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Fake news: Too important to ignore - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | It behoves all right-thinking journalists to combat fake news, says Amol Rajan. | Entertainment & Arts | "It is the customary fate of new truths," wrote TH Huxley, in one of my favourite quotes, "to begin as heresies, and end as superstitions."
Fake news is nothing new, depending on what you mean by it.
But during the past year - specifically during Donald Trump's election - it has become a cancer in the body politic, growing from an isolated but malignant tumour into a raging, mortal threat.
No hack can witness this without alarm. As a BBC journalist I am required to be politically impartial; but as my distinguished colleague Nick Robinson has argued, I am under no obligation to be impartial about democracy (as against tyranny, for example).
Nor am I under any obligation to be impartial about truth, as against lies. The possibility of truth is a necessary condition for democracy.
Fake news is an assault on truth. Therefore it behoves all right-thinking journalists to combat fake news.
First of all, what is fake news? Fake news is of three kinds.
First, false information deliberately circulated by those who have scant regard for the truth but hope to advance particular (often extreme) political causes and make money out of online traffic.
Second, false information that is circulated by journalists who do not realise it is false.
Freddie Starr: The subject of one of the most famous newspaper headlines
All unintended errors of fact in the history of journalism, from hoaxes to exaggerated headlines - Freddie Starr never ate a hamster - fall into this category.
That is why I say fake news is nothing new: in fact it is as old as journalism, if not older. The point about this kind of fake news is it often contains at least a scintilla of truth.
Third, news that causes Donald Trump discomfort. At his press conference last week, the president-elect targeted CNN, conflating that organisation with Buzzfeed.
CNN says it had corroborated accusations about Mr Trump that it published; whereas Buzzfeed published a dossier that contained allegations that hadn't been corroborated.
Mr Trump was discomfited by CNN; therefore he described it as fake news.
The first kind of fake news - deliberate lies - has been energised by the viral power of social media.
The Pope didn't back Mr Trump; nor did Denzel Washington. But millions may have believed one or both those propositions, and their originators got rich on the lie.
The third kind of fake news isn't really fake at all.
It's simply news that some people don't like to acknowledge, and wish to silence.
But if you believe that the media should be free to scrutinise the use and abuse of power, and so hold power to account, the silencing of legitimate questions through the abusive epithet "fake news" is clearly anti-democratic.
The first two kinds of fake news are, to varying degrees, hostile to the democratic process.
A useful distinction would describe the second as false news rather than fake news.
But with the third kind, it is the use of the term "fake news", rather than what it is describing, that is dangerous.
Pope Francis was reported to have backed Donald Trump's presidency campaign
The first kind spreads deceit and pollutes the well of civility on which strong societies must draw.
The second - false news - damages trust in the media. In the third instance, use of the term "fake news" numbs scrutiny and also pollutes that well of civility.
All proper journalists reside in the zone between truth and falsehood.
Some try harder than others to resist the magnetic pull - and it can be very strong at times - of the latter. Most, if they have any self-worth, steer clear of the outright lies that make up that first kind of fake news.
Many big media organisations recognise fake news is dangerous and are acting against it.
Facebook, after initially expressing scepticism about the influence of fake news in the presidential election, has started taking it very seriously indeed.
The BBC is boosting Reality Check, a fact-checking service that will work with Facebook. Several years ago Channel 4 News launched Fact Check, which fulfilled a similar role.
These are all pleasing, practical measures. But there is a deeper philosophical issue at stake, concerning the role of truth in our society.
No society can conduct the informed conversation necessary for civility, the resolution of disputes, or the judicious exercise of power and law if there is no agreement on basic facts.
You cannot choose how to go forward if you cannot agree what just happened.
Therefore it is necessary to agree that there are facts, or true propositions.
In the West today, largely but not solely because of the advent of digital media, the truth is more vulnerable than it has been for a long time.
This is partly because whereas falsity comes by degrees, truth is absolute; and therefore anything that chips away at its granite surface leaves a big dent.
It is also because, as I wrote in the last editorial of the Independent newspaper (now solely online), the truth is hard, expensive and boring. Whereas lies are easy, cheap and thrilling.
Finding out the real story takes time and effort. Time and effort cost money. Once you've found the real story, you have to verify it: that's what makes it true.
But verification also takes time and effort. And sometimes, the thrilling tip-off you received turns out to be no more than that.
It would be amazing if the Moon were made of cheese, or Elvis Presley still lived. But it isn't, and he doesn't.
Fake news of the second kind - the sort of exaggerations and errors that are inevitable in journalism, and which I call false news - will always be with us.
But fake news of the first kind has to be combated, and use of the term to silence scrutiny deserves the same harsh treatment.
You cannot conduct either of these battles, however, unless you have the preliminary belief that truth is not only possible, but vital.
And where might that come from? I'd suggest you start with the philosophers Bertrand Russell, AJ Ayer, and Simon Blackburn. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38636042 | |
Corbyn: 'Chancellor's threats risk trade war with Europe' - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | Jeremy Corbyn says that comments by the chancellor that corporation tax could be cut could be a "recipe for a trade war with Europe." | null | Jeremy Corbyn has said comments by the Chancellor Philip Hammond on Brexit were the wrong approach, and suggestions that corporation tax could be cut could be a "recipe for some kind of trade war with Europe". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38627671 | |
Britain's oldest living Olympian Bill Lucas enjoys 100th birthday - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Centenarian who competed in 1948 London Olympic Games says a daily tipple keeps him going strong. | England | Bill Lucas will spend his birthday on Monday with his family
An evening whisky is the key to a long life, according to Britain's oldest living Olympian on his 100th birthday.
Bill Lucas said a glass of wine or sherry before lunch also kept him strong.
Mr Lucas, also the country's oldest living Bomber Command pilot, competed in the 5,000m track event at the 1948 London Olympic Games.
He celebrated his birthday at a party organised by his athletics club, Belgrave Harriers.
Bill Lucas was joined at his 100th birthday at the Belgrave Harriers club by fellow Olympians Snowy Brooks, Paskar Owor and John Bicourt
A member of the Belgrave Harriers club for 81 years, Mr Lucas said his call-up to the RAF deprived him of a chance of an Olympic medal.
The decorated pilot, who lives in Cowfold, West Sussex, ran his 1948 heat in 14 minutes 30.6 seconds - 20 seconds off that required to qualify for the final.
He said: "I spent six years in the service and I had done very little training and I'd missed 1940 and 1944, where I might well have got a medal or something like that... but Hitler deprived me of those, so I went and bombed them instead."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Archive report about the opening of the 1948 Games
The 1948 Olympic Games took place in London as Europe continued to emerge from the shadow of World War II.
Dubbed "the Austerity Olympics", the Games were greeted enthusiastically by thousands who attended the opening ceremony and watched the torch being carried into Wembley Stadium by British athlete John Mark.
When Mr Lucas competed for Great Britain, aged 32, he had already flown 81 missions over Germany.
He trained for the 1948 Games while working full-time in insurance and living off rations in the post-war era.
Bill Lucas was joined by his wife Sheena for his birthday celebrations
Belgrave Harriers presented Mr Lucas with a 172-year-old bottle of Madeira wine at the party in Wimbledon, south-west London, on Sunday.
The party was the father-of-two's first outing since Christmas after he was cut out of a car following an accident in November.
He said the celebration was "absolutely marvellous".
Mr Lucas will spend his birthday on Monday with his family.
His wife Sheena, 87, said: "I'm immensely proud - I love him dearly and we have a wonderful life together." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38633035 | |
City of London grapples with new EU shake-up - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Financial institutions across the UK are gearing up for one of the most far-reaching regulatory changes they have ever faced, writes Rob Young. | Business | The City of London is braced for the chill winds of regulation
Financial institutions across the UK are gearing up for one of the most far-reaching regulatory shake-ups they have ever faced.
There's a five-letter acronym regularly muttered in the City of London, which leads to some rubbing of chins, looks of bewilderment and groans about the workload.
The acronym in question is Mifid 2, the name of a rather technical, complex and, yes, dull-sounding piece of financial legislation from the EU.
It stands for the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive. Mifid 2 means big changes for banks across Europe over the next year.
"It's a complete system change, very detailed," says Anthony Browne, who runs the British Bankers' Association (BBA).
"It is changing their IT systems, changing the way their whole systems operate right from the front end and the information the traders put in to the back end and information they provide to clients; it's also the documentation they provide for their clients, and information they give to regulators themselves."
The rules run to more than 1,000 pages.
The new rulebook - or perhaps rule "tome", more accurately - is the EU's response to the financial crisis.
A decade on from that scarring experience, the European Commission predicts the law will be transformative for markets.
Despite the Brexit vote, the City still has to abide by the new EU regulations
Many banks back the new rules, saying they will help avoid a rerun of 2007-08 by bringing in more transparency and giving investors greater protection.
Some companies, though, say they are too tough and have already led to job losses.
"It is the unintended consequences that could be the problem here," says Julian Allen-Ellis from the EFMA financial markets trade body.
"The operational cost of both buy-side and sell-side setting up for this new regulation could mean profitability is impacted and that ultimately impacts the person on the street with their pension and their portfolio."
A recent survey of the City by PA Consulting suggested two out of five companies were not prepared enough to implement the new rules.
They'd better get a move on. The sprawling regulations come into force in January 2018.
There are some who argue that these complex EU rules could be a big help to the City after Brexit, because they contain something called "equivalence".
That allows financial companies from outside the EU to do business inside it, as long as their home country has the same standards of regulation.
The City is wary of what Mifid 2 will usher in
"Potentially this could be a way through the mire," says David Biggin, an adviser at PA Consulting.
"For a lot of the companies talking about relocating, actually this rule might allow some light at the end of the tunnel. It's a technocratic decision rather than a political decision. It is a way forward."
However, not everyone thinks "equivalence" will save the City's bacon if it finds itself with less favourable access to the EU than it has today.
"The main drawback is it can be withdrawn unilaterally at any time," warns the BBA's Anthony Browne.
He has other concerns too. "This would be a political process done at a time when the UK is negotiating its divorce arrangements from the EU, and when it's thinking about negotiating a trade deal with the EU. The chance we would get agreement on equivalence, to come in the day the UK leaves the EU, seems hopeful at best."
The experience of some countries already outside the EU seem to bear that fear out.
Several have already applied for "equivalence" status under previous financial rules.
Guernsey is one of them. The Crown dependency has beefed up its laws, and they have been judged as technically the same as the EU's by an EU regulator, no less.
Guernsey is now waiting for the European Commission to give it the final nod - and has been for two years.
"The technical decision was made. Now it's become a political decision," says Christopher Jehan from the Guernsey Investment Fund Association.
"That political decision is effectively the roadblock for us," he says. "They're using whatever reason they have for anything else going on in the world as a delaying tactic."
Guernsey's experience does not bode well for those in the UK who think these new complex EU rules will help the City after Brexit.
But Mifid 2 is already bringing about big regulatory change in the City, the scale of which it has rarely seen. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38568310 | |
Joel Matip: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp expecting Fifa decision on Friday - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Liverpool will find out on Friday whether a disciplinary case against Joel Matip will be opened over the defender's availability. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
Liverpool will find out on Friday if a disciplinary case against Joel Matip will be opened, as confusion continues over the defender's availability.
The 25-year-old missed Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester United after the Reds failed to get clearance from Fifa about whether he could play for his club during the African Cup of Nations.
He 'refused to play' for Cameroon after being named in their preliminary squad.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp said he was not "100% sure" of Matip's availability.
Matip has not played for Cameroon since 2015 and was not included in their final 23-man squad for the Cup of Nations.
But Fifa regulations state a player may be blocked from playing for his club if he refuses to play for his country.
The player could miss six to eight games for Liverpool if he is not made available until the end of the competition.
"I don't want to blame anyone, but our supporters deserve to know about the process we are in," said Klopp, who was speaking before his side's FA Cup reply with Plymouth Argyle.
"The thing is that in this moment, we are sure we did nothing wrong. Joel Matip did nothing wrong.
"In this moment he is not in the squad for Cameroon, but we have no 100% guarantee that he could play for us. I'd consider putting him in the line-up tomorrow, but I'm not sure I can.
"Fifa told us on Friday they'll decide if they'll open a case about it or not."
Should Cameroon make it to the final on 5 February, Matip would not be available until Liverpool host Tottenham in the Premier League on 11 February.
The German-born player would miss league games against Swansea, Chelsea and Hull, plus the EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Southampton.
Cameroon started their tournament with a 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso on Saturday.
Hugo Broos, Cameroon's 62-year-old Belgian manager, said he thinks some African players have been afraid to accept call-ups for the Cup of Nations, for fear of losing their place with their club side.
Speaking to the BBC, Broos would not elaborate on Matip's situation, but said: "I have a few examples of players who are afraid to come [on international duty] because when they are returning after camp they are not sure they are still playing in the team.
"I think if they want to avoid that then they have to move the tournament to June or July, then competitions are finished in Europe."
Broos does not think club managers are putting direct pressure on their players to refuse international call-ups.
He added: "Players feel 'if I am going now there is someone waiting to take my place.' This is sad for coaches like us who want to have our best team." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38638651 | |
Entertainment Week in Pictures: 8-14 January - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A look at some of the events in the world of entertainment and arts over the past week, including the Golden Globes, London Fashion Week Men's and Amy Adams's Hollywood Star. | Entertainment & Arts | Moonlight triumphed in the closely-fought battle for best film drama at the Golden Globes in Los Angeles. It held off competition from the critically-lauded Manchester By The Sea. Both films were put in the shade, however, by La La Land - which won all seven of the awards it was nominated for. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38595531 | |
Masters 2017: Mark Allen beats John Higgins in deciding frame - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Watch the five best shots as Mark Allen knocks John Higgins out of the UK Masters in the deciding frame, claiming the match 6-5. | null | Watch the five best shots as Mark Allen knocks John Higgins out of the UK Masters by winning the deciding frame and claiming the match 6-5. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/38644174 | |
Sale Sharks: Players reported over 'team leaks' before Bristol match - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Sale complain to the RFU that one of their players passed team information to Bristol before their Premiership match on 1 January. | null | Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
Sale have complained that one of their players passed team information to Bristol before their Premiership match on 1 January.
The Sharks have lodged a protest with the Rugby Football Union, claiming the player - understood to be former Bristol wing Tom Arscott - released confidential details.
They have also made a complaint against the Bristol player involved.
Bristol won 24-23 at the AJ Bell Stadium after trailing 15-0.
The Sharks have lost their past 10 games in all competitions.
A statement from Bristol said they had been "made aware of a complaint from Sale Sharks, which is now being investigated by the RFU".
It added: "The club are absolutely confident of no wrongdoing in this matter and will fully co-operate with the investigation." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38645622 | |
Donald Trump inauguration TV listing goes viral - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A TV critic on Scotland's Sunday Herald satirises Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony. | Scotland | A Scottish newspaper's TV listing of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration has caught people's attention both in the UK and the US.
The Sunday Herald TV critic Damien Love reimagined the ceremony as a return of the classic science fiction series The Twilight Zone.
"After a long absence, The Twilight Zone returns with one of the most ambitious, expensive and controversial productions in broadcast history. Sci-fi writers have dabbled often with alternative history stories - among the most common is the "What If The Nazis Had Won The Second World War" setting - but this huge interactive virtual reality project, which will unfold on TV, in the press, and on Twitter over the next four years, sets out to build an ongoing alternative present.
The story begins in a nightmarish version of 2017 in which huge sections of the US electorate have somehow been duped into voting to make Donald Trump president. It sounds far-fetched, and it is, but as it goes on it becomes more and more chillingly plausible. Today's feature-length opener concentrates on the gaudy inauguration of President Trump, and the stirrings of protest and despair surrounding the ceremony, while pundits speculate gravely on what lies ahead. It's a flawed piece, but a disturbing glimpse of the horrors we could stumble into, if we're not careful."
Love's satirical piece has amused people on both sides of the Atlantic.
A Facebook post by singer-songwriter Billy Bragg calling the listing a preview of things to come has been shared more than 125,000 times while Star Trek actor George Takei tweeted: "The Sunday Herald TV section wins today."
Seth MacFarlane, creator of animated TV series Family Guy, also tweeted his appreciation while Twitter user Scott Wryn worries Mr Trump may invade Scotland in response.
Not everyone approved of the joke though. One user tweeted: "They can't even write a TV schedule without filling it with fake news and propaganda."
The Editor of the Sunday Herald, Neil Mackay, tweeted: "I would like the good people of the world to help me get @realDonaldTrump to read this from today's Sunday Herald. Love from Scotland x."
The president-elect, normally quick to react to criticism, has not responded to the piece so far.
The inauguration ceremony will take place on Friday 20 January and you can watch the real programme President Trump: The Inauguration at 16:00 GMT on BBC One. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-38635518 | |
Bradley Lowery: Terminally ill Sunderland fan appears as Everton mascot - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Everton treat Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery to a day to remember after the five-year-old captured the imagination of football fans with his cancer fight. | null | Everton treat Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery to a day to remember after the five-year-old captured the imagination of football fans with his cancer fight.
WATCH MORE: Five-year-old Bradley wins goal of the month | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38628824 | |
Beijing: The city where you can't escape smog - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | China's capital is notorious for its chronic pollution. Even indoors it's a struggle to find clean air, says John Sudworth. | Magazine | China's capital is notorious for its chronic pollution. Even indoors it's a struggle to find clean air, says John Sudworth.
Having already taped most of my windows shut, I have now started on the air conditioning vents. The aim is simple - to close off every access point through which the toxic outside air leaks into our Beijing home.
Even our double-glazing doesn't keep out the smog. The most dangerous constituent, particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter - or PM2.5 as it's known - finds a way through the tiniest of gaps where the windows close.
So the only solution there is duct tape.
It's like a re-enactment of a 1970s government information film on surviving a nuclear holocaust. Only it's not radiation we're trying to keep at bay, but the fallout from fossil fuels.
The most useful device in our armoury is our PM2.5 monitor. We have two, one upstairs and one downstairs, which we glance at frequently, and it was their arrival that prompted the frenzy of taping and draught-excluding that continues to this day.
When I first arrived in China, five years ago, there was no way of monitoring the quality of air in our home. Like everyone else, we left it to blind faith that our air purifiers were doing the trick.
It now transpires they weren't. Even now on highly polluted days, we struggle to get our PM2.5 count much below 25 micrograms per cubic meter, the World Health Organization's maximum standard for safe air.
And that's with multiple purifiers running at full tilt, large box-like machines that sit in the corner of every room - two in some - the combined noise output of which is akin to living in the engine room of an aircraft carrier.
Shoppers look at air purifiers in Beijing
China's air pollution problem is now so bad that its effects are measured in more than a million premature deaths a year and markedly reduced life expectancy - an average of more than five years or so - in the worst-affected regions.
Over the past few weeks, a period of particularly acute and prolonged air pollution, the average air quality in Beijing has been well above 200 micrograms of PM2.5 particles per cubic metre - many times the maximum safe limit.
During the worst of it, it's been like living under house arrest, our children confined to the small, deafening but breathable indoor space of our home for days on end.
And across China, the smog becomes a dominant topic on social media, with the population tracking the foulness of the air via mobile phone apps.
One group of Beijing mothers, armed with their own PM2.5 counters, have even been roaming the city in search of shopping malls or cafes with filtered air - and then sharing their discoveries online.
Of course, humanity's dependence on oil and coal long predate China's economic rise. But China offers a vision of environmental degradation far in excess of the pea-souper fogs of 1950s London or Manchester.
For much of the past month the cloud of toxic air hanging over this country has extended for thousands of miles, a giant, continent-sized cocktail of soot from coal fired power stations and car exhausts, smothering the lives and filling the lungs of hundreds of millions of people.
While growing awareness means that more of them are now taking action to protect their health, many others are either not fully informed about the danger or don't have the means to do much about it.
A set of new filters for a single air purifier can cost £100 ($120) or more and needs changing every six months or so.
It is, of course, not a problem only of China's making. The smartphones, computers, TV screens, jeans and shoes that have been pouring out of its factories over the past few decades are cheap, in part at least, precisely because they're made without environmental safeguards.
The interests of the rich world and an unaccountable Chinese Communist elite have neatly dovetailed. The West gets its cheap consumer desirables and China gets rich without the inconvenience of the independent scrutiny, regulation or democratic oversight of other markets.
The true cost is measured by the numbers on my pollution monitors, and it is one being borne disproportionately by ordinary Chinese people.
Following a crackdown on a rare protest against pollution in the central city of Chengdu recently, one blogger dared to speak out in favour of the protesters. The police, he suggested, should bear in mind that the elites, whose interests they protect, have sent their families to breathe clean air overseas.
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38587580 | |
Dashcam shows US truck near miss - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | Dashcam footage captures a Kansas State Trooper's near miss with an oncoming truck. | null | Dashcam footage has captured a Kansas State Trooper's near miss with an oncoming truck.
It shows the moment the trooper swerved to avoid the vehicle, which had lost control in icy conditions. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38643280 | |
Trump and Trudeau: Where leaders find common ground - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau share more than just a border. | US & Canada | The two world leaders may have more in common than meets the eye
At first glance, few people have less in common than Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President-elect Donald Trump.
Mr Trudeau is a favourite of global progressives, who see him as a bastion against rising tide of anti-immigrant and protectionist sentiment and who campaigned on appealing to people's "better angels".
Mr Trump won the US election riding that anti-trade and anti-globalisation wave, and as a political outsider who is free with his insults.
The relationship between the North American neighbours is a vital one and depends in part on the Republican and Liberal leaders finding common ground, despite differences in personality and policy.
Here are five areas where Mr Trudeau and Mr Trump are somewhat simpatico.
1. They pulled off unexpected election victories after being discounted by rivals and pundits.
Pollsters in both countries failed to predict Mr Trudeau and Mr Trump's upsets, and both party leaders were seen as celebrity lightweights by rivals.
It is a similarity not lost on Mr Trudeau.
In a 16 December interview with a Montreal radio show host, the prime minister revealed he touched on that "common ground" during his congratulatory phone call to Mr Trump following the US election.
"He and I had a conversation about being knocked around by the media because, present company excluded, that's the experience that I'd had for years of people just slamming me and saying 'he'd never become prime minister,'" Mr Trudeau said.
2. They embrace politics in the social media age.
The prime minister and the president-elect both use social media for their political ends.
Mr Trudeau and his team know a charming photo opportunity of the photogenic prime minister, from shirtless selfies to yoga poses, can go viral and bolster his popularity at home and abroad.
He has leveraged social media as a tool to sell his brand of progressive cool to the world.
While Mr Trudeau has a healthy Twitter following for a world leader, with nearly 2.4m followers (and over 830,000 on Instagram), his influence on the platform is dwarfed by Mr Trump's 19.7m followers.
A prolific tweeter, Mr Trump wields his influential account to attack opponents, drive the news, and pressure US manufacturers to bend to his agenda.
He has, however, promised to be more restrained in his Twitter antics after being sworn-in 20 January.
3. They promised to change the way politics is done.
Mr Trump vowed during the campaign he would "drain the swamp", a catch-all promise for his supporters who see of Washington as a cesspool of lobbyists, corruption, and waste.
During the 2015 Canadian election, Mr Trudeau said his predecessor, former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, "turned Ottawa into a partisan swamp" during his near decade in power.
Mr Trudeau promised to put an end to partisanship and patronage in Ottawa, to usher in a more transparent and receptive government, and to make question period respectful again.
The two have faced critics who say those promises were quick to fall by the wayside.
Donald Trump said he would 'Make America great Again'
4. They harkened to the past in their pitch to voters.
The two politicians pressed some very powerful nostalgia buttons as they campaigned to lead their countries.
Mr Trump's inescapable campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again", borrowed from former US president Ronald Reagan's 1980 race, looked back to a time when voters felt there was more prosperity and opportunity in the United States and when their nation garnered respect on the world stage.
Mr Trudeau was more subtle, though his campaign was woven through with a thread of nostalgia, from a promise to recommit troops to overseas peacekeeping efforts to a foreign policy return to when Canadians thought the world saw the country as its good neighbour.
After winning the election, Mr Trudeau and his MPs made "Canada is back" one of their favourite catchphrases.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau, right, Justin Trudeau's father, with former US President Ronald Reagan
5. They followed in their fathers' footsteps.
Fred Trump, the first New York real estate magnate in the Trump family, started a million dollar residential real estate business in Brooklyn and Queens.
The Donald learned the business from his father, switching from building low-income housing in New York City's outer-boroughs to luxury towers in downtown Manhattan.
Justin Trudeau grew up surrounded by politics and was once toasted by former US President Richard Nixon, who predicted the young boy would one day become prime minister like his father Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Trudeau senior served as in that role from 1968 to 1979 and again from 1980 to 1984, becoming one of Canada's most recognisable leaders.
• None How has Justin Trudeau's first year gone? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38603859 | |
Iconic Piccadilly lights turned off for site renovations - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | The iconic billboard lights are switched off for renovations and will stay off until autumn. | null | The iconic billboard lights at Piccadilly Circus have been switched off for renovations and will stay off until autumn.
The billboard, which has displayed electrical advertisements for more than a century, went dark at 08:30 GMT for work to take place. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38640368 | |
NHS England makes slight improvement - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | BBC Newsnight's Chris Cook exclusively reveals signs of a recovery in English hospitals. | Health | The number of people treated within four hours at A&E departments recovered in the second week of January, BBC Newsnight has learned.
But while performance has improved since the first week in January, it remains way below its target of 95%.
Leaked data covering last week puts the national figure at 82.4% with only five hospitals meeting the 95% standard.
NHS England said they were doing "everything [they] can to ensure the best care possible is being delivered."
While the national figure remains low, it does show an improvement on the first week in January, which is usually the health service's hardest week. An earlier exclusive report by BBC News had revealed that, in that first week, 79.6% of patients were seen within four hours and only one hospital met the 95% target.
The new analysis by NHS Improvement, which oversees foundation and NHS trusts, reveals a general pattern of gradual improvement since the low of January 3, when the daily A&E rate reached a low of 75.8%. Over this weekend, the service managed to see more than 85% of patients inside the four-hour waiting target.
A spokesman for NHS Improvement said: "In the past few days, we've seen a real improvement in how quickly patients are being seen and discharged from accident and emergency departments - including to social care. But we know the pressures facing our hospitals will continue over the remaining weeks of winter and we're working hard to ensure they have the support they need to offer patients quick, safe, quality care."
The leak also reveals that, in the second week of January, 14,700 people who had been admitted to a hospital were left waiting for more than four hours to find a bed.
Of these, 140 people endured so-called "trolley waits" of more than 12 hours. While these figures are well down on the first week in January, they remain historically high - up by 3,000 on the equivalent week two years ago.
There are further signs of vulnerability: for the week covered by the data, which runs 9 to 15 January, the number of beds in use remained an exceptionally high 95.3%, with 4.9% of the service's beds occupied because patients were stuck in hospitals awaiting transfer to another care provider (a so-called "delayed transfer of care").
This is well above the preferred rate of bed use. A large number of studies of hospital management have demonstrated how, when there are few spare hospital beds, even very modest further reductions in the number of free beds can dramatically increase the likelihood of any given patient being caught in a hospital backlog, which can lead to significant delays in care.
That high utilisation rate is why, in addition to the elevated rate of trolley waits, there were 177 cancelled operations. That figure is much higher than the previous week, but is likely to be distorted because of the Bank Holiday. The rate at which operations was being cancelled also fell during the week.
The strain on the service will have been eased because of the expected fall in traffic over the second week of the year, with average daily A&E attendances dropping from 50,993 in the first week of the year to 47,195 in the second.
A spokesperson for NHS England added: "We started planning for winter this year earlier than ever before and will continue to do everything we can to ensure the best care possible is being delivered." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38641367 | |
Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool boss says Manchester United 'play long balls' - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says Manchester United resorted to long-ball football during Sunday's 1-1 draw. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said Manchester United resorted to long-ball football during Sunday's 1-1 draw.
United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic's header cancelled out James Milner's penalty at Old Trafford, leaving Liverpool without a win in four games.
Klopp said: "They played long balls in a wild game. We played the better football and had the better plan."
United counterpart Jose Mourinho said: "We attacked and Liverpool were the team that defended."
Mourinho, criticised for negative tactics in a goalless draw at Anfield earlier in the season, said he wanted to "see if the critics are fair" after Sunday's draw, after which he said Liverpool were "happy with a point".
"They were clever," added Mourinho. "They took their time, they know how to play football and control the emotions of the game.
"They knew they would be in trouble in the final few minutes."
Klopp played down suggestions the draw was key in the title race, with his side now third, seven points behind Chelsea.
Liverpool were without Sadio Mane - who scored for Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations - and defender Joel Matip, who was not given international clearance after turning down the chance to play for Cameroon in the tournament.
Klopp added: "When you see the line-ups and our circumstances, we had lots of little issues, you say 'a point at Old Trafford - let's take it and go home.' Of course it now doesn't feel like that because of the performance of my boys."
The German believes Liverpool were "dominating" until the 75th minute and, though his side only had 45% of possession, they did better the shot count with 13 to United's nine.
The Reds ran 12km further than their hosts but are now on their longest winless run of the season in all competitions.
"In the end period of the game when United started playing long balls - to Marouane Fellaini and Zlatan Ibrahimovic - after 80 minutes high intense football it is really hard," added Klopp.
"Usually you can accept a draw at Manchester United but I think after the entire 98 minutes we could have deserved a win."
United played 53 long balls in the game - classified by Opta as "a forward pass that is 35 yards or more and is kicked into a space or area on the pitch rather than a precise pass aimed at a particular team-mate" - while Liverpool themselves hit 34.
The game total of 87 was only eight behind the most played in a Premier League game this season - during West Brom's win at Crystal Palace in August.
Manchester United have hit 510 long balls in the Premier League this season - which puts them 12th in the league's ranking Crystal Palace have played the most long balls (796), while league leaders Chelsea have made the fewest (361)
Defensive Reds a pain in the neck for Mourinho
Mourinho said the number of men defending Liverpool's area prompted his decision to introduce the physical Marouane Fellaini for full-back Matteo Darmian on 76 minutes.
The Belgian headed against the post in the build-up to Ibrahimovic's equaliser, although the switch to a more direct style triggered by his arrival resulted in just five United touches in the Liverpool area.
Mourinho said: "I have a problem with my neck because I was always looking to the left in the second half and I saw so many yellow shirts in front of me I thought 'let's go for it'.
"We lost two points when we wanted all three.
"The people need to know what Marouane Fellaini is great at and what he is not so good at. Marouane is very good in some aspects.
United, now unbeaten in the league since October, remain sixth, two points adrift of local rivals Manchester City and 12 behind leaders Chelsea.
The managers had a disagreement on the touchline late on, with fourth official Craig Pawson coming between them after an incident involving Roberto Firmino and Ander Herrera.
Liverpool forward Firmino was booked for shoving United midfielder Herrera in response to having his shirt pulled.
Mourinho said Klopp had wrongly thought he was asking for Firmino to be sent off, adding: "There was no problem at all."
Klopp added: "He wanted the minimum of a yellow card." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38632099 | |
Chinese Super League reduces number of foreign players allowed to play - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Chinese Super League clubs will only be allowed to play three non-Chinese players per game in their next season - which begins in March. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
Chinese Super League clubs will only be allowed to play three non-Chinese players per game in their next season - which begins in March.
A rule change has reduced the number of foreigners allowed in a move which could slow down the wave of big-money signings from Europe.
Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been linked with a move to China that would be worth £30m a year.
A statement said the new measures will address "irrational investments".
Previously the rule was "4+1" - four foreigners of any nationality plus one Asian player in a matchday squad.
Teams will now also be required to name two Chinese players aged under 23 in their matchday squads, with at least one in the starting XI, with the Chinese Football Association also looking into "signature fees and other illegal activities" in recent transfers.
Chelsea midfielders Oscar and John Mikel Obi have already moved to China this month, while former Manchester United and Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez reportedly became the world's highest-paid player when he joined Shanghai Shenhua last month.
Shenhua would be one club hit by the new rules as they have six non-Chinese players in their squad, including Tevez, former Chelsea forward Demba Ba and ex-Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins.
Costa has been linked with a move to Tianjin Quanjian, who signed Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel for a salary of more than £15m a year this month.
Chinese teams have been paying reportedly exorbitant sums to lure international stars like Carlos Tevez and Axel Witsel. Now, the new rules will especially affect players from the Asian region - like Australians and Koreans - who were able to be chosen on top of the previous international count of four.
It is hoped the changes will foster more local talent at the expense of overseas players. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38636082 | |
NFL play-offs: Green Bay beat Dallas, Pittsburgh see off Kansas City - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | A 51-yard field goal with three seconds left gives the Green Bay Packers a play-off win, while the Pittsburgh Steelers beat Kansas City. | null | Last updated on .From the section American football
The Green Bay Packers scored a 51-yard field goal with three seconds left to beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-31 and move to within one game of the Super Bowl.
The Cowboys had rallied from 21-3 down at half-time in Dallas to level the scores before Mason Crosby drilled a retaken effort through the posts.
Green Bay now face the Atlanta Falcons next weekend, with the Pittsburgh Steelers playing New England.
The Steelers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 18-16 in Sunday's late game.
The Cowboys were top seeds in the NFC, having won 13 of their 16 games in the regular season, but a touchdown from Richard Rodgers and two for Ty Montgomery put the Packers in control at half-time.
Dallas fought their way back into the game but Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers found Jared Cook with a 36-yard pass with three seconds left and Crosby did the rest - despite having to retake his kick after Dallas called for a timeout during his first effort.
The Packers have now won eight matches in a row.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Rodgers, who led Green Bay to victory in the 2011 Super Bowl, is "an incredible talent".
He said: "To do it when it's on the line like that, that's what great players do.
"That was one heck of a football game to be a part of. I just can't say enough about my team's resilience."
Pittsburgh failed to score a touchdown in Kansas but reached their 16th AFC Championship game thanks to six field goals from Chris Boswell.
The Steelers - who have won six Super Bowls, more than any other side - will now face Tom Brady's New England Patriots for a place in Super Bowl LI in Houston on Sunday, 5 February.
Brady beat the Steelers at the same stage of the play-offs on both previous meetings in 2001 and 2004. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/38634027 | |
Katie Rough murder case: Balloon release marks birthday - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | Hundreds of people release balloons to mark what would have been the eighth birthday of Katie Rough, killed in York on 9 January. | null | Hundreds of people gathered to release balloons to mark what would have been the eighth birthday of a child killed in York.
Katie Rough was found injured in the Woodthorpe area of the city on 9 January and died later in hospital.
A 15-year-old girl has been charged with her murder. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38643289 | |
Trump interview: Is Donald helping Theresa? - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The president-elect supports a UK trade deal, but it might turn out to be a bit more complex than that. | UK Politics | On the face of it, on some of the front pages at least, it seems a slam dunk.
Before Theresa May gives an important speech on Tuesday outlining her plan for the tortuous process of taking us out of the European Union, there has been a big thumbs-up for Brexit (literally- in the picture he had taken with Michael Gove) from the most powerful individual in the world.
On top of that, Donald Trump, who'll be in charge from Friday, breezily promises a trade deal with the United States that can be sorted out without further ado.
Since the social and diplomatic embarrassments of Nigel Farage's freelance trips to Trump Tower, Number 10 seems to have worked to get the president-elect on board, and his comments in his Times interview to former cabinet minister Michael Gove seem to illustrate success - with the groundwork prepared for a visit between Mr Trump and Mrs May soon after the inauguration.
Mr Trump repeated his wholehearted support for the idea of the UK leaving the European Union, and his comments to the Times suggested he would be in the UK's corner. No prime minister would want to make an enemy of an American president, so who wouldn't want an endorsement like this?
But, as officials in Brussels and leaders around the EU seek to stick together before getting down to business with the talks with the UK, the government may also be wary about being seen to be cosying up too closely to President Trump.
Mrs May shares some of his analysis of many voters' disillusionment with what she describes as the "privileged few". But the similarities don't run deep, and for voters, Mr Trump appals as much as he inspires.
For some in Brussels, Mr Trump's support for Brexit may only harden them against the UK. Diplomacy is a sensitive and complicated business, not used to the brashness of this billionaire.
The European Commission has already piled in to say that it's not possible to make any agreements before the UK has left the EU.
Even Downing Street said today it would "abide by our obligations" and committed only to early conversations.
The president-elect's straightforward promise that a trade deal can be done with Mrs May without delay may come to haunt them both. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38639225 | |
Diego Costa: Chelsea have no intention of selling striker amid reported China interest - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Chelsea have no intention of selling top-scorer Diego Costa amid reports he is unsettled and a target for Chinese clubs. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
Chelsea have no intention of selling Diego Costa amid reports the striker is a transfer target of Chinese clubs.
The Spain forward missed Chelsea's win at Leicester on Saturday with a back injury, says boss Antonio Conte.
The 28-year-old has reportedly fallen out with his boss and trained on his own on Monday, however this was to aid his recovery.
BBC Sport understands Blues owner Roman Abramovich will not bow to interest from China in the club's top scorer.
The Premier League leaders, who recently sold midfielder Oscar to Chinese club Shanghai SIPG for £60m, do not need to raise further funds through selling players.
Reports have linked Costa with a move to the Chinese Super League that could earn him £30m a year. On Monday, the league introduced a rule stating teams could only field three non-Chinese players.
The Spain international, who has scored 14 Premier League goals in 19 appearances this season, missed three days of training last week and was seen training at the club's Cobham training ground on Monday.
The rest of the club's playing staff resume training on Tuesday, when Costa will be evaluated to determine whether he can rejoin the first-team squad.
Chelsea, who have a seven-point lead at the top of the table, are at home to Hull on Sunday.
Conte has not confirmed or denied any rift with the former Atletico Madrid player, and said that if such a problem arose he would deal with it in-house.
Former England captain Alan Shearer told MOTD2 Extra that Chelsea would face a "huge uphill struggle" to win the title without Costa, who is joint top scorer in the league with Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez, Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Tottenham's Harry Kane.
"Costa will dictate the situation," said Shearer. "The players have the vast majority of the power. If the player does not want to be there, he will go."
Football Focus pundit Mark Lawrenson said: "If you get £60m for him let him go. Have you seen Chinese football? It's rubbish. He's at his peak. The team is built around him, a top, top player. If he wants to go to China and be bored for 18 hours a day, good luck with that one."
Costa has scored 51 goals in 99 games for the Blues since joining from Atletico for £32m in 2014. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38641798 | |
Louis van Gaal: Ex-Man Utd, Barcelona and Netherlands manager retires - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Ex-Manchester United and Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal says he has retired from coaching after a 26-year career. | null | Last updated on .From the section European Football
Ex-Manchester United and Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal says he has retired from coaching after a 26-year career.
Van Gaal, 65, has been out of work since being sacked by United hours after winning the FA Cup in May 2016.
"I thought maybe I would stop, then I thought it would be a sabbatical, but now I do not think I will return to coaching," Van Gaal was quoted as saying in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
Van Gaal also had spells in charge of Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AZ.
He made the announcement on Monday after receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Dutch government for his contribution to football.
He cited family issues for his decision, with De Telegraaf saying it was partly motivated by the sudden death of his daughter's husband last month.
"So much has happened in my family, you become a human being again with your nose pressed to the facts," he added.
The Dutchman also revealed he turned down lucrative offers to continue his coaching career in the Far East.
Van Gaal also said winning the FA Cup was the greatest achievement of his career as it came against the backdrop of his impending sacking: "I was standing on the gangplank for the last six months. My head was in the guillotine, put there by the English media.
"In those circumstances you have to try and stick to your vision and inspire the players of Manchester United."
Van Gaal played as a midfielder for Ajax, Royal Antwerp, Telstar, Sparta Rotterdam and AZ between 1972 and 1987 before moving into coaching, first as an assistant at AZ followed by the same role at Ajax.
He replaced Leo Beenhakker as Ajax head coach in 1991 and went on to preside over a period of sustained success, winning the Dutch league title on three occasions as well as the 1992 Uefa Cup and the 1995 Champions League title.
Van Gaal was asked to emulate that success at Spanish giants Barcelona. He inherited Bobby Robson's side in 1997 and led them to two successive La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey.
His country came calling in 2000, but his first stint in charge lasted less than two years when Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, the first time they had missed the competition since 1986.
The Dutchman's second spell at Barcelona was even shorter - eight months - as he left midway through the season with the club hovering just above the relegation zone.
He then guided AZ Alkmaar to the 2005-06 Eredivisie title before moving to the Bundesliga, where he helped Bayern Munich to the 2009-10 Bundesliga title.
The Dutch national side approached Van Gaal again in 2012 and this time the Netherlands became one of the first two European countries, along with Italy, to qualify for Brazil 2014, where they finished in third place.
After much speculation, he joined United in May 2014, signing a three-year contract to succeed David Moyes.
However, United replaced him with Jose Mourinho after just two years following a fifth-placed Premier League finish in the 2015-16 season, with a first FA Cup triumph since 2004 not sufficient to save him. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38645667 | |
Pep Guardiola: Man City too far behind Chelsea after Everton loss - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Boss Pep Guardiola says Manchester City are too far behind to challenge Premier League leaders Chelsea after a 4-0 loss at Everton. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
Manchester City are out of the Premier League title race after a 4-0 loss to Everton at Goodison Park, according to manager Pep Guardiola.
City are now 10 points behind leaders Chelsea after defeat on Merseyside - the heaviest league loss in Guardiola's managerial career.
Asked if the gap was too great, he said: "Yes. Ten is a lot of points."
Guardiola, 45, has told his players to unite "in the bad moments" and "forget the table" until the end of the season.
He added: "At the end of the season, we are going to evaluate our level and how our performance was, how the coach was, how the players were. After that we are going to decide."
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss insisted he was "so happy in Manchester" despite his side sitting fifth, two points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.
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Guardiola watched City dominate possession on Merseyside but concede four from the six shots they faced.
Only five teams have a lower haul than their four clean sheets in the league - BBC Radio 5 live pundit Robbie Savage said City "cannot defend" and questioned if Guardiola would now change his style.
City are the only team in the Premier League to have over 50% of possession in every game this season but they have now conceded from the first shot they have faced in four of their last seven games.
Guardiola added: "I said to the players be positive because you made some fantastic things during the season and for many reasons we didn't get what I think we deserved.
"In the bad moments we have to be close. It's awful for my players. We created chances but don't score and when they have a chance, they punish us."
Everton scored with their first two shots through Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas, with Tom Davies and Ademola Lookman completing the rout.
Stones in the spotlight - again
Lookman's goal came after a John Stones clearance was charged down, throwing the young defender again under the spotlight.
It was Stones' first visit to Goodison Park since leaving Everton for City in a £47.5m deal last summer.
The 22-year-old has been criticised for making too many mistakes, and former Manchester United and Everton defender Phil Neville believes he is being unfairly singled out.
However, fellow pundit Alan Shearer told Match of the Day 2: "John Stones did have a nightmare. He is 22 now, he has played nearly 100 Premier League games and everyone keeps saying to me and to the rest of the football world, that he is going to be a top player.
"If I'm a centre forward, a young guy and I keep on missing chances, I don't expect to be in the team. Eventually you are going to get left out. I keep seeing Stones making mistakes too often, too many times."
City's next outing is a home encounter with second-placed Tottenham, who are on a run of six league wins. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38631162 | |
Faraday Future's cash flow woe - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Faraday Future, the car company hoping to out-do Tesla, responds to reports its finances are dire. | Technology | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Faraday Future, the company hoping to beat Tesla in the electric car game, had to halt building its factory in order to afford its glitzy CES press event, the firm told the BBC.
The company broke ground on its enormous plant in the Nevada desert in April last year - but work halted in October amid reports the company was in dire financial straits.
Speaking on the record for the first time about the firm’s money woes, Faraday Future’s senior vice president of research and design, Nick Sampson, acknowledged the company was facing "challenges".
"Clearly something like [CES] requires funding and some resources," Mr Sampson told me.
"We are resource-limited at times. [It's] just a matter of keeping the cash flow balance between the different projects we’re trying to do."
No date has been set for work on the site to recommence.
"Things like [CES] have to take priority at this point in time. We’ll be starting again [on the factory] very shortly," he said.
The company was spinning several financial plates, he argued.
"The challenge of building a new company is that it’s not just doing the engineering and R&D work, we’ve got manufacturing to keep aligned, we’ve also got the whole sales and marketing, branding and imaging.
"It’s a matter of keeping the whole programme aligned."
Faraday Future’s launch was arguably the most extravagant press event at this year’s CES, taking place in a huge venue away from the famous Las Vegas strip. It was attended by the mayor of North Las Vegas, John Lee.
The $1bn plant is being subsidised by around $320m of taxpayer’s money, a deal which has attracted intense criticism, though Mr Lee has insisted the public will not be left out of pocket should Faraday Future pull out of the project.
Faraday Future's contractor, AECOM, has stopped work on the factory but said it is still committed to the project
Little is known about the finances of Faraday Future, other than that its biggest backer is the founder and chief executive of China’s LeEco - a company also embroiled in legal difficulties owing to what suppliers claim are unpaid bills.
Another problem facing Faraday Future, as well as the stalled factory construction, is that several suppliers have begun taking legal action against the firm. Futuris, a company which specialises in luxury car interiors, is suing the firm for breach of contract, demanding immediate payment of more than $10m.
According to a recent report published by Buzzfeed, Faraday Future owes more than $300m.
"We’ve gone from nothing to where we are today in just over two years," he said.
"Matching the speed of development and building with the inflow of cash doesn’t always match.
"Many companies have had this - Apple and Steve Jobs didn’t always have it easy in its early days. That’s one of the hurdles that we have to get over."
That kind of comparison - to technology pioneers - is something Faraday Future does often.
An impression of how Faraday Future wants its factory to eventually look
During its CES presentation, it brought up a timeline of milestones including the invention of the lightbulb and the creation of the world wide web. Faraday Future placed itself at the end of this timeline.
"That to me was stepping too far," remarked Tim Stevens, editor at large of motoring news site Roadshow.
If the company does manage to put its first vehicle into production, Mr Stevens said he still had reason to be cautious.
"I’m expecting this car to be in the range of $150,000, maybe $200,000. Far more expensive even than a Tesla Model X.
"That’s a big ask - if they are talking a low-number, high-margin car, they’ve still got to have a production down pat, and the reliability down pat too. Those are things it's taken Tesla a long time to figure out."
Where Faraday Future doesn’t appear to be struggling is with the car itself. The FF91, shown off for the first time at CES, goes like a rocket - 0-60mph (97km/h) in an alleged 2.39 seconds. Faster, it said, than a Tesla Model S (though Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk, disputes the claim).
A test drive also demonstrated the car’s ability to park itself completely autonomously. The company hopes drivers will one day be able to leave their car at the side of the road and ask it to drive off and park using a mobile app - like a robot valet.
The FF91 impressed car buffs - the company has promised it will be ready by 2018
However, the technology won’t be a part of daily life any time soon. It will be valet parking "approved by Faraday Future", a test driver told me - a process that will mean adoption across the world will likely be painstakingly slow.
But when it comes to hurdles to leap over, autonomous parking is well down the priority list.
Right now, Faraday Future is a company seemingly operating on a thread.
It is right to acknowledge that getting into the car industry as a brand new player is extremely difficult - which is why so few companies attempt it, and even fewer succeed.
Even behemoths like Apple and Google owner Alphabet have turned their focus more to providing software for established car makers, rather than begin manufacturing themselves.
At CES 2016, when Faraday Future launched a concept car so outlandish it instantly became known as the Batmobile, the company insisted it would defy its critics by 2017.
Has it done that? Partly - there is a car, and it’s rapid.
But building on that achievement and turning it into a mass-produced vehicle and a viable business? By next year?
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38621065 | |
RSPCA warns of false alarms after call to catch cuddly toy - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The animal welfare charity is urging the public to double check before raising the alarm. | UK | The RSPCA discovered a snake trapped in a loft was a child's cuddly toy - not like the real one pictured here
The RSPCA was called out to catch a stray snake in a loft which turned out to be a child's cuddly toy.
A welfare officer made the discovery at a property in Surrey after being contacted by a distressed homeowner in December.
It is a one of a string of calls made to the animal welfare charity where people have mistaken objects for living creatures.
The RSPCA is urging the public to double check before raising the alarm.
Other call outs include a report in November that an owl had been sitting on a roof for more than four days and appeared unable to move.
Inspectors discovered that the creature was in fact made out of plastic.
A month later animal collection officer Alan Farr was asked by a homeowner to help find a trapped bird which was making a "peeping noise" in her loft.
"After searching around and unable to find the mystery bird, I then went into her front room and found a smoke alarm beeping after the battery had gone flat," he revealed.
This plastic toy was mistaken for a live crocodile
The charity's 24-hour cruelty line received 1,153,744 calls in 2016, 3% more than the previous year.
It has urged the public to make sure they have a genuine problem before getting in touch.
RSPCA spokesman Dermot Murphy said: "We know that people mean well and most of these calls are not made in malice, and although we would like to be able to help everyone, we simply haven't got the staff to personally investigate each and every issue that the public brings to us.
"We must prioritise to make sure we get to the animals most in need."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38633548 | |
Can Paris summit save fading two-state solution? - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A major Middle East summit in Paris aims to rescue the two-state solution, but risks setting it further back, says Yolande Knell. | Middle East | The fate of Jerusalem is one of the most contentious issues between the two sides
For many, the holy city of Jerusalem is meant to be a shared capital for Israel and the Palestinians - two peoples in two nations, living peacefully, side-by-side.
At least that is the dream of the so-called "two-state solution" to end a decades-old conflict.
The idea has been set out in UN resolutions going back to the mid-'70s, driving diplomatic efforts that culminated in the breakthrough 1993 Oslo Accords.
But after many rounds of failed peace talks, it looks increasingly in jeopardy.
A summit taking place in Paris on Sunday is expected to try to signal to Israel and the next US president that establishing a Palestinian state is the only path to peace.
Palestinians say Israel must freeze settlement activity before talks can resume
France will host more than 70 countries and world powers for the conference, but there will be no Israelis or Palestinians present.
Well-informed sources confirm reports of a draft statement asking both sides "to officially restate their commitment to the two-state solution".
It will also affirm that the international community "will not recognise" changes to Israel's pre-1967 lines unless they are agreed with the Palestinians.
It will make clear "a negotiated solution" is "the only way to achieve enduring peace".
The Palestinians welcome the French initiative but it is rejected by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"It's a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israeli stances," he said this week. "This pushes peace backwards."
The conference follows last month's UN Security Council resolution which called on Israel to stop settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Israel says many international forums are historically biased against it
Over 600,000 Israelis live in these areas which were captured in the 1967 Middle East war. They are seen as illegal under international law, but Israel disagrees.
This week, US President Barack Obama returned to the subject of settlements in an interview with Israel's Channel Two.
"The facts on the ground are making it almost impossible - at least very difficult, and if this trend line continues, impossible - to create a contiguous, functioning, Palestinian state," he said.
"If that's the case, then what you're embracing is a vision of Greater Israel in which an occupation continues indefinitely."
The timing of the talks in Paris - just days before Donald Trump moves into the White House - appear very deliberate.
He has not yet spelt out his vision for the Middle East but has shown strong backing for the Israeli far-right.
He has nominated a lawyer, David Friedman, who is an outspoken critic of the two-state solution and supporter of settlements, to be his ambassador to Israel.
Mr Trump has also promised to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.
Palestinians say relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem will kill prospects for peace
Like other countries, the US currently keeps its embassy in Tel Aviv, as it does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.
"This is very dangerous what President-elect Trump wants to do," Palestinian official, Mohammed Shtayyeh tells me. "It is American recognition that Jerusalem is part of the State of Israel."
"We would consider this American move as an end to the peace process, an end to the two states and really putting the whole region into chaos."
A poll conducted last year suggests that a slight majority of Palestinians - 51% - and Israelis - 59% - still support the two-state solution. However there is high mutual mistrust.
In recent days, Israeli officials have urged world leaders to refocus their attention on ways to tackle terrorism following a truck ramming by a Palestinian that killed four young soldiers in Jerusalem.
They argue that the very Palestinian leaders with whom they are supposed to be seeking peace have incited an upsurge in attacks, mostly stabbings, since October 2015.
Some 40 Israelis have been killed and more than 230 Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli security forces. Israel says most of those Palestinians were involved in attacks. Others were killed in clashes with troops.
Palestinian leaders blame the violence on a younger generation's anger at the failure of talks to end Israel's occupation and deliver on promises of an independent state. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38608995 | |
Oxford University rejection letter turned into art - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A student who was rejected from Oxford University turns her letter into a piece of abstract art. | Oxford | Claudia Vulliamy had applied to Wadham College at Oxford University to study Classics; upon receiving her rejection letter she turned it into a piece of art
A piece of abstract art made from a student's rejection letter from Oxford University has gone viral on Twitter.
Claudia Vulliamy, from London, applied to study classics in September at Wadham College.
But when the 18-year-old received her rejection letter, she "thought it would be funny" to use it to create a piece of artwork.
A picture of the piece published on Twitter has been retweeted 48,000 times.
Her mother Louisa Saunders said: "Between that time [she told me she had been rejected] and when I got back from work, she had made this artwork.
"I thought it was very funny and very spirited, and obviously I was glad she wasn't feeling to sad about it."
The picture has been liked on Twitter 153,000 times and has sparked a lot of reactions from students who were rejected from Oxbridge.
Miss Vulliamy said there wasn't a message behind the artwork initially.
She added: "I just thought I had this letter, it's not often that you get a letter dedicated to you from Oxford.
"It's very meaningful, so I thought it would be funny if I made it into something."
Louisa Saunders, left, said she was amazed by the response to her daughter's artwork on social media
Ms Saunders said some people on social media were comparing the painting to works by Piet Mondrian.
The student, who has been accepted to Durham University, said: "In retrospect I quite like how it is interpreted as Oxbridge doesn't determine everything, I like that it's cheered people up.
"I hadn't set my heart on Oxford I'm happy I got an offer from Durham."
• None Will more schools select by ability?
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-38629172 | |
Giant alligator caught on film in Florida - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | "Humpback" is caught on camera going for a stroll in Florida. | null | This video can not be played
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38642924 | |
Newspaper headlines: Trump to 'make Brexit great' with trade deal - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Donald Trump's first UK interview is one of many stories featured on Monday's front pages. | The Papers | President-elect Donald Trump is making the headlines on several of Monday's front pages.
His pledge to offer Britain a "quick" trade deal dominates the front page of the Times.
The president-elect tells the paper that Brexit will be a "great thing" and predicts that other countries will follow Britain's lead in leaving the EU, which he says has been "deeply damaged" by the migration crisis.
Mr Trump's interview is also the lead story for the Daily Telegraph which sees his remarks as a "boost" for Theresa May, ahead of her speech on Tuesday about the government's plans for Brexit.
The Guardian says Mr Trump has been warned that his "careless" use of Twitter could cause a security risk.
The outgoing director of the CIA, John Brennan, is quoted as saying the president-elect has a "tremendous responsibility" to protect the US and its interests.
The Daily Telegraph says Mr Brennan has cautioned Mr Trump against forging closer ties with Russia, arguing against the lifting of sanctions.
But the Daily Mail suggests the next US leader is planning a summit with Vladimir Putin "weeks" after becoming president, "as he seeks to improve relations with the Kremlin".
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is set to pocket £15m from the sale of an education website, according to the Daily Mirror.
The paper's headline describes the deal as a "payday sickener" as the NHS is "cut to the bone" while its editorial accuses Mr Hunt of being "born with a silver thermometer in his mouth" and calls on him to "study his conscience".
The Times agrees that the windfall is "politically embarrassing" following the government's disputes with junior doctors and GPs. The Daily Telegraph claims the deal will make Mr Hunt "the richest member of the cabinet".
Jeremy Hunt set to receive a £15m windfall is "politcally embarrassing" says the Times
Meanwhile the Daily Mail's lead story highlights what it calls "the scale of abuse of the crumbling NHS by health tourists".
It claims a hospital in Luton is attempting to recoup £350,000 from a Nigerian woman, who is said to have flown to Britain to give birth to twins.
The cancer specialist, Professor Meirion Thomas, tells the paper that similar, "staggering" debts should be investigated by NHS fraud officers, as "patients don't arrive at specialist hospitals with serious illnesses by chance".
The Sun says the half-brother of Prince Harry's American girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has apologised after he was arrested for alleged gun offences in the US. Thomas Markle Jr blamed the incident on a drunken argument, prompting the headline "Soz Sis! I was so sozzled".
The Daily Mail says other members of the family have insisted the arrest will not cause problems for Ms Markle's relationship with Prince Harry, but the Daily Express claims there is "some concern" in royal circles. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-38632547 | |
Monty Panesar to help Australia before tour of India - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Former England spinner Monty Panesar is to work with the Australia team before their Test series in India. | null | Last updated on .From the section Cricket
Former England spinner Monty Panesar is to work with the Australia team before their Test series in India.
The 34-year-old has been playing grade cricket for Sydney side Campbelltown.
Panesar toured India on three occasions and took 17 wickets when England won 2-1 in 2012, their first series victory there for 27 years.
The left-armer will advise Australia's batsmen and slow bowlers before they depart for the four-Test series, which begins on 23 February.
Hopefully there will be opportunities to get involved at a county and get back into first-class cricket
"Pat Howard [Cricket Australia's team performance manager] gave me a call and asked if I was available to work with a few players for the upcoming series and I was happy to do that," Panesar told the Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show on BBC Radio 5 live.
"The hardest role for a spinner is [to] bowl 30 overs in a day, go for three an over, and give [the captain] control from one end and build pressure, and that's going to probably be one of the things [they] are going to ask me."
He added that coaching is "something I've always had a passion for".
"While I've been out here I've been helping the [Campbelltown] under-16s, under-21s and also the grade team, so this is a good opportunity to work with international cricketers," he said.
"Coaching is more about getting to know the person as much as talking about the technical side of the game. Once you develop that trust in people's opinions, your coaching becomes that much easier."
Panesar's stint in Australia is part of a bid to return to his best on the field amid mental health problems.
In May 2016 he spoke to the BBC about feelings of anxiety and paranoia that stemmed from a loss of confidence and self-esteem.
He spent last summer with Northamptonshire but is without a county for 2017, although he may train with Northants on his return from Australia and has not given up hope of playing at the highest level again.
"From a playing side, I'm trying to get my shoulder a lot stronger, trying to get fitter again," he said.
"Hopefully when I get back [to England] there will be opportunities to get involved at a county and get back into first-class cricket.
Before leaving England to head down under, he travelled daily from Luton to Wimbledon to work with a fitness trainer and turned down television offers, with some reports linking him to ITV show I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.
Panesar has taken 167 wickets in 50 Tests for England, the last of which came at Melbourne on the 2013-14 Ashes tour. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/38635241 | |
'I'm allergic to my husband' - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | How one woman's rare disorder means a kiss from her husband could end up killing her. | Magazine | Johanna and Scott Watkins pictured together before she became severely allergic to her husband
Twenty-nine-year-old Johanna Watkins from Minnesota cannot kiss her husband Scott, or even spend time in the same room as him. She suffers from Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, a rare disorder of the immune system, which means she is allergic to almost everything, including her husband's scent.
Johanna and Scott Watkins's date nights are very different from other couples.
"Scott and I will try to watch a show together. We can't be in the room together, because I'm allergic to him, but he will be three floors below me in a room on his laptop and I will be on mine and we'll watch the show at the same time and then text about it as we're watching it," says Johanna.
Johanna lives in an attic room all by herself with sealed windows and doors, and air filters to purify the air. She has a severe form of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) in which the cells that are meant to protect her from outside threats mutate and start attacking her body instead.
On their wedding day the couple were unaware Johanna's condition would become so severe
The symptoms and severity of the disease can vary from patient to patient, but it makes Johanna allergic to virtually everything and can trigger life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
Before she married her husband Scott in 2013 Johanna did not expect her condition to become so severe. She worked as a teacher and the couple used to love hiking together. Even then she struggled with unusual rashes, irritable bowel syndrome and migraines, but these ailments became much worse after the couple married.
"There were times three and four years ago, before we got the diagnosis, that if I was extra close to my wife, specifically if my face was close to Johanna's face, she would cough," says Scott.
But it was only last year that the couple realised they had become unable to physically share their life together.
"We had noticed that when Scott would come in [to the room] I would start feeling worse and worse. My normal daily symptoms would just be aggravated," says Johanna. "And then at one point he went to get his haircut and came back in the room and within two minutes I had started my anaphylactic symptoms and he had to leave."
A week later Scott tried to see his wife again, but the same thing happened, and they realised their lives would have to change dramatically.
"It was this horrible reality that it wasn't going to work," says Johanna. "I was now reacting strongly to my husband. Before this I had reacted to my parents, to many, many other people, but it was horrific when it became Scott."
The treatment and medication that is usually given to MCAS sufferers does not help Johanna, so at the moment the couple do not know when - if ever - their situation will change.
"There's not an easy way around this problem. I want to keep Johanna safe and me going to see her compromises her safety," says Scott. "One of the ways I can take care of her now is by not going to see her. I'm not going to endanger her life. We're absolutely committed to one another and we're going to wait as long as it takes to see if there is some kind of healing."
Doctors are trying different treatments, but none so far have helped.
"They don't know if I will get well, and so we hope and we pray that I will," says Johanna. "I have had anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening allergic reaction, more times than we can keep track of. My life could end quickly. Life is frail - it can end."
But Scott will be part of her life for as long as it continues, she says.
"On our wedding day we made vows to each other that till death do us part. No matter what life brought.
"I can tell you that even if I have this until I'm 90 years old, I would be committed to my husband with that vow and still love him."
Johanna and Scott are no longer able to hold each other's hands
Scott says they do sometimes get angry and frustrated about their situation.
"I've had to release a lot of what I expected for myself and I've had to accept what has been given to us," says Scott.
He adds: "Johanna and I are good at talking, we talk a lot, we try to communicate a lot, so one thing that we've found that's helpful is just bringing each other into what's going on in our lives as best we can because we're not able to be together."
Scott works full-time as a teacher and then returns home every evening to cook Johanna's food.
"It's one of the ways that I can care for her, and every other day for the past year I've had one of my dear friends come and they help [me] cook for Johanna," he says. "She can only eat two meals, so she's been eating the same two meals for over a year."
Johanna can only tolerate 15 different foods, including spices, so she eats either beef chuck roast (beef stew) with organic celery, carrot and parsnip or organic lamb with turmeric, cinnamon and cucumber.
Johanna has not responded to any treatment so far, including four rounds of chemotherapy
The couple are currently living in the family home of their friends, the Olsons, while their own home is renovated to make it a safe living space for Johanna. The Olson family have given up using all scented products and do not cook in their house at all.
"I have had severe reactions to someone smoking a cigarette down the block," says Johanna. "I have had severe reactions to the pizza place that's a mile down the street, and all my windows are closed and sealed in the room with special filters.
"But just if the wind blows it on the right direction that day and I get even a whiff I can have a severe reaction. The house is quite large and I'm at the top level, and if an onion were to be cut in the kitchen I have had a severe reaction."
Johanna has not left the attic room for more than a year, except to visit the hospital in an emergency or to see her doctor. Every morning she listens to a playlist of songs and then might write or answer an email to a friend, or video-call her young nieces.
The only people she does not have a life-threatening reaction to are her siblings, who help take care of her. Before they enter her room, they have to avoid eating strongly spiced food, shower with a special soap and strip down to their underwear. As soon as they walk in, they put on masks and special clothes that have never left Johanna's room.
Despite all these precautions, Johanna's symptoms still become worse after their visit.
"I think growing up in America, it's common for us to just think, 'Oh OK if there's a disease there'll be a medical solution, it will be fixed and I'll move on with my life,'" says Johanna. "So being diagnosed and becoming this ill, [there was] definitely a grieving process that I went through."
But the fact that Scott is downstairs in the same house and that she can talk to him on the phone is a huge comfort, says Johanna.
"I have many gifts in my life, many blessings that I have to be thankful for," she says. "And that reminds me to not become selfish and just make it all about me."
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38507160 | |
How bad have Southern rail services got? - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A long-running dispute over the role of conductors on the Southern rail network has resulted in a series of strikes. Just how bad have the operator's commuter services become? | UK | Commuters in south London and southern England have faced months of disruption on the Southern rail network amid a long-running strike over the role of conductors and the operation of driver-only trains.
The RMT union's members first walked out in April last year and were joined by members of Aslef, making the dispute the longest-running rail strike since the railways were privatised in 1996.
Further strikes had been planned for later this month, but most of the action has been called off following talks between the drivers' union Aslef and Govia Thameslink Railway, Southern's parent company.
But with customer satisfaction at a low of 69% - the bottom of the passenger satisfaction table - just how bad have things got for Southern's customers?
According to the official performance data published by Network Rail and the Office of Rail and Road, 29.5% of Southern's Mainline and Coast services were late (more than five minutes of the scheduled arrival time for commuter services) in the year to 7 January. That's almost three in every 10 services.
However, if the latest-available figures - from 11 December to 7 January - are taken in isolation, the percentage of late-running trains rises to 35.4%.
The national average for the same period was 12.6%
In fact, all lines run by Southern's parent company, Govia Thameslink Railway, were in the bottom six of the list for the latest period (Southern Metro, Great Northern, Gatwick Express, Southern Mainline and Coast and Thameslink), with between 21.3% and 35.4% of trains arriving late at their destinations.
*This is the Public Performance Measure (PPM) - the industry standard measure that monitors trains arriving within five minutes of scheduled arrival times for commuter services or 10 minutes for long-distance services. "Cancelled or significantly late" means cancelled trains or those arriving more than 30 minutes after a scheduled arrival time.
On Wednesday 11 January, the second strike day that week, Southern's own daily performance chart showed 60% of its Southern Mainline services were arriving late. That's six out of every 10 services.
Meanwhile, the top performer nationally during the latest four-week period of 11 December to 7 January, was London Overground - with only 2.9% of its London services late. Merseyrail Electrics Northern line also performed well, with just 2.9% late-running trains.
Looking further back over the last two years, Southern's Mainline and Coast performance has fluctuated, but delays have increased since the beginning of this year, according to the three official measures.
Using the Public Performance Measure (trains arriving late by more than five minutes), Southern's best performance since April 2014 was attained over the summer of that year - 10.3% of trains late. It has never attained that figure since.
Its worst period was between 29 May and 26 June last year, with 44.2% - almost half - of its services running late by more than five minutes. Some 68.6% (almost seven in 10) of trains were running more than 59 seconds late and 23.6% (almost a quarter) of services were cancelled or arriving more than 30 minutes late.
The latest National Rail Passenger Survey, released in Spring 2016, showed the lowest ratings for overall passenger satisfaction were given to Southern (69%) and Southeastern (69%), closely followed by Great Northern (74%), Thameslink (74%) and Abellio Greater Anglia (77%). Southern, Great Northern and Thameslink are all run by Govia Thameslink Railway.
Nationally, the highest ratings for overall satisfaction were achieved by Grand Central (96%), First Hull Trains (94%), Virgin Trains (92%), Chiltern Railways (91%) and Heathrow Express (91%).
Southern rail has promised to restore a "full train service" from Tuesday 24 January after talks with Aslef were described as constructive.
Three Aslef strike days - on the 24, 25, 26 January - have been cancelled as a result of the talks, however the RMT union's walkout on Monday 23 January is still set to go ahead.
Rail performance is measured in a number of ways. There are targets on punctuality, reliability, causes of delay, asset failures and disruption to the network from planned engineering work. Official statistics, published by the Office of Rail and Road, include the following indicators regarding punctuality and reliability:
The rail industry reports data on a periodic basis rather than the more recognised reporting cycles such as monthly or quarterly. A period is normally a 28-day, or four weekly period for business reporting purposes (Sunday to Saturday) and there are 13 periods in a financial year.
For more detailed information on the data, visit the Office of Rail and Road's performance report.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38249521 | |
Winter freeze claiming lives across Europe - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | Dozens of migrants die in the extreme cold weather sweeping across Europe. | null | Dozens of migrants have died in the extreme cold weather across Europe, with many said to be refusing shelter due to the risk of deportation. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38627667 | |
The trauma centres helping veteran amputees - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | A network of trauma centres has opened across the UK to allow the NHS to treat veterans. | null | A network of 10 trauma centres across the UK has been set up to provide care for veterans. They bring NHS doctors who have military experience together with veterans to try and offer care specific to ex-Army personnel.
Matt Weston was a sapper with 33 Engineer Regiment. He was a bomb disposal expert clearing a road in southern Afghanistan when he was severely injured in an explosion. This centre has, as he explains to Sima Kotecha from the Today programme, changed his life. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38613566 | |
Barack Obama's race legacy: Progressive or divisive? - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | The BBC's Aleem Maqbool reports on the polarised perspectives over Obama's race legacy. | null | President Barack Obama was one of "the most divisive" presidents in a generation because he "played the race issue", the pastor and member of the Alabama Republican Party John Killian has said. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38632677 | |
Breast cancer patients' distress at withdrawal of Kadcyla - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | Some women with terminal cancer, who were expecting to be able to take a life-extending drug to give them an extra six months of life, have been told they will no longer get it. | null | Some women with terminal cancer who were expecting to be able to take a life-extending drug to give them an extra 6 months of life - have been told they will no longer get it.
Bonnie Fox has told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme she's "completely devastated"- and she's considering trying to raise funds to pay for it herself. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38640371 | |
House destroyed by explosion in Blackley, Manchester - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | Two people have been taken to hospital following an explosion at a house in north Manchester. | null | Two people have been taken to hospital following an explosion at a house in north Manchester.
The blast was in an end terrace in Cecil Road, Blackley, at about 12:40 GMT, and reduced much of the property to rubble.
A man with "major trauma" injuries was taken to Salford Royal Hospital and another person was taken to Wythenshawe hospital.
Three people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The cause of the explosion is not yet known. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-38642089 | |
Who are the figures pushing Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin together? - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Advisers to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are promoting a stronger relationship between the two. | Europe | The question of whether Russia's leader Vladimir Putin has got material with which he could blackmail Donald Trump is for now unknowable and misses the point by a country mile: the two men think alike.
Mr Trump's belief in American traditionalism and dislike of scrutiny echo the Kremlin's tune: nation, power and aversion to criticism are the new (and very Russian) world order.
You could call this mindset Trumputinism.
The echo between the Kremlin and Trump Tower is strong, getting louder and very, very good news for Mr Putin.
As Trump signalled to Michael Gove on Monday, a new nuclear arms reduction deal seems to be in the offing linked to a review of sanctions against Russia.
The dog that did not bark in the night is Mr Trump's peculiar absence of criticism of Mr Putin, for example, on the Russian hacking of American democracy, his land-grab of Crimea and his role in the continuing war in Eastern Ukraine.
What is odd is that Mr Trump, in his tweets, favours the Russia line over, say, the CIA and the rest of the American intelligence community.
But why on earth criticise the world leader with whom you most agree?
Three men have egged along Trumputinism: Nigel Farage, who is clear that the European Union is a far bigger danger to world peace than Russia; his friend, Steve Bannon, who is now Mr Trump's chief strategist; and a Russian "penseur", Alexander Dugin.
With his long hair and iconic Slavic looks, Mr Dugin is variously described as "Putin's Brain" or "Putin's Rasputin".
Alexander Dugin is described as "Putin's Brain"
He has his own pro-Kremlin TV show which pumps out Russian Orthodox supremacy in a curious mixture of Goebbels-style rhetoric and Songs of Praise.
Mr Dugin is widely believed to have the ear of the Kremlin.
He is also under Western sanctions for the ferocity of his statements in favour of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has cost 10,000 lives to date.
Messrs Farage, Bannon and Dugin are all united that the greatest danger for Western civilisation lies in Islamist extremism.
Mr Bannon aired his views in a right-wing mindfest on the fringes of the Vatican in 2014.
He claimed that so-called Islamic State has a Twitter account "about turning the United States into a 'river of blood'".
"Trust me, that is going to come to Europe," he added. "On top of that we're now, I believe, at the beginning stages of a global war against Islamic fascism."
The danger is that in allying yourself with the Kremlin in the way they fight "Islamist fascism" in say, Aleppo, you end up siding with what some have called "Russian fascism" or, at least, abandoning democratic values and the rules of war and, in so doing, become a recruiting sergeant for ISIS.
It is a risk on which Mr Dugin does not seem willing to reflect. My interview with him in Moscow did not end well.
Dugin posted a critical blog entry after walking out of his interview with John Sweeney
First, he dismissed the chances that the Russians hacked American democracy as "strictly zero".
I asked him about the depth of Mr Putin's commitment to democracy.
"Please be careful," he responded. "You could not teach us democracy because you try to impose to every people, every state, every society, their Western, American or so-called American system of values without asking…and it is absolutely racist; you are racist."
Too many of Mr Putin's critics end up dead - around 20 since he took power in 2000.
I have met and admired three: Anna Politkovskaya, Natasha Estemirova and Boris Nemtsov.
Boris Nemtsov was murdered close to the Kremlin in 2015
Mr Nemtsov was shot just outside the Kremlin's walls.
I asked Mr Dugin what his death told us about Russian democracy.
"If you are engaged in Wikileaks you can be murdered," he countered.
I then invited Mr Dugin to list the American journalists who have died under Barack Obama.
Mr Dugin did not oblige but told me that ours was a "completely stupid kind of conversation" and walked out of the interview.
Later, he posted a blog to his 20,000 followers, illustrated with my photograph and accusing me of manufacturing "fake news" and calling me "an utter cretin... a globalist swine".
Such is the language of the new world order.
A few days later I watched the press conference when Mr Trump closed down a question from a CNN reporter by accusing him of manufacturing "fake news".
Under Trumputinism, the echo between Russia and America is getting louder by the day.
Panorama: The Kremlin Candidate? BBC One, 8.30pm, Monday, January 16. If you miss it, you can catch up later online. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38639327 | |
‘Afghan girl’ Sharbat Gula in quest for new life - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The Afghan woman made famous by a 1985 magazine cover tells the BBC of her hope for a new beginning. | Asia | An Afghan woman made famous by a 1985 National Geographic cover has spoken exclusively to the BBC of her hope for a new beginning, after being deported from Pakistan.
Sharbat Gula now lives with her five-year-old son and three daughters in Kabul, where she says she wants to live a normal life after years of tragedy and hardship.
Her portrait as a 10-year-old became an iconic image of Afghan refugees fleeing war.
The only time she has spoken to the media before now, her family says, was for a 2002 documentary after Steve McCurry, who took her original photo, tracked her down in Pakistan and found out who she was.
Sharbat Gula had no idea that her face had been famous around the world for almost 17 years.
Like many Afghans, she sought refuge in Pakistan and lived there for 35 years - but she was imprisoned and deported last autumn for obtaining Pakistani identity papers "illegally".
"We had a good time there, had good neighbours, lived among our own Pashtun brothers. But I didn't expect that the Pakistani government would treat me like this at the end," Sharbat Gula told me at her temporary residence in Kabul.
Her case highlighted the arbitrary arrest and forced deportation of Afghan refugees in the current spat between the two countries.
It has been illegal for non-Pakistanis to have IDs since they were first issued in the 1970s, but the law was often not enforced.
Now sick and frail in her mid-40s, Sharbat Gula's haunting eyes are still piercing, full of both fear and hope.
She says she had already sold her house in Pakistan because she feared arrest there for "not having proper documents to stay".
Two days before a planned move back to Afghanistan, her house was raided late in the evening and she was taken to prison.
Sharbat Gula was sentenced to 15 days in prison
Pakistan's government has ordered all two million Afghan refugees on its soil to leave.
Sharbat Gula believes the Pakistani authorities wanted to arrest her before she left.
"I told the police that I have made this ID card for only two things - to educate my children and sell my house - which were not possible to do without the ID card."
She served a 15-day prison sentence, the first week in prison and the second in hospital where she was treated for hepatitis C.
"This was the hardest and worst incident in my life."
Realising the reputational damage, Pakistan later offered to let her stay - but she refused.
"I told them that I am going to my country. I said: 'You allowed me here for 35 years, but at the end treated me like this.' It is enough."
Her husband and eldest daughter died in Peshawar and are buried there.
"If I wanted to go back, it will be just to offer prayer at the graves of my husband and daughter who are buried in front of the house we lived in."
The "Afghan Girl" picture was taken by Steve McCurry in 1984 in a refugee camp near Peshawar, when Sharbat Gula was studying in a tent school. Published in 1985, it became one of the most recognisable magazine covers ever printed.
For years she was unaware of her celebrity.
"When my brother showed me the picture, I recognised myself and told him that yes, this is my photo."
"I became very surprised [because] I didn't like media and taking photos from childhood. At first, I was concerned about the publicity of my photo but when I found out that I have been the cause of support/help for many people/refugees, then I became happy."
Sharbat Gula has now returned to Afghanistan, where the government promised her a house in Kabul
None of Sharbat Gula's six children - another daughter died too at an early age and is buried in Peshawar - share the colour of her eyes.
But her brother, Kashar Khan, does, and the eyes of one of her three sisters were also green.
She says her maternal grandmother had eyes of a similar colour.
Sharbat Gula was a child living with her family in Kot district of eastern Nangarhar province when Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan in 1979.
"There was war between Russians and Afghanistan - that is why we left. A lot of damage/destruction was done."
Her mother died of appendicitis in the village when she was eight. Like hundreds of thousands of other Afghans, her family (her father, four sisters and one brother) migrated to Pakistan and started living in a tent in a refugee camp called Kacha Garahi, on the outskirts of Peshawar.
She was married at 13. But her husband, Rahmat Gul, was later diagnosed with hepatitis C and died about five years ago. Her eldest daughter also died of hepatitis three years ago, aged 22, leaving a two-month-old daughter.
Sharbat Gula met President Ashraf Ghani in the presidential palace on her return, and later former President Hamid Karzai.
"They gave me respect, warmly welcomed me. I thank them. May God treat them well."
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani received her at the presidential palace
The government has promised to support her financially and buy her a house in Kabul.
"I hope the government will fulfil all its promises," she told me.
Kot district is a stronghold of militants linked to the so-called Islamic State group, so she can't go home to her village. Her green-eyed brother and hundreds of others have fled the area, fearing IS brutality.
"We cannot even visit our village now because of insecurity and don't have a shelter in Jalalabad. Our life is a struggle from one hardship to another," he says.
But Sharbat Gula's priority is to stay in her country, get better and see her children be educated and live happy lives.
"I want to establish a charity or a hospital to treat all poor, orphans and widows," she says.
"I would like peace to come to this country, so that people don't become homeless. May God fix this country." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38640487 | |
Trump interview quotes - and the reaction - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Donald Trump has given his first UK interview since being elected - what do commentators think? | UK Politics | Donald Trump has given his first UK interview since being elected US president, speaking to Conservative MP and Times writer Michael Gove. Here are a selection key quotes, and some of the reaction to them.
"I'm a big fan of the UK, uh, we're gonna work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly - good for both sides."
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says: "It's great to hear that from President-elect Donald Trump. Clearly it will have to be a deal that's very much in the interest of both sides, but I have no doubt that it will be."
The Financial Times's Shawn Donnan argues that Mr Trump and Theresa May could be in for a "rude awakening", with any deal potentially taking years and some UK economic sectors, such as farming, questioning whether the terms of US-UK free trade would benefit them.
Theresa May's spokeswoman says: "We welcome the commitment to have a deal quickly and it highlights one of the opportunities of leaving the EU. We welcome the enthusiasm and energy the president-elect is showing."
"Basically [the EU is] a vehicle for Germany. That's why I thought the UK was so smart in getting out and you were there and you guys wrote it — put it on the front page: 'Trump said that Brexit is gonna happen'."
The Guardian's Jonathan Freedland writes that Mr Trump gave "the Brexiteers just enough to keep them happy", adding that, when asked directly about a trade deal, Mr Gove was given a "non-answer: 'I think you're doing great!'"
The Daily Telegraph says: "The comments in The Times newspaper will be a boost for Mrs May, who is preparing a major speech on Tuesday to set out her plans for Brexit."
"It's obsolete because it wasn't taking care of terror."
"And the other thing is the countries aren't paying their fair share so we're supposed to protect countries but a lot of these countries aren't paying what they're supposed to be paying, which I think is very unfair to the United States. With that being said, Nato is very important to me."
Conservative MP Michael Fabricant tweets: "#Trump is NOT anti #Nato. However, like the #UK, he believes more countries like the #UK should pay their fair whack into Nato."
German foreign minister Frank Walter Steinmeier says: "His comments have caused worry and concern even here in Brussels. I've just had a conversation with the Secretary-General of Nato, Jens Stoltenberg, who has expressed concern at the comments made by Donald Trump that Nato is obsolete. This is in contradiction with what the incoming American defence minister said in his hearing in Washington only some days ago and we have to see what will be the consequences for American policy."
Nicholas Burns, professor of the practice of diplomacy and international relations at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, tweets: "Europe is our largest trade partner, largest investor in our economy and strongest ally-NATO. And Trump just declared it obsolete?"
"Well, I'll be there - we'll be there soon - I would say we'll be here for a little while but and it looks like she'll be here first. How is she doing over there, by the way?"
Guardian political editor Heather Stewart writes: "Michael Gove's latest excursion into controversy, pipping the prime minister - and her Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson - to a personal meeting with Donald Trump, is just the latest in a series of headaches created for May by the powerful figures she dispatched to the back benches."
Theresa May's spokeswoman says: "We have already established good relations with the president-elect. The prime minister has spoken on the phone, her team has gone out there for discussions, the foreign secretary has had discussions." She adds: "If the British press succeeds in interviewing world leaders, we should be proud."
"Well, I start off trusting both [Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel} - but let's see how long that lasts. It may not last long at all."
The Independent says: "President-elect Donald Trump has avoided saying who he trusts more - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a long-time US-ally, or Russian President Vladimir Putin."
Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's Security Council, says: "If Donald Trump's administration is interested we will be ready to resume full-format consultations with our American partners through the Russian Federation's Security Council."
Angela Merkel says: "I am personally waiting for the inauguration of the US president. Then of course we will work with him on all levels." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38637058 | |
Sports hall roof collapses during match in Czech Republic - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | A sports hall roof collapses during a floorball game in the Czech Republic city of Ceska Trebova. | null | A sports hall roof collapsed on Saturday evening during a floorball game in the Czech Republic city of Ceska Trebova.
No one was injured by the failure, though two people were hurt escaping the collapsing building. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38632441 | |
Masters 2017: Joe Perry and Mark Allen progress to quarters - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Joe Perry thrashes former world champion Stuart Bingham 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Masters. | null | Last updated on .From the section Snooker
Joe Perry thrashed former world champion Stuart Bingham 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Masters.
Perry made two centuries against Bingham, who became a father for the third time on Saturday.
Scot Higgins missed a black off the spot when on course to win the deciding frame, allowing Northern Irishman Allen in to make a 44 and take the match.
"If you don't pot balls at key moments, you don't win snooker matches," four-time world champion Higgins said.
Allen, ranked 10 in the world, goes on to face Marco Fu or Judd Trump in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Higgins, 41, started strongly, a 111 break helping him into a 2-0 lead before Allen hit back to level at 2-2.
A run of 54 saw the Scot nudge ahead again before breaks of 81 and 104 gave Allen, 30, a 4-3 advantage.
The seesaw nature of the match continued as Higgins levelled before a superb 67 break in the ninth frame forced a respotted black, only for Allen to take it with a stunning pot.
Higgins, the world number three, took it to a decider with a run of 77, but Allen held his nerve to repeat his 2015 first-round win over the Scot.
In the evening session, Perry took the first frame with a break of 116, before snatching the next after forcing a respotted black.
Bingham pulled one back with a century, but Perry made breaks of 77, 76 and 107 and after Bingham fouled the white, his opponent took all the colours to progress. Perry faces China's Ding Junhui in the last eight on Friday.
Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news and reports on the BBC app. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/38643223 | |
Tunisia inquest shown police map of killer's spree - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | A court has watched a police recreation of the hour-long killing spree at a Tunisian beach resort in June 2015, which left 38 people - including 30 British tourists - dead. | null | A court has watched a police recreation of the hour-long killing spree at a Tunisian beach resort in June 2015, which left 38 people dead.
The inquest into the deaths of 30 Britons who died during the attack heard Tunisian security forces deliberately "slowed down" as Islamist gunman Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38643286 | |
How disaster inspired a multi-billion dollar business - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Canadian businessman Serge Godin saw his father's business burn down when he was a teenager. That inspired him to build a company that now turns over C$10bn a year. | Business | Serge Godin remembers the event that gave him the drive and determination to succeed in life - watching his father's sawmill burn down.
He was 17 in Canada at the time, the year was 1966, and as his dad's business was uninsured, the family lost everything.
One of nine children brought up in rural Quebec, Mr Godin, along with his siblings, suddenly had to earn money to help his parents pay the bills and keep a roof over the family's heads.
So Mr Godin worked at a supermarket in the evenings after school, and then at a dry cleaner's on Saturdays.
Ambitious to run his own company, in his 20s he used savings of C$5,000 ($3,800; £3,100) to start a computer business that he called Conseillers en Gestion et Informatique (CGI). In English, this translates as Information Systems and Management Consultants.
Today CGI Group is a global IT systems giant that enjoys annual revenues of C$10bn, while Mr Godin's personal fortune is estimated at $1.5bn.
Now 67 years old and the firm's chairman, he says: "I didn't want to go back to the situation when we lost everything. That's probably what prompted me to build CGI."
After gaining a computer science degree from Laval University in Quebec City, and a few years working for two companies, Mr Godin launched CGI in 1976, when he was 26.
In typical computer industry start-up fashion, he began the business from his garage. After a few months on his own, a friend joined the business, and in its first year, CGI generated revenues of C$138,000.
Mr Godin is little known outside of Canada, but often features in Canadian papers
From that modest start, CGI has grown steadily ever since, fuelled by no fewer than 81 acquisitions, as Mr Godin has continued to follow a policy of ambitious growth.
In the company's most recent large takeover, it bought its European rival Logica for C$2.7bn in 2012. This more than doubled CGI's workforce, which rose overnight from 31,000 to 68,000.
Today its business clients include companies such as miner Rio Tinto, tyre-maker Michelin, airline group Air France-KLM and London's Heathrow Airport. CGI also does work for 22 of the world's largest banks, and has no fewer than 2,000 government contracts around the world.
Mr Godin, who reduced his daily workload in 2006 when he switched from chief executive to chairman, says the business has not given up on fast growth.
"We think we can double the size of the company [again] within five to 10 years," he says.
It hasn't all been plain sailing for Montreal-based CGI in recent years, however.
Back in 2013, it made headlines for all the wrong reasons, when it was blamed for technical problems that plagued the launch of the US government website where people on low or no income could apply for the new "Obamacare" health insurance.
CGI had a central role in building the website, but Mr Godin said at the time that the company "ended up in the eye of a storm" between the two main US political parties.
Looking back, he says: "We stayed and finished the work.
"We were portrayed by the press as being the system integrator, but we were not. We were one of 52 companies involved in the project.
"We didn't fight this in the press, because we have a code of ethics and we never criticise our clients."
While the issue could not have been pleasant at the time, Mr Godin and CGI have always insisted that there was no long-term reputational damage.
In terms of how CGI is run on a day-to-day basis, Mr Godin says he views it as a big family and that he has to keep everyone happy.
"At CGI we have a dream, and this dream is centred on the core of our business - our people," he says.
The company floated on the Montreal Stock Exchange in 1986
"They are the ones who take the elevator to come to work every day, and we have to make sure they will come back and will like working here.
"As employers, we have rights, but we also have duties towards our employees."
One way in which CGI tries to look after its staff is encouraging them to become shareholders. And for every share that an employee buys, the company will buy him or her the same amount.
Mr Godin says: "This idea of sharing is important to me, because I come from a big family."
Robert Young, technology analyst at research group Canaccord Genuity, says: "Serge Godin is well regarded as the builder of a company with a strong culture and customer relationships.
"There is a discipline he has baked into the business that is evident in the strong financial controls, and rigorous approach to [what is known as] the 'CGI management foundation' - a set of proven processes and methods that define CGI engagements."
When not continuing to help lead CGI, Mr Godin focuses on his charity work.
In 2000, he set up a charitable foundation called Jeunesse-Vie or Youth Life, which aims to help disadvantaged children across Canada through alleviating poverty and improving their education and health. So far, he has given it more than C$60m.
Having already been inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame, last year he was also recognised for his business and charity work when he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country's highest civilian honours.
Mr Godin says: "When you have the chance to have a successful business, it is your duty to give back."
He adds: "My origins remind me that it is important to help."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38594679 | |
Donald Trump and brands: An uneasy relationship - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Donald Trump tweets support or disdain for certain companies: but what effect do his comments have? | US & Canada | L.L. Bean is known for its heavy boots (other boot makers are available)
In itself, it was nothing out of the ordinary: a morning tweet by Donald Trump thanking a supporter.
The subject of his thanks was one Linda Bean, who was praised for her "great support and courage" in the tweet on Thursday. But his post, like many before it, had wider repercussions.
Linda Bean is an heiress of the Maine-based catalogue business L.L. Bean - a company Mr Trump then encouraged his 19.7m Twitter followers to support.
The tweet poses all sorts of questions about whether it is correct for the most powerful man in the Western world to endorse certain brands over others.
But what is the broader effect of a brand being associated with Mr Trump - a man who, despite his election win, will enter the White House next Friday less popular than the man who leaves (at least according to one poll this week)?
Linda Bean was found by the Associated Press to have made a large donation to a pro-Trump PAC (political action committee), named Make Maine Great Again.
As a result, she and L.L. Bean have been targeted by anti-Trump groups, including one, #GrabYourWallet, that urges a boycott of companies associated with the billionaire and his family.
L.L.Bean was forced on the defensive earlier this week.
Its executive chairman, Shawn Gorman, wrote on Facebook that the company was "disappointed to learn that Grab Your Wallet is advocating a boycott against L.L.Bean solely because Linda Bean, who is only one of 50+ family members involved with the business, personally supported Donald Trump for President".
But despite the company's statement, the links to Mr Trump may not necessarily have been harmful: on the day of Mr Trump's tweet, the company's stock price ended the day higher, and Linda Bean told Fox Business there had been "a slight uptick" in business in recent days.
And the website for her own lobster restaurant crashed after Mr Trump linked to it (perhaps accidentally) in his tweet.
An F-35 fighter jet (other fighter jets are available)
In mid-December, a little more than a month after he won the election, Mr Trump took aim at the US defence giant Lockheed Martin.
Shares in the company fell after he tweeted that he would cut the cost of its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter after taking office.
He wrote: "F-35 program and cost is out of control. Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20."
The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons programme, costing about $400bn (£328bn), so it's no small fry.
The lobster restaurant in this particular relationship is Lockheed Martin's rival, Boeing.
After Mr Trump tweeted that he had asked Boeing to look into producing a cheaper alternative to the F-35, that company's shares jumped.
New Balance trainers being set alight (other trainers and fire-starting materials are available)
Days after the election, the footwear company's vice-president appeared to praise Mr Trump's trade plans in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
Matt LeBretton said Barack Obama had "turned a deaf ear" to US business. "Frankly, with President-elect Trump, we feel things are going to move in the right direction," he said.
The company put out a statement saying it supported the trade positions of Democrat candidates too, but the damage was done - literally, in some cases, as New Balance shoe owners set fire to their footwear.
Mr Trump's son visited Yuengling's brewery in October (other beers and Trump children are available)
Back in the weeks before the election, the owner of the oldest brewery in the US (in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, no less) expressed his support for the Republican candidate, and his frustration at what he saw as high tax rates.
The outrage followed a similar path to that of New Balance, minus the fire-starting - online anger, the promise of a boycott of Yuengling beer, and one-star reviews on its Facebook page.
But it is not clear now just how seriously the calls for a boycott affected Yuengling. Their Facebook page, for example, is now awash with support.
And there's only one fact that matters - in Pennsylvania, the state where Yuengling is the most popular beer, Mr Trump ended up winning 48.2% of the vote, with Hillary Clinton on 47.5%.
That's a result that helped push him towards the White House, and he'll take charge next week. Although, as a teetotaller, he won't be celebrating with a Yuengling beer. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38607711 | |
Timothy Spall on playing Holocaust denier David Irving - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | Denial is a film about the renegade British historian David Irving, accused of denying the Holocaust. | null | Denial is a film about the renegade British historian David Irving, accused of denying the Holocaust.
Timothy Spall spoke to Andrew Marr about the challenges of playing the role: "He is isolated in his views so that does have its effect on you". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38627875 | |
India v England: Virat Kohli and Kedar Jadhav lead stunning chase - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | A Virat Kohli masterclass helps India complete the highest successful chase in an ODI against England and seal a three-wicket win in Pune. | null | Last updated on .From the section Cricket
A Virat Kohli masterclass helped India complete the highest successful chase in a one-day international against England and seal a three-wicket win.
Chasing 351, India were reduced to 63-4 in Pune before Kohli, who made 122, and Kedar Jadhav (120) shared 200.
India completed the joint-fourth best run chase of all time in 48.1 overs.
Ben Stokes earlier struck a 40-ball 62 as England took 105 from their final eight overs, but they still went behind in the three-match series.
It is a demoralising result, coming after a 4-0 defeat in the Test series, and extends England's dismal record in India to only three wins in 24 ODIs.
Though England racked up their highest score against India, they could arguably have had even more - Jason Roy and Joe Root failed to make really big scores after good starts - and were taught a lesson by chasing specialist Kohli, who somehow overshadowed Jadhav's 65-ball century.
King Kohli does it again
Kohli is peerless in the history of ODIs when it comes to run chases. His 17th second-innings ton matches the record of Sachin Tendulkar, in 136 fewer knocks, while his average when India successfully pursue a score is 90.90.
This, though, in his first match since being appointed one-day captain, was perhaps his greatest effort, guiding India to their joint-second-highest chase.
When England's pace bowlers ran through the top order, he looked to be playing a lone hand, with effortless drives on both sides of the wicket and breathless running.
Later, in the company of Jadhav, he found ways to hit some extraordinary sixes over the leg side, the fourth of his five maximums overall bringing up his 27th ODI century.
The biggest surprise was that he did not complete the job, miscuing a Stokes slower ball to David Willey at cover and sending a raucous and partisan Pune silent.
For all of Kohli's brilliance, this game would not have been won without the efforts of Jadhav, a 31-year-old playing only his 13th ODI, on his home ground.
The right-hander's counter-attacking reversed the momentum and he actually contributed 102 of the 200 runs he shared with the skipper for the fifth wicket.
They rendered the England attack impotent, only Chris Woakes went for an economy rate of under 6.7 an over, with Adil Rashid and Stokes particularly wayward.
Favouring the leg side, Jadav's hundred was the sixth fastest by an India batsman in ODIs, but after Kohli fell he struggled with cramp and pulled Jake Ball to deep square leg.
However, a nerveless Hardik Pandya made an unbeaten 40 and Ravichandran Ashwin's six off Moeen Ali sealed only the second chase in excess of 350 to be completed inside 49 overs.
'England have got to set their targets higher'
"We have just seen the definition of intimidatory batting, the way the batters from both sides demolished the attacks.
"350 should be enough but I've always worried about England's bowling in one-day cricket unless the ball does something. Adil Rashid lacks confidence under pressure. Chris Woakes bowled a superb opening spell but it was almost a licence to print runs on this pitch.
"England have got to set their targets higher - they've got to get to 370, 380 to feel confident of winning."
• None India pulled off the joint-fourth-highest run chase of all time, their joint second best and the largest by anyone against England.
• None This is the second-fastest successful chase of a total of more than 350 in ODI history.
• None Since the beginning of 2016, Virat Kohli has played 11 ODI innings, scoring four hundreds and four half-centuries, averaging 95.66 with a strike-rate of 102.01.
• None Ben Stokes' 33-ball fifty beat the 35-ball efforts of Andrew Flintoff and Owais Shah to become the fastest by an England batsman against India.
• None The 105 added by England in the final eight overs of the innings is their second highest in an away ODI.
• None Joe Root has passed 50 in six of his past eight ODI innings and has made nine 50-plus scores in his past 15 innings.
On a brilliant batting surface surrounded by short boundaries, England should have been ahead of their 244-5 when Root fell in the 42nd over.
Roy in particular wasted the opportunity of a big score when he ran past the left-arm spin of the excellent Ravindra Jadeja to be stumped for 73, while Root holed out for a relatively pedestrian 95-ball 78 as he looked to accelerate.
It was left to Stokes to propel England with some wonderful hitting, helped by some woeful India death bowling that was littered with full-tosses.
He struck five sixes - two over long-on, two over long-off and one extraordinary ramp over third man off a pacey Umesh Yadav beamer.
The left-hander's 33-ball half-century was the fastest by an England batsman against India and, overall, he took 50 runs from the last 23 balls he faced.
Even after the late onslaught, and the four early wickets, India showed that it still was not enough.
'They will press the panic button' - what they said
India captain Virat Kohli: "This one is going to take a while to sink in, conceding 350 runs and being 63-4.
"What a special innings from Jadhav, and Hardik finishing really well at the end with Ashwin. That's a very special win for us.
"The moment he came to the crease, Jadhav started hitting the ball really well and I said, 'if we get to 150 here, they will press the panic button - watch'.
"It was a very, very special partnership that I'll remember for a long time."
England captain Eoin Morgan: "We had the runs on the board. We wanted to bowl first to see what a good score was. You post 350 and you think you're in the game, especially after taking four early wickets, but credit to Virat and Kedar - they didn't give us a chance.
"We didn't play at out best today, we thought we were in the game for most of it so all is not lost.
"The batters did well but we had a tricky period between 35 and 40 overs after we lost Buttler's wicket, but Stokes did well to come in and get us in to the game. Ideally we would have upped the momentum a little earlier." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/38628237 | |
Piccadilly Circus lights turned off for site renovations - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The lights of Piccadilly Circus are switched off for the longest period since World War Two. | London | The iconic billboard lights at Piccadilly Circus have been switched off for renovations and will stay off until autumn.
The billboard, which has displayed electrical advertisements for more than a century, went dark at 08:30 GMT for work to take place.
It is the first time since World War Two the lights have gone off, except for power cuts and special events.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A history of how the lights have changed at Piccadilly Circus
A permanent single screen will be unveiled in autumn to replace the current six screens.
As well as being an advertising board, it will be able to provide live video streaming and give updates about events such as the weather and sports results.
Ros Morgan, chief executive of the Heart of London business alliance, said the new screen would "bring visitors an enhanced entertainment experience".
About 100 million people are estimated to pass through Piccadilly Circus each year.
The lights, seen here on VE Day, were switched off for a decade during and just after World War Two
The new display will boast one of the highest resolution LED displays of its size in the world
The lights have previously gone out in 1939 to comply with World War Two blackouts. They were not switched back on until 1949.
Since then, they have only been turned off as a mark of respect, including during the funerals of Winston Churchill and Princess Diana, and in support of environmental campaigns.
The occasional power cut and the imposed three-day week in the 1970s have also plunged Piccadilly Circus into darkness.
Coca-Cola has a 62-year residency on the Piccadilly Circus display
The occasional power cut, like this one in June 2007, has also turned off the illuminations
The new display, which will be the same size as the current space, will be shared by six advertisers.
Coca-Cola has been advertising in Piccadilly Circus since 1954 and will continue its residency, while Samsung will also have a spot.
Vasiliki Arvaniti, portfolio manager at Land Securities, said the new screen would offer brands "pioneering new ways to connect" with people.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch the countdown and lights going off
• None Piccadilly Circus to be switched off
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38610332 | |
Ex-football coach Barry Bennell denies sex assault charges - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Barry Bennell pleads not guilty to eight charges of historical sex abuse of a boy aged under 16. | UK | Former football coach Barry Bennell has pleaded not guilty to eight charges of sexual assault against a boy under 16.
The former youth coach at Crewe Alexandra denied the eight counts when he appeared at Chester Crown Court.
The charges all relate to allegations of abuse between 1981 and 1986.
Mr Bennell, 63, wearing a blue polo neck shirt and appearing via videolink from HMP Woodhill, in Milton Keynes, answered "not guilty" to all the charges as they were put to him.
The ex-coach, who also worked at Manchester City, Stoke City and junior teams in north-west England and the Midlands, was remanded into custody until 20 March.
Owen Edwards, prosecuting, told the court the alleged victim "preserves his anonymity". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38634794 | |
Why do Indians vote for 'criminal' politicians? - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | They come with "deep pockets" and exploit the inability of the government to deliver services. | India | A third of MPs in the Indian parliament faced criminal charges
Why do India's political parties field candidates with criminal charges? Why do the voters favour them despite their tainted past?
Political scientist Milan Vaishnav has been studying links between crime and democracy in India for many years now. His upcoming book When Crime Pays offers some intriguing insights into what is a disturbing feature of India's electoral democracy.
The good news is that the general election is a thriving, gargantuan exercise: 554 million voters queued up at more than 900,000 stations to cast their ballots in the last edition in 2014. The fortunes of 8,250 candidates representing 464 political parties were at stake.
The bad news is that a third (34%) of 543 MPs who were elected faced criminal charges, up from 30% in 2009 and 24% in 2004.
Some of the charges were of minor nature or politically motivated. But more than 20% of the new MPs faced serious charges such as attempted murder, assaulting public officials, and theft.
Now, India's general elections are not exactly a cakewalk.
Over time, they have become fiercely competitive: 464 parties were in the fray in 2014, up from 55 in the first election in 1952.
The average margin of victory was 9.7% in 2009, the thinnest since the first election. At 15%, the average margin of victory was fatter in the landslide 2014 polls, but even this was vastly lower than, say, the average margin of victory in the 2012 US Congressional elections (32%) and the 2010 general election in Britain (18%).
Almost all parties in India, led by the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress, field tainted candidates. Why do they do so?
For one, says Dr Vaishnav, "a key factor motivating parties to select candidates with serious criminal records comes down to cold, hard cash".
The rising cost of elections and a shadowy election financing system where parties and candidates under-report collections and expenses means that parties prefer "self-financing candidates who do not represent a drain on the finite party coffers but instead contribute 'rents' to the party". Many of these candidates have criminal records.
There are three million political positions in India's three-tier democracy; each election requires considerable resources.
Many parties are like personal fiefs run by dominant personalities and dynasts, and lacking inner-party democracy - conditions, which help "opportunistic candidates with deep pockets".
"Wealthy, self financing candidates are not only attractive to parties but they are also likely to be more electorally competitive. Contesting elections is an expensive proposition in most parts of the world, a candidate's wealth is a good proxy for his or her electoral vitality," says Dr Vaishnav, who is senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Political parties also nominate candidates with criminal backgrounds to stand for election because, simply put, they win.
During his research, Dr Vaishnav studied all candidates who stood in the last three general elections. He separated them into candidates with clean records and candidates with criminal records, and found that the latter had an 18% chance of winning their next election whereas the "clean" candidates had only a 6% chance.
Many Indians vote on lines on identity and religion
He did a similar calculation for candidates contesting state elections between 2003 and 2009, and found a "large winning advantage for candidates who have cases pending against them".
Politics also offers a lucrative career - a 2013 study showed that the average wealth of sitting legislators increased 222% during just one term in office. The officially declared average wealth of re-contesting candidates - including losers and winners - was $264,000 (£216,110) in 2004 and $618,000 in 2013, an increase of 134%.
Now why do Indians vote for criminal candidates? Is it because many of the voters are illiterate, ignorant, or simply, ill-informed?
Candidates with criminal records don't mask their reputation. Earlier this month, a candidate belonging to the ruling party in northern Uttar Pradesh state reportedly boasted to a party worker that he was the "biggest criminal". Increasing information through media and rising awareness hasn't led to a shrinking of tainted candidates.
Dr Vaishnav believes reasonably well-informed voters support criminal candidates in constituencies where social divisions driven by caste and/or religion are sharp and the government is failing to carry out its functions - delivering services, dispensing justice, or providing security - in an impartial manner.
"There is space here for a criminal candidate to present himself as a Robin Hood-like figure," says Dr Vaishnav.
Prime Minister Modi has called for state funding of elections
Clearly, crime and politics will remain inextricably intertwined as long as India doesn't make its election financing system transparent, parties become more democratic and the state begins to deliver ample services and justice.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has suggested state funding of polls to help clean up campaign financing. Earlier this month, he said people had the right to know where the BJP got its funds from. Some 14% of the candidates his BJP party fielded in the last elections had faced serious charges. (More than 10% of the candidates recruited by the Congress faced charges). But no party is walking the talk yet. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-38607255 | |
John Stones: Phil Neville & Alan Shearer discuss Manchester City defender - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | MOTD2 pundits Phil Neville and Alan Shearer discuss Manchester City defender John Stones and question his development after Pep Guardiola's side lost 4-0 to Everton. | null | MOTD2 pundits Phil Neville and Alan Shearer discuss Manchester City defender John Stones and question his development after Pep Guardiola's side lost 4-0 to Everton.
READ MORE: Man City have problems in attack as well as defence - Phil Neville | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38632190 | |
Australian Open 2017: Andy Murray & Johanna Konta lead British challenge - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Andy Murray and Johanna Konta could both win the Australian Open, but the British supporting cast is not here to make up the numbers. | null | Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra plus TV highlights on BBC Two from 21 Jan; live text on selected matches on BBC Sport website.
Andy Murray says it feels no different to enter the Australian Open as the world number one. A few players do now address him as 'Sir' - but that, he says, is with tongue firmly in cheek.
The challenge, though, remains as tough as ever. Murray has lost five finals in Melbourne in the past seven years, while Novak Djokovic - now the number two - has won the title six times in all.
Murray struck an important blow by beating his lifelong rival at the World Tour Finals to end 2016 at the top of the rankings; but earlier this month, the Serb hit back to win the Qatar Open in Doha and halt Murray's winning streak at 28 in a match of nearly three hours.
Murray is expecting another gruelling clash should they meet in the final here in Melbourne on 29 January.
"The way that we both play, we can't just hit through each other in one shot," the Scot said.
• None How to follow the Australian Open on the BBC
"It takes a few big shots to win points, so if we're playing well they tend to be long, physical matches.
"Doha was good because I was able to see how well I recovered from it: first week of the year, you can be a bit stiff and sore. I pulled up pretty well, so it was positive."
Much may depend on the energy they expend in the early rounds of the competition. The draw does not appear to leave either at a significant advantage, so at 29, Murray has as good a chance as ever of winning his first Australian Open title.
In the women's draw, there is a real opportunity for a top-20 player without a Grand Slam title to break their duck at this Australian Open. Britain's Johanna Konta is as well equipped as any.
The 25-year-old, who will be ninth in Monday's world rankings, is on a high after winning her second WTA title in Sydney on Friday, but it does mean she has had little time to rest before a challenging first week.
Her draw appears brutal (although she will not thank you for telling her, as she prefers not to look beyond the first match).
If Konta can beat 2013 Wimbledon semi-finalist Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium in the first round, she might then have to face the aggressive talent of Japanese 19-year-old Naomi Osaka in the second round and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the third.
Konta's decision at the end of last season to part company with coach Esteban Carril, so soon after the sudden death of her mental coach Juan Coto, was a big surprise.
The WTA's most improved player of 2016 was 150 in the world when she started working with Carril, but my understanding is the two were unable to agree financial terms for the year ahead.
It is a sign of Konta's standing in the game that she has been able to attract one of the best in the business as a replacement. Wim Fissette is just 36 - but already has a sparkling CV.
The Belgian was coach to Kim Clijsters when she won three of her Grand Slam titles, and has also coached Sabine Lisicki and Simona Halep to Grand Slam finals. A flourishing partnership with Victoria Azarenka only ended when the Belarusian announced she was taking a break from the sport because she was pregnant.
Konta and Fissette agreed to work together after a trial week at Patrick Mouratoglou's Academy in Nice in the week before Christmas. Mouratoglou, the coach of Serena Williams, rates Fissette highly.
"He's worked with some of the best players on tour so he has the experience and I think he's still fresh," he said.
"He's young, so he still has the motivation which is something very important because when you get older, a lot of guys don't want to travel that much. He's one of the best on tour, so I think it's a good pick."
Supporting cast no longer just make up the numbers
At last year's US Open, Dan Evans made the third round, and fellow Briton Kyle Edmund the fourth.
Edmund, 22, is now a top-50 player, and Evans just a single place adrift after he appeared in his maiden ATP final in Sydney on Saturday.
Evans' creative talents have long been on show, but his consistency is now far greater and even in the defeat by Luxembourg's Gilles Muller the 5ft 9in player showed his serve can still pack a punch.
All of the 26-year-old's matches bar the final in Sydney went to three sets, so sustaining his form in the opening week in Melbourne will be tough - especially with a Monday start.
Evans, who faces Argentina's Facundo Bagnis in the first round, says it is positive that the matches are coming thick and fast and he was grateful for the private jet laid on by Tennis Australia for the journey to Melbourne on Saturday night.
Edmund, meanwhile, has developed the useful knack of halving his world ranking on an annual basis. Every year, the challenge gets tougher, but he now stands at 46 in the world and in Brisbane earlier this month featured in his fifth ATP quarter-final since the start of last year.
His forehand is one of the most powerful in the world, his net game much improved, and the physical problems which have undermined him in five-set matches hopefully now a thing of the past.
Cramp proved his undoing in the first round of last year's Australian Open, and Edmund will once again have to deal with temperatures in the mid-30s Celsius for his first-round match against Colombia's Santiago Giraldo on Tuesday.
It was not a year to remember in 2016 for Aljaz Bedene, who nearly decided to walk away from the sport last summer. His love of tennis deserted him - something he relates directly to the International Tennis Federation's rejection of his appeal against his ineligibility to play Davis Cup for Great Britain.
"I honestly didn't want to play tennis, I didn't want to think about tennis," Slovenian-born Bedene, 27, said.
With his love of the game seemingly restored, Bedene faces Victor Estrella Burgos in the opening round. There is no finer example of the perils of retiring too young than the man from the Dominican Republic, who cracked the top 100 for the first time at the age of 33.
Watson and Broady hope to upset their hosts
The other two British players in the draw face seeded Australians in the opening round.
Heather Watson, 24, has fallen to 75 in the world after a promising start to last year, but will be in the Margaret Court Arena for her match against Sam Stosur.
Australia's highest women's seed is the 2011 US Open champion, but has a poor record in Melbourne where in 15 years she has reached the fourth round just twice.
Naomi Broady, 26, takes on an Australian who made a name for herself here last year. Daria Gavrilova beat two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova en route to the fourth round in the first Australian Open she had contested since switching nationalities from Russia.
Broady, at 95 in the world, is competing in her first main draw in Melbourne and can never be discounted given the potency of her serve.
The one high profile name missing from the main draw is Laura Robson, whose defeat in the first round of qualifying was her seventh in a row. In truth, it was a hugely erratic performance undermined by a chronic loss of confidence.
Robson is still only 22, though, and working seriously for the first time with a sports psychologist. A run of Challenger tournaments in France and Germany will provide a better clue to what 2017 holds in store - and whether she will be part of the debate once the French Open rolls around in four months' time. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/38615193 | |
Eyewitness describes Kyrgyzstan plane crash - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | Local eyewitness Uson describes the moment a plane crashed in a Kyrgyzstan village. | null | An eyewitness has described the moment a plane crashed in a Kyrgyzstan village, killing all four crew and at least 33 people on the ground.
Uson said part of the plane crashed on top of his friend's house. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38642921 | |
Dimitri Payet: West Ham reject Marseille's improved bid - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | West Ham reject a second bid from Ligue 1 club Marseille for France forward Dimitri Payet. | null | West Ham have rejected a second bid from Marseille for France forward Dimitri Payet.
The improved offer from the Ligue 1 side - reported to be £1m higher than an initial £19m bid - was turned down by Hammers chairman David Sullivan.
He is said to be taking a tough stance and refusing to be bullied into a quick sale, with the club having no financial need to sell.
Manager Slaven Bilic says Payet, 29, no longer wants to play for the club.
Payet is not training with the first team and will continue to work with the under-23s.
The Premier League club said they would prefer Payet to apologise to supporters and return to first-team training.
• None Listen: 'It's not about the money'
Why does he want to leave?
In 2011, when he was at Saint-Etienne, he wanted to go to Paris St-Germain, which was his dream move. He tried everything again to force them to sell him.
The club stood their ground - he had to go with the reserves, they fined him. In the end, he had to come back and he apologised and said: 'I have made a mistake, I'm young.' He is a very stubborn man and at the time it didn't work out for him, but he really believes this time it will happen for him.
Eighteen months ago Payet did not want to leave Marseille. They forced him to leave in a way, because they had to sell him to balance their books. He never really settled in England.
His family are not settled, the children are not happy at school, his wife is not happy. They all went back to France and are already looking at new schools there. The main issue for him has always been the family. They were not happy and that was impacting on him as a person and as a player.
Payet will take a cut out to go back to Marseille, it is not about the money. He is not going to China. Marseille have already reached an agreement to go back, now it is between the clubs.
Marseille's second offer is clearly way below what West Ham want, but at least they are opening the door. Three days ago they said they would never sell him, now they say they would sell him if they receive £30-35m pounds. I expect Marseille to go back with a better bid and still believe they will sell at some point.
Former Hammers striker Dean Ashton, who was forced to retire at the age of 26 through injury, said Payet's refusal to play was "disgusting".
"I can't play anymore and to see the way Payet is acting, I can't tell you how angry it makes me," Ashton, 33, told Talksport.
"West Ham love him, they absolutely adore him - they wouldn't dream to think he would go and do this. He is so many kids' favourite player.
"It is disgusting what he is doing in refusing to play."
Payet, who signed from Marseille for £10.7m in June 2015, excelled in his first season with the London club, scoring 12 goals and earning a nomination for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award.
In February 2016 he signed a new contract running until the summer of 2021.
MOTD2 Extra pundit Alan Shearer says West Ham should hold out for the biggest transfer fee they can get for Payet.
"It is quite clear Dimitri Payet is refusing to play for the club," he said on Sunday's programme.
"You have to get as much as you can and sell him. The dressing room is far more important."
Mark Schwarzer, the former Chelsea, Fulham and Middlesbrough goalkeeper, added on the programme: "Payet is a commodity - you have to get as much money for him. Then they can bring in players to improve the team." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38643225 | |
The hidden strengths of unloved concrete - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Concrete has a pretty poor reputation, yet this ubiquitous material has largely overlooked benefits. | Business | Nearly 20 years ago, poor families in Coahuila state in Mexico were offered an unusual handout from a social programme called Piso Firme. It was not a place at school, a vaccination, food, or even money. It was $150 (£118) worth of ready-mixed concrete.
Workers would drive concrete mixers through poor neighbourhoods, stop outside a home, and pour the porridge-like mixture through the door, right into the living room.
They showed the occupants how to spread and smooth the gloop, and made sure they knew how long to leave it to dry. Then they drove off to the next house.
Piso Firme means "firm floor", and when economists studied the programme, they found that the ready-mixed concrete dramatically improved children's education.
50 Things That Made the Modern Economy highlights the inventions, ideas and innovations that have helped create the economic world we live in.
It is broadcast on the BBC World Service. You can find more information about the programme's sources and listen online or subscribe to the programme podcast.
Previously, the floors were made of dirt, which let parasitic worms thrive, spreading diseases that stunted kids' growth and made them miss school.
Concrete floors are much easier to keep clean. So the kids were healthier, and their test scores improved. Economists also found that parents in the programme's households became happier, less stressed and less prone to depression.
That seems to be $150 well spent.
Beyond the poor neighbourhoods of Coahuila state, concrete often has a less wonderful reputation.
It has become a byword for ecological carelessness: concrete is made of sand, water and cement, and cement takes a lot of energy to produce. The production process also releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
That might not be such a problem in itself - after all, steel production needs a lot more energy - except that the world consumes absolutely vast quantities of concrete: five tonnes, per person, per year. As a result, the cement industry emits as much greenhouse gas as aviation.
Architecturally, concrete implies lazy, soulless structures: ugly office blocks for provincial bureaucrats, multi-storey car parks with stairwells that smell of urine.
Portsmouth's Tricorn Centre was regularly described as the UK's ugliest building, before its demolition
Yet it can also be shaped into forms that many people find beautiful - think of the Sydney Opera House or Oscar Niemeyer's Brasilia cathedral.
Perhaps it is no surprise that concrete can evoke such confusing emotions.
The very nature of the stuff feels hard to pin down. "Is it stone? Yes and no," opined the great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1927. "Is it plaster? Yes and no. Is it brick or tile? Yes and no. Is it cast iron? Yes and no."
However, the fact that it is a great building material has been recognised for millennia - perhaps even since the dawn of human civilization.
There is a theory that the very first settlements, the first time that humans gathered together outside their kinship groups - nearly 12,000 years ago at Gobekli Tepe in southern Turkey - was because someone had figured out how to make cement, and therefore concrete.
Oscar Niemeyer's Brasilia Cathedral was constructed from 16 concrete columns, each weighing 90 tonnes
It was certainly being used over 8,000 years ago by desert traders to make secret underground cisterns, some of which still exist in modern day Jordan and Syria. The Mycenaeans used it over 3,000 years ago to make tombs you can see in the Peloponnese in Greece.
The Romans were also serious about the stuff.
Using a naturally occurring cement from volcanic ash deposits at Puteoli, near Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, they built their aqueducts and their bathhouses with concrete.
Walk into the Pantheon in Rome, a building that will soon celebrate its 1,900th birthday. Gaze up at what was the largest dome on the planet for centuries, arguably until 1881.
You're looking at concrete. It is shockingly modern.
Many Roman brick buildings are long gone - but not because the bricks themselves have decayed. They've been taken apart, cannibalised for parts. Roman bricks can be used to make modern buildings.
But the concrete Pantheon? One of the reasons it has survived for so long is because the solid concrete structure is absolutely useless for any other purpose.
Bricks can be reused, concrete cannot. It can only be reduced to rubble. And the chances of it becoming rubble depend on how well it is made.
Bad concrete - too much sand, too little cement - is a death-trap in an earthquake. But well-made concrete is waterproof, storm proof, fireproof, strong and cheap.
That is the fundamental contradiction of concrete: incredibly flexible during construction, utterly inflexible afterwards.
In the hands of an architect or a structural engineer, concrete is a remarkable material. You can pour it into a mould, set it to be slim and stiff and strong in almost any shape you like. It can be dyed, or grey, it can be rough or polished smooth like marble.
But the moment the building is finished, the flexibility ends: cured concrete is a stubborn, unyielding material.
Perhaps that is why the material has become so associated with arrogant architects and autocratic clients - people who believe that their visions are eternal, rather than likely to need deconstructing and reconstructing as circumstances change.
In a million years, when our steel has rusted and our wood has rotted, concrete will remain.
But many of the concrete structures we're building today will be useless within decades. That's because, over a century ago, there was a revolutionary improvement in concrete - but it's an improvement with a fatal flaw.
In 1867, a French gardener, Joseph Monier, was unhappy with the available range of flower pots, and devised concrete pots, reinforced with a steel mesh.
Well-made reinforced concrete is much stronger and more practical
Less than 20 years later, the elegant idea of pre-stressing the steel was patented. This allowed engineers to use much less of it, and less concrete too.
Reinforced concrete is much stronger and more practical than the unreinforced stuff. It can span larger gaps, allowing concrete to soar in the form of bridges and skyscrapers.
But if cheaply made, it can rot from the inside as water gradually seeps in through tiny cracks, and rusts the steel.
This process is currently destroying infrastructure across the United States. In 20 or 30 years' time, China will be next.
China poured more concrete in the three years after 2008 than the United States poured during the entire 20th Century, and nobody thinks that it was all made to exacting standards.
There are many schemes to make concrete last longer, including special treatments to prevent water getting through to the steel.
There is "self-healing" concrete, full of bacteria that secrete limestone, which re-seals any cracks. And "self-cleaning" concrete, infused with titanium dioxide, breaks down smog, keeping the concrete sparkling white.
The concrete sails of Rome's Dives in Misecordia church include titanium dioxide
Improved versions of the technology may even give us street surfaces that can clean up cars' exhaust fumes.
Researchers are trying to make concrete with less energy use and fewer carbon emissions. The environmental rewards for success will be high.
Yet ultimately, there are many more things we could be doing with the simple, trusted technology we already have.
Hundreds of millions of people around the world live in dirt-floor houses. Their lives could be improved with a programme like Piso Firme. Other studies have shown large gains from laying concrete roads in rural Bangladesh - improving school attendance, agricultural productivity and boosting farm workers' wages.
Perhaps concrete serves us best when we use it simply.
Tim Harford writes the Financial Times's Undercover Economist column. 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy is broadcast on the BBC World Service. You can find more information about the programme's sources and listen online or subscribe to the programme podcast. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38317186 | |
Donald Trump praises UK's Brexit decision - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | US President-elect Donald Trump says the UK is "doing great" following the decision to leave the EU. | null | US President-elect Donald Trump says the UK is "doing great" following the decision to leave the EU.
His comments came as the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, told a German newspaper that the UK wouldn't "lie down," if access to the single market was closed off during Brexit negotiations. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38632439 | |
How working dads juggle their roles - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | How do working fathers manage the work-life balance? You have been telling us how you cope. | Business | Working fathers are frequently reducing their hours or taking on a less stressful role in order to balance their work and family lives, a new study has found.
According to the charity Working Families, a third of fathers they surveyed said they would take a pay cut in order to be more involved in their children's lives and as many again said they felt burnt out trying to juggle work and parental responsibilities.
BBC audiences have been sharing their experiences about how they cope.
"I worked as a sound engineer for six or seven days-a-week for ten years, with no specific work times, no overtime and no extra pay. That's just how the industry works.
"On top of that I had to get home early so my wife Kim could go to work in the evenings, she had to work so we could pay the rent on the house.
"A couple of months ago I had to quit my job because I was asked to to work evenings too, and evenings are the only time I get with my family.
"I quickly got another job but things are even worse. This new job has no holidays and no regular working hours at all.
"I have had numerous opportunities to work abroad but I declined them so I could be a part of my daughter's life as she grows up.
"I've decided to quit my new job, and today after just two months I'm leaving.
"Now I'm looking to start a business where I can spend more time with my family."
Jessica: "My husband and I made the decision when our son was born that I should work full time and he would work part time and be the stay-at-home parent. This is because, as a woman, I get far more rights as a working mother than he would as a working father.
"I am entitled to flexible working and have more legal rights. I work 36 hours a week and he works between 16 and 18, split over a Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon which means we are at home together on a Saturday and our son only has to go to a nursery for one afternoon a week.
"It's been eight months and it's working so far. Dan is happy because he is at home with our son and also has a job so he feels like he is contributing to our income and Louis (our son) is happy because he has a parent at home during the week.
"We earn enough to get by and get no help from the state with our son other than child benefit."
"In my role, it's really hard to find a healthy work-life-balance. In a lot of companies you will get benefits, such as salary increase based on the effort you invest into your job. If you are not focused on your career, then you will get no increase or not the amount that would be needed.
"If you are focused just on your career you will miss beautiful moments with your child.
"If you would like to spend more time taking care of your child, you have to work hard. Then it becomes a circle, like an infinite loop, that you cannot close.
"Some people advise to either not work that hard or to move to another company, but this is nonsense. Why? Because your family needs money. More money comes from higher appreciation at work. This comes from more hard work. However, it will also reduce the time you have for your family.
"In addition, the parental leave we have here in Hungary is near to nothing. We get two days of parental leave per year per child, which is not enough. Salary increases are also not a trend here, at least not in my case."
"I jumped off the career ladder about five or six years ago - a decision taken with my wife to effectively swap roles; she'd worked part-time since the first of our two sons was born.
"She wanted to get back to her career, and I was painfully aware of missing out on being around my boys. We had enough cash to fall back on that my not working for a while wouldn't cause problems and then I started working part-time from home as a writer.
"There are a lot of unexpected barriers and challenges when you're a stay-at-home dad - they almost all boil down to other people's attitudes.
"It's important to accept that balance comes at a cost."
"When the time came that I wanted to get back to work I met some almost hostile responses. Many people struggled to accept that a man would want to spend more time at home with his kids for a while.
"I asked a few of them 'would you be so negative in the face of a woman returning to work after a prolonged child-related career break?' The answer was always 'no' and was often followed by an uncomfortable acceptance that they were regarding me differently solely because of my gender.
"It's a real eye-opener into tacit acceptance of gender-defined roles in society. That's something facing both men and women and it needs to change.
"These days I work as a copywriter for a marketing agency. I spend three days in the office and two days at home. It feels like a good balance. But it's important to accept that balance comes at a cost.
"I earn about a third less than I did about six years ago and half what I might be earning had I stayed on the career ladder. But it's definitely been worth it."
"Nearly three years ago I changed jobs. I took a pay cut purely for the reason of getting a better work-life balance and importantly to spend more time with my two kids. It is a move that I have not regretted.
"Previously the stress levels I was working under were making me ill. The previous job also was further away from home, so I was spending between three-and-a-half to four hours travelling every day.
"My wife and I both still work full time - we could not afford the mortgage otherwise. Life is still a struggle, but we get by.
"Family is so much more important than a career."
"The family have breakfast together every morning now. I can now see that my kids leave home to get on the bus to school before I travel to work. I work one day a week from home and that also is invaluable.
"It means I can help with things like getting the kids to and from after-school activities - both my children are members of the local swimming club and train for around 10 hours a week.
"Family is so much more important than a career. My new employer, Virgin Media, has been good to me."
"I have struggled with this for many years, choosing to be paid at 80% while working 100%. I forego a larger salary for the right to look my colleagues in the eye when I'm leaving early two afternoons a week to meet the school bus.
"Yet as a manager, my commitment and my ability to manage has been called into question a few times. 'Why don't you get an au pair?' I've been asked. Or 'why don't you ask your wife to work less?'
"As a man, I know the expectations on men can be tough when we want to step out of a stereotype."
"I think this is a very important area for the UK to improve. My daughter was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Canadian law is much more even-handed.
"At the time my wife was self-employed and so I was able to take our entire allocation of parental leave. This allowed me to be there full time for my daughter for the first eight months of her life.
"I also had the great fortune to be working for a very enlightened employer whose policy topped up my state allowance to 95% of my salary.
"To say this was the most important and precious time of my life is an understatement. It allowed my wife and I to fully share the role of parenting and I feel we are much stronger as a family as a result.
"As a middle manager I was the first man to take advantage of this at my job and contrary to complaining and worrying about how they would cope, my bosses were more concerned with baby showers. I felt totally supported.
"What did the employer get out of this? A whole lot of loyalty and an employee that worked hard happily, who dealt with personnel issues with compassion and empathy and a very low staff turnover rate. All intangible I know, but as an employer, if you go to bat for your employees, they will do the same for you."
"Living and working in the Middle East has posed even larger issues with work-life balance.
"With the constant drive to meet deadlines, as well as meeting client expectations, work-life balance is generally not taken into account by bosses.
"Due to ensuring that the clients are kept happy and that revenue is maximised, it is rare that I and a lot of others in this part of the world are allowed to take more than two weeks leave at a time, even though by law we are entitled to four weeks a year paid vacation.
"Due to the excessive client expectations, six-day working weeks are the norm so getting time to spend with your family is far and few between, to the extent that I will pull a sickie if I know my kid, wife or both have an impromptu day off (my wife is a teacher and my kid is in nursery).
"I'm constantly looking for work outside the Middle East that offers a better working schedule so I can spend time with my family." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38637857 | |
Rory McIlroy: Injured rib forces withdrawal from Abu Dhabi Championship - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | World number two Rory McIlroy pulls out of the Abu Dhabi Championship because of a stress fracture to his rib. | null | Last updated on .From the section Golf
World number two Rory McIlroy has pulled out of the Abu Dhabi Championship because of a rib injury.
The Northern Irishman had tests on Monday after complaining about back pain during the South Africa Open, in which he lost in a play-off.
McIlroy has sustained a stress fracture and must now begin a rehabilitation programme.
"It's bitterly disappointing. I think everyone knows how much I love playing this tournament," said the 27-year-old.
"In situations like this you simply have to listen to the experts, and the team I have consulted have all advised me to rest until my rib has fully recovered."
Following his withdrawal from the Abu Dhabi event, McIlroy's next scheduled tournament is the Dubai Desert Classic in the first week of February.
He had initially said he suspected his problem was fatigue after an off-season during which he hit a lot of balls in practice trying to decide on new equipment.
He played in Johannesburg with his back taped up and having taken anti-inflammatory tablets.
Defending champion Rickie Fowler and fellow American Dustin Johnson are among those due to play in Abu Dhabi. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/38645049 | |
Theresa May to star in spread in US Vogue magazine - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz's shoot with the prime minister will feature in April's Vogue. | UK Politics | Theresa May is to appear in a spread in glossy fashion magazine US Vogue, Downing Street has confirmed.
The prime minister - who is known for her love of fashion, especially eye-catching shoes - posed for the renowned portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz.
"The long-planned shoot for US Vogue will come out in April," a No 10 spokesman said.
The magazine's editor, British-born Anna Wintour, was made a dame in the New Year Honours.
Mrs May chose a lifetime's subscription to Vogue magazine as her luxury item when she appeared on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs programme.
Stranded alone on a desert island, Mrs May says she would chose a lifetime subscription to Vogue to keep her company
Her choice of expensive, chocolate-coloured leather trousers - which retail for £995 - for a previous magazine spread angered former education secretary Nicky Morgan, who said she had never spent that much on anything except her wedding dress.
According to the Press Association, Downing Street sources denied reports the Vogue feature was connected to a planned visit to the US for the PM's first meeting with Donald Trump.
US photographer Annie Leibovitz has previously shot Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton for the publication.
Margaret Thatcher, the UK's only other female leader, was photographed four times for British Vogue.
Baroness Thatcher, who died in 2013, was known for her smart, unfussy style including power suits, pussy-bow blouses and an ever-present handbag.
• None Seven notable things about Theresa May | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38631783 | |
Australian Open 2017: Andy Murray and Dan Evans reach second round - BBC Sport | 2017-01-16 | null | Britain's Andy Murray wins his first Grand Slam match since becoming world number one but is given a stern test. | null | Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Coverage: Live commentary every day on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra plus TV highlights on BBC Two from 21 January; live text on selected matches on the BBC Sport website.
Britain's Andy Murray won his first Grand Slam match since becoming world number one but was given a stern test by world number 95 Illya Marchenko.
A clearly frustrated Murray was far from his best but reached the second round of the Australian Open with a 7-5 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 win over the Ukrainian.
The Scot, attempting to win his first Australian Open title after five final defeats, won in two hours 48 minutes.
Evans, the world number 51, saved three set points before winning the opener in a tie-break, then broke Bagnis in the first game of the second set.
A break of the world number 65's serve in game nine gave Evans the second set, and he wrapped up a 7-6 (10-8) 6-3 6-1 victory to set up a second-round match against Marin Cilic.
• None Murray on nerves, being a Sir and what he bought his dogs for Christmas
• None Relive day one of the Australian Open
Murray, 29, made a nervy start and lost the first game with three double faults and a forehand error, but took control to serve for the set at 5-3.
However, Marchenko broke the Scot again to draw level, only for Murray to raise his intensity and take the set after 55 minutes.
Murray became increasingly frustrated in the second set, berating himself for his errors and unusually sluggish movement, as his opponent grew in confidence.
The Ukrainian, also 29, hit a series of powerful forehands and deft volleys to take the lead in the set.
Murray had to fight hard to force a tie-break, but once again the top seed did enough when it mattered to win the set after a marathon 76 minutes in hot conditions.
The gruelling effort seemed to affect Marchenko in the third set and Murray took advantage to win it without any complications.
He faces Russia's Andrey Rublev in round two.
"I don't think it was the best match," said the Wimbledon champion. "The conditions were pretty different to what we've been practising in.
"Last week's been pretty cool. When it's like that, the ball is bouncing a bit lower and it is a bit easier to control. I was a bit tentative because of that.
"And I didn't serve that well either. So you end up having to work really hard on a lot of your service games when it's like that."
It was a very hot afternoon and therefore I think you could say Murray expended a little more energy than he would wish.
His first serve will be a concern - it can't be easy serving in the sun - but the heat is not really a huge factor for him.
All in all, he looked in pretty good spirits. I don't think he'll be hugely concerned but there are things to work on.
Bedene, ranked 108 in the world, was 5-2 up in the opener but Estrella Burgos took the first two sets.
The Slovenia-born Briton eased through the third set, but Estrella Burgos progressed after three hours and nine minutes. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/38633162 | |
NHS patient caught selling his drugs in undercover film - BBC News | 2017-01-16 | null | We went undercover to confront him. | null | A patient has been caught in an undercover BBC film illegally selling prescription drugs which cost the NHS £10,000 a year.
You can see this story in full on BBC Inside Out West Midlands at 19:30 GMT on BBC One on Monday 16 January or via iPlayer afterwards.
This video has been optimised for mobile viewing on the BBC News app. The BBC News app is available from the Apple App Store for iPhone and Google Play Store for Android. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-38608663 | |
2019 Cricket World Cup: London Stadium major step closer to staging matches - BBC Sport | 2017-01-20 | null | London Stadium is found to have a potential playing surface big enough to host one-day international cricket matches. | null | Last updated on .From the section Cricket
London Stadium is a major step closer to hosting matches at the 2019 Cricket World Cup, after it was found to have a potential playing surface big enough for one-day internationals.
It emerged last month the England and Wales Cricket Board was considering high-capacity venues at the request of the International Cricket Council.
The 60,000-seat London Stadium is much larger than any UK cricket ground.
However, a number of other feasibility issues must be addressed.
To stage cricket, the stadium's seating configuration would be similar to that used for athletics, rather than as employed by tenants West Ham United for football matches.
Obstacles to overcome include the cost-effectiveness of turfing the entire playing area and the suitability of drop-in pitches, which are rarely used in the UK.
And, even though the tournament, which runs from 30 May to 15 July, is unlikely to encroach on either the football season or athletics' Anniversary Games, there must be sufficient time to convert the stadium.
If all of these challenges can be met then it is likely the stadium, which hosted the 2012 Olympics, will be used for a small portion of the World Cup, perhaps a one-week window, rather than throughout the seven-week competition.
Eleven traditional cricket venues - Lord's, The Oval, Trent Bridge, Edgbaston, Old Trafford, Headingley, Cardiff, Southampton, Chester-le-Street, Taunton and Bristol - are in line to host matches.
Of that list, Lord's has the highest capacity - about 30,000.
However, the ICC is keen to replicate the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which saw attendances in excess of 90,000 in Melbourne, and games held at other large stadiums in Sydney, Adelaide and Auckland.
Of those, Auckland's Eden Park, traditionally a rugby ground, has dimensions that left the straight boundaries incredibly short.
London Stadium has previously been considered by Essex for domestic Twenty20 matches. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/38689150 | |
Saido Berahino: Stoke complete deal to sign West Brom's 23-year-old striker - BBC Sport | 2017-01-20 | null | Stoke sign West Brom striker Saido Berahino for £12m on a five-and-a-half-year deal. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
Stoke have signed West Brom striker Saido Berahino for a fee of £12m on a five-and-a-half-year deal.
The 23-year-old's contract had been due to expire at the end of the season, and the Baggies offered him a new deal for a third time in December.
He has not played since September and his relationship with the club had broken down since the 2014-15 campaign.
"I've had a tough two years but everything happens for a reason. I'm mentally stronger now," Berahino said
"Now I am finally here I just can't wait to start. For Stoke to show their faith in me is unbelievable," he added.
"On match fitness I am not there yet, but I am going to work hard to get myself back so I can help my new team-mates climb the table."
Stoke chief executive Tony Scholes said: "We've signed a young English striker who has already proven his ability in the Premier League.
"After a frustrating period he's now desperately keen to reignite his career and we look forward to seeing him do that with us."
Berahino reacted angrily to a bid from Tottenham being turned down on transfer deadline day in summer 2015 and two months later tweeted that he would never play for West Brom again under then-chairman Jeremy Peace.
And in January 2015, he scored four goals but barely celebrated in what was interpreted as a sign of his growing disillusionment at the Hawthorns.
Speaking after Saturday's 4-0 defeat by Spurs, West Brom boss - and former Stoke manager - Tony Pulis had said Berahino would not be sold "unless it is right for the club".
He added: "It has to be a two-way situation. That has always been the situation; we will not sell the lad because it suits him."
England Under-21 forward Berahino is the Potters' second signing of this transfer window after the loan deal for Derby keeper Lee Grant was made permanent. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38696547 | |
BBC reporter joins locals in icy river dip - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | null | The BBC’s Tom Burridge takes a dip in Kiev's Dnipro frozen river to celebrate Epiphany. | null | People in Kiev have been bathing in the frozen Dnipro river to celebrate Epiphany.
It is when Orthodox Christian countries, like Ukraine, mark the baptism of Christ.
The BBC’s Tom Burridge went into the water, which is blessed by local priests. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38685336 | |
Andy Murray column on Novak Djokovic, beating Querrey and meeting Zverev - BBC Sport | 2017-01-20 | null | World number one Andy Murray on Novak Djokovic's Australian Open exit and coming up against an old friend at the Australian Open. | null | Coverage: Live radio and text commentary of every Andy Murray match on BBC Radio, the BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app. Watch highlights on BBC Two and online from 21 January.
I thought I was pretty good in my win over Sam Querrey. I certainly played better than the first two matches. Sam's a tough opponent with a big game so I was happy with it.
I probably warmed up for the match on three or four different occasions. Svetlana Kuznetsova was up a set and 4-1 on court before me, and then all of a sudden it was 3-0 in the decider to Jelena Jankovic. Then there was an injury time-out at the end.
You start warming up as soon as it gets to near the end of the match and then you just have to wait and hang around. It's really tough but there's not a lot you can do. I was ready to go out there for about an hour and a half.
The tough part is the mental side of it. You have to be switched on as you might just be about to go on and play in a Grand Slam match. It's about trying to find a way of staying relaxed and not using up too much mental energy.
The support in the arena was great. The court we were playing on isn't a ticketed court so you get really enthusiastic fans watching. Anyone can come in and watch - I think it's $45 for the day. And with Dan Evans playing on the court after me, the Brits have been there all day. It was loud crowd, so I really enjoyed it.
'I've known my next opponent for 17 years'
Next up is Mischa Zverev. We've known each other since we were 12 years old, so for 17 years. We're the same age and we grew up playing against each other in the juniors.
He's a very quiet guy, and very calm on the court. He plays serve-volley tennis which you don't see a lot nowadays and he's improved so much over the last few months. His brother, Alex, is one of the best players in the world right now and they train together all the time. Their parents coached them so whenever I was playing with Mischa, when Alex was only tiny he would be on the side of the court with a racket in his hand.
There's quite a different age gap between them and me and my brother but it's always nice to have your family around you and to have someone who understands what it's like to be a professional athlete - the stresses and everything you go through - it definitely helps.
Everyone was surprised by Novak Djokovic's exit in Melbourne, for sure. But out of the last few Grand Slams he made the final of the US Open, the third round at Wimbledon and won the French Open. Every single player on the tour, bar one or two, would sign up for those results. When you compare it to what his standards are, he'll probably be disappointed. But if you compare it to every other tennis player in the world, his last 12-18 months have been phenomenal.
I think everyone needs to give him a bit of a break. It is hard to keep up the intensity week after week, that's why everyone has been so impressed by the group of players at the top of the game over the last few years.
The same guys have been there for the last 10 years because their performances in the major events have been incredibly consistent. They're always in the finals and semi-finals. So when it doesn't happen once, everyone is really surprised and shocked.
But I think the players themselves are a lot more understanding, as we know how difficult it is and how incredible the consistency has been over the last few years. It's almost inevitable it will drop off at some point. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/38689896 | |
India v England: Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni seal series in Cuttack - BBC Sport | 2017-01-20 | null | Brilliant centuries from Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni give India a series-clinching 15-run win over England in a thrilling second ODI. | null | Brilliant centuries from Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni gave India a series-clinching 15-run win over England in a thrilling second one-day international.
India were reduced to 25-3 in Cuttack before Yuvraj, who struck 150, and Dhoni (134) shared a stand of 256.
They helped India to 381-6, the third-highest total made against England.
Eoin Morgan blasted an 80-ball hundred, Jason Roy, Joe Root and Moeen Ali all made half-centuries, but England ended 366-8 to go 2-0 down with one to play.
That in itself was England's fifth-highest total and their second of 350 or more in as many games, but they still have not won a series in this country since 1984-85 and have lost 21 of their past 25 ODIs against India in India.
The tourists looked well set to alter that record when Chris Woakes took three wickets in his first three overs, including the prolific Virat Kohli, but Yuvraj and Dhoni destroyed an England attack that had no control of length.
An unlikely chase was not out of the question on an ideal batting surface, only for India's spinners to run through the England top order, with the late hitting of Morgan not enough in the face of the home attack's greater nous.
Before returning for the first match, Yuvraj was out of the India ODI side for more than three years, dropped at the end of a 2013 when he averaged only 19.71 with the bat.
Recalled after some excellent domestic form, he made his first ODI century for six years and his highest score, dismantling the England bowling with stylish drives and brutal pulls.
England were right to initially probe the left-hander's historical weakness against the short ball, but too slow to change a plan that did not work.
Time and again short deliveries were dismissed to the leg-side fence, even after Yuvraj had registered his 14th ODI ton with Jake Ball the most persistent offender.
Yuvraj successfully overturned a caught-behind decision on 145 and a double century seemed possible until he edged the excellent Woakes, comfortably the pick of England's bowlers, to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.
Dhoni relinquished the white-ball captaincy to Kohli before this series but once again proved his worth alongside the equally experienced Yuvraj - both 35 and with 580 caps between them.
Usually at his best at the end of the innings, Dhoni dealt with the inconvenience of having to arrive in the fifth over by batting until the 48th, initially as a foil for Yuvraj.
He was dropped on 43, a tough chance to a retreating Ball off a leading edge, and only really accelerated as he neared a century, announcing his intention with a huge six over long-on off Woakes.
From there it was carnage, as Dhoni took 41 runs off the last 20 balls he faced. Overall, India hit 214 from their final 20 overs and 120 off the last 10.
Liam Plunkett, ineffective on his return for figures of 2-91, was hammered for three sixes in an over, eventually getting a crumb of comfort when Dhoni hit a full toss to David Willey at deep mid-wicket.
England were not fazed by what would have been their highest successful run chase in ODIs, with Root and Roy sharing a stand of 100 that kept the tourists ahead of the curve.
However, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, England's tormentor during their 4-0 Test series defeat, had Root sky a sweep, bowled Ben Stokes and had Buttler stumped down the leg side, while spin partner Ravindra Jadeja found turn to bowl Roy.
Still England pressed on, captain Morgan returning to form with sixes over long-on and long-off, and Moeen's leg-side scoring bringing him a 40-ball half-century.
When Moeen dragged on to his stumps off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, it looked to be a fatal blow to England's chances, but Morgan kept them alive in a fifty partnership with Plunkett that came in only 24 balls.
The Irishman reached his ninth ODI ton only to be run out by bowler Jasprit Bumrah when backing up too far, taking England's hopes with him as he departed.
Falling short by 15 in a game of 747 runs, England will reflect on a bowling effort that was too expensive and top-order batting that failed to capitalise on a strong position.
'India just got too many runs' - analysis
India got just too many runs. England's bowling wasn't focused enough on Yuvraj Singh and then they lost wickets at the wrong time.
It's unfair to blame England's death bowlers, but they still haven't got that right. Woakes is good but they haven't got another person that they can really rely on.
• None India's 381-6 is the third-highest score ever made against England in a one-day international.
• None The partnership of 256 by Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni is the second-highest for any wicket by any opponent against England in ODIs, bettered only by the 286 shared by Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga for Sri Lanka in 2006.
• None Yuvraj is only the sixth man to make a score of 150 or more against England in an ODI.
• None England made their fifth-highest ODI total and their largest batting second. It was also the largest score they have ever made to lose an ODI.
• None 747 runs is the second-most made in an ODI in India, behind the 825 made by the hosts and Sri Lanka in 2009-10.
• None Joe Root has made a half-century in each of the five Tests and two ODIs against India this winter.
'We weren't at our best' - what they said
England captain Eoin Morgan: "We probably weren't at our best with ball or the bat but we still competed and it's tremendously disappointing not to get over the line.
"Bowling to MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh is very difficult at times. The margin for error is quite small and the challenge is to break the partnership a little earlier.
"We showed a lot of fight, we have a huge amount of talent. It's been a magnificent day's cricket."
India captain Virat Kohli: "I said to the team that if we had had a good start then where could we have ended up today? MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh brought stability and wonders to the team, their batting rate was outstanding.
"A 380 target, we thought, was a bit too far-fetched, but we bowled at the most difficult phase because of the dew and the ball was very hard to execute - and the guys showed great character.
"If we had not picked out the wickets in the middle then I'm not sure where the game would have gone."
Man-of-the-match Yuvraj Singh: "In the domestic season I've been hitting the ball really well and I've been working hard on my fitness. The results showed today.
"Me and MS Dhoni understand the situations really well, we started by hitting the ball down the ground really well and not taking any risks. Then we attacked when the time was right."
"Diet has been the key, as you pass 30 you've got to work hard on your fitness - I learned that from Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble, all the greats." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/38679657 | |
Jose Fonte: West Ham sign Southampton captain - BBC Sport | 2017-01-20 | null | West Ham complete the signing of Southampton captain Jose Fonte for £8m on a two-and-a-half-year deal. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
West Ham have signed Southampton captain Jose Fonte for £8m on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
The 33-year-old Portugal centre-back - who spent seven years at Southampton - made a transfer request with 18 months left to run on his Saints deal.
The transfer includes a possible £1m in add-ons and gives Fonte the option to extend his contract for a further year.
Southampton's director of football Les Reed said Fonte had the chance to sign an improved deal but requested a move.
Fonte, a Euro 2016 winner, said West Ham manager Slaven Bilic was a "very big influence" in convincing him to choose the Hammers ahead of other clubs.
"I thought that he really wanted me and that he sold me the project and the ambition of the club," Fonte told the club's website.
Fonte made 288 appearances at St Mary's and was the last remaining member of the Saints side that rose from League One to the Premier League.
"I also have part of my family living in London and they are big West Ham fans. It just made sense for me at this stage to join West Ham," he added.
"With the way that West Ham is going we can only look to be challenging in the top eight."
The Hammers confirmed Fonte will not be available for Saturday's trip to Middlesbrough. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38694821 | |
Putin spokesman denies US election hack - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | null | President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman denies any Russian government involvement in hacking to influence the 2016 US election result. | null | President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman has told the BBC that neither the Russian government nor the president himself were involved in hacking to influence the 2016 US election result.
Speaking exclusively to Hardtalk, Dmitry Peskov added that Russia suffered “hundreds and thousands of cyberattacks every day” emanating from the West.
The full Hardtalk interview is running on the BBC News Channel on Saturday 21 January at 0030 and 1530 GMT and Sunday 22 January 1630 GMT. It will also be on BBC World News on Saturday 21 January at 0730 and 1630 GMT and Sunday 22 January 2030 GMT. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38684643 | |
US frisbee team captures frozen lake crossing - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | null | Unusual mobile phone footage shows the frisbee skittering across the ice in the US. | null | A youth frisbee team has filmed a frisbee crossing a frozen Maine lake in the wind.
Falmouth Rogue coach Shea Gunther captured the action on his phone while skating behind the frisbee.
He told the BBC: "I noticed how the wind would catch an errant throw, so I turned my camera on and threw it into the wind so it would skitter. And skitter it did". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38684425 | |
MH370: Should Malaysia fund new MH370 search? - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Might the search for missing airliner MH370 resume, and if so who would pay for it? | Asia | Many distraught relatives have called for the search to continue
The announcement on 17 January that the search for MH370 was being suspended should have surprised no-one.
At the tripartite meeting last July of the three countries involved in the search, Malaysia, Australia and China, they agreed that it would not be continued beyond the current 120,000sq km area (46,332 sq miles) of the southern Indian Ocean, unless there was credible new information showing a specific location for the crashed airliner.
Nonetheless the families of the victims have condemned this requirement for a "precise location", calling it "at best an erroneous expectation, and at worst a clever formulation to bury the search".
They have pointed to a statement in December by the Australian Transport Safety Board, which is leading the search operation, that in view of the drift modelling carried out by the Australian scientific organisation CSIRO for debris from MH370 found along the East African coast, there was "strong evidence that the aircraft is most likely to be located to the north of the current indicative underwater search area".
And with no trace of the airliner found after an exhaustive two-and-a-half-year search, all the experts agree they have been looking in the wrong area.
There were 14 nationalities among the 227 passengers and 12 crew on board the plane
The CSIRO drift models suggest the search should be shifted to a 25,000sq km area immediately north of the existing zone, along the arc that satellite data shows the plane must have travelled. It might require an additional $40-50m to extend the search operation into the new area, on top of the $160m already spent.
But the three governments appear unmoved, sticking rigidly to the formula they agreed last July, although the Australian and Malaysian governments insist cost is not a factor in their decision to stop searching.
However in an interview with ABC News on Tuesday, Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester made the point that any decision to resume the search was "primarily Malaysia's call".
That underlines a problem which has troubled the search operation from the start: who is really responsible?
Back in February 2015 Australia submitted a request to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which regulates international air travel, for clearer guidelines on which country should be responsible for both organising and funding an extended search operation.
Under existing guidelines Australia is responsible for initial search-and-rescue efforts in the vast areas of ocean off its western coast. But once it was clear there would be no survivors, it became a search-and-recovery operation, for which responsibility is not clear.
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The ICAO designates to Malaysia, the flag state of the missing plane, the task of leading the accident investigation, but it is not clear whether that includes running the extended search.
This was important because by 2015 Australia had shouldered most of the financial burden, and people were beginning to complain. After all, the specialised ships and detection equipment used in the search had to be rented from a Dutch salvage company; any of the three countries could have covered this cost.
Only six of the MH370 passengers were Australians, whereas 153 came from China, which has so far contributed relatively little, around $16m, although the ICAO imposes no requirement on it do so. The Malaysian government now says it has contributed a total of $112m, but the official Australian figures suggest it has actually spent less than that.
So why does Malaysia not take the initiative to fund an extended search? The Malaysian Transport Ministry responded to this question with the formula from last July, that all three countries had agreed they first needed indications of a specific location for the crash site, despite that fact that such detailed information in a huge expanse of sea is extremely unlikely to be found.
Pieces probably from the plane have been found as far away as Madagascar
Relatives of the passengers have also criticised the Malaysian authorities for being so slow to request recovered pieces of debris, eight of which are now believed to be almost certainly from the missing airliner.
That debris is important: it has not only helped ascertain a probable alternative location for the plane; it has also helped confirm how the aircraft ended its flight, with Australian investigators concluding that it plunged into the sea, and was not under the control of the pilot.
Malaysia has at times given the impression of being a reluctant lead investigator, happy for Australia to do most of the legwork.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Grace Subathirai Nathan: "I want to know what happened to my mother"
Aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas describes Malaysia's approach as "inexcusable and irresponsible. It is their plane, and their responsibility to find out what happened to it. They are walking away from their commitment to international aviation and the flying public".
The Malaysian Ministry of Transport says only that "all decisions with regards to the MH370 search have and will always be in the spirit of tripartite co-operation."
If it is primarily Malaysia's call to restart the search operation, it looks unlikely to make it. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38676289 | |
Netflix's gamble pays off as subscriptions soar - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Netflix's choice to bin old films and shows in favour of ploughing money into original content is, for now at least, reaping rewards. | Technology | Netflix took a decision to invest in original content
Hundreds of movies disappeared from Netflix over 2016, the result of the streaming service’s decision to end several key content deals with top studios and distributors.
It was a brave move - particularly given that its main rivals, such as Hulu, jumped at the chance to take on some of those titles Netflix decided it no longer wanted.
The reason for the cull? Original content.
Netflix was being bold - its aspirations were no longer to be your on-demand DVD collection, but instead the place where you discovered and consumed new and exclusive shows.
So rather than pay money out to studios for the right to show existing content, it instead ploughed its cash into shows such as Stranger Things, The Crown, Luke Cage and the remake of Gilmore Girls.
In 2016, those “Netflix Originals” - already a term you could argue has become synonymous with quality - came thick and fast.
The firm said it produced 600 hours of original programming last year - and intends to raise that to about 1,000 hours in 2017. Its budget to achieve that is $6bn (£4.9bn) - a billion more than last year.
On Wednesday we learned the company has been rewarded handsomely for putting its eggs in the original content basket. After hours trading on Wednesday saw the company’s stock rise by as much as 9% on the news it had added 7.05 million new subscribers in the last three months of 2016.
That’s far greater than the 5.2 million they had anticipated, and left them ending the year with 93.8 million subscribers in total - and an expectation of breaking the symbolic 100 million mark by the end of March.
The kids of Stranger Things become overnight superstars - and helped earn Netflix millions
In all, 2016 saw Netflix take in $8.83bn (£7.1bn) in revenue - with a profit of $186.7m (£151.6m).
All looking good, then - but there’s still work to do.
In a letter to shareholders, Netflix underlined, as it is obliged to do, the potential risks to its success going forward - chiefly globalisation and competition.
While international expansion has been rapid, with the majority of the new sign-ups are coming from outside of the US, it will require a lot of expenditure for Netflix to dominate with original content in the 189 other countries it serves.
It has put some of its budget into non-English language shows, such as “3%”, a Portuguese sci-fi series. Intriguingly, Netflix noted that many English viewers opted to watch the dubbed version, providing an unexpected added audience.
Still, when local TV players kick into action and give up so-called linear TV - episodes once a week, and so on - in favour of Netflix’s model there’s a chance the company’s head start could be clawed back.
The company notes that the BBC became the first “major linear network” to push into a “binge-first” strategy, and it expects American network HBO to follow suit pretty soon.
The company also took a somewhat unusual political step in its earnings, drawing attention to the ongoing debate over so-called net neutrality.
Net neutrality is the concept that all data traffic on the internet is treated equally - and that internet service providers (ISPs) cannot, for example, charge extra for data-heavy services like video streaming.
The cost could be passed on to either companies like Netflix or the consumer - but is currently not allowed. However, there are concerns the incoming Trump administration may abolish the current laws that ensure net neutrality.
Netflix said any weakening of net neutrality laws would not affect its business in any significant way, but stressed, as many advocates have done, that it would hinder competition across the board.
“Strong net neutrality is important to support innovation and smaller firms,” the company wrote.
"No one wants ISPs to decide what new and potentially disruptive services can operate over their networks, or to favour one service over another. We hope the new US administration and Congress will recognise that keeping the network neutral drives job growth and innovation.”
Finally, Netflix reiterated its reluctance to get into the business of broadcasting live sport - something the company argued was the last real incentive for someone to have a traditional cable or satellite subscription.
My hunch there is that it’s biding its time.
Netflix boss Reid Hastings said his company was not interested in going after sports rights
Right now, sports rights - even for just one market - cost astronomical amounts of cash.
But if big cable firms continue to be weakened by the likes of Netflix, their spending power will decrease. At which point the new players could see the prospect of getting a far better deal than if they were to go after it today.
What Netflix has made clear is that it’s no longer content with signing up content to show only in select markets, it’s instead focusing on deals that can be shown in every country.
How much would global rights to the Premier League be worth, I wonder?
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook
• None Netflix to allow TV and movie downloads | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38672837 | |
Martin McGuinness: The end of a long journey - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | The BBC's Peter Taylor looks back as Martin McGuinness retires from frontline politics. | Northern Ireland | The political retirement of Martin McGuinness on Thursday due to ill health marks the end of a remarkable journey. Perceived by some as a terrorist, others as a freedom fighter, he ended up a statesman, a journey similar to those previously made by other historical figures from Menachem Begin to Jomo Kenyatta and Nelson Mandela.
It also marks the closing of a chapter in Northern Ireland's turbulent history in which Mr McGuinness played a crucial role both as perhaps the most important IRA leader on the island of Ireland and one of its most skilled and charismatic politicians. Without his endeavours, in umbilical political partnership with his former comrade-in- arms, Gerry Adams, I doubt if Northern Ireland, despite the continuing fragility of its institutions, would be where it is today.
I first met Martin McGuinness 45 years ago this month, shortly after the day that became notorious as Bloody Sunday when British paratroops shot dead 13 civil rights marchers in the Bogside enclave of Londonderry/Derry.
I remember watching a candle-lit procession on its way to the church where the coffins of the dead were lying and being told by the nationalist politician, John Hume, to keep an eye on one of the mourners.
He pointed to Martin McGuinness. I followed his advice and soon met him on the steps of the gasworks that served as the IRA's headquarters in the Bogside. At the time he was second in command of the IRA's Derry Brigade. He was soon to become its commander.
He did not fit the stereotypical role of an IRA commander at the time. He was personable, highly articulate and utterly committed to his cause of getting the "Brits" out of the North.
A few months later, following an IRA ceasefire, he was sitting down in a posh house in Chelsea, along with Gerry Adams, as part of the IRA delegation that met the Northern Ireland Secretary, Willie Whitelaw. The IRA said it wanted a British withdrawal by 1975. Not surprisingly, the talks got nowhere and it was back to the "war".
If anyone had looked into a crystal ball at that time and told me that the young IRA commander would go on to become Northern Ireland's deputy prime minister, sharing power and joking, as "the chuckle brothers" with his former arch enemy, Ian Paisley, and then would don white tie and tails to dine with the Queen at Windsor Castle, I would have said that pigs might fly. But pigs did.
"The chuckle brothers" - Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness at the Northern Ireland Assembly, 2007
Mr McGuinness's role was critical in persuading the IRA's rank-and-file that "armed struggle" had run its course and the future road to Sinn Fein's holy grail of a united Ireland lay in sharing power at Stormont with its unionist opponents.
This was tantamount to accepting partition (the division of Ireland in 1922 into two states) and the role of the British state - albeit, as far as Sinn Fein is concerned, a temporary accommodation as a means to an end.
Remarkably Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness finally persuaded the majority of the IRA to swallow the political heresy and agree to the ceasefire of 1994 that was to lead on to the Good Friday Agreement four years later.
A measure of the faith and trust that rank-and-file IRA men and women had in Martin McGuinness is reflected in the sentiment I heard from many of them that "if it's good enough for Martin, it's good enough for us". Such sentiments speak volumes of Mr McGuinness and the esteem in which he was held as IRA leader.
These landmark steps were only made possible as a result of a protracted and fraught secret back-channel dialogue, via an intermediary, between MI6 and MI5 in which Mr McGuinness was the key conduit to the IRA's ruling Army Council.
But Mr McGuinness, because of his IRA past, remains a controversial figure. There are still some Unionists who would take issue with the tribute paid by Ian Paisley's son who said that by working with his father, Martin McGuinness had "saved lives" and "made countless lives better".
His critics can only see him as the former leader of a terrorist organisation responsible for a grievous toll of death and destruction. They will never forget - or forgive the IRA - for the lives of the hundreds of policemen, soldiers and civilians murdered in the IRA's campaign and the number of families who have been left bereft.
But for me, the true recognition of the journey Mr McGuinness has made came in an interview I did with the mother of Marie Wilson, the young woman who died in the IRA's bomb attack on the Remembrance Day parade in Enniskillen in 1987.
The intelligence services believe that Martin McGuinness, although he denies it, was at that time the acting head of the IRA's Northern Command that prosecuted the "war" in the North.
In words of moving candour, Mrs Wilson said she respected Mr McGuinness's role in helping to bring the conflict to end and making such attacks, she hoped, a thing of the past.
• None McGuinness will not stand in NI election | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38690431 | |
Turnips pummell Jarramplas at annual Spanish festival - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | null | People at a festival in Piornal in Spain throw turnips at a character called Jarramplas, who represents a cattle thief in folklore. | null | People at a festival in Piornal in Spain throw turnips at a character called Jarramplas, who represents a cattle thief in folklore. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38688517 | |
Mild panic greets Trump digital transition - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | As Obama moves out the White House, he today also gives up key online real estate - a move already creating controversy. | Technology | President Trump's first tweet on the @POTUS account showed this image
Much is written about the Herculean effort to move one family out of the White House and a new family in within the space of just a few hours.
But in our modern age, the digital moving trucks must also roar into action, as prime presidential online real estate gets a makeover, and eight years of President Obama's social media chat is confined to the national archives.
Let’s start with WhiteHouse.gov, the official website for the President, which as of noon Friday, has a brand new look - and has already provoked mild panic.
Many noted that pages about climate change were swiftly deleted. So too were pages about LGBT rights and various science policies.
But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Pages about everything were deleted as what was essentially Obama’s homepage was replaced with Trump’s.
That means posts about any former policy positions no longer exist on the White House website if you follow the original links.
So while the web address pointing to the White House’s position on climate change no longer works, the same can be said about Obama’s pages relating to the economy. Unpredictable as he is, no-one is suggesting Donald Trump is about to describe “money” as a hoax.
That said, on the new whitehouse.gov, a search for “military” will yield 154 results. “Climate change”? None.
Nervous internet sleuths have found one reference to climate change, a promise to lift the "harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the US rules".
Make of that what you will. People on Twitter certainly are.
Also wiped clean was the White House's petition website. On Friday, by 4pm in DC, only two petitions were posted on the site. The first demanded the release of the President's tax returns. The other demanded he put his businesses in a blind trust. If either petition gets 100,000 signatures, the White House has to provide a response - at least, that was the rule the previous administration set itself.
Trump reportedly gave up his cell phone upon assuming the presidency
Speaking of which, it’s all change on Twitter too.
From today @POTUS - President of the United States - has been taken over by the Trump team. All previous tweets from Obama’s team - and Obama himself - have been deleted from that account, but archived under @POTUS44. The 44 relating of course to the fact Obama was the 44th US President.
The tweets were not, as a smattering of people blurted out, “deleted by Trump” once he had control of the account.
Twitter removed them - and that's because scrubbing the account of Obama’s tweets is a smart move for everyone involved. Had Twitter left the old tweets in place you’ll find yourself seeing people retweeting Obama’s words but with Trump’s identity attached, a recipe for misinformation disaster.
Trump’s first tweet on @POTUS posted a picture and a link to his inaugural address - the full text of which was posted on Facebook. Is Trump having a change of heart over his social network of choice?
Maybe. Facebook certainly offers the chance to speak more clearly at length, and, as the leader of the free world, it would be more useful to post to an audience of almost two billion rather than Twitter’s rather limited 300m.
We won’t know for sure until about 3am, DC time, tomorrow morning. Everyone will be surely waiting for those twilight hours to see if the President springs back into life posting his thoughts on his own personal account, @realDonaldTrump.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38699809 | |
Pies & defeats - sport quiz of the week - BBC Sport | 2017-01-20 | null | What hospitality did Plymouth provide to Klopp? Who ended Real Madrid's unbeaten run? Test yourself with BBC Sport and A Question of Sport's weekly quiz. | null | Last updated on .From the section Sport
After a winter break the BBC Sport and A Question of Sport's weekly quiz is back - have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world of sport in the past week? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/38692152 | |
NHS staff shortages: Why so persistent? - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Why is it that the NHS always seems to be short of staff, and is there anything that can be done to resolve the problem? | Health | The NHS has relied on nurses from home and abroad since its birth
NHS staff shortages seem an everyday fact of life - or at least a factor mentioned in several news stories each week. But why do these shortages persist and is there anything that can be done to get rid of them?
In this week's In Business on BBC Radio 4, I spoke to historians, economists, nurses, doctors and other healthcare staff to try to get to the bottom of these questions.
And to pose another one - does the NHS have the right mix of staff with the right mix of skills or could changing traditional roles rather than just boosting numbers help?
The Royal College of Nursing says England is currently short of at least 20,000 nursing staff.
And the Royal College of Midwives says the country needs 3,500 more midwives.
Meanwhile, GP leaders and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine say the UK urgently needs greater numbers of general practitioners and emergency doctors - just a few of the medical specialities struggling with recruitment and retention right now.
Increasingly, an older population, with often complex health needs, adds extra demand.
But these problems are far from new.
Stephanie Snow, medical historian at the University of Manchester, says staff shortages have existed since the very birth of the NHS, in 1948 - though people are often quick to label recruitment crises as one-off problems.
She told the BBC: "Over the first decade in particular, the NHS expanded its specialist services rapidly and there were many new technologies on board.
"All of these things led to unprecedented increases in the number of staff required.
"By the time we get to the late 1960s, hospitals had to turn to mass recruitment, looking towards countries such as India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka - where courses were taught in English and aligned to the UK's General Medical Council, as a consequence of colonial rule."
Physician associates are a relatively new role within the NHS
Meanwhile, Anita Charlesworth, director of Research and Economics at the think tank, the Health Foundation, argues the UK has perpetually trained lower numbers of medical and nursing students than it needs.
She said: "There is not a problem that we don't have enough bright, young people who would meet the standards and would love to have a career in medicine and nursing.
"They just can't get a place. We have systematically trained fewer than we need."
And she suggests being able to recruit doctors and nurses from overseas has offered a "get out of jail card" for successive staff shortages.
Dr Mark Porter, of the doctors' union, the British Medical Association, argues we have generally staffed a health service we can afford - rather than look at what the population needs.
But he says planning for the NHS workforce of the future is not easy.
He said: "It is difficult to get planning perfect for every one of 50 or 60 specialities all of the time.
"The population's needs are genuinely not quite as predictable as one might imagine.
"We know the trajectory illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes are taking over the next five years.
"But what about the next 25 years?
"Will public health messages and new technology be successful, or won't they?
"The answer could give us completely different trajectories in the future."
Nurses starting work on the first day of the NHS
For its part, the government says it plans to increase the numbers of doctors and nurses it trains and boost other healthcare staff too.
At the Conservative Party conference in October 2016, Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, said: "My job is to prepare the NHS for the future, and that means doing something today that we have never done properly before, and that's training enough doctors."
The government announced there would be up to an extra 1,500 medical school places each year from 2018 in England.
And, looking back, the NHS Confederation said there had been an extra 32,467 doctors employed in England in 2014 compared with 2004.
Health chiefs also say current plans to scrap nurse bursaries will help increase the number of nurse training places available this year - though whether this will work in practice is unclear and has been disputed by nursing leaders.
Other positions such as nurse apprentices and physician associates are being explored.
Physician associates (PAs) - trained to do some of the jobs junior doctors do, might be able to cut some pressures on wards.
But current numbers are tiny, most cannot prescribe and they are not professionally regulated in the same way doctors are.
Ms Charlesworth is worried options for filling shortages quickly might be running out.
She said: "There's a massive gap globally now in the number of doctors and nurses compared to projected demand.
"So India keeps many more of its doctors.
"It has fantastic leading hospitals that are an exciting place to work if you are a young Indian doctor.
"There is a global shortage of clinical healthcare staff."
And of course there is another issue to consider.
It is estimated about 10% doctors and 7% of nurses working in the NHS in England are nationals of other EU countries.
The question is - could Brexit make NHS recruitment and retention problems even worse?
To find out more and to hear some possible solutions, listen to: BBC Radio 4 - In Business, The NHS- The Recruitment Dilemma.
Presented by Smitha Mundasad and produced by Rosamund Jones
• None BBC Radio 4 - In Business, The NHS- The Recruitment Dilemma | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38640068 | |
Dan Evans: Britain's latest tennis star snubbed by Kevin Pietersen - BBC Sport | 2017-01-20 | null | Meet the new British tennis star who bought his own shirts and was snubbed by ex-England cricketer Kevin Pietersen. | null | Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Four days ago, Dan Evans was not exactly a household name.
The British tennis player had just reached his first ATP final and moved to number 51 in the world rankings.
But that was not enough to get a photograph with former England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen, who turned down Evans' request when they met outside a restaurant in Melbourne this week.
However, the 26-year-old might soon be the one getting asked for selfies after his stunning start to the Australian Open.
Evans caused a shock when he reached the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-3) win over Australian 27th seed Bernard Tomic on Friday.
The Birmingham-born player will pocket at least $130,000 (£79,000) for reaching the fourth round, regardless of whether he beats France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
But the British number three was a little rankled by the snub from the batsman, 35, who is in Australia to play for Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.
"There was some serious rage for about 20 minutes after that happened," said Evans.
"He didn't want me to have my picture with him. Quite funny, isn't it, how things work out? He was my favourite cricketer until that point.
"I think he was worse for wear, That was his excuse when he replied [on Twitter]. It was so embarrassing, as well. He didn't even just say, 'No'. He handed me off, as well."
However, it appears the two made up after the win over Tomic, with Evans tweeting a picture of himself at a Melbourne Stars game in the BBL on Saturday.
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller asked if he had got the tickets from Pietersen and Evans replied with the message of "sure did".
'He would have been proud of my efforts'
Immediately after winning the final point of the match against Tomic, Evans was overcome with emotion and was seen pointing up to the sky.
He later revealed it was a tribute to his former coach Julien Hoferlin, who died of cancer last year.
In 2014 Hoferlin criticised Evans, saying tennis was just a "brief interlude in his life".
Speaking after his victory on Friday, Evans told the BBC: "When he [Horferlin] coached me I didn't give 100% at the time and there was off-court stuff he wasn't happy with.
"I wish he could have seen what happened tonight, he would have been proud of my efforts. He always said I could do it and that I should be playing top-40 tennis. Tonight was for him."
Evans managed to overcome being distracted by an unruly spectator at the Hisense Arena.
"This guy was coughing as I was throwing the ball up, as well as screaming at me when I was losing points," he said.
Evans was also asked about comments from Tomic's father and coach, John, who once told him he was not good enough to train with his son.
The British number three said Tomic Sr congratulated him in the changing room after the match.
"It was nice of him," added Evans. "I didn't have a problem with him at all, to be honest. It was his opinion." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/38693517 | |
Italy avalanche aerials show stranded rescuers - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | null | Aerial footage reveals the wall of snow blocking rescuers from reaching a hotel engulfed by an avalanche in central Italy. | null | Rescuers have struggled to reach the hotel engulfed by an avalanche in central Italy because of heavy snow.
Aerial pictures show scores of rescue vehicles lined up as a snow-plough tries to break through. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38682034 | |
Windsor Castle undergoes two-week 'high clean' - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Chandeliers and suits of armour are just some of the features being dusted down. | Berkshire | The chandelier, one of five in the Waterloo Chamber, dates from 1862 and was made by the Birmingham glass makers F and C Osler
Windsor Castle is undergoing a two week spring clean before it is re-opened to the public over the weekend.
Experts ensure the castle's State Apartments are cleaned from floor to ceiling during what the Royal Trust calls the annual "high clean".
Chandeliers dating from 1862 and commissioned by Queen Victoria are dusted, along with suits of armour on the Grand Staircase.
The castle will open its doors again to the public on Saturday.
A marble bust of German Emperor Frederick III of Prussia in St George's Hall is cleaned as part of the annual clean
Expert staff cleaning a cut glass chandelier, dated from 1862, in the Waterloo Chamber, Windsor Castle
The clean takes two weeks to complete and sees each room cleaned from top to bottom
Castle staff dust the suits of armour on the Grand Staircase
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-38674610 | |
Diego Costa: Chelsea striker wants to stay, says manager Antonio Conte - BBC Sport | 2017-01-20 | null | Diego Costa wants to stay at Chelsea and will be available for Sunday's Premier League game against Hull, says manager Antonio Conte. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
Striker Diego Costa wants to stay at Chelsea and will be available for Sunday's Premier League game against Hull City, says manager Antonio Conte.
Costa, 28, was left out of last week's win at Leicester after a disagreement with a fitness coach, amid widespread reports of interest from Chinese clubs.
Chelsea said his omission was due to a back injury, and that training alone for two days was part of his recovery.
"He is very happy to play with us. I don't see any problem," said Conte.
"I heard a lot of speculation about Diego, but now the most important thing is he trained with us this week, he does not have any pain in his back and can play.
"He is an important player for us and we all know this. When he stays in good form he has always played with me."
In the days leading up to Chelsea's 3-0 win at Leicester, Costa was linked with a move to China worth a reported £30m a year.
The owner of Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian said he would like to sign Costa, but new rules limiting the use of foreign players had forced a rethink.
BBC Sport understands Chelsea do not wish to sell Costa and the Blues' top scorer this season is under contract until June 2019.
Conte did not confirm if Costa - who has played 99 times for the club - would start against Hull.
But he said the Spain international reaching 100 appearances would be a "fantastic" achievement.
Asked if he would like Costa to sign a new contract, Conte added: "Now is better to be focused on the present, not the future."
Chelsea are seven points clear at the top of the Premier League before Sunday's visit of 18th-placed Hull.
Meanwhile, Conte said the club are "evaluating" an offer for goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
He added the 29-year-old Bosnia international, who has been linked with a move to Bournemouth, is a "very important member of the squad". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38693189 | |
US President Donald Trump sworn in - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | null | Donald Trump is sworn in as US president in Washington DC. | null | Donald Trump is sworn in as US president in Washington DC. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38696960 | |
Masters 2017: Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Neil Robertson, Fu beats Allen - BBC Sport | 2017-01-20 | null | Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Neil Robertson 6-3 to reach the semi-finals of the Masters at Alexandra Palace. | null | Last updated on .From the section Snooker
Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Neil Robertson 6-3 to reach the semi-finals of the Masters at Alexandra Palace in London.
Australia's Robertson started with 74, but O'Sullivan made 63 and 51 as the pair shared the first six frames.
Neither player were at their best but Englishman O'Sullivan won the seventh, and a fluked red helped him take the next, before winning with a 68 break.
O'Sullivan will now play Marco Fu, who beat Mark Allen 6-2.
Fu made the highest break of the tournament - a 140 in the eighth frame - and followed it up with a 65 to advance to Saturday's semi.
The 2010 runner-up had started with breaks of 83 and 74 as he took a 3-0 lead, before Allen's 70 and 54 closed the deficit, but Fu kept his cool by winning three-in-a-row.
Meanwhile, 'The Rocket' is bidding for a record seventh Masters title and aiming to retain the trophy after last year's 10-1 thrashing of Barry Hawkins.
Now 41, O'Sullivan last won an event at the 2016 Welsh Open in February and has lost in three finals of events since.
In a disjointed match against Robertson - which featured a highest break of 74 in the opening frame - he made uncharacteristic errors by missing straightforward pots, but still managed to battle through.
"I can feel and sense that I am missing too many easy balls now. I need to cut them out," he told BBC Sport.
"I am going to keep dragging my career out as long as I can, that is all you can do.
"It is nice to know if your game is coming back or not. I don't want to be at the point where I am being delusional and carry on playing for 10 years thinking I am good but I am not.
"Hopefully I have three years left in my career but I am appreciative that I am still playing."
"A fascinating and intriguing encounter. It was not the best standard but it was engrossing.
"Both players were missing and you saw how much it meant to them. It was enjoyable in a strange way."
Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news and reports on the BBC app, or if you want to get involved yourself, read our Get Inspired guide. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/38680221 | |
Russian TV chief labels US intelligence report 'a joke' - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | null | The editor-in-chief of Russia's state broadcaster RT has defended its coverage of the US election campaign. | null | Earlier this month, a US intelligence report concluded that the Kremlin had set out to influence the outcome of the US election, through cyber attacks, internet trolls and “Russia’s state-run propaganda machine”.
The report highlighted the role of state-funded broadcaster RT.
In an interview with the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg, RT’s Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan told the BBC the report was “a joke”. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38688519 | |
Meet the mum with quadruplet toddlers - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Meet the mum to quadruplets who went viral after sharing a video that 'sums up motherhood'. | Education & Family | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ashley and Tyson Gardner had two sets of identical twins by IVF
What is it like being the mother of quadruplets?
Utah couple Ashley and Tyson Gardner had struggled to conceive for eight years, but they eventually had two sets of identical twin girls by IVF treatment.
A photo of Ashley holding the ultrasound scans had already attracted huge attention online so shortly after the girls' second birthday, she posted a video on YouTube, that went viral, to show what her everyday life is like.
The film, suitably called "Sums up motherhood in 34 seconds", shows Ashley having a brief break from the constant job of looking after her children by sneaking into in the pantry and treating herself to a stick of red liquorice.
"They don't ever go away. They want everything you have," she says in the video and to prove her point, after only a few seconds, one of her daughters peeks under the door and calls out to her.
The couple have a large social media following and their pages are littered with photos of smiling babies, but when they were told they were going to have four children at once, they did not know what to think.
"When we first found out we were having quadruplets, it was pure terror and pure joy at the same time," Ashley explained.
"The doctors said we only had a 40% chance of having one baby, so to have all four to come at once was a huge blessing and a huge miracle.
"The odds of both eggs splitting are literally one in a million.
"But I didn't know anyone who'd had quadruplets. I didn't know if it was physically possible for a woman, I knew nothing about it.
"I had vertigo and morning sickness for the first 16 weeks. I couldn't eat anything and I lost 20 pounds in my first trimester.
"My body hurt, my bones hurt and my hips would dislocate every time I rolled over."
In order to support the family, the couple run four businesses from home.
"We work when the girls are asleep - during their naptime and then after they go to bed, until one or two in the morning, every single night.
"It's really helpful we both work from home, because every other morning one of us takes the girls and the other gets to sleep in.
"Having quads was expensive in the first months.
"They were on a high-calorie formula that cost $25 (£20) a can and needed lots of nappies."
The couple's social media fans helped to ease the expense.
"My heart was truly touched by the amount of nappies and baby outfits that turned up by our door when they were born," she said.
"There really are amazing, kind, good people out there and I'm so grateful to those who follow our story and love these babies."
Ashley and Tyson regularly blog and vlog about their children's progress.
"When my pregnancy announcement went viral, so many people prayed for me and my babies. Now I feel it's my duty to show these people what they prayed for," she explained.
Ashley insists that she goes about her daily life "like anybody else, it just takes a bit longer".
"We do everything times four. We take them shopping with us and load them into the car several times a day.
"Just because there are four of them, we can't let that stop us living our lives. We don't just stay at home."
Ashley described the "special relationship" that the toddlers share.
"There are four of them and they work together to conspire against you, which is really funny. They're definitely tearing the house down.
"Each set of twins has their 'own language' and talk to each other.
"If one girl steals a toy from another one, her twin will steal it back for her. They protect one another."
At times, the quads can be overwhelming for Ashley and Tyson.
"We're first time parents and we're learning as we go like anyone else. There are definitely anxieties.
"Not many people have raised four toddlers at the same time so you're kind of on your own.
"I feel like we're doing a good job. Just the fact that there's four of them and they're all healthy and happy and growing and thriving is an amazing miracle to science and to God." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-38690621 | |
Six Nations 2017: England include Mike Williams, Nathan Catt and Alex Lozowski - BBC Sport | 2017-01-20 | null | Defending champions England name three uncapped players in their Six Nations squad, and also recall Maro Itoje and James Haskell after injury. | null | Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
England have named three uncapped players in their Six Nations squad.
Back rower Mike Williams, prop Nathan Catt and versatile back Alex Lozowski are the uncapped trio, while prop Ellis Genge, 21, is also in the 34-man squad.
Flanker James Haskell, lock Maro Itoje, winger Anthony Watson, back rower Jack Clifford and winger Jack Nowell all return for the champions after injury.
"We are looking forward to being daring in our [first] game against France on 4 February," said head coach Eddie Jones.
England are without a number of players through injury, including both Mako and Billy Vunipola and former captain Chris Robshaw.
Of those players in the squad, the likes of Haskell, Anthony Watson, Joe Launchbury and George Kruis have either just returned from injuries or are still fighting their way back to full fitness.
The experienced Tom Wood retains his place after a fine November series, while lock Charlie Ewels, prop Kyle Sinckler and hooker Tommy Taylor have just a handful of caps between them.
England go into the tournament as defending champions having won the Grand Slam in 2016, and on the back of a 14-game winning streak, equalling the record set by Sir Clive Woodward's side in the build-up to the 2003 World Cup.
"This time last year I said the long-term strategy for England is to develop a side who can be the most dominant team in world rugby," added Jones.
"Obviously I've been pleased with how the team's progressing, but there's still plenty to improve on.
"At the start of last year's Six Nations I probably didn't realise the enormity of the tournament and how intense the rivalry is between the countries, so this year we'll be better prepared for it."
Jones said Catt, Williams and Lozowski are "all guys who have great physical capabilities", adding: "With a number of injuries to some key players it's a great opportunity for them."
And he praised his returning big names who missed the autumn Tests because of injury, saying he was "looking forward to those guys coming in and challenging for a spot and adding strength".
He continued: "Maro Itoje has done well for his club [Saracens] as has Jack Nowell [Exeter]. James Haskell was magnificent for England last year and is a fierce player. Anthony Watson has been a fine player for England and is one the most prolific try scorers for the number of Tests he has played."
Jones has also added visual awareness coach Dr Sherylle Calder to his coaching team.
Calder, part of Woodward's back-up staff, will work with the team on a consultancy basis.
After constantly throwing selectorial curve balls over the past year, this is by far Eddie Jones' most predictable squad yet.
With Mako Vunipola ruled out and Joe Marler struggling, Jones has named four loose-head props, including uncapped Nathan Catt and Leicester tyro Ellis Genge.
And while there are injury absentees - notably the Vunipolas and Chris Robshaw - key players such as Maro Itoje and Jack Nowell return. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38689099 | |
Hong Kong: Twenty years later - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Hong Kong has spent 20 years under Chinese sovereignty. What's changed? | China | This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from the UK to China. The BBC's Helier Cheung, who sang in the handover ceremony, shares her personal reflections on the last two decades.
As a child, you don't always appreciate when you're witnessing history.
On 1 July 1997, I was part of the choir singing in the handover, in front of China's leaders and millions of viewers around the world.
It was a historic day. But I was nine at the time, so my most vivid memories were:
All of us in the choir had grown up speaking Cantonese. So singing in Mandarin felt both familiar and unfamiliar - it signified a culture we recognised, but did not grow up with.
In 1997, I (second from left) got to sing in the handover ceremony
Nearly 20 years later, I was back in Hong Kong reporting for the BBC
There were lots of dancers with pink fans, and I remember China's then-President Jiang Zemin holding up a piece of calligraphy that read "Hong Kong's tomorrow will be better".
But that night, I saw on TV that some had been protesting against the handover. It was one of my first lessons about Hong Kong's divisions - some were happy to be part of China again, but others were afraid.
I didn't always follow politics then, but politics still affected me. Some of my friends emigrated ahead of the handover, because their parents weren't sure about life under China.
And 1997 was also the start of the Asian financial crisis, so I overheard adults talking about stock market crashes, and suicides.
As a child, it was more comforting to be oblivious about the news.
Even as my friends and I went to secondary school, we rarely thought about developments in mainland China - we were teenagers after all.
This all changed in 2003. Hong Kong was hit by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) which travelled over from southern China.
People started wearing face masks to protect themselves from Sars
Suddenly whole buildings were being quarantined. School was cancelled - shortly before our exams - as well as our junior high ball.
To some, it almost seemed unfair - the virus had spread here after officials in mainland China covered up the outbreak.
Yet Hong Kong, which handled the outbreak more transparently, was the focus of a lot of international coverage, and was the city with the most deaths - nearly 300.
My friends and I became more pragmatic. We did everything we were told to - wearing face masks, disinfecting our hands and taking our temperatures before school each day.
But we kept meeting up in McDonald's after class, as we always did. One friend told me: "If you die, you die, there's nothing you can do. You just need to do the best you can."
By summertime, Hong Kong was Sars-free. But another crisis, this time political, was rumbling.
The government wanted to introduce national security legislation, known as Article 23.
It would have outlawed treason, secession and sedition - words I had to look up - and allowed our government to outlaw groups banned in mainland China.
The bill struck a nerve. Although many countries outlaw treason and secession, to many Hong Kongers it reminded them too much of mainland China.
On 1 July 2003, half a million people, including some of my classmates, marched against the bill.
A few days later, the government was forced to shelve Article 23, after one of its political allies, a pro-business party, withdrew its support.
My friends were jubilant, telling me they had "made history". Many felt that, although there was no democracy, it was possible to vote with their feet.
Many people wore black to show their opposition to Article 23
The Sars outbreak and Article 23 row made local and Chinese politics seem more relevant to our daily lives.
And by the late 2000s, mainland China felt more entwined with Hong Kong than ever.
When I was a child, some of my classmates, somewhat cruelly, mocked "mainlanders" as people who squatted and were poor. But now, more people were learning Mandarin, and Hong Kong's economic future seemed to depend on China's.
China loosened travel restrictions, making it easier for mainland tourists to visit Hong Kong.
It gave the economy a much-needed boost, but resentment was also growing.
I was studying abroad by then, but whenever I flew home I would hear people gripe about the sheer number of tourists, and how rude some appeared.
Mainlanders' shopping trips to Hong Kong have been a source of irritation to people in the city
Some tourists bought up huge quantities of baby milk powder, leaving local parents without enough.
I could no longer recognise many of the shopping malls my school friends and I used to frequent. We grew up with cheap jewellery stalls and snack shops - but now shopping centres were dominated by designer brands that wealthy Chinese tourists preferred.
The other big change was in politics. When I was at school, expressing an interest in politics was more likely to get you teased than admired.
But by 2012, students were holding hunger strikes to oppose a government attempt to introduce "patriotic education" classes.
And in 2014, something surprising, almost unthinkable, happened. Tens of thousands of people, led by students, took over the streets, demanding full democracy.
Growing up, it was easy to avoid talking about politics.
But with protesters sleeping in the streets for weeks, the subject was suddenly unavoidable.
Families and friends started arguing - in person and on Facebook - and "unfriending" people they disagreed with.
Supporters felt it was worth sacrificing order and economic growth for true democracy, but critics accused the protesters of "destroying" Hong Kong.
One woman told me her relatives were angry she took part in the protests and now, two years later, they still didn't want to meet her for dinner. "Hong Kong's become so split," she said.
Hong Kong was split between "yellow ribbons" who supported the protesters, and "blue ribbons" who supported the police
Recently, after years in the UK, I got to return to Hong Kong as a reporter.
A lot feels the same. The territory is still clean, efficient, and obsessed with good food.
But young people seem more pessimistic - with politics and soaring house prices their main bugbears.
Surveys suggest young people are the unhappiest they have been in a decade - and that up to 60% want to leave.
Recently, some have even started to call for independence from China, frustrated with Beijing's influence and the lack of political reform.
Their resentment stems from Hong Kong's handover or even the Sino-British negotiations in the 1980s.
"We were never given a choice," one activist said. "No-one ever asked Hong Kongers what they wanted."
Protests have become angrier. Most demonstrations I witnessed growing up were peaceful - even festive.
Now, some rallies are more confrontational and prone to clashes, while the government seems less willing to make concessions.
Pro-Beijing and pro-democracy protesters sometimes end up clashing
It's not surprising that, in an online poll run by a pro-government party, people chose "chaos" as the word to describe Hong Kong's 2016.
From violent protests, to legislators swearing and scuffling in parliament, politics has definitely been chaotic at times.
But, chaotic or not, what really strikes me about Hong Kong is how alive and adaptable it is.
Hong Kong's streets are busy late into the night
Whether in business or politics, Hong Kong is full of people fighting to be heard.
Local entrepreneurs are constantly devising controversial or creative ways to make money - such as renting out "capsule units" in their homes, or starting a rabbit cafe.
And, even as artists complain of pressure to self-censor, pop music has become more political and fresh news websites and satirical news channels have popped up.
Hong Kong may be a relatively small territory with a population of 7.3 million, but I love the fact it has never lost its ability to surprise me.
Helier Cheung's report can also be heard on From Our Own Correspondent | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-38489435 | |
US President Donald Trump's first speech - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | null | It was 20 minutes long and touched on jobs, patriotism, rebuilding, radical Islam and winning. We have boiled it down to two and a half. | null | It was 20 minutes long and touched on jobs, patriotism, rebuilding, radical Islam and winning. We have boiled it down to two and a half. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38699839 | |
Baby boy delivered by mother in car near Aberdeen - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | A mother delivers her own baby in a car in Aberdeenshire as her husband tries to get her to hospital for the birth. | NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland | Shelley and Alexander Jack with their new son Lucas and his brother Jensen
A mother delivered her own baby in a car as her husband tried to get her to hospital for the birth.
Shelley Jack, 26, was being driven by husband Alexander, 30, from their Inverallochy home to Aberdeen after contractions started.
However, before they could make it, their baby son was born in their Mitsubishi Outlander - near Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf resort.
They then continued the journey. Baby Lucas is now home and doing fine.
The unusual birth happened in the early hours of 10 January.
Mrs Jack told BBC Scotland: "I went to my bed as normal. But I woke up with stomach cramps, woke my husband to tell him I thought something was happening, and started to pace round the room.
"I started to panic as I am a bit of a worrier with stuff like that and told my husband to phone Aberdeen maternity.
"The midwife on the phone told us to come straight through."
She continued: "We got in the car. About 15 minutes from our house I had no space between my contractions at all.
"I said, I'm sure they aren't supposed to go this quick.
"I was trying to move about the seat to relieve the pain but nothing shifted it. My husband saw the pain I was in and started to drive faster but kept trying to assure me that I'd only just started and I would get there in time to get pain relief if I wanted."
Mrs Jack went on: "My waters popped round about Ellon and from there I knew this wasn't normal and the baby was trying to come out.
"I screamed to my husband to phone an ambulance as I felt my body starting to push something out and the pain was horrendous at this point.
"He phoned the midwife back. She also told me that if I felt my body pushing that I wouldn't be able to control it and that I would have to take off my trousers and just let the baby come.
"I thought this was absolutely crazy - who has a baby in their car on their own?
"I wouldn't give in - probably in denial that this would actually happen - but somewhere between the Trump golf course and the Cock and Bull restaurant I realised this baby really was coming out and I did what the midwife told me to do and the baby came out with a few pushes.
"I caught him in my hands and cradled him into my chest. My whole body was shaking uncontrollably.
"My husband by this point was hysterical as I think he didn't realise I was actually being serious when I said the baby was coming out."
They then carried on their journey to hospital, where baby Lucas was tended to.
He weighed in at 7lbs 5oz.
His mother added: "Baby Lucas is settling into our family really well and his one-year-old big brother Jensen is just delighted with his baby, giving him lots of kisses and cuddles. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-38679533 | |
100 Women: Rally driver may sell trophy to continue racing - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | null | A groundbreaking rally driver is having to crowdfund her next race after losing her sponsors. | null | Louise Cook, the only woman in history to win a rallying world championship competing against men, needs to raise £25,000 after her two main sponsors dropped out.
The 28-year-old's next stop is the next round of the World Rally Championship in Sweden in February, but she now has two weeks to come up with the cash or will face losing her place.
She was forced to put her trophy up for auction but has held off selling it, as well-wishers have been stepping in to crowdfund her.
BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre.
Other stories you might like:
Who is on the BBC's 100 Women 2016 list? | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38684048 | |
Martin McGuinness: A life in politics - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | It is a short flick in the dictionary from "paramilitary" to "parliamentary"; it's more of a giant leap in a man's lifetime. | Northern Ireland | Out of the shadows: Martin McGuinness pictured on the Falls Road in 2001
It is a short flick in the dictionary from "paramilitary" to "parliamentary"; it's more of a giant leap in a man's lifetime.
Martin McGuinness, IRA commander turned Northern Ireland deputy first minister, switched from Armalite to an armistice.
When McGuinness triggered the latest political crisis by his resignation at Stormont, the talk on the street was not of the political future.
It was that shock picture, snapped through the back window of a rain-stained ministerial car window.
Martin McGuinness' appearance shocked many as he arrived to announced his resignation
It was about how frail and gaunt Northern Ireland's deputy first minister looked. It has been widely reported that he has a rare condition with a specific genetic link to Donegal - his past and the history that shaped him.
Martin McGuinness' mother was from Donegal. She moved to Londonderry, where, like generations of women before her, she found work in the shirt factories.
He was one of seven children - six boys and a girl - who grew up in Derry's Bogside in the 1960s.
Times were tough. The Bogside was hopelessly overcrowded as a result of gerrymandering and the poverty of that time. The McGuinness family of nine had two bedrooms, an outside toilet and a scullery - a tiny working kitchen.
Martin McGuinness says he made the transition to politics in the mid-1970s
In an interview for the Guardian in 2009, pressed on why he decided to join the IRA, he talked about how, in 1965, he applied for a job as a mechanic. The interview consisted of three sentences: "What's your name?"; "What school did you go to?" and: "Out the door."
He became a trainee butcher - an occupation ripe for future headline writers.
The young McGuinness was drawn to the civil rights movement, radicalised by discrimination and murder on the streets of his city and caught up in the riots.
He took the violent route. In 1972, at the age of 21, he was second-in-command of the IRA in Derry at the time of Bloody Sunday, when 14 civil rights protesters were killed in the city by soldiers.
Martin McGuinness (left) carries the coffin of IRA man Charles English with his brother William McGuinness (right) at the funeral in Derry 1984
He had a leading role in the IRA during a time when the paramilitary organisation was bombing his home city to bits.
The following year, he was convicted by the Republic of Ireland's Special Criminal Court after being arrested near a car containing explosives and ammunition. He served two prison sentences - he was also convicted for IRA membership.
But he knew how to talk. His leadership potential was spotted early - not just by his own side.
He was 22 when he and Gerry Adams were flown to London for secret talks with the British government: MI5 considered him serious officer material with strategic vision.
He maintained that he left the IRA in 1974 making the transition to politics.
"Reports that I am chief of staff of the IRA are untrue. But I regard them as a compliment," he once said.
There were dark years that followed from the IRA hunger strikes to the Brighton bombing, when Margaret Thatcher and the Tory Party conference were targeted, to the 1987 Enniskillen bomb when 11 people died at a Remembrance Day ceremony.
He later said he had no knowledge of the Enniskillen bomb, calling it "absolutely wrong" and he dismissed suggestions that throughout the 1980s he was a leading member of the IRA, a time when the organisation was responsible for hundreds of murders.
In 1993, he was labelled "Britain's number one terrorist" in Central Television's The Cook Report. He called the report "cowardly and dishonest" television.
The shift to the politics of peace came slowly.
In 1986, the party decided to contest elections in the Republic of Ireland. Ten years later, the landscape in Northern Ireland had changed irrevocably. McGuinness was chief negotiator in the peace process.
Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness smile after being sworn in as first and deputy first ministers of the Northern Ireland Assembly
In 1997, he became MP for Mid Ulster.
He took on the post of education minister in the Stormont administration and his legacy was the decision to kill off the 11-Plus examination - a political hot potato that still stokes up a fiery glow in the eyes of those opposed to the move.
By 2007, he was Northern Ireland's deputy first minister standing alongside First Minister Ian Paisley. It was the kind of marriage that only a mad matchmaker contemplates.
The father of the Free Presbyterian Church - the DUP leader famed for "Never! Never! Never!" - and the hardliner republican once wedded to the armed struggle?
But there was a click. They became the poster boys for modern politics - the Chuckle Brothers who giggled together.
When a stony-faced Peter Robinson, DUP, stepped into the first minister's shoes, McGuinness said the "honeymoon" was over. The pair was more like the Brothers Grimm.
From rocky beginnings, it proved a slow thaw. When DUP leader Arlene Foster took the reins, it proved frostier again.
A month after she took on the post of first minister in January 2016, she said it was difficult for her because he gave the graveside oration at the funeral of the man who, she believes, tried to kill her father.
The ice thickened and became impenetrable after McGuinness resigned in protest at her refusal to stand aside for an investigation into a botched green scheme that she set up.
Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness met the Queen for the first time in June 2012
Nevertheless, over the past ten years for Martin McGuinness, there were seismic moments.
There was the famous handshake with Queen Elizabeth II; there was a toast to her Majesty at Windsor Castle as the band played God Save The Queen - gestures that stuck in the gullets of hard-line republicans and loyal servants of the Queen alike.
In recent years, he said: "My war is over. My job as a political leader is to prevent that war and I feel very passionate about it."
He did it his way... right up to the moment on Monday 9 January, when he signed off at Stormont, saying the time was right to "call a halt to the DUP's arrogance". | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38593596 | |
Trump's inauguration: Story of the day - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | null | Donald Trump has been sworn in as 45th US president at an inauguration ceremony at the Capitol. Here are the highlights from the day so far. | null | Donald Trump has been sworn in as 45th US president at an inauguration ceremony at the Capitol. Here are the highlights from the day so far. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38696475 | |
Jan Vertonghen: Tottenham defender expected to be out for six weeks - BBC Sport | 2017-01-20 | null | Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen is expected to be out for six weeks with an ankle ligament injury. | null | Last updated on .From the section Football
Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen is expected to be out for six weeks with an ankle ligament injury, according to his manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The 29-year-old centre-back turned his left ankle during the second half of last Saturday's 4-0 win over West Brom.
"When your mind is positive it's easier to recover," said the Argentine boss. "He doesn't require surgery.
"We have players that can perform in his place and we are very happy with the squad and the players we have."
Analysis: The best defence? the most powerful midfield? - How good are Tottenham?
Vertonghen has played in 20 out of 21 league matches this season, forming part of a defence that has conceded just 14 goals - the best record in the league.
Pochettino, however, was unsure as to when attacking midfielder Erik Lamela would return to action. The 24-year-old has been sidelined since the end of October with a hip problem.
"He will have a scan on Friday," he added.
"Still it is difficult to give the time that he can come back. We need to wait tomorrow because there is still some problems, and we are still not sure of the diagnosis." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38685142 | |
Teetotal Trump and the drinking presidents - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | What the chief executive's relationship with alcohol reveals about the occupants of the White House. | US & Canada | As Donald Trump becomes US president on Friday many will reach for a drink. Washington DC will be whirl of parties, galas and balls.
The celebrities may be skipping it this year but the US capital will still swing to the sound of clinking glasses and popping corks. Across the country, celebrating Trump supporters will toast his swearing-in with a drink while others will numb their nerves with booze.
Around the world, alcohol will help with this historic transition. In north London, for instance, the Old Queens Head pub is throwing an Armageddon-themed party to mark the start of Donald Trump's presidency.
But the man himself will not be boozing through his first hours as the most powerful politician in the world. In fact, he won't touch a drop of alcohol on Friday night or on any day of his presidency.
"I've never had a drink," Donald Trump told Fox News after his election last November. Unlike George W Bush, who was teetotal in office after giving up booze on his 40th birthday, Mr Trump has eschewed alcohol his whole life, making him a first among modern US presidents.
Donald Trump's teetotalism stems from the early death of his older brother Freddie
The reason for Mr Trump's sobriety is because his adored older brother Freddie died of illness stemming from alcoholism at the age of 42. "It was a very tough period of time," he said, that convinced him never to drink.
"If you don't start you're never going have a problem. If you do start you might have a problem. And it's a tough problem to stop," Mr Trump told Fox.
What is fascinating is his view that one drink could spiral into addiction. He discussed his fear that he might have a gene that would make moderate drinking impossible.
His approach to alcohol is also a window into a personality that appears to crave control over others. Mr Trump ordered his children to follow his example. Every day he would drum the message into them: No drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes. "I've been very tough on my children with respect to drink," he said.
So how do the teetotal presidents compare with those who enjoyed the pleasures of a drink? George W Bush went dry after years of heavy boozing and swapped a compulsion for drink for an obsession with fitness.
Remembered largely for the invasion of Iraq, George W's foreign policy record might not be seen as the best advertisement for a teetotal presidency.
Franklin Roosevelt (right) had a particular reverence for "cocktail hour"
Nor might the idealistic but muddled foreign policy of Jimmy Carter, another teetotal president. Life in the Carter White House was drearily dry and a chore for its more sociable visitors.
Senator Ted Kennedy remembered arid evenings of earnest discussion. "You'd arrive about 6.00 or 6.30pm, and the first thing you would be reminded of, in case you needed reminding, was that he and Rosalynn had removed all the liquor in the White House. No liquor was ever served during Jimmy Carter's term. He wanted no luxuries nor any sign of worldly living," Kennedy wrote.
The moderate drinkers fare better. Franklin D Roosevelt frequently tops the list of America's greatest presidents, the commander-in-chief who defeated the Great Depression and led the US through World War Two.
Throughout these turbulent years, FDR kept a martini close at hand and prized the rituals of cocktail hour, when he mixed stiff drinks for friends on his White House study desk. The conviviality of cocktail hour undoubtedly helped FDR unwind and briefly relieved the immense pressure he was under.
John F Kennedy would occasionally sip a daiquiri but preferred women to wine and kept a clear head through the brinkmanship of the Cuban Missile Crisis. But other presidents were more reckless with their drinking.
Lyndon Johnson was well known in Washington for his capacity to guzzle Cutty Sark whisky and soda when he was Democratic majority leader in the Senate, a habit he took to the White House. Johnson, who told his doctor after a heart attack that the only things he enjoyed in life were "whisky, sunshine and sex", enjoyed entertaining at his Texas ranch where the booze flowed.
LBJ's special assistant for domestic affairs, Joseph A Califano, remembered a ride around the ranch with the president: "As we drove around we were followed by a car and a station wagon with Secret Service agents. The president drank Cutty Sark scotch and soda out of a large, white, plastic foam cup.
"Periodically, Johnson would slow down and hold his left arm outside the car, shaking the cup and ice. A Secret Service agent would run up to the car, take the cup and go back to the station wagon. There another agent would refill it with ice, scotch and soda as the first agent trotted behind the wagon."
But the most disturbing picture of presidential drinking is provided by Richard Nixon, a man prone to morose self-pity who medicated his moods with booze.
According to his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, Nixon's trouble was that a small amount of drink would set him off and late-night threats of military action were made when the president was the worse for wear.
When North Korea shot down a US spy plane in April 1969, an enraged Nixon allegedly ordered a tactical nuclear strike and told the joint chiefs to recommend targets. According to the historian Anthony Summers, citing the CIA's top Vietnam specialist at the time, George Carver, Henry Kissinger spoke to military commanders on the phone and agreed not to do anything until Nixon sobered up in the morning.
By the early 1970s, Watergate was beginning to choke Nixon's presidency and the president was relying more on drink and sleeping pills to cope with the pressure. On the evening of 11 October 1973, he was incapable of speaking to the British Prime Minister Edward Heath on the phone.
Heath was keen to discuss the latest developments of the Arab-Israeli War but a transcript of the conversation between Henry Kissinger and his assistant Brent Scowcroft revealed the president was too drunk to talk to the prime minister.
Richard Nixon was a warning to future presidents on the danger of mixing hubris with drink. He is a reminder too of the awesome executive power a US president has when it comes to conducting foreign affairs.
With no previous political or military experience, Donald Trump is unlike any incoming president. His hubris is clear to all and his (sober) stream of excitable tweets prove an impetuous temperament.
Nixon's example might make us grateful booze is not in the mix too. But some of the most successful presidents found valuable perspective and balance at the bottom of a glass. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38651623 | |
The man correcting stories about Muslims - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Every day, Miqdaad Versi searches newspapers looking for errors concerning Muslims and Islam, looking to challenge them. | UK | Every day, Miqdaad Versi searches newspapers looking for errors concerning Muslims and Islam
When one newspaper reported last year that "enclaves of Islam see UK as 75% Muslim" last year, Miqdaad Versi's instinct was to challenge it. He believes errors in the reporting of Muslims have become all too common, and has made it his mission to fight for corrections.
Miqdaad Versi sits in front of a rather geeky-looking spreadsheet at the offices of the Muslim Council of Britain in east London.
He is the organisation's assistant secretary general, but the task in front of him is a personal project.
The spreadsheet has on it every story published concerning Muslims and Islam that day in the British media - and he is going through them looking for inaccuracies.
If he finds one, he will put in a complaint or a request for a correction with the news organisation, the press regulator Ipso, or both.
Mr Versi has been doing this thoroughly since November, and before that on a more casual basis. He has so far complained more than 50 times, and the results are visible.
He was personally behind eight corrections in December and another four so far this month.
Miqdaad Versi tweets diagrams showing corrections and apologies made following his complaints
In the past, corrections to stories were mostly printed when individuals were the victims of inaccurate reporting, but Mr Versi is looking at a whole topic.
"Nobody else was doing this," he tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme. "There have been so many articles about Muslims overall that have been entirely inaccurate, and they create this idea within many Muslim communities that the media is out to get them.
"The reason that's the case is because nobody is challenging these newspapers and saying, 'That's not true.'"
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.
Mr Versi goes through some of the corrections from December. Five of them concerned a review into integration by Dame Louise Casey. The Sunday Times reported that "Enclaves of Islam see UK as 75% Muslim" in a preview of the review.
This was incorrect, with the review actually citing a survey of pupils in one largely Asian school who thought 50-90% of the population in Britain were Asian.
The paper corrected the article, and later apologised. As the same story was reported in other publications, it led to five corrections.
Mr Versi highlights another article, concerning the Muslim president of the National Union of Students (NUS). She was accused on Mail Online of refusing to condemn so-called Islamic State, when she had openly done so.
Also in December, he points out a report in the Sun on Sunday confused the identities of two Muslim individuals - one fighting against extremism and one accused of extremism.
He has met several newspaper editors and has been pleased with the quick corrections he has received in some cases.
But he is concerned that these revisions are not obvious enough to the reader.
"Sometimes the corrections lack a clear acknowledgement of the error they made and often do not include an apology. In addition, they are rarely given the prominence of the original article," he says.
He adds that while he is concerned with "significant failings" in the reporting of Muslims, the same issues "might also be replicated for refugee, migrant or other groups".
One particularly high-profile correction in December last year - that Mr Versi was not behind - involved a 2015 article in which Mail Online columnist Katie Hopkins wrongly suggested Zahid Mahmood and his brother were extremists with links to al-Qaeda, after they had not been allowed to board a plane to the US.
The Mail Online and Ms Hopkins apologised and paid £150,000 in damages.
At his home in Walthamstow, north-east London, Mr Mahmood says he has forgiven her. He now says it is not her original false accusations that he finds the most upsetting, but the public reaction.
"First they were all against us when Katie Hopkins published the article, and then when she made the apology a year later - then they all turn against her.
"There's no middle ground. It's not just about Katie Hopkins, it's the mindset of people - how they can very easily be led against somebody, or in favour of somebody."
Zahid Mahmood says he holds "no grudge" against Mail Online columnist Katie Hopkins
Mr Mahmood says he feels this kind of reaction is causing divisions in society, and - keen to do his bit for unity - tells the BBC he is formally inviting Katie Hopkins to his home for tea and coffee.
"We have no grudge against her, and we would like her to learn and know that we are as British as she is.
"In fact, my wife's grandfather and great-grandfather both fought in World War One and World War Two. They fought for the very freedom of this country."
Mr Versi says he wants to improve community relations too. He thinks inaccurate reporting has far-reaching consequences, especially because negative stories are often widely circulated by far-right groups and then the corrections are not.
Some free speech campaigners, however, are concerned about this kind of work. Tom Slater, deputy editor of Spiked Online, says these complaints could create a fear of reporting certain issues.
"I, like anyone else, want a press that's going to be accurate... but what we're seeing here is quite concerted attempts to try and often ring-fence Islam from criticism."
Mr Slater says he found a recent correction to a story about a suspected "honour killing" particularly problematic.
Tom Slater worries such complaints are attempts to "ring-fence Islam from criticism."
In May 2016, the Mail Online and the Sun used the phrase "Islamic honour killing" in their headline.
Mr Versi successfully complained to Ipso that Islam does not condone honour killings and that the phrase incorrectly suggested it was motivated by religion.
The word "Islamic" was removed from the papers' headlines, and at the bottom of the articles they wrote: "We are happy to make clear that Islam as a religion does not support so-called 'honour killings.'"
Mr Slater says he found that statement added by the papers "absolutely staggering".
"We all know a religion is just an assortment of ideas and principles. What these papers were effectively asked to do, and what they did do, was to print one accepted interpretation of a religion - and to me this was just like backdoor blasphemy law."
Mr Versi, however, insists his work is about ensuring the facts are right - not silencing critics.
He says there are many examples where Muslims can be rightly criticised and he is not complaining about those.
"All I'm asking for is responsible reporting." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38655760 | |
CIA fears about 1980s Labour 'threat' revealed - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Newly accessible records reveal CIA concerns about the strength of Labour's left wing in the 1980s. | UK Politics | Denis Healey was accused in the papers of attacking US policies
The Labour Party is "in the hands of urban leftists given to ideological extremes with only fringe appeal".
That isn't an assertion about today's politics. It was the verdict of the US Central Intelligence Agency on Labour back in 1985, in a memo for the agency's director on the early phase of Neil Kinnock's leadership.
This memo is one of millions of the CIA's historical records which have just been made available online. Previously researchers had to actually visit the US National Archives in Maryland in order to access this database of declassified documents.
The records reveal the deep level of concern inside the CIA about the strength of the Left within Labour in the early 1980s, a political force which the agency regarded as anti-American.
A report written in the run-up to the 1983 general election states that "a Labor majority government would represent the greatest threat to US interests".
The agency was particularly worried by Labour's then policy of opposition to nuclear weapons, which included cancelling plans for the Trident submarine programme.
This report was especially scathing about leading figures on the traditionally pro-nuclear Labour right who had compromised with this stance.
It said that "most disheartening from the viewpoint of US interests" was the position of the party's deputy leader, Denis Healey.
The CIA documents released contain two references to Jeremy Corbyn - then a backbench Labour MP
It reported that he still had ambitions to lead the party and as a result "he apparently has decided to appease the left by attacking US arms control policy, denouncing Trident, and denying he ever supported the NATO INF [Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces] program".
The report added that the growing power of the Left meant that "even moderates like Healey have been forced to ape anti-American rhetoric".
Entitled "The British Labor Party: Caught between Ideology and Reality", the document is a detailed account of the balance of power between left and right in the party and trade unions, as seen by the CIA.
It also records that leading Labour politicians had told US officials they did not take all of the party's policy programme seriously.
The CIA was also concerned by what it saw as Europe's large centre-left and socialist parties (including Labour) being too sympathetic to the Soviet Union.
One 1982 report concluded "We have long contended that Moscow's most effective allies in Western Europe are not the Communist Parties, but self-styled Social Democrats who have betrayed the original tenets of social democracy."
Another newly accessible document is a record of a 1981 meeting between delegations led by the US Defence Secretary Caspar Weinberger and Margaret Thatcher, who was on a prime ministerial visit to Washington.
The meeting discussed the controversial American plans for an Enhanced Radiation Weapon (ERW), more commonly known as the "neutron bomb", a weapon which was said to be able to kill very large numbers of people while leaving buildings standing.
Also present at the meeting was Mrs Thatcher's Foreign Secretary, Lord Carrington, who told the Americans that "it is considered unsporting in Europe for a weapon to kill people only".
The database contains just two references to the current Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn. One noted his support in 1986 for an El Salvadoran trade union federation, Fenastras, which was linked to Marxist guerrillas during the country's civil war, while the Americans backed the military government.
This is just a small immediate selection from millions of pages covering a wide range of American and international issues which reveal the CIA's analyses and preoccupations in the past. Records relating to more recent events have not yet been declassified.
The CIA's decision to make all these documents searchable and accessible followed a legal case brought by MuckRock, a US organisation that promotes access to public records.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38677632 | |
Trump inauguration: What the president's supporters want - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | During the election, the BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan spoke to many Trump supporters on the campaign trail. Now she asks what their hopes are for the new administration. | US & Canada | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Trump's supporters who will be going to the inauguration
What do the millions of Trump supporters want from their new president? The BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan catches up with some of the voters she met while travelling across America during the election campaign.
Sarah Jo works for the Republican Party of Arkansas and I met her at her office in Little Rock a few days before the second presidential debate in October.
While other Republican women in the state had voiced concerns over Donald Trump's threat to bring up Bill Clinton's past as an election issue, Sarah Jo was steadfastly behind her candidate.
She remains so today, and has travelled to Washington DC for the inauguration.
During the primaries she was the "odd one out" with her friends, who all supported Marco Rubio.
"I wasn't a bandwagon type of person. I wanted to support who I thought was best, and I guess I picked the right horse."
She wasn't upset about the comments Trump made on the Access Hollywood tape saying he would grab a woman "by the pussy".
"Everybody makes mistakes and I'd be mortified if something like that was caught on camera," she says.
For Sarah Jo, the appeal lies in his promise of change, and his background as a businessman. Her two priorities are tax reform and repealing and replacing Obamacare.
She's hopeful her candidate can heal divisions in the country.
"I am prayerful that he takes into account every single American citizen, not just those who voted for him. Change can't occur overnight but I think we are going to see great things with his first 100 days in office."
Will Estrada is the definition of a Washington insider. He's a lawyer, a lobbyist and the chair of the Loudon County Republican Party.
When we met in August, some local congressional candidates in the Virginia district were refusing to endorse the party's nominee.
But Will's loyalty was never in doubt. Now, as an invited guest to the inauguration, he'll get to witness Trump being sworn in up close.
"I think Trump has a huge opportunity to restore America's respect on the world stage," he says. "Trump is a phenomenon who defies expectations. He's rewritten the rule book. It's exciting to watch."
He has two "non-negotiables": the repeal of President Obama's healthcare reforms, and a conservative pick for the vacant Supreme Court seat.
"We'd seen the growth of government way larger than our founders had intended," Will says of Obamacare, adding that he's "fine" with Mr Trump's undefined plan to replace it.
Back in the summer Will was an ardent critic of Hillary Clinton and agreed with the calls of many Trump supporters to "lock her up". But he understands why the new president has backed away from his promise to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Mrs Clinton.
"It would have created more divisiveness if a president went after Hillary Clinton. I'd like to move forward - the Clintons are a relic of the past."
I met Marco Gutierrez at the Republican National Convention in Ohio last July, where he was holding a "Latinos for Trump" sign. A real estate investor in California's Discovery Bay, he became one of the faces of Donald Trump's minority outreach.
Many Hispanic voters were incensed by Mr Trump's plan to build a wall, but not Marco. He believes the barrier will stop the flow of drugs and illegal immigration across the border.
"My only reservation is the way the immigration force will work as far as protecting innocent families," he cautions.
His public support for Mr Trump has cost him some friends and clients, but his wife, a fourth-generation Mexican-American, supports him.
Marco was just 17 when he came to the United States from Mexico in 1991. His parents, who'd been working in the US fields for many summers, had been granted amnesty after Ronald Reagan's change in immigration policy.
"When I came here I had 75 cents in my pocket and a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt," Marco says. "That was the beginning of my new life in the United States"
Even though he benefitted from an amnesty, Marco now believes in tougher immigration laws.
"Trump's a firm believer in results and so far I see results. That he's willing to sit down and talk about the problems. I think by March we're going to be able to judge whether he's making a difference. We have to give him a chance."
I met Bill Hartmann, a self-employed building repair man, as he delivered Trump yard signs in Detroit ahead of the Michigan primary back in March.
"He was the only candidate who said he wanted to make America great again. And that's what turned me on."
When he watched Clinton supporters in tears on election night, Bill says he had a flashback to the sadness he felt when Barack Obama won in 2008. "I could totally relate to that".
Bill won't be among the inauguration crowds in Washington DC, but will be watching on a big screen at a local hall, with other supporters.
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"I think people have lost respect for America," Bill says, "especially with Barack Obama going and bowing to other leaders in the world. Donald Trump doesn't want to be part of the new world order, he wants America to be independent."
Bill believes Trump's business past, can help deliver a fresh approach to foreign policy.
"He's someone who would be a good negotiator in contracts and agreements with foreign nations, he always seems to be open to discussion regardless of who the individual is."
It was hard to miss June Savage when we met at a Trump rally in Miami, Florida. Dressed in a top hat, red boots and draped in an American flag, she was holding a Women for Trump placard.
The former Miss Miami finalist, a lifelong Republican who works as a real estate agent, backed Mr Trump because he's a political outsider.
"You can't ask an attorney to be POTUS anymore. You need people who have built things, who have hired and fired people and who can stand up to these billionaire heads of state."
She's met the new president and sees his direct approach as a strength. "He has a big mouth - we all know that. He says a lot of things that maybe people like or do not like."
Her one concern is Mr Trump's addiction to social media, but she says everyone has the same tendency these days.
And to June, one of the biggest assets of a Trump presidency, is his VP pick, Mike Pence, the former governor of Indiana.
"They always say behind a good man is a very good woman," she says. "Not to call Mike Pence a woman, but he's definitely the woman in this marriage. So you have a very strong man, which is Pence, behind Trump."
I met Martha, a retired teacher and volunteer for the Trump campaign in Texas, at a watch party for a Republican primary debate in Houston in February.
Originally from Argentina, Martha came to the US nearly 30 years ago, and believes his wall on the US-Mexico border is a good idea.
She hopes Trump keeps the promises he talked about during the campaign, including "draining the swamp", reducing illegal immigration and beefing up national security.
She does have some advice for her new president though: get a thicker skin.
"Right now I think he's jumping on every negative comment that people in the media make of him, and he should just ignore it."
Cathy jokes she may be the only Trump supporter in her town of 11,000 in Massachusetts. We met as she campaigned for Trump in the neighbouring state of New Hampshire in the weeks before the election.
Cathy says she's become more conservative with age, but remains socially liberal. She was fed up with politicians from both parties.
She hopes Mr Trump can unite the country, and blames President Obama for making things worse.
"I just don't remember having racial divides as badly in my lifetime as we have in the past administration," she says.
But it was Mr Trump's economic policies that sealed her vote. Her father was a manufacturer who owned a textile mill in upstate New York in the 1980s.
"I know what's happened with trade agreements with other countries who don't have the same human rights standards and can lower costs, and unfairly compete with American workers."
On the campaign trail she said she heard similar stories from disenfranchised voters.
"A lot of people felt all of these jobs are disappearing and the government wasn't listening to us, things are decidedly worse for a lot of people."
Security, healthcare and the military also rank as Cathy's key concerns for a Trump administration.
And even though she's concerned about climate change, she doesn't think "pie in the sky agreements" are the way forward.
Cathy believes more needs to be done in making US cars more fuel efficient.
"We need to get our house in order before we start dictating to the rest of the world." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38682568 | |
Dunelm venetian blind thief gets community order - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Jessie Bellham, who stuffed the stolen Dunelm shade in his trousers, is sentenced for his troubles. | Northampton | Jessie Bellham stuffed the shade down his trousers
A thief who stole a Venetian blind by stuffing it in his trousers and jacket has been given a community order.
Jessie Bellham admitted stealing the £48.99 blind from the Dunelm Mill store in St James Retail Park, Northampton, last October.
He was given a 12-month order for burglary by Northampton Crown Court.
Bellham, of Chaucer Street, must carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and also spend 20 days in rehabilitation for drug dependency.
Pictures of the 39-year-old leaving the shop with the stolen shade tucked into his clothing attracted global attention.
The item was found abandoned by shop staff on a nearby canal path, shortly after the theft.
Pictures of his efforts went viral on social media
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-38682424 | |
Johnny Wright: The Instagram star who cuts Michelle Obama's hair - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | null | Throughout his time in the White House, Michelle Obama's personal hairdresser has become a flamboyant social media star. | null | Johnny Wright has several celebrity clients but perhaps none is as famous as the First Lady.
Throughout his time in the White House, Wright - Michelle Obama's personal hairdresser - has become a flamboyant social media star, with nearly 24,000 Instagram followers.
He admits he's sometimes had to tone down his pics because of his high-profile customer.
As Mrs Obama makes way for Melania Trump, how does Wright think the FLOTUS has changed American style?
You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38666098 | |
Deepika Bhardwaj: The woman who fights for men's rights - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | In India, where crimes against women are rampant, a female activist speaks up for harassed men. | India | In India, where crimes against women are rampant, a female activist and documentary filmmaker stands out for being a rare voice for abused men. The BBC's Geeta Pandey in Delhi profiles Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj as part of a series on the Asian women likely to make the news in 2017.
India regularly gets hauled over the coals for its shabby treatment of women. And rightly so.
Every 15 minutes a rape is recorded, every five minutes an incident of domestic violence is reported, a bride is killed for dowry every 69 minutes and every year hundreds of thousands of female foetuses are aborted and infant girls are killed, leading to an appallingly skewed gender ratio. Girls and women also have to battle lifelong discrimination, prejudice, violence and neglect.
In a climate like that, 31-year-old Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj knows she sticks out like a sore thumb, but she has some questions that are reasonable enough: "Are men not vulnerable? Do they not face discrimination? Can they not be victims?"
And she goes on to add: "Just as you don't have to be a woman to fight for women, similarly, you don't have to be a man to fight for men. I don't talk about atrocities against women because there are millions who are talking about it."
Protests against the tough anti-dowry law have been growing
Her fight at the moment is against the misuse of Section 498A of the Indian penal code which is a tough anti-dowry law. Ms Bhardwaj is travelling across India, screening Martyrs of Marriage, her first feature-length documentary, in an attempt to persuade the authorities to re-write the law.
India introduced Section 498A in 1983 after a spate of dowry deaths in Delhi and elsewhere in the country. There were daily reports of new brides being burnt to death by their husbands and in-laws and the murders were often passed off as "kitchen accidents". Angry protests by female MPs and activists forced parliament to bring in the law.
"It was a law made with very noble intentions," agrees Ms Bhardwaj. "But a law that was made to save lives, has taken many lives."
Ms Bhardwaj is not alone in her criticism. Over the years, Section 498A has acquired the reputation of being the "most abused law in the history of Indian jurisprudence".
With cases of divorce in India steadily rising, campaigners say that disgruntled women, aided by unscrupulous lawyers, routinely misuse the law to harass their husbands and their relatives.
It has also been questioned by the Supreme Court with one judge describing its misuse as "legal terrorism", warning that it was "intended to be used as a shield and not as an assassin's weapon", and the National Commission for Women expressing concerns over its misuse.
Martyrs of Marriage focuses on the abuse of the anti-dowry law
As the law prescribes the immediate arrest of those named in a complaint, 2.7 million people, including 650,000 women and 7,700 children, were arrested between 1998 and 2015. The accused in some of the cases were as young as two years old and, in a particularly bizarre case, a two-month-old baby was hauled into a police station.
Perturbed by such reports, in July 2014, the Supreme Court ordered the police to follow a nine-point checklist before arresting anyone on a dowry complaint.
Ms Bhardwaj, a former journalist, says she began researching the subject in 2012 after "a very personal experience".
"In 2011, a cousin's marriage fell apart within three months and his wife accused him and our entire family of beating her and demanding dowry from her. She filed a false case against us. I was also named as an accused, as someone who beat her and tortured her regularly," she says.
Ms Bhardwaj says her family paid "a large sum of money" to buy peace, but "even though the case got over, I was not at peace".
"The law has become a tool for extreme blackmail and extortion," she says.
Avadhesh Yadav's parents are unable to come to terms with the loss of their son
Her research took her to police stations and courts, and put her in touch with the Save Indian Family, an NGO fighting for the rights of wronged men.
The documentary, which took four years to complete, has powerful first-person accounts from men who have been falsely accused under the anti-dowry law - from husbands who spent years in jail only to be acquitted later by courts; from the parents of young men who killed themselves unable to bear the harassment and ignominy of being labelled wife-abusers; a tearful video message from a husband recorded minutes before he hanged himself; and a suicide note from a young banker questioning the "one-sided law".
We also hear from a retired Delhi high court judge who says the law is often "used as a leverage to settle scores"; a former Indian law minister who admits to the failure of governments to deal with the "abuse of this law"; one women's rights activist who believes the law must be amended; while a second insists that "cases of misuse are few" and the law must remain unchanged to protect women from dowry abuse.
Ms Bhardwaj, however, insists that laws must be gender neutral.
"You cannot deny it saying the number of such cases is small. In the past few years, thousands of people have reached out to me for help and I've referred them to the Save Indian Family. In Delhi, I'm told that 24% of calls to women's helplines are from men in distress. Lives are being destroyed. People are killing themselves."
She now wants to organise a screening of Martyrs of Marriage for Indian MPs.
"I have shown the documentary to judges, police officials and magistrates, activists and general public, men and women impacted by the law. I have received a tremendous response from the viewers. Now I want to take it to the parliament, to lobby for a change in the law to stop its misuse."
Retired Delhi judge SN Dhingra says the anti-dowry law is often used to settle scores
In recent months, Ms Bhardwaj has also been speaking out against false rape cases. After the December 2012 gang rape of a young woman on a bus in the Indian capital, Delhi, and her subsequent death, India introduced Section 376, a tough new anti-rape law.
Since then, there has been a surge in the registration of rape cases, amid reports from courts that many are filed by women after a consensual relationship has gone sour or to settle other disputes.
Judges across India have warned against its misuse and the Delhi Commission for Women has said that 53.2% of the rape cases filed between April 2013 and July 2014 were found to be false.
India's Supreme Court has also questioned the abuse of the anti-dowry law by some women
Ms Bhardwaj, too, has often taken to social media to speak up for men accused in false cases, attracting a severe backlash - she regularly gets trolled on social media, feminists and women's rights activists accuse her of bias, she's been called a "pimp for rapists" and is berated for her "love for rapists".
Even her two-year-old niece has been dragged into the sordid debate by internet trolls who claim to feel sorry for the toddler "for having an aunt like her".
But Ms Bhardwaj remains unfazed. "Some feminists say it's politically incorrect for me to fight for men, but I want justice for everyone, regardless of their gender. My work is not against women. My work is against injustice." | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-38647822 | |
T2 Trainspotting: Critics praise film sequel - BBC News | 2017-01-20 | https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews | Critics broadly praise T2 Trainspotting, but many note it will not have the same impact as the original. | Entertainment & Arts | This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. T2 Trainspotting: What would you choose?
T2 Trainspotting has received broadly positive reviews from critics, although many noted it will not have the same impact as the original.
The sequel to 1996's Trainspotting sees most of the original cast reunited with director Danny Boyle.
Kate Muir of The Times said the film was "like riding a tragi-comic wave".
"The original actors have matured well, and while the lunatic enthusiasm of their youth has disappeared, they give their nuanced all here," she added.
Based on the Irvine Welsh novel Porno, T2 Trainspotting is set in the present day with the main characters now in middle age.
Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle and Ewen Bremner have all reprised their roles for the new film.
Writing in The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw said: "Reuniting the cast of Trainspotting for a new adventure 21 years on could have gone badly.
"But Boyle and his four musketeers give it just the right frantic, jaded energy and manic anxiety."
He added that while "T2 isn't as good as T1", it "has the same punchy energy, the same defiant pessimism, and there's nothing around like this".
Danny Boyle (far right) directed both the original Trainspotting and the sequel
Boyle's masterstroke is to tackle the passing of time head-on. Where the characters in the original film were blissfully insouciant about their self-destructive hedonism, they are here all too aware of the cul-de-sacs and dead ends at which they've now arrived.
They are, to quote T2's most striking line, "tourists in their own youth" - a description that applies just as much to the audience member who goes to the film hoping to have the same giddy high they experienced two decades ago.
Overall, is it as good as the original? The answer is no - but it comes pretty darn close.
However, The Scotsman's Alistair Harkness was less positive about the film, awarding it three stars.
"The best that can be said about the new film is that it hasn't completely tarnished the original," he wrote.
"Boyle's frenetic, collage-like directing style gives the film a trying-too-hard feel and even though some of it does jolt T2 to life, the cast doesn't always have the emotional range to make it cohere."
The original cast have reunited for T2 Trainspotting
The Telegraph's Robbie Collin also gave the movie three stars.
"There's no chance of its successor matching that legacy, but it won't tarnish it either. Though the film feeds on its forerunner, it's worthwhile on its own terms," he said.
The Hollywood Reporter's Neil Young wrote: "T2 never threatens to find its own distinctive voice."
He also pointed out the female characters "are very much on the sidelines, even more so than in Trainspotting".
"Kelly MacDonald pops up for a one-scene, two-minute cameo (which nevertheless somehow nabs her fifth billing)," he said.
But the Scottish Daily Record's Chris Hunneysett was more positive, calling the film "an addictive hit of pure cinema".
He said that while it "won't capture the youthful zeitgeist the way Trainspotting did", Boyle "has created an unapologetically abrasive tale of longevity, loyalty and friendship".
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38689704 |