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Trump's first month in 90 seconds - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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Donald Trump has just finished the fourth week of his presidency. What happened?
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Donald Trump has just finished the fourth week of his presidency. What happened?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38996287
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The man who dresses up as his ancestors - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Artist Christian Fuchs is obsessed with his ancestors and spends months painstakingly recreating portraits of them, which he poses for himself
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Magazine
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Peruvian artist and photographer Christian Fuchs is obsessed with his illustrious ancestors and spends months painstakingly recreating portraits of them, posing for them himself whether the ancestors were men or women.
It's an unusual way to get close to your forefathers, but it works for Christian Fuchs.
The walls of his elegant apartment overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Lima's bohemian Barranco district are covered with paintings of his aristocratic European and Latin American ancestors.
But if you look closer, you soon realise that many of the portraits are, in fact, photographs of the 37-year-old himself, dressed up as his relatives.
It all started when Fuchs was 10 years old.
Fuchs's great-great-great-great-grandfather led a distinguished military career and participated in the Peruvian war of independence
His mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where she died five years later. His father left the family, remarried and disappeared.
Fuchs and his brother and sister were brought up by their paternal grandparents.
"I grew up with portraits and objects that had been in my family for up to five generations," he explains.
"As a child I looked at the portraits and played with them. If I didn't know the names of the characters, I invented them. I remember watching them for hours and feeling that they were watching me back. Sometimes I would talk to them, and eventually that led to my reinterpretations of them."
Fuchs's grandmother, Catalina del Carmen Silva Schilling, played a very important part in all of this. Born in Chile of German ancestors, she too was brought up by her grandparents.
"She would tell me stories about our relatives from Chile and Germany, and I learned to look at things through her eyes," Fuchs says.
"It was magical. She told me about relatives like my granny's great-grandmother, Marie Schencke, who also came from Germany. Her family brought electricity to the Chilean town, Osorno."
Years later Fuchs went to university to study law, but after a few months working as a lawyer he quit to become an artist and found himself once again gazing at the portraits.
Fuchs's great-great-great-great-grandmother, Luise Friederike Charlotte Eleonora Chee, was his first recreation
"I was looking at one of the family portraits from 1830 of Eleanora, my grandmother's great-great-grandmother" he says.
"I began to think, 'Considering we share the same genes, could I actually look like her?' That afternoon I went to the hairdresser and got them to put my hair up in ringlets. I thought it was a cool idea for a new project."
The process of reinterpreting his ancestors can take many months.
Fuchs reads their letters and talks to relatives about them. He takes photos of their portraits to a local tailor who tries to imitate the garments - some of which date back to the 18th Century - as faithfully as possible, and to a jeweller who creates replicas of the jewellery.
Dressing up as a woman can be especially problematic Fuchs says, and not only because he finds the corsets very uncomfortable.
"It's complicated because I have to wax," he says, "and I have tons of hair."
It took Fuchs's great-great-grandfather Carl Schilling three months to sail from Germany to Chile. He lived there until his death in 1923 aged 93
Making up his face can also take between three and five hours, depending on the character.
Fuchs says that his most difficult project was recreating "the family's patriarch" Carl Schilling, his grandmother's great-grandfather, who arrived in Chile as a 19-year-old in 1850, on a boat full of German immigrants.
"He went down south to work as an estate manager for an aristocratic family called Buschmann and ended up marrying their daughter, Johanna," says Fuchs.
"Carl was a real character. He learned the native language so he could talk to the indigenous Mapuche people, and he was one of the founders of the German school in Osorno - one of the oldest German schools in the world."
To become his great-great-great-grandfather Fuchs had to grow a beard. It was slow work - taking more than a year - and when it was finally long enough to be dyed white he had a severe allergic reaction to the chemicals.
But Fuchs says that he knew the transformation had been a success when on a trip to the bank he was asked if he wanted to join the special queue for elderly people.
Fuchs's great-great-great-great-grandmother Dona Natividad Martinez de Pinillos Cacho y Lavalle. Her brother-in-law was President of Peru, Luis Jose de Orbegoso
Although the finished works look very much like paintings they are, in fact, digital photographs taken under very bright lighting, which makes Fuchs's made-up skin appear very pale, almost like porcelain.
The photographs are then printed on matt, cotton paper and, as a final touch, Fuchs displays them in frames which are appropriate to the period in which the person he is recreating lived.
He exhibits and sells his recreations to art collectors around the world, but for him the project is primarily a means to help him connect with his past.
"At first my family thought I was strange," Fuchs says, "but now they really like the pieces and want to find out more about their relatives."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. See how Fuchs is able to transform himself into his ancestors
Fuchs is currently working on transforming himself into his great-great-great-great-great-great-aunt, Dorothea Viehmann, who was born in Kassel, Germany, in 1755.
The daughter of an innkeeper, she heard many tales from the guests at her father's tavern. The Priest of the Huguenot church introduced Viehmann to the Brothers Grimm, and with that her work as a muse began.
Most of Viehmann's tales were subsequently published in the second volume of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales.
To achieve a good likeness, make-up artist Juan Diego Peschiera painstakingly applies layer upon layer of liquid latex to Fuchs's face.
"The eyes are the most difficult part of the face to do," he explains.
Fuchs's great-great-great-grandfather Eulogio Elespuru y Martinez de Pinillos lived in Paris for many years
"Wrinkles go in different directions, so we have to make the latex go in different directions to create that effect. If we do it in just one layer it looks fake, so we need to build up lots of different layers. At first I apply alcohol-based make-up and then the liquid latex, it's translucent and you can see all the different capillaries under the skin."
Fuchs has recreated 11 ancestral portraits so far and has many more in mind, including Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, and William Shakespeare. Fuchs believes they are all distantly related to him and plans to confirm that using a genetic genealogy website.
But there is one very special person he would particularly like to transform himself into, his grandmother, Catalina del Carmen.
Carmen, who was like a mother to Fuchs, died just after Christmas and he is still grieving.
"It will be really hard to do her justice," he says, "she was so pretty and had a much smaller nose than me, but I definitely want to try."
Fuchs's great-great-great-aunt Benjamina was friends with many famous poets and authors, including novelist and diplomat Alberto Blest Gana
All images courtesy of Christian Fuchs unless otherwise indicated
Listen to Christian Fuchs speaking to Outlook on the BBC World Service
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38828042
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Analysis: What does Nato want from Trump? - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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What can be expected from the alliance's first formal meeting during the Trump presidency?
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Europe
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Nato members will want to be reassured by General Mattis
This meeting of Nato defence ministers is the first formal alliance get-together since the arrival of the Trump administration in Washington. Mr Trump's initial suggestion that Nato was in some sense "obsolete", along with his stated desire to do deals with Moscow, set alarm bells ringing in many capitals, where Russia is seen as a re-emerging strategic threat.
Many in Europe see elements in the Trump administration as having an in-built antipathy towards multilateral institutions. There were also fears about certain officials' closeness to Moscow - a worry that the US might seek a strategic dialogue with Russia over Europeans' heads. Accordingly, the resignation of the president's controversial National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will not prompt many tears in Europe.
America's European allies will, though, at least to some extent, have been reassured by the subsequent noises that have come out of Washington. But they will want to hear direct reassurance from Gen James Mattis - Mr Trump's new defence secretary - that the alliance retains its centrality in US security thinking.
They will also want confirmed that all of the steps that the Obama administration took to reinforce deterrence in Europe - the deployment of additional combat brigades and an intensive series of exercises - will continue under the new man in the White House.
Poland is one of just five Nato members to meet spending the spending benchmark in 2016
Of course Gen Mattis will come with some messages of his own. President Trump - indeed the US Congress - wants to see the European allies shoulder more of the cost of their own defence.
Washington has shown that it is willing to stump up troops and equipment, but while collective Nato expenditure is rising, too many Nato governments have been sluggish in bringing their expenditure up to the agreed target of 2% of GDP. According to the latest Nato figures only five allies, Estonia, Greece, Poland, the UK and the United States met or exceeded the 2% benchmark in 2016.
The demand from Washington that its allies spend more on their collective defence has been a consistent one over recent years. As a former Nato commander, Gen Mattis knows the alliance well and he has heard all of the excuses before. He will deliver the familiar message with more punch and with a clear implication that this time the US administration expects to see prompt action.
Gen Mattis also wants to see Nato become more agile and better at decision-making especially at times of crisis. Washington wants to see the alliance playing a greater role in international efforts to defeat terror and to help prop up failing states.
This is a difficult area which causes divisions among the alliance's European members as much as between European capitals and Washington. Iraq - where Nato has already agreed to conduct a small amount of training - could become a test case.
The Americans are already thinking about what will happen after Mosul is fully re-captured. As the situation on the ground transitions from all-out war-fighting, there will be a continuing need to build Iraqi capabilities. Here there are lots of things that the US believes Nato countries could do - training for border patrolling, instituting defence reforms and so on. So far the response among allies to the small-scale effort in Iraq has been, shall we say, limited.
As far as Washington is concerned, Nato countries don't just need to spend more - they need to significantly enhance their capabilities and be relevant to the sort of real-world tasks in which the US wants its partners to be engaged.
Nato's response to a more assertive Russia is all very well but it threatens to open up fissures between northern and eastern allies, on the one hand, who directly face Russia's modernising forces and countries on Nato's Mediterranean flank, on the other, who confront a very different set of challenges.
The alliance is faced with a more militarily assertive Russia
As the paroxysms in Syria and Libya have shown, the migrant or refugee crisis has repercussions throughout the Middle East and much of Europe.
At this meeting, Nato ministers want to apply a small corrective to enhance the focus on threats from the south. It's a modest start - a small command hub at the joint forces headquarters in Naples whose job will be to explore what Nato can contribute to dealing with the complex security challenges on its southern flank.
But as well as a demand for a more dynamic Nato agenda the US is eager to reassure its allies. A senior US Congressional delegation is visiting the Nato headquarters this week. The Nato meeting is followed by Europe's premier annual security event - the Munich conference - after which the US vice-president himself will also be stopping by at Nato.
It is all something of a curtain-raiser for the US president's own first visit to the alliance which will take place in late May. That looks set to be a fairly brief event - little more than a lunch - in Nato's brand new headquarters building, which inconveniently will not be finished in time for the summit.
By then it is hoped that Mr Trump will have fully made his peace with Nato. If not, a reduced scale summit in an unfinished building holds risks as well as opportunities. The headline writers could have a field day.
The hope is that this Nato ministerial meeting will set the course for more harmonious relations between the alliance and its most important, albeit mercurial member.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38972695
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Trump and Netanyahu - in 90 seconds - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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President Trump prodded PM Netanyahu to compromise with Palestinians on a peace plan.
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President Trump told Israeli PM Netanyahu there will be a need to compromise with Palestinians on a peace plan.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38986151
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Miranda Hart gears up for Annie role - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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"Excuse me, I have some leg-warmers to put on…" says the Call the Midwife star ahead of her West End debut.
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Entertainment & Arts
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She's best known for falling over and breaking "the fourth wall" on her BBC One sitcom.
Now Miranda Hart is making her West End theatre debut in the musical Annie.
The Call the Midwife star, who will play orphanage owner Miss Hannigan, described it as "a dream role" that she never thought would become a reality.
"But here we are and I have a newly found musical theatre-esque spring in my step," she said.
Set in 1930s New York during the Great Depression, Annie tells the story of an 11-year-old girl who wants to escape from a life of misery at Miss Hannigan's orphanage and find her parents.
The score includes the songs It's A Hard Knock Life, Tomorrow and Easy Street.
The sitcom Miranda began on BBC Two in 2009 before moving to BBC One
"I hope people will leave the theatre feeling life is a little better and dreamier and jollier after watching it, as much as we feel that performing it," added Hart, who broke the "fourth wall" by addressing the audience directly in her sitcom Miranda.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some leg-warmers to put on."
The show will begin previews at London's Piccadilly Theatre on 23 May. Further casting will be announced shortly.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38991843
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Manchester United 3-0 Saint-Etienne - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores his first Man Utd hat-trick as his side opens up a commanding Europa League last-32 lead against Saint-Etienne.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United and the 17th of his career in a Europa League win over Saint-Etienne at Old Trafford.
Ibrahimovic's deflected free-kick wrong-footed goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier and dribbled over the line for the opener, and he tapped home from close range after good work from Marcus Rashford, as well as adding a late penalty - his 23rd goal of the season.
Saint-Etienne caused United problems on the break in the first 45 minutes, particularly with Romain Hamouma's pace, while Henri Saivet and Nolan Roux both clipped efforts narrowly off target.
Ruffier's double save denied Juan Mata, Anthony Martial forced the visiting goalkeeper into sharp saves and Paul Pogba headed against the crossbar from close range.
The two sides meet for the second leg on Wednesday, 22 February (kick-off 17:00 GMT).
There were question marks over the signing of veteran striker Ibrahimovic on a free transfer from Paris St-Germain in the summer, but the former Sweden international has responded by taking his tally to 23 for the season.
The 35-year-old former Juventus, Barcelona and AC Milan man has now netted 17 career hat-tricks. It was his first since joining United, his second in European competition and his third against Saint-Etienne.
"Every time I have played against Saint-Etienne, with hard work there has been a couple of goals," Ibrahimovic said after the game. "I have scored a couple of goals tonight and hopefully I can do the same next week."
The Ligue 1 side will be pleased to see the back of Ibrahimovic when he retires having scored 17 times against them during his career.
Ibrahimovic has 11 titles and three domestic cups to his name, but a major European trophy remains missing from his illustrious CV.
Like Ibrahimovic, United have never won this competition, but the result keeps alive their hopes of a cup treble this season. They face Blackburn in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday and Southampton in the EFL Cup final the following week.
In his first season at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho's side are just two points off a Champions League spot in the league, but triumph in the Europa League would give them an automatic passage through to Europe's elite club competition.
Against Saint-Etienne, the Red Devils tested Ruffier on numerous occasions but he was left floundering for the first goal, while his parry into the danger area allowed the second.
On the other hand, the Ligue 1 side carved United's backline open with ease at times, with defender Eric Bailly looking particularly suspect, but they failed to work goalkeeper Sergio Romero into a single save with their 14 shots.
The world's most expensive player, Paul Pogba, was up against his brother Florentin, who was signed by the French side for 500,000 euros in 2012.
Mother Yeo and third brother Mathias watched from the stands as the two shared a warm embrace before kick-off, with the elder sibling Florentin sporting a number 19 on one side of his head and his brother's six on the other.
"It is something very magical, it does not happen every day and I really enjoyed playing against my brother," said the United player.
France international Paul showed why the club spent £89m to sign him from Juventus in the summer with a dominant midfield performance in which he controlled the tempo of the match.
However, on one occasion he inadvertently gave the ball away to Florentin, whose burst forward eventually saw the ball reach Saivet, but the on-loan Newcastle man could not find the target with his shot.
Florentin's rising drive in the first half almost saw him nick an away goal for his side, while Paul wasted good chances in the second period, the best of which came as he headed against the woodwork when unmarked.
The Saint-Etienne defender's evening ended early as he hobbled off with an injury with 12 minutes remaining.
While his side ran out comfortable winners in the end, Mourinho was not happy with the start his side made, and accused his players of lacking focus.
"In the first half, we played so bad, and we managed to finish it winning 1-0 when we don't deserve," he said.
"It was down to lack of concentration. I had the feeling immediately in the dressing room - too noisy, too funny, too relaxed. Then my assistants had the feeling in the warm-up, with some of the guys not really focused on getting the right adrenaline in their bodies.
"So, lack of concentration. And when you don't have it, it's difficult to recover it. So the first half was hard. We were lucky to be winning 1-0. I am not happy with it. I always think we have to play every game with the same attitude."
He said the second half was a "different story" and brushed off suggestions the players lacked focus because they were playing in the less-heralded Europa League than the premier European competition, the Champions League: "We don't play Champions League, so if that is the case I would prefer to play in the Europa League than be at home watching TV. So I think with the players it is the same."
United watertight at the back - the stats
• None Zlatan Ibrahimovic has had a hand in 18 goals in 17 appearances at Old Trafford this season (12 goals, six assists).
• None Jose Mourinho has kept five consecutive clean sheets as a manager for the first time since November 2011 when he was Real Madrid boss.
• None Goalkeeper Sergio Romero has kept six consecutive clean sheets for United and hasn't conceded a goal since an Alex Revell penalty for Northampton in September 2016.
• None The Red Devils have won three consecutive European games without conceding a goal for the first time since November 2010 under Sir Alex Ferguson.
• None Despite not registering their first shot until the 30th minute, Saint-Etienne had 11 shots in the first half, the most by an opponent at Old Trafford in the first half of a match since Athletic Bilbao had 13 in March 2013.
Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic told BT Sport: "We created good chances. It was important to get a good win at home and we bring it with us in the second leg. It was a good game but I think we can do better.
"We are winning but in a short time everything can change. It's important to keep getting the wins we need. Everything can change but we're happy at the moment.
"This is the decisive moment for the season. We are still in all four competitions. The fifth we already won [the Community Shield]."
Manchester United travel to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup on Sunday (kick-off 16:15 GMT), while Saint-Etienne face Montpellier in Ligue 1 on the same day (kick-off 16:00 GMT).
• None Attempt missed. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.
• None Offside, St Etienne. Kevin Malcuit tries a through ball, but Nolan Roux is caught offside.
• None Goal! Manchester United 3, St Etienne 0. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
• None Penalty conceded by Kévin Théophile-Catherine (St Etienne) after a foul in the penalty area.
• None Kevin Malcuit (St Etienne) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Attempt blocked. Henri Saivet (St Etienne) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt blocked. Henri Saivet (St Etienne) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt blocked. Jesse Lingard (Manchester United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Paul Pogba with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38962487
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Love Actually cast to reunite for Comic Relief film - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The original cast of 2003 comedy is filming a short sequel for Comic Relief.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Keira Knightley and Hugh Grant will reprise their original roles
Romantics rejoice - the cast of Love Actually is reuniting for a short sequel to raise money for Comic Relief.
Red Nose Day Actually will be written by Richard Curtis and star Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley and Colin Firth.
Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy and Rowan Atkinson will also appear in the film, which sets out to discover what the original characters are doing in 2017.
The 10-minute sequel will be shown on 24 March on BBC One as part of the Red Nose Day appeal.
It comes 14 years after Love Actually was released.
Love Actually scriptwriter Emma Freud, Curtis's partner, has asked for ideas for the plot, saying the follow-up is still being written.
Many have suggested a tribute to the late Alan Rickman, who starred in the original.
Another suggestion tweeted to Freud involved Atkinson's character, who was seen in the original as a shop assistant.
And one fan wanted a happy ending for Emma Thompson's character, after the hard time she had in the first film.
Curtis said: "I would never have dreamt of writing a sequel to Love Actually, but I thought it might be fun to do 10 minutes to see what everyone is now up to.
"We hope to make something that'll be fun - very much in the spirit of the original film and of Red Nose Day."
The writer said he was "delighted" that so many of the original cast could take part, adding: "It'll certainly be a nostalgic moment getting back together."
Martine McCutcheon, Andrew Lincoln, Lucia Moniz, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Olivia Olson will also reprise their original roles.
The original film, set at Christmas time, followed an extensive cast of characters, whose lives intertwined in various ways.
Among them was Hugh Grant's character, David - the prime minister at the time - who was seen getting together with Natalie, played by McCutcheon, at the end of the original film.
Sam (played by Game of Thrones star Brodie-Sangster, who was 13 at the time), was seen chasing Joanna, played by Olivia Olson, through the airport at the end of the last film to declare his love.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38985435
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US actor Ashton Kutcher urges end to child sexual exploitation - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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Actor Ashton Kutcher says he has seen things "no person should see".
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At a senate hearing on Wednesday, a visibly emotional Ashton Kutcher urged US lawmakers to support efforts to help bring an end to child sexual exploitation.
He said it was time for "society and government" to defend the vulnerable, adding that he had been exposed to things "no person should ever see".
Mr Kutcher was speaking as chairman of Thorn, an organisation that develops software to locate victims of abuse.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38989143
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Redrawing women: Tackling sexism in comic books - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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Women are fighting back against sexism in an industry steeped in a history of hyper-sexualised female characters.
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Women are fighting back against sexism in an industry steeped in a history of hyper-sexualised female characters.
Some in the comics community aren't happy with this push for gender parity in the work place, online and on the page but one way or another, the industry is changing.
This video can only be viewed in the UK for copyright reasons.
Thanks to Thought Bubble in Leeds and Gosh! Comics in London.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38985566
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British queuing and 'the power of six' - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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What are the rules behind the great British pastime of standing in line?
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UK
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A stiff upper lip, a pot of tea and a nice orderly queue. So far, so British. But the great British pastime of standing in line may not be as simple as it seems.
According to academics if you want to truly master the art of the queue, you need to follow the rules.
It's all about the power of six, professors say.
People will wait for six minutes in a queue before giving up and are unlikely to join a line of more than six people, researchers at the University College London found.
Six is also the magic number when it comes to spacing - gaps of fewer than six inches between people can spark anxiety or stress.
But the biggest faux pas of all is the push-in; queue jump at your peril.
The report's author, Adrian Furnham, Professor of Psychology at UCL, said the public nature of queuing means that queue jumping sparks a "huge sense of injustice" among those in line.
He pointed to previous research by Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede, which claimed: "The British believe that inequalities between people should be minimized, and everyone should have the autonomy to pursue goals with equal opportunity."
The UCL study was based on a review of academic literature on queuing at banks, cash points and supermarkets.
Other queue no-nos include striking up a conversation while queuing and standing on the wrong side of escalators - though this was mainly a complaint of Londoners who feel tourists "misuse" the Underground.
The report found the most confusing rule for foreigners could be the practice of one person offering their place in the queue to another.
Professor Furnham said: "The British have a well-established culture of queuing and a very specific type of queue conduct, one that has been known to confuse many a foreign visitor.
"In a time when Britain is changing rapidly, and the ways in which we queue are shifting, the psychology behind British queuing is more important than ever - it is one of the keys to unlocking British culture."
• None Is forming an orderly queue really the British way?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38990535
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The pull of Putin - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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What attracts some Western politicians to the President of Russia?
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Europe
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Donald Trump's willingness to build better relations with Russia is threatening to turn US foreign policy on its head. His openness towards Vladimir Putin has dismayed most of the foreign policy establishment in Washington. But it's now shared by some European politicians, not all of them far-right extremists, in France, Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic and elsewhere. They can't all be Kremlin agents - so what's the new pull of Putin for some in the West?
The two politicians, one American, one Russian, put down their drinks and clasped hands across the pub table. Then they both pushed. But there was no real contest.
The arm-wrestling match was over in a second and the winner was the deputy mayor of St Petersburg, a man who'd built up his strength through years of judo training. Few outside Russia had ever heard of him. But five years later he would become its president.
US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher still laughs when he recalls his brief duel with Vladimir Putin in 1995, when the Russian came over in an official delegation. He hasn't met Mr Putin since. But for many years he's been the most consistent voice for détente on Capitol Hill, often effectively in a minority of one.
"I don't see Putin as a good guy, I see him as a bad guy. But every bad guy in the world isn't our enemy that we have to find ways of thwarting and beating up," Congressman Rohrabacher says.
"There are a lot of areas where this would be a better world if we were working together, rather than this constant barrage of hostility aimed at anything the Russians are trying to do."
Mr Rohrabacher doesn't condone Russian hacking during the US election campaign or the Kremlin's military incursions into Ukraine. But he believes Russia is the victim of Western double standards.
US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher believes the West should co-operate more with Russia
And that view is shared by some Western experts on Russia, though the vast majority stress how aggressive the country has become under President Putin.
Richard Sakwa, Professor of Russian and European politics at the University of Kent, in the UK, is in the minority camp. "We are living in a huge echo chamber which only listens to itself," he says. "The key meme is 'Russian aggression' and it's repeated ad nauseam instead of thinking.
"When we have national interests, that's good. But when Russia tries to defend its interests, it's illegitimate, it's aggressive, and it's dangerous for the rest of the world."
Russia's 2014 takeover of Crimea and military support of separatists in eastern Ukraine is widely taken as evidence that Mr Putin seeks to extend his country's borders.
But Prof Sakwa sees the Ukrainian crisis as a symptom of the failure after the Cold War to establish a new international security system that would have included Russia.
Meanwhile Stephen Cohen, Professor Emeritus of Russian Studies at New York University, argues that the "vilification" of President Putin in the West stems originally from disappointment that the Russian leader turned his back on some of the Western-inspired reforms of his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin: reforms that many Russians blame for the lawlessness and falling living standards of that period.
"Putin is a European man trying to rule a country that is only partially European," Cohen says. "But we demand that the whole world be on our historical clock."
Did President Putin turn his back on Boris Yeltsin's reforms?
Prof Cohen is a rare liberal voice for detente. Most Americans who want better relations with Russia are on the political right.
Some are neo-isolationists who dislike what they see as their country's attempts to "export democracy", whether to Iraq, Syria or Russia. In that, they're at one with the Kremlin, which opposes any outside interference in the affairs of sovereign states.
Others are "strategic realists" who argue that great powers, including Russia, will always have "spheres of influence" beyond their borders.
America's Monroe Doctrine sought to prevent outside military and political involvement in the New World.
The opposite argument is that independent states have the right to belong to whatever alliances they like. Most former Soviet-bloc countries in Eastern Europe joined NATO and the EU after the Cold War.
And some present and former leaders of those states have warned Trump that any attempt to strike a grand bargain with Mr Putin would endanger the region's security.
But one central European government - Hungary's - takes a different view. "We don't see Russia as a threat to Hungary," its foreign minister Peter Szijjarto says. "If Russia and the US cannot work together on global issues, then that undermines security in Eastern Europe."
Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto says his country doesn't regard Russia as a threat
Hungary also wants to end the Western sanctions imposed on Russia following its annexation of Crimea. It says they've been counter-productive, leading to Russian counter-sanctions which have damaged European export industries.
Peter Toth, head of the Hungarian association of breeders of mangalica pigs - whose fat is much prized in Russia - says his members are among those now suffering.
But the Hungarian government, which has been widely criticised for curtailing some democratic checks and balance, also shares other interests with Russia. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said Europe must keep its "Christian values" in the face of immigration from Muslim countries.
The Kremlin has also made much of the need to preserve national identity and Christian values in its rhetoric, leading nationalists in the West to see Moscow as an ally.
Many, particularly on the right, believe the threat from mass immigration, and terrorism, is now greater than that from Russia.
Congressman Rohrabacher says: "To say Russia is the enemy, when they too are threatened by radical Islamic terrorism, is exactly the wrong way to go."
Arguments like that, reinforced by President Trump, seem to be swaying some Americans. By the end of last year, more than a third of Republican voters viewed President Putin favourably, according to a YouGov poll, compared to only a tenth in 2014.
It found however that Democrats dislike Mr Putin more than ever. Prof Stephen Cohen believes Donald Trump will have great difficulty selling a new policy on Russia.
"If Trump says we need a detente with Putin for the sake of our national security," he explains, "it's going to be very hard to get people in the centre and the left to support it, because they'll be called apologists for Putin and Trump. It's a double whammy."
Tim Whewell's BBC Radio 4 programme, The Pull of Putin, is available to listen to via BBC iPlayer.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38969166
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Newspaper headlines: Clergy backing for gay marriages makes the news - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A shift in attitude by Church of England clergy and Trump's troubles with US intelligence chiefs make the news.
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The Papers
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The rejection by the Church of England's ruling body of a statement that marriage in church could only be between a man and a woman is one of the main topics in the day's papers.
The Daily Telegraph believes the Church of England has now moved a step closer towards allowing gay marriages. It also says the vote exposes deep divisions within the Anglican church.
The Church of England's general synod rejected a report that maintained church marriages should be between men and women
The Times calls it a "historic vote" which narrows the gap between the law of the land and the doctrine of the established church.
According to the Times, the warning by Donald Trump's defence secretary, James Mattis, that Nato members in Europe must increase their defence spending "heralds a bruising new phase in the transatlantic relationship".
The paper says his message reinforced Mr Trump's refusal on the campaign trail to confirm that the US would meet Nato's commitment to help a member nation if it was attacked.
Meanwhile The Guardian says Palestinians are angered and bewildered by President Trump's apparent break with two decades of US commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
The paper describes it as "a casual abandonment of of a pillar of US-led peace efforts." Its correspondent in Jerusalem, Peter Beaumont, talks of Donald Trump "discarding decades of diplomacy" while showing an apparent ignorance of the subject he was addressing.
It says half a million small businesses, shops, pubs, GP surgeries, schools and colleges will be "hammered" and compares that to revelations that big companies like Amazon will pay less.
It says figures "slipped out" on Wednesday show that the Treasury will benefit to the tune of an extra £1bn despite claims that the changes are revenue neutral.
"In his budget next month," says the Mail, "Phillip Hammond should announce a freeze on business rates, pending a root and branch overhaul of an archaic, bonkers system that is destroying the quality of life for millions."
The Daily Express leads on figures released on Wednesday showing that the ranks of foreign-born workers in Britain rose by 431,000 last year - while the number of British-born workers fell by 120,000.
The paper says it's vital the the UK establishes a migration policy "that ensures that British workers feel the benefits of the government's job creating policies".
One of the heroes of England's 1966 World Cup winning squad, George Cohen, has told the Daily Mirror he'll donate his brain to help research into dementia in footballers.
A study yesterday linked heading balls to the condition. He says he'll do whatever will help, and his brain will be no use to him after death. Cohen also lends his support to calls for under-tens to be banned from heading footballs.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is considering pursuing foreign governments through the international courts - to force them to pay London's congestion charge, according to the Times.
Diplomats from 145 countries apparently have outstanding bills totalling £100m. Transport for London has written to Mr Johnson requesting that the issue is passed to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, to clarify the law over diplomatic immunity.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is considering pursuing foreign governments who have not paid London's congestion charge, the Times says
Three-quarters of nations do pay the fee, the Times says. Among those who don't, the worst offenders are the US, Japan, Nigeria, Russia, India and Germany.
But not just any drone - one that can carry a human passenger.
Dubai's transport agency, it says, has bought a number of them and the "self flying taxis" will be in use from July.
Passengers can summon an air taxi with a mobile phone app, hop in and be flown to their destination. The drone's propellers fold inwards on landing to enable it to fit into a single car parking space.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-38988382
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London Dungeon apologises for 'upsetting' tweets - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The London Dungeon attraction apologises after complaints that a marketing campaign was distasteful.
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Technology
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The London Dungeon tourist attraction has apologised for a promotional Twitter campaign that backfired.
A graphic joking about a murdered sex worker, and another about infecting a partner with a sexually transmitted disease were posted on the attraction's Twitter feed.
Critics said the collection of images was sexist and offensive.
Merlin Entertainment said it was "very sorry" for the campaign and has deleted the tweets.
The group said it had wanted to run a "dark Valentine campaign" to promote the London Dungeon, in which visitors are taken on a tour through London's dark history.
Other messages in the series joked about sex acts, sex workers and body-shamed women
But many Twitter users complained that many of the images tweeted were in poor taste and inappropriate for a family tourist attraction.
Rebecca Reid, a columnist for the Telegraph, said: "The biggest issue here is taking violence against women and turning it into a joke or a cheap marketing ploy."
She told the BBC: "Just because these rapes and murders happened in the past doesn't mean they are fair game.
"Violence, rape and murder are all still a very brutal reality of life for modern day sex workers and these flippant tweets show no awareness or respect for that."
Merlin Entertainment said: "Our brand tone of voice tends to divide audiences. However, we recognise that we've upset some people and for that we're very sorry."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38982373
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Norway's seal hunters hang up their clubs - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Following the demise of the seal-hunting trade, Norway is focusing on a new Arctic gold rush.
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Business
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Captain Bjorne Kvernmo, who first began hunting seals more than four decades ago, guides MS Havsel into the harbour of Tromso, the Norwegian city that owes its existence to his trade.
But his vessel is not arriving laden with dead seals. Rather, he and his crew are in Tromso for the premiere of a documentary about Norway's last seal-hunting expedition to the dangerous ice edge off the coast of Greenland.
Sealers - One Last Hunt is an unashamed celebration of a controversial industry that a century ago numbered more than 200 ships. Their owners, captains and crews did much to shape the economy of coastal Norway, which stretches north of the Polar Circle towards Russia and the Barents Sea.
Along with many locals, the documentary's producers lament the demise of the seal-hunting industry.
"People buy meat in the store that's packed in plastic, and they don't want to see how animals are killed," says co-producer Trude Berge Ottersen. "Seal hunting is an old culture and tradition. It's been a big part of northern Norwegian culture. So for me it's better to eat seal meat than to eat chicken or produced salmon."
Accusations of animal cruelty have long been levelled at seal hunters in the Arctic by campaigners.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) describes the commercial hunts as "cruel and wasteful". The Humane Society refers to "defenceless pups [that] die a cruel death". Greenpeace is opposed to what it calls an "inhumane and cruel industrial hunt", while defending traditional hunting by Arctic Indigenous communities.
Seal hunting has been a big part of northern Norwegian culture
Images of bleeding seals purportedly clubbed to death by brutal hunters have been a persuasive feature of anti-sealing campaigns that eventually brought the Norwegian seal-hunting industry to its knees.
And while the film also features pools of red-hot seal blood as it mixes with pristine white snow and blue ice, it paints a more nuanced picture by offering an insight into the harsh conditions endured by the Arctic hunters.
Mr Kvernmo believes the protesters who have shaped public opinion have misunderstood the situation. "I know a lot of their information is wrong - it's not a real picture of what's going on," he says.
Gry Elisabeth Mortensen, who co-produced the documentary with Ms Ottersen, agrees.
Seals are no longer clubbed to death, she explains. Rather, high-powered guns with expanding bullets are used to deliver a swift death.
"I think it's perhaps the most ethical meat you can have," Ms Mortensen argues. "The seals are lying on the ice, maybe sleeping, and then they get a shot in the head, and that's it."
After the seals have been shot, dedicated "jumpers" use the hakapik hunting tool - a heavy wooden club with a hammer head and a hook. The jumpers deliver blows to the animals' heads to ensure they are dead, before hooking them and dragging them back to the boat.
"Jumpers" approach the seals after they have been shot to deliver the final blow with a club
"We are doing it in the most humane way that it could be done," Mr Kvernmo says.
However, the entire debate about whether Norwegian seal hunting is cruel has been rendered largely irrelevant by a 2009 European Union ban on trade in seal products. That includes skins that are made into boots and jackets, omega 3-rich oil used in food supplements, and meat that has been served in restaurants or cooked in homes across the Arctic region.
Seal-skin boots can still be bought in Tromso's shoe shops, but probably not for much longer.
Boots made from seal skin can still be bought in Tromso
"It's over," says Mr Kvernmo as he heads into the cinema for the screening of the documentary. "In Norway, there's nobody hunting anymore. The protest industry has been the winner."
However, the withdrawal in 2015 of a 12m kroner (about £1m) Norwegian government subsidy means the practice is no longer economically viable. Subsidies had accounted for up to 80% of sealers' income.
More lucrative opportunities now await Mr Kvernmo. These days, his boat is kept afloat by fees from film crews, which help ensure seasoned seal hunters' knowledge about the Arctic lives on.
Sealers are now having to look for other opportunities
"Throughout all these years on the ice and at sea, Bjorne really has a lot of knowledge and respect for the nature and the animal life there," says Ms Ottersen.
Mr Kvernmo is also working for the oil and gas sector, again putting him at odds with environmentalists.
"We don't think there's any room for oil in the Arctic," Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace, told the recent Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromso.
Greenpeace is one group opposing oil exploration in the Arctic
Norwegian energy giant Statoil has been exploring the Arctic for oil and gas. Bjorn Otto Sverdrup, its head of sustainability, defends its policy and says there has to be a gradual shift to renewable energy. "We cannot change that system overnight."
The Norwegian government also argues that oil and gas exploration can take place safely in the Arctic.
"We have shown that it is fully possible to combine ocean-based industries, such as fisheries, aquaculture, shipping and energy, and a healthy marine environment," Prime Minister Erna Solberg told the Arctic Frontiers conference. "But it is crucial to set high environmental standards and ensure that these are met."
Norway is also set to announce a national ocean strategy. "Sustainable use of ocean resources is the very foundation of Norway's prosperity and well-being," Ms Solberg said.
Although the formerly lucrative seal hunt has become a thing of the past, Norway's Arctic gold rush appears to be far from over.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38894821
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NHS apology to Devon woman over wrong 111 questions - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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The NHS says sorry to a Devon woman told "the computer is asking the questions" when she dialled the non-emergency service.
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The NHS has apologised to a Devon woman who was asked the wrong questions when she dialled the non-emergency service NHS 111.
Michelle Perryman rang for help saying she felt violently ill but said she was frustrated by the service which asked about 40 questions over a 10 minute call.
The non-emergency service call handler repeatedly tells Mrs Perryman: "The computer is asking the questions."
South West Ambulance, which lost the service in 2016 after a damning report, said the the call handler selected the wrong "pathway".
Read more on this story here and click here for more stories from around Devon and Cornwall.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-38994507
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Brisbane pedestrians corner high speed chase driver - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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Drivers leapt from their vehicles to help capture a man who led a high speed chase through Brisbane, Australia.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-38988282
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Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg lays out his vision - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Facebook founder's manifesto blurs the edges between business and politics. In a 21st Century of technology giants, the two will become increasingly intertwined.
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Business
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When I first read Mark Zuckerberg's 5,500-word letter to the Facebook community, I was struck by two things.
How far it ranged - over subjects as diverse as globalisation, the people who feel left behind, our spiritual and communitarian well-being - as well as the rather more obvious social media issues of fake news, polarisation and sensationalism.
And secondly, that this letter could be described very fairly as a manifesto.
It is not just a statement of where Facebook as a business is going. It is also a statement of the type of world Facebook believes it can help create.
As such, it is political (although carefully crafted to contain no direct reference to the new US president).
And when I interviewed Mr Zuckerberg, the same sense of political purpose was clear. And the same care not to reference Donald Trump.
Of course, many will find talk of "connectedness", "community" and "bringing people together" very easy to dismiss.
Here is a very rich man running a very powerful - and often controversial - company, who, one assumes, might find it hard to relate to the ordinary concerns of the ex-steel workers of Monessen, Pennsylvania, or the former pottery workers of Stoke in the west Midlands.
But in an era of technology giants like Facebook which have so much "reach" - 28.5m users in Britain alone - the rebuttal is simple.
Better that Mark Zuckerberg is public about his vision for his company - agree or disagree with that as you like - than the alternative of corporate silence.
In my interview with him, I did push on taxes paid (or not) and privacy violations. Mr Zuckerberg answered that he wanted Facebook to be a "good corporate citizen".
And on fake news it is clear that Facebook, and other technology giants, have been ill-prepared for the type of editorial controls necessary in an era when millions of people receive their news via their chosen "filter bubble" with little mediation.
Facebook, Google and others have a central philosophy - act quickly to launch new products and then "iterate" if there is a problem.
That has led to mistakes, which Mr Zuckerberg does admit to.
This is a century when the most powerful are not simply the elected leaders or dictators of the world, but are the corporate leaders who can do so much to influence - and control - what billions of people experience every day.
Speaking publicly about how they view that role is, for many, better than the alternative.
We can then at least test his company, this global behemoth, against the standards Mr Zuckerberg has set himself.
Does the Facebook founder want to be a politician? Particularly given that he sounds so much like one - and I mean that in the broadest sense, not pejoratively.
Not yet, certainly. And maybe not ever.
As the head of a company with 1.86 billion active users a month, he is probably well aware that he has plenty of power already.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38999464
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Mesut Ozil: Arsenal forward is being made scapegoat, says agent - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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Forward Mesut Ozil believes he is being made the scapegoat for Arsenal's problems, according to his agent.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil believes he is being made the scapegoat for the club's problems, says his agent.
Ozil, 28, was criticised again after Arsenal suffered a 5-1 defeat at Bayern Munich in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg.
"But Mesut feels people are not focusing on his performance; they are using him as a scapegoat for the team after bad results."
Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013 for a club-record £42.4m, and came with a reputation as one of the game's leading playmakers.
But his displays have often been questioned and the Germany international has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks.
• None I will be managing next season, here or elsewhere - Wenger
• None 21 years and out? Key questions for Arsenal and Wenger
'Was he the reason Arsenal conceded five?'
Against Bayern, the 20 passes that Ozil completed was the same amount as home goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
"Bayern had 74% possession," said Sogut, who is Ozil's lawyer and representative. "How can someone in the No.10 position create chances if you don't have the ball?
"In these games people usually target a player who cost a lot of money and earns a lot of money - that is Mesut. But he can't be always be the scapegoat. That's not fair.
"Football is a team sport and Arsenal are not performing well as a team. Eleven players were on the pitch but Mesut was singled out for criticism. Was he the reason that Arsenal conceded five goals?
"It started before the match, throughout the week leading up to the game. People started discussing: 'Should he play? Should he be dropped?'.
"It was as if everyone knew Arsenal would not make it through and we needed a scapegoat. This is not right. You win as a team and you lose as a team."
'People say he has poor body language but that's how he is'
Ozil has scored 29 goals in 146 Arsenal appearances and last season created more chances in a single campaign (137) than any other player in Premier League history.
In January, the German was named as his country's player of year for a fifth time in six years, having helped them to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 and World Cup glory two years earlier. But many have accused him of underperforming when it matters most.
"I don't agree that Mesut has not had an impact on big matches," Sogut said.
"What about the win at home to Chelsea this season and Manchester United the year before? What about the games for Germany against Italy and France at Euro 2016?
"People are always saying Mesut is not fighting or tackling, that he has poor body language, but that is how he is.
"Believe me, he is desperate to succeed. If it doesn't work, he shows his anger and expressions. Was his body language an issue when Arsenal were playing well?
"He is not someone who runs around aimlessly and tackles just so everyone thinks he is fighting. If it doesn't make sense to run somewhere he will keep that power for the next run."
Recent defeats by Watford and Chelsea saw Arsenal lose ground in the Premier League title race and they currently sit in fourth place, 10 points behind leaders Chelsea.
They face a trip to non-league Sutton United in the FA Cup on Monday.
Ozil is out of contract in 2018 and there has been no breakthrough on talks over a new deal, but Sogut insisted his player is fully focused.
"I don't think the criticism has affected his performance or his mental state," the agent added.
"Mesut is committed to the club. There is no doubt that he will perform at 100%, with total professionalism and commitment as long as he plays for Arsenal. Nothing will change that.
"He is sorry to the fans, and he's sorry that he and his team-mates couldn't give the fans a better result in Munich."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38995112
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Arsene Wenger: Arsenal boss must be considering future - Martin Keown - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is at his "lowest point" and may leave the club this season, says his former captain Martin Keown.
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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has reached "his lowest point" and may quit the club this season, says his former Gunners captain Martin Keown.
He is one of several of Wenger's former players who feel they have seen a change in the long-serving boss.
Arsenal are facing a seventh successive last-16 Champions League exit following a 5-1 thrashing at Bayern Munich.
Ex-Arsenal defender Lee Dixon said: "This team is getting no response from him. I've never seen him like that."
Frenchman Wenger, at the helm since 1996 but whose contract expires at the end of this season, has not won the Premier League since 2004, but Keown told BT Sport: "Arsene must be considering his future now."
Former England full-back Dixon added on ITV: "He just seems so low.
"That is the first time where I've seen him where I've thought, 'he thinks it's time'. The fact that he hasn't been able to get a response from the players in the last few weeks might be the final straw."
Arjen Robben fired German champions Bayern into the lead at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, but Arsenal fought back and equalised when Alexis Sanchez followed up and finished his own saved penalty.
However, in the second half the Gunners capitulated, as Bayern excelled in a 10-minute period during which Robert Lewandowski restored Bayern's lead before Thiago Alcantara scored twice.
Substitute Thomas Muller scored late on to surely put the tie beyond the Gunners.
Keown - a defender who made 449 appearances for Arsenal - said recently he expected his former manager to get one more season. However, after watching the Bayern defeat as a pundit for BT Sport, Keown questioned whether he should stay.
"It's almost embarrassing. Outclassed, outplayed," he said. "I can't ever say I'd like to see him go (but) this is his lowest point ever as Arsenal manager."
Last week, former striker Ian Wright, who scored 185 goals for the Gunners from 1991-98, told BBC Radio 5 live he did not expect Wenger to stay on next season.
After the drubbing in Germany, Wright posted his frustrations on social media and declared he was "not watching anymore".
Bob Wilson, goalkeeper in the first Arsenal side to win the double in 1971, told BBC Radio 5 live on Thursday: "I wouldn't be at all surprised that Arsene now, with the amount of headlines that are coming his way, will look at that and say 'two decades'.
"He might just look at that and say 'OK enough is enough' because I think as a human being you can only take so much.
"He's a very sensitive guy and he's hurt, I doubt he will sleep very much between now and a horrible game on an artificial pitch at Sutton."
Arsenal's next fixture is an FA Cup fifth-round tie at non-league Sutton United on Monday (19:55 GMT kick-off).
Arsenal's only major silverware in recent years has been consecutive FA Cups in 2014 and 2015.
Successive defeats by Watford and Chelsea dented their league campaign, and although Wenger's side returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Hull last weekend, the Gunners are fourth in the table, 10 points behind leaders Chelsea.
Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin was at the Allianz Arena for BBC Radio 5 live and described Arsenal's performance as "shambolic".
"The negativity before the game feels more like a realism," he said. "Arsenal were totally outplayed by a team who are good but weren't utterly brilliant.
"The one team at the top level they have beaten is Chelsea with that 3-0 (at the Emirates in September).
"Other than that, they've got draws, they've been beaten and it's the top ones - I include Everton in that as well - they don't seem to be able to overcome them.
"It's exactly the same in the Champions League and it's a real shame, it just feels very close to the end. I've never said it before about Arsene but it does feel that way now."
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said Arsenal showed no fight or aggression.
"They looked spineless," the ex-England captain said on BT Sport. "You want to see fire in their belly and that's the most disheartening thing for me."
The Times' chief football writer Henry Winter described the Gunners as a "laughing stock", adding that he felt Wenger's best days are behind him.
"He has lost his leadership skills, there's no invincible streak in him any more," he said.
"From top to bottom there's no leadership. They have a silent owner who is sleepwalking towards the abyss. Wenger has been overtaken by Conte, Klopp and other managers."
How did the papers react?
... and what you said
Collated from comments below the match report
Harry Martin: Wenger gave Arsenal the greatest run of success they will ever have. His time in charge is as good as it gets for them and at 67 he's not going to improve. Football is cyclical and Arsenal's run of success (CL every year) is coming to a close. Be grateful for what you've had Gooners because you won't find a better manager than him prepared to come to Arsenal. These are the glory years.
ThePundit: Has anyone seen Mesut Ozil? He has been missing since last November, last seen strolling around the Emirates against a mediocre Premier League team. If found, please contact A. Wenger.
BlueIsTheColour: Arsenal are a laughing stock in Europe, there is no point qualifying for the Champions League just to make up the numbers. Arsenal are more interested in their balance sheet than their trophy cabinet.
cliffbayfan: Pathetic, I think it sums this up. Spineless, lack of talent, gave up, and totally out-thought and outclassed. Whether time is up for Wenger, I don't know... but this was an embarrassment.
XTStevie1873: Tonight proves that English teams are only good in England as this Bayern side like Barcelona have been on the slide and are nowhere near as good as they have been over the last 4-5 years. But they still whacked Arsenal at a canter...
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38988612
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Trump to BBC correspondent Jon Sopel: Here's another beauty - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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President Donald Trump has made a dig at the BBC in a sharp exchange during a heated White House press conference.
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President Donald Trump has made a dig at the BBC in a sharp exchange during a heated White House press conference.
"Here's another beauty," said Mr Trump after asking BBC North America editor Jon Sopel which organisation he represented.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38999996
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PJ Crowley: Trump unveils a subtle but vital shift in US policy - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The playful exchange between Netanyahu and Trump said a great deal, writes PJ Crowley.
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US & Canada
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A playful exchange between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu actually said a great deal about the dim prospects of a successful negotiation with the Palestinians under current circumstances.
"I think we're going to make a deal," President Trump said on Tuesday as he rolled out the red carpet for Mr Netanyahu at the White House.
The contrast in the tone of the US-Israeli relationship was tangible given the well-documented tension between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama.
"It might be a bigger and better deal than people in this room even understand. That's a possibility," Mr Trump added. "So let's see what we do."
"Let's try," responded Mr Netanyahu. When Mr Trump chided him for not sounding sufficiently optimistic, the prime minister quipped, "That's the 'art of the deal'."
Actually, it's the reality of the Middle East peace process, a hall of mirrors with a grim regional reality, a host of historical grievances, and zero-sum politics that make the odds of a meaningful negotiation remote, much less an actual agreement.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, here next to wives Melania and Sara
Notwithstanding the obvious chemistry between Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu - and a longstanding personal connection between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump's designated Middle East envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner - there is no chemistry between the Israeli leader and his Palestinian counterpart, President Mahmoud Abbas.
"As with any successful negotiation, both sides will have to make compromises," Mr Trump observed correctly.
However, the parties themselves are farther apart on the substance of the process - the borders of a Palestinian state, Israeli security arrangements within a Palestinian state, the right of return for Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem - than they were at the end of the Clinton administration.
Both the Bush and Obama administrations expended considerable effort to close existing gaps and achieve at least a framework agreement that would set the stage for a final deal. Neither was successful. Obstacles were less about substance than politics.
The centre of Israeli politics has moved markedly to the right; the left that embraced the essential bargain of the Oslo process, land for peace, has receded.
The existing Israeli governing coalition is not wired to make concessions. In fact, it is pushing Mr Netanyahu to increase the settlement presence in the West Bank while accelerating construction in East Jerusalem.
An Israeli soldier stands inside a guarding booth in the Gush Etzion Israeli settlement block in the occupied West Bank
In 2009, the Obama administration demanded a freeze to all settlement activity. Israel reluctantly agreed, although some growth continued within settlements Israel would keep in any final deal.
Rather than accelerate negotiations, settlements became a bone of contention within them. When the 10-month settlement moratorium ended, so did direct negotiations.
Secretary of State John Kerry tried to achieve a framework agreement during Mr Obama's second term, but his one-year effort fell short.
In a parting shot at Israel, when a resolution came before the UN Security Council declaring settlement activity to be an impediment to peace, the Obama administration abstained.
President Trump criticised the "unfair and one-sided" treatment of Israel at the UN, a gesture Mr Netanyahu welcomed.
Days before the meeting, the Trump White House cautioned the Israeli government that expansion of settlements beyond their existing borders was not helpful.
Mr Netanyahu may moderate the current pace of settlement activity but he is not going to stop it. The Palestinians will continue to see settlement activity as a fundamental problem.
A woman in the US during a "Muslim and Jewish Solidarity" protest. Mr Netanyahu is nicknamed "Bibi"
The Palestinians are deeply divided. In 2006, Hamas won an unexpected majority of seats in the Palestinian legislature over Mr Abbas' Fatah Party. The Palestinians have lacked political unity ever since.
Today, Hamas, not the Palestinian Authority, is the de facto government in Gaza. Full elections have not been held in more than a decade.
The bottom line is that both sides prefer the status quo to making the politically painful concessions that a negotiation would require.
Both Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu hope to pursue an "outside-in" strategy, building on shared regional concern regarding Iran and radical extremists including the Islamic State group to create momentum to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
While reasonable in theory - Mr Netanyahu spoke of partnership with Arab states in opposition to Iran - co-operation at the governmental level does not necessarily translate to popular support. For many in the region, the plight of the Palestinians continues to resonate.
Given the limited prospects confronting a two-state solution - progress that likely requires different leaders and mandates on both sides - President Trump made a small, but significant adjustment in US policy, expressing a willingness to support a one-state solution if both parties agree.
But the two sides have very different visions of what a one-state solution looks like.
A Palestinian man watches a joint press conference in the West Bank city of Hebron
A key Netanyahu prerequisite for any deal is preservation of Israel as a Jewish state.
On the other hand, in any agreement, Palestinians would insist on citizenship, voting rights and a government of and for the people - all of them. This could redefine Israel's identity.
President Trump may see his one-state acknowledgement as the opening gambit in a lengthy negotiation.
But a one-state solution potentially presents Israel with an existential choice. It can be a Jewish state or a democracy, but not both.
That is a choice the United States has never wanted Israel to confront since the answer could have grave implications for the US-Israeli relationship.
PJ Crowley is a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State and now a Professor of Practice at The George Washington University and author of Red Line: American Foreign Policy in a Time of Fractured Politics and Failing States.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38914538
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Meet Laura Muir, GB's latest track sensation training to be a vet - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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Great Britain's track star Laura Muir talks about her love for animals and what her ambitions are for 2017.
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Great Britain's track star Laura Muir talks about her lifelong love for animals and her medal ambitions for 2017.
Watch Laura Muir in action at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix on BBC One and the BBC Sport website from 13:00 GMT on Saturday.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/38996911
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Gent 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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Tottenham's Europa League hopes are dealt a blow as Gent earn a surprise 1-0 win in their last-32 first-leg meeting.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Tottenham's Europa League hopes have been dealt a blow after Jeremy Perbet's goal gave Gent a surprise victory in their last-32 first-leg meeting.
French striker Perbet controlled and slotted into the corner from Danijel Milicevic's pull-back on the hour.
A strong Spurs line-up were poor for most of the evening, although Harry Kane clipped the post after half-time.
Gent, eighth in the Belgian league, almost added a second as Milicevic's shot was tipped on to the post.
The second leg is at Wembley on Thursday, 23 February.
Gent's 20,000-capacity stadium, the Ghelamco Arena, is host to a Michelin-starred restaurant, but there was little to feast on for Tottenham, who turned in a strangely listless performance.
Mauricio Pochettino had spoken before the match about how keen his players were to put behind them a poor display in losing 2-0 at Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.
With that in mind, Pochettino selected a very strong side - with only two changes to the team beaten at Anfield.
Dele Alli skimmed an early shot wide from just outside the penalty area after good build-up involving Harry Winks and Ben Davies, but that was as good as it got in the opening half.
Pochettino's decision to move midfielder Moussa Sissoko out to the left at half-time led to a lively spell from the visitors, during which Kane clipped the post.
But Sissoko looked increasingly lost, and the Tottenham head coach was prompted into more tactical tweaks in an attempt to find an equaliser.
Nothing worked - and Tottenham's frustration was summed up as Alli picked up a needless yellow card for dissent.
The Gent fans were singing "we're going to Wembley" during the second half, in anticipation of next week's second leg at England's national stadium.
They may have more reason than Tottenham to look forward to their big night in north London.
Spurs stumbled at their temporary European home in this season's Champions League - failing to qualify from their group after losing at home to Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen.
Having gone into the match in Belgium as second-favourites to win the Europa League, behind only Manchester United, Pochettino's team now need a good Wembley performance just to stay in the competition.
The Spurs boss will be hoping that Kane is fit for that match, having picked up an injury in the second half. Pochettino indicated that the forward may not be risked when Spurs visit Fulham in the FA Cup on Sunday.
"We need to assess Harry Kane, he got a knock on his knee," Pochettino said.
"We need to refresh the team. In the end, it is Tottenham that will play Fulham on Sunday, it's not about the name of the player."
Gent boss Hein Vanhaezebrouck - celebrating his 53rd birthday - caused something of a surprise with his team selection, making five changes and leaving his 15-goal top scorer Kalifa Coulibaly on the bench.
It suggested that Vanhaezebrouck was prioritising a top-six Belgian league place - and qualification for the domestic championship play-offs - above European progress.
Yet his decision to select the 32-year-old journeyman Perbet in attack paid off handsomely.
Even before Gent took the lead, the players selected were full of energy, pressing Tottenham into mistakes and enjoying plenty of possession.
They created decent openings; centre-back Samuel Gigot shanked an effort wide from the edge of the penalty area, while Toby Alderweireld had to block a shot from midfielder Kenny Saief, who made an adventurous run from the left after a poor Kyle Walker pass.
Better chances came after half-time, with Milicevic slicing wide as Spurs switched off at a throw-in moments before Perbet's goal, and unmarked centre-back Stefan Mitrovic spurning an opportunity to make it 2-0 as he headed over from a corner.
Tottenham defender Eric Dier told BT Sport: "We did show more aggression than Saturday against Liverpool. I don't think we created enough chances to win.
"In the first half, they were the better of the two sides but after half-time we were better until the goal. It stopped us in our tracks. We could not get going again. They sat back and we could not get the away goal.
"When you go a goal down, you want to give everything to get back into the game. Maybe we were erratic at times and could have been a bit calmer and waited for our chance. That is something for us to work on.
"I don't see why we cannot turn it around. This team gave everything against us, we did that but lacked a bit of quality. At home we will be better."
Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino told BT Sport: "I am disappointed yes because we had a lot of opportunities before we conceded, but the tie is open.
"It's true that maybe it was not a good performance but we need to understand that it's always difficult to play in the Europa League.
"We need to find a way to go to Wembley and win the game and go to the next round."
• None This was the seventh consecutive first leg of a knockout match that Tottenham have failed to win in the Europa League (drawing three, losing four).
• None Tottenham have never won a European match in Belgium (two draws, three defeats).
• None Spurs have lost back-to-back matches in the Europa League for the first time since November 2011.
• None Jeremy Perbet's goal was Gent's first shot on target in the match in the 59th minute.
• None Perbet has scored in two of his last three home Europa League appearances for Gent.
• None Spurs have now scored only one goal in their last four games in all competitions, having scored 12 in the four prior to this run.
• None Of the last eight matches in which Tottenham have failed to score, four have been in European games.
Before next Thursday's second leg at Wembley, Tottenham visit Fulham in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, when Gent travel to fellow mid-table side Standard Liege in the Belgian league.
• None Attempt missed. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Kyle Walker.
• None Offside, Tottenham Hotspur. Dele Alli tries a through ball, but Son Heung-Min is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Victor Wanyama. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38962480
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Little Britain star Matt Lucas awarded honorary degree by Bristol University - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Matt Lucas high-fives chancellor at ceremony and says comedy partner David Walliams will be fuming.
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Bristol
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TV comedy star Matt Lucas has been awarded an honorary degree by his former university.
The actor studied Theatre, Film and Television at Bristol University in 1993 but did not complete the course.
He took a year long sabbatical to join television show Shooting Stars and did not return.
After high-fiving the chancellor, he said comedy partner David Walliams, also a university alumnus, would be fuming.
David Walliams and Matt Lucas created characters such as Charles Gray and Vicky Pollard for Little Britain
He and Walliams later wrote comedy sketch show Little Britain which became a huge hit.
After being awarded the honorary degree, Lucas high-fived university chancellor Sir Paul Nurse.
Matt Lucas described himself as a "charlatan" who had left Bristol University before completing his course
He said: "I stand here before you in receipt of this great tribute. You fools."
He said he quickly realised he had enrolled on a "serious course" but while other students found and challenged themselves, he just "walked up and down nearby Whiteladies Road with a cough".
"I was also just generally useless at university life. I had few friends and rarely left my room, unless it was to go and cook something in the kitchen.
"Today, you bring the entire university honours system into question by celebrating a charlatan who left university a year early in 1995, when most of this year's graduates were still in nappies, so that he could indeed wear a romper suit of his own, appear in a Cadbury Creme Egg advert and then do a sketch show with his friend," he said.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-38990773
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Argentine player chases and fights steward after cup defeat - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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A steward appears to spit at a player before being chased and then tackled by his team-mates after an Argentina Cup match between Central Norte and Talleres de Perico.
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A steward appears to spit at a player before being chased and then tackled by his team-mates after an Argentina Cup match between Central Norte and Talleres de Perico.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38993684
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Running ants: Why scientists built an insect treadmill - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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The researchers recording ants' brain activity as they run.
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Scientists from the University of Freiburg have designed a treadmill specifically for ants - with the aim of revealing their navigation secrets.
Desert ants are able to locate and travel to their nest very quickly; with their brains keeping track of the number of steps they have taken and their orientation.
The researchers, who published their design in the Journal of Experimental Biology, plan to use their unique set-up to record directly from ants' brains as they navigate - research that could help in the development of miniature robots.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/38993473
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Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal in memes - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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Relive Arsenal's Champions League hammering through the eyes of social media.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38989065
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Donating my kidney saved two lives - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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Jen donated a kidney to a stranger to make sure her husband would receive a kidney transplant.
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When Jen found out her husband needed a kidney transplant she wanted to give him one of hers but they weren't a match.
Then they heard about a scheme that could save his life.
Jen and Elliot's story is featured in #Hospital at 21:00 on Wednesday 15 Feb on BBC Two.
Join the conversation - find BBC Stories on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38968856
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You're never alone at the Museum of Broken Relationships - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Suffering a post-Valentine's crash? One museum turns the detritus of breakups into art.
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US & Canada
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Courtesy of the Museum of Broken Relationships One heartbroken person sent a collection of font examples they "mutually loved" with their partner
After a relationship ends, even the most mundane objects can become painful reminders. One museum in Los Angeles puts them on display.
When you're heartbroken, everything reminds you of the person who's no longer there. So do you burn your love letters? Throw away your wedding dress after a divorce? Send back that single mismatched sock?
At the Museum of Broken Relationships in Hollywood, everyday stuff is exhibited as art along with each object's story of betrayal or loss. The result is a moving collection of heartbreak.
One woman from San Francisco crammed her wedding dress into a pickle jar after her husband of five years left her. Even though her dress was "non-traditional" - meaning the kind you could wear again - she never did.
"I hate throwing perfectly functional items in landfills but would hate to see someone walking around in my once beautiful but now sadness-infused dress," the woman wrote on a card now on display next to the jar.
The jar was used mainly for space, she wrote, but "any sort of appropriate pickle metaphors can also be invoked".
All of the items at the museum are exhibited anonymously. The museum, which opened this summer, was created by a lawyer who visited the original Museum of Broken Relationships in Croatia and wanted to bring the concept to Los Angeles.
Two artists opened the Croatian museum after breaking up and deciding to curate the debris from their relationship.
The exhibits in the LA museum are donated from around the world.
A Norwegian donated an iron with the short story: "This iron was used to iron my wedding suit. Now it is the only thing left."
One exhibit displays an expensive bottle of wine a British couple having an affair planned to drink once they both left their spouses. But the wine remains untouched, the bottle never opened.
What happened to their marriages, or if their spouses knew about their infidelity, is left unsaid.
A Slovenian donated a key - a small gift from a friend. The story behind the key says: "You turned my head; you just did not want to sleep with me. I realized how much you loved me only after you died of Aids."
The museum attracts both the broken-hearted having a cathartic cry and couples on dates, says Alexis Hyde, the director of the museum.
But she was surprised that it's become a family destination for parents looking for ways to talk about love with their teenage children.
"It becomes this really safe place to talk about sex and relationships in a way that's not like 'Gross, mom stop talking to me,'" Ms Hyde says.
"It's a really beautiful way to open a dialogue about what is OK and what is not," she says.
"You're going to have your heart broken and that's normal. Even though you feel so alone, you're actually very normal."
"It's a little less isolating I think."
One of the more unusual exhibits is a pair of sizeable silicone breast implants a woman says she felt pressured to get by an ex-boyfriend. Her body rejected the implants and she had to have multiple surgeries to remove them and reconstruct her body.
Courtesy of the Museum of Broken Relationships
"She held on to them to remind herself don't change for someone else. You have to love yourself to be loved and be in a productive relationship," Ms Hyde says, adding that the woman hoped her donation would inspire others to have healthier relationships.
"She was hoping that people would read this and take the cautionary tale."
The museum also includes a broken promise ring and a collection of tins, boxes and books with examples of the "mutually loved font" of a former couple.
There's a dress bought by a girl who planned to wear it to impress a boy. But the boy killed himself before she had the chance.
Mix tapes - a sign of love - now in the museum
There's also a drawer full of mix tapes on display. If you don't remember mix tapes, they were the ultimate romantic gesture of the 1980s - painstakingly-made collections of music put together by recording songs off the radio on to cassette tapes.
If you missed the start of the song you planned to record, you had to wait for the DJ to play it again the next hour or day, depending on the song's popularity.
The collection is not what people have come to expect from a museum on Hollywood Boulevard, where tourists frequent Madame Tussauds wax museum and where actors dressed as Chewbacca and Spider-Man hustle tourists for photos.
"This museum cuts through to the truth of the human experience now like a scalpel. I think that it's a very sophisticated, conceptual art museum even though maybe the objects that compose it themselves individually might not be necessarily considered art," says Ms Hyde.
Alexis Hyde says the museum "cuts through to the truth of the human experience"
Visitors here are more from the local Los Angeles art scene than tourists.
Inside, it's a quiet, cathartic museum and many visitors walk the museum alone, quietly crying.
Many visitors say they come to feel less alone and more connected to their fellow lonely hearts.
But one visitor says the experience is overwhelming.
"I'm feeling their pain," he says of the people who donated items to the museum.
"I just feel so alone in here."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38960969
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Winston Churchill's views on aliens revealed in lost essay - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A newly unearthed essay by Winston Churchill reveals he was open to the possibility of life on other planets.
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Science & Environment
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Churchill wrote the first draft in 1939, as Europe headed towards war
A newly unearthed essay by Winston Churchill reveals he was open to the possibility of life on other planets.
In 1939, the year World War Two broke out, Churchill penned a popular science article in which he mused about the likelihood of extra-terrestrial life.
The 11-page typed draft, probably intended for a newspaper, was updated in the 1950s but never published.
In the 1980s, the essay was passed to a US museum, where it sat until its rediscovery last year.
The document was uncovered in the National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri, by the institution's new director Timothy Riley. Mr Riley then passed it to the Israeli astrophysicist and author Mario Livio who describes the contents in the latest issue of Nature journal.
Churchill's interest in science is well-known: he was the first British prime minister to employ a science adviser, Frederick Lindemann, and met regularly with scientists such as Sir Bernard Lovell, a pioneer of radio astronomy.
This documented engagement with the scientific community was partly related to the war effort, but he is credited with funding UK laboratories, telescopes and technology development that spawned post-war discoveries in fields from molecular genetics to X-ray crystallography.
In the essay, Churchill outlines the concept of habitable zones - more than 50 years before the discovery of exoplanets
Despite this background, Dr Livio described the discovery of the essay as a "great surprise".
He told the BBC's Inside Science programme: "[Mr Riley] said, 'I would like you to take a look at something.' He gave me a copy of this essay by Churchill. I saw the title, Are We Alone in the Universe? and I said, 'What? Churchill wrote about something like this?'"
Dr Livio says the wartime leader reasoned like a scientist about the likelihood of life on other planets.
Churchill's thinking mirrors many modern arguments in astrobiology - the study of the potential for life on other planets. In his essay, the former prime minister builds on the Copernican Principle - the idea that human life on Earth shouldn't be unique given the vastness of the Universe.
Churchill defined life as the ability to "breed and multiply" and noted the vital importance of liquid water, explaining: "all living things of the type we know require [it]."
More than 50 years before the discovery of exoplanets, he considered the likelihood that other stars would host planets, concluding that a large fraction of these distant worlds "will be the right size to keep on their surface water and possibly an atmosphere of some sort". He also surmised that some would be "at the proper distance from their parent sun to maintain a suitable temperature".
Churchill also outlined what scientists now describe as the "habitable" or "Goldilocks" zone - the narrow region around a star where it is neither too hot nor too cold for life.
Churchill supported the development of game-changing technologies such as radar
Correctly, the essay predicts great opportunities for exploration of the Solar System.
"One day, possibly even in the not very distant future, it may be possible to travel to the Moon, or even to Venus and Mars," Churchill wrote.
But the politician concluded that Venus and Earth were the only places in the Solar System capable of hosting life, whereas we now know that icy moons around Jupiter and Saturn are promising targets in the search for extra-terrestrial biology. However, such observations are forgivable given scientific knowledge at the time of writing.
In an apparent reference to the troubling events unfolding in Europe, Churchill wrote: "I for one, am not so immensely impressed by the success we are making of our civilisation here that I am prepared to think we are the only spot in this immense universe which contains living, thinking creatures, or that we are the highest type of mental and physical development which has ever appeared in the vast compass of space and time."
Churchill was a prolific writer: in the 1920s and 30s, he penned popular science essays on topics as diverse as evolution and fusion power. Mr Riley, director of the Churchill Museum, believes the essay on alien life was written at the former prime minister's home in Chartwell in 1939, before World War II broke out.
It may have been informed by conversations with the wartime leader's friend, Lindemann, who was a physicist, and might have been intended for publication in the News of the World newspaper.
It was also written soon after the 1938 US radio broadcast by Orson Welles dramatising The War of the Worlds by HG Wells. The radio programme sparked a panic when it was mistaken by some listeners for a real news report about the invasion of Earth by Martians.
Dr Livio told BBC News that there were no firm plans to publish the article because of issues surrounding the copyright. However, he said the Churchill Museum was working to resolve these so that the historically important essay can eventually see the light of day.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38985425
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The secret world of Russia football hooligans - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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In rare interviews, the Orel Butchers speak about their lives as Russian football hooligans.
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At the 2016 European Championships, violent clashes between Russian and English supporters in Marseille put the spotlight on Russian hooliganism.
Russian hooligans injured over 100 English supporters, beating two into a coma.
It has raised serious concerns ahead of Russia hosting the 2018 World Cup.
In rare interviews with members of the Orel Butchers - who violently attacked English fans in Marseille - a world is revealed where brutal violence has become a mark of honour.
Watch the full programme Russia's Hooligan Army, BBC 2, on iPlayer, first broadcast Thursday 16th February
Join the conversation - find BBC Stories on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38986206
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Undercover policing inquiry delayed amid new row - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The long-awaited inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing by undercover police could be delayed for years amid a growing legal row with Scotland Yard over its scope.
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UK
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The long-awaited public inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing by undercover police could be delayed for years amid a growing legal row with Scotland Yard.
Newly-published documents reveal the Metropolitan Police is questioning the unprecedented size of the probe.
It says it needs months to assess which former officers need their identities protected - and does not believe all of them should give evidence.
Public evidence hearings may not now start before 2018.
Sir Christopher Pitchford, the inquiry's chairman, says he needs to hear from all the officers.
The new delays have emerged a week after the Independent Police Complaints Commission said it was investigating whether a Metropolitan Police unit shredded a large number of files that were relevant to the inquiry.
Theresa May, then home secretary, ordered the inquiry in 2015 after serious allegations against undercover officers.
She told Sir Christopher to report back by July 2018, something that is now impossible.
Documents published by the inquiry on Wednesday reveal months of tension building between its team and the Metropolitan Police over what the force should hand over.
Scotland Yard says it has so far disclosed one million pages and identified 116 surviving former undercover officers from the Special Demonstration Squad, the disbanded unit at the heart of many of the allegations.
The inquiry wants all of them to give evidence but Scotland Yard says that is unworkable because of the "immense" pressures it is under.
In detailed submissions to the inquiry, it says that the demands for evidence dating back 40 years are unprecedented. It is already spending the equivalent of 80 police constables' salaries on the inquiry and may need to have more than 100 officers and staff working full time.
"The Metropolitan Police Service recognises that a number of deployments [undercover operations] will be properly subjected to close scrutiny by the inquiry," says one of the force's letters. "This does not mean however that each deployment will need to be subject to the same depth of review. Many officers are reluctant to engage with the inquiry process."
In a further twist, the documents reveal Scotland Yard proposed that an unnamed detective sergeant would explain to the inquiry how it was managing secret documents even though the officer had been accused of destroying files on the Green Party peer Baroness Jenny Jones.
The officer has since been cleared of wrongdoing but the inquiry has insisted the individual cannot give evidence.
In his response to the Met's plea for a delay, Sir Christopher said the Metropolitan Police would need to explain at a special hearing in April how the inquiry could work if it did not hear from all the former undercover officers.
"Their evidence is clearly relevant," he says. "The Inquiry needs to see that evidence... it might have been otherwise if the Inquiry could be confident that the documentary records of the Special Demonstration Squad were fully preserved, but they were not.
"It seems to me clear that there is no reasonable prospect that the Inquiry will complete its work within the three year period originally envisaged in July 2015, and that it is unlikely that evidence hearings will take place in 2017."
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38984140
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Is Iceland now cool? - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Iceland is the UK's favourite online supermarket, says consumer group Which? so is it now "cool"?
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Business
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Is this cool? Yes, it's ICE COLD
What thoughts do the store Iceland conjure up? Luxury goods, lobsters for £6 and award-winning mince pies, considered better than Fortnum and Mason or Selfridges?
Or rows of freezing aisles stalked by former girl band members in track suits, and your mum, who can't be found elsewhere, because she has, of course, gone to Iceland?
For a frozen goods specialist that's been around since 1970 and now has 900 stores, its image is remarkably fluid.
But for customers today, it is seen as having excellent customer service.
The consumer group Which? asked 7,000 people to rate the leading chains and they voted Iceland best for online - for the second year running.
Respondents considered categories such as quality, value for money, service from delivery drivers, how easy it was to find products, and whether shoppers would recommend the retailer to a friend - and Iceland scored tops.
Retail analysts have also got the Iceland message.
"You could have seen it as a bit of a dinosaur," says Paul Martin, head of retail at consultancy KPMG.
But now, he is remarkably impressed at how Iceland's management team have updated a business that was "not seen as cool".
And it's not just the online service he admires. "They have improved the look and feel of stores, there's a new website, [and] they focused more on the healthy side of frozen. You can also now buy fresh food - something that just didn't exist in the past," he says.
Back in the 1970s, frozen food was hip. A chest freezer - the size you could put a body into - was the smart TV of its day. Not everyone had one, but if you could, you did.
Bejam was the go-to High Street supplier, and they even provided the freezer. Iceland bought the chain out in 1989.
It has ticked along outside the big league since then, changing ownership - neatly, actually owned by an Icelandic company at one time - but its core remains frozen food.
But frozen food hasn't been cutting it these days with the upper echelons of society. Style arbiter Peter York, who has advised many luxury firms and enjoys the high life himself, has always thought it's not quite his thing.
"I see frozen Christmas treats full of sugar. I don't see [Iceland] as having things that won't make you as big as a pig. The imagery of Iceland is the Atomic Kitten woman [Kerry Katona, who fronted its TV ads in 2008].
"I fear it wouldn't meet my metropolitan liberal elite needs."
But, given its popularity, even he would be willing to explore its range, as long as he didn't have to walk too far: "I'd be in like Flynn if there was one near me. 'Dear Iceland, send us one - we the people of Pimlico want an Iceland.'"
I explained that its popularity was in fact for online shopping, and therefore he needn't extend his morning walk.
Peter York's food assistant won't even have to push one of these... customers scored Iceland highest for its online delivery
"Oh," he says. "I'm going to make the person who does my food ordering have a look."
Perhaps it should not be a surprise that it scores so highly on home delivery. It started doing this in 1999 - way before its rivals got serious.
Not a lot of people know that. And that could be why, says KMPG's Paul Martin, it scores highly. "[Because it's not as popular as the Big Four supermarkets], it's easier to book a delivery slot."
But he has praise for both the design of the website and the "very friendly" drivers.
Iceland's joint managing director, Nick Canning, promises there will be more to notice the chain for in future. "It feels like people are finally opening up their eyes to the quality we deliver, and we have much more innovation planned for the year ahead, so please stay tuned - Iceland's customers won't be disappointed."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38991243
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Donald Trump: 'I inherited a mess' - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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President Trump tells journalists he is tackling American jobs being lost abroad and a "disaster" in the Middle East.
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President Donald Trump denounces the previous administration at a news conference in the White House, saying he "inherited a mess at home and abroad".
Mr Trump cited American jobs being lost abroad, the Middle East and North Korea as evidence.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38997073
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BBC iPlayer - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10318089
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Is Nokia bringing back the 3310 and who would want a retro phone? - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Rumours suggest the iconic mobile from the year 2000 will return to shelves but the company has refused to comment.
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Newsbeat
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Rumours suggest that Nokia are planning to bring back their iconic 3310 phone.
Mobile users of a certain age have been getting very excited on social media about the return of this sturdy, reliable handset.
If you were in the market for a new phone in the year 2000, then the 3310 may have been on your wish-list.
But when Newsbeat contacted Nokia about the rumours, the company refused to comment.
"Though we're as excited as everyone else to hear their news, as we have often said about such stories, we do not comment on rumour or speculation," a spokesperson tells us.
If you ever owned one of these phones then the return of the 3310 may be exciting news to you
It may seem unlikely in the world of Android and iPhones that anyone would want a 17-year-old handset that was best known for playing Snake, but the experts believe there is a place in the market.
"I'm fairly confident my grandmother could use a 3310, but she wouldn't know where to start with an iPhone or Android," Alistair Charlton, deputy technology editor at the IB Times, tells Newsbeat.
"You can take a £20 phone to a festival and leave your expensive, glass-fronted iPhone at home.
"Backpackers and the like probably appreciate them too, given their tough build, cheap price and long battery life."
Many smartphone users complain about their handset's battery and this could prove the main selling point for users.
"What an interest in the 3310 does show us though is that battery life is still a major concern for consumers, and one that's not being well-addressed by some smart phones, namely the iPhone," Elizabeth Varley, founder and CEO of tech community TechHub, tells Newsbeat.
And let's not forget, when Adele revealed the video for Hello back in 2015, she was seen in it making a call on a retro flip phone - not a smart device.
Around that time, the media reported a rise in people seeking old phones, as the 1990s were firmly back in fashion and people like Rihanna were walking round chatting on a chunky mobile.
So it's not just a phone for drug dealers, as many Twitter users seem to think.
Alistair also backs the author of the original source of the 3310 rumours, VentureBeat writer Evan Blass, as a credible source for technology leaks.
He describes the journalist as "a renowned tech leaker who is often accurate with his predictions."
But Alistair also says that to succeed in the current market, Nokia will need to update the 3310's basic features to be relevant in 2017.
"We don't communicate through calls and SMS as much as we did in the days of the 3310," he says.
"If it had an internet connection and access to WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, then maybe it has a place."
But Elizabeth Varley doesn't believe Nokia's future can be built on models from the past.
"The best way forward is rarely backwards," she says.
"To really compete, innovation is the key."
Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/38980782
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Is Russia's Arctic presence 'aggressive?' - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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The BBC's Jonathan Beale reports from the Arctic circle, where Russia is building up its forces.
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The BBC's Jonathan Beale reports from the Arctic circle in Norway, where Russia is building up its forces - causing concern for the US, which has called its conduct there "aggressive".
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary James Mattis is expected to call on European nations to spend more on defence, when he attends a meeting of the NATO alliance in Brussels.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38986210
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New York Fashion Week: Six talking points - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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As New York Fashion Week draws to a close, here are some highlights from the catwalk.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Camila Morrone, Laura Love, Harley Viera-Newtorn and Emily Ratajkowski at the Michael Kors show
New York Fashion Week came to an end on Wednesday, marking the end of seven days of extremely good looking people wearing clothes we can't afford.
NYFW is held twice a year - February and September - and this one focused on autumn/winter collections.
We'll leave aside the fact that Wednesday is nobody's idea of the end of the week and focus on some of the highlights instead.
In 2014, 30-year-old convicted felon Jeremy Meeks was arrested during a gun sweep in California. But then something unusual happened.
His mugshot went viral after it was posted on the Stockton Police Department's Facebook page.
It received more than 15,000 likes and several users left comments like "hottest convict ever" and "Is it illegal to be that sexy?"
The blue-eyed bandit, as some fans branded him, was quickly snapped up by a modelling agent and his Instagram account now has 834,000 followers.
Philip Plein must have been one of those who had his head turned, as Meeks has now popped up on the catwalk of the designer's autumn/winter collection.
The way things are at the moment, it would be much more groundbreaking if someone in the public eye didn't try to make a political statement.
Nonetheless, there were politics aplenty at NYFW, perhaps most notably on the runway for the Mara Hoffman collection.
The designer's show kicked off with opening remarks by the national co-chairs of the Women's March on Washington (pictured above).
The Women's March was an international protest against US president Donald Trump which took place last month.
Designers Public School also kitted out their models with hats reading "Make America New York" - a reference to President Trump's Make America Great Again campaign slogan.
Models were also seen wearing shirts with slogans such as "The Future is Female" and "We Will Not be Silenced".
It's unusual for fashion to dip its toes into the world of politics, but it seems even the most high-profile designers are keen to have their say on President Trump and his policies.
Ashley Graham for Michael Kors and Candice Huffine for Prabal Gurung
This was not the first time that plus-sized models appeared at New York Fashion Week, but it may well be the most significant.
Previously, designers have included plus-size models, very often in frumpy outfits, to gain publicity for their show.
This time around, however, models like Ashley Graham (for Michael Kors) and Candice Huffine (for Prabal Gurang) were styled in a similar way to the other models.
Or he might've done. We don't know, as he didn't allow any photographers into his Yeezy Season 5 runway show.
For all we knew he might have unveiled a new range of "Taylor Swift Rules" T-shirts.
All we had to go on from the show were some grainy photos and shaky mobile phone footage from those who flouted the photography rules.
However, all of the designs have now been posted online, making the camera ban somewhat pointless.
One thing we do know is Kanye refused to walk the runway at the end of his show, as is customary for the designer.
It seems that's about as controversial as it got.
No recorded hip-hop or dance music for Michael Kors's show, oh no. He brought an orchestra.
This is a seriously classy touch.
Indonesian Muslim designer Anniesa Hasibuan has made the hijab her trademark over the last two seasons.
This week, she built it into the outfits on display at her NY Fashion Week show, styling it with flowing gowns.
All of the models in Hasibuan's autumn/winter 2017 collection were seen with grey hijabs, signalling that such sightings on the catwalk could become more common.
Interviewed backstage, the designer said her dream would be to dress Kate Middleton, adding that she admires the Duchess of Cambridge for "her elegance".
Read more: When hijabs dazzled the New York catwalk
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38892328
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Mark Clattenburg: Premier League official quits to take up job in Saudi Arabia - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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Mark Clattenburg, who took charge of the Euro 2016 final, is leaving his job as a Premier League referee to work in Saudi Arabia.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Mark Clattenburg is quitting his job as a Premier League official to become Saudi Arabia's new head of referees.
The 41-year-old is widely considered to be one of the best referees in football and took charge of the Euro 2016 final, the Champions League final and the FA Cup final last season.
Howard Webb, another former top-flight official, resigned as Saudi Arabia's head of refereeing 11 days ago.
Clattenburg is expected to leave before the next Premier League fixtures.
His new post will involve working with Saudi referees to improve performance and professionalise the set-up, while he will also take charge of some league games. He has signed a one-year rolling contract.
Speaking on a live broadcast on the Saudi Football Federation's Twitter page, Clattenburg said: "This is an important move forward. We have professional referees in the country that I am leaving, which has been a big positive.
"One thing I'd like to do is work with the refereeing team and the president to make this happen so that it will be successful for many, many years to come."
The Premier League's referee body, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said he had been "a great asset" and "an inspiration to those who want to get into refereeing".
Its statement added: "We understand this is an exciting opportunity for Mark, and it further underlines the high esteem for English match officials throughout the world game."
Clattenburg took charge of his first Football League game as a 25-year-old in 2000. Four years later, he was promoted to the Premier League's Select Group.
Unusually for a match official, public attention has often been drawn to his life off the pitch.
In 2008, Clattenburg was suspended following an investigation into allegations he owed £60,000 as a result of a failed business venture, and he later had his elite referee status revoked.
However, at an appeal in February 2009, his punishment was reduced to an eight-month suspension, backdated to August 2008.
In October 2014, he was dropped from officiating for two breaches of protocol - speaking on the phone with then-Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock, before leaving a ground alone to drive to an Ed Sheeran concert.
PGMOL says officials must travel to and from the ground together for integrity and security.
And last summer he got two tattoos to commemorate refereeing the Euro 2016 and Champions League finals, and the Guardian reported he had a car with the registration plate: 'C19TTS'.
In an interview with Associated Press in December, he said he did not understand why "people see [the tattoos] as a negative thing", adding: "I'm proud of what I've done."
The Saudi Professional League is one of west Asia's strongest domestic leagues, although the national team has not qualified for a World Cup since 2006.
Saudi clubs have reached three Asian Champions League finals since 2009, with Al Hilal losing to Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers most recently in 2014.
The league is dominated by Saudi players, who rarely move abroad, while each club can field three overseas players and one Asian player.
Former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Carlos Villanueva, a Chile international, and Greek international winger Giannis Fetfatzidis are some of league's more notable foreign players.
The five biggest clubs - Al Hilal, Al Shabab and Al Nassr in Riyadh and Al Ittihad and Al Ahli in Jeddah - all have grounds that hold more than 60,000 fans.
Clattenburg indicated in December that he was prepared to work abroad, but the timing of his departure has still come as a big surprise to those in the game. The deal was concluded so quickly that it remains unclear if he has taken charge of his last Premier League game, and what this move will mean for his hopes of refereeing at next year's World Cup.
Clattenburg could be colourful and controversial. He made mistakes, yet he is widely respected in world football and questions will naturally be asked as to whether more could have been done to keep him in the English game.
His departure is a blow to the Premier League which has just lost its best referee in the prime of his career.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38993655
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Uefa to launch study into link between playing football and dementia - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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Uefa commissions a research project that will examine the links between dementia and playing football.
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Last updated on .From the section European Football
Uefa has commissioned a research project that will examine the links between dementia and playing football.
Tentative research published earlier this week suggested repeated headers during a player's career may be linked to long-term brain damage.
The research examined the brains of six players renowned for heading the ball - all of whom later developed dementia.
The Football Association has said it will look at the area more closely, but is yet to announce its own study.
European football's governing body Uefa says the project, which will begin on Friday, "aims to help establish the risk posed to young players during matches and training sessions".
One Premier League club will be involved in the study.
What is the FA doing?
The FA says it is committed to supporting research into degenerative brain disease among former players, but authorities in English football have been criticised over a perceived reluctance to confront the issue.
Speaking in April, the FA's medical chief Dr Ian Beasley said the organisation wanted Fifa to investigate.
He said it would be "taking some research questions to Fifa imminently" after it was revealed three members of England's 1966 World Cup squad - Martin Peters, Nobby Stiles and Ray Wilson - had Alzheimer's.
Ian St John, who played for Liverpool between 1961-71, says six of his teammates - from a group of about 16 players - now have Alzheimer's.
"I don't know why the FA and the PFA have covered this up for years," he said on the Victoria Derbyshire programme.
"I talked about it to the PFA a couple of years ago, and their answer was: 'Well, women get dementia, so therefore it's not an industrial injury'. Which is a load of nonsense isn't it?"
Former England and West Brom striker Jeff Astle, died aged 59 suffering from early onset dementia. The inquest into his death in 2002 found that repeatedly heading heavy leather footballs had contributed to trauma to his brain.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, his daughter Dawn Astle said: "At the coroner's inquest, football tried to sweep his death under a carpet. They didn't want to know, they didn't want to think that football could be a killer and sadly, it is. It can be."
By the end he "didn't even know he'd ever been a footballer", she said, before adding: "Everything football ever gave him, football had taken away."
Uefa's project follows similar initiatives in other sports.
In September, American football's National Football League (NFL) announced it would spend $100m (£80m) on medical and engineering research to increase protection for players, after agreeing a $1bn (£800m) settlement to compensate ex-players who had suffered brain injuries.
That figure was agreed in April following a lawsuit by 5,000 former players who successfully claimed the NFL hid the dangers of repeated head trauma.
A UK RugbyHealth study is already examining the long-term health effects of playing rugby, including the effects of suffering frequent concussion.
That followed a World Rugby research project, which published findings of a potential link between frequent concussion and brain damage in 2015.
However, its lead researcher said it was "difficult" to draw robust conclusions, adding "further research was required".
What does the science say?
Researchers from University College London and Cardiff University examined the brains of five people who had been professional footballers and one who had been a committed amateur throughout his life.
They had played football for an average of 26 years and all six went on to develop dementia in their 60s.
While performing post mortem examinations, scientists found signs of brain injury - called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in four cases.
CTE has been linked to memory loss, depression and dementia and has been seen in other contact sports.
But the science is far from clear-cut. Each brain also showed signs of Alzheimer's disease and some had blood vessel changes that can also lead to dementia.
Researchers speculate that it was a combination of factors that contributed to dementia in these players, but they acknowledge their research cannot definitively prove a link and are calling for larger studies.
The Football Association welcomed the study and said research was particularly needed to find out whether degenerative brain disease is more common in ex-footballers.
Dr Charlotte Cowie, of the FA, added: "The FA is determined to support this research and is also committed to ensuring that any research process is independent, robust and thorough, so that when the results emerge, everyone in the game can be confident in its findings."
Many former players have been critical of a perceived reluctance by the FA and others to take action over a potential link between football and dementia.
Proving a definitive link is difficult but new research shows there may be a causal connection between heading a ball and brain illnesses in later life.
But is it just a matter for players of a previous generation, who used heavy leather footballs? Or does the problem persist in the modern age?
Answers are needed. It is already too late for those suffering, potentially as a result of playing the game.
It may, however, help many worried about whether they will be afflicted as they get older.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38990953
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Google CEO Sundar Pichai writes back to girl, 7, who wants a job - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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She told him she "liked computers and robots" as she explained why she wanted to work there.
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Hereford & Worcester
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The inspiration for Chloe's letter had been internet research showing Google's offices including bean bags, go karts and slides
An "entrepreneurial" seven year old wrote to Google for a job and its CEO replied.
After discussing her father's work, Chloe Bridgewater decided she would like to work for Google and penned a letter beginning "dear Google boss".
It was only the schoolgirl's second letter, after her first missive to Father Christmas, but the search engine's CEO Sundar Pichai wrote back.
Her father Andy said the girl "took it all in her stride".
Google CEO Sundar Pichai told Chloe to work hard and follow her dreams
"We were gobsmacked, but I don't think Chloe could understand the magnitude of the reaction she'd got afterwards," said father Andy, a sales manager from Hereford.
"She's got a great entrepreneurial spirit. Ever since nursery, she's always been told in school reports she's bright, hard-working and polite - we're very proud of her and her younger sister [Hollie, five] is similar," he said.
Chloe (centre left) with her sister Hollie and parents Julie and Andy
"Thank you so much for your letter. I'm glad that you like computers and robots, and hope that you will continue to learn about technology.
"I think if you keep working hard and following your dreams, you can accomplish everything you set your mind to - from working at Google to swimming at the Olympics.
"I look forward to receiving your job application when you are finished with school! :)
"All the best to you and your family."
Chloe took the reply 'all in her stride', father Andy said
Mr Pichai, who rose from humble beginnings in India, was appointed Google's CEO in 2015.
The inspiration for Chloe's letter had been internet research showing Google's offices including bean bags, go karts and slides but she also highlighted a keen interest in computers in her application.
Chloe also admitted to an interest in a job in a chocolate factory or as a swimmer at the Olympics in the letter, and Mr Pichai's reply said "if she kept working hard and following her dreams, she could accomplish everything she set her mind to."
Mr Bridgewater said he and his wife Julie, a HR advisor, had seen Chloe's business acumen in action already.
Besides her love of swimming - 20 lengths on Tuesdays with her mum - Chloe has also volunteered to clean the kitchen for 20p, he said.
"She is only young so she needs to play with her friends, jump on a trampoline but whenever she shows an interest in something else - like this letter - we want to encourage her," Andy said.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-38990254
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Championship clubs agree 'in principle' to use goalline technology - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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Championship clubs agree "in principle" to use goalline technology from the start of next season.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Championship clubs have agreed "in principle" to use goalline technology from the start of next season.
Clubs agreed to the decision on Thursday and it will be presented at the EFL annual general meeting in June.
The Premier League started using Hawk-Eye technology in 2013 and it is already used in the play-offs.
"This decision is about providing officials with as much support as possible," EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said.
The system notifies the referee if the ball has crossed the goalline via a vibration and optical signal sent to the officials' watches within one second.
Goalline technology is currently used in the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1, the Champions League, the World Cup and the European Championship.
Queens Park Rangers boss Ian Holloway called for the Championship to start using the technology after his side were denied a goal at Blackburn earlier this month when replays showed the ball had crossed the line. The R's went on to lose the match 1-0.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38998199
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British and Irish Lions: Three former captains back Alun Wyn Jones as skipper - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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Three former British and Irish Lions captains have backed Wales' Alun Wyn Jones to lead the Lions tour to New Zealand.
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Last updated on .From the section Welsh Rugby
Former British and Irish Lions captains Gavin Hastings, Martin Johnson and Brian O'Driscoll have backed Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones to lead the Lions tour to New Zealand.
Jones' credentials put him "out on his own" according to Scotland's Hastings, who led the 1993 tour to New Zealand.
"I think Jones is showing his characteristics as a leader of men," said Hastings.
Jones led the Lions in the decisive final Test in Australia in 2013.
"He's a guy that's been around the block more than once. No-one else (is in the frame)," added Hastings, who was also part of the winning tour of Australia in 1989.
"I think Jones is out on his own. [England's] Dylan Hartley's gone backwards a wee bit."
The Wales lock, 31, is also seen as a front-runner by World Cup-winning captain Johnson and Ireland's O'Driscoll, even though he only took over the Wales leadership on a regular basis in 2017.
"The front-runner has to be Alun Wyn Jones, he captained the Lions in the final game in 2013, he's respected in New Zealand and you have to anticipate he's going to be a Test starter. He certainly would be on my team," said O'Driscoll, Lions captain in 2005 and 2009.
"Alun Wyn is probably the front-runner at the moment but there's lots to happen between now and the announcement of the squad."
Former England lock Johnson, who was victorious on the 1997 tour of South Africa and also led the 2001 trip to Australia, thinks Jones' performance in the Six Nations defeat to England in Cardiff has edged him ahead of Scotland's Greig Laidlaw, Hartley and Ireland's Rory Best.
"All four nations captains have a chance, though Greig is out of the tournament which is unfortunate," Johnson told BBC Wales Sport.
"You've got two hookers, but I thought Jones played really well so maybe he'll have his nose slightly in front.
"He's an experienced player, been out there before, playing pretty well."
The Lions tour to New Zealand kicks off on 3 June, with three tests on 24 June, 1 and 8 July in Auckland, Wellington and Auckland again.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38989742
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Daily Politics coverage of PMQs - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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Prime Minister's Questions on the BBC's Daily Politics.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27901933
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Why the merger of Essilor and Luxottica matters - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Will a merger of Essilor and Luxottica be too big for the public good?
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Business
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Making glasses and sunglasses fashionable has been the key to selling them at a high price
Since their impending merger was announced in January, there has been remarkably little comment about the huge proposed deal to combine Essilor and Luxottica.
But there certainly should be.
These are two of the biggest firms in the lucrative international business of making spectacles. France's Essilor is the world's number one manufacturer of lenses and contact lenses, while Italy's Luxottica is the leading frame manufacturer.
It is not obvious that the merger is in the public interest, though the two firms certainly think it is.
"The parties' activities are highly complementary and the deal would generate significant synergies and innovation and would be beneficial to customers," says Essilor.
But there seems to be growing disquiet in the industry.
Gordon Ilett, of the Association of Optometrists, says: "This now allows the [enlarged] group to control all aspects of supply of product - from manufacture to the end user.
"Those businesses who remain as their customers will be indirectly controlled by the terms and conditions imposed by them.
"Whether their UK market share, following this merger, is sufficient for examination by the competition authorities is open to debate, but the effect of it will be reduced choice for the consumer, and will most likely result in reduced quality products longer term," Mr Ilett adds.
If the deal goes through later this year the new company, to be called EssilorLuxottica, will become a behemoth of the industry.
It will sell not only lenses and frames around the world but will also be stocking its own optician's shops as well, such as Sunglass Hut, and LensCrafters in the US and Australia, both currently owned by Luxottica.
One long-standing independent UK wholesaler, who asked to remain anonymous, says the merged firm would be so powerful it would probably squeeze out some competitors.
"If those two companies merged there would be a branded frame supplier offering you high-end branded frames, and also offering UK opticians a lens and glazing deal, to suit, so they will control almost everything [they offer] to both independent retailers in the High Street and even the chains," he argues.
The international chain Sunglass Hut is part of the Luxottica group
In his view this would amount, almost, to a stranglehold on the supply of high-end glasses, with some rivals giving up.
"I imagine it would knock out quite a few glazing houses in the UK, and it would probably knock out other fashion frame houses," he adds.
Unless you know about the eyewear business, or take an interest in investing in big European companies (they both have stock market listings) the names of the two big firms will probably have passed you by.
But if you have been inside an optician's shop you will certainly have heard of the brands they own and make. For instance, the leading varifocal lens brand, Varilux, is made by Essilor.
Just a year ago, in presenting its 2015 financial results to investors, Essilor boasted that it was "an undisputed leader with only 25% market share" of the combined world market for prescription lenses, sunglasses lenses and lenses for reading glasses.
When it comes to just the prescription lenses, it has a 41% share of the world market.
For its part, Luxottica owns several of its own brand names such as Ray-Ban and Oakley, and it also makes, under licence, spectacle frames which carry high-fashion names such as Armani, Burberry, Bulgari, Chanel, Prada, Ralph Lauren and Versace.
In 2015 the Italian firm made almost 10% of the 954 million frames that were sold worldwide that year, and claims that about half a billion of its frames are currently perched on people's noses.
The overall industry internationally is in fact quite fragmented with hundreds of other smaller manufacturers and related businesses such as glazing laboratories.
Market research firm GFK describes the optical industry as "a complex and extremely competitive market-space".
Even so, with the two firms having a combined turnover of more than 15bn euros (£12.8bn), of which 3.5bn euros were in Europe, on the grounds of size alone the proposed merger easily meets the requirements of the European Commission for a formal review.
An inquiry would see if the merged firm threatened to be too dominant, thus reducing competition and leading to higher prices for the customers.
Hubert Sagnieres (left), chief executive of Essilor, and Leonardo Del Vecchio, founder and chairman of Luxottica
A Luxottica spokesman told the BBC that the firm was confident that any scrutiny would not hinder the deal.
"The transaction is subject to mandatory submission to a number of anti-monopoly authorities including the European one, as is customary in transactions of this size and nature," he said.
"We are confident that the transaction does not raise anti-monopoly issues and will fully co-operate with the anti-monopoly authorities to obtain the required clearance," he added.
The EU itself says it currently has no comment to make and it has not yet been formally notified of the merger deal under the requirements of its own rules.
But the leading chain of opticians, Specsavers, views the impending deal with caution.
"Mergers are a continuing trend in optics, but this is a significant development which will result in huge supply chain and retail implications for the industry and consumers worldwide," the firm says.
"It is unlikely that the impact of the merger will be felt by consumers straight away but we will watch with great interest how the new organisation will arrange itself."
If you have ever bought a pair of spectacles with anything other than the most basic frame and lenses, you may have gulped at the price, possibly coming to several hundred pounds.
Essilor is the world's number one manufacturer of lenses and contact lenses
Of course, not all spectacles are expensive and not all of the sale price goes to the manufacturers.
Opticians and the wholesalers that supply them are businesses that seek to make a profit.
They also need to cover the costs of staff, equipment, shop and office space, stock and all that advertising.
But for the manufacturers such as Essilor and Luxottica, it is a stonkingly profitable business.
On worldwide sales of 6.7bn euros in 2015, Essilor made operating profits of 1.2bn euros.
For the same year, Luxottica sold goods worth 8.8bn euros and made operating profits of 1.4bn euros.
With cost-cutting at a merged business projected to save between 400m and 600m euros per year, profits could be boosted even further.
Will customers benefit as well?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38899892
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Sia asks Kanye West to go fur-free as he unveils Yeezy Season 5 - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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As Kanye West unveils his latest fashion collection, pop star Sia urges him to stop using fur.
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Entertainment & Arts
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"Would you consider going fur free?"
That's the challenge Sia issued to Kanye West, hours before he unveiled his latest fashion collection.
The pop star tweeted her question to Kanye, linking to a YouTube video that contained harrowing scenes of rabbits being slaughtered for their coats.
"This is the reality of fur ," said Sia. "It's so sad."
West's Yeezy Season 5 appeared to include both fur coats and accessories.
The most striking item was a floor-sweeping fur coat, showcased by hijab-wearing model Halima Aden, who was the first Miss Minnesota contestant to compete wearing a hijab and burkini.
Vogue magazine said the garments were faux fur, although the BBC has been unable to verify that report.
Model Halima Aden posted a photo of her fur coat on Instagram
It is not the first time that Sia - who worked with Kanye on songs including Wolves and Reaper - has challenged celebrities over animal rights.
Last June, she tweeted the same video at Kanye's wife, Kim Kardashian, writing, "Hey @KimKardashian I think you're lovely. Would you consider going fur free? This is what animals go through for it."
In December, after rapper Azealia Banks posted an Instagram video apparently showing the remains of several chickens killed in a witchcraft ritual, Sia tweeted, "Sacrificing animals for your gain is the wackest [thing] I've ever heard."
The Australian singer is a vegan and supporter of animal rights' group Peta.
Kanye's show won praise from critics, who called it his most "demure" show yet and welcomed the fashion range's expanding colour palette - he added blues and reds to the line's traditional black and brown colour scheme.
Kim Kardashian was among the guests on the front row for the Yeezy Season 5 launch
Kanye did not make the traditional "wave" to his audience, but posed for a photo with ASAP Ferg (outside the bathroom)
Unlike last year's show - a massive production that required models to stand still for hours in the middle of a New York heatwave, causing some to faint - the Season 5 launch was decidedly low-key, with images projected one by one onto the surface of a giant black rectangle, from a live feed of models standing on a turntable backstage.
Photographers were not allowed - and Kanye didn't even appear to take a bow at the end of the 13-minute spectacle.
The audience, apparently conditioned to expect more drama at the rapper's fashion shows, remained seated for almost five minutes after the lights went up before finally shuffling out to their next appointment at New York Fashion Week.
Among those watching the launch were Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Hailey Baldwin, Zoe Kravitz, ASAP Ferg, Anna Wintour, Pusha T and Teyana Taylor.
The collection itself featured a lot of denim, paired with knee-high boots and a new shoe dubbed the Yeezy Runner.
Hoodies and bomber jackets also featured heavily, many sporting the Adidas stripes, while sweatshirts were stamped with the phrase Lost Hills - the name of Kanye's forthcoming album with Drake.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38983569
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Why eating a lot of fat is worse for men than women - BBC News
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2017-02-16
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A recent study found that men and woman respond differently to eating large amounts of unhealthy fats. Dr Zoe Williams goes on a high fat diet to test the research.
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Health
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It's generally agreed that eating too much fat is bad for you, but exactly how much damage it can do depends on whether you are a man or a woman, writes Dr Zoe Williams.
Eating too much fat can make you put on weight and lead to heart disease - especially if you eat too much of the wrong kind of fat, such as the omega-6 fats found in many processed foods. But now it seems sausages, pastries and cakes are even worse for men than they are for women.
A recent study measured how the two sexes responded when they spent a week eating large amounts of these foods and how it affected their ability to control blood sugar levels. I wanted to test this diet myself, and in order to compare my response to that of a man I persuaded the person behind the research, Dr Matt Cocks of Liverpool John Moores University, to join me.
Before we started, our body fat was measured and our blood sugar levels recorded. We were given glucose monitors to wear to keep track of our blood sugar throughout the week.
The food which Zoe had to eat during the week
In order to have an impact in just one week, our diet contained about 50% more calories than we would normally eat. A typical evening meal included a couple of sausages, some hash browns, a few slices of bacon, and a lump of cheese.
Twice during the week, Matt and I also drank a sugary drink to introduce sugar into our blood stream. This mimics what happens when we eat carbohydrates which our bodies break down into sugars. The glucose monitors would be able to show us whether the diet was affecting our ability to clear this sugar from our blood.
When we looked at the results we saw that, like the women in Matt's study, my ability to control my blood sugar levels didn't get any worse on the diet. Matt, however, got 50% worse at clearing glucose from his blood.
The same trend was apparent in Matt's research, where on average men got 14% worse at controlling their sugar levels.
"One of the first steps towards type 2 diabetes is poorer control of glucose," says Matt. "So what we're seeing here, is that I've really lowered my control of sugar, and if I continued with that for a long time, that would probably progress me to type 2 diabetes."
Trust Me, I'm A Doctor is on BBC Two at 20:00 GMT, Wednesday 15 February - catch up on BBC iPlayer
The diet Matt and I undertook was extreme but in the real world the same processes will be happening to a lesser extent in people who regularly over consume unhealthy fats.
So what can men do about it?
The best advice is to eat a balanced diet but exercise can also help.
"If you have a meal and then you exercise, then you're going to start to burn that meal," says Matt. "So say you eat a very high fat meal or a sugary meal, you can start to remove the negative effects by going for a walk afterwards."
Join the conversation on our Facebook page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38963874
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Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal - BBC Sport
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2017-02-16
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Arsenal's Champions League hopes lie in tatters at the last-16 stage yet again after they suffer a first-leg battering at Bayern Munich.
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Last updated on .From the section European Football
Arsenal's Champions League hopes lie in tatters at the last-16 stage yet again following a first-leg battering at Bayern Munich.
The Gunners, who have been eliminated in the first knockout round of the competition in each of the last six seasons, twice by Bayern, not only conceded five goals but over 75% possession in Germany.
Their challenge lasted until the break thanks to Alexis Sanchez, who followed up his own missed penalty to equalise after Arjen Robben's superbly-struck 25-yard opener.
But after Arsenal lost Laurent Koscielny to injury early in the second half, Bayern ran riot during a 10-minute period in which Robert Lewandowski headed home before Thiago Alcantara scored twice. Substitute Thomas Muller rubbed salt in the wounds with a late fifth.
It leaves Arsenal with a near impossible task in the second leg and heaps more pressure on manager Arsene Wenger, who now only has the FA Cup as a realistic source of silverware in what will go down as another failed season.
• None Is it time for Wenger to go? Read the social media fall-out
There must have been a feeling of deflated dread for Arsenal when they were drawn to face Bayern in the first knockout round of this season's Champions League.
For the first time in five seasons, the Gunners claimed top spot in their group (ahead of PSG, who made this achievement even more impressive with their demolition of Barcelona on Tuesday) but nonetheless they were drawn against the Germans - their last-16 conquerors in both 2012-13 and 2013-14.
Their fears were fully realised on a chastening night in Munich, which further highlighted just how far behind Europe's leading lights they have fallen and how little progress has been made since their visit here last season, which also ended in a 5-1 hammering.
Robben gave early warning of the horror to come when he cut inside from the right and fired into the top corner from range following a move that had involved nine of Bayern's 11 players.
However, with the gates fully ajar, the flood failed to come as Arsenal were granted an unlikely way back into the game thanks to Lewandowski's clumsy challenge on Koscielny in the box.
Sanchez almost spurned it when his spot-kick was saved by Neuer but after fortunately receiving the ball back, he produced a neat finish through a group of players to level.
The equaliser prompted Arsenal's best period of the game, during which they remained largely without the ball but produced two clear-cut chances, both of which were wasted as Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil struck shots at Neuer after being handed a clear sight of goal.
The optimism Arsenal had accrued from their encouraging pre-break efforts were dashed in a 15-minute period early in the second half, that began with Koscielny - their best defender - limping from the field and ended with Thiago putting the tie beyond them.
Four minutes after Gabriel had replaced his captain at the back, Bayern reclaimed the lead as Lewandowski rose high above Shkodran Mustafi to meet Philipp Lahm's excellent cross and head home his 31st goal in 34 games for club and country this season.
The Pole then turned provider for Thiago, backheeling the ball into his path for a simple finish before the Spaniard quickly added his second courtesy of a shot that deflected in off Xhaka's boot.
Only some lax finishing, the woodwork (from a deflected Lewandowski shot) and a superb David Ospina save to tip over Javi Martinez's header from a corner prevented further goals before late substitute Muller scored with essentially his first contribution, collecting from Thiago before sidefooting home.
Muller's late goal surely represented the final nail in the Gunners' coffin and leaves Wenger now facing an uncomfortable, undesirable truth - that his side's season boils down to an FA Cup game on a plastic pitch in Sutton.
'It is difficult to explain'
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, speaking to BT Sport: "It is difficult to explain. I felt we had two good chances to score just before half-time.
"I felt we were unlucky for the second goal. The referee gave a corner for us at first. Then we concede the second goal and then the most important was that we lost Koscielny. We collapsed.
"Overall I must say they are a better team than us, they played very well in the second half and we dropped our level. We were a bit unlucky we dropped our level and they were better than us."
5-1 at the Allianz again - the stats you need to know
• None Bayern Munich have won their last 16 home Champions League games, the longest winning run in the history of the competition.
• None Arsenal conceded five goals in a game for the first time since November 2015 - their last clash with Bayern (1-5).
• None This is the first time that Arsenal have conceded five goals in a first leg of Champions League knockout match.
• None Arsenal have conceded 3+ goals in four of their last six first-leg matches in the last 16 of the Champions League.
• None It's also the first time that Arsenal have conceded four goals in a single half since facing Chelsea in March 2014.
• None Alexis Sanchez has been directly involved in 33 goals in his last 31 games in all comps (20 goals, 13 assists).
• None Robert Lewandowski has scored 15 goals in his last 13 Champions League games at the Allianz Arena.
• None Arjen Robben has now scored in back-to-back Champions League appearances against Arsenal.
• None Goal! FC Bayern München 5, Arsenal 1. Thomas Müller (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Thiago Alcántara.
• None Attempt missed. Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Arjen Robben following a fast break.
• None Attempt missed. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) with an attempt from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Mesut Özil with a cross following a corner.
• None Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern München) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
• None Attempt saved. Douglas Costa (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Thiago Alcántara.
• None Attempt saved. Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Philipp Lahm. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38962425
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Who are the nurdle hunters on Britain's beaches? - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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People who collect the microplastics explain why and how they are collected.
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UK
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Nurdles may sound cute and often look beautiful but the small plastic pellets are a sinister presence on three-quarters of beaches in the UK.
Volunteer nurdle hunters on the Great Winter Nurdle Hunt searched their local shorelines in early February and the survey has found that 73% of 279 shorelines contain the plastics.
In one 100m-stretch of beach in Cornwall, beachcombers found 127,500 of the lentil-sized pellets - but that is just a fraction of the 53 billion nurdles that are estimated to escape into the UK environment each year.
The microplastics pose a significant threat to fish and animals that ingest the plastic.
Experts warn that nurdles can soak up chemical pollutants from their surroundings and then release the toxins into the animals that eat them.
After the BBC reported the story some nurdle hunters have been getting in touch to explain why they do what they do.
Sarah Marshall, a 49-year-old former speech and language therapist, started collecting nurdles two years ago and says she is now addicted to finding the pellets.
"They look like tiny eggs, some are bigger than others, some are thicker, and they are all different colours," she says.
"They congregate on the tide line and I often use my hands to pick them up - whenever I go to the beach, I cannot help but pick them up.
"I even found some in Martinique. My daughter says 'mum let's go look for nurdles' - it's like a competition between us," she adds.
Christine Hyland, Naomi Hyland and Sarah Marshall at Compton beach on the Isle of Wight
The threat posed by nurdles to wildlife and the marine ecosystem is the main motivation for Sarah to spend her time picking them up from beaches.
She normally throws away the collected nurdles but she has also sent samples to the International Pellet Watch who analyse nurdles for the presence of toxic chemicals.
Sarah Marshall has been collecting nurdles from beaches in the Isle of Wight for two years
Jay Lowein, who is 59 and runs a business, is a recent recruit to the Great Nurdle Hunt.
She went on her first hunt in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight in February and explained that she used tweezers to pick up the pellets.
Together with a friend, she collected over 1500 nurdles in one hour.
Nurdles on Shanklin beach in the Isle of Wight
"I'd never even seen them but when I went on the nurdle hunt, I was really shocked at how many there are," says Jay.
"I collect them because I think it's horrible that there is all this plastic floating around.
"I want to do my bit - I don't want to eat fish that has ingested plastic pellets", she explains.
Daniel Moore, a 29-year-old PhD student in Durham, found these nurdles at James Bay in March 2015.
Nurdles found by Daniel Moore on a beach hunt at James Bay in Millport, Cumbrae
Maranda, a self-employed embroider, took part in her first nurdle hunt this year in the freezing Scottish rain by her house at Dunnet Sands at Britain's most northerly point.
"I go beachcombing every day - but on this hunt I collected 355 nurdles in 45 minutes," she explains.
"It is back-breaking work - my hands get cold from the freezing water and my specs are always falling down.
"I do it because I care about the environment - I want to do a bit of good for the world when I'm out there," she adds.
A close up of nurdles collected from a beach in Caithness in January
Maranda, who is 44, uses some of the refuse for craft, including twine to make pictures, and she recycles the plastic rubbish she finds.
Nurdles are not the only plastic material occupying beaches in the UK.
Emily Cunningham, a 26-year-old marine biologist in Durham, found plastic ribbon and latex from 101 balloons on a beach in Anglesey.
She believes that they are the remains of balloons sent into the air on mass balloon releases.
Emily collects nurdles almost weekly, whenever she visits the beach, and says that often she finds more plastic than seaweed on Britain's beaches.
Ribbon and latex from 101 balloons found by Rhosneigr on the west coast of Anglesey
Tina Triggs, who is 44 and works in a supermarket, found 66 plastic cotton buds on a beach in February at Barmouth in north Wales.
• None The beaches where Lego keeps washing up
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39003885
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Alpine Ski World Championships: Display plane causes camera crash - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Watch as the second run of the men's Giant Slalom at the Alpine Ski World Championships in St Moritz is delayed after a military air display plane clipped a cable, causing a camera to drop onto the course.
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Watch as the second run of the men's Giant Slalom at the Alpine Ski World Championships in St Moritz is delayed after a military air display plane clipped a cable, causing a camera to drop onto the course.
WATCH MORE: Near misses & epic fails at world team slalom
Available to UK users only.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-sports/39006789
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The corpse factory and the birth of fake news - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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How did a gruesome story fool the world 100 years ago?
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Entertainment & Arts
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Think fake news is a new phenomenon? Think again. Dr David Clarke from Sheffield Hallam University looks at a 100-year-old story that fooled the world.
Fake news, false stories that masquerade as real news are not new.
In the spring of 1917 some of Britain's most influential newspapers published a gruesome story that has been called "the master hoax" - and I think we finally have proof about where it came from.
Britain was at the time trying to bring China into the war on the Allied side.
In February a story appeared in the English-language North China Daily News that claimed the Kaiser's forces were "extracting glycerine out of dead soldiers".
Rumours about processing dead bodies had been in circulation since 1915 but had not been presented as facts by any official source.
That changed in April when the Times and the Daily Mail published accounts from anonymous sources who claimed to have visited the Kadaververwertungsanstalt, or corpse-utilisation factory.
The Times ran the story under the headline Germans and their Dead, attributing the claim to two sources - a Belgian newspaper published in England and a story that originally appeared in a German newspaper, Berliner Lokal-Anzeiger on 10 April.
That German account by reporter Kal Rosner described an unpleasant smell "as if lime was being burnt" as he passed the corpse factory.
Rosner used the word "kadaver", which referred to the bodies of animals - horses and mules - not human bodies.
Later, The Times carried a longer article quoting from an unnamed Belgian source who described in grim detail how the corpses were processed.
A cartoon published soon afterwards by Punch presented the ghoulish story with the caption "cannon fodder - and after".
The German government protested loudly against these "loathsome and ridiculous" claims.
But their protests were drowned out by public expressions of horror from the Chinese ambassador. China declared war against Germany on 14 August 1917.
However, until now no one has been able to discover conclusive proof that would settle the mystery of who created the story - and who authorised its transformation from a false rumour to officially-sanctioned "fact". I believe we now can.
It was in 1925 that Sir Austen Chamberlain admitted, in a Commons statement, there was "never any foundation" for what he called "this false report".
In the same year the Conservative MP John Charteris - who served as head of intelligence - reportedly admitted, while on a lecture tour of the US, that he had fabricated the story.
The New York Times revealed how Charteris said he had transposed captions from one of two photographs found on captured German soldiers. One showed a train taking dead horses to be rendered, the other showed a train taking dead soldiers for burial.
The photo of the horses had the word "cadaver" written upon it and Charteris reportedly said he "had the caption transposed to the picture showing the German dead, and had the photograph sent to a Chinese newspaper in Shanghai".
On his return to Britain, Charteris denied making the remarks. Since that time, no one has been able to discover the photographs or any clear documentary evidence that would prove the intelligence services connived with the press to promote the corpse factory lie.
Cuttings from the Times, Daily Mail and Daily Express reporting the "corpse factory"
But I have found what I believe to be one of the photographs mentioned by Charteris in a collection of Foreign Office files at The National Archives.
The black and white image, dated 17 September 1917, clearly shows bodies of German soldiers, tied in bundles, resting on a train behind the front line just as Charteris had described in 1925.
The covering letter, from a military intelligence officer at Whitehall, is addressed to the government's Director of Information, Lt Col John Buchan, author of The 39 Steps. The letter from MI7, the military's propaganda unit, offers the War Office "a photograph of Kadavers, forwarded by General Charteris for propaganda purposes".
In 1917 MI7 employed 13 officers and 25 paid writers, some whom moonlighted as "special correspondents" for national newspapers. One of their most talented agents was Major Hugh Pollard who combined his work in the propaganda department with the role of special correspondent for the Daily Express.
After the war Pollard confessed his role in spreading the corpse factory lie to his cousin, Ivor Montague.
Writing in 1970, Montague recalled "we laughed at his cleverness when he told us how his department had launched the account of the German corpse factories and of how the Hun was using the myriads of trench-war casualties for making soap and margarine."
But lies have consequences. During the 1930s the corpse factory lie was used by the Nazis as proof of British lies during the Great War.
Historians Joachim Neander and Randal Marlin remind us how these false stories "encouraged later disbelief when early reports circulated about the Holocaust under Hitler".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38995205
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Call for brain donors - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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Scientists are calling for more people to donate their brains to research to help find cures for mental and psychological disorders.
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Scientists are calling for more people to donate their brains to research to help find cures for mental and psychological disorders.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39001591
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British queuing and 'the power of six' - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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What are the rules behind the great British pastime of standing in line?
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UK
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A stiff upper lip, a pot of tea and a nice orderly queue. So far, so British. But the great British pastime of standing in line may not be as simple as it seems.
According to academics if you want to truly master the art of the queue, you need to follow the rules.
It's all about the power of six, professors say.
People will wait for six minutes in a queue before giving up and are unlikely to join a line of more than six people, researchers at the University College London found.
Six is also the magic number when it comes to spacing - gaps of fewer than six inches between people can spark anxiety or stress.
But the biggest faux pas of all is the push-in; queue jump at your peril.
The report's author, Adrian Furnham, Professor of Psychology at UCL, said the public nature of queuing means that queue jumping sparks a "huge sense of injustice" among those in line.
He pointed to previous research by Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede, which claimed: "The British believe that inequalities between people should be minimized, and everyone should have the autonomy to pursue goals with equal opportunity."
The UCL study was based on a review of academic literature on queuing at banks, cash points and supermarkets.
Other queue no-nos include striking up a conversation while queuing and standing on the wrong side of escalators - though this was mainly a complaint of Londoners who feel tourists "misuse" the Underground.
The report found the most confusing rule for foreigners could be the practice of one person offering their place in the queue to another.
Professor Furnham said: "The British have a well-established culture of queuing and a very specific type of queue conduct, one that has been known to confuse many a foreign visitor.
"In a time when Britain is changing rapidly, and the ways in which we queue are shifting, the psychology behind British queuing is more important than ever - it is one of the keys to unlocking British culture."
• None Is forming an orderly queue really the British way?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38990535
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Jeanette Winterson: 'Character of London will disappear' - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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Award winning author Jeanette Winterson has been speaking to the BBC about having to close her deli in Spitalfields because of rising rates.
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Award winning author Jeanette Winterson has been speaking to the BBC about having to close her deli in Spitalfields because of rising rates.
Her business rates will rise from £21,500 to £54,000 in April.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/39009724
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Is school funding the next crisis? - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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After the NHS and social care, is the next funding crisis going to be in England's schools?
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Education & Family
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Schools have been warning the prime minister that the sums for school budgets do not add up
After the NHS and social care, is the next funding crisis going to be in England's schools?
Like a snowball getting bigger as it rolls downhill, momentum is gathering around the warnings of school leaders about impending cash problems.
Head teachers have said a lack of cash might force them to cut school hours.
Ministers were forced by a Parliamentary question to reveal that more than half of academies lacked enough income to cover their expenditure.
And school governors - the embodiment of local civic worthies - have threatened to go on strike for the first time, rather than sign off such underfunded budgets.
Petitions and protest letters have been sent to MPs about cuts to jobs and school services - and warning letters from head teachers will have been sent home to alert parents.
Grammar school head teachers have gone a step further and warned that parents might to have to pay to make up the shortfall.
School leaders see themselves rather like look-outs on the Titanic shouting out that there's a great big iceberg ahead - backed by the National Audit Office's finding that schools face 8% real-term spending cuts, worth £3bn, by 2020.
The spending watchdog says costs for schools are outstripping the budgets allocated by the government.
The spending watchdog says schools will have to find £3bn in budget cuts
The missing piece in this debate has been any real sign of movement from the government - other than to keep repeating that school funding is at record levels.
But plenty will be going on behind the scenes, and there is no shortage of "insiders" with views on what's happening.
It's claimed that ministers can't sign a birthday card without getting clearance from 10 Downing Street.
So education ministers are unable to give any indication of funding changes, in part because a consultation is still taking place and more particularly because it isn't in their gift to decide.
But there are options thought to be under discussion.
The government has announced a new formula for allocating funding to schools, responding to years of complaints about regional inequalities.
But a number of Conservative MPs in rural and suburban areas have been energetically lobbying that this slicing up of the cake is still too much in favour of the inner cities.
If the formula was shifted around a little, such as putting less emphasis on deprivation, it could shift funding from London and the big cities towards the shires.
This would not have much electoral cost for the Conservatives as their support is not in these inner-city areas.
But it would be a big call in terms of political purpose to cut funding from areas of deprivation.
Another approach would be to start including pupil premium money - targeted at deprived children - into the general funding equation.
This really would mark the formal detonation of the last pillars of the Cameron and coalition era, for which the pupil premium was a moral touchstone.
There are other more creative possibilities.
It was revealed that of the money earmarked for the ill-fated plan turn all schools into academies, £384m had been taken back by the Treasury.
Heads have protested to MPs at the decisions they face in making cuts
This £384m has been claimed as being enough to make sure that there are no losers in the funding formula shake-up.
If this cash could be "rediscovered" in a virtual shoebox in the Treasury, it could come back into play, getting the government off a funding hook - without actually having to find new money.
The apprenticeship levy, about to be introduced, has also been seen as a potential pot of money. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says by 2019-20 it will be raising £2.8bn from employers - but only £640m is set to be spent on apprenticeships.
The Department for Education has so far not been able to explain where the rest of this money might be heading.
Of course, another option is that the government refuses to move and schools have to operate within their budgets.
What would this mean in practice?
To take a real-life example shown to the BBC, what happens when a secondary school faces a shortfall of £350,000.
The only way to make such savings is to cut staff - heads and governing bodies will be making such tough decisions.
Which subject should they stop teaching? Which teachers should they make redundant? Should they get rid of counsellors for mental health problems? Should they merge classes? And who gets to lose out on the quality of their education?
There has always been a well-developed moaning culture in education, but there is no escaping the outrage among school leaders about the lack of political response to funding worries.
They were even more livid when they found that the government had found money to expand grammar schools - and have written angry letters asking which services they should cut in their own schools.
They see ministers and MPs rather like untrustworthy children who won't take responsibility for their decisions.
There is also brinkmanship on both sides. Will schools really send home children because of a lack of cash?
And the government will worry that if they crack over schools, it would start a feeding frenzy of other demands on public spending.
A Department for Education spokesman said that school funding is already at its highest level - more than £40bn for 2016-17.
And the department says that it has grasped the nettle of introducing a long overdue national funding formula.
"Significant protections have also been built into the formula so that no school will face a reduction of more than more than 1.5% per pupil per year or 3% per pupil overall.
"But we recognise that schools are facing cost pressures, which is why we will continue to provide support to help them use their funding in cost effective ways, including improving the way they buy goods and services, so they get the best possible value."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-38993715
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Jose Mourinho: Manchester United boss learned from 'throwing away' FA Cup games - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Jose Mourinho says he "threw away" FA Cup games in the past but will not make the same mistake against Blackburn in the fifth round.
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Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says he has learned from "throwing away" FA Cup games in the past and will not make that mistake at Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round on Sunday.
In 2005, Mourinho's Chelsea went out to Newcastle in the same week as wins in the League Cup final over Liverpool and Champions League against Barcelona.
"I gambled too much, I focused too much on Barcelona and Liverpool," he said.
"It was good because we beat Barcelona and we won the final against Liverpool, but the feeling I threw it away was not good, so I don't throw it away.
"If I lose, I lose because the opponent was better or because we didn't play well, but I'm not going to throw it away."
• None Watch two games on the BBC this weekend - full coverage details
The Portuguese faces a similarly busy schedule this time around, with the Europa League last-32 second leg against Saint-Etienne to come on Wednesday and the EFL Cup final against Southampton a week on Sunday.
"I'm going to Blackburn with that respect," he added. "I go serious.
"I am going to change a few players, but am going with a good team because I respect the competition a lot and Manchester United demands that you go serious to every game."
There have already been several upsets in this year's competition, with Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool the highest-placed Premier League side to get knocked out when they lost to second-tier Wolves in the fourth round.
Mourinho, who arrived at Chelsea for the first time before the 2004-05 season, says foreign managers may not understand the culture of the FA Cup like their English counterparts.
"In my case, I had immediately the first time that situation at Newcastle, so for me that was a lesson," added the United boss, whose only success in the FA Cup came in 2006-07 during his first spell at Stamford Bridge.
"With Chelsea, we lost against a League One team [Bradford in 2015], but I never threw it away, we lost because we lost.
"Normally it is because of attitude because you think it is easy and it is not easy.
"The lower-league teams, they are getting better and better and sometimes we have to give some rest to some players, other times we need to give some players football.
"We try to go serious. I like Wembley, I like the FA Cup, so I have to try to get the second one."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39006889
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Reality Check: Are there more winners than losers on business rates? - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Some businesses will see their rates change on 1 April 2017.
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Business
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The claim: More businesses will win than lose as a result of business rates revaluation.
Reality Check verdict: More businesses will see their bills fall than will see their rates rise.
On 1 April 2017, the amount that businesses have to pay in rates will change to reflect a revaluation of premises that has been carried out by the government.
The changes will be relatively large because it has been seven years since the last one. The government has now said that it will have revaluations at least every three years.
There have been loud complaints from business owners who will have to pay more, but on the Today Programme, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke, said: "Across the country as a whole, far more businesses are benefiting from these changes than are losing out."
Mr Gauke is only talking about England because, while there are also revaluation processes underway in Scotland and Wales (Northern Ireland did it in 2015), he has no power over them.
Business rates are a tax on non-residential property such as pubs, restaurants, warehouses, factories, shops and offices, but not farms or places of worship.
The amount they pay is based on how much annual rent could be charged on the premises, which is known as the rateable value.
There have been objections, from some business groups, to changes in the regime for appealing against the rateable value attached to particular premises.
On average, all areas are seeing their rates fall, except London, where bills will rise an average 11% this year.
In the 2016 Budget, the government said it would spend £6.7bn on reducing business rates by 2020-21.
Among the changes, premises with a rateable value of £12,000 or less do not have to pay any rates at all - they previously had to pay 50%.
The government says that covers about 600,000 businesses.
The proportion of business rates that must be paid increases gradually, between a rateable value of £12,000 and £15,000, affecting another 50,000 businesses.
There will also be an increase in the amount businesses can earn before they go from the standard rate to the higher rate.
The government has also changed the measure of inflation that it uses to increase rates every year - it has switched from the retail prices index (RPI) to the consumer prices index (CPI), which will usually mean smaller increases for businesses.
And it has introduced transitional arrangements to protect businesses from seeing their rates increasing too much straight away.
In order to fund this, it has also prevented businesses' rates from falling more than a certain amount.
The Department for Communities and Local Government says that 520,000 ratepayers will see their bills increase as a result of the revaluation, while 920,000 will see their bills fall and 420,000 will see no change.
The government says that the revaluation will not earn it any extra money.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39005502
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Best-selling Miffy the rabbit author Dick Bruna dies - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Dutch author who sold more than 80 million children's books dies in the city of Utrecht.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Dick Bruna (above) was still writing Miffy stories in his old age
The Dutch creator of Miffy the cartoon rabbit has died aged 89, his publishers have announced.
Writer and illustrator Dick Bruna died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday night in the Dutch city of Utrecht.
He created the much loved character in 1955 as a story to entertain his young son. More than 80 million Miffy books have been sold globally.
Over the years, Bruna wrote more than 100 books but Miffy was by far his most popular and enduring character.
At first, he was uncertain whether the rabbit was a boy or a girl, but settled the matter by putting her in a dress for the sixth book, Miffy's Birthday, in 1970.
Mourners gathered outside the Nijntje Museum, or Miffy Museum, in Utrecht as news of Mr Bruna's death spread
Miffy's success was in part due to the simplicity of Dick Bruna's design
Bruna's characters were adored by adults and children alike
Dick Bruna was all about doing more with less. Economy of line was the key behind the much loved Miffy character.
Through only a few simple shapes, heavy graphic lines and primary colours, Bruna was able to capture and convey a huge amount of personality and character.
Miffy delights adults and children alike and we hope that her innocent and loving personality will continue to resonate - she is such a great example of the universal language of illustration.
In the Netherlands, she is called Nijntje ("little rabbit" as a Dutch toddler might say it). It was her first English translator, Olive Jones, who christened her Miffy.
Bruna was still writing Miffy stories in his old age and his books have been translated into more than 50 languages.
Dutch publisher Marja Kerkhof told the AP news agency that he used "very clear pictures, almost like a pictogram".
She said his illustrations were often best characterised by what he left out, allowing him "to go to the essence of things" while simultaneously using "very strong powerful primary colours".
"Even today if you see it in a store you would think, 'hey this looks different to a lot of other things out there'," she said. "There is no clutter, it's all very clear."
Stories about Miffy are enjoyed by children all over the world
• None Miffy books to be updated in UK
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39007462
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Arsene Wenger: Key questions on Arsenal's manager future - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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BBC Sport's David Ornstein assesses the key questions facing Arsenal and Arsene Wenger as they decide on their longest-serving boss' future this summer.
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After Arsenal's humiliating 5-1 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, there have been fresh questions about manager Arsene Wenger's future.
But with a new contract offer remaining on the table, what is the situation around their manager of almost 21 years?
BBC sports news reporter David Ornstein addresses some of the biggest questions facing the club.
Arsenal, a post Christmas wobble and a probable Champions League last-16 exit. We've been here before. Is it any different this time?
For Arsenal, 2016-17 is turning into a carbon copy of the past six seasons - and even resembles the four before that.
The difference now is that it could genuinely spell the end for Arsene Wenger. Wednesday's defeat has badly stung the 67-year-old Frenchman and senior figures at the club, while the anger, pain and disillusionment among supporters is stronger than ever.
Though the Gunners are not yet out of Europe, remain in the FA Cup and are fourth in the Premier League, it seems a growing majority of the fanbase believes Wenger should leave when his contract expires in the summer.
Neither the Arsenal board nor Wenger have ever been swayed by such opinion, but for the first time in his tenure I think there will be serious doubt on both sides about whether he should continue.
Should we read anything into so many former players, previously so loyal, saying they feel Wenger is coming to the end?
Given how well the likes of Ian Wright, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon know Wenger, their views should not be discarded. These are prominent and respected past squad members who, over the years, have tended to support the Frenchman and do still see him behind closed doors.
But, equally, views are not facts and these ex-players do not actually know what is going to happen.
Wenger has a very small circle of people he trusts and it is understood even they are in the dark over his intentions because, put simply, he is yet to make a decision.
• None I will be managing next season, here or elsewhere - Wenger
Inside the club, what is thought to be the feeling of both the squad and officials on all the speculation?
The message from Arsenal is 'business as usual' before Monday's FA Cup trip to Sutton United, which suddenly carries even greater importance.
However, there can be no hiding from the sense of deja vu, and those I spoke to on Thursday sounded both depressed by what they had witnessed in Munich and sick of the negativity engulfing the club again.
I hear of confusion among players and staff as to what is going on - there is no clear plan on or off the pitch - and certain individuals have sought information on Wenger's future to no avail.
Some around the club think he will stay; others are adamant he is finished. Meanwhile, reports of angry post-match scenes in the dressing room will only add to what has become a tense and unhealthy environment.
With Wenger having a contract extension offer on the table, to what extent does he remain the master of his own future? Who else is key and what will be the key factors in any decision?
As the most successful and longest-serving manager in Arsenal history, Wenger will have the biggest say. However, it will not be the only say.
He and the board have enough respect for one other to hold mature discussions over whether signing a new contract is in the best interests of the club. In that sense, it will be a mutual decision.
The board comprises chairman Sir Chips Keswick, chief executive Ivan Gazidis and directors Ken Friar, Lord Harris of Peckham, Stan Kroenke and his son, Josh.
All will have a stance, the most important being that of owner Kroenke Sr. He is said to be in favour of Wenger staying on, so if the manager is to leave it will likely have to be his own call.
Wenger assesses his position at the end of each campaign, so the next three months will be pivotal. Other possible considerations include his desire, Arsenal's realistic prospects, the atmosphere inside and outside the club, and the state of any succession plans.
• None Decision on Wenger future at end of season
Ozil is already on record as saying Wenger is important to his future at the club. How important is Wenger to keeping some of the other star players?
In Wenger's earlier years, many players joined Arsenal specifically to work under the Frenchman. They were fiercely loyal to him and if his future was in doubt then so was theirs. They openly spoke about it and, to this day, many credit him for their rise.
That pulling power has endured to an extent, yet for various reasons related to Wenger, Arsenal and the transfer market, it is not as strong.
Ozil praised his manager but did not say the 67-year-old was key to his future, more that he wanted to know who would be in charge as he ponders a new contract himself.
I can't think of any other current player who has even mentioned Wenger when discussing their future.
Arsenal are confident they are now big enough to attract and retain players without needing to rely on the lure of Wenger.
• None Ozil 'thinks he is being made scapegoat'
Three Premier League titles, six FA Cups and never finishing outside the top four in 21 years. That's quite a legacy. How much of a concern is the prospect of the unknown quantity of a post-Wenger era?
This must be a huge worry to Arsenal. Wenger has transformed the club into a major global power on and off the pitch, keeping them competitive in top-level domestic and European competition, with a new stadium built along the way.
It is an astonishing achievement - but such is the position that Wenger has put Arsenal in, especially financially, it is clear the board fear how they would fare without him.
If not, and they were serious about winning the Premier League and Champions League, surely with only three FA Cups to show for the past 12 years they would have given somebody else a go?
The reality is there is no guarantee the next manager will do better than Wenger and that is presumably why Arsenal have retained his services for so long.
Have we any indication what succession planning has been done and the sort of names or manager types Arsenal have in mind?
Gazidis used to joke about a drawer in his office containing contingency plans in the event of Wenger leaving, which he hoped would stay locked for many years. However, now that is a realistic prospect, it would be remiss of Gazidis not to have updated his files.
It has been reported that Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel leads a four-man shortlist. The other three candidates are said to be Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri, Bayer Leverkusen's Roger Schmidt and Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim.
And finally, next up are Sutton United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich. How key are those three games to this situation?
For Arsenal, losing to Sutton does not bear thinking about. It would rank as one of greatest upsets of all time and is surely no way for Wenger to go out.
The Gunners are obviously clear favourites, but after the events of Munich the pressure will be even higher.
Liverpool away is huge for both sides in their quest for a top-four finish. Defeat, against a rival managed by Jurgen Klopp, who Arsenal have been linked with in the past, would further ratchet up the scrutiny surrounding Wenger's position.
The return leg against Bayern has echoes of Arsenal's tie against AC Milan in 2012, when they lost the first leg 3-0 and therefore needed four unanswered goals to progress.
They almost did it, but this Bayern side are far superior to that Milan team and they should confirm Arsenal's exit in what may be Wenger's final European game as the club's manager.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38994846
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Welsh Open 2017: Judd Trump beats Barry Hawkins in final frame to reach semi-final - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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World number four Judd Trump edges past Barry Hawkins to reach the semi-finals of the Welsh Open in Cardiff.
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Last updated on .From the section Snooker
World number four Judd Trump edged into the Welsh Open semi-finals after Barry Hawkins missed match-ball in the deciding frame in Cardiff on Friday.
Trump beat his fellow Englishman 5-4 and goes on to face Scotland's 77th-ranked Scott Donaldson, who beat Zhou Yuelong of China 5-0.
Hawkins had fought back from 3-1 down to lead 4-3, before Trump clinched the last two frames for victory.
Stuart Bingham will face Robert Milkins in Saturday's other semi-final.
World number two Bingham was 4-0 up on fellow Englishman Stuart Carrington in their quarter-final before the latter won three consecutive frames.
However, Bingham recovered to clinch the match 5-3 and will play Milkins on Saturday evening after the world number 32 saw off Kurt Maflin 5-2.
Hawkins, leading by 24 points in the deciding frame, missed match-ball yellow against Trump that would have secured a semi-final spot.
Trump continues the hunt for his first Welsh Open crown and second ranking title of the season, having won the European Masters in October.
"I am still in a bit of shock because I thought it was all over when I left him the yellow," he said. "He seemed to hit it well, but somehow it stayed out.
"Sometimes you play well and lose and today I didn't play very well and managed to get through. There is a lot of skill in snooker, but you need a bit of luck."
Donaldson, 22, who will play Trump in Saturday afternoon's semi-final, had never previously been beyond the last 16 of a ranking event.
He is already guaranteed £20,000 - the biggest pay day of his career.
"I have been playing a lot of TV matches recently and I think that helped me," said the Scot, who turned pro in 2012.
"I have been pleased for about a year now with my game, I can't pinpoint why, maybe it's confidence.
"I will go back to the hotel and calm myself down and get ready for the next match."
Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news and reports on the BBC app.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/39010074
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Premiership: Gloucester 31-23 Saracens - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Mako Vunipola returns from injury to stake a claim for an England return, but it is not enough as Gloucester beat Saracens.
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Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
Saracens suffered a second straight Premiership defeat but fit-again prop Mako Vunipola staked a claim to rejoin England as he played 70 minutes of their loss at an inspired Gloucester.
Vunipola, returning after nine weeks out, proved his fitness in a game won by Richard Hibbard's late try.
It was level at 23-23 after tries from Sarries' Schalk Brits and Will Fraser plus Gloucester' Tom Marshall and Jeremy Thrush.
A Billy Twelvetrees penalty seven minutes from the end had edged Gloucester ahead for the third time in the enthralling top-flight battle before the hosts' third try denied Saracens a losing bonus point.
Sarries, who lost back-to-back first-team games for the first time since May 2015, missed the chance to close the gap on leaders Wasps at the top.
Things had looked ominous for Gloucester - who have lost just once at home in all competitions since October - when Saracens crossed early on through South Africa hooker Brits after clever play from Richard Wigglesworth.
But David Humphreys' side settled into a bruising game and eventually earned themselves a three-point half-time lead thanks to Marshall's try and Billy Burns' accurate boot.
After the break, lock Thrush collected a loose Saracens pass to extend the hosts' lead with only his second try for the club, before Alex Lozowski's penalty cut the deficit for Sarries.
A gripping game was then interrupted by a worrying injury to Gloucester fly-half Burns, who went down after a try-saving tackle in the corner and received lengthy treatment before being taken off on a stretcher with an oxygen mask, with the medical staff taking care not to move the 22-year-old.
Saracens then drew level when Will Fraser crossed after a driving maul from a line-out and Lozowski converted to make it 23-23, and the visitors looked set for a late comeback.
But then, after Twelvetrees had kicked Gloucester back in front from the tee, David Halaifonua broke quickly and almost crossed in the corner before the match-clinching try finally came from the resulting line-out, as Hibbard's strength saw him over.
"We had a terrible game last week and we asked for a reaction. It was all about us this week.
"The scrum was a big positive for us tonight. It was something we worked on this week. Now we need to build on this win and push on.
"It is a massive win. They are the champions. We can really take positives from this game and go to Wasps confident."
"We're disappointed that we couldn't get something from the game. We were not as composed as we normally are in our half.
"We had an open mind as to how Mako Vunipola was going to go and he felt pretty good. He did well.
"I'm assuming he's going to play against Italy now in some form."
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38971141
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Germany leads fightback against fake news - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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How and why Germany is taking a stand against false reports by dubious media outlets.
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Entertainment & Arts
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Facebook could be fined in Germany, if it refuses to remove stories which are proved false
I have been in Dortmund and Berlin this week, investigating how Germany is leading the fightback against fake news.
There have been some high-profile cases here. Breitbart reported that a mob attacked Germany's oldest church, St Reinold's Church in Dortmund. The website has subsequently published a lengthy defence of its original article, together with an admission that it is not in fact the oldest church in Germany.
I visited the church and spoke at length to locals, including a pastor who works in the city (and was named in the Breitbart report), and a local refugee support worker. They were unanimous in the view that the Breitbart report misrepresented true events in service of an anti-Islamist agenda that was divisive and unjust.
In Berlin, I spoke to Anas Modamani, a 19-year-old Syrian who enjoys taking selfies. So much so that three weeks after turning up in the German capital, having come from the outskirts of Damascus via a boat trip, Turkey, Greece and Macedonia, he took a selfie with Angela Merkel, who was visiting his hostel. It promptly went viral, together with the false claim that he was a terrorist. He is now suing Facebook.
Germany's political class wants to take action. Lars Klingbeil, a fast-rising star of the Social Democratic Party who is a close associate of Martin Schulz, told me his plan to tackle fake news. Perhaps Damian Collins, the Tory chairman of Parliament's culture select committee here, who has launched an inquiry into fake news, could pick up some ideas.
Anas Modamani's selfie with Angela Merkel led to him being falsely accused of being a terrorist
Facebook now employs independent fact-checkers here. Correctiv is a smart outfit whose employees are mostly young. Correctiv monitors suspicious stories, looking at how much they are being liked and shared.
If the headline looks suspicious, or it appears on a website known to be dubious, the Correctiv team will contact the original sources for the story, to verify if it's true or not. They then mark it true or false, and send a message to all German users of the social media platform, indicating its rectitude or otherwise.
They don't accept money from Facebook, because they want to retain total editorial independence. But they too are a sign of how, outside of America, Germany is leading the fight against fake news.
Based on my conversations here, there are several reasons why Germany has got ahead of the curve on this important issue.
First, Mrs Merkel's refugee policy is hugely controversial, and has galvanised that part of the political spectrum that, thus far, has shown the greatest propensity for creating fake news internationally: the nationalist far-right. It turns out letting in a huge number of refugees is a good way to mobilise purveyors of fake news.
Second, because of Germany's 20th Century history, there is a hyper-sensitivity about the rise of that far-right. The success of Alternative for Germany, a nationalist party, and the ever-present but low-level threat from neo-Nazi groups make many Germans determined to act fast.
Third, the traditional media sector here is very different to those of Britain and America. The most influential newspapers are staid rather than raucous; the cable news channels are more BBC or CNN than Fox News, and talk radio has nothing like the oomph that is generated by the likes of Rush Limbaugh or, now on LBC, Nigel Farage.
Germany's most influential newspapers are considered to be staid
Germany's conventional media market has created an opening for fake news, which of its very nature is salacious and exciting.
Fourth, there have been several high-profile cases. The Modamani case is perhaps the most notorious. Groups like the Resistance of German Patriots have been happy to spread nationalist propaganda, with a limited regard for facts.
Fifth, my sense is that Germany retains a strong belief in the competence and capability of government. If there is a social problem, goes this thinking, perhaps it is capable of a political solution, by virtue of smart regulation.
That was the impression Mr Klingbeil gave, but the belief that fake news should be combated by regulation is not restricted to social democrats: Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats are also putting pressure on Facebook to make it easier for users to flag suspicious content and delete posts, while those targeted by fake news would be given a right of reply.
Sixth, there are local and national elections coming. Fearing a repeat of America's recent experience, where fake stories went viral and may have influenced some voters, Germany believes prevention is better than cure. And Facebook, damaged by the fallout from fake news about Donald Trump, appears to agree.
Fake news is not a problem that is going to disappear soon; nor is it one that any journalist can ignore, or be neutral toward. It behoves all of us in this trade - at least those of us who retain a belief that truth is possible and necessary - to wish Germany success in this fight.
You can watch my report on the News at Ten on BBC One tonight.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38991973
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Quiz of the week's news - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A weekly quiz of the news, 7 days 7 questions.
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Magazine
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It's the weekly news quiz - have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world over the past seven days?
If you missed last week's quiz, try it here
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38997118
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'Keep sex abuse dad's name off my wedding certificate' - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Abuse victim hails MP's attempt to let people add mothers' names to the marriage register.
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UK Politics
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If Jenny ever gets married, there will be no dad walking her down the aisle and, if she gets her way, no mention of him on her marriage certificate either.
This is because, according to the twenty-something professional, the man who sexually abused her for 18 months from the age of seven "lost any right to be called my father".
Despite his horrific betrayal of the relationship between father and daughter, the current law gives the option for only his name and occupation to be recorded on her future marriage certificate - but not that of her mother "who has been mum and dad all wrapped up in one".
This system, of recording only the names of the father of the bride and groom on the certificate, dates back to the early years of Queen Victoria's reign.
While either party can ask for a line to be put through that box if they have never known their father or been brought up by a step-father, it's an inequality many people like Jenny feel should be addressed.
It is also an issue that has provoked anger among MPs from all parties, who have spent several years attempting to bring about a change in the law to allow both parents to have their names and occupations recorded.
Their campaign was given a boost when a petition on Change.org, calling for mothers' names to be added to marriage certificates, collected 70,600 signatures in January 2014. The petition said "marriage should not be seen as a business transaction between the father of the bride and the father of the groom".
Former Prime Minister David Cameron said later that year that he would address this "inequality in marriage", adding that the exclusion of mothers' names from marriage registers in England and Wales did "not reflect modern Britain".
Mr Cameron was gone from Downing Street before any action was taken and it now seems that Conservative MP Edward Argar's Registration of Marriage Bill is the most likely vehicle to overturn the law.
His bill, which would update the Marriage Act of 1949, would move the solely paper-based system to a central electronic register online, which would allow the mother's name to be included.
It would also bring England and Wales into line with the rest of the UK. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, couples are asked to give the names of both parents on marriage documentation. The same applies for those entering a civil partnership.
Similar attempts by Labour and Conservative MPs to change the law fell in 2015 after failing to get ministers' support. Labour frontbencher Christina Rees' private member's bill focused on the narrow point about putting the mother on the certificate. Former Conservative cabinet minister Dame Caroline Spelman's bill wanted marriages listed in a single electronic register instead of in marriage register books.
Former home office minister Richard Harrington said at the time "a combination" of the two bills "could deal with things quickly".
Unlike his predecessors', Mr Argar's bill - which is more like Dame Caroline's attempt - has succeeded in getting government backing because it will create a more secure system for keeping marriage records.
"The whole point of this bill is the mothers and fathers of the bride and groom will be registered," said the Charnwood MP. "In the great scheme of things it's a minor change, but it's symbolically very important for a large number of people who want a recognition of the role their mother played in their upbringing."
Mr Argar hopes for a change in the law by the summer
He added: "It will also give victims of abuse, children of single mothers or errant fathers, the choice over whether to include their mother's names and not their father's.
"You will see virtually no outward change in the form of the marriage ceremony, just in the manner that things are recorded. By moving to an online schedule system, we can easily amend the paper documentation - and it's more secure because it doesn't rely on the old parish register that is at risk of theft from the village church.
"The church is supportive of the move, and over time it will save the taxpayer millions of pounds in administrative costs."
The bill is set to return to the Commons for its detailed committee stage after the half-term recess, and Mr Argar is hopeful it will receive Royal Assent - and so become law - by the summer.
A spokesman for the Home Office said it wanted to see mothers' names recorded on marriage certificates "as soon as possible".
For Jenny, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, the law change cannot come soon enough.
"My dad's a rapist and he abused me and my sisters, so I never want any reference to him appearing on anything about my future," she said. "He has no right to that - he lost that right many years ago.
"I was only seven when the attacks started, and my siblings were much younger. It ended after I told my mother when I was eight and a half.
"I've tried to block out what he did to me.
"I have a partner and I'm sure we will get married eventually, but I don't want my father involved in any way. I'd only want my mum's name on the marriage certificate because as far as I'm concerned she's done everything for us."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38096514
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Russian media no longer dazzled by Trump - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Russian media euphoria about Donald Trump has turned to scepticism, Steve Rosenberg reports.
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Europe
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28 January: President Trump (left) speaks to Vladimir Putin on the White House phone
For several months, the pro-Kremlin media had nothing but praise for Donald Trump.
During the US election campaign, Russian state TV bulletins and pro-government newspapers portrayed him as some kind of David taking on the Goliath of a "corrupt… Russia-hating" Washington elite. They welcomed his calls for warmer US-Russian relations. They played down some of his more outlandish comments.
It was almost as if a US presidential candidate, and subsequently a new US president, had become the golden boy of Russian politics. In January he even received more mentions in the Russian media than President Vladimir Putin.
On Friday, Russia's most popular tabloid, Komsomolskaya Pravda, accused President Trump of making "contradictory" statements about Nato.
The paper points out: "(During the election campaign) Trump had called the Alliance obsolete and useless. Less than two months have passed since he moved into the Oval Office and he's already expressed full support for Nato.
"As the saying goes, you need to be drunk to understand the true position of America's president."
Friday's edition of the Russian government paper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, notes: "Recently the White House has been making many contradictory and incompatible statements about the foreign policy direction of Trump's team, including issues that affect Russia's interests."
Reporting Thursday's meeting in Bonn between Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the new US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, the paper emphasises "it was obvious how tense and, at the same time, confused Tillerson looked".
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (left) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Bonn on Thursday
And with President Trump under sustained pressure back home over alleged links to Russia, the business daily Vedomosti doubts he will have "flexibility… in talks with Russia.
"Every step he takes, particularly any concessions, will be examined under a microscope. It's even hard to believe now that there ever was a window of opportunity (to improve relations) that made it seem worth raising our glasses and toasting Trump's victory."
In recent days there has been noticeably less Trump on Russian TV.
The resignation of the president's national security adviser Michael Flynn on Tuesday may have made headlines around the world. But it was not mentioned in Russian state TV's 45-minute evening news bulletin. That is extraordinary, considering that Russia was central to the story.
December 2015: Gen Flynn (left) sits next to President Putin at a dinner in Moscow
There are reports that state television has been instructed to scale back its coverage of the US president. The Kremlin has dismissed these as "rumours".
"I was told by someone closely connected to one of Russia's main state TV companies that such instructions exist and were issued in the wake of Flynn's departure," says Konstantin Eggert, a political commentator for the independent channel TV Rain.
"As far as I know, the idea is not so much to present him in a negative light, but to scale down coverage of the United States in general. Inevitably I think there's going to be a scaling down of positive coverage of Trump, too. The Kremlin's idea is to reduce expectations from this much-anticipated detente between Moscow and Washington."
"Everything's a muddle in the White House", says Moskovsky Komsomolets
President Putin's spokesman told the BBC reports of Kremlin meddling were "absolute rubbish" and "fake news".
"TV channels and the Russian media have total independence to decide their own editorial policy," Dmitry Peskov told me.
I asked him whether he thought it was odd that Russian TV channels appeared to have reduced their coverage of Mr Trump.
"To be honest, we don't study so closely the proportions in which different stories are reported," he replied.
Last November one Russian official admitted to me having celebrated Mr Trump's victory - with a cigar and bottle of champagne.
So why has the champagne gone flat?
Judging by the angry reaction of senior Russian politicians, Moscow was disappointed by Michael Flynn's departure. The Trump adviser had championed closer US-Russian ties.
Then came White House comments about Crimea, making clear that President Trump expects Russia to return the annexed peninsula to Ukraine.
To Russia it seemed a sudden 180-degree turn. During the election campaign Donald Trump had told ABC television: "The people of Crimea, from what I've heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were."
And on Thursday senior members of the Trump administration sounded less than enthusiastic about the idea of a rapprochement with Moscow.
US Defence Secretary James Mattis said Washington was "not in a position right now to co-operate on the military level… Russia's aggressive actions have violated international law and are destabilising."
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson indicated that America "will consider working with Russia". That is hardly a ringing endorsement.
Yet Donald Trump has made it clear he still believes a better relationship with Vladimir Putin and Russia is good for America. Could he once again becoming the American darling of the Russian media?
That will partly depend on whether the two presidents can strike up a good relationship when they eventually meet.
But it depends, too, on how much pressure President Trump will be under by then, over his team's alleged Russian connections.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39004987
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Tech regret: Five inventors who questioned their creations - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Inventors who, like Mark Zuckerberg, have looked back with mixed feelings on what they created.
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Newsbeat
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Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has spoken to the BBC about how people are withdrawing from the "connected world".
In the interview, accompanied by a 5,500-word letter about the future of Facebook, he considers the failures of globalisation.
It can't quite be called regret, but the entrepreneur is certainly looking back with mixed feelings.
And he's not the only tech inventor to question their creation. Here are five of the most surprising.
Sir Tim Berners Lee, the man behind the world wide web, was asked back in 2009 what he'd do differently if he had a second chance.
We've all probably got things we'd love change about the internet, but his answer was a lot more minimal.
He said he'd get rid of the of the "//" after "http:" at the start of web addresses. That's it.
The double-slash was commonplace in programming back in the day but doesn't really do anything.
Sir Tim argues we could have saved countless hours of effort, and countless trees from making paper, if he'd just left it out.
We probably should have put a trigger warning on this
As short-lived mobile game crazes go, Flappy Bird was up there with the best of them (*cough* Pokemon Go *cough).
If you never played it, the idea was to guide a poorly-animated bird through some poorly animated pipes.
The extremely simple, but extremely frustrating app was downloaded 50 million times.
At the height of its popularity in 2013, its Vietnamese creator Dong Nguyen was reportedly earning $50,000 (£30,450) a day from advertising.
But he apparently couldn't take the number of people writing to him saying the game was ruining their lives.
Okay, so maybe this one is less surprising. In 2014, a man called Ethan Zuckerman wrote an essay called The Internet's Original Sin.
In it he explains that back in 1990s he "wrote the code to launch [a new] window and run an ad in it".
In other words - he invented the pop-up.
"I'm sorry. Our intentions were good," he goes on. We don't think sorry is quite going to cut it, Ethan.
Think of professor Scott Fahlman as the great grandfather of the emoji.
At 11:44am on 19 September 1982, while working at a university in the US, he sent this mass email:
"I propose the following character sequence for joke markers: :-) Read it sideways."
It's the first known use of a smiley and it was designed to make it easier to distinguish between serious and silly messages.
But Professor Fahlam isn't such a joker when it comes to the little yellow faces that his invention spawned.
"I think [emojis] are ugly," he told The Independent in 2013.
"They ruin the challenge of trying to come up with a clever way to express emotions using standard keyboard characters."
A few years on, it seems almost unbelievable that there was once a world-wide movement to ban the font Comic Sans.
It makes you wonder why people in 2010 didn't have better things to do with their time.
Still, the inventor of the "world's most-hated font" has admitted he too has reservations about what he created.
Vincent Connare came up with it in the early 1990s, while trying to make a short-lived computer dog called Microsoft Bob more exciting.
Unsurprisingly, the concept of a dog giving out PC tips quickly died a death.
Comic Sans, though, lived on to be hated to this day.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/articles/39002417
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Forbidden love: The WW2 letters between two men - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Love letters written during World War Two and discovered in a trunk in Brighton reveal a forbidden relationship between two men.
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England
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "My own darling boy" - a greeting in one of the letters
While on military training during World War Two, Gilbert Bradley was in love. He exchanged hundreds of letters with his sweetheart - who merely signed with the initial "G". But more than 70 years later, it was discovered that G stood for Gordon, and Gilbert had been in love with a man.
At the time, not only was homosexuality illegal, but those in the armed forces could be shot for having gay sex.
The letters, which emerged after Mr Bradley's death in 2008, are therefore unusual and shed an important light on homosexual relationships during the war.
What do we know about this forbidden love affair?
... I lie awake all night waiting for the postman in the early morning, and then when he does not bring anything from you I just exist, a mass of nerves...
Information gleaned from the letters indicate Mr Bradley was a reluctant soldier. He did not want to be in the Army, and even pretended to have epilepsy to avoid it.
His ruse did not work, though, and in 1939 he was stationed at Park Hall Camp in Oswestry, Shropshire, to train as an anti-aircraft gunner.
He was already in love with Gordon Bowsher. The pair had met on a houseboat holiday in Devon in 1938 when Mr Bowsher was in a relationship with Mr Bradley's nephew.
Mr Bowsher was from a well-to-do family. His father ran a shipping company, and the Bowshers also owned tea plantations.
When war broke out a year later he trained as an infantryman and was stationed at locations across the country.
There is nothing more than I desire in life but to have you with me constantly...
...I can see or I imagine I can see, what your mother and father's reaction would be... the rest of the world have no conception of what our love is - they do not know that it is love...
But life as a homosexual in the 1940s was incredibly difficult. Gay activity was a court-martial offence, jail sentences for so-called "gross indecency" were common, and much of society strongly disapproved of same-sex relationships.
It was not until the Sexual Offences Act 1967 that consenting men aged 21 and over were legally allowed to have gay relationships - and being openly gay in the armed services was not allowed until 2000.
The letters, which emerged after Mr Bradley's death in 2008, are rare because most homosexual couples would get rid of anything so incriminating, says gay rights activist Peter Roscoe.
In one letter Mr Bowsher urges his lover to "do one thing for me in deadly seriousness. I want all my letters destroyed. Please darling do this for me. Til then and forever I worship you."
Mr Roscoe says the letters are inspiring in their positivity.
"There is a gay history and it isn't always negative and tearful," he says. "So many stories are about arrests - Oscar Wilde, Reading Gaol and all those awful, awful stories.
"But despite all the awful circumstances, gay men and lesbians managed to rise above it all and have fascinating and good lives despite everything."
For years I had it drummed into me that no love could last for life...
I want you darling seriously to delve into your own mind, and to look for once in to the future.
Imagine the time when the war is over and we are living together... would it not be better to live on from now on the memory of our life together when it was at its most golden pitch.
But was this a love story with a happy ending?
Probably not. At one point, Mr Bradley was sent to Scotland on a mission to defend the Forth Bridge. He met and fell in love with two other men. Rather surprisingly, he wrote and told Mr Bowsher all about his romances north of the border. Perhaps even more surprisingly, Mr Bowsher took it all in his stride, writing that he "understood why they fell in love with you. After all, so did I".
Although the couple wrote throughout the war, the letters stopped in 1945.
However, both went on to enjoy interesting lives.
Mr Bowsher moved to California and became a well-known horse trainer. In a strange twist, he employed Sirhan Sirhan, who would go on to be convicted of assassinating Robert Kennedy.
Mr Bradley was briefly entangled with the MP Sir Paul Latham, who was imprisoned in 1941 following a court martial for "improper conduct" with three gunners and a civilian. Sir Paul was exposed after some "indiscreet letters" were discovered.
Mr Bradley moved to Brighton and died in 2008. A house clearance company found the letters and sold them to a dealer specialising in military mail.
The letters were finally bought by Oswestry Town Museum, when curator Mark Hignett was searching on eBay for items connected with the town.
He bought just three at first, and says the content led him to believe a fond girlfriend or fiancé was the sender. There were queries about bed sheets, living conditions - and their dreams for their future life together.
Gilbert Bradley was stationed at Park Hall Camp in Oswestry in 1939
When he spotted there were more for sale, he snapped them up too - and on transcribing the letters for a display in the museum, Mr Hignett and his colleagues discovered the truth. The "girlfriend" was a boyfriend.
The revelation piqued Mr Hignett's interest - he describes his experience as being similar to reading a book and finding the last page ripped out: "I just had to keep buying the letters to find out what happened next."
Although he's spent "thousands of pounds" on the collection of more than 600 letters, he believes in terms of historical worth the correspondence is "invaluable".
"Such letters are extremely rare because they were incriminating - gay men faced years in prison with or without hard labour," he says. "There was even the possibility that gay soldiers could have been shot."
Work on a book is already under way at the museum, where the letters will also go on display.
Perhaps most poignantly, one of the letters contains the lines:
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if all our letters could be published in the future in a more enlightened time. Then all the world could see how in love we are."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38932955
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What do pop star autographs reveal about their personality? - BBC Music
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2017-02-17
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We ask a graphology expert what pop signatures say about the people who write them
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When a pop star gives out their autograph, it's largely so that fans can prove they met them. But what if the act of writing your name on endless scraps of paper, photographs, CD cases and body parts actually reveals more about the kind of person behind the pen than they had originally bargained for?
Brigitte Applegarth MBIG (DIP) is a qualified professional graphologist with the British Institute of Graphologists. She gives lectures nationally on how handwriting analysis gives an enlightening insight into human development, behaviours and reactions. Just for fun, we asked her to examine eight pop star autographs (and a small selection of their writing), to give her personal opinion about what their handwritten words might reveal. Quite a bit, as it turns out...
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"Katy Perry has a designer's mind. She has a strong, stylish imagination, and a sophisticated sense of aesthetics. Her signature is very cleverly designed - there's a heart shape which incorporates or replaces Perry, the loop in the bottom of the 'K', the little cartoon face and eyes, demonstrating her humour. I'd say if she wasn't doing music she'd be designing or presenting, something creative and visual. She writes very fast, suggesting she's a quick thinker. "Some of her signature is quite phallic; if you look there appear to be lots of body parts, suggesting she aims for a broad appeal. She has a very smooth and even downstroke, the mark of someone who knows what they want, focusses and then goes for it. "I've looked at a few of her signatures, and hers have changed each time, which suggests a desire for reinvention. She used to underline her signature, suggesting that she needed to feel important and appreciated, but she doesn't do that any more. There are lots of curves going one way and another in the upper and lower zones, which suggests that dancing and rhythm and movement are essential to her." [WATCH] Highlights of Katy Perry at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Glasgow, 2014
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"Adele has the most graphologically mature handwriting of this group. It's quite spiky for a woman, and the spikes indicate an observant, analytical and critical mind. Her downward strokes suggest someone who is motivated to provide for their need for security, home, money. The strokes also trail off, suggestive of someone who can let the odd pointed comment slip out. Few curves show she can be very business-minded. "She uses quite thin strokes with sharp pressure; this is someone who keeps their energies specifically for what they need to do and not much else. Curvy connections demonstrate that she's good at charming people. "Signing with a small 'a' is the kind of thing someone would do if they had felt second class. This is a great motivator, or they want to lower their status in order not to overwhelm her audience. Otherwise her writing shows huge confidence in her abilities. There's no shyness in her handwriting - it's very natural and traditional, no faking. The baseline curves and staggers a little, suggesting she can get bored easily, or get tired. She bucks herself up, but soldiers on to the end. Some of her signatures have a full stop at the end. That indicates that she likes to finish with a final, 'And that's all you're getting. There you are. That's me. Next.' It also indicates that she is someone who likes to have the last word."
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"Ed's signature is simply a large squiggle, and he's clearly used to doing thousands of them. The interesting thing is that he starts from the bottom of the 'E', which is not where most people start a capital 'E'. The style of the capital 'E' is one that shows a love of culture and classical things, and individualism. His mind deconstructs things down to their basic level in order to build them up again. He thinks outside the box. The signature doesn't seem like much, but the way he does it says a lot about him. He does things in his own way. "His handwriting has wide spaces, so he needs space around him and can't be rushed. He's quite a relaxed guy. The curves and roundedness show a sensitive gentle personality who is comfortable with friends and family. Loops show his emotion, creativity and imagination. Wide letter spacing shows he doesn't always relate to people on a friendly basis right away, but he is very sensitive and able to register much sensory input, such as noise, heat, vibration, atmosphere and people's emotions. "His writing has a left slant, the hallmark of someone who is an independent thinker, and a tendency towards an introverted personally. His writing is quite controlled and paced. This is someone who likes or is able to work on his own." [LISTEN] Ed Sheeran reveals he wants to be the biggest pop star in the world
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"Taylor Swift is another star who likes her privacy. A signature or autograph is how the writer wants to appear to the reader; it doesn't always reveal the whole personality. The big round loops are like a speech bubble of thoughts and suggest someone who aims for harmony in her relations. That's what she wants people to see that she desires. It's about imagination. "Her signature is narrow, but her writing has a slightly left slant, suggesting she is usually reserved but anxious about her image. The curves are emotional. Her name ends with a 'T', but she ends hers with a downstroke. This suggests that she takes her emotions down to the root, past the baseline. The letter has an arched baseline, which suggests she gets bored quickly, although spacing shows me she is usually thoughtful enough to take the time. She writes with an even letter height, she's emotionally stable and considerate and patient. "Her 'T' is unusually crossed with the big circle, which is a hallmark of imagination. In today's emoji world, it's easy to put hearts and kisses in text messages, but in handwriting it's hard to work out if it is to be fashionable, or is it someone's own design? At any rate it's a symbol of affection, and in her case is genuine - she's thoughtful, and wants people to think well of her." [LISTEN] Everything you need to know about the Taylor Swift and Zayn duet
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"His signature is right slanted, narrow and on a steeply rising baseline. Justin appears to be enthusiastic, upbeat, while seeking approval at the time of writing. He likes to be polished and wants to perfect his work. That said, this handwriting signature appears to lose impetus and pressure half way through 'Justin' until the end of 'Bieber'. This suggests uncertainty about his identity and his family expectations at that time. "In his short written passage, the baseline shows that he finds it quite difficult staying on an even line. I call this a baseline of legality, also emotion. "It's very evident that he was (and is) still developing his sense of self. The mixed slant is a sign of erratic thoughts, judgement, and ambivalence. The pen pressure is blotchy, and his word spacing is wide. He's on an emotional rollercoaster, so things affect him sharply. He is very sensitive, and he's working out how his feelings affect his actions." [LISTEN] Justin Bieber talks to Grimmy on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, 2015
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"People who choose felt tip deliberately for personal notes tend to like the quality things of life - no fakery, nothing cheap or nasty. The pen is like an artist's brush stroke, sensual and lush. Beyoncé will apply this to everything; food and clothes, and her choice of people. Her signature is underlined, so she is someone who likes to feel important and respected. The squiggle is a light-hearted entertaining sign, but when she crosses through her name, that can show a negative reaction to her hard work, suggesting she's somehow cancelling or doubting her previous efforts. "She's thoughtful, passive and quite delicate when dealing with others. I wouldn't expect her to be tactless. There's good spacing between her words, which suggests she thinks about things carefully. She wants to relate to people. The writing is very family-oriented; she's someone who likes to be in a family or a club and enjoys living day-to-day. The arcade connectives in her writing suggest she is very protective and motherly, although perhaps that can be inhibiting for her artistic nature."
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"Drake's signature is almost illegible, the hallmark of somebody who wants privacy despite being a performer. It does show, however, that he has a lack of clarity or connection with his surname, as though he is skipping over it somehow, maybe because he wants his achievements to be recognised as his own. "He has a strong, stylish capital 'A', and where it loops back on itself is a sign of stubbornness, thoroughness, and one who stops, looks back on their past in order to make use of that knowledge now; the past being his mother, in this case. It's also worth noting that people who circle their 'I' dots want love and attention. "His has a smooth curvy signature, a sign of gentleness, not hardness. He's stylish and artistic. Loops show imagination and creativity, and that's all his signature is, really. Sometimes he feels a lack of control in that creative urge, and his artistry lies in how he can learn to master it. His writing on the baseline slopes up; he is someone very upbeat and hopeful." [LISTEN] Who doesn't know Drake's One Dance?
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"There are large spaces in Calvin's writing, suggesting someone who sometimes feels quite isolated, and likes to take his time. He's a quick thinker, though; his letters are spiky, which also suggests someone who doesn't like to show emotion. He's not full of ego. His signature doesn’t tell me much; it's more like a cypher. Some people are more into symbols, and this is a guy who'd look for a short cut even in his signature, because it's quicker if you don't have to be legible. "But his words are legible. He wants privacy and doesn't mind if people don't get him. At the same time he wants the information to be clear. He’s not a 'do you know who I am?' type at all. He's determined and strong with an even stroke. That said, there's a neglectful side to his handwriting; he doesn't complete all his letters well, which usually suggest someone who is more interested in other people than himself, and doesn't show his emotional side with a loud display. "His writing is a bit messy, but that's common for someone who is creative, and can get his emotions and ambitions out and fulfill them quickly. Wavy lines show he has a good sense of humour - he draws faces and hats into his signatures." [LISTEN] Why Calvin Harris prefers to keep his mouth shut
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/af71e93d-58f7-4a42-b65c-2fce6c223ed0?intc_type=promo&intc_location=news&intc_campaign=authographpersonality&intc_linkname=bbcmusic_ent_article1
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Kim Jong-nam: Many questions after airport murder - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A mass of unanswered questions still swirl around the death of North Korea's Kim Jong-nam.
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Asia
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Once doted on by his father, Kim Jong-nam had a long fall from grace as a man
On Monday, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was killed in Malaysia. The BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Kuala Lumpur dissects a week of mystery and intrigue.
It's been almost a week since the mysterious death of a Korean man at Kuala Lumpur airport and there are still no real answers.
Initially, Malaysia refused to identify the dead man as Kim Jong-nam, saying just that the passport he had on him was under the name Kim Chol.
This despite South Korea's insistence that it was indeed him, killed on the orders of North Korea's brutal regime.
Malaysia finally confirmed for the first time on Wednesday that the dead man was indeed the half-brother of the North Korean leader.
Zahid Hamidi, Malaysia's deputy prime minister, told reporters: "I think he carries two different identities. Probably this [passport] is an undercover document."
Malaysia's cautious handling of this case has been evident from the start. The police have been sparing with their details, with official statements about arrests coming hours after they've already been widely reported.
Kim Jong-nam had openly criticised North Korea and called for it to open up
There have also been conflicting and often contradictory accounts from different divisions of the police - national and district - adding more confusion to the story.
But here's what we do know: three people have been arrested so far. Two women are amongst them.
Police say one is Indonesian while the other was carrying a Vietnamese passport.
A third suspect - a Malaysian man police say is the boyfriend of the Indonesian - has also been detained.
Police have detained the suspects for seven days for further questioning.
One suspect wore a shirt with "LOL" - "laugh out loud" - written on it
Still, nothing is known about how closely connected they are to the death of Kim Jong-nam, nor indeed why and exactly how he died.
Malaysian police have told me that the two women were both identified from CCTV camera footage captured at the scene of the alleged crime.
I went to the airport terminal where the attack happened to see for myself how it might be possible to get away with murder in broad daylight.
The facts in this case are murky to say the least. But based on police reports, this is what appears to have happened.
On Monday, Kim Jong-nam was about to board a flight. He is thought to have arrived in Kuala Lumpur on 6 February and was on his way back to Macau, where it is believed he lived.
But while he was at the airport, some police reports say at least one woman is thought to have accosted him, and covered his face with a cloth doused in some sort of burning or poisonous chemical.
He then went to the information counter and is thought to have asked for help. Subsequently it appears he was taken to the medical clinic in the airport from where he was sent to hospital, dying en route.
All eyes are now on the forensic department of the hospital analysing Mr Kim's body
But when I spoke to staff at the airport who may have witnessed what happened, no-one was willing to talk to me. At least two people said they had been told by police and their bosses not to speak to the media or divulge any details of what happened.
So there's a lot we still don't know.
What kind of chemical was used in the apparent poisoning? How exactly did he die? The post-mortem examination of his body has been completed, but details have yet to be released to the public.
We also don't know what he was doing in Malaysia, although we understand that he did come here fairly frequently.
I tried to track some of Kim Jong-nam's old haunts in Kuala Lumpur, which led me to a Korean restaurant in the centre of town. At the restaurant, the mainly Bangladeshi and Burmese staff had no idea who Kim Jong-nam was.
But the owner of the restaurant is Korean, and he did speak to me. He refused to meet me in person though, choosing to speak to me on the phone. He also didn't want to be filmed or named because he was afraid of being linked to Mr Kim.
But he said Mr Kim was a regular customer at his restaurant, and that he would bring bodyguards with him.
In halting English, he told me Mr Kim often spoke to him and told him he feared for his life.
"Scared, yes," he told me. "He was sure scared, because Kim Jong-un planned to kill him since so far five years."
The case has attracted intense interest in South Korea
North Korea hasn't said anything about the death and it's highly unlikely it ever will.
All we have heard about what Pyongyang wants is from Malaysian officials, who have said they will turn the body over if a formal written request is made.
Instead, the focus in Pyongyang this week has been on the 75th anniversary celebrations of the current leader's father, Kim Jong-il.
In North Korea's secretive regime, unanswered questions are a way of life.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39000682
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Should you take your phone to the United States? - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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What happens if border agents demand your smartphone and passcode?
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Technology
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"The next time you plan to cross a border, leave your phone at home."
That is the rather startling advice in a blogpost that is being widely shared right now.
Its author, Quincy Larson, is a software engineer, who has previously written about the importance of protecting personal data. He now fears that data could be at risk every time you cross a border.
His concerns were sparked by the story of Sidd Bikkannavar, an American-born Nasa engineer, who flew home from a trip to Chile last month. On arrival in Houston, he was detained by the border police and, by his own account, put under great pressure to hand over the passcode to his smartphone, despite the fact that the device had been issued to him by Nasa.
Eventually, Bikkannavar did hand over both the phone and the passcode. It was taken away for 30 minutes and then returned, and he was free to go.
Larson sees this as a very dangerous precedent: "What we're seeing now is that anyone can be grabbed on their way through customs and forced to hand over the full contents of their digital life."
We also know that the new homeland security secretary, John Kelly, has talked of requiring visa applicants to hand over passwords to their social media accounts - though whether that could apply at the border too is not clear.
How much private data is on your smartphone?
And on Thursday, a new Republican congressman took to Twitter to announce proudly that he had introduced his first bill - to require the review of visa applicants' social media.
Larson predicts that a policy where travellers are asked to download the contents of their phones will soon become commonplace, not just in the United States but around the world.
Hence his advice to leave your mobile phone and laptop at home and rent devices when you get to your destination.
Which seems a little extreme. I can't imagine being separated from my smartphone on a flight - and I'm sure many others feel the same. So I decided to seek some advice from the UK Foreign Office and the US embassy in London.
Was there a danger that I would be forced by border officials to unlock my phone or hand over my social media passwords?
The Foreign Office told me their travel advice did not cover this subject because they had not received any calls about it. But they did suggest that if I happened to be trapped in immigration at JFK airport with a border agent demanding my passcode, I could call the British embassy and arrange a lawyer.
As for the American embassy, well I called before lunchtime on Thursday and got a perfectly pleasant response. They would need to speak to Washington and would get back to me later about the matter of my smartphone and my Facebook and Twitter accounts.
As I write, it's Friday morning and I've heard nothing. Perhaps Washington has other matters on its mind. So perhaps I'd better take what I believe is known as a "burner" phone the next time I fly across the Atlantic.
Forty-eight hours after my first enquiry, I have now received a response to my questions from the US embassy in London. Here it is:
"All international travellers arriving to the US are subject to US Customs & Border Protection inspection. This inspection may include electronic devices such as computers, disks, drives, tapes, mobile phones and other communication devices, cameras, music and other media players and any other electronic or digital devices. Keeping America safe and enforcing our nation's laws in an increasingly digital world depends on our ability to lawfully examine all materials entering the US.
"US Customs & Border Protection realises the importance of international travel to the US economy and we strive to process arriving travellers as efficiently and securely as possible while ensuring compliance with laws and regulations governing the international arrival process."
• None US court: iPhone codes must be revealed
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-39003392
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Brisbane pedestrians corner high speed chase driver - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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Drivers leapt from their vehicles to help capture a man who led a high speed chase through Brisbane, Australia.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-38988282
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Mesut Ozil: Arsenal forward is being made scapegoat, says agent - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Forward Mesut Ozil believes he is being made the scapegoat for Arsenal's problems, according to his agent.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil believes he is being made the scapegoat for the club's problems, says his agent.
Ozil, 28, was criticised again after Arsenal suffered a 5-1 defeat at Bayern Munich in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg.
"But Mesut feels people are not focusing on his performance; they are using him as a scapegoat for the team after bad results."
Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013 for a club-record £42.4m, and came with a reputation as one of the game's leading playmakers.
But his displays have often been questioned and the Germany international has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks.
• None I will be managing next season, here or elsewhere - Wenger
• None 21 years and out? Key questions for Arsenal and Wenger
'Was he the reason Arsenal conceded five?'
Against Bayern, the 20 passes that Ozil completed was the same amount as home goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
"Bayern had 74% possession," said Sogut, who is Ozil's lawyer and representative. "How can someone in the No.10 position create chances if you don't have the ball?
"In these games people usually target a player who cost a lot of money and earns a lot of money - that is Mesut. But he can't be always be the scapegoat. That's not fair.
"Football is a team sport and Arsenal are not performing well as a team. Eleven players were on the pitch but Mesut was singled out for criticism. Was he the reason that Arsenal conceded five goals?
"It started before the match, throughout the week leading up to the game. People started discussing: 'Should he play? Should he be dropped?'.
"It was as if everyone knew Arsenal would not make it through and we needed a scapegoat. This is not right. You win as a team and you lose as a team."
'People say he has poor body language but that's how he is'
Ozil has scored 29 goals in 146 Arsenal appearances and last season created more chances in a single campaign (137) than any other player in Premier League history.
In January, the German was named as his country's player of year for a fifth time in six years, having helped them to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 and World Cup glory two years earlier. But many have accused him of underperforming when it matters most.
"I don't agree that Mesut has not had an impact on big matches," Sogut said.
"What about the win at home to Chelsea this season and Manchester United the year before? What about the games for Germany against Italy and France at Euro 2016?
"People are always saying Mesut is not fighting or tackling, that he has poor body language, but that is how he is.
"Believe me, he is desperate to succeed. If it doesn't work, he shows his anger and expressions. Was his body language an issue when Arsenal were playing well?
"He is not someone who runs around aimlessly and tackles just so everyone thinks he is fighting. If it doesn't make sense to run somewhere he will keep that power for the next run."
Recent defeats by Watford and Chelsea saw Arsenal lose ground in the Premier League title race and they currently sit in fourth place, 10 points behind leaders Chelsea.
They face a trip to non-league Sutton United in the FA Cup on Monday.
Ozil is out of contract in 2018 and there has been no breakthrough on talks over a new deal, but Sogut insisted his player is fully focused.
"I don't think the criticism has affected his performance or his mental state," the agent added.
"Mesut is committed to the club. There is no doubt that he will perform at 100%, with total professionalism and commitment as long as he plays for Arsenal. Nothing will change that.
"He is sorry to the fans, and he's sorry that he and his team-mates couldn't give the fans a better result in Munich."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38995112
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Trump's most extraordinary news conference - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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President Trump was at times angry, proud and obsessed by a media he professes to despise.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Today totally typified the unexpected and unpredictable nature of covering the 45th president of the United States.
I was at home, working on a book I am trying to finish when there was a flash on the TV: Donald Trump to hold unscheduled news conference in an hour's time.
I legged it down to the White House, and on a cold Washington morning waited outside the East Wing for 45 minutes until the Secret Service let us in.
I knew if I was to get a question in I would need to be near the front.
For half an hour the president berated us.
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Never had there been a more dishonest group of people.
We were out of control. Wild. Feral. Not to be trusted.
And then it was questions.
He called various journalists he knew.
Then I managed to catch his eye.
And this is what followed:
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Me: Could I just ask you, thank you very much, Mr President. The trouble...
President Trump: Where are you from?
Me: That's a good line. Impartial, free and fair.
President Trump: Just like CNN right?
Me: On the travel ban - we could banter back and forth. On the travel ban would you accept that that was a good example of the smooth running of government...
President Trump: Yeah, I do. I do. Let me tell you about this government...
Me: Were there any mistakes...
President Trump: Wait. Wait. I know who you are. Just wait. Let me tell you about the travel ban. We had a very smooth rollout of the travel ban. But we had a bad court. Got a bad decision...
It was quite the most extraordinary news conference I have attended.
As I say, everything about reporting on this presidency is unexpected and unpredictable.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Where do Donald Trump supporters get their news from?
He is angry at times, proud of what he's achieving, furious that he's not getting the recognition he feels he deserves, obsessed by the polls, obsessed by the size of his crowd.
And here's my one curious takeaway.
The media that he professes to hate and despise he seems to spend an awful lot of time watching.
You wonder, when does he find time to govern?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38999993
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Comedian: Should I mention disability when online dating? - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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Comedian Romina Puma asks whether she should mention her disability when online dating.
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Comedian Romina Puma who has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, asks whether she should mention her disability when online dating.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39001291
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Harry Redknapp: Tottenham to win title within four years, says former Spurs boss - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Tottenham Hotspur will win the Premier League in the next "three of four years", says former manager Harry Redknapp.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Tottenham Hotspur will win the Premier League within the next four years, says former manager Harry Redknapp.
Spurs made the Champions League for the first time during Redknapp's four-year tenure at the club, reaching the quarter-finals in 2011.
The 69-year-old says he would not swap manager Mauricio Pochettino's starting XI for any other side in the division.
"They have been fantastic under Pochettino," Redknapp told BBC Radio 5 live's Friday Football Social.
"I have absolutely loved the way they have played - their football, the pace of the full-backs.
"Tottenham will go on and win the Premier League in the next three or four years."
Spurs sit third in the Premier League, 10 points behind leaders Chelsea, but lost to Liverpool on Saturday and at Gent in the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie on Thursday.
They have not won the title since 1961 and finished third last year after looking like champions Leicester's main challengers for long periods.
But Tottenham expect to have a new 61,000-seater stadium completed in time for the 2018-19 season, which Redknapp, who left the club in 2012, believes will play a big part in any future success.
"They've not been up there with the big spenders," he added. "Now with the new stadium the crowds are going to nearly double.
"The man who owns the club, Joe Lewis, is up there with the richest men in the world. So there's certainly no shortage of money.
"Maybe they do run out of steam, maybe he [Pochettino] hasn't been able to rotate and could do with another three or four top players to give him the strength in depth.
"If you said to me 'go and manage any team you want', I would take Tottenham's best XI."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39009491
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Sutton v Arsenal: Clem tours the Gunners' dressing room - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Mark Clemmit is shown around the away dressing room at Sutton United by manager Paul Doswell, which Premier League side Arsenal will be using during their FA Cup fifth-round match on Monday.
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Mark Clemmit is shown around the away dressing room at Sutton United by manager Paul Doswell, which Premier League side Arsenal will be using during their FA Cup fifth-round match on Monday.
Watch live coverage of Sutton v Arsenal, Monday 20 February, 19:30 GMT on BBC One and the BBC Sport website.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39006470
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Arsene Wenger: Arsenal boss says he will manage next season - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Arsene Wenger says he will definitely be managing next season, whether that is at Arsenal "or somewhere else".
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Arsene Wenger says he will definitely be managing next season, whether at Arsenal "or somewhere else".
Wenger, 67, was speaking at the end of one of the most turbulent weeks of his two-decade tenure as Gunners boss.
After Wednesday's 5-1 Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich, several ex-players said they believed his time in charge was coming to an end.
The Frenchman's contract expires at the end of this season and he said he would decide on a new deal in March or April.
"No matter what happens I will manage for another season. Whether it's here or somewhere else, that is for sure," Wenger said on Friday.
"If I said March or April it is because I didn't know. I do not want to come back on that.
"I am used to the criticism. I think in life it's important to do what you think is right and all the rest is judgement. I am in a public job and I have to accept that, but I have to behave with my values."
• None 21 years and out? Key questions for Arsenal and Wenger
Wenger, who has been in charge of Arsenal since 1996, said: "We let everyone judge and criticise, we have to deal with that. We have to bounce back, that is what life is about.
"Even if I go, Arsenal will not win every single game in the future. It is not like before I arrived Arsenal had won five times in the European Cup.
"What is important is that the club makes the right decision for the future. I care about this club and its future and it is very important the club is in safe hands.
"The main emotion is everyone has a big disappointment. We have to regroup and refocus on the next game, and to take care of the consequences a disappointing result can have on everyone's spirit.
"We have to focus on the real problems and they are the way we play football, not my future.
"It is always important not to look for wrong excuses in life."
Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, with FA Cups in 2005, 2014 and 2015 the only major silverware Wenger has secured since.
However, he has consistently qualified for the lucrative Champions League and the club has continued to grow financially, despite the pressures of building a new stadium.
The Gunners reached the knockout stage of Europe's elite club competition for a 14th year in a row this season, but the last-16 first-leg thrashing at German champions Bayern leaves them with little hope of progressing.
The performance, coupled with earlier damaging league defeats by Chelsea and Watford, prompted several former Arsenal players - some of whom played under Wenger - to suggest his time was up.
Former Gunners captain Martin Keown described the defeat as Wenger's "lowest point", while ex-defender Lee Dixon said: "This team is getting no response from him. I've never seen him like that."
In the Premier League, they are 10 points adrift of leaders Chelsea. After the Blues beat them 3-1 on 4 February, ex-England defender Danny Mills said Arsenal "have settled for fourth again".
Earlier, former striker Ian Wright, who scored 185 goals for the club between 1991 and 1998, said he believed Wenger's time as Arsenal boss was "coming to the end", although the Frenchman later denied giving any indication of his future plans.
Meanwhile, Wenger also said defender and captain Laurent Koscielny will have a scan on the injury he suffered against Bayern.
The France international was replaced by Gabriel after limping off just after half-time, and within seven minutes Arsenal conceded twice to go 3-1 down.
The Gunners travel to National League Sutton United in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday (19:55 GMT kick-off). The match is live on BBC One.
• None How to follow the FA Cup fifth round on the BBC
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39001868
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'Fake news city' is now pumping out odd Facebook videos - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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After a "fake news" town was rumbled, residents turned their attention to a new form of media.
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BBC Trending
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Fake news writers are producing strange, static videos that appear designed to boost pro-Donald Trump Facebook groups.
It was billed as the city of fake news. After the election of Donald Trump, journalists descended on Veles in Macedonia, which hosted a disproportionate number of fake news websites.
Now it appears that people in Veles have developed a new tactic to try to make their Facebook posts go viral and thus raise the popularity of false stories.
Several are using Facebook's live broadcasting tool to produce long, silent clips. The posts typically ask questions about President Trump or former President Obama and ask users to click "like", "angry", "haha" or another Facebook reaction button in order to register their preferences.
For instance, one of these video polls asked: "Who is the best president in our country America?". The video itself showed still pictures of Trump, Obama and former President George W Bush, along with a running tally of the "votes".
BBC Trending found that video, and others made by people from Veles, in pro-Donald Trump Facebook groups.
Here's a sample of what the videos look like:
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The key to understanding what's going on here is the mechanism by which the posts solicit reactions. Making users click "like" or another reaction button to vote in the "poll" affects the Facebook algorithm and would tend to increase the chances that the video is seen by other people.
But the producers of the videos may be slightly behind trend. In December, Facebook responded to users who complained that looping or static videos weren't very interesting.
"Given this feedback, we're now taking steps to reduce the visibility of Live streams that consist entirely of graphics with voting," the company said. "If you post a Live video with graphics-only polls, it may not show up as high in people's News Feeds."
The poll videos look like they are gauging opinion, although given that they are being posted in pro-Trump Facebook groups, the outcomes would seem to be foregone conclusions. At the same time, most of the time the content of the videos isn't faked or misrepresentative, like it has been in some more notorious cases. One Facebook Live video posted in October 2016, for instance, pretended to be a broadcast from the International Space Station.
But by driving traffic to the posts in pro-Trump groups, the videos might also aid the spread of fake news stories. In fact, the videos often sit side-by-side with stories that are false or have deeply misleading headlines. For instance, this story, a hoax about university students threatening to cut off their genitals if Trump carries out his plans to build the US-Mexico boarder wall, was debunked by the urban legends website Snopes and others. Clicking on the link to the story leads not to the text of the news story, but rather to a page of advertising:
In some cases, the video polls have a false premise at their heart. One example:
The post contains another falsehood as well: "You need to SHARE this LIVE post before you React." Although you don't have to share any Facebook post before you react to it, claiming that you do might trick some people into doing both - thus giving the video a further boost according to the network's algorithm.
Several of the people sharing the polls declare Veles connections in their Facebook profiles.
A report by Buzzfeed, the news outlet that initially identified the Veles cluster, said that before the US election, the most popular false news stories were shared on Facebook more times than the most popular stories from mainstream media outlets.
Facebook and other social networks have since started to put in place a number of measures to combat the spread of false stories, and there have also been a host of independent initiatives to try to tackle the problem.
As for the fake news writers of Veles, it appears they're motivated more by profit than politics.
"Teenagers in our city don't care how Americans vote," one fake news writer in the city told the BBC in December. "They are only satisfied that they make money and can buy expensive clothes and drinks!"
BBC Trending tried to contact some of the people in Veles sharing the videos, but none responded.
The "poll" videos also aren't limited to Macedonians or pro-Trump groups. They appear in non-political contexts, and Trending has also seen them in groups supporting Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, a populist leader whose online machine was a key factor in his election victory in 2016.
This online poll asks if respondents have more trust in Duterte or a rival Filipino politician, Antonio Trillanes. It was posted in a pro-Duterte group
Next story: How the Oscars became high season for film piracy
Ahead of the 89th Academy Awards, it's peak time for those seeking to rip off Hollywood's work - with one anonymous hacking outfit largely to blame.READ MORE
You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-38971987
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Sandown: Amputee jockey Guy Disney takes historic victory in Royal Artillery Gold Cup - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Guy Disney makes history by becoming the first amputee jockey to win at a professional racecourse in Britain.
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Last updated on .From the section Horse Racing
Guy Disney made history by becoming the first amputee jockey to win at a professional racecourse in Britain.
The 34-year-old former soldier, who rides with a prosthetic leg, guided Rathlin Rose to victory in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup at Sandown.
Captain Disney lost his lower right leg when his vehicle was hit by a grenade while serving in Afghanistan in 2009.
Disney, who came third in the race on Ballyallia Man in 2015, said: "To ride a winner here is very, very special."
The David Pipe-trained Rathlin Rose was the 13-8 favourite and came through to claim the extended three-mile contest by four and a half lengths from Ardkilly Witness.
The annual meeting at Sandown is more than 150 years old and restricted to horses owned or leased by those who are serving or have served in the Royal Artillery.
"I've been phenomenally lucky," Disney said. "I've been amazingly well looked after - people have had it far worse than I have. Some don't make it back.
"It was quite frustrating when there was a lot of fuss for finishing third in 2015 - anyone who is in this wants to win it. It's just nice to go a few places better now."
Pipe, who trains Rathlin Rose at Pond House stables in Somerset, said: "It's fantastic. He's inspirational to everyone. It puts things into context.
"I didn't appreciate how big a thing it is. Guy was very excited about it. He was speechless afterwards and just said 'thank you'."
All the stories of service personnel who fight to rebuild their lives after suffering life-changing injuries act as inspiration, none more so than Guy Disney's.
He had been a winning point-to-point jockey before the Afghan incident, and applied for a riding licence afterwards, but the authorities were not at all keen.
There then followed a lot of the proverbial blood, sweat and tears to get one before Disney's efforts were finally rewarded in late 2014.
The emotion of this occasion was high, and it was impossible not to be touched on hearing him speak of there being "a lot of things to think about, like the lads who aren't here".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/39008715
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The man who dresses up as his ancestors - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Artist Christian Fuchs is obsessed with his ancestors and spends months painstakingly recreating portraits of them, which he poses for himself
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Magazine
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Peruvian artist and photographer Christian Fuchs is obsessed with his illustrious ancestors and spends months painstakingly recreating portraits of them, posing for them himself whether the ancestors were men or women.
It's an unusual way to get close to your forefathers, but it works for Christian Fuchs.
The walls of his elegant apartment overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Lima's bohemian Barranco district are covered with paintings of his aristocratic European and Latin American ancestors.
But if you look closer, you soon realise that many of the portraits are, in fact, photographs of the 37-year-old himself, dressed up as his relatives.
It all started when Fuchs was 10 years old.
Fuchs's great-great-great-great-grandfather led a distinguished military career and participated in the Peruvian war of independence
His mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where she died five years later. His father left the family, remarried and disappeared.
Fuchs and his brother and sister were brought up by their paternal grandparents.
"I grew up with portraits and objects that had been in my family for up to five generations," he explains.
"As a child I looked at the portraits and played with them. If I didn't know the names of the characters, I invented them. I remember watching them for hours and feeling that they were watching me back. Sometimes I would talk to them, and eventually that led to my reinterpretations of them."
Fuchs's grandmother, Catalina del Carmen Silva Schilling, played a very important part in all of this. Born in Chile of German ancestors, she too was brought up by her grandparents.
"She would tell me stories about our relatives from Chile and Germany, and I learned to look at things through her eyes," Fuchs says.
"It was magical. She told me about relatives like my granny's great-grandmother, Marie Schencke, who also came from Germany. Her family brought electricity to the Chilean town, Osorno."
Years later Fuchs went to university to study law, but after a few months working as a lawyer he quit to become an artist and found himself once again gazing at the portraits.
Fuchs's great-great-great-great-grandmother, Luise Friederike Charlotte Eleonora Chee, was his first recreation
"I was looking at one of the family portraits from 1830 of Eleanora, my grandmother's great-great-grandmother" he says.
"I began to think, 'Considering we share the same genes, could I actually look like her?' That afternoon I went to the hairdresser and got them to put my hair up in ringlets. I thought it was a cool idea for a new project."
The process of reinterpreting his ancestors can take many months.
Fuchs reads their letters and talks to relatives about them. He takes photos of their portraits to a local tailor who tries to imitate the garments - some of which date back to the 18th Century - as faithfully as possible, and to a jeweller who creates replicas of the jewellery.
Dressing up as a woman can be especially problematic Fuchs says, and not only because he finds the corsets very uncomfortable.
"It's complicated because I have to wax," he says, "and I have tons of hair."
It took Fuchs's great-great-grandfather Carl Schilling three months to sail from Germany to Chile. He lived there until his death in 1923 aged 93
Making up his face can also take between three and five hours, depending on the character.
Fuchs says that his most difficult project was recreating "the family's patriarch" Carl Schilling, his grandmother's great-grandfather, who arrived in Chile as a 19-year-old in 1850, on a boat full of German immigrants.
"He went down south to work as an estate manager for an aristocratic family called Buschmann and ended up marrying their daughter, Johanna," says Fuchs.
"Carl was a real character. He learned the native language so he could talk to the indigenous Mapuche people, and he was one of the founders of the German school in Osorno - one of the oldest German schools in the world."
To become his great-great-great-grandfather Fuchs had to grow a beard. It was slow work - taking more than a year - and when it was finally long enough to be dyed white he had a severe allergic reaction to the chemicals.
But Fuchs says that he knew the transformation had been a success when on a trip to the bank he was asked if he wanted to join the special queue for elderly people.
Fuchs's great-great-great-great-grandmother Dona Natividad Martinez de Pinillos Cacho y Lavalle. Her brother-in-law was President of Peru, Luis Jose de Orbegoso
Although the finished works look very much like paintings they are, in fact, digital photographs taken under very bright lighting, which makes Fuchs's made-up skin appear very pale, almost like porcelain.
The photographs are then printed on matt, cotton paper and, as a final touch, Fuchs displays them in frames which are appropriate to the period in which the person he is recreating lived.
He exhibits and sells his recreations to art collectors around the world, but for him the project is primarily a means to help him connect with his past.
"At first my family thought I was strange," Fuchs says, "but now they really like the pieces and want to find out more about their relatives."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. See how Fuchs is able to transform himself into his ancestors
Fuchs is currently working on transforming himself into his great-great-great-great-great-great-aunt, Dorothea Viehmann, who was born in Kassel, Germany, in 1755.
The daughter of an innkeeper, she heard many tales from the guests at her father's tavern. The Priest of the Huguenot church introduced Viehmann to the Brothers Grimm, and with that her work as a muse began.
Most of Viehmann's tales were subsequently published in the second volume of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales.
To achieve a good likeness, make-up artist Juan Diego Peschiera painstakingly applies layer upon layer of liquid latex to Fuchs's face.
"The eyes are the most difficult part of the face to do," he explains.
Fuchs's great-great-great-grandfather Eulogio Elespuru y Martinez de Pinillos lived in Paris for many years
"Wrinkles go in different directions, so we have to make the latex go in different directions to create that effect. If we do it in just one layer it looks fake, so we need to build up lots of different layers. At first I apply alcohol-based make-up and then the liquid latex, it's translucent and you can see all the different capillaries under the skin."
Fuchs has recreated 11 ancestral portraits so far and has many more in mind, including Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, and William Shakespeare. Fuchs believes they are all distantly related to him and plans to confirm that using a genetic genealogy website.
But there is one very special person he would particularly like to transform himself into, his grandmother, Catalina del Carmen.
Carmen, who was like a mother to Fuchs, died just after Christmas and he is still grieving.
"It will be really hard to do her justice," he says, "she was so pretty and had a much smaller nose than me, but I definitely want to try."
Fuchs's great-great-great-aunt Benjamina was friends with many famous poets and authors, including novelist and diplomat Alberto Blest Gana
All images courtesy of Christian Fuchs unless otherwise indicated
Listen to Christian Fuchs speaking to Outlook on the BBC World Service
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38828042
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Liam Kelly: Leyton Orient captain banned for six games for ball boy 'shove' - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Leyton Orient captain Liam Kelly is banned for six games by the FA for pushing over a ball boy in Tuesday's win at Plymouth.
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Liam Kelly: Leyton Orient captain banned for six games for ball boy 'shove' Last updated on .From the section Football
Liam Kelly (left) joined Orient from Oldham Athletic for an undisclosed fee last summer Leyton Orient captain Liam Kelly has been banned for six games by the Football Association for pushing over a ball boy in Tuesday's win at Plymouth. Argyle reported the midfielder, 27, to the FA after the incident in the 86th minute of the game. It was not seen by the match officials at the time, but was caught on video. Kelly denied the violent conduct charge but the FA found him guilty and ruled that the standard three-match ban was "clearly insufficient".
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39011027
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Anna LeBaron: How I escaped my father's murderous polygamous cult - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Anna LeBaron - whose father Ervil was one of the most infamous cult leaders in American history - tells of how she escaped his murderous grip and now wants to "redeem" the family name.
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Magazine
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Anna LeBaron's father, Ervil, was the leader of a polygamous cult responsible for more than 20 murders. The killings continued even after his death thanks to a hit list he had left behind. Here Anna speaks for the first time about how she escaped from the cult - and her hope to "redeem" the LeBaron name.
"We were taught to live in awe of him as God's prophet, as the one true prophet on Earth."
There is a note of incredulity in Anna LeBaron's voice as she describes her childhood. She speaks slowly and deliberately, as though she can hardly believe it herself.
"We were taught that we were celestial children, having been born from the prophet Ervil LeBaron. And we believed it. Even though we were treated so poorly we still believed we were celestial children."
Anna says she can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times she was in the same room as her father. Yet the power Ervil LeBaron had over his followers, which included his 13 wives and more than 50 children, was absolute.
"He used fear to manipulate and control people," she says. "We were absolutely afraid of not doing what we were told. And we didn't have a voice."
Anna has found her voice now. At 48, she shows no outward sign of the traumatised childhood she vividly describes in her new memoir The Polygamist's Daughter.
Anna LeBaron was born in Mexico in what she would later learn was a cult hideout. Separated at an early age from her mother, Ervil's fourth wife Anna-Mae Marston, she grew up on the run from the law.
Shuttled from one overcrowded safe house to the next, she slept on filthy foam mattresses and scavenged for food in dustbins with the other cult children and Ervil's "sister wives".
"We were taught that we were being persecuted because we were God's chosen people and that the world outside didn't understand us," she says.
"That was how they used to explain all the moving in the middle of the night and staying ahead of the law."
Anna LeBaron in her early teens with brother Eddie - before she ran away
The children were used as unpaid labour in the domestic appliance repair shops that were the cult's main source of income - forced to scrub grease and grime from rusty ovens and refrigerators for 12 hours a day during school holidays.
"I watched siblings of mine receive horrific beatings for any type of attitude," Anna recalls. "And these are young kids. They're kids. How much work can you really get out of a 10-year-old, or an 11-year-old, really? You can get work out of them if you are beating them."
The children were not cut-off entirely from the outside world. They were allowed to go to school, though they were not allowed to talk about what happened at home, and were "taught to lie" Anna says.
The girls were the lowest of the low in the cult's pecking order.
"It was a patriarchy, for sure. And the young girls were groomed to become wives of polygamist men that already had wives. We were groomed to accept that and to know that that's where we were headed, when we became of marriageable age."
Marriageable age, in the LeBaron family, was 15, she says. "So when I escaped at age 13 I escaped by the skin of my teeth!"
Anna did not know it at the time but her father - a powerful, charismatic figure, who at 6ft 4in towered over most of his disciples - was wanted by the FBI and the Mexican police for a string of murders on both sides of the border.
He rarely got involved in the violence himself but ordered his followers to kill anyone - including one of his own wives and two of his children - who challenged his position as God's representative on Earth or who threatened to leave the cult and complain to the authorities.
His followers believed he was receiving his instructions directly from God, having inherited the mantle of prophet from his father Alma Dayer LeBaron.
"When you are so convinced that someone is right, that you are willing to do anything - and even if you disagree, if you are so afraid to voice that disagreement and you just go and do it - that's the ultimate control," Anna says. "And he had that. People did what he said. To their own detriment."
But Ervil did not have a monopoly on divine revelations. Three of his brothers had, at one time or another, claimed to be God's sole representative on Earth.
Ervil had initially been a follower of his older brother Joel but the pair clashed over Ervil's money-making schemes, including a plan to transform Los Molinos, the modest Mexican settlement where the sect's 200 or so followers had set up home, into a beach resort.
Joel kicked Ervil out of his Church of the Firstborn of the Fullness of Time in 1970. So Ervil started his own sect, the Church of the Lamb of God, and set about eliminating his rivals - starting, in 1972, with Joel.
Using the long-abandoned Mormon doctrine of "blood atonement" which sanctions the killing of sinners to cleanse them of evil, Ervil could claim he was doing his ever-growing list of victims a favour by allowing them to enter Heaven.
God would reveal to Ervil the next victim and he would hand-pick a team of disciples to carry out the hit. The murder plots grew increasingly sophisticated, involving wigs and theatrical make-up, and back-up squads in case the initial plan failed. Refusing to follow Ervil's command was not an option.
"People defied it and many of them paid for that with their lives. And it wasn't until after he died that it kind of started to break up and that power was lost," says Anna.
"However, even from the grave, he was able to control people and their actions and that is just mind-blowing - that from the grave he was able to do that."
Anna Mae Marston looking happy with some of her children
Ervil had managed to evade justice in the Mexican courts over the murder of Joel and a deadly commando-style raid on Los Molinos, where the population were stubbornly refusing to accept him as their new prophet.
He was eventually captured by Mexican police and handed over to the FBI in 1979, in circumstances that have never been fully explained. He was later jailed for life for orchestrating the murder of Rulon C Allred, the leader of a polygamous sect in Utah who had rejected Ervil's demands for money and recognition.
Ervil died in Utah State Prison in 1981, after suffering a seizure. But his reign of terror was far from over.
A bloody battle for the succession ensued, with Ervil's chief henchman, Dan Jordan, making an early play for the mantle of prophet - a terrifying prospect for Anna, who had suffered under the tyrannical regime in his Denver repair shop.
Anna was now was living in Houston with her mother, half-sister Lillian and Lillian's husband, Mark Chynoweth, who also ran an appliance store.
Lillian and Mark had been among the most fanatical of Ervil LeBaron's followers but after he was jailed they began to drift away from the cult, joining a Christian church and rejecting his polygamous creed.
When Dan Jordan arrived in Houston to order Anna and her mother to return to Denver with him, the 13-year-old Anna rebelled.
"I could not believe that my mother had been talked back into going back to Denver when we were experiencing a life in Houston that was the most normal I had ever experienced.," she says. "We had lived in the same house for about a year - the longest I had ever lived anywhere - and we were eating food that was purchased in grocery stores. And we were paid to work. We could save up money."
She realised that this might be the best chance she would get to take control of her life.
"It was now or never. And the feelings that I had inside, that bitterness and the injustices that we had experienced, left me with a very strong feeling about not wanting to go back."
She could not have escaped without the help of Lillian, who hid her away in a motel room until her mother had returned to Denver with Jordan.
Anna describes Lillian and Mark as the "heroes" of her story, for taking her in and giving her a chance to change the trajectory of her life.
But their life together would not last. What they didn't know was that in prison Ervil had drawn up a hit list of 50 people he regarded as traitors, buried away in a final, rambling theological tract - The Book of the New Covenants - and that Mark's name was on it.
After Dan Jordan was murdered in an apparent "blood atonement", Mark revealed that he and Jordan had been among a group of followers who had refused to carry out Ervil's orders to bust him out of prison "guns blazing" and so there was a good chance he would be targeted next.
The 38-year-old refused to go into hiding. He opted instead to turn his suburban home into a fortress, but it wasn't enough.
At 4pm on 27 June 1988, he was shot numerous times as he sat in his office chair at Reliance Appliances.
At almost exactly the same time, Mark's brother Duane, owner of another Houston repair shop, was shot dead, along with his eight-year-old daughter Jennifer.
And 200 miles away in Irving, Texas, another of Ervil's former disciples, Eddie Marston - Anna's half-brother - was gunned down next to his pick-up truck within five minutes of the first three killings.
The Four O'Clock murders, as they became known, shocked America. Someone - most likely one of Ervil LeBaron's sons - was working their way through his hit list. The murders took place on the 144th anniversary of the death of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon church.
Anna did her best to comfort Lillian and her six children, while dealing with her own fears.
"I don't think I was a personal target, however, I knew that if something happened, and I happened to be in the way, that I could also be killed. So it was a very frightening time. We were under police protection and it was just scary."
Mark Chynoweth had been the closest thing to a father figure in Anna's life, and she is close to tears as she talks about his death. As a teenager, she read about cult atrocities he had taken part in but insists that was not the man she knew.
"Mark was a kind man. He was generous. And I don't believe for one minute that had he grown up in a normal family setting that he would have done any of the things that he was accused of, on his own.
"He was kind and loving. He was a good father to his children and losing him was very difficult, under the circumstances that we lost him."
In 1997, Anna's half-brother Aaron LeBaron, who had emerged from the succession battles as the One Mighty and Strong prophet, was sentenced to 45 years in prison for orchestrating the Four O'Clock murders. Four other cult members were also jailed for their part in the killings.
By this point, Anna had made a decisive break from what remained of the cult, finding the strength to go away to college and attempt to build an independent life.
She married David, her childhood sweetheart from Houston, who had joined the Marine Corps, and they started a family.
She was determined to break free from polygamy, which she believes leads women to "numb" their emotions.
"I don't believe it's a natural relationship," she says. "Most women will struggle, having to share their husband or their significant other."
It is not a view shared by her mother, with whom she remains in contact, and who stayed loyal to Ervil to the bitter end.
"My Mom still believes in the practice of polygamy as taught by [Mormon founder] Joseph Smith and still lives in a group that practises that, so that is a little bit difficult to process - how that can be something she sticks with even after all the devastation and the damage that it caused to her own children."
Jacqueline Tarsa LeBaron was the final cult member to be jailed over the Four O'Clock murders
Anna battled depression after the death of Lillian Chynoweth, who committed suicide following her husband's murder in 1998.
At first she coped with the trauma of losing so many loved ones by pretending it had happened to someone else. It would take years of painful therapy for her to finally "acknowledge that these experiences are part of my past".
She now believes her father suffered from some form of mental illness for most of his adult life.
"It is sad to me that he was experiencing these things and not able to reach out and get the help he needed. But, of course, when you are the prophet, how much help do you actually think you'll need?"
Ervil's madness, if that's what it was, cast a long shadow over Anna and her siblings.
The book was only closed on the Four O'Clock Murders in 2011, when after 20 years on the run Jacqueline Tarsa LeBaron became the sixth former cult member to be jailed for taking part in the plot.
But Anna is convinced that the blood-letting is now, finally, at an end.
"I have five grown children and if me telling my story was to put me in any danger, or anybody that I loved and cared about, I would never have done this at all. I believe that is 100% in the past and there is no danger at all for me."
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Anna LeBaron on how she escaped her father's polygamous cult
She hopes that by telling her story, in The Polygamist's Daughter, she can "help restore relationships in our family, instead of continuing to bring more separation and more fear".
In one passage, she describes a reunion with her half-brother Robert, who shot dead Duane Chynoweth and his eight-year-old daughter. Robert, who was just 17 at the time of the killings, received a reduced sentence for testifying against other family members.
"As I embraced my long-lost brother," she writes, "the emotion I had held inside for years came out in floods of tears."
And despite everything, Anna says she is "very proud" of her family.
"Even people that were involved in some of the most horrific things that happened have gone on to become caring, kind, loving, productive members of society, that just want good in the world," she says.
She hopes that the book's publication will help to "redeem the LeBaron name," which remains one of the most infamous in American criminal history.
But it is also an attempt to reassert her own identity, for so long suppressed by the cult and her father's malevolent legacy.
"Even though that life could have crushed who I am, in my spirit, in my soul, that has not been the last story," she says.
"So I kind of get to have the final word here, in saying, 'This is who I am.'"
The Polygamist's Daughter, by Anna Le Baron with Leslie Wilson, is published on 21 March
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38526255
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British troops given guide to Estonian strip clubs - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A booklet included details of three clubs in Tallinn and other ideas for soldiers in the town.
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UK Politics
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The troops were taking part in a training operation in Tallinn
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) provided British soldiers with a guide to strip clubs in the Estonian capital, a freedom of information request to the department has revealed.
The advice featured in a booklet titled "Tallinn guide for friendly forces", given to troops taking part in a Nato Steadfast Javelin training operation.
The operation took place in May 2015.
The MoD would not comment on the guide but said advice on "staying safe" was routinely given to troops while abroad.
The BBC requested copies of various documents concerning the operation, also known as Exercise Hedgehog.
In its response, the department provided the guide, which includes a section detailing three strip clubs in Tallinn.
Lasso Baar was said to be a "big strip bar with one of the prettiest dancers" and Soho was identified as the "biggest strip club in Estonia". X Club was billed as "the most professional strip club with various elements".
The guide also gave British troops further advice on what to expect at Estonian strip clubs.
Those visiting strip clubs were advised to "use cash"
Troops were informed that "all strip clubs offer private rooms for individual dances", and that "the average level of rolling tips to girls is 5 to 20 euros". They were also advised "to use cash in such places".
Asked if it was appropriate for the government to provide such material, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said: "As you would expect, we routinely provide guidance to our people about staying safe while on deployment."
The department would not comment on who had produced the guide, how it had been distributed to troops, or whether it would be issued to troops serving in Estonia in future.
The guide included other nightlife tips, such as pubs Mad Murphy's and Hell Hunt, or visiting the city's historic Old Town for a dash of Baltic culture.
It also offered a warning on public drinking, saying that to avoid a police fine, "when you want to drink spirits in the street it is wise to cover the bottles".
And it includes gift ideas for British troops. It suggests a visit to a shop called Bonbon Lingerie as a good place to pick up something special for wives and girlfriends. In terms of a bottle of something to bring home, it suggests Vana Tallinn or Old Tallinn liquor, of which the guide says, "Finns just love it and some of them use it as a sleeping pill."
A spokesperson for the Estonian embassy in London said the Estonian government had not produced the guide.
"According to the information received from the Estonian Defence Forces this is not an official document produced by or for the Government of Estonia."
Operation Steadfast Javelin was a major Nato training exercise, in which 13,000 troops and reserves defended positions against a simulated attack by land and air.
• None The rise and fall of lap dancing
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38972213
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Manchester United 3-0 Saint-Etienne - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores his first Man Utd hat-trick as his side opens up a commanding Europa League last-32 lead against Saint-Etienne.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United and the 17th of his career in a Europa League win over Saint-Etienne at Old Trafford.
Ibrahimovic's deflected free-kick wrong-footed goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier and dribbled over the line for the opener, and he tapped home from close range after good work from Marcus Rashford, as well as adding a late penalty - his 23rd goal of the season.
Saint-Etienne caused United problems on the break in the first 45 minutes, particularly with Romain Hamouma's pace, while Henri Saivet and Nolan Roux both clipped efforts narrowly off target.
Ruffier's double save denied Juan Mata, Anthony Martial forced the visiting goalkeeper into sharp saves and Paul Pogba headed against the crossbar from close range.
The two sides meet for the second leg on Wednesday, 22 February (kick-off 17:00 GMT).
There were question marks over the signing of veteran striker Ibrahimovic on a free transfer from Paris St-Germain in the summer, but the former Sweden international has responded by taking his tally to 23 for the season.
The 35-year-old former Juventus, Barcelona and AC Milan man has now netted 17 career hat-tricks. It was his first since joining United, his second in European competition and his third against Saint-Etienne.
"Every time I have played against Saint-Etienne, with hard work there has been a couple of goals," Ibrahimovic said after the game. "I have scored a couple of goals tonight and hopefully I can do the same next week."
The Ligue 1 side will be pleased to see the back of Ibrahimovic when he retires having scored 17 times against them during his career.
Ibrahimovic has 11 titles and three domestic cups to his name, but a major European trophy remains missing from his illustrious CV.
Like Ibrahimovic, United have never won this competition, but the result keeps alive their hopes of a cup treble this season. They face Blackburn in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday and Southampton in the EFL Cup final the following week.
In his first season at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho's side are just two points off a Champions League spot in the league, but triumph in the Europa League would give them an automatic passage through to Europe's elite club competition.
Against Saint-Etienne, the Red Devils tested Ruffier on numerous occasions but he was left floundering for the first goal, while his parry into the danger area allowed the second.
On the other hand, the Ligue 1 side carved United's backline open with ease at times, with defender Eric Bailly looking particularly suspect, but they failed to work goalkeeper Sergio Romero into a single save with their 14 shots.
The world's most expensive player, Paul Pogba, was up against his brother Florentin, who was signed by the French side for 500,000 euros in 2012.
Mother Yeo and third brother Mathias watched from the stands as the two shared a warm embrace before kick-off, with the elder sibling Florentin sporting a number 19 on one side of his head and his brother's six on the other.
"It is something very magical, it does not happen every day and I really enjoyed playing against my brother," said the United player.
France international Paul showed why the club spent £89m to sign him from Juventus in the summer with a dominant midfield performance in which he controlled the tempo of the match.
However, on one occasion he inadvertently gave the ball away to Florentin, whose burst forward eventually saw the ball reach Saivet, but the on-loan Newcastle man could not find the target with his shot.
Florentin's rising drive in the first half almost saw him nick an away goal for his side, while Paul wasted good chances in the second period, the best of which came as he headed against the woodwork when unmarked.
The Saint-Etienne defender's evening ended early as he hobbled off with an injury with 12 minutes remaining.
While his side ran out comfortable winners in the end, Mourinho was not happy with the start his side made, and accused his players of lacking focus.
"In the first half, we played so bad, and we managed to finish it winning 1-0 when we don't deserve," he said.
"It was down to lack of concentration. I had the feeling immediately in the dressing room - too noisy, too funny, too relaxed. Then my assistants had the feeling in the warm-up, with some of the guys not really focused on getting the right adrenaline in their bodies.
"So, lack of concentration. And when you don't have it, it's difficult to recover it. So the first half was hard. We were lucky to be winning 1-0. I am not happy with it. I always think we have to play every game with the same attitude."
He said the second half was a "different story" and brushed off suggestions the players lacked focus because they were playing in the less-heralded Europa League than the premier European competition, the Champions League: "We don't play Champions League, so if that is the case I would prefer to play in the Europa League than be at home watching TV. So I think with the players it is the same."
United watertight at the back - the stats
• None Zlatan Ibrahimovic has had a hand in 18 goals in 17 appearances at Old Trafford this season (12 goals, six assists).
• None Jose Mourinho has kept five consecutive clean sheets as a manager for the first time since November 2011 when he was Real Madrid boss.
• None Goalkeeper Sergio Romero has kept six consecutive clean sheets for United and hasn't conceded a goal since an Alex Revell penalty for Northampton in September 2016.
• None The Red Devils have won three consecutive European games without conceding a goal for the first time since November 2010 under Sir Alex Ferguson.
• None Despite not registering their first shot until the 30th minute, Saint-Etienne had 11 shots in the first half, the most by an opponent at Old Trafford in the first half of a match since Athletic Bilbao had 13 in March 2013.
Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic told BT Sport: "We created good chances. It was important to get a good win at home and we bring it with us in the second leg. It was a good game but I think we can do better.
"We are winning but in a short time everything can change. It's important to keep getting the wins we need. Everything can change but we're happy at the moment.
"This is the decisive moment for the season. We are still in all four competitions. The fifth we already won [the Community Shield]."
Manchester United travel to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup on Sunday (kick-off 16:15 GMT), while Saint-Etienne face Montpellier in Ligue 1 on the same day (kick-off 16:00 GMT).
• None Attempt missed. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.
• None Offside, St Etienne. Kevin Malcuit tries a through ball, but Nolan Roux is caught offside.
• None Goal! Manchester United 3, St Etienne 0. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
• None Penalty conceded by Kévin Théophile-Catherine (St Etienne) after a foul in the penalty area.
• None Kevin Malcuit (St Etienne) wins a free kick on the right wing.
• None Attempt blocked. Henri Saivet (St Etienne) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt blocked. Henri Saivet (St Etienne) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
• None Attempt blocked. Jesse Lingard (Manchester United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Paul Pogba with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38962487
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Newspaper headlines: Business rates and woolly mammoths in the news - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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A revolt over a rise in business rates and the potential return of woolly mammoths make the news.
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The Papers
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The furore over a rise in business rates continues to make front-page headlines in the newspapers.
The Daily Mail says the minister in charge of business rates, Sajid Javid, has "come under fire" for staying on holiday amid the uproar.
Actually, he's on page four of the Daily Telegraph. In a commentary piece, Mr Javid says average bills will fall by as much as 11% outside London.
The Telegraph also carries a warning that the chancellor must back down from the "looming nightmare" of higher rates in his Budget, or risk a revolt in the Conservative heartlands.
The Guardian leads on Donald Trump denying his presidency is in a "state of chaos".
The paper says Mr Trump's first solo news conference since taking office turned into a "sprawling and pugnacious" defence of his first four weeks in the White House, and a "bitter denunciation" of the press.
The Times says Amazon and Apple are profiting from an anti-vaccination documentary directed by the "discredited former doctor", Andrew Wakefield.
He claimed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, but was later struck off.
The paper says scientists and autism campaigners want the video removed from commercial websites.
Science writer Simon Singh tells the paper that the video could cause people harm, and that companies which screen it are putting profit above public health.
The Daily Mirror says a new report reveals that the social care crisis "caused by Tory austerity" has been linked to an extra 30,000 deaths in 2015 - most of them elderly patients.
The paper says the study - which is published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine - is the first time that a direct link has been drawn between cuts in services and a surge in deaths.
One researcher from Oxford University tells the paper: "We've looked at every possible cause we can imagine, and cuts are the only explanation."
The Department of Health disputes the findings, saying there is "significant variation" each year in reported excess deaths.
The Daily Telegraph has details of how scientists hope to bring the woolly mammoth - or something close to it - back from extinction.
They've created a genetic blueprint using material from a carcass preserved in the Arctic permafrost.
A team at Harvard University plans to splice mammoth genes with elephant DNA to create a hybrid embryo, with mammoth features.
"We may not be able to visit the past," says the paper's editorial, "but that won't stop people trying to bring it to us."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-39000064
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Donald Trump aide accuses BBC of 'fake news' - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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Watch the heated exchange between Newsnight's Evan Davis and an aide to the president.
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In a heated exchange between Newsnight's Evan Davis and an aide to President Trump, both the presenter and the BBC were accused of "fake news".
First broadcast on Thursday 16 February - watch the full interview here
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39000118
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Disability Works: Breaking down barriers in business - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Up to 1.2 billion people around the world live with some sort of disability - and businesses are increasingly realising they have a lot of spending power.
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Business
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The BBC's Johny Cassidy began to lose his eyesight when he was in his teens
Across the world up to 1.2 billion people live with some sort of disability, it is estimated. That's equivalent to the population of China.
In the UK, it is thought that some seven million people of working age have a disability, which all adds up to an awful lot of spending power.
Latest figures from the UK's Department of Work and Pensions estimate that this spending power, the so-called "purple pound", is worth £249bn to the economy.
So what should businesses be doing to try to get a share of this money?
That's what we'll be asking during Disability Works week from the BBC's business and economics unit.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The power of the "purple pound" explained
We'll be looking at how businesses work with people with disabilities and how disabled people have made business work for them.
I gradually began to lose my eyesight when I was in my teens so I understand the difficulties for disabled people getting into work. I've been a producer in the BBC's business and economics unit for nearly nine years.
I'm keen to address the stereotype of disabled people that we all too often see in the media. For every one of the superheroes climbing mountains or the wheelchair marathon runners, there are dozens of people quietly getting on with running their own business.
There are also likely to be a lot of disabled people watching the news who miss out on seeing people like themselves reflected in bulletins. I'm hoping that this week will go some way to addressing that.
Jacob Anthony has ataxic cerebral palsy - he's set up his own bakery but it's not been easy
We'll be talking to disabled men and woman who have decided to start their own businesses, from the Welsh baker just at the start of his journey into entrepreneurship, right the way through to the Christmas tree farmer who's been selling trees for over 20 years.
Many big businesses realise that by simply listening to and understanding the needs of their disabled customers, a rich new revenue stream can be opened up.
It is not about charity, though. It makes hard business sense to address the needs of this demographic.
Diversity in a workforce has long been said to be beneficial to a company. The need to reflect your customer base within the workforce brings empathy and understanding, and far from being a hindrance to a business, this diversity can bring a strength.
We'll look at the UK fragrance house that has teamed up with a college for the blind in Mumbai in India in order to train people to become perfumers and the South African business that is training disabled welders.
Ravi Vanniyar's company uses blind people like himself to check the smell of raw materials that go into making perfumes
The whole idea is to show that with a little bit of adaptation and understanding, disabled people can and do add to the economy.
The interesting thing though is that these difficulties are more often than not the catalyst that enables people to start their own business, and we will also try to offer some advice to disabled people who are thinking of doing so.
This is often a preferred route for many people as running your own business offers the flexibility that a nine-to-five job might not give you.
The bigger difficulty for many is the barriers that other people put in the way.
Advances in access technology have taken away many of these physical barriers, but there's still a lot to be done to take away the social ones.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38962050
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Little Britain star Matt Lucas awarded honorary degree by Bristol University - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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Matt Lucas high-fives chancellor at ceremony and says comedy partner David Walliams will be fuming.
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Bristol
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TV comedy star Matt Lucas has been awarded an honorary degree by his former university.
The actor studied Theatre, Film and Television at Bristol University in 1993 but did not complete the course.
He took a year long sabbatical to join television show Shooting Stars and did not return.
After high-fiving the chancellor, he said comedy partner David Walliams, also a university alumnus, would be fuming.
David Walliams and Matt Lucas created characters such as Charles Gray and Vicky Pollard for Little Britain
He and Walliams later wrote comedy sketch show Little Britain which became a huge hit.
After being awarded the honorary degree, Lucas high-fived university chancellor Sir Paul Nurse.
Matt Lucas described himself as a "charlatan" who had left Bristol University before completing his course
He said: "I stand here before you in receipt of this great tribute. You fools."
He said he quickly realised he had enrolled on a "serious course" but while other students found and challenged themselves, he just "walked up and down nearby Whiteladies Road with a cough".
"I was also just generally useless at university life. I had few friends and rarely left my room, unless it was to go and cook something in the kitchen.
"Today, you bring the entire university honours system into question by celebrating a charlatan who left university a year early in 1995, when most of this year's graduates were still in nappies, so that he could indeed wear a romper suit of his own, appear in a Cadbury Creme Egg advert and then do a sketch show with his friend," he said.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-38990773
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Somalia faces 'catastrophic' famine if drought continues - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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Somalia's landscape is littered with dead animals and there are warnings of a full-blown famine.
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Somalia has not had enough rain for three years. The country's landscape has become littered with dead animals and there are warnings of a full-blown famine by June.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38987137
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The secret world of Russia football hooligans - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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In rare interviews, the Orel Butchers speak about their lives as Russian football hooligans.
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At the 2016 European Championships, violent clashes between Russian and English supporters in Marseille put the spotlight on Russian hooliganism.
Russian hooligans injured over 100 English supporters, beating two into a coma.
It has raised serious concerns ahead of Russia hosting the 2018 World Cup.
In rare interviews with members of the Orel Butchers - who violently attacked English fans in Marseille - a world is revealed where brutal violence has become a mark of honour.
Watch the full programme Russia's Hooligan Army, BBC 2, on iPlayer, first broadcast Thursday 16th February
Join the conversation - find BBC Stories on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38986206
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Fridge doors: What does yours say about you? - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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One man's story behind thousands of magnets - but what does your fridge door say about you?
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UK
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Retired teacher Tony Lloyd started collecting magnets in 1987. About 600 were given to him by his pupils
Tony Lloyd's compulsion for collecting fridge magnets has seen him amass up to 5,000 mementoes in his home.
The retired teacher started collecting them in 1987 while on a exchange trip to Australia and now they dominate three rooms in his house.
His passion was even passed on to his students, who would bring back magnets from holidays for him.
The 64-year-old from Cardiff says he can remember the story behind each one and which pupil gave each magnet.
Mr Lloyd, a father of two from Rhiwbina, reckons his collection was bolstered by about 600 thanks to the pupils' efforts.
He used to display the magnets on the walls of his primary school in Cowbridge.
The collection contains magnets from at least 100 countries but Mr Lloyd could not find one in Mozambique
"I've a primary school teacher's mind and for most of them I remember the child who gave it to me and the story behind it," he says.
"Parents would say the [purpose] of the holidays was finding a magnet for Mr Lloyd. I had that story half a dozen times, whether it was the Greek islands or New York."
And when he was presented with the gift?
"I always treated every magnet as if I was enthralled by it.
"It wasn't the magnet but the thought behind it. Those kids remembered and bothered and that's priceless and shows mutual respect."
Tony Lloyd quickly ran out of space on his fridge
He was inspired to start the collection when he saw the fridge of an Australian couple who had picked up magnets during a year's travel around their country.
Mr Lloyd was able to cover his fridge after spending a year in Australia on his exchange trip. Most of his magnets are now displayed on steel panels.
"I wouldn't buy anything cheap or tacky like animals dressed up or boiled eggs.
"In Windsor and London they have teddies dressed as kings and queens. It's an abomination," he jokes.
Mr Lloyd was given a special collection by a stranger he met when travelling in the US
On one occasion 30 were given to him in an unexpected way.
"I met a guy on the way from Detroit to New York and he told me his wife had recently died.
"We got talking about my magnets and he said his wife had had quite a collection."
Six months later a package arrived in the post, the postage costing $17 (at today's rates £13.60), he says.
"He wanted the magnets to go somewhere special. She had collected Broadway shows - Jersey Boys and Chicago.
"He said 'You've obviously got a passion'. I felt very touched by that."
Asked why he does it he says "It's a typical male compulsive disorder. I collect full-size flags as well."
And what do his friends make of it? "They think it's slightly eccentric. It's a talking point."
The world record for the largest collection of fridge magnets is held by Louise J Greenfarb from Las Vegas.
She has 35,000 non-duplicated fridge magnets that she has been collecting since the 1970s, according to Guinness World Records.
Mr Lloyd, who is retired, teaches English as a foreign language and is a tour guide, and does not expect he will ever match that achievement.
But his next trip abroad will take him to his 101st international destination, the Maldives. He racked up his 100th, Cuba, last year.
And there are no prizes for guessing what he will bring home.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38969439
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New York Fashion Week: Six talking points - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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As New York Fashion Week draws to a close, here are some highlights from the catwalk.
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Entertainment & Arts
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Camila Morrone, Laura Love, Harley Viera-Newtorn and Emily Ratajkowski at the Michael Kors show
New York Fashion Week came to an end on Wednesday, marking the end of seven days of extremely good looking people wearing clothes we can't afford.
NYFW is held twice a year - February and September - and this one focused on autumn/winter collections.
We'll leave aside the fact that Wednesday is nobody's idea of the end of the week and focus on some of the highlights instead.
In 2014, 30-year-old convicted felon Jeremy Meeks was arrested during a gun sweep in California. But then something unusual happened.
His mugshot went viral after it was posted on the Stockton Police Department's Facebook page.
It received more than 15,000 likes and several users left comments like "hottest convict ever" and "Is it illegal to be that sexy?"
The blue-eyed bandit, as some fans branded him, was quickly snapped up by a modelling agent and his Instagram account now has 834,000 followers.
Philip Plein must have been one of those who had his head turned, as Meeks has now popped up on the catwalk of the designer's autumn/winter collection.
The way things are at the moment, it would be much more groundbreaking if someone in the public eye didn't try to make a political statement.
Nonetheless, there were politics aplenty at NYFW, perhaps most notably on the runway for the Mara Hoffman collection.
The designer's show kicked off with opening remarks by the national co-chairs of the Women's March on Washington (pictured above).
The Women's March was an international protest against US president Donald Trump which took place last month.
Designers Public School also kitted out their models with hats reading "Make America New York" - a reference to President Trump's Make America Great Again campaign slogan.
Models were also seen wearing shirts with slogans such as "The Future is Female" and "We Will Not be Silenced".
It's unusual for fashion to dip its toes into the world of politics, but it seems even the most high-profile designers are keen to have their say on President Trump and his policies.
Ashley Graham for Michael Kors and Candice Huffine for Prabal Gurung
This was not the first time that plus-sized models appeared at New York Fashion Week, but it may well be the most significant.
Previously, designers have included plus-size models, very often in frumpy outfits, to gain publicity for their show.
This time around, however, models like Ashley Graham (for Michael Kors) and Candice Huffine (for Prabal Gurang) were styled in a similar way to the other models.
Or he might've done. We don't know, as he didn't allow any photographers into his Yeezy Season 5 runway show.
For all we knew he might have unveiled a new range of "Taylor Swift Rules" T-shirts.
All we had to go on from the show were some grainy photos and shaky mobile phone footage from those who flouted the photography rules.
However, all of the designs have now been posted online, making the camera ban somewhat pointless.
One thing we do know is Kanye refused to walk the runway at the end of his show, as is customary for the designer.
It seems that's about as controversial as it got.
No recorded hip-hop or dance music for Michael Kors's show, oh no. He brought an orchestra.
This is a seriously classy touch.
Indonesian Muslim designer Anniesa Hasibuan has made the hijab her trademark over the last two seasons.
This week, she built it into the outfits on display at her NY Fashion Week show, styling it with flowing gowns.
All of the models in Hasibuan's autumn/winter 2017 collection were seen with grey hijabs, signalling that such sightings on the catwalk could become more common.
Interviewed backstage, the designer said her dream would be to dress Kate Middleton, adding that she admires the Duchess of Cambridge for "her elegance".
Read more: When hijabs dazzled the New York catwalk
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38892328
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Donald Trump press conference: Highlights - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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President Donald Trump launches a defence of his administration over 77 minutes at the White House.
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President Donald Trump has launched a defence of his administration in a White House news conference lasting over an hour.
He denounced the press, and said his team was running like “a fine-tuned machine”.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39000116
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NHS apology to Devon woman over wrong 111 questions - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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The NHS says sorry to a Devon woman told "the computer is asking the questions" when she dialled the non-emergency service.
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The NHS has apologised to a Devon woman who was asked the wrong questions when she dialled the non-emergency service NHS 111.
Michelle Perryman rang for help saying she felt violently ill but said she was frustrated by the service which asked about 40 questions over a 10 minute call.
The non-emergency service call handler repeatedly tells Mrs Perryman: "The computer is asking the questions."
South West Ambulance, which lost the service in 2016 after a damning report, said the the call handler selected the wrong "pathway".
Read more on this story here and click here for more stories from around Devon and Cornwall.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-38994507
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Pakistan's bloody week: Who is really to blame? - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Pakistani military points the finger at Afghanistan and India, but some believe the answer is more complex.
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Asia
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More than 100 people have been killed across Pakistan since Sunday in a series of deadly militant attacks
As Pakistan picks up the pieces from Thursday evening's devastating bomb attack at the 800-year-old shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, the country's managers are looking for scapegoats abroad.
And the military has openly taken charge of the proceedings, relegating pretentions of political propriety to the background.
Soon after the bombing, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa vowed that "each drop of [the] nation's blood shall be avenged, and avenged immediately".
There would be "no more restraint for anyone", he said.
The object of his remark was clear an hour later when the military announced that Pakistan had closed its border with Afghanistan to all traffic, including pedestrians.
On Friday morning, Afghan embassy officials were summoned to the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi. They were handed a list of 76 "terrorists" said to be hiding in their country, with the demand that they be arrested and handed over to Pakistan, the military says.
The fiery reaction came after a series of deadly militant attacks in five days from Sunday killed more than 100 people across Pakistan, including civilians, the police and soldiers.
This is the worst spell of violence since 2014, when Pakistan launched an operation to eliminate militant sanctuaries in its north-western tribal region.
The numerous militant attacks this week have raised questions about the authorities' security strategy
Violence decreased considerably as a result, with Pakistani leaders claiming the militants had been defeated. But this week, that sense of security has been blown away.
The latest surge in attacks comes amid reports of the reunification of some powerful factions of the Pakistani Taliban. Some of them have links with the Afghanistan-Pakistan chapter of the so-called Islamic State, which itself emerged from a former faction of the Pakistani Taliban.
Most of these groups have hideouts in border areas of Afghanistan, where they relocated after Pakistan launched its anti-militant operations.
Pakistan now accuses Afghanistan of tolerating these sanctuaries. It also blames India for funding these groups.
Officials say India and Afghanistan want to hurt Pakistan economically and undermine China's plans to build a multi-billion dollar "economic corridor" through the country.
At least 80 people were killed in the Sufi shrine attack on Thursday in Sehwan, Sindh province
But many in Pakistan and elsewhere don't buy that argument. They believe that militancy in Pakistan is actually tied to the country's own covert wars that sustain the economy of its security establishment.
In Kashmir, for example, the BBC has seen militants living and operating out of camps located close to army deployments. Each camp is placed under the charge of an official from what locals describe as the "launching wing" of the intelligence service.
In Balochistan, which has been under de-facto military control for nearly a decade, state agencies have allegedly been promoting Islamist militants to counter an armed separatist insurgency by secular ethnic Baloch activists.
Last year the regional police compiled a report on militant sanctuaries across several parts of Balochistan, but an operation recommended by the police in those areas was never launched.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Amateur footage from inside the shrine shows people fleeing the scene
Likewise, the world knows about the safe havens which the Afghan Taliban continue to enjoy in the Quetta region and elsewhere in Balochistan province, as well as in some parts of the tribal region in the north-west, from where they continue to launch raids inside Afghanistan.
Many observers believe that the Pakistani military uses militant proxies to advance its wars in Afghanistan and Kashmir, and takes advantage of the domestic security situation to control political decision making.
This is important, they say, if the military is to sustain a vast business, industrial and real estate empire which they believe enjoys unfair competitive advantages, state patronage and tax holidays.
But with such a cocktail of militant networks in the border region, many find it hard to buy the Pakistani line that India and Afghanistan are to blame.
All militants on the ground - from disputed Kashmir to Quetta and Afghanistan - come from the same stock. They are the second-generation standard bearers of an armed Islamist movement that was formed on Pakistani soil during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1980s.
They may have regional affiliations or partisan loyalties, but all have been raised under the influence of Wahhabi Islam and its various ideological offshoots, imported here by Arab warriors who came to help liberate Afghanistan.
As such, they are capable of forming complex group-alliances and cross-border linkages with each other. And they are all united in considering Shia Muslims and Sunni adherents of native Sufi Islam as misguided and heretical.
This may also partly answer the riddle as to how these groups manage to survive and operate even though they do not command popular support in any part of Afghanistan or Pakistan.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39003673
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Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg lays out his vision - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The Facebook founder's manifesto blurs the edges between business and politics. In a 21st Century of technology giants, the two will become increasingly intertwined.
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Business
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When I first read Mark Zuckerberg's 5,500-word letter to the Facebook community, I was struck by two things.
How far it ranged - over subjects as diverse as globalisation, the people who feel left behind, our spiritual and communitarian well-being - as well as the rather more obvious social media issues of fake news, polarisation and sensationalism.
And secondly, that this letter could be described very fairly as a manifesto.
It is not just a statement of where Facebook as a business is going. It is also a statement of the type of world Facebook believes it can help create.
As such, it is political (although carefully crafted to contain no direct reference to the new US president).
And when I interviewed Mr Zuckerberg, the same sense of political purpose was clear. And the same care not to reference Donald Trump.
Of course, many will find talk of "connectedness", "community" and "bringing people together" very easy to dismiss.
Here is a very rich man running a very powerful - and often controversial - company, who, one assumes, might find it hard to relate to the ordinary concerns of the ex-steel workers of Monessen, Pennsylvania, or the former pottery workers of Stoke in the west Midlands.
But in an era of technology giants like Facebook which have so much "reach" - 28.5m users in Britain alone - the rebuttal is simple.
Better that Mark Zuckerberg is public about his vision for his company - agree or disagree with that as you like - than the alternative of corporate silence.
In my interview with him, I did push on taxes paid (or not) and privacy violations. Mr Zuckerberg answered that he wanted Facebook to be a "good corporate citizen".
And on fake news it is clear that Facebook, and other technology giants, have been ill-prepared for the type of editorial controls necessary in an era when millions of people receive their news via their chosen "filter bubble" with little mediation.
Facebook, Google and others have a central philosophy - act quickly to launch new products and then "iterate" if there is a problem.
That has led to mistakes, which Mr Zuckerberg does admit to.
This is a century when the most powerful are not simply the elected leaders or dictators of the world, but are the corporate leaders who can do so much to influence - and control - what billions of people experience every day.
Speaking publicly about how they view that role is, for many, better than the alternative.
We can then at least test his company, this global behemoth, against the standards Mr Zuckerberg has set himself.
Does the Facebook founder want to be a politician? Particularly given that he sounds so much like one - and I mean that in the broadest sense, not pejoratively.
Not yet, certainly. And maybe not ever.
As the head of a company with 1.86 billion active users a month, he is probably well aware that he has plenty of power already.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38999464
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Gabriel Jesus: Manchester City forward 'may be out for season' - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says forward Gabriel Jesus may not play again this season after breaking a metatarsal bone in his foot.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says forward Gabriel Jesus may not play again this season after breaking a metatarsal bone in his foot.
Jesus, 19, had surgery in Barcelona on Thursday after being taken off after 15 minutes of Monday's 2-0 Premier League win at Bournemouth.
"He comes back at the end of the season or next season. People say between two and three months," said Guardiola.
The Brazil international completed a £27m move from Palmeiras in January.
Michael Owen (2006): Fifth metatarsal - predicted six to eight weeks; returned after 17 weeks Wayne Rooney (2004): Fifth metatarsal - predicted eight weeks; returned after 14 weeks David Beckham (2002): Second metatarsal - predicted six weeks; returned after seven weeks
Metatarsals are the five long bones in the forefoot which connect the ankle bones to those of the toes.
The first is linked to the big toe and the fifth, on the outer foot, links to the little toe.
Together, the five metatarsals act as a unit to help share the load of the body, and they move position to cope with uneven ground.
Injuries usually occur as a result of a direct blow to the foot, a twisting injury or over-use.
Medical experts recommend rest with no exercise and sport for four to eight weeks.
The patient might be asked to wear walking boots or stiff-soled shoes to protect the injury while it heals.
If the cause is over-use, then treatment can vary hugely. Training habits, equipment used and athletic technique should all be investigated.
It all depends on the damage and which metatarsal bone is involved. It is impossible to put a timescale on recovery from a stress injury.
With an impact fracture, after the plaster and protective boot is not needed (usually after four to six weeks), it will be a case of exercise and increasing weight-bearing activities.
Ice packs, strapping and even the use of oxygen tents can be used to assist recovery.
Full return to action can be anything from another four weeks and upwards - depending on the extent of initial damage. Young bones heal quicker.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39009054
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Trump to BBC correspondent Jon Sopel: Here's another beauty - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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President Donald Trump has made a dig at the BBC in a sharp exchange during a heated White House press conference.
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President Donald Trump has made a dig at the BBC in a sharp exchange during a heated White House press conference.
"Here's another beauty," said Mr Trump after asking BBC North America editor Jon Sopel which organisation he represented.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38999996
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PJ Crowley: Trump unveils a subtle but vital shift in US policy - BBC News
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2017-02-17
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https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
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The playful exchange between Netanyahu and Trump said a great deal, writes PJ Crowley.
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US & Canada
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This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
A playful exchange between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu actually said a great deal about the dim prospects of a successful negotiation with the Palestinians under current circumstances.
"I think we're going to make a deal," President Trump said on Tuesday as he rolled out the red carpet for Mr Netanyahu at the White House.
The contrast in the tone of the US-Israeli relationship was tangible given the well-documented tension between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama.
"It might be a bigger and better deal than people in this room even understand. That's a possibility," Mr Trump added. "So let's see what we do."
"Let's try," responded Mr Netanyahu. When Mr Trump chided him for not sounding sufficiently optimistic, the prime minister quipped, "That's the 'art of the deal'."
Actually, it's the reality of the Middle East peace process, a hall of mirrors with a grim regional reality, a host of historical grievances, and zero-sum politics that make the odds of a meaningful negotiation remote, much less an actual agreement.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, here next to wives Melania and Sara
Notwithstanding the obvious chemistry between Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu - and a longstanding personal connection between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump's designated Middle East envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner - there is no chemistry between the Israeli leader and his Palestinian counterpart, President Mahmoud Abbas.
"As with any successful negotiation, both sides will have to make compromises," Mr Trump observed correctly.
However, the parties themselves are farther apart on the substance of the process - the borders of a Palestinian state, Israeli security arrangements within a Palestinian state, the right of return for Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem - than they were at the end of the Clinton administration.
Both the Bush and Obama administrations expended considerable effort to close existing gaps and achieve at least a framework agreement that would set the stage for a final deal. Neither was successful. Obstacles were less about substance than politics.
The centre of Israeli politics has moved markedly to the right; the left that embraced the essential bargain of the Oslo process, land for peace, has receded.
The existing Israeli governing coalition is not wired to make concessions. In fact, it is pushing Mr Netanyahu to increase the settlement presence in the West Bank while accelerating construction in East Jerusalem.
An Israeli soldier stands inside a guarding booth in the Gush Etzion Israeli settlement block in the occupied West Bank
In 2009, the Obama administration demanded a freeze to all settlement activity. Israel reluctantly agreed, although some growth continued within settlements Israel would keep in any final deal.
Rather than accelerate negotiations, settlements became a bone of contention within them. When the 10-month settlement moratorium ended, so did direct negotiations.
Secretary of State John Kerry tried to achieve a framework agreement during Mr Obama's second term, but his one-year effort fell short.
In a parting shot at Israel, when a resolution came before the UN Security Council declaring settlement activity to be an impediment to peace, the Obama administration abstained.
President Trump criticised the "unfair and one-sided" treatment of Israel at the UN, a gesture Mr Netanyahu welcomed.
Days before the meeting, the Trump White House cautioned the Israeli government that expansion of settlements beyond their existing borders was not helpful.
Mr Netanyahu may moderate the current pace of settlement activity but he is not going to stop it. The Palestinians will continue to see settlement activity as a fundamental problem.
A woman in the US during a "Muslim and Jewish Solidarity" protest. Mr Netanyahu is nicknamed "Bibi"
The Palestinians are deeply divided. In 2006, Hamas won an unexpected majority of seats in the Palestinian legislature over Mr Abbas' Fatah Party. The Palestinians have lacked political unity ever since.
Today, Hamas, not the Palestinian Authority, is the de facto government in Gaza. Full elections have not been held in more than a decade.
The bottom line is that both sides prefer the status quo to making the politically painful concessions that a negotiation would require.
Both Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu hope to pursue an "outside-in" strategy, building on shared regional concern regarding Iran and radical extremists including the Islamic State group to create momentum to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
While reasonable in theory - Mr Netanyahu spoke of partnership with Arab states in opposition to Iran - co-operation at the governmental level does not necessarily translate to popular support. For many in the region, the plight of the Palestinians continues to resonate.
Given the limited prospects confronting a two-state solution - progress that likely requires different leaders and mandates on both sides - President Trump made a small, but significant adjustment in US policy, expressing a willingness to support a one-state solution if both parties agree.
But the two sides have very different visions of what a one-state solution looks like.
A Palestinian man watches a joint press conference in the West Bank city of Hebron
A key Netanyahu prerequisite for any deal is preservation of Israel as a Jewish state.
On the other hand, in any agreement, Palestinians would insist on citizenship, voting rights and a government of and for the people - all of them. This could redefine Israel's identity.
President Trump may see his one-state acknowledgement as the opening gambit in a lengthy negotiation.
But a one-state solution potentially presents Israel with an existential choice. It can be a Jewish state or a democracy, but not both.
That is a choice the United States has never wanted Israel to confront since the answer could have grave implications for the US-Israeli relationship.
PJ Crowley is a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State and now a Professor of Practice at The George Washington University and author of Red Line: American Foreign Policy in a Time of Fractured Politics and Failing States.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38914538
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Gent 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur - BBC Sport
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2017-02-17
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Tottenham's Europa League hopes are dealt a blow as Gent earn a surprise 1-0 win in their last-32 first-leg meeting.
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Last updated on .From the section Football
Tottenham's Europa League hopes have been dealt a blow after Jeremy Perbet's goal gave Gent a surprise victory in their last-32 first-leg meeting.
French striker Perbet controlled and slotted into the corner from Danijel Milicevic's pull-back on the hour.
A strong Spurs line-up were poor for most of the evening, although Harry Kane clipped the post after half-time.
Gent, eighth in the Belgian league, almost added a second as Milicevic's shot was tipped on to the post.
The second leg is at Wembley on Thursday, 23 February.
Gent's 20,000-capacity stadium, the Ghelamco Arena, is host to a Michelin-starred restaurant, but there was little to feast on for Tottenham, who turned in a strangely listless performance.
Mauricio Pochettino had spoken before the match about how keen his players were to put behind them a poor display in losing 2-0 at Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.
With that in mind, Pochettino selected a very strong side - with only two changes to the team beaten at Anfield.
Dele Alli skimmed an early shot wide from just outside the penalty area after good build-up involving Harry Winks and Ben Davies, but that was as good as it got in the opening half.
Pochettino's decision to move midfielder Moussa Sissoko out to the left at half-time led to a lively spell from the visitors, during which Kane clipped the post.
But Sissoko looked increasingly lost, and the Tottenham head coach was prompted into more tactical tweaks in an attempt to find an equaliser.
Nothing worked - and Tottenham's frustration was summed up as Alli picked up a needless yellow card for dissent.
The Gent fans were singing "we're going to Wembley" during the second half, in anticipation of next week's second leg at England's national stadium.
They may have more reason than Tottenham to look forward to their big night in north London.
Spurs stumbled at their temporary European home in this season's Champions League - failing to qualify from their group after losing at home to Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen.
Having gone into the match in Belgium as second-favourites to win the Europa League, behind only Manchester United, Pochettino's team now need a good Wembley performance just to stay in the competition.
The Spurs boss will be hoping that Kane is fit for that match, having picked up an injury in the second half. Pochettino indicated that the forward may not be risked when Spurs visit Fulham in the FA Cup on Sunday.
"We need to assess Harry Kane, he got a knock on his knee," Pochettino said.
"We need to refresh the team. In the end, it is Tottenham that will play Fulham on Sunday, it's not about the name of the player."
Gent boss Hein Vanhaezebrouck - celebrating his 53rd birthday - caused something of a surprise with his team selection, making five changes and leaving his 15-goal top scorer Kalifa Coulibaly on the bench.
It suggested that Vanhaezebrouck was prioritising a top-six Belgian league place - and qualification for the domestic championship play-offs - above European progress.
Yet his decision to select the 32-year-old journeyman Perbet in attack paid off handsomely.
Even before Gent took the lead, the players selected were full of energy, pressing Tottenham into mistakes and enjoying plenty of possession.
They created decent openings; centre-back Samuel Gigot shanked an effort wide from the edge of the penalty area, while Toby Alderweireld had to block a shot from midfielder Kenny Saief, who made an adventurous run from the left after a poor Kyle Walker pass.
Better chances came after half-time, with Milicevic slicing wide as Spurs switched off at a throw-in moments before Perbet's goal, and unmarked centre-back Stefan Mitrovic spurning an opportunity to make it 2-0 as he headed over from a corner.
Tottenham defender Eric Dier told BT Sport: "We did show more aggression than Saturday against Liverpool. I don't think we created enough chances to win.
"In the first half, they were the better of the two sides but after half-time we were better until the goal. It stopped us in our tracks. We could not get going again. They sat back and we could not get the away goal.
"When you go a goal down, you want to give everything to get back into the game. Maybe we were erratic at times and could have been a bit calmer and waited for our chance. That is something for us to work on.
"I don't see why we cannot turn it around. This team gave everything against us, we did that but lacked a bit of quality. At home we will be better."
Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino told BT Sport: "I am disappointed yes because we had a lot of opportunities before we conceded, but the tie is open.
"It's true that maybe it was not a good performance but we need to understand that it's always difficult to play in the Europa League.
"We need to find a way to go to Wembley and win the game and go to the next round."
• None This was the seventh consecutive first leg of a knockout match that Tottenham have failed to win in the Europa League (drawing three, losing four).
• None Tottenham have never won a European match in Belgium (two draws, three defeats).
• None Spurs have lost back-to-back matches in the Europa League for the first time since November 2011.
• None Jeremy Perbet's goal was Gent's first shot on target in the match in the 59th minute.
• None Perbet has scored in two of his last three home Europa League appearances for Gent.
• None Spurs have now scored only one goal in their last four games in all competitions, having scored 12 in the four prior to this run.
• None Of the last eight matches in which Tottenham have failed to score, four have been in European games.
Before next Thursday's second leg at Wembley, Tottenham visit Fulham in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, when Gent travel to fellow mid-table side Standard Liege in the Belgian league.
• None Attempt missed. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Kyle Walker.
• None Offside, Tottenham Hotspur. Dele Alli tries a through ball, but Son Heung-Min is caught offside.
• None Attempt missed. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Victor Wanyama. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38962480
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