cracking Ideas Exhibition.
The Cracking Ideas exhibition offers children a chance to see inside the famous home of Wallace and Gromit and some of Wallace's own inventions.
Ideas from children who visited the exhibition include a robot chef who can prepare any dish "on demand".
Billy the Chef is made of recycled tin cans and has arms of disposable stacking cups.
As the roads get ever more crowded, Tyona Higgins, aged 14, has come up with an underwater solution. Her flotation device comes complete with a password activated navigation system and "super-vision" lights.
Caring for the environment was high on many youngsters' agendas with eco-friendly devices such as a solar-powered lawn mower and TVs operated by pedal power.
But one thing remains unchanged - the desire for children to find a quick solution to the burden of homework.
Pencils that do homework for you and paintbrushes that automatically paint masterpieces were among some of the ideas.
Lawrence Smith-Higgins, head of education at the Intellectual Property Office, is hopeful that one of the great inventors of the future could be among the youngsters.
"We'll dig up the time capsule to see how the cracking ideas shape up in a world that's sure to be different from today," he said.
The time capsule will be buried at the Intellectual Property Office on 14 October. The Cracking Ideas exhibition runs until 1 November. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4764313.stm | Competition watchdogs have formally cleared the way for HMV to make a new bid for bookseller Ottakar's.
A tie-up, the Competition Commission said, would not lead to a "substantial lessening of competition".
The commission began an investigation into the offer after independent book retailers voiced opposition to the bid.
HMV - which also owns the Waterstone's book chain - launched a £96.4m offer for the firm last year, but it lapsed when it was referred to watchdogs.
In March, the commission gave its provisional backing to the bid, saying a takeover was "not likely to affect book prices, range of titles offered or quality of service".
Its latest report concluded that competition from online stores such as Amazon and supermarkets meant that a merger of two of the biggest names in bookselling on the High Street would have little effect on the market.
Ottakar's said it welcomed the Commission's decision, however, HMV has not yet said whether it will renew its offer.
Meanwhile, experts said that the delay to a deal may be to the entertainment retailer's advantage, as it will not have to pay as high a price for the bookseller.
Analysts now expect HMV to make an offer of 360p a share, significantly lower than the 400p at which it made its previous bid.
Earlier this month HMV Group fended off a £280m offer for its Waterstone's business from the founder of the bookshop, Tim Waterstone.
It also recently rebuffed two offers from private equity group Permira - the last worth £842.7m, or 210p per share. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4378331.stm | As the limousines arrive at the premiere of an award winning film version of Carmen, U Carmen E Khayelitsha, they have to slow down for a group of barefooted children pushing shopping trolleys filled with scrap metal across the road.
Welcome to a movie premiere in a South African township.
Outside the venue for the premiere - a converted sports hall in the impoverished former township of Khayelitsha - life is hard, rows of shacks with corrugated iron roofs stretch into the distance.
Inside are 600 handpicked guests, the great and the good of Cape Town's artistic community all in one place.
The carpets are red, the drinks are flowing and the dresses were in the Oscar acceptance speech mould. Made to make an impression.
So why stage the premiere in the middle of an area so blighted by poverty?
Well, the event was launching a very special film on the South African public.
And there are plenty of reasons why U Carmen E Khayelitsha is special.
It is the first operatic film to be made in South Africa's Xhosa language, it is the first African film to win the coveted Golden Bear for best picture at the Berlin Film festival and it is the first mainstream film to use actors almost exclusively from the townships.
They were brought together almost five years ago after extensive auditions held in the townships across South Africa.
Mark Dornford-May, the English-born artistic director of the Spier Arts festival near Cape Town, wanted to discover a new generation of talent in the townships which had been largely overlooked, people who often had little acting or singing training but had huge potential.
The resulting theatre group, Dimpho Di Kopane or Combined Talent, ran a number of hugely successful productions which toured around the world.
With the tours over, Mr Dornford-May decided to set Carmen to film in a local setting.
The result is impressive - it is a vibrant, raw adaptation.
But does it manages to make Carmen relevant to a township audience?
After a standing ovation at the end of the film, people at the premiere I spoke to were gushing about what it had achieved both artistically and socially.
"I'm really proud because it most definitely has a local feel to it," said Mbu Boqwana, the chairman of the Khayelitsha community police forum.
"It reflects how life is here, it's tough but there's a passion about life because people have to put up with so much."
Members of the film's cast are understandably upbeat as well.
Many I spoke to saw it as a catalyst for transforming Khayelitsha and other townships across South Africa.
"When most people hear about places life Khayelitsha or any township it's usually because of high crime levels or problems with HIV," says chorus member, Bulelwa Coza.
"This film shows that something good can come out of the townships, its impact is huge on life here.
"When we were filming, thousands of people watched us, we've been giving talks to people in the community who want to do their own films or get involved in theatre work, they've seen our success and want to follow us".
The optimism about the film is mirrored by some significant changes in townships like Khayelitsha.
Yes there is extreme poverty and the racial segregation is still as stark as ever - very few, if any, white people life in the townships - but there are signs of wealth and opportunities spreading.
Earlier this month, a new $15m shopping centre got the go-ahead in a distant part of the township.
The publicity brought by the film certainly won't harm Khayelitsha's future prospects.
It was hard to find any dissenting voices within the premiere crowd about the film's achievements.
But a short walk outside the perimeter fence of the venue gave me a different impression.
Few people I spoke to knew why so many apparently rich and largely white people had suddenly turned up on their doorstep.
Saron Sheede, is 30 but has never had any full time paid work, he has four children to look after and lives in a one bedroom shack.
"I don't have the time or the money to spend on going to the cinema," he tells me.
"The black people from here who've been successful in this film will move to the white suburbs, leaving us".
Cynicism like that is understandable in a place that has been overlooked for so long but the film's production team remain committed to using the film to change the way townships are perceived.
The producers are releasing the film across South African but only in the townships for the next month, sending the signal that the townships matter.
Often films bypass the townships completely because there are few large scale cinemas there that can afford to buy in new releases.
Certainly in Khayelitsha demand for tickets, priced at $1.50, is high.
The venue for the premiere is heavily booked for most of its one month run. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7179479.stm | Almost a fifth of England's state secondary schools do not yet meet the government's new "floor target" for GCSE attainment, league tables show.
In 638 schools, less than 30% of pupils got five good GCSEs including English and maths, the target for 2012.
But this was down from 789 schools last year and ministers say many more are on the verge of surpassing the standard.
Independent schools and teacher unions have said the tables are misleading and distort the secondary curriculum.
The tables show that nationally 46.7% of pupils at the end of their compulsory education attained the equivalent of a grade C or above in five GCSEs including English and maths.
Girls continued to outperform boys in the exams they took last summer, with 51.2% of girls making the grade against 42.4% of boys.
The best school at GCSE level was, as last year, Chelmsford County High School for Girls, a grammar school in Essex.
Its 120 GCSE students all had at least five good GCSEs and their average points score of 748.2 equates to almost 13 A* grades for each girl.
The worst was Parklands High School, a non-specialist comprehensive in Speke, Merseyside, where only 1% got five good grades with English and maths and the average points score was 217.4.
The school where pupils made the most progress was Moreton Community School in Wolverhampton, a technology specialist, with a "contextual value added" score of 1090.5.
This takes into account nine factors outside a school's control which are known to affect attainment, such as gender, first language and deprivation.
In the A-level tables, the highest performing school was again Colchester Royal Grammar, with 1323.5 average points per student - equivalent to almost five A grades.
Schools Minister Jim Knight said it was important that all schools keep improving, whatever their results.
The 30% floor target for GCSEs - set by Prime Minister Gordon Brown - was a stepping stone for those in challenging circumstance to go even further, he said - not a stopping point.
"But we owe it to parents to make sure low performing schools turn around quickly."
He added: "We will be investigating options such as closure, federation or becoming part of our academy programme for those at the very bottom. Poor performance is not tolerated."
Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said: "Well over half a million children are in schools that Gordon Brown has said should be taken over or closed because they are failing."
Liberal Democrat children's spokesman David Laws said the government was still failing millions of children by not guaranteeing them a decent education.
"The government's target of having no school where more than 70% of children are failing to get these five good grades is hopelessly unambitious."
Many famous independent schools appear to do badly because their pupils sit International GCSEs in English and maths - which are not recognised in the government tables.
This year a new science indicator compounds the issue. This shows what proportion of pupils attained at least two good GCSEs in science subjects.
But in schools which offer separate sciences - chemistry, biology and physics - pupils who opted to do only two were not counted.
The chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, Jonathan Shephard, said: "These flawed and misleading tables are a travesty of fair reporting."
The general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, John Dunford, said the tables created "perverse incentives", making schools skew their curriculum for 14 and 15-year-olds to improve their position and to enter 18-year-olds for subjects needing less teaching in order to add to their points totals. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-12064266/baa-boss-colin-matthews-refuses-bonus-over-snow-chaos | BAA boss refuses bonus over snow Jump to media player The boss of BAA says he is giving up his bonus following snow delays at Heathrow, as air and rail companies set about clearing their passenger backlog.
Heathrow airport's boss is to forgo a bonus, as snow-hit air and rail firms begin clearing their passenger backlog.
Colin Matthews said his focus was on getting people moving and rebuilding confidence in the airport, which was criticised for its response to snow.
Eurostar is operating almost normally but most national rail routes report problems, including East Coast again. Most airports warn of some disruption. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22552505 | A leading South African university says it will make Zulu language classes compulsory for all first-year students from next year.
The decision by the University of KwaZulu-Natal is aimed at promoting "nation-building and bringing diverse languages together", an official said.
Zulu is among the most widely spoken of South Africa's 11 official languages.
It is the mother tongue for about 23% of the population and is also used as a lingua franca by many others.
However, few people from minority racial groups speak it.
This is the first time a South African university has made it compulsory for students to learn an indigenous African language, the local Mercury newspaper reports.
University of KwaZulu-Natal Deputy Vice-Chancellor Renuka Vithal told the BBC the decision would help students obtain a vital communication skill for their professional and personal lives.
"You can come through the schooling system without learning any of the indigenous African languages," she said.
"It is surprising that this is still the case, nearly 20 years after apartheid [racially-enforced segregation] ended."
The university is located in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, where Zulu is the mother tongue of most people.
Until white minority rule ended in 1994, English and Afrikaans, based on Dutch, were South Africa's only official languages.
The African National Congress (ANC) government - which took power after apartheid ended - has done little to promote indigenous languages, critics say.
Zulu is spoken by more than 80% of people in KwaZulu-Natal, AFP news agency reports.
It is the only African language in which a major daily newspaper is produced.
Related languages are also spoken in some neighbouring countries. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-25741861 | Claims that Britain's Special Air Service regiment may have its fingerprints on the bloody storming of the Sikh Golden Temple 30 years ago have been getting a lot more attention back in the UK than here in India.
For outsiders looking in, that may seem surprising, given the traumatic impact of those events.
A few months after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the Operation Blue Star assault on Sikh rebels barricaded inside, leaving at least 400 dead, she was gunned down by her Sikh bodyguards.
The wheel of revenge turned again and thousands of Sikhs were butchered in Delhi and elsewhere. It was one of the worst episodes of communal violence since independence - with plentiful evidence that members of Mrs Gandhi's Congress Party were complicit.
"When a great tree falls, a nation shakes," was the famously chilling response of her son and successor Rajiv Gandhi.
As the 30th anniversary approaches of what many see as an anti-Sikh pogrom, no-one has yet been brought to justice.
It's hardly surprising then that today's ruling Congress party has little interest in opening up this chapter of Indian history for re-inspection, especially with its electoral fate in the balance.
The current Congress leader, Sonia Gandhi, was in the same house with her two young children, Rahul and Priyanka, when her mother-in-law was shot in October 1984.
Those events led eventually to her becoming India's most powerful politician today, after her husband Rajiv was assassinated seven years later.
Although the main opposition party, the BJP, have raised a few critical questions about "SAS-gate", it doesn't want to push the issue too hard.
It has its own issues with communal violence - particularly the massacre in Gujarat in 2002 - which the state's chief minister, and now prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi is widely accused of failing to stop.
Yet despite the lack of accountability for both the Golden Temple assault and the anti-Sikh riots, there's a general feeling that reconciliation efforts since have been relatively successful.
The Sikh heartland of Punjab - site of the Golden Temple - is now run by a Sikh party in coalition with the Hindu nationalist BJP.
Though he's widely dismissed as a leader, India's Sikh Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, still stands as a symbol of Sikhs and the majority Hindus accepting each other.
There's now little support for the idea of a separate Sikh homeland or Khalistan.
In fact, so far it's mostly been pro-separatist Sikhs in the UK and US who are speaking out about Labour MP Tom Watson's claim to have seen "top secret papers from Mrs Thatcher authorising Special Air Services (SAS) to work with the Indian government".
With the majority of Indians under 30 - Sikhs among them - there's also the simple fact that most people are too young to remember India's multiple crises in 1984.
"It's forgotten history for most," argues Dr JS Sekhon, head of social sciences at Guru Nanak Dev University, in Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple.
Some significant voices disagree though, and say the claims from Britain demand proper investigation.
"The Indian government committed so many human rights violations in the operation against the Golden Temple and afterwards," says Indian Supreme Court lawyer AS Phoolka, who represented many of the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. "If the British government was involved, it is also guilty."
He says he welcomes the announcement from UK Prime Minister David Cameron of an inquiry in the UK. "Now we need to have one in India."
For the moment though, that looks unlikely. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34289480 | Health officials in Ukraine are gripped by fears of a major polio outbreak, after it was announced this month that the disease had paralysed two children in the south-western region of Trans-Carpathia.
Concerns that the virus could cut a deadly swathe through the country has mobilised officials to launch a national immunisation campaign that would embrace all children up to 10 years old.
The threat has also mobilised international organizations, as well as Bill Gates, whose foundation promotes increased vaccinations worldwide and who spoke to President Petro Poroshenko about the polio danger last week.
Olga and Anatoly Makarenko demonstrate the potential obstacles the campaign could face. They have decided not to vaccinate any of their children - Dima, seven, Ksenia, five, and Varvara, one.
And despite knowing something of polio's effects and reading reports that the virus may have already reached Kiev, they won't change their minds.
Dima, Olga points out, has already suffered a bout of whooping cough. But it was just a bit longer-lasting than a regular cough - showing, she claimed, there were no negative consequences.
"The vaccinations are much more dangerous than the illnesses that they treat," said Olga on a late summer day, as her children joyously romped in a nearby playground.
"Nobody knows how the vaccines were stored," she continued. "No-one knows if the expiration dates were changed. Vaccines are a serious thing. There are conditions for transporting, storing and producing them."
They are not alone in their views. Stories abound among the Ukrainian public that children have fallen ill or even died after being immunised.
The fact that some diseases have disappeared from public memory also means that a large number of people are unfamiliar with polio's lethal consequences.
As a result, Ukraine's vaccination rates are the lowest in Europe and the former Soviet Union, and are among the lowest in the world. Less than 14% of one-year-olds have been immunised against polio.
Health experts say that Olga, her husband and other anti-immunisation activists, some of whom include local doctors, are flat-out wrong. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the vaccines used in Ukraine, they say.
"In general, they depend on myths about vaccination," said Dr Tatyana Petrovskaya, head physician at the Our Doctor private health clinic. "These are based on the idea that a child should build up his or her immunities in a natural environment, that the immune system should work itself out by being exposed to illnesses.
"They don't understand how serious these diseases are."
The possibility of a major polio outbreak, amid a largely unprotected population of children, has raised the alert among local and international health workers, who say they don't have a moment to lose.
"The situation is really alarming," said Dr Dorit Nitzan, the head of the World Health Organization's Ukrainian office. "We have an outbreak in the country. And every day that passes without vaccinating the children, the risk is getting higher that more and more children will get sick."
The campaign would be both massive and ambitious. Some five million children will be immunised, with those under six years receiving three doses of the oral polio vaccine. In all, more than 11 million vaccinations will need to be administered.
This would be a challenge for most countries under the best of conditions. Ukraine, in contrast, is currently fighting a war against Russian-backed insurgents in its eastern regions and suffering a severe economic depression.
Adding to this is a health system riddled with corruption and decay, a government often hampered by political infighting and a weak, post-Soviet distribution structure.
Schools require all students to be immunised in order to be admitted, but many parents also pay bribes to falsify their children's documents. Officials say they don't know the true figures of how many children have in fact been vaccinated.
As a result, the vaccination campaign - which should start this week - could face difficulties and even fall short. And the virus could then spread beyond Ukraine's borders to regions in Europe where immunisation rates are also low.
"If you do it really timely - three to six months - the country, the children will be saved," said Dr Nitzan. "But this calls for real leadership, a real concentrated and focused effort. Everyone should join hands."
"Otherwise, Ukrainian children and many other European children will be at high risk."
The WHO and other international groups are calling for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to draft a law declaring polio a public health emergency in order to boost the fight against the virus.
This would strengthen Ukrainian officials' hands in dealing with any resistance to the programme. It could also help speed up the purchase of vaccines since, at the moment, only around a third of the needed amount has been obtained.
Ultimately, more cases of polio are inevitable, experts say. The hope is that, with a rapid response, a full-blown crisis can be averted. But given Ukraine's catastrophically low immunisation rates, the chances of a major outbreak at some point are high - maybe inevitable.
"The situation is tragic, whichever way you look at it. If it's going to be now, tomorrow or next month, it's coming," said Dr Nitzan. "And it's coming big time, because children in Ukraine are not immunised against polio and against other diseases.
"We don't have time, so we are going to tell them the truth: 'You are risking your children'," she said, turning again to the specific danger presented by polio.
"Look at your child now," she said. "He might look different for the rest of his or her life."
Video Why does Ukraine have Europe's lowest vaccination rate? |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47368308 | Profits have topped £1bn for the first time at housebuilder Persimmon, which was caught in a pay row last year and is under scrutiny over its continued involvement in the Help to Buy scheme.
Annual profits jumped 13% to £1.091bn, up from £966m in 2017.
The firm also said its interim chief executive, Dave Jenkinson, would now take on the role permanently.
Mr Jenkinson's predecessor, Jeff Fairburn, left last year following controversy over his £75m pay package.
"We are the first company to make over £1bn profit in this sector," Mr Jenkinson said. "The whole team are very proud."
The results come a day after shares in Persimmon fell 5% because of questions over its continued involvement in the Help to Buy scheme.
The firm sold 7,970 homes under the scheme in 2018, up from 7,682 in 2017.
At the weekend, a source close to Housing Minister James Brokenshire said the minister was "increasingly concerned" by Persimmon's practices, including its use of leasehold contracts, the quality of its buildings and its leadership.
Mike Amey, managing director of global investment management firm Pimco, told the BBC that profit per house at Persimmon had trebled since Help To Buy was introduced.
And housing expert Henry Pryor told the BBC: "There is no doubt that Help to Buy has been the crack cocaine of the housing industry. We've all got addicted to it and when we are weaned off it, it is going to be painful."
The Persimmon money machine rolls on, profits past the £1bn mark and £2.2bn returned to shareholders in the past seven years, with the promise of more - much more - to come.
Persimmon has been an astonishing success for its investors, and of course its executives, who are benefiting from a giant pay scheme agreed in 2012.
Sometimes, though, you can have too much success, particularly when you are a big beneficiary of a taxpayer-funded housing scheme, in this case Help to Buy.
Jeff Fairburn, the former chief executive, had to fall on his sword after public and investor opinion swung sharply against the size of his remuneration - £75m, although he gave some to charity.
The danger now is that a similar shift in sentiment undermines the company as a whole.
Politicians might decide that £1bn a year in profits, a 30% operating margin and giant dividends to shareholders are evidence the new-build housing market is no longer sufficiently competitive, and has instead turned into an oligopoly, a market carved up between a few big players.
There was a hint of that in weekend reports that Persimmon's participation in Help to Buy was under government scrutiny - a hint strong enough to send the shares down nearly 5%.
If the hint were to turn into reality, the Persimmon money machine would judder to a halt.
Mr Jenkinson has been with the firm for 22 years and had been interim chief executive since November, following Mr Fairburn's departure.
He said: "2018 has been a year of disciplined high quality growth again for Persimmon Homes.
"We have a lower average selling price than our competitors, but that is a function of our desire to hit all parts of the market."
He added: "It is important for me as the new CEO to acknowledge that we still have work to do in customer care."
Chairman Roger Devlin said: "Persimmon is changing. In his short time as interim CEO, Dave Jenkinson has introduced new approaches to customer satisfaction and colleague engagement, whilst also ensuring that the group delivered another year of growth."
The company's total group revenue for the year increased by 4% to £3.74bn, up from £3.60bn in 2017.
Sophie Lund-Yates, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "Conditions are about as good as they can be, with low interest rates, record low unemployment and helpful government schemes like Help to Buy all helping people get on the property ladder.
"With Persimmon's participation in the Help to Buy programme under heavy scrutiny, following its former use of controversial leasing fees, and poor quality builds, these conditions have to end at some point."
Looking ahead, the company said in its results statement: "Whilst sales expectations remain subject to a degree of uncertainty at the start of any financial year, the lack of clarity with respect to the UK's exit from the EU is currently creating additional unpredictability."
It added: "We have worked with our suppliers to identify any material supplies which may be exposed to some disruption to availability as a result of Brexit and we are working with them to adopt appropriate mitigating measures." |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/gloucestershire/7503580.stm | Day two of the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford has been cancelled, organisers have said.
For the first time in 38 years both days of the event have been called off after heavy rain left the airfield and car parks waterlogged.
Hundreds of planes and up to 150,000 people were expected to attend the event in Gloucestershire.
A statement from the organisers said: "The decision was taken following lengthy discussions between the organisers, police and other safety services.
"It was based on concerns for our visitors and the disappointing conclusion was that we could not fully safeguard them."
Air Tattoo director Tim Prince said: "We have been working around the clock to improve the conditions on the airfield and in the car parks but unfortunately we have run out of time.
"Many people will be desperately disappointed but I would like to assure them that we have tried everything possible within the time available.
"Having worked towards this air show for the past 12 months, my team at the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises and our band of 3,000 enthusiastic and loyal volunteers share the huge sense of frustration."
Plane enthusiasts Steve Roden, 52, and his wife Leslie, from Haughley in Suffolk, have been camped at the site since Tuesday.
Mr Roden said they heard the announcement over the site radio and from their tent they could see the beer tent where all the heads dropped.
"It just brings tears to my eyes," he said.
"We just hope we can get onto our stand on Monday to watch them all leave."
The weather forecast for Sunday is dry with bright sunny spells, but downpours earlier in the week have left the car park ground with deep ruts of mud.
Mr Roden said: "At least we got to see the Raptor fly and that was awesome so I suppose we'll keep smiling and look forward to next year."
The senior police commander for the Air Tattoo, Supt Tony Godwin, said: "It is with deep regret that the decision has been made to cancel the Royal International Air Tattoo on both days.
"This decision was not made lightly. It was made in the interest of those visiting or working at the event."
People have been asked not to travel to RAF Fairford on Sunday.
The Air Tattoo has set up a helpline advising customers how to claim ticket refunds as this cannot be done from the base itself.
Details of ticket refunds are available from the website or people can call the Air Tattoo Helpline on 01285 713300. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-47285526/karin-worries-about-her-citizenship-after-brexit-it-s-the-only-life-i-ve-ever-known | Karin was born in Germany. After 35 years of living and working in Scotland, she is now worried about her citizenship after Brexit.
Charity the Fife Migrants Forum say concerns may lead many EU nationals to avoid signing up for so-called Settled Status.
The Home Office insists the scheme is a simple and straightforward way of protecting the rights of those EU citizens living and working in the UK. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36510550 | Uefa has threatened to disqualify England and Russia from Euro 2016 if there is any further violence by fans.
It has begun disciplinary proceedings against Russia - but not England - after "totally unacceptable" scenes at Saturday's England-Russia game.
Footage appeared to show Russia fans rush at England supporters after the Euro 2016 1-1 draw in Marseille.
Charges against Russia are for crowd disturbances, racist behaviour, and setting off fireworks, Uefa confirmed.
There were issues with segregation of fans, the body admitted, promising security would be "strengthened".
The UK government said it had offered to send extra British police to France ahead of England's next match in Lens on Thursday.
Witnesses said trouble began in the stadium after flares were let off by Russian fans near the end of the game. Some then climbed across barriers designed to keep rival fans apart.
Who do Europe's papers blame?
A number of Russia supporters appeared to kick and punch fleeing England fans, who were forced to clamber over fencing to escape.
Earlier in the day, England, Russia and local fans were embroiled in ugly clashes with riot police, with a number of bloodied fans being taken to hospital.
In a strongly-worded statement, European football's governing body said it would not hesitate to impose sanctions on either Russia or England should such violence occur again.
Measures included the potential disqualification of their respective teams from the tournament, it said.
Earlier Russia's sports minister Vitaly Mutko said Uefa had "done the right thing" to start a disciplinary case against the Russian Football Union, R-Sport news agency reported.
"There were flares, there was a flare gun, there had been clashes in the stands, it's necessary to sort all of this out," he reportedly said.
"The fans were rooting greatly, but there are people who do not come for the football."
Also on Sunday, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said alcohol restrictions near "sensitive" venues would be extended, with sales bans on match days and the eve of match days.
England spectators who were at the match have described a "desperate scramble" to escape charging Russia fans, some of who were wearing gum shields and MMA (mixed martial arts) gloves, one witness claimed.
Cory McLeod, who was in the stadium, told the BBC: "A wall of Russian fans charged at our section, which had kids, women, and even some Russian fans in.
"I couldn't see if any of them had weapons or anything but people were running fast, it was manic, just a desperate scramble towards a large fence in the corner."
Others spoke of "slack" security. Sam Blackwell, from Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, said the only entry search was "a quick pat down".
"This would go a long way to explaining how the Russian fans got flares, fireworks and whatever the big bang was into the ground."
Six British nationals remain in hospital and several more have received treatment, the UK government said.
FA chief executive Martin Glenn said a letter from Uefa about fans' behaviour, was being treated with the "utmost seriousness".
"We understand the potential implications of our supporters' actions and wholly accept that every effort needs to be made by the FA to positively urge them to act in a responsible and respectful way," he said in a statement.
"Violent scenes like those witnessed over the weekend in Marseille have no place in football, nor society as a whole."
Sanctions against Russia will be decided at a disciplinary meeting on Tuesday, Uefa said.
BBC sports editor Dan Roan said as hosts of the 2018 World Cup, Russia was under intense scrutiny.
Uefa's decision would also come under scrutiny, he said, with Russia's next match against Slovakia taking place in Lille on Wednesday - the day before England's match against Wales just 24 miles away in Lens.
From the moment England and Russia fans started flooding into Marseille, there was an undercurrent of tension and violence that was transformed into scenes that were a throwback to some of football's worst hooligan excesses of the past.
In the steamy, humid environment of this port city, with alcohol flowing freely, all the ingredients were in place for events that unfolded in the Vieux-Port de Marseille.
As a long, hot Saturday wore on towards a late kick-off, the scenery shifted to the magnificent, sweeping curves of the Stade Velodrome, culminating in the disgraceful incidents that took place just seconds after full-time.
It was particularly disturbing given the high levels of security and policing that were in evidence around the stadium as the authorities remain on high alert after November's Paris attacks. Security, here at least, seemed in very short supply.
It was the sort of hooliganism the game's rulers hoped had been stamped out but has reared its head in sinister fashion less than 48 hours into Euro 2016.
Russia were previously punished for the behaviour of their fans inside stadiums at all three of their group games during Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.
Its football union was fined a total of £150,000 and given a suspended six-point deduction from its qualifying campaign for Euro 2016. This was reduced on appeal.
Uefa said it had not taken any action against the English FA, as skirmishes involving England fans before kick-off fell outside its remit.
Police in riot gear clashed with England fans in Marseille's Old Port area and used tear gas for a third day on Saturday, as well as water cannon, as fist fights and bottle throwing broke out.
Wife of England and Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, Rebekah, tweeted that she was among bystanders gassed and "caged" by French officials outside the stadium.
As many as 20 England fans were injured, with a number taken to hospital, and at least one Briton is understood to be in a critical condition.
There were also clashes in the city of Nice between police and fans from Northern Ireland and Poland, who are due to play their opening match later on Sunday. Six people were reportedly injured, before order was restored.
The UK government condemned the violence and urged calm on all sides.
It said it had offered to send police, including "spotters" to sit in the crowd at the next match, to support the security operation, and British officers would be assisting the French with their post-incident investigations.
It has also enhanced its Border Force presence at outbound ports.
Marseille's Stade Velodrome next hosts a match on Wednesday, when France play Albania. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3154318.stm | A rare 1962 concert poster advertising a Beatles concert has fetched £11,750 at an auction of pop memorabilia.
Hundreds of items related to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Queen and Madonna also went under the hammer at the sale in London.
A wooden sculpture of a cupboard, designed by John Lennon, claimed the highest price of the day, £28,200.
Trousers worn in 1984 by the late Queen star Freddie Mercury were sold to the Hard Rock Cafe for £4,230.
Thursday's sale at Christie's featured everything from lyrics, gold discs, unpublished photographs, contracts and concert flyers.
An in-flight Pan Am menu signed by the Beatles fetched almost £10,000. The menu, from 1964, was one of 177 lots to be snapped up.
Other items from the Beatles included an autograph note signed by Lennon for £19,975, and a signed programme for the group's 1965 US tour that fetched £13,512.
A 1976 pencil sketch on paper of Charlie Chaplin by Michael Jackson went for £4,112, above its estimate of £1,200.
Memorabilia linked to the greatest names in pop is highly attractive to collectors.
Last month auctioneers reported a rare photograph of the Beatles on sale in an internet auction attracted huge interest from bidders.
The 1965 picture, which lay undiscovered for more than 30 years, reached £6,900 in bids and the auction website attracted more than 30,000 visitors during its first few hours online.
In April, a cardboard cut-out of Marlene Dietrich used on the cover of the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper album sold at auction for £86,250. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-47460539 | Contractors working on a £200m renewable energy plant in Hull have been sacked after "significant delays".
Energy Works said it terminated its contract with MW High Tech Projects UK Ltd, which was involved in building the facility on Cleveland Street.
The project, which the developers claim will generate enough electricity to power more than 40,000 homes, was expected to be running by January 2018.
MW High Tech Projects UK declined to comment.
In a statement, Energy Works said: "It's a decision that we have taken with great reluctance.
"The decision comes after, amongst other things, significant delay to the works.
"We will implement shortly a recovery plan to continue with the works.
"This move guarantees the future of the plant, and we look forward to continuing to process waste and produce renewable energy for the people of Hull."
The company claims more than 240,000 tonnes of commercial and domestic waste a year will be turned into gas, which will then be burnt to generate electricity.
It is being built on an eight acre site by the banks of the River Hull.
Almost £20m of funding came from a grant by the European Union. Other funding came from Bioenergy Infrastructure Group, a group made up of UK investors and US, German and Israeli investors. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-42344187 | A former policeman, jailed for defrauding his disabled cousin, will not have his jail term increased.
John David Gimbert, 65, was given three-and-a-half years after he was convicted of conspiracy to defraud and four counts of theft totalling more than £100,000.
The former West Mercia officer's sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General saying he got off lightly.
But judges dismissed the argument.
Gimbert, of Westwood Park Avenue, Leek, stole the inheritance of his 'highly vulnerable' disabled cousin Janette Trim which was left to her by her father in 2002.
Miss Trim inherited his entire estate including a £50,000 bungalow in Stoke.
Gimbert was the executor of the will and induced the victim to sign over power of attorney to him.
He transferred £128,651 and used a number of bank accounts to conceal what he had done.
When social services became suspicious in 2009, John David Gimbert repaid all the money, the judge said.
But Jonathan Polnay, for the Solicitor General, argued that his three-and-a-half year sentence, given to him in October, should have been much tougher.
Lord Justice Simon described the sentence as 'lenient' but was not so soft that it ought to be raised. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33224138 | Media captionViktor Yanukovych: "I warned that they would not stop at Maidan - that they would go further. And they went further"
Ukraine's former President Viktor Yanukovych has said he accepts some responsibility for the killings that led to his overthrow in February 2014.
"I don't deny my responsibility," he told BBC Newsnight, when asked about the shooting of demonstrators in Kiev's Maidan Square.
He never ordered the security forces to open fire, he said, but admitted he had not done enough to prevent bloodshed.
It is his first Western media interview since the civil war erupted last year.
"I did not give any orders [to use firearms], that was not my authority… I was against any use of force, let alone the use of firearms, I was against bloodshed.
"But the members of the security forces fulfilled their duties according to existing laws. They had the right to use weapons," he said.
More than 100 protesters died in the clashes on Kiev's central square, where huge crowds had confronted police for months.
A year after the bloodshed some witnesses told the BBC that fatal shots had also been fired at the police.
In February 2014 Mr Yanukovych was whisked away by Russian special forces to a safe haven in Russia.
Within weeks Russian troops in unmarked camouflage took over Ukrainian bases in Crimea. Then in April pro-Russian rebels stormed government buildings in the heavily industrial Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, triggering civil war.
Mr Yanukovych told the BBC that the war was a "nightmare" that had become a reality.
Russia's annexation of Crimea was a "tragedy", which would not have happened on his watch, he said.
"What happened there was very bad. And we need, today, to find a way out of this situation... Now there is war. They talk about getting Crimea back. How? By war? Do we need another war?"
He denied allegations that he had embezzled funds from the Ukrainian state and was hiding money in foreign bank accounts.
Media captionViktor Yanukovych: "I supported the ostriches - what's wrong with that?"
His opulent residence outside Kiev, thrown open to public gaze by protesters after he fled, did not belong to him personally, he said.
Receipts detailing millions of dollars spent on the complex were, he said, "political technology" and spin. The ostriches in the residence's petting zoo, he maintained, "just happened to be there".
"Yes, there was corruption, no one denies that. But a year and a half has passed, those in power have all the means at their disposal. Show us, where are the bank accounts of Yanukovych? They don't exist and never have done."
Interpol placed him on a wanted list in January this year, as Ukrainian officials accuse him of embezzling millions of dollars.
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin had saved his life by ordering special forces to bring him to Russia on the night of 23 February 2014.
"The fact that Vladimir Putin took that decision, on the recommendation of his own special forces, that was his right and his business. He did not consult me.
"I am of course grateful to him for giving the order and helping my security to get me out, and save my life," he said, adding that he believed his life was still in danger.
He said he still hoped one day to be able to return to Ukraine.
The Donbas region - much of which is now controlled by separatists - should remain part of Ukraine, he said, urging the United States and the European Union to force Kiev to negotiate directly with the rebel leaders.
He said his opponents in Kiev "should not have carried out a military coup - they should not have drawn in radical far-right forces".
"I warned that they would not stop at Maidan - that they would go further. And they went further… They've broken up the country. They've drawn the whole world into this conflict." |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-38057104/hail-trump-white-nationalists-mark-trump-win-with-nazi-salute | White nationalists mark Trump win with Nazi salute Jump to media player Video emerges of far right activists celebrating Donald Trump's election victory with Nazi salutes.
The white supremacist grateful for Trump Jump to media player Richard Spencer is a white supremacist from Montana. He tells the BBC's Aleem Maqbool that "Donald Trump's arrow is pointing in our direction".
'I did not prepare for this reality' Jump to media player Muslim Americans tell us what they think a Trump presidency means for them.
Le Pen: Trump made impossible possible Jump to media player National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen said Donald Trump's victory in the US election was "an additional stone in the building of a new world".
'Kids asking if they'll be deported' Jump to media player Supporters of the Mexican and US soccer teams in Columbus, Ohio, discuss the election of Donald Trump for US president.
In the US, video has emerged of far right activists celebrating Donald Trump’s victory with what appear to be Nazi salutes.
It happened at a conference in Washington of the alt-right – a radical group that has dramatically risen in prominence in the last year.
While the President-Elect has distanced himself from endorsements from far-right groups, supporters of such views have been emboldened by his win.
Our North America Correspondent Aleem Maqbool reports. Filmed and edited by Colm O’Molloy. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14272038 | People in the UK believe their well-being should be measured in terms of health, friends and family and job satisfaction, according to a report.
The Office for National Statistics launched a five-month debate on the question, what matters to you?
More than 34,000 people gave their views, which will help statisticians create the UK's first set of national well-being indicators by the autumn.
It is hoped the "happiness index" will complement other measures such as GDP.
The ONS said common themes to emerge from the debate were health, good connections with friends and family, job satisfaction and economic security, present and future conditions of the environment, and education and training.
The findings of the debate, which began last November and took in responses online and through 175 events across the country, should help inform the ONS as it develops national well-being indicators.
National statistician Jil Matheson said these would need to be "reliable and impartial and improve our understanding of the UK's society".
She said the response to the debate had been "huge and thoughtful".
"However, this is not just about holding a debate it is about finding robust ways to measure how society is doing, to complement GDP and other measures of economic growth.
"As we work up measures of national well-being and progress, we will continue to share our ideas."
She said the UK was not alone in wanting to develop better measures of national well-being.
"We are working with international partners in developing measures of well-being that will paint a fuller picture of our societies."
Aileen Simpkins, who is working on the ONS's national well-being programme, said people had told them health, relationships and job satisfaction mattered most to their well-being.
But other factors which played a part included how we connect up as part of a society, she told BBC Radio 4's The World At One.
"So our sense of national well-being, it's got to include equality, it's got to look at the distribution of good and bad experiences between different groups of people and it's got to look at sustainability... and there's also something about locality - things that you can find out about local areas, like access to green spaces and the sense of community cohesion."
Since April, the ONS has also been asking about 200,000 people to rate their life satisfaction on a scale of zero to 10.
Other questions are around their levels of happiness, anxiety, and how worthwhile things they do in life are.
The first annual results will be available in July 2012.
Ms Simpkins said these results would show how feelings of happiness and anxiety differed between groups such as the young and old, the employed and the unemployed.
"There's clearly an appetite in the government to have access to that kind of information and start using it in developing policies and testing policies to see what sort of impact things really have," she said.
Prime Minister David Cameron, launched the plan for a "happiness index" last year, insisting it was not "woolly".
He said economic growth remained the most "urgent priority" but he wanted a better measure of how the country was doing than GDP. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4658693.stm | 2103: Prime Minister Tony Blair arrives back at Gleneagles after assessing the situation in London. He is expected to join fellow world leaders for a summit dinner.
1915: Jack Straw announces that the summit communiqué on climate change, which was due on Thursday, will be delayed until Friday when it will be released with the communiqué on Africa.
1820: The prime minister's official spokesman says African leaders expected at the summit on Friday would continue to come.
1731: More than 250 Metropolitan and City of London police officers stationed in Scotland for the G8 summit return to London to help with the aftermath of the explosions.
1728: The stand-off at the Stirling camp site ends, with officers allowing people to move freely in and out.
1600: Central Scotland Police say the force will continue to form a security cordon around the eco-campsite in Stirling.
1558: Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrives at the G8 summit at Gleneagles. He will chair a late afternoon session of the world leaders while Tony Blair is in London.
1530: Protesters at the eco-campsite in Stirling try to march as police use loud hailers to warn them they will be arrested if they do not disperse.
1520: First Minister Jack McConnell sends Scotland's condolences to the families of those injured and killed in the London transport network blasts.
1440: Twenty eight people appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court following an unplanned march by G8 protesters who were unable to travel to Gleneagles to protest.
1425: First ScotRail cancels all sleeper services from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen and Fort William to Euston station following the London bombings.
1350: Making a statement to world media, President George Bush said: "The war on terrorism goes on. I was most impressed by the resolve of all the leaders in the room. Their resolve is as strong as my resolve."
1346: A small group of protesters who had approached the summit security fence are escorted peacefully away by police.
1325: Tony Blair leaves Gleneagles in a Chinook helicopter to return briefly to London.
1256: Armed police patrol the streets of Auchterarder following the London bombings.
1250: Police monitoring a campsite in Stirling housing G8 protesters say they have recovered a number of weapons including knives, metal poles and a can of CS spray.
1215: Prime Minister Tony Blair says he will leave the G8 summit at Gleneagles to fly to London to be updated on what is thought to have been multiple terrorist attacks. He will return to Scotland on Thursday evening.
1145: Police withdraw a security cordon around an eco-campsite which is housing about 1,000 G8 protesters in Stirling.
1105: Commanders in charge of policing the G8 summit consider how many specialist officers can be released to assist the emergency operation in London following explosions in the city.
1045: The Crown Office says 342 G8-related arrests have been made since last Friday.
0815: Five anti-war protesters gather at the entrance to an engineering company, Weir Pumps, in Cathcart, Glasgow.
0800: Police wearing their normal soft hats allow people to leave the site one-by-one.
Early hours of the morning: Police throw a security cordon around an eco-campsite housing about 1,000 G8 protesters in Stirling.
Dozens of riot police cut off the site in an effort to avoid a repeat of the violent clashes witnessed on Wednesday.
Tayside Police said only protesters who co-operate with officers would be allowed to leave the campsite. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8968538.stm | England defender Michael Dawson has been ruled out of Tuesday's Euro 2012 qualifier in Switzerland after suffering an injury against Bulgaria.
Tottenham say the 26-year-old will be out for six to eight weeks after spraining his left medial knee ligament and a left ankle ligament in the match.
It rules him out of at least three Champions League group matches and several Premier League games.
England have decided not to call up a replacement for the game in Basle.
That could mean a recall for West Ham defender Matthew Upson alongside Phil Jagielka, though Bolton stopper Gary Cahill acquitted himself well on his international debut after coming off the bench to replace Dawson for the final half an hour against Bulgaria.
Cahill was the first Bolton player to represent England since Michael Ricketts in February 2002 while Jagielka was winning only his fifth cap so Capello could choose to use Upson's experience alongside the Everton man in Basle.
The West Ham captain was left out of both the Bulgaria game and last month's friendly victory over Hungary although he played against both Slovenia and Germany in the World Cup finals in the summer.
First-choice pairing John Terry and Rio Ferdinand are out of the reckoning with hamstring and knee problems respectively.
Dawson's injury is worrying news for Spurs with the transfer window closed, although manager Harry Redknapp said he was relieved to discover the injury was not as severe as first thought.
"First of all, it's a big blow for Michael and a great shame for him," said Redknapp. "But watching it live, I thought it could have been worse than it's turned out.
"It could have been his cruciate ligament and that would have been the end of the season for him but as it is, it's not such a long job and he should be back in a couple of months."
Redknapp believes Dawson's injury has underlined the value of signing veteran defender William Gallas from Arsenal on a free transfer last month.
"Jonathan Woodgate is struggling, Ledley King can't play every game and you also have to remember that Michael had an Achilles injury last season," he said.
"So it was always a position we needed to do something in and that's why we did it [signed Gallas].
"Sebastien Bassong was excellent last season and we've got decent cover in there, players who can come in and do a job, but you also need experience.
"Ledley's got experience, Michael's got experience and now William's experience will be invaluable.
"He'll give us a bit of know-how and a real presence. You don't do what he's done in the game without being a top, top player and he's got all the medals to show for it."
Spurs kick off their Champions League group away to Werder Bremen on 14 September before entertaining Twente on 29 September and then travelling to Inter Milan on 20 October.
If Dawson is out for eight weeks he could also miss the home game with Inter on 2 November, which comes three days after the Premier League trip to Manchester United.
Among the other league matches he will be unavailable for are London derbies at West Ham and Fulham and a home game with Everton. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-12083595 | The most important court trial in modern Russian history has drawn to an end.
It is widely believed that by finding former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business partner Platon Lebedev guilty of embezzlement, the judge has ruled on something much more important than the fate of two defendants.
Many in Russia assumed that the outcome of the trial would foretell the result of the next presidential election in 2012.
According to this theory, an acquittal or even just a lenient sentence would indicate a possibility of incumbent Dmitry Medvedev serving another term.
A harsh sentence meanwhile would mean that his predecessor, current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, is still calling all the shots and is determined to return to the Kremlin.
In his second tenure, liberals hoped, Mr Medvedev would try to get out of his powerful mentor's shadow and shake off some of the KGB-associated legacy that, to a great extent, has shaped the domestic and international policies of Russia in the past decade.
It is thought that Mr Putin's comeback, meanwhile, will entail further tightening of the screws and a prolonged period of enforced "stability" which, in the eyes of his critics, means nothing but all-permeating stagnation and corruption.
To illustrate the point protesters outside the court on Monday were holding two pictures of Mikhail Khodorkovsky: one with Mr Putin and the other with Mr Medvedev.
Mr Khodorkovsky and his partner have been accused of stealing some $25bn (£16bn) worth of oil - or practically all the oil that their company, Yukos, produced in 1998-2000, and all the oil it exported in 2000-03, and then laundering the proceeds.
The prosecution is calling for a sentence of 14 years.
Independent jurists say they find the charge absurd. But plenty of observers said the same thing about many of the charges at the previous trial in 2005.
Last time, Mr Khodorkovsky and Mr Lebedev were found guilty of underpaying billions of dollars in taxes. The figure was so extraordinarily high that on appeal the Moscow city court slashed it six times while bizarrely reducing the length of the prison sentence by one year only - from nine to eight years.
Whatever its legal merit, very few people are prepared to take the new case against Mr Khodorkovsky at face value. Even the worst enemies of the former tycoon are convinced that he is in the dock for something else.
Interestingly, that seems to include Mr Putin himself: in one of his recent interviews the prime minister spoke in support of a lengthy prison sentence for the former billionaire, citing some other alleged crimes that the defendant has never been charged with.
And then, a few weeks later, he restated again that to his mind Khodorkovsky is a proven criminal and "should sit in jail", a statement denounced by critics as interference in the trial.
The hopes of acquittal were raised when President Medvedev seemed to openly contradict the prime minister, publicly stating his view that no official should try to pre-empt the court's decision.
Some commentators went so far as to describe that as "a sensation", signalling "a major crack in the ruling tandem". This assumption has proved to be a gross exaggeration.
Mr Khodorkovsky is not popular with ordinary Russians - they cannot forgive him for getting immensely rich in the 1990s.
But the selectiveness of Russian justice has registered by now - the public has realised that only those "oligarchs" who dare to stand up to the authorities have problems with the law.
Mr Khodorkovsky made a lot of enemies among the ruling elite and his fellow businessmen by insisting early this century on adopting Western standards of transparency for his businesses while the rest continued to cloak their affairs in secrecy.
It is rumoured that he made another fatal mistake by refusing to "share" his huge earnings with the powerful bureaucrats who are used to regular backhanders, something meekly accepted by the Russian business community as a necessary evil.
In other words, Mr Khodorkovsky challenged the very foundations of the oligarchic system, the symbiosis of power and wealth that makes Russia what it is now.
And then, on top of all that, he offered financial support to opposition political parties in order, as he put it, to develop pluralism in the country. And that, probably, was the last straw.
There were hopes that in order to preserve his sound professional reputation judge Viktor Danilkin could go against the grain.
Had he acquitted the defendants, it might have created a powerful precedent greatly encouraging all those who want to see their country change. In the end it did not happen.
It is not easy to break the deeply-rooted Stalinist tradition of seeking to satisfy the nation's rulers while disregarding the facts or intricacies of the law.
Some have even noticed the irony: Russia seems to have returned to the days of second trials that were common in Stalin's days: sending people back behind bars when their release became imminent.
Many see the guilty verdict as a strong indicator of the direction that Russia is going to take.
"This sentence will determine a lot if not everything in the development of our political and social situation as we all desperately need real justice and independent courts," said Leonid Parfenov, one of the most popular Russian television presenters.
To Mr Khodorkovsky himself the ruling apparently did not come as a surprise.
He was seen indifferently reading a book in his glass-and-steel cage while the judge went on reading out the long verdict.
"I am ready to die in jail," he said in his last word to the court in November, while strongly reiterating his innocence.
Not everybody took the verdict as a defeat. Some of the former businessman's supporters believe that such an openly biased trial and verdict will dramatically increase his popularity.
"Khodorkovsky is the name of the next Russian president," said a post on a popular Russian Twitter feed. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38239782 | Tall, bearded and wearing a pained expression, an elderly Saudi man called Jaber stands before the ruins of his family house in the town of Najran, just north of the border with war-torn Yemen.
The whitewashed walls of his house are pockmarked with blast marks and jagged holes gouged by flying shrapnel.
"Yesterday at 5.15 in the afternoon," he told me, "came an explosion from Yemen. My family were sitting just over there," he pointed to an abandoned mattress on the ground.
"Thank God they survived. In this house there are five families living here… There are children and women and old men here. What have they done to deserve this? It is not right."
Shortly after we left, seven more missiles landed in the neighbourhood, injuring several people and reportedly killing two.
Saudi Civil Defence workers say they were fired indiscriminately by Houthi rebels from across the border in Yemen.
How bad is the humanitarian crisis?
Saudi Arabia is at war.
You wouldn't know it on the peaceful streets of its capital, Riyadh, but hundreds of miles to the south the civil war that has torn apart neighbouring Yemen is spilling over the border into Saudi towns and villages.
Saudi officials say more than 500 of their citizens have been killed by the Yemen war, a number dwarfed by the thousands killed in Yemen itself, but still a shock for this otherwise tranquil kingdom that is home to the holiest sites in Islam and is also the world's biggest oil producer.
We visited the ruins of a girls' elementary school in the village of Khawber, hit by a Houthi missile in the middle of the night.
In the shattered classroom the school clock lay on the floor, its hands stopped at the moment the missile exploded.
We met badly injured villagers, maimed by flying shrapnel when a Houthi rocket struck their mosque, and we were given rare access to a Saudi army Patriot anti-missile battery, placed in the desert facing Yemen, that has been intercepting ballistic missiles fired at Saudi Arabia's southern towns.
These Soviet-era missiles are aimed at the towns of Najran, Abha, Gizan, Khamis Mushayt and even, according to the Saudis, at the holy city of Mecca.
These ageing but still deadly Russian-made missiles belong to a stockpile amassed by the Yemeni army over the years and now taken over by the Houthis.
The weapons include Scud B missiles with a payload of nearly one tonne of high explosives, and the smaller Tochka with a payload of 482kg of explosives.
Saudi officers showed us the remnants of a downed Tochka, still bearing Cyrillic writing on its fuselage.
Between 6 June 2015 and 26 November 2016 the Saudi authorities have recorded 37 ballistic missiles fired from Yemen across the border into Saudi airspace.
Yet the damage to Saudi Arabia pales before the destruction next door in Yemen.
The war there started in September 2014 when fighters from a minority group, the Houthis, formed an alliance with the ousted former President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who lent them the support of troops still loyal to him.
The Houthis, who demanded an end to corruption in government and a fairer distribution of power, marched down from their northern mountain stronghold around the town of Saada, took over the capital, Sanaa, dissolved parliament and put the president under house arrest.
Yemen, at the time, was just emerging from the chaos of the Arab Spring, a national dialogue had been completed, a new president chosen and there were high hopes for a peaceful, democratic future.
The country's President, Mansour Hadi, fled for his life to the southern port of Aden where the Houthis bombed him from the air in his palace.
Yemen's legitimate, UN-recognised government, now in exile, appealed for help, and Saudi Arabia, alarmed - at what it saw as a takeover of Yemen by an Iranian proxy - stepped in.
Spearheaded by their newly appointed and then still untested Defence Minister, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the Saudis put together a coalition of mainly Arab countries and began a massive air campaign in March 2015.
They aimed to drive the Houthis back from territory they had seized and restore the legitimate government, backed by UN Security Council Resolution 2216.
This has not worked. Today the Houthis remain in control of much of Yemen and the death toll keeps mounting.
Both sides are accused of recklessly targeting civilians - but the UN has said the majority of casualties have been caused by coalition air strikes, a view disputed by both the Saudis and the Yemeni government.
In a guest palace in Riyadh, where exiled members of the Yemeni government gather, I met Rajhi Badi, their spokesman. He was unequivocal as to where the blame lies.
"There's only one reason for the destruction in Yemen. It's the Houthis and the forces of ex-President Saleh.
"They seized the government's weapons and are using them against Yemeni civilians in built-up areas," Mr Badi said.
But to hear first-hand how the Saudis account for so many civilian deaths, I went to the coalition headquarters in Riyadh to question the Saudi-led command on how they choose their targets, and - more importantly - what measures they take to avoid those civilian casualties.
King Salman Air base is a huge, sprawling, well-guarded base on the edge of Riyadh.
On one of its roundabouts a British-built Tornado jet is mounted, testimony to the multibillion pound ongoing defence sales relationship between Britain and the Royal Saudi Air Force.
Inside the command and control centre there are flags from 11 nations, and uniformed staff and intelligence officers working, from several Arab countries - notably Egypt, the UAE and Jordan, as well as Saudi Arabia.
A dynamic, digital map on the wall display shows the movement of every aircraft on or approaching Yemen.
The coalition has complete air superiority in this war - the Houthis and their backers no longer have an air force.
In a large chamber called the "War Room" a digital chart details the line-up of inbound combat aircraft heading for Yemen.
This is the daily "Air Tasking Order Schedule". It shows which aircraft are in the air, from which country, their callsigns, and their intended targets (e.g. Egypt - F16 - Callsign Viper - Time on target 1600 - Killbox grid etc.).
Senior Saudi officers inside the command and control centre insist that when choosing targets in Yemen the coalition abides by the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) and that every precaution is taken to avoid civilian casualties.
Yet reports from the ground describe schools, hospitals, factories and social gatherings all being hit from the air.
The worst single event was on 8 October 2016 when a double air strike by a coalition warplane hit a packed funeral hall in the capital Sanaa, killing 140 people, mostly civilians.
The Saudi-led coalition has since admitted it was carried out in error and has offered compensation.
I put it to Maj Gen Ahmed Al-Assiri, the coalition spokesman, that both international aid organisations and the UN blame air strikes for 60% of civilian casualties.
He responded by accusing the UN of being effectively spoon-fed false statistics by the Houthi rebels.
"I think it is a wrong number or it is an exaggerated number when they say 60% of the casualties in Yemen are due to the air strikes.
"They are not on the ground, they are just in Sanaa and they write a report which the Houthis are giving to them."
The Saudi officers went to great lengths to insist they comply with international Rules of Engagement (ROE) and the LOAC.
They showed me their "No-Strike List" (NSL) which includes more than 30,000 sites all over Yemen, including refugee camps and hospitals.
They also explained their "Targeting Cycle", a circular chart detailing how air strikes are planned and executed, including a sign-off by a lawyer for every target chosen by the intelligence cell.
"If we plan a target," a senior Saudi intelligence officer told me, "it's going to go through this cycle. If it's close to a mosque or a hospital then we don't hit it."
But I pointed out this is exactly what has been happening, repeatedly, in Yemen, for the past 20 months.
Coalition officers admit there have been some mistakes - but they reminded me that even the US Air Force, with its vast experience, has hit wrong targets in Afghanistan and recently at Deir Az-zour in Syria.
"When you conduct a war in such circumstances," said Maj Gen al-Assiri referring to Yemen, "where the militias melt in with the civilians, it is too difficult.
"Mistakes could happen, and we do what is necessary to protect the civilians. We are here to protect the civilians, we are not here to harm the civilians," he added.
So what is Britain's role exactly in this messy, seemingly unwinnable war in Yemen?
Britain supplies Tornado and Typhoon aircraft and precision-guided munitions to the Saudi government under defence deals concluded before this war began.
Since the air strikes started in March 2015, the UK has sold over £3.3bn ($4.1bn) worth of defence equipment to Saudi Arabia with more planned.
This has prompted some campaigners to suggest that Britain is complicit in the carnage afflicting Yemen.
The British government's position is that Saudi Arabia is an ally and that it supports its UN-backed actions to restore the legitimate Yemeni government to power.
"This is a legitimate request by the Saudis and the coalition to respond to President Hadi and (UNSC) Resolution 2216 in support of the aggression by the Houthis," says the Foreign Office Minister responsible for the Middle East, Tobias Ellwood, MP.
"But mistakes have been made, there's no doubt about that. Attacks have taken place which shouldn't have taken place, hitting targets on the ground, collateral damage taking place. They need to learn from this."
Whitehall says RAF personnel placed inside coalition HQ are not involved in the targeting, that they are there to report back as well as to pass on to the Saudi-led coalition their expertise about best practice in avoiding civilian casualties.
The Saudis told me that their air force "takes its Paveway 4 Collateral Damage Chart from the UK'.
This is an interactive diagram composed of a series of questions that help planners decide whether or not a target is at risk of collateral damage (i.e. hitting civilians).
But regardless of whatever rules are followed in military planning cells in Riyadh, the fact remains that in Yemen, civilians are getting killed and injured by both sides.
The UK government was concerned enough about the funeral bombing in October that the Prime Minister sent the FCO Minister down to Riyadh to press the Saudi and exiled Yemeni governments for a full explanation, which duly followed.
From my several recent visits to Saudi Arabia I get the strong impression that the Saudis never expected the Houthis to hold out as long as they have.
By now, they expected them to have effectively sued for peace, accepted a purely political role in a future Yemeni government and handed over their heavy weapons to the UN.
That still hasn't happened, and for the Saudis this is a red line.
Time and again they have said they will not allow an armed militia, backed by their rival Iran, to hold onto power illegally in Yemen.
Until one side or the other backs down, this war shows no sign of ending. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/england/4938392.stm | England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has chosen his 23 players for the World Cup finals in Germany this summer.
It will be the final tournament for the Swede before he stands down as coach.
England are aiming to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966 and many believe they have the ability to go all the way.
BBC Sport spoke to four former England players - who earned a combined 245 caps between them - to assess Eriksson's squad, while former England coach Graham Taylor gives us his views on the manager.
Click on the tabs at the top of the page to read the profiles of the men hoping to end 40 years of hurt. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7573311.stm | A British man who witnessed the aftermath of the plane crash at Madrid's Barajas airport has said "the whole of the back end of the plane was burnt".
Alan Gemmell, who was on a plane that was landing at the airport just after the accident, said that emergency services were delayed reaching the aircraft because of a burning field of grass.
He said he had heard that the pilot may have got to a certain point taking off, then there was "no going back". |
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-12031154/cornwall-oystermen-voice-fears-for-the-future | Cornwall oystermen fear for future Jump to media player Sailboats have been used to gather oysters in Falmouth Bay in Cornwall for centuries, but fishermen there have warned that plans to dredge the harbour could ruin them.
The most dangerous job in the UK Jump to media player Fishermen in Britain have a one in 20 chance of being killed on the job during the course of their working lives.
Bathers warned over poisonous fish Jump to media player Bathers along Britain's coastline are being warned to be on the look-out for the country's most poisonous fish.
Sailboats have been used to gather oysters in Falmouth Bay in Cornwall for centuries, but fishermen there warn that plans to dredge the harbour could ruin them.
Falmouth Harbour Commission insists that the area must evolve to remain viable and that consultants have assed the environmental impact of the proposed dredging. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10369998 | For thousands of years the way that ultra-orthodox Jewish children are taught has changed little and is based almost entirely on study of the Torah - the Jewish Bible.
But now a group of leading secular Israelis wants to force the ultra-orthodox, or Haredi, education system to modernise and adopt standard subjects like maths, science and English.
The reason, they say, is that thousands of Haredi students are unable or unwilling to participate in wider Israeli society and are becoming an increasing economic burden.
Last week, in ultra-orthodox Jewish neighbourhoods of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, more than 100,000 devoutly religious men took to the streets in protest.
On this occasion the men, clad in the traditional plain black clothing and distinctive headgear of Ashkenazi Jews, were campaigning for the right to educate their children separately from other Israelis - even from other Jews.
Education has become the focus of the many tensions between modern secular and ultra-orthodox Israelis.
A few days ago I was given rare access to the traditional and private world of ultra-orthodox education.
The Kol HaTorah Yeshiva, or religious seminary, in Jerusalem is regarded as one of the finest seats of learning for young ultra-orthodox boys.
In one, huge classroom several hundred boys - huddled together in groups of two or three - argued noisily.
Dressed in black trousers, plain white shirts with black velvet "kippas" or skullcaps, these teenagers were debating passionately - not about politics, history or sociology but about the Talmud - Jewish Bible studies.
It's all they study, day in day out.
About 10% of Israelis are ultra-orthodox, or Haredi - a figure that is growing, partly because they have very large families. One of the teachers at the seminary is Rabbi Yechezekel Koren.
He has 13 children of his own, all following an ultra-orthodox way of life.
The rabbi acknowledges that most of the boys he teaches will never work or participate in "wider" Israeli society - dedicating themselves instead to a life of religious study.
"We try to keep the way we've been doing things for generations - for hundreds, even thousands of years," he says. "It's the same idea of studying the Talmud, an explanation of the Torah. We see the success, the great success and don't want to change a thing."
An hour's drive from the Jerusalem yeshiva, but separated by thousands of years of style and tradition, is the thoroughly modern IDC College in Hertzliya.
It is a mixed campus of young men and women dressed casually and learning together.
Zammi Kobalkin went through the Haredi education system, but found himself totally unable to integrate outside that community.
"I didn't start doing my A,B,Cs until I was 23," says Zammi, who has now joined mainstream education and is a law student at Herzliya, but at the cost of being disowned by his ultra-orthodox family in Jerusalem.
Most Israelis are still educated in a mixed, secular environment. They use lap-top computers and study a wide range of modern subjects.
But the increasing number of ultra-orthodox students, funded by the state, is a dynamic problem that has to be addressed, says Professor Amnon Rubenstein. He is a former minister of education in Israel and now lectures at IDC.
"If you don't teach them maths, English or computing they cannot be integrated into Israeli society," says the professor, who has co-sponsored a petition before the Israeli Supreme Court which would force ultra-orthodox schools to teach some core, secular subjects.
"A growing number of Haredim, who don't know anything about the outside world is a real burden on the economy and wider society," he adds.
Some, less strict Haredi schools, have relented and now teach a few lessons from the wider curriculum. But, sitting studiously beneath pictures of famous rabbis and reading passages from the Torah, most of what they learn is still Bible studies.
The debate over education between secular Israelis and the ultra-orthodox is passionate.
There have been some changes but both communities are still a long way apart. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-45032463 | In this summer of wildfires across Europe, breakthroughs in satellite imaging are helping scientists in Scotland better understand them in real time.
Specialists from Scottish Natural Heritage are using data from orbit to assess damage from wildfires in Skye, Torridon, Rum and Sutherland.
They are using European Space Agency's Copernicus programme, the world's biggest Earth observation mission.
From the summit of Beinn a' Bhragaidh above Golspie in Sutherland, George Granville Leveson-Gower looks down disapprovingly. At least we must imagine he does as he's a statue.
The first Duke of Sutherland - for it is he - is overlooking a mess.
A wildfire has scarred the slopes nearby. It began in July and burned for several days before it could be brought under control.
It's ugly from afar and up close it is even less picturesque.
It is crunchy underfoot - crunchy and black.
Ash and a few charred roots are all that remain of the heather and gorse. Part of a plantation of trees has been burned, or scorched a dead brown.
In some patches the ash is not black but orange, a sign that the soil itself has burned.
Nature is already fighting back. Some green shoots of moor grass are poking through the black. But heather could take more than a decade to recover - if other plant species don't establish themselves first.
Dr Graham Sullivan, uplands adviser with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) surveys the scene.
Animal and plant habitats have been wrecked. And if peat bog burns it's especially bad news for the environment.
"It burns off carbon that's been stored for decades and centuries and thousands of years," he says.
"But it also reduces the ability of the bog to actually sequester more carbon because it burns the plants that are incorporated into the peat and thus store carbon."
So while some wildfires occur in nature they are bad news. But just how bad?
If only there was vantage point from which we could see the full extent of the damage.
As part of the Copernicus earth observation programme of the European Commission and European Space Agency (ESA), two satellites are constantly beaming back data about the state of the land below.
Sentinel-2A and -2B are part of a constellation of Earth observation missions. The pair orbit the Earth 180 degrees apart, so one is always looking at the sunlit face of the planet.
The data they send back means Lachlan Renwick, SNH's geographic information systems manager, can call up to his laptop images of fire damage here in Sutherland and across Scotland.
"And in Scotland we have an issue getting cloud-free imagery.
"The Sentinel imagery is particularly good because we have two satellites and they're coming over on a regular basis.
"We get imagery every two to three days and that's really good. That's a big improvement on what we've had available to us before."
He looks at satellite images of fires on the islands of Skye and Rum.
The true colour shots show how far fires have spread. But he is able to learn more.
The data from orbit is processed to show how much light is reflected at different frequencies. That shows in detail how badly the fire has damaged plants and the soil beneath.
"One of the first steps to understanding things is to quantify them.
"So from that point of view it's useful.
"But it also means that if we're thinking about how we can assist these habitats to recover, having information on severity enables us to target how we might carry out any actions that can help recovery of that vegetation."
Something as seemingly simple as deciding whether and when sheep are allowed to graze will dictate if heather recovers or purple moor grass takes over.
Taking pictures from space is nothing new. But the Copernicus programme offers speed. High quality information can be delivered to habitat specialists and local people within days.
When the clouds don't clear, and a Sentinel won't be back overhead in time, there is a fallback.
That happened when a big area of northern Sutherland burned. SNH needed information faster than the Sentinels could get it. So they called on the Copernicus emergency management service.
That commissioned a Spanish commercial satellite to take a look, the first time that system had been used for Scotland. The result was information that would otherwise have remained invisible until it was too late.
SNH are still in the early stages of using the system.
Lachlan Renwick says it's a game-changer because the Copernicus system can monitor more than just fire damage. The data could be put to other uses they are just beginning to imagine.
And while satellites can't put out fires, it is the first step towards safeguarding the land down here - from up there. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38733131 | Canadian Donna Penner was relaxed at the prospect of abdominal surgery - until she woke up just before the surgeon made his first incision. She describes how she survived the excruciating pain of being operated on while awake.
In 2008, I was booked in for an exploratory laparoscopy at a hospital in my home province of Manitoba in Canada. I was 44 and I had been experiencing heavy bleeding during my periods.
I'd had a general anaesthetic before and I knew I was supposed to have one for this procedure. I'd never had a problem with them, but when we got to the hospital I found myself feeling quite anxious.
During a laparoscopy, the surgeon makes incisions into your abdomen through which they will push instruments so they can take a look around. You have three or four small incisions instead of one big one.
The operation started off well. They moved me on to the operating table and started to do all the normal things that they do - hooking me up to all the monitors and prepping me.
The anaesthesiologist gave me something in an intravenous drip and then he put a mask on my face and said, "Take a deep breath." So I did, and drifted off to sleep like I was supposed to.
When I woke up I could still hear the sounds in the operating room. I could hear the staff banging and clanging and the machines going - the monitors and that kind of thing. I thought, "Oh good, it's over, it's done."
I was lying there feeling a little medicated, but at the same time I was also alert and enjoying that lazy feeling of waking up and feeling completely relaxed.
That changed a few seconds later when I heard the surgeon speak.
They were moving around and doing their things and then all of a sudden I heard him say, "Scalpel please." I just froze. I thought, "What did I just hear?"
There was nothing I could do. I had been given a paralytic, which is a common thing they do when work on the abdomen because it relaxes the abdominal muscles so they don't resist as much when you're cutting through them.
Unfortunately the general anaesthetic hadn't worked, but the paralytic had.
I panicked. I thought this cannot be happening. So I waited for a few seconds, but then I felt him make the first incision. I don't have words to describe the pain - it was horrific.
I could not open my eyes. The first thing that I tried to do was to sit up, but I couldn't move. It felt like somebody was sitting on me, weighing me down.
I wanted to say something, I wanted to move, but I couldn't. I was so paralysed I couldn't even make the tears to cry.
At that point, I could hear my heart-rate on the monitor. It kept going up higher and higher.
I was in a state of sheer terror. I could hear them working on me, I could hear them talking. I felt the surgeon make those incisions and push those instruments through my abdomen.
I felt him moving my organs around as he explored. I heard him say things like, "Look at her appendix, it's really nice and pink, colon looks good, ovary looks good."
I managed to twitch my foot three times to show I was awake. But each time, someone put their hand on it to still it, without verbally acknowledging I had moved.
The operation lasted for about an hour-and-a-half.
To top it all off, because I was paralysed, they had intubated me - put me on a breathing machine - and set the ventilator to breathe seven times a minute. Even though my heart rate was up at 148 beats per minute, that's all I got - those seven breaths a minute. I was suffocating. It felt as though my lungs were on fire.
There was a point when I thought they had finished operating and they were starting to do their final things. That's when I noticed I was able to move my tongue.
I realised that the paralytic was wearing off. I thought, "I'm going to play with the breathing tube that's still in my throat." So I started wiggling it with my tongue to get their attention.
And it worked. I did catch the attention of the anaesthesiologist. But I guess he must have thought I was coming out of the paralytic more than I was because he took the tube and pulled it out of my throat.
I lay there thinking, "Now I'm really in trouble." I'd already said mental goodbyes to my family because I didn't think I was going to pull through. Now I couldn't breathe.
I could hear the nurse yelling at me. She was on one side saying, "Breathe Donna, breathe." But there was nothing I could do.
As she was continuously telling me to breathe, the most amazing thing happened. I had an out-of-body experience and left my body.
I'm of Christian faith and I can't say I went to heaven, but I wasn't on Earth either. I knew I was somewhere else. It was quiet. The sounds of the operating room were in the background, I could still hear them. But it sounded as though they were very, very far away.
The fear was gone, the pain was gone. I felt warm, I felt comforted and I felt safe. And instinctively I knew I was not alone. There was a presence with me. I always say that was God with me because there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that he was there beside me. And then I heard a voice saying, "Whatever happens, you're going to be OK."
At that point I knew that if I lived or died, it would be just fine. I had been praying throughout the whole thing to keep my mind occupied, singing to myself and thinking of my husband and my children. But when this presence was with me, I thought, "Please let me die because I can't do this any more."
But just as quickly as I went there, I was back. In the time it takes to snap your fingers I was back in my body in the operating room again. I could still hear them working on me and the nurses yelling, "Breathe Donna."
All of a sudden the anaesthesiologist said, "Bag her!" They put a mask on my face and used a manual resuscitator to force air into my lungs.
As soon as they did, the burning sensation I'd had in my lungs left. It was huge relief. I started to breathe again. At that point, the anaesthesiologist gave me something to counteract the paralytic. It didn't take long before I was able to start talking.
Later, as I recovered from the ordeal, the surgeon came into my room, grabbed my hand with both of his and said, "I understand there were some problems, Mrs Penner."
I said to him, "I was awake, I felt you cutting me." His eyes filled with tears as he grabbed on to my hands and said, "I am so sorry."
I started telling him the different things that I had heard him say - the comments he had made about my appendix and my internal organs. He kept saying, "Yes I said that, I said that."
I said, "Have you noticed that I have not asked you what the diagnosis was?'" And he looked at me for a moment and said, "You already know, don't you?" And I said, "Yes I do," and I told him what my diagnosis was.
It's now nine years since I woke up during surgery. I have since pursued a legal claim against the hospital which was resolved.
Immediately after the operation I was referred to a therapist because I was so traumatised. I didn't even have a clue what day of the week it was on my first appointment. I was pretty messed up. It definitely takes its toll on a person.
But talking about it has helped. After time, I was able to tell my story.
I have done a lot of research into anaesthesia awareness. I contacted the University of Manitoba's anaesthesiology department and have spoken to the residents a couple of times now. They are usually horrified by my story. There are usually quite a few who have tears in their eyes when I'm speaking to them.
My story is not to lay blame or to point fingers. I want people to understand that this thing can happen and does happen. I want to raise awareness, and help something good come out of this awful experience. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-37367740 | Doctors at a Bangor hospital say there has been a big drop in the number of diabetic people having legs or feet amputated.
Ysbyty Gwynedd's 2015 figure was 1.4 major amputations per 100,000 people.
Staff said better co-ordination between medical and nursing staff has helped them to act quicker.
Having feet, toes or fingers amputated is a known risk for people with diabetes because they often lose sensation in their limbs.
Media captionJenny Glover had her foot saved at Ysbyty Gwynedd - and says she "owes the medical team everything"
Professor Dean Williams said losing a leg was a major issue for body esteem and independence.
He said: "The other limb's under threat as well, as it suffers greater stresses and strains, so there are lots of reasons to keep a limb attached to a person wherever possible.
"I find amputating limbs is always very disappointing - I feel like I've somehow failed. Sometimes you have to do it.
"But to get people back from the brink of losing limbs, or sometimes even life, and get them back to a real good quality of life is a real thrill." |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-33222486 | Watercolours and drawings by Adolf Hitler have fetched £286,000 (400,000 euros) at a German auction.
A painting of Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria fetched the highest price at Saturday's sale, selling to a Chinese buyer for £71,000 (100,000 euros).
A still-life of carnations, signed A Hitler, fetched £52,000 (72,000 euros) at the Nuremberg event.
Last year the same auction house sold a watercolour painted by Hitler in 1914 for £93,000 (129,000 euros).
The auction was organised by Weidler Auctioneers of Nuremberg, which said bidders included private investors from Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, France and Germany. It did not identify the buyers or the sellers.
Although Hitler is considered a mediocre artist, his artworks command high prices when they go under the hammer.
Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reports that Hitler paintings can be sold under German law provided they do not display any Nazi symbols.
FAZ said these were believed to be by Hitler - and most were signed "A Hitler". But it cautioned that "countless forgeries [of Hitler paintings] exist".
The future dictator sought admission to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in the 1900s but was rejected twice.
He went on to become Germany's military and political leader from 1933 to 1945, launching World War Two and causing the deaths of millions. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/derbyshire/3079268.stm | A new £333m hospital has been approved for Derbyshire after a deal was struck for one of the largest private finance initiative (PFI) contracts in the UK.
Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has signed a contract with the Skanska Innisfree consortium for the hospital in Derby.
The hospital, which will be built and maintained by the private partners, will have 1,159 acute beds and 35 operating theatres.
The new hospital will be located on the existing Derby City General Hospital site, and around 25% of the development will incorporate existing buildings.
The additional facilities will contribute enormously towards increasing capacity and reducing waiting times for operations and other procedures, a trust spokeswoman said.
Brian Ibell, project director, said: "It is the quickest NHS PFI deal agreed so far, having taken only 12 months from the final bidder stage to actually signing the contracts."
Plans for the new hospital involve transferring most of the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary's services to the new site and constructing a new medical school.
The overall contract covers the provision of a comprehensive range of non-clinical services throughout a 40-year period, including services such as portering, catering, cleaning, laundry and linen, as well as maintaining the building.
The contract also includes the cost of utilities such as gas, water and electricity.
Julie Acred, the trust's chief executive, said: "Ultimately, we will be getting a state-of-the-art hospital where we will be able to provide all of our services on one site, which will make life infinitely easier and better for patients, staff and visitors alike."
Work on the project begins later this month and will take five years to complete. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6913918.stm | The digital divide in Britain is still pronounced despite growing intensity of internet use, a survey has suggested.
The Oxford Internet Survey (OxIS) found that with two-thirds of Britons online, the poor, the old and the less educated are still losing out.
Meanwhile, the way young people use the internet is changing rapidly, with mobile access and social networking growing in popularity.
But few people create their own content or use the net for social activism.
The Oxford Internet Survey is one of the most comprehensive looks at the pattern of internet use in Britain, which it has tracked since 2003.
The survey found 67% of the population were current internet users in 2007, up from 59% in 2003.
One of its most striking findings is that there is still a huge gap between age groups.
Internet use falls off sharply after the age of 55 and among people who have retired. Only 31% of retired people use the internet, compared with 81% of those in work and 97% of students, a pattern which has persisted since 2003.
There is also a persistent but smaller gender gap, with 5% fewer women going online.
And low income and lack of education are still big barriers to internet use.
Just over half of those who lack further education are online, as opposed to 90% with a university education.
Among those with household incomes below £12,500 only 39% use the internet.
Professor Bill Dutton, director of the survey, told the BBC that the digital divide was now as much about choice as lack of access.
He said that the government needed to tackle attitudes among older people as well as providing more resources for poorer households to go online.
And he says that as the internet is an "experiential technology", older people will only "get" the internet when they actually use it.
In contrast, those who are online are using the internet more intensely than ever.
There has been a big increase in the use of broadband, with 85% using high-speed connections, compared with just 19% four years ago - and the report predicts that dial-up could virtually disappear in the next few years.
Mobile internet use has also seen a sharp increase, with 29% having wi-fi wireless access, compared with just 1% four years ago, and 21% accessing the internet on a mobile phone or PDA, up from 5% four years ago.
Households which access the internet are far more likely to use other types of digital equipment, such as digital cameras, MP3 players, and mobile phones.
Retired people, who use the internet less than any other group, are also less likely to use other digital devices.
One of the fastest growing uses of the internet is for social networking.
OxIS finds that 42% of students have created a profile on a social networking site such as Facebook or MySpace, but just 15% of the employed and 2% of retired people.
One in four internet users has met a friend online that they did not know before using the internet - and half of those have met them in person.
Perhaps surprisingly, it is older people and the retired who are most likely to meet online friends in person - and men rather than women who do more social networking.
And e-mail and internet messaging are still by far the most dominant means of online communication.
The number of people who upload content of their own, rather than read that of others, is still small.
Only 16% of internet users have tried to set up a website for personal use - and the proportion is unchanged since the last survey in 2005.
Even within that group, a substantial proportion update such sites very infrequently, according to Ellen Helsper, senior researcher on the Oxford survey.
The only online creative activity that has shown an increase has been people posting pictures on the internet through the use of such sites as Flickr.
Students are twice as likely as others to create content online.
And only one in 10 internet users have taken part in political activities online, such as signing an online petition - with the older age groups being the most likely to engage in civic activism, both online and offline.
The way people use the web has changed dramatically over the past few years.
There has been an enormous increase in the use of search engines such as Google to find information - with 57% mainly using search engines, compared with just 19% in 2005.
For internet users, the web is now a more trusted source of information than television - and the amount of television they watch has declined.
Web users would turn first to the internet to find out a wide range of information, from planning a trip to finding a local school to comparing prices of products they want to buy.
There has also been a big increase in looking for information about health online.
Online banking and bill-paying, and checking investments online, have all increased in popularity, as has confidence in buying products online.
One in three users read an online newspaper or news service - and for half it is different from the one they read offline.
But the use of the internet for entertainment - such as downloading music or videos - has stayed steady since the last survey in 2005.
According to Bill Dutton, the internet continues to be a "transformative" technology, changing what we know, how we know it, and who we know in profound ways.
The Oxford internet survey interviewed 2,305 people aged 14 years and older in 175 enumeration districts in England, Wales and Scotland. Of these, 1,578 were internet users. Previous surveys, asking similar questions, were carried out in 2003 and 2005. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-45489234/parental-alienation-not-seeing-my-children-is-a-living-hell | 'Not seeing my children is a living hell' Jump to media player Social workers who look after children's interests in the family courts are being given new guidelines to help in cases where a child refuses to see a parent.
Extra time off for first school run Jump to media player An increasing number of companies are giving workers an extra day of paid leave.
'My son was illegally adopted' Jump to media player Decades after giving birth, Tressa Reeves found out her son was given to childless parents.
Missing for 30 years, but could this soldier be alive? Jump to media player Soviet soldier Igor Bilokurov went missing in Afghanistan in 1988 - his family think he has been found.
Is marriage a matter of head or heart? Jump to media player Baroness Shackleton says pupils should learn that marriage is a "practical arrangement".
Social workers who look after children's interests in the family courts are being given new guidelines this autumn, to help in cases where a child refuses to see a parent.
This is 'Anna's' story, voiced by an actress. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-47628179 | A recall petition has been opened in Peterborough to decide whether MP Fiona Onasanya will keep her seat.
The petition will be available for constituents to sign over the next six weeks, closing at 17:00 BST on 1 May.
Ms Onasanya, 35, was jailed for three months in January for perverting the course of justice after lying about a speeding offence.
She will face a by-election if 10% of her constituents - about 7,000 people - sign the petition.
The process began on 5 March when Peterborough City Council received a letter from the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, giving them 10 days to put the petition in place.
It is available to sign in 10 different venues across the city - but only by eligible Peterborough constituents.
Ms Onasanya was dismissed from the Labour Party in December and remains an independent MP.
In a YouTube video posted on Monday, she protested her innocence and vowed to be a "voice of change in Parliament".
Gillian Beasley, chief executive of Peterborough City Council, described organising the petition as "a massive operation".
She said 13,000 postal signing papers had been issued, and 57,000 letters sent to constituents informing them of the process.
"It's something we've never done before; we've spent a lot of time putting together a project plan, we've sent out letters and set up signing places," she said.
Signatures will be counted at the end of the six-week period, and the total figure returned to the Speaker, who will then approve publication of the results.
It is the first time a recall petition has been held in England since the Recall of MPs Act - allowing voters to formally remove their MP - came into force in 2016.
Last September, North Antrim MP Ian Paisley survived a recall petition after he failed to declare two holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan government. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15407589 | David Cameron's former press secretary George Eustice, now a Tory MP, has accused the government of handling the build-up to Monday's Commons debate on an EU referendum "very, very badly".
The Conservatives, the Lib Dems and Labour will all ask their MPs to oppose the motion calling for a referendum to be held on UK membership of the EU.
But Mr Eustice, who has tabled an amendment, says he may rebel.
More than 85 of his fellow Tory MPs could also rebel, it is understood.
The government would not be bound by the result of the vote, based on a motion by Tory MP David Nuttall, but it could prove politically tricky for the Conservative leadership.
Conservative MPs are expected to face a three-line whip - not yet confirmed - which would require any in government jobs to follow the party line and vote against the motion or to resign their posts.
One MP, Stewart Jackson, has already said he intends to vote for the motion even if it costs him his job as a parliamentary private secretary, saying: "Some things are more important than party preferment."
Mr Nuttall's motion calls for a referendum by May 2013 and says the public should have three options put to them in the nationwide vote - keeping the status quo, leaving the EU or reforming the terms of the UK's membership of the European Union.
Mr Eustice is calling on colleagues to back his amendment which would delay a referendum until the UK had renegotiated its position in the EU.
In what is being seen as an attempt to broker a compromise, he is urging the government to return certain powers from the EU to Westminster before putting the issue to the public.
Speaking to BBC Radio Cornwall, he said: "The truth is most frontbenchers agree with the backbenchers, they are being put in an incredibly difficult position by the government.
"I think the government has handled it very, very badly and have escalated this into a conflict that was entirely unnecessary."
He said if the government did not support his amendment, he was "minded" to support the motion.
"It is not perfect... but I would find it difficult to support the government on this given the way it has been handled," he added.
The Conservatives have form when it comes to tying themselves in knots over Europe. Is it happening again?
"It certainly is," he told the BBC. "I think the government has handled it very, very badly and have escalated this into a conflict that was entirely unnecessary."
It would appear the gently sizzling barbecue of euroscepticism within the ranks of the parliamentary Conservative party has had a few barrels of accelerant poured on it by Downing Street.
By demanding their MPs vote against a referendum, the whole issue has been cranked up. A "tactically foolish" move, veteran eurosceptic Lord Tebbit told me.
Many though emphasise Monday's vote is a sideshow.
The real story, they say, is the crisis in the eurozone.
But with a growing expectation that that crisis could lead to substantially deeper integration amongst those countries that use the euro, that in itself could fundamentally alter the UK's relationship with Brussels.
So the debate won't be over even when all the votes are counted on Monday evening.
Secretary of the Conservative backbench 1922 committee Mark Pritchard - who has said he is willing to defy a three-line whip if necessary - said from discussions held, he believed the number of Tory rebels could exceed 85 if the amendments were not selected.
"The government should think again and allow a one-line whip," he said.
However, the prime minister's spokesman has indicated the government will not back Mr Eustice's amendment, nor a second one tabled by fellow Conservative, Richard Harrington.
He said neither were "in line with government policy".
In the coalition agreement, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems, a traditionally pro-European party, agreed to "ensure that the British government is a positive participant in the European Union, playing a strong and positive role with our partners".
On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said it was the worst time for a debate about Britain leaving the EU as a "firestorm" engulfs the eurozone.
"This, it seems to me, would be the worst time to have some sort of arcane, institutional debate about what might happen in the European Union in many, many years to come.
"We have a firestorm to deal with right now, that's what we should be focusing on, not spending our time focusing on debates which I think many, many families will think looks a bit academic."
Labour leader Ed Miliband has said the prospect of a referendum would create further "economic uncertainty" and urged David Cameron to "show leadership" rather than make concessions to his backbenchers.
"It (a referendum) is not the right thing for Britain," he said. "It is not the right thing for jobs. It is not the right thing for growth."
Mr Miliband's stance has been criticised by Labour MP Graham Stringer who said backbenchers should be free to vote in any way as the debate had been organised by the Commons backbench business committee rather than the government or the opposition leadership.
Mr Stringer, who says he will vote for the motion, accused all three party leaders of making a "mistake" at a time when the public were "clearly aching for a say on Europe".
And the UK Independence Party, which campaigns for the UK to leave the EU, said the Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem leaders were "out of step" with the British public and were setting their MPs on "a collision course with the electorate".
The debate was brought forward by three days to allow Mr Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague to attend. They were both due to miss the original date on 27 October because of a trip to Australia for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8271692.stm | Fourteen African heads of state are due to launch a scheme aimed at ridding the continent of almost all malaria-related deaths within six years.
More than $3bn (£1.8bn) has already been raised to fund the project.
The money will pay for the distribution of 240 million insecticide-treated bed nets throughout sub-Saharan Africa by the end of next year.
Malaria accounts for a quarter of all deaths of children under five years old in Africa.
Rwanda is one of the countries involved in the new scheme, and Health Minister Richard Sezeibera admitted the disease posed a huge challenge.
"Malaria stills kills more people in Africa than HIV/Aids and tuberculosis combined... we need more funds to fight it," he told the BBC's Network Africa.
But he said a lot of progress had been made in fighting the disease - and that politicians had helped the process.
"There's been a lot of mobilisation by political leaders and this has brought results on the ground," he said.
"So this launch will certainly add momentum and impetus to what is already happening on the ground in Africa."
The leaders will announced the new body - African Leaders Malaria Alliance (Alma) - on the sidelines of the UN summit in New York. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45271764 | Letting agents are discriminating against tenants on housing benefit, an undercover investigation has found.
Shelter and the National Housing Federation found one in 10 agents in England refused to let to those on the benefit.
The undercover investigation found the policy was enforced even if tenants could afford the rent.
Stephen Tyler told the BBC that housing benefit discrimination had forced him to sleep in his car.
The wheelchair user told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme: "We have been trying to find accommodation since we were evicted from our last property when we asked for adaptations to be made for wheelchair access.
"I phone anything up to 20 landlords, estate agents, a day and none of them will accept DSS (tenants on Department of Social Security housing benefits)."
The Birmingham resident said he had approached his council as well as housing associations, but "no one wants to help at all".
A spokesman for Mr Tyler's local council, Birmingham City, said it had offered him "suitable alternative accommodation". It added: "While this is far from an ideal situation, and is no doubt distressing for Mr Tyler and his family, unfortunately we are faced with a national housing crisis that is affecting an unprecedented number of families across the region."
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: "This ugly undercurrent of discrimination is wreaking havoc on hundreds of thousands of people's lives. 'No DSS' is an outdated and outrageous example of blatant prejudice."
The investigation into 149 regional letting agent branches found five of England's leading letting agents were discriminating against tenants on housing benefit, with Haart was the worst offender..
Mystery shoppers, deployed by the charities, had encountered a ban on housing benefit tenants in eight out of 25 Haart branches.
A spokesman for Haart said: "It is not our policy to refuse housing benefit tenants - anyone who passes referencing checks is able to rent properties listed with our branches. We do regularly arrange tenancies for those claiming housing benefits and currently have 112 tenancies where this is the case.
"This research has brought to light that some of our branches are misinformed and we are working to ensure that this policy is being followed across our network. We are sorry for any occasion where this has not been the case."
Others named as having individual branch policies not to accept people on housing benefit were Bridgfords (two out of 25 branches visited), Dexters (two out of 25), Fox & Sons (two out of 24) and Your Move (one out of 25).
Almost half of all branches called during the investigation said they had no suitable homes or landlords willing to let to someone on housing benefit, the report said.
The report claims that a shortfall in social housing means that an estimated 1.64 million adults rely on housing benefit to help cover private rents.
It said the majority were women, and especially single mothers with childcare responsibilities, while people who receive disability benefits were three times more likely to need a housing benefit top-up.
David Cox, chief executive of letting agents' body Arla Propertymark, said: "Rents are paid in advance, whereas housing benefit is paid in arrears, and therefore with such a shortage of rental accommodation, landlords and agents will naturally choose a tenant who can pay the rent when it is due, rather than a tenant who is always a month in arrears.
"We have called on government time and time again to resolve this problem. But our calls have fallen on deaf ears.
A Ministry of Housing spokesman said those on housing benefit who felt discriminated against could complain to redress schemes, which all letting and managing agent must be part of by law.
He added: "We are determined to tackle stigma in social housing and the private rented sector. Just last week we published our Social Housing Green Paper setting out our plans to rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords." |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15181547 | Europe's stronger economies should avoid imposing drastic budget cuts at the expense of growth, a report by the International Monetary Fund has said.
If things worsen in the UK, Germany or France, they should "consider delaying" cuts, because they can borrow "at historically low" interest rates.
The IMF also warned that a recession in Europe in 2012 could not be ruled out.
Separately, a Markit PMI study said the eurozone's service sector shrank for the first time in two years last month.
The IMF's warning came in its latest 100-page report on the economic outlook for Europe.
"Finding a durable solution to the euro area sovereign crisis has become more than overdue," the IMF said in its report.
"(This) will require some difficult decisions to improve crisis management and a demonstration of unity behind the project of economic and monetary union that will convince markets.
"The pursuit of nominal deficit targets should not come at the expense of risking a widespread contraction in economic activity," the IMF said.
"If (economic) activity were to undershoot current expectations and risk a period of stagnation or contraction, countries that face historically low yields (for example, Germany and the UK) should also consider delaying some of their planned consolidation."
The IMF's Europe director, Antonio Borges, said that Europe had edged closer to recession. "We still predict growth in 2012, but very modest," he said.
But if economies go into reverse "all those countries with fiscal leeway might want to consider" changes in fiscal policy, he said.
The weakness of the eurozone's economic recovery was underlined in data from the latest Markit/CIPS Services Purchasing Managers' Index.
For September, the index fell to 48.8, from 51.5 in August, its lowest reading since July 2009. A reading below 50 indicates contraction.
Markit said that a service sector downturn that began in smaller members of the 17-nation eurozone had spread throughout the bloc.
"The malaise is spreading to the core, where surging rates of expansion earlier in the year have turned rapidly into contraction in Germany and only very modest growth in France," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7852900.stm | Rail unions have urged the government to stop train companies from cutting jobs to save money in the downturn.
The three main rail unions warn the industry is being "vandalised" and want ministers to impose a moratorium on job losses and a freeze on dividends.
They say the profits should be used to invest in jobs and services.
South West Trains and Southeastern, who run some of the busiest commuter services into London, have announced hundreds of job cuts in recent weeks.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT), Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Aslef, representing more than 100,000 workers, have joined forces to call on the government to exercise its financial control over the industry.
In a letter to Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon, they said it was "astonishing" rail firms had announced widespread job losses even though companies were heavily dependent on taxpayer subsidies.
Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, said: "Britain's railways are a core industry that is too valuable to the economy and the environment to allow it to be vandalised for selfish short-term interests.
"The government has pledged to fight the recession with investment in public projects and it should not allow itself to be used to subsidise redundancies in a key service whose purse strings it controls."
Gerry Doherty, leader of the TSSA, said: "Passengers paid through the nose to ensure record profits for the rail companies during the boom.
"Now they want passengers and staff to pay for the bust with worse services and few jobs."
Aslef general secretary Keith Norman said plans by Network Rail to reduce spending on track renewals and maintenance threatened to jeopardise the safety of the rail network.
"To play with passenger safety in such a way is nothing short of blackmail, but the government has the power to stop these cuts and it should do so."
The unions said they had clear indications essential renewal work on the railways was being deferred to make short-term efficiency savings.
The unions warned cuts in rail maintenance could lead to another rail accident.
A Network Rail spokesman said it would never "compromise on safety" and to suggest otherwise was "scaremongering".
"Over the next five years we will be investing around £4bn on an intensive renewals programme to improve the railway," he said.
"To get value for money we have looked at all track renewal work for next year and deferred some work, but only where safety and performance would not be compromised." |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-24494410 | The Manx government has welcomed a gambling tournament which is expected to attract "hundreds" of poker tourists to the island this month.
The main festival event, which will be held at the Villa Marina in Douglas, carries a of prize of £500,000.
The tournament will be hosted by e-gaming firm, PokerStars, which moved its headquarters to the island in 2005.
Head of Isle of Man tourism, Angela Byrne said: "The event will give us a welcome boost for our visitor numbers."
She added: "I believe there could be as many as three to four hundred people coming over for the event and we know the island will give them a warm welcome. That's one of the things we are really well known for."
PokerStars said in addition to the main event there will also be a Manx charity fundraising evening and a job fair showcasing e-gaming employment opportunities.
Head of the Sefton hotel group, Adrian Brockhouse said it could become a permanent feature if it's successful.
"It would boost tourism for the island during what is traditionally a quiet time," he continued.
"Recent changes to gambling legislation allows the Palace Casino to hold a Temporary Premises Certificate, which means we can temporarily licence a venue for gaming activities, such as poker."
The Isle of Man poker event is part of the UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) and will take place between 30 October and 4 November. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26413101 | Media captionTiffany Corlis: "The snake certainly knew what it was doing"
A snake has won a lengthy battle with a crocodile in northern Queensland, wrestling it, constricting it and then finally eating it.
The incident at Lake Moondarra, near Mount Isa, was captured on camera by local residents on Sunday.
The 10-ft snake, thought to be a python, coiled itself around the crocodile and the two struggled in the water.
The snake later brought the dead crocodile onto land and ate it.
Tiffany Corlis, a local author, saw the fight and took these pictures, which have been widely used in the Australian media.
"It was amazing," she told the BBC. "We saw the snake fighting with the crocodile - it would roll the crocodile around to get a better grip, and coil its body around the crocodile's legs to hold it tight."
"The fight began in the water - the crocodile was trying to hold its head out of the water at one time, and the snake was constricting it."
"After the crocodile had died, the snake uncoiled itself, came around to the front, and started to eat the crocodile, face-first," she added.
Ms Corlis said it appeared to take the snake around 15 minutes to eat the crocodile.
The snake was "definitely very full," when it finished, she said. "I don't know where it went after that - we all left, thinking we didn't want to stick around!"
Another witness, Alyce Rosenthal, told local media that the two creatures fought for about five hours. By the end, they appeared exhausted, she said.
"It's not something that you see every day," she said.
Pythons kill their prey by tightening their coils around the animal as it breathes out.
This can cause the animal to suffocate or suffer heart failure, allowing the python to swallow its prey whole. Many snakes have flexible jaws that enable them to swallow prey many times their own body size.
A 2012 study published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters suggested that snakes could sense their victim's heartbeat, and let go when it stopped, preventing it from using more energy than required.
The Australian state of Queensland is home to some of the world's most dangerous snakes, as well as saltwater crocodiles.
Who, What, Why: How does a snake eat a crocodile? |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39252192 | Prime ministers usually like to be linked to new schools, but Japan's Shinzo Abe can't get far enough from one that's mired in a scandal about nationalism, toddlers and land deals that has seen his approval ratings tumble and raised questions over his wife's role.
It begins on a piece of derelict land close to the airport, in the Toyonaka area of Osaka.
In February, local media reported that a nationalist educational body called Moritomo Gakuen bought this land for a new primary school from the transport ministry at a suspiciously low price.
It certainly got a very good deal, paying less than a sixth of the land's value. But the finance ministry says this was because after buying a 10-year lease with a commitment to purchase, industrial waste was found on the site and the estimated clean-up costs were deducted from the sale price.
Opposition lawmakers and some media commentators allege that the government - or even elements close to the prime minister - may have pressured officials to award the school a disproportionately large discount.
Mr Abe has strenuously denied this and even said he would resign if anybody could prove he had been involved.
Why is the school so controversial?
Many schools in Japan are government-run and some are operated by private organisations just like Moritomo Gakuen - but this one is known for its unusually patriotic educational style based on Shintoism, the animist religion of Japan.
And the credentials of Moritomo Gakuen are now under scrutiny.
The group already runs the Tsukamoto kindergarten in Osaka on nationalistic principles, which is a rare and controversial move in post-war Japan.
Reports have surface about the way the kindergarten drills its young charges in pre-war practices long abandoned by the rest of Japan's school system.
They bow to images of the emperor, stamp their feet to military songs and recite the 1890's Imperial Rescript on Education, commanding them to filial piety, brotherhood and self-sacrifice.
"Should emergencies arise, offer yourselves courageously to the state," the tiny foot-soldiers of patriotism call out in school assemblies.
The kindergarten is also being investigated for alleged hate-speech after sending notes to parents using an abusive term for Chinese people and accusing Korean and Chinese residents (many of them in Japan for generations) of having "wicked ideas". Japanese people with the "spirits" of foreigners were also to blame for Japan's ills, it wrote in one letter.
Why is Mr Abe's name even coming up?
The new school that Moritomo Gakuen was going to build on the controversial land was called the Abe Shinzo Memorial Primary School.
Mr Abe's wife, Akie Abe, was listed as the "honorary principal" on the website of the school that was to be built on the land.
Mr Abe says he protested when he found out that the school had been fundraising in his name. Mrs Abe says she only reluctantly accepted this role after she had been publically named without consultation.
The prime minister has also denied detailed knowledge of the school's nationalist curriculum.
"Of course I don't want the kids to root for me like that, and I don't think it's an appropriate thing for them to say," he said in response to questions in Japan's parliament.
Either way, the school has now withdrawn its planning application and officials in Osaka say they have more questions about the deal.
But there is a further link.
Yasunori Kagoike, former principal of the kindergarten and head of Moritomo Gakuen, is a governing board member of the Osaka branch of Nippon Kaigi, a nationalist lobby group that extols Japanese pre-war values and opposes its pacifist constitution.
Mr Abe and his cabinet also have close links to the Nippon Kaigi, which has also criticised Mr Kagoike in this matter. Lawmakers are calling for Mr Kagoike to appear in parliament for questioning.
So how is this being seen in Japan?
Government finance scandals not uncommon, but stories of toddlers being marched to martial music have shocked many people.
There is a fierce debate in Japan over the extent to which revisionist textbooks and teaching should be part of curricula.
In this instance, the bald racism of the letters to kindergarten parents combined with a murky land deal runs the risk of seriously undermining Mr Abe's reputation.
Mr Abe's poll numbers continue to slide, with Kyodo news agency reporting a six-point drop to 55.7% in the last month, and almost three-quarters of respondents calling for Mr Kagoike to answer questions in parliament.
Another online survey suggested support had slipped to 36.1% from 63.7% in just a week.
Can education change Japan's 'depressed' generation? |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18248694 | Three senior Syrian diplomats are to be expelled, the Foreign Office has confirmed.
Others including France, Germany and Australia are also expelling diplomats in a coordinated protest against the killing of civilians.
The UN has said most of the 108 civilians killed in Syria's Houla region on Friday, including 49 children, were "executed".
The Syrian Ambassador left the UK earlier this year for health reasons.
The diplomats being expelled are the head of mission in the London embassy and two other senior figures.
The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall said the Foreign Office wanted to send a stark message to the Syrian government in the wake of the Houla killings that it can not expect to act with impunity.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Syrian charge d'affaires, the most senior official left in the UK, had been asked to leave the country within seven days.
"Other Syrian diplomats, two other diplomats, will be expelled at the same time," he added. "Our allies and partners around the world will be taking similar action.
"Of course we will seek other ways to increase the pressure - we are discussing in the EU a further tightening of sanctions."
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United States, Canada and Australia are among other countries also asking Syrian officials to leave.
The expulsions "expressed our horror at the behaviour" of the Syrian government, Mr Hague added.
"We are increasing the pressure on the Assad regime and getting the message across that the international community is appalled by the murder of so many innocent people.
"Time will run out for the Annan plan and they (the Syrian regime) need to make a choice of what they are going to do."
Labour said they supported the expulsions as a way of "expressing the revulsion widely felt here and abroad about the Assad regime's conduct".
But shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexanader added: "The actions so far agreed by the international community since the massacre last weekend have alas not yet matched the seriousness of the situation."
The diplomatic action came as UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.
According to Syrian state television, President Assad told Mr Annan that terrorists had stepped up their operations across Syria, including killing and kidnapping.
The UK has said the Syrian authorities must implement Mr Annan's plan which calls - among other things - for an end to violence by all sides, the freeing of political detainees and for aid agencies to be given access to Houla and other areas. |
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-47773936 | A man who called police to say "I have tried to kill my wife" after stabbing her 10 times has been jailed.
William Morris, 51, "lost it" in an argument at his home in Willingham, Cambridgeshire, on 24 November, Peterborough Crown Court heard.
Police said that when he answered the door and was arrested Morris said: "I can't believe what I've done".
Morris, of Pyrethrum Way, was jailed for 13 years and four months after admitting attempted murder.
Police said Morris called officers at 00:34 GMT and said: "I have tried to kill my wife, I tried to stab her".
He said his wife was bleeding heavily and the knives he had attacked her with were still in the kitchen.
At the police station he gave a "no comment" interview, but admitted the charge on 28 February.
Det Con Karen Lunn said that: "No-one should ever have to endure what the victim did that day.
"Her life has been changed irreparably but I hope she is now able to gain some closure and move on with her life as best she can."
An indefinite restraining order has also been made. |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15078419 | A financial trader who appeared on the BBC and said he dreamed of making money from another recession was not a hoaxer, the broadcaster has said.
Users of Twitter have cast doubt on Alessio Rastani's credentials.
But the BBC said: "We've carried out detailed investigations and can't find any evidence to suggest that the interview... was a hoax."
On his website Mr Rastani says he is "an experienced stock market and forex trader and professional speaker".
In a live interview, broadcast on the BBC News Channel on Monday, Mr Rastani said: "For most traders, we don't really care that much how they're going to fix the economy, how they're going to fix the whole situation - our job is to make money from it.
He then added: "The governments don't rule the world. [Investment bank] Goldman Sachs rules the world. Goldman Sachs does not care about this rescue package, neither does the big funds."
After Twitter speculation that he was a member of hoaxers The Yes Men, the BBC press office made enquiries and concluded: "He is an independent market trader and one of a range of voices we've had on air to talk about the recession."
The Yes Men said Mr Rastani was not connected with the group. However, The Yes Men's Mike Bonanno said Mr Rastani's comments were suspicious.
He told the BBC: "People in power don't speak that way. But who cares if he is or is not real. What we should be paying attention to is our own surprise at hearing his words."
Mr Bonanno said that "real industry insiders ... usually remain silent about the way the system works".
"They obscure their actions with technical jargon and deceit. They have to, because when people find out what is going on - when it is spoken in plain language - there is widespread outrage." |
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41502783 | Media captionAshraf Ghani: "Now in terms of management and leadership things are really falling into place"
President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan makes no bones about the challenges facing his country when we sit down for an exclusive BBC interview in his palace in Kabul.
"This is the worst job on Earth," he tells me.
And it is true there are no shortage of tough issues facing Afghanistan. The most obvious is security. His country has been at war for almost 16 years now. Yet the Afghan president is surprisingly bullish about how long the country will continue to require the support of Nato.
Nato troops, he says, will be able to pull out "within four years".
Many military analysts will consider that optimistic given that it is only three years since the Nato combat mission ended and the Afghan military took responsibility for the battle against the Taliban and other insurgent groups.
About 14,000 Nato troops remain in the country to "train, advise and assist" Afghan forces. The aim is to strengthen them so they can take the battle to the Taliban.
Mr Ghani doesn't deny it has been a difficult three years. "We were like 12-year-olds taking on the responsibility of a 30-year-old; but we really grew in the process. Now in terms of management and leadership things are really falling into place."
He continues: "Within four years, we think our security forces would be able to do the constitutional thing, which is the claim of legitimate monopoly of power."
He expects that some foreign troops will remain in Afghanistan after that period as part of the global fight against terrorism but, when I ask whether he is saying Afghan forces have turned the corner in the fight against the Taliban, there is no hesitation: "Yes," he says.
Can Afghan military turn the tide in Taliban fight?
The Taliban, he says, had two strategic aims: to overthrow the government or to create two "political geographies", by which he means whole areas of the country where it holds sway.
"It has failed miserably in both of these aims," Mr Ghani believes.
Whether that is true is debatable. The latest figures from the US military show that the Afghan government controls less than two-thirds of the country. The rest is either controlled or contested by the Taliban and other militant groups.
What is more, last year Afghanistan lost some 10% of its entire fighting force: about 7,000 Afghan National Army soldiers were killed, another 12,000 were injured, and many thousands more deserted.
One reason the Afghan president is so confident is that he believes that the West does not really understand the real nature of the conflict. His government is not fighting a civil war, he argues, but a drug war.
"Taliban is the largest exporters of heroin to the world. Why is the world not focusing on heroin? Is this an ideological war or is this a drug war?" asks Mr Ghani. "This criminalisation of the economy needs to be addressed."
So what is the ultimate aim, I ask.
"A peace agreement with the Taliban," he answers without a breath.
"The whole aim of the strategy is to provide the ground for political solution and a political solution is a negotiated solution. It's imperative that the people are given a chance to live their lives. We have been denied breathing space for 40 years, and in an immense tribute to our people for their resilience, any other state would've been completely broken."
Mr Ghani is full of praise for US President Donald Trump, who finally announced last month that his government was ready to stay in Afghanistan indefinitely. Withdrawal, said Mr Trump, would be determined by "conditions on the ground and not arbitrary timetables".
The US president also said he would send a few thousand more troops to support the current Nato mission. In return, Mr Ghani says he plans a complete overhaul of the Afghan government, including redoubled efforts to crack down on corruption.
"The first principle of tackling corruption," he tells me, "is that you do not engage in it and you have the will to confront it. Whoever engages in corruption, regardless of affiliation, relationship etc, must be subject to the same law."
"A three-star general that I have promoted is now in prison because it was demonstrated that fuel was being stolen," he boasts. "One of the richest men in the country that people thought was untouchable is now in prison. You can ask anyone in the judiciary, I provide full political support."
The Afghan president's message is clear: "Self-reliance is not just words, but deeds."
And, with two years to go before a general election, he says he doesn't care if the price of his reform efforts is his presidency.
"If election is your goal, you're never going to engage in reform. Reform has to be your goal. Election is the means. You run for office in order to do something, not in order to perpetuate yourself. Politicians have become extraordinarily conservative, but our times require imagination and bold action." |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16690300 | The final US marine to face charges over the killing of unarmed Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005 has pleaded guilty to dereliction of duty.
Sgt Frank Wuterich was one of eight marines charged with murder or failure to investigate the killings, but now faces just three months in jail.
The charges against six were dropped or dismissed, and one was acquitted.
Sgt Wuterich reached a plea deal to bring an end to the most notorious case against US troops from the Iraq war.
He faces a maximum of three months confinement, two-thirds forfeiture of pay and a demotion to the rank of private.
Before the plea, he faced several counts of manslaughter.
He is expected to be sentenced on Tuesday.
Sgt Wuterich's guilty plea ended an ongoing trial at Camp Pendleton, California, almost seven years after the events in question.
Prosecutors argued that on the day of the killings Sgt Wuterich lost control after seeing a friend blown apart by a bomb, before leading the soldiers under his command on a rampage.
Among the dead were women, children and elderly people, including a man in a wheelchair.
His former squad members testified during the hearings that they did not receive any incoming gunfire during nor find any weapons at the scene of the killings.
His defence said he did the best he could in the "fog of war" and that his squad truly believed they were on a search for insurgents.
The dropping of nine manslaughter charges against Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, 31, and the relative leniency of a maximum three month jail sentence will not be well received by those in Iraq who wanted justice for the death of family members. Especially after all other cases related to the killings have been dropped or acquitted.
The killings severely tainted the reputation of US forces in Iraq, but by 2005, they had already been hit hard by the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. The Haditha massacre is still an emotive issue in the country and prompted calls for US troops to be denied immunity from prosecution in the Iraqi justice system.
Soon after, US Marines ordered their troops to attempt to distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Several of them said that they feared insurgents were hiding nearby and they had not done anything wrong by opening fire.
While the events in Haditha occurred in November 2005, an investigation did not begin until a local human rights activist went public with video footage of the aftermath.
A subsequent investigation by Time magazine suggested that most of the dead were shot by marines - and in March 2006 a criminal investigation was begun.
The following month, three officers in charge of troops in Haditha were stripped of their command and reassigned.
Sgt Wuterich's trial was delayed for years by debate between the defence and prosecution - including whether or not they could show previously unseen footage from a 60 Minutes interview he gave to US network CBS in 2007.
After being dubbed "the butcher of Haditha", Sgt Wuterich said he had consented to the interview because he wanted the truth to come out after being called a "monster" and a "baby killer".
Prosecutors eventually won the right to show the entire interview.
The Haditha killings were cited as a key reason why Iraqi officials refused to give US troops immunity from their court system.
That sticking point helped contribute to the eventual pullout of US troops from Iraq at the end of 2011. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/4454382.stm | The Queen meets Catherine Tate and other stars after the Royal Variety Performance in Cardiff.
The Queen was asked "Is one bovvered?" by Royal Variety Performance star Catherine Tate as Wales staged the annual show for the first time.
The comedienne won a laugh from Prince Philip as she addressed the Royal Box at Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre.
Dame Shirley Bassey, Charlotte Church, Katherine Jenkins and Bryn Terfel ensured that the show had a definite Welsh feel about it.
Sir Cliff Richard, McFly, Ozzy Osbourne and Will Young were also on the bill.
The royal couple arrived amid tight security just after 1900 GMT, welcomed by a small crowd who were waiting in the freezing fog.
The Queen - wearing a red chiffon gown with a grey woollen shawl - and Prince Philip were greeted by Welsh assembly members along with representatives from the Millennium Centre and ITV, which broadcasts the event next month.
They were presented with programmes for the show, placed in specially made boxes of Welsh timber and copper.
An honour guard was provided by four Welsh Guards, dressed in full ceremonial uniform.
During the show - the 77th Royal Variety Performance - comedienne Catherine Tate, in the guise of her mouthy teenage character Lauren, asked the Queen: "Are you disrespecting me?"
When a co-star warned the TV comic "she can have you beheaded", Lauren replied: "I don't even care, 'cos I don't even need it."
Looking towards the Queen, she added: "Is one bothered? Is one's face bothered?"
The Queen smiled politely, while the Duke of Edinburgh chuckled at the joke.
Welsh opera star Katherine Jenkins departed from her usual repertoire to perform a rendition of the Donna Summer hit, I Feel Love, wearing an A-line flashing, multicoloured dress.
And the Treorchy Male Voice Choir helped comedian Joe Pasquale sing I Know a Song That'll Get on Your Nerves.
Earlier in the evening, three guests arriving for the show - grandmother Maureen Mahoney with her daughter Elaine Dattani and teenage granddaughter Bethan Dattani - said they were especially looking forward to seeing the Welsh stars on the bill perform.
Bethan told the BBC News website she was also excited about seeing pop act McFly - whereas Mrs Mahoney said her highlight of the evening would be Dame Shirley Bassey.
Mrs Dattani added: "It's absolutely fantastic. It's so wonderful for Cardiff. There's so much going on and it's just a boon for the city and for Wales."
Many of those who braved the cold in the hope of catching a glimpse their favourite stars were disappointed - most of the performers arrived much earlier in the day.
Matthew Wilson, 18, said he had come to see Charlotte Church, because she was "a good role model".
Friend Laura Bibey, 15, said she was frustrated at not being able to see boy-band McFly.
Neither had watched the show on television before, but both agreed it was "wonderful" it had come to Wales.
The Royal Variety Performance will be shown on ITV1 on Sunday 11 December. |
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