bbc--2020-01-19--Conor McGregor beats Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds at UFC 246 in Las Vegas

Conor McGregor returned to the octagon in style at UFC 246 as he beat American fan favourite Donald 'Cowboy ' Cerrone in just 40 seconds in Las Vegas .
Irishman McGregor , 31 , came out on top after one of the most spectacular performances of his career .
Two of UFC 's most popular fighters went toe to toe in the main event at the T-Mobile Arena .
But referee Herb Dean stepped in and waved off the contest inside a minute after a series of blows from McGregor .
`` I made history tonight .
I set a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighter in UFC history to secure knockout victories at featherweight , at lightweight and now at welterweight - across three weight divisions , so I 'm very proud of that , '' said McGregor .
He had not won inside the UFC 's octagon since capturing his second UFC world title in November 2016 , and was submitted in four rounds by undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in October 2018 .
• UFC 246 : All the action as it happened McGregor had said earlier in the week that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' against the 36-year-old American , but he showed no such patience as he came storming out of his corner and threw a huge left hand that immediately signalled his intent to claim a fast finish .
The Dubliner then connected with a series of shoulders to the face from the clinch , before following his man across the cage and connecting with a huge head kick that badly rocked Cerrone .
Several heavy left hands followed as Cerrone crumbled to the canvas , where he received a further barrage of strikes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ records he holds [ is ] the most head-kick knockouts .
I 'm so happy to be able to get him down with a head kick myself , '' said McGregor .
`` The UFC can strip fighters and give to other fighters make-believe belts in order to replicate my 'champ-champ ' status .
But they ca n't give knockout victories across multiple weight divisions , so there you go again .
Etch my name in history one more time .
`` I like this weight division .
I feel really good .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ here unscathed .
I 'm in shape .
I do n't believe I 'm there yet , though .
I 've still got work to do to get back to where I was . ''
McGregor surged to MMA superstardom when he signed for the UFC as a two-division Cage Warriors champion , then replicated the feat by capturing the UFC titles at featherweight and lightweight , becoming the first man to simultaneously hold UFC titles in two weight classes .
But those titles were subsequently stripped by the UFC after he failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharing wins with Nate Diaz in a pair of epic encounters in 2016 , the Irishman pursued - and secured - a multi-million-dollar boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. His return to the UFC saw him unsuccessfully challenge for the UFC lightweight title against Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in an encounter full of bad blood and divisive rhetoric .
But he vowed to return , and he has kicked off what he described as his `` 2020 season '' in spectacular fashion to set up a plethora of big-fight options later in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ title , held by Kamaru Usman , or a bout with the UFC 's `` BMF '' champion Jorge Masvidal would allow McGregor to continue at his new weight class of 170lb , while he has made no secret of his desire to face Nurmagomedov in a rematch for the lightweight belt .
There may be options outside of MMA , too .
A rematch with Mayweather is a possibility , while Manny Pacquiao is reportedly also interested in a bout with McGregor , who is sure to command a huge TV audience @ @ @

McGregor says UFC win over Cerrone was 'psychological rollercoaster'
Conor McGregor returned to the octagon in style at UFC 246 as he beat American fan favourite Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone in just 40 seconds in Las Vegas.
Irishman McGregor, 31, came out on top after one of the most spectacular performances of his career.
Two of UFC's most popular fighters went toe to toe in the main event at the T-Mobile Arena.
But referee Herb Dean stepped in and waved off the contest inside a minute after a series of blows from McGregor.
"I made history tonight. I set a new record. I'm the first fighter in UFC history to secure knockout victories at featherweight, at lightweight and now at welterweight - across three weight divisions, so I'm very proud of that," said McGregor.
He had not won inside the UFC's octagon since capturing his second UFC world title in November 2016, and was submitted in four rounds by undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in October 2018.
McGregor had said earlier in the week that he would look to "acquire rounds" against the 36-year-old American, but he showed no such patience as he came storming out of his corner and threw a huge left hand that immediately signalled his intent to claim a fast finish.
The Dubliner then connected with a series of shoulders to the face from the clinch, before following his man across the cage and connecting with a huge head kick that badly rocked Cerrone.
Several heavy left hands followed as Cerrone crumbled to the canvas, where he received a further barrage of strikes that sealed victory.
"One of the records he holds [is] the most head-kick knockouts. I'm so happy to be able to get him down with a head kick myself," said McGregor.
"The UFC can strip fighters and give to other fighters make-believe belts in order to replicate my 'champ-champ' status. But they can't give knockout victories across multiple weight divisions, so there you go again. Etch my name in history one more time.
"I like this weight division. I feel really good. God willing, I came out of here unscathed. I'm in shape. I don't believe I'm there yet, though. I've still got work to do to get back to where I was."
McGregor walks away after his quickfire victory over Cerrone
McGregor surged to MMA superstardom when he signed for the UFC as a two-division Cage Warriors champion, then replicated the feat by capturing the UFC titles at featherweight and lightweight, becoming the first man to simultaneously hold UFC titles in two weight classes.
But those titles were subsequently stripped by the UFC after he failed to defend his belts and, after sharing wins with Nate Diaz in a pair of epic encounters in 2016, the Irishman pursued - and secured - a multi-million-dollar boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
His return to the UFC saw him unsuccessfully challenge for the UFC lightweight title against Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in an encounter full of bad blood and divisive rhetoric.
But he vowed to return, and he has kicked off what he described as his "2020 season" in spectacular fashion to set up a plethora of big-fight options later in the year.
A shot at the welterweight title, held by Kamaru Usman, or a bout with the UFC's "BMF" champion Jorge Masvidal would allow McGregor to continue at his new weight class of 170lb, while he has made no secret of his desire to face Nurmagomedov in a rematch for the lightweight belt.
There may be options outside of MMA, too. A rematch with Mayweather is a possibility, while Manny Pacquiao is reportedly also interested in a bout with McGregor, who is sure to command a huge TV audience and payday.


bbc--2020-01-19--Libya civil war: Rivals to join major powers in Germany

Libya 's warring rival factions are joining major powers in Germany in a renewed push to secure a ceasefire to halt the civil war .
The talks follow the collapse of an earlier truce amid recriminations .
The conflict pits powerful General Khalifa Haftar against the UN-backed government in the capital , Tripoli .
Sunday 's summit also aims to extract a pledge from foreign powers to honour a UN arms embargo and to halt any further interference in the conflict .
On Saturday , forces loyal to Gen Haftar blocked oil exports from major ports - a blow to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting in the German capital , Berlin , will bring the two sides together , along with their foreign backers , the UN and other global powers , including Russia 's President Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan .
Mr Erdogan , who has recently sent troops in support of the Tripoli government , said the talks would be `` an important step '' towards securing a ceasefire .
What is happening in Libya ?
Libya has been wracked by conflict since the 2011 uprising which ousted long-time strongman Muammar Gaddafi .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ LNA ) controls much of eastern Libya , and last April he launched an offensive against the country 's rival Government of National Accord ( GNA ) in the capital , Tripoli .
His forces have so far been unable to take the city , but earlier this month the LNA captured Libya 's country 's third-biggest city , Sirte .
According to the UN , the fighting has killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands more from their homes .
A truce was announced earlier this month between Gen Haftar and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al-Serraj .
But both sides blame each other for reported breaches of the agreement , and attempts to broker a lasting ceasefire broke down last week at a summit in Moscow .
What about the role of foreign powers ?
The role of foreign states in the conflict has come into focus in recent months , with Turkey passing a controversial law to deploy troops to help GNA forces in Tripoli .
Gen Haftar 's LNA has the backing of Russia , Egypt , Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates ( UAE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , UN Special Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salamé called on international powers to stop supporting local proxy groups with mercenaries , arms , financing , and direct military support .
He told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme that such actions created `` a vicious circle where their proxies call for intervention in their fight , and their own ambitions bring more divisions . ''
Mr Salamé told the BBC that a political solution to the conflict was best for all parties involved because Libya - with its vast geography , strong local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure - was a difficult country for one group to control .

Europe is trying to jostle its way back into a complex scene, which it all but abandoned over the past year because of its own divisions over a solution. If nothing else, the Berlin summit may have enabled it to elbow its way back into a position with more leverage over stabilising Libya.


bbc--2020-01-19--National Archives sorry for censoring 2017 Women's March signs

The US National Archives has apologised for altering a photo of the 2017 Women 's March , including blurring signs critical of President Donald Trump .
The agency , which describes itself as the country 's record keeper , said it `` made a mistake '' .
Changes to the photo , first reported by The Washington Post , included removing the president 's name from a sign that read `` God Hates Trump '' .
The National Archives said it had removed the altered image .
In a statement shared on social media , the agency said it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our archival holdings , without alteration . ''
`` This photo is not an archival record held by the National Archives , but one we licensed to use as a promotional graphic .
Nonetheless , we were wrong to alter the image , '' it said .
It added that the photo would be replaced `` as soon as possible '' with the unaltered image , and pledged to `` immediately start a thorough review of our exhibit policies and procedures so that this does not happen again . ''
The apology came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday for the fourth annual women 's march .
How did we get here ?
The photo , taken by Getty Images photographer Mario Tama , shows a huge crowd of people gathering in Washington for the 2017 Women 's March , which took place the day after Mr Trump 's inauguration .
Many of those taking part are seen holding protest signs , some with references to the US president .
While using the image as a `` promotional graphic '' for an exhibit on the 19th Amendment , The Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs critical of Mr Trump and those that referenced women 's anatomy .
Alterations included removing the president 's name from a sign that read `` Trump & GOP — Hands Off Women '' , and blurring out the word `` vagina '' , the newspaper reported .
In a statement to the Washington Post , spokeswoman Miriam Kleiman said the National Archives , as a `` non-partisan , non-political federal agency '' , had blurred the president 's name `` so as not to engage in current political controversy '' .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genitals was made because the words could be perceived as inappropriate to students and young people visiting the museum , it said .
The American Civil Liberties Union hit out at the move to alter the image , saying : `` The government ca n't airbrush history or erase women 's bodies from it .
It is the job of the National Archives to document history , not alter it to serve the president 's ego . ''

It added that the photo would be replaced "as soon as possible" with the unaltered image, and pledged to "immediately start a thorough review of our exhibit policies and procedures so that this does not happen again."


bbc--2020-01-19--Yemen war: At least 70 soldiers killed in missile attack

A missile attack on a military training camp in Yemen has killed at least 70 soldiers .
Dozens of others were wounded in the strike in the central province of Marib on Saturday , officials say .
The camp , about 170km ( 105 miles ) east of the capital , Sanaa , targeted a mosque as people gathered for prayer , military sources told Reuters .
Yemen 's government has blamed Houthi rebels for the attack , but there has been no claim of responsibility .
Officials said they expected the death toll to rise .
• Why is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yemen war : Has anything been achieved ?
Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi condemned the `` cowardly '' attack in a statement carried by Saba , a state news agency .
The attack `` confirms without doubt that the Houthis have no desire for peace '' , Mr Hadi was quoted as saying .
In August last year , Houthi rebels launched a missile attack on a Yemen government forces military parade in the southern port city of Aden , killing at least 32 people .
Yemen has been devastated by a conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Houthi rebels seized control of much of the west of the country and forced President Hadi to flee abroad .
Alarmed by the rise of a group they believed to be backed militarily by regional Shia Muslim power Iran , Saudi Arabia and eight other mostly Sunni Muslim Arab states began an air campaign aimed at restoring Mr Hadi 's government .
Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict , described as the world 's worst humanitarian crisis by the UN .

"I have said before that the hard-earned progress that Yemen has made on de-escalation is very fragile. Such actions can derail this progress," he warned. "I urge all parties to stop the escalation now and to direct their energy away from the military front and into the politics."


bbc--2020-01-19--Nepal avalanche: Snow hampers search for missing South Korean trekkers

An operation to rescue at least six people missing after an avalanche in north-western Nepal has been delayed by poor weather , officials say .
The trekkers were on route on a Himalayan mountain near a base camp in the Annapurna region when the avalanche struck after heavy snowfall on Friday .
Four South Koreans - all volunteer teachers - and at least two Nepali guides are among those missing .
A number of other trekkers were rescued from the site of the avalanche .
Heavy snowfall - as much as 5m ( 16ft ) at the scene of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , South Korea 's Yonhap News Agency reported .
But the rescue mission was set to resume on Sunday , with helicopters and 10 more police officers expected to join the search on Mount Annapurna , one of the highest peaks in the Himalayas .
The avalanche happened at an altitude of 3,230m ( 10,600ft ) about 150km ( 93 miles ) north-west of Nepali capital Kathmandu , officials say .
The missing trekkers , two women in their 30s and 50s and two men in their 50s , are teachers who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea 's foreign ministry told Yonhap News Agency .
The ministry said five other South Korean members of their group took shelter in a lodge before being airlifted to safety .
Some reports suggested a third guide was unaccounted for .
Sandesh Pandey of Jangbogo Tour Nepal , which helped organise the trek , said the four missing people were part of an 11-member team from South Korea .
`` They were descending [ on Friday ] after heavy snowfall stopped them from going higher .
The remaining five from the team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two did not go up in the trek , '' Mr Pandey said .
South Korea 's government has dispatched an emergency team to assist rescue efforts and help those affected .
In a statement on Facebook , South Korea 's President Moon Jae-in said his government `` will do its best '' to find the missing trekkers .
The president said his thoughts were with the missing trekkers and their families , who have flown to the city of Pokhara and are awaiting updates .
Hundreds of foreign climbers head every year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has eight of the world 's 14 highest mountains , including Mount Everest .
Fatal accidents occur quite frequently .
In October 2018 , nine climbers died when a violent snowstorm destroyed their camp on a Himalayan peak in western Nepal .
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"They were descending [on Friday] after heavy snowfall stopped them from going higher. The remaining five from the team are moving down safely. The other two did not go up in the trek," Mr Pandey said.


bbc--2020-01-19--Czech fire: Eight killed at disabled people's home

At least eight people have been killed after a fire broke out at a disabled people 's home in the Czech Republic .
Thirty others were injured in the incident in the western town of Vejprty , on the border with Germany .
The cause of the fire is unclear .
German rescuers had joined Czech crews , local officials said , but bad weather hampered their efforts .
It was the second most deadly fire in the Czech Republic since 1990 , according to Lidové Noviny newspaper .
Nine homeless people died in a fire in the capital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ located some 100km ( 60 miles ) north-west of Prague .
The fire was reported at 04:49 ( 03:49 GMT ) , said emergency services spokesman Prokop Volenik .
Mr Volenik said seven ambulance units including two German ones were involved .
He said the fire had been brought under control .
`` The fire broke out in the boys ' section , '' said Vejprty mayor Jitka Gavdunova , adding it had then spread .
The eight victims died from smoke inhalation .
Prime Minister Andrej Babis travelled to Vejprty and promised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a huge tragedy , '' he told reporters .

Ms Gavdunova said fire protections in the building were above legal standards, and that smoke detectors were installed although they are not required by law. But no detectors were present in the area where the blaze began.


bbc--2020-01-19--The 'tiny' recipe to YouTube success

The 'tiny' recipe to YouTube success

Valarmathi and Rajkumar 's unique cooking videos - they make miniature versions of traditional dishes- have made the couple a @ @ @ @ @ channel - The Tiny Foods - now has more than 700,000 subscribers .
The videos @ @ @ @ @ are set in a miniature rural backdrop in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu @ @ @ @ @ in a series of videos on India 's Social Stars - ordinary people who have @ @ @ @ @ media .
Watch other videos from the series : • The small-town shop owner who @ @ @ @ @ BBC News • 'Sometimes one video can change your life '

Valarmathi and Rajkumar's unique cooking videos - they make miniature versions of traditional dishes- have made the couple a hit on YouTube.
Their channel - The Tiny Foods - now has more than 700,000 subscribers.
The videos also feature tiny dolls and are set in a miniature rural backdrop in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
This is the third in a series of videos on India's Social Stars - ordinary people who have made it big on social media.
Video by Vishnupriya Rajasekar, Shivakumar and Nikita Mandhani
Watch other videos from the series:


bbc--2020-01-19--Nigerian civil war remix of a theatre classic

UK-based Nigerian playwright Inua Ellams gives Anton Chekhov 's classic play Three Sisters a radical new setting : 1960s Nigeria @ @ @ @ @ Ellams 's play explores the experiences , loves and losses of three sisters stranded in @ @ @ @ @ war encroaches and throws their lives into disarray .
The conflict was fought by the @ @ @ @ @ Igbo people , who wanted to establish a separate state called Biafra .
The Biafran @ @ @ @ @ 's bloodiest post-independence conflicts , and led to the deaths of over a million people @ @ @ @ @ fighting .

UK-based Nigerian playwright Inua Ellams gives Anton Chekhov's classic play Three Sisters a radical new setting: 1960s Nigeria during the Biafran War.
Ellams's play explores the experiences, loves and losses of three sisters stranded in a small eastern town as war encroaches and throws their lives into disarray.
The conflict was fought by the Nigerian government and the south-eastern Igbo people, who wanted to establish a separate state called Biafra. The Biafran war was one of Africa's bloodiest post-independence conflicts, and led to the deaths of over a million people through famine, disease and fighting.
Produced and edited by Aaron Akinyemi
Filmed by Mark Sedgwick


bbc--2020-01-19--Freezing, frozen and far from home

Freezing, frozen and far from home

From a freezing Japanese wedding ritual to a frozen house in the US state of Michigan , here 's a @ @ @ @ @ you may have missed this week .

From a freezing Japanese wedding ritual to a frozen house in the US state of Michigan, here's a look some of the stories you may have missed this week.


bbc--2020-01-19--South African rugby: Meet the female players changing the game

South Africa 's 2019 Rugby World cup victory was a landmark moment for the country .
It saw the Springbok @ @ @ @ @ Siya Kolisi , lift the trophy and unite the nation .
Radio 1 Newsbeat spoke @ @ @ @ @ in Soweto and heard from Siya about how he wants to see the sport grow @ @ @ @ @ the country .
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen @ @ @

South Africa's 2019 Rugby World cup victory was a landmark moment for the country.
It saw the Springbok's first black captain, Siya Kolisi, lift the trophy and unite the nation.
Radio 1 Newsbeat spoke with young female rugby players in Soweto and heard from Siya about how he wants to see the sport grow amongst the black majority in the country.
Video journalist: Christian Parkinson
Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.


bbc--2020-01-19--Five ways the British landscape changed in 10 years

Britain is more built-on than ever , with 44.8 million buildings in total at the end of the decade , up from 40.6 million in 2010 .
But this total accounts for just 1.4 % of British land , compared with 40 % covered by woodland , the natural environment , rivers and lakes , and a further 45 % by agricultural land .
The data comes from the largest land survey of its type by the Ordnance Survey ( OS ) , which does not cover Northern Ireland .
• See how much of your area is built on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showing some of the significant shifts over the last decade , as recognised by OS surveyors .
If you can not see the slider , click here .
Growth of the renewable energy industry has brought with it an increase in infrastructure .
Wind power now accounts for one-fifth of total electricity use in the UK , compared with just 2 % in 2009 , according to the Department for Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy .
Solar energy accounted for 3.9 % in 2018 , up from 0.01 % in 2010 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 160,000 solar panels placed in 2015 on the grounds of RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire .
It is now the largest solar farm in the UK , with the capacity to power 10,000 local homes and an on-site military training college .
At the start of the decade , the Olympic Park was just beginning to take shape in Stratford , east London , ahead of the 2012 Games .
Ten years on , what was the Olympic Stadium is now West Ham FC 's home ground , the Aquatics Centre is a public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the free-to-enter Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park .
Another global attraction from the 2010s is the Harry Potter section of the Warner Bros Studio Tour in Watford .
It first opened in 2012 but there has since been expansion .
The detail shown on the OS map is largely down to Thomas Watt , a ground surveyor covering the area .
He had to persuade Warner Bros security to let him in to measure each of the new buildings and was eventually rewarded with a tour .
Each time the OS ground and aerial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , spot one that has changed or is no longer there , they alter the map .
There have been more than 360 million changes since 2010 .
This can be as subtle as a kerb being taken in or a front garden being paved over , which is important to record for things like flood planning .
• Climate change : Where we are in seven charts • House price calculator : Where can I afford to rent or buy ?
• Climate change : Are there too many people on Earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media Robert Andrews described ground surveyors like Mr Watt as `` looking at the world like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix - they see lines and curves where we see roads , buildings and landscapes '' .
This attention to detail is combined with local knowledge and contact with planning authorities , but the ground teams are also assisted - when the weather allows - by drones and two OS planes .
They sweep back and forth like a lawnmower across target areas , taking hi-res photographs .
These are then stitched together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spot what has changed since the previous survey .
The technological advances are reflected also in what the OS data is used for .
In 1791 they were set up with an initial task of mapping the south coast in case of French invasion .
More than two centuries later , their data is used in almost every app on your smartphone and they are working to map the precise locations of lamp posts so they can host sensors for self-driving cars .
Although not yet ready for self-driving cars , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Britain , an increase of nearly 10 % since 2010 .
More roads were built in every part of Great Britain .
Mr Andrews said the mapping of new roads and buildings was `` like painting the Forth Bridge - as soon as you 've finished surveying an area you need to start it again '' .
Neatly illustrating his point is one of the most striking new roads in the past decade : the Queensferry Crossing erected in 2017 , next to the famous Forth Bridges that link Edinburgh to north-east @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most significant political talking points of the last 10 years , and Gordon Brown ended the last decade promising five new `` eco-towns '' to try to counter the shortfall in available homes .
While political events since 2010 did n't quite work out exactly how Mr Brown might have planned , Northstowe , a sustainably built new town in Cambridgeshire , has made an impact noticeable from the sky .
It 's still a work-in-progress but eventually 10,000 homes will replace what was farmland , a golf course and a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the increase in ponds and waterways that have come up either naturally as new properties are built , or as part of manufactured efforts to avoid flooding in residential areas .
For example , the housing development near Romsey in Hampshire , shown above , is accompanied by a couple of new ponds .
But in other cases , like this development near the most well-known new town , Milton Keynes , existing ponds have been diverted to make way for homes .
All satellite images from Google Earth .
They were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality of images available - each time the closest good quality image to either 2010 or 2020 was selected .

More than two centuries later, their data is used in almost every app on your smartphone and they are working to map the precise locations of lamp posts so they can host sensors for self-driving cars.


bbc--2020-01-19--When sexual abuse was called seduction: France confronts its past

An 83-year-old French writer once feted by the Paris intellectual set now finds himself ostracised because of his writings about sex with teenage boys and girls .
From the 1960s onwards , Gabriel Matzneff made no secret of his passion for seducing adolescents .
But a new book by one of the teenagers he slept with in the 1980s has led to a criminal investigation for rape of a minor .
And now debate is raging in France about who is more to blame : Matzneff himself or the world he moved in .
Was it the man , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matzneff realised that the moral wind was turning against him came on 2 March 1990 when he appeared on France 's famous TV book programme Apostrophe to discuss the latest of his published diaries .
The footage can easily be found on the internet .
In a jocular tone the programme 's respected presenter , Bernard Pivot , asks Matzneff ( then aged 53 ) what it is like to be a serial `` collector of young chicks '' .
All bald-headed suaveness , Matzneff explains how he prefers school-age girls who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disillusionment over men .
He says they come to him because he listens and takes them seriously .
The panel nods understandingly .
A Catholic woman who is there to defend fidelity in marriage laughs , as if at a charmingly naughty child .
But then Pivot turns to a woman who has so far been silent , a Canadian writer called Denise Bombardier , and the atmosphere suddenly changes .
`` I feel like I am living on a different planet , '' says Bombardier coldly .
And she launches into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he not understand anything about the rights of children , she asks .
Has it never occurred to him that these young girls may end up damaged ?
`` For me , Mr Matzneff is abject .
We all know how some girls can become besotted by men with a certain literary aura , '' says Bombardier .
`` Some older men like to attract little children with sweets .
Mr Matzneff does it with his reputation . ''
Looking back today , what Denise Bombardier recalls most about the exchange is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris literary in-crowd .
She had been warned by her publisher that attacking Matzneff would not go down well - and so it proved .
In newspaper articles she was described as `` frustrated '' and a `` bitch '' ( the French is even more obscene ) .
`` So ( Bombardier ) has discovered that in the year 1990 girls of 15 make love to men who are 30 years older than they are !
Well , big deal ! ''
wrote one critic .
It is a measure of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times that none of this could conceivably happen today .
By no stretch of the imagination could a contemporary author write so blithely of his seduction of underage girls - and , in Matzneff 's case , of boys too .
And even if he did , there would certainly be no-one leaping to his defence , accusing his detractors - like they accused Bombardier 30 years ago - of reactionary neo-Puritanism and failing to understand the wellsprings of teenage sexuality .
And yet just a generation ago , evidently , the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girls was not only not shocking - in `` enlightened '' circles , that is .
More than that , it was seen as liberating for the youngsters themselves - a final casting off of the sexual bonds imposed by the old pre-1968 order .
• France to set age of sexual consent at 15 In retrospect , though it did not seem that way at the time , the Apostrophe programme was a turning point .
Denise Bombardier may have been vilified in 1990 for attacking a French literary treasure - admired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but in fact she represented the future .
Matzneff , who had appeared five times previously on Apostrophe , was never invited back .
Gradually his star faded .
There was growing distaste for his sexual predilections , and before this latest controversy he was an all-but-forgotten figure outside the Left Bank .
But in 2020 the moral compass had shifted 180 degrees .
What had been seduction was now abuse .
What Matzneff saw as a celebration of sexual adventure with partners who , though young , were always consenting , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when publishing executive Vanessa Springora brought out a book this month describing the traumatic effects of her own relationship - aged 14 - with Matzneff , it was clear that he was now a literary non-person .
Matzneff 's books have been blacklisted and a criminal investigation is under way , though given the many years that have passed it will almost certainly not lead to charges .
In France the age of `` sexual majority '' is 15 .
If an adult has sex with a person under 15 he or she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for rape .
`` At the age of 14 you are not supposed to have a 50-year-old man waiting for you when you come out of school ; nor to share a hotel room with him and find yourself in his bed ... when you should be having your tea , '' writes Springora in Consent .
We all think differently now , so today there is no-one who will take up the cudgels for Matzneff .
By universal consent his behaviour was unacceptable .
The other people in his `` seductions '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being told .
But it is instructive to look back at that 1990 Apostrophe programme - and indeed at Matzneff 's five previous appearances in the 1970s and '80s .
Never did he make the slightest secret of his taste for the under-aged .
His 1975 appearance was for a book called `` The under-16s '' , for goodness sake .
And up until Denise Bombardier , no-one said a thing .
How France has responded to # MeToo

And yet just a generation ago, evidently, the idea of sex between adult men and adolescent girls was not only not shocking - in "enlightened" circles, that is. More than that, it was seen as liberating for the youngsters themselves - a final casting off of the sexual bonds imposed by the old pre-1968 order.


bbc--2020-01-19--Acclaimed scientist gets brain surgery for alcohol addiction

Microbiologist Frank Plummer has been on the frontlines of the battle against of some of the world 's most alarming epidemics , from HIV to Ebola - but his illustrious career masked a growing reliance on alcohol .
Now , the researcher has become the guinea pig in a clinical trial investigating whether brain implants can help treat alcohol use disorder .
Alcohol was always a big part of Frank Plummer 's life .
At the beginning of his research career , in the early 1980s in Nairobi , he began to lean on scotch to relax , and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to his work .
He and his colleagues were feeling the visceral urgency of their work as they watched the African HIV crisis unfold .
`` I felt just like a fire fighter or something but the fire did n't go out , '' Mr Plummer , 67 , told the BBC .
`` It just kept going and going and going .
There was this sense that you needed to do something and that the world needed to do something .
And I was trying to draw attention to it and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So it was a time of intense pressure . ''
Mr Plummer 's research subjects were Kenyan women , sex workers , some who were found to have a natural immunity to the virus .
It was pioneering research , and over the 17 years Mr Plummer spent in Kenya , he and his colleagues made groundbreaking discoveries made about how HIV spreads - breakthroughs that have helped inform how we reduce transmission risk and that raised the possibility a vaccine against the virus could be developed one day .
In those stressful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scotch a night were giving him room to exhale after hectic days and weeks .
When he returned to Canada , he took a leadership position at Winnipeg 's National Microbiology Laboratory , one of a handful of laboratories in the world with the capacity to work with highly pathogenic viruses like Ebola .
At the lab they dealt with the outbreaks of Sars in 2003 and the H1N1 influenza in 2009 .
It was there Mr Plummer contributed to the development of Canada 's Ebola vaccine .
It was vital , exciting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days that began with coffee and would end with several glasses of scotch .
His drinking escalated to about 20 ounces of the booze a night .
It did n't seem to affect his work - until 2012 , when it caught up with him .
`` My liver packed it in , '' he says .
`` Before that I knew I drank a lot but I did n't think I had a problem . ''
The diagnosis of chronic liver failure was followed by a liver transplant .
He had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new liver - but he found his alcohol had become a powerful thirst .
Mr Plummer tried treatment - rehab programmes , support groups , counselling , medications - but any relief was temporary .
He would inevitably slip back into drinking .
`` It was pretty hopeless cycle and it was very tough on my family and my wife , Jo , and on my children and my stepchildren , '' he says .
`` I was in the hospital a lot , I almost died several times . ''
He went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robust clinical solution , perhaps one not yet discovered '' - and was referred to two neurosurgeons at Toronto 's Sunnybrook Hospital .
They were recruiting patients for an experimental procedure being conducted in North America for the first time , using deep brain stimulation ( DBS ) to help patients with treatment-resistant alcohol use disorder .
The surgical trial is testing how safe and effective DBS is for alcohol addiction .
• Brain implants used to fight drug addiction in US DBS has been used for over 25 years to help treat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roughly 200,000 DBS surgeries have been performed around the world , many for the nervous system disorder .
In recent years , it 's been explored as a treatment for a range of other diseases .
At Sunnybrook , clinical trials are underway exploring DBS for use in disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder , obsessive-compulsive disorder , major depressive disorder , and alcohol use disorder .
What changes is the part of the brain being targeted , says Dr Nir Lipsman , the trial lead investigator and the neurosurgeon who performed Mr Plummer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things like Parkinson 's disease we target motor circuits in the brain , in addiction , alcohol use disorder , we 're targeting reward , pleasure circuits of the brain , '' he says .
DBS treatment involves implanting an electrical device directly into a patient 's brain to stimulate circuits where there is abnormal activity , or dysfunctional `` wiring '' , and help reset them .
DBS is frequently described as a type of `` pacemaker '' for the brain .
Electrodes are inserted into a targeted region of the brain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electrical impulses - controlled by a pacemaker-like device placed under the skin of the patient 's chest - and ease cravings .
Mr Plummer was the trial 's first patient and underwent the experimental surgery just over a year ago .
A total of six people are expected to eventually participate - all with a history of chronic alcohol use disorder proven resistant to other types of treatment .
Patients are awake for the surgery .
Mr Plummer says the worst part of the procedure were the noise and vibrations when surgeons drilled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the electrodes .
`` It was a large drill that drills about a 25 cent piece out of your skull on both sides - that was n't painful but it was annoying , '' he says .
The brain pleasure centres being targeted in this study - the nucleus accumbens - is also involved in mood , anxiety and depression .
That factor is potentially key since many addiction disorders frequently coexist with mood disorders , the neurosurgeon says .
The surgeon says Mr Plummer has seen an improvement in both his cravings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've had the surgery , `` we are seeing some signs , some early signs that we are having an impact on those kind of behaviours and those kind of measures that we want to influence '' , says Dr Lipsman .
The surgeons hope the study will shift some of the stigma around addiction disorders .
Addictions are still often seen as a weakness or a failure of willpower , which can prevent people seeking treatment .
`` We need to change the way we view addiction , change the way we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its advanced stages , in the treatment resistant stages as being driven by circuits in the brain that are not functioning properly , '' he says .
But he cautions the research is in early stages - and that it 's not a silver bullet .
`` It 's not just put in the implant , say goodbye and you 're done , '' he says .
Patients should still continue their conventional treatment for their alcohol addictions , like therapy or rehab programmes .
`` It 's really about viewing this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treat what is an incredibly complex and challenging condition . ''
Any results from DBS are not instantaneous - it can take weeks to feel a change .
For Mr Plummer , after a little while , `` life just became so much better , so much richer . ''
`` I suddenly decided that I wanted to write a book about my experiences as a scientist , and experiences living in Kenya , '' he says .
He 's back to getting up early , writes daily and has returned to HIV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine for the disease .
He drinks occasionally but says he does n't have the same compulsion or the physical dependency as before .
`` Life is on the table again , '' he says .

"It just kept going and going and going. There was this sense that you needed to do something and that the world needed to do something. And I was trying to draw attention to it and get money to continue our work. So it was a time of intense pressure."


bbc--2020-01-19--The rescue worker who refuses to leave a bombed-out town

Few now remain in Saraqeb , a half-destroyed town in Syria 's last opposition-held province , Idlib .
Not long ago it was home to more than 60,000 people , but over the last few months most families have fled the incessant bombing , hunger and winter cold .
Among the hardened group sticking it out is civil defence volunteer , Laith al-Abdullah .
Before the war 42-year-old Laith worked as an accountant for a local financial exchange company .
These days the only counting he does is of people he rescues from piles of rubble .
Many of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried out by Syrian or Russian bombers , after returning to retrieve valuables from their abandoned homes .
Laith 's wife and two young children are among those who have left .
He says he 's seen too many deaths to risk allowing them to stay .
`` Now they are far from me and we sometimes talk via video calls .
I do miss them a lot but I 'm also relieved that they 're not exposed to the same danger as I am , '' he adds .
Laith 's first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who died after being injured in an air strike in 2012 , despite Laith 's frantic efforts to rescue him .
It was his very first shift with the civil defence volunteers known as the White Helmets .
`` I helped pull my brother out of the rubble and managed to get him to hospital , but he died a few hours later .
He was just 22 .
It happened during the first intensive spell of bombing we experienced here in Saraqeb , '' he says .
You might have thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off continuing to work with the White Helmets , yet it seems to have had the opposite effect .
`` After that there were several even heavier air strikes and many people here needed help .
Knowing this was the case motivated me to do all I could for them .
This helped ease the deep grief I felt after losing my brother , '' he says .
Laith recalls one rescue operation in 2015 , a time when pro-Assad forces had only recently begun dropping on the town what have become known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packed with nails or other metal fragments .
Capable of burying people in their homes , they also send large quantities of lethal shrapnel flying through the air , often injuring large numbers of civilians .
`` I remember digging in the rubble with my bare hands for hours trying to rescue an old lady who was trapped in her basement .
I could hear her cries but could n't see her at first .
But finally we got her out alive , '' he says .
Mike Thomson is a reporter for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his other stories about Syria : The Syrian town with more cats than people ( December 2019 ) Another more recent success also sticks in his mind .
`` I managed with the help of other members of my team to pull a nine-year-old girl called Islam out of piles of rubble , '' Laith says .
`` She was finding it hard to breathe and under so much masonry that it was touch and go , but I 'm delighted to say that she survived . ''
After one recent bombing raid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wreckage of a university laboratory with the body of a young female science student in his arms .
But this story did not end well .
`` This case was a very memorable one that I do n't think I will ever forget , '' Laith says .
`` Her name was Abir .
She was still alive when I gathered her in my arms and ran from the lab .
She had been close to graduating and you can see me desperately screaming for help outside the building .
`` All around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racing to help people and the screams of those who were injured , but all of them were full already and could n't take her .
She died right there as I held her . ''
Before the war began in 2011 , Saraqeb was a thriving agricultural town , a transport hub for the villages of southern Idlib .
`` All sorts of people would either come here for our markets or pass through Saraqeb en route to other places .
We even had a few tourists , '' Laith says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ life , laughter and vitality .
It was such a busy , happy place .
Now it 's a silent , empty shell of a town . ''
Fuel for transport is in short supply and there 's little in the way of electricity or wood to heat peoples ' homes .
`` People are having to look for anything they can make a fire with .
They 're even burning things they hold dear like their furniture and clothes , as well as valuables that they wo n't be able to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town , '' Laith says .
Given Saraqeb 's position near the front line in southern Idlib it is likely to be among the first towns to fall if the renewed ground and air offensive by pro-Syrian government forces proves successful .
Scores of formerly opposition-held villages in the region have fallen in recent weeks and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly pledged to retake every inch of the province .
The thought that Laith may soon have to join the hundreds of thousands of other people in Idlib who have been forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
`` I 've always lived in Saraqeb and I dearly hope I wo n't be forced to leave it .
It 's my life , it 's my soul it 's everything , '' he says .
`` In the end it will all come down to international deals and agreements over which I have no say , but I hope that one day the town will return to what it was before .
That 's my deepest wish . ''
You may also be interested in : Eleven-year-old Israa trekked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her family to northern Europe after their home in Syria was destroyed .
They often had to walk , pushing her disabled sister in a wheelchair across muddy fields .

"I've always lived in Saraqeb and I dearly hope I won't be forced to leave it. It's my life, it's my soul it's everything," he says. "In the end it will all come down to international deals and agreements over which I have no say, but I hope that one day the town will return to what it was before. That's my deepest wish."


bbc--2020-01-17--Davos 2020: What is the World Economic Forum and is it elitist?

Some of the world 's top business people and politicians - plus a smattering of celebrities - will gather in Davos , Switzerland , for the World Economic Forum ( WEF ) this week .
US President Donald Trump , teen climate activist Greta Thunberg and Uber boss Dara Khosrowshahi are among the guests .
But what is the jet-set event for and is it elitist ?
What is the World Economic Forum ?
Launched in 1971 , WEF aims to `` improve the state of the world '' .
Held every year in the Alpine ski resort of Davos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the same room as key players from politics , charity and academia .
Many use the opportunity to hold private meetings on things like investment in their countries , and as a chance to do business deals .
High profile figures often use it to influence the global agenda .
Take Prince William 's speech last year on mental health , or David Attenborough 's stark warnings about the environment .
WEF typically attracts around 3,000 people , about a third of them from business .
To go you have to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is free - or a member of WEF , which can cost £480,000 .
World leaders , key figures from the UN and EU and the heads of major firms like Coca-Cola , Goldman Sachs and IBM attend .
However , new data from the World Economic Forum indicates that only 239 people from the UK will be attending this year - the lowest UK attendance since 2010 - after Boris Johnson banned ministers from attending the event .
The event does not just attract power players .
Last year , Dutch popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slam delegates for not paying their fair share of taxes .
Often you 'll see protests in Davos and major Swiss cities .
Ukranian activists Femen , protested against male dominance of the world economy .
And in 2012 , the Occupy Wall Street movement - which campaigned against inequality - built igloos to house 50 protesters .
Until the financial crash of 2007-08 , attending Davos was considered a must for the great and good .
But critics have suggested it is a symbol of the `` global elite '' , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
Last year Time magazine editor-at-large , Anand Giridharadas , described Davos as `` a family reunion for the people who broke the modern world '' .
Even among attendees , not everyone has the same level of access .
Coloured badges determine who gets to rub shoulders with whom .
The most high-profile guests get a white badge with a hologram on it , giving them access to everywhere .
At the other end of the scale a `` hotel '' badge means you ca n't get into the conference centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the term `` Davos Man '' becoming a nickname for the type of wealthy , elite male who typically goes .
Last year 22 % of all Davos participants were women , up from 17 % 2015 .
The conference 's swanky location , the private helicopters flying in and out and the array of lavish parties can add to claims the event is exclusive .
But WEF argues it is simply interested in bringing leaders together for the greater good .
And Martin Wolf , the Financial Times ' chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are always a bit out of touch - that 's their nature - but it is impossible to have a world without them .
It is also vital that these people meet regularly and find out what each other is thinking . ''
Many companies use the event to make key pledges on issues like sustainability , or to improve diversity .
The conference has also notched up some real achievements .
In 1988 , meetings between prime ministers Turgut Özal of Turkey and Andreas Papandreou of Greece brought relations between the countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And in 2000 , the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization ( GAVI ) used it to launch programmes to immunise millions of children against disease .
• Is the secret to happiness at the top of this mountain ?
• Free bobble hats and nine other facts about Davos • What is the United Nations and what does it do ?
What key moments can we expect this year ?
Donald Trump could be the main attraction , having skipped the event last year .
He is due to give a speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial begins in the US Senate .
Meanwhile , Greta Thunberg is due to deliver another combative message on climate change - after trekking her way up the Alps to Davos rather than using public transport .
Other big names will be Sanna Marin , prime minister of Finland , who at 34 is the world 's youngest serving premier .
And Bollywood star Deepika Padukone will be in town talking about her battle with depression .

And Martin Wolf, the Financial Times' chief economics commentator, says: "Elites are always a bit out of touch - that's their nature - but it is impossible to have a world without them. It is also vital that these people meet regularly and find out what each other is thinking."


bbc--2020-01-19--Harry and Meghan's future: Your questions answered

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer use their HRH titles and will not receive public funds for royal duties , Buckingham Palace has announced .
Here we answer some of the questions we have received from readers about what this means .
What will they be called ?
- Elle Prince Harry and Meghan have said they will no longer use their HRH titles .
From this spring , they will become known as Harry , Duke of Sussex , and Meghan , Duchess of Sussex .
• Queen 's statement on Harry and Meghan in full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sussex , Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel on his wedding morning , in May 2018 .
Meghan became the Duchess of Sussex when she married him later that day .
Prince Harry will remain a prince , having been born one .
Which royal patronages will they keep ?
- Steve Oltmanns Members of the Royal Family lend their names to charities and other organisations in the form of patronages .
The statement from Buckingham Palace said the duke and duchess will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations `` with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In pictures : Harry and Meghan 's life together • The party prince who carved his own path Harry holds 16 patronages , according to the Sussex Royal website - including the Invictus Games Foundation , the Royal Marines and the Rugby Football Union .
Meghan holds four : the National Theatre , the Association of Commonwealth Universities , London-based animal charity Mayhew , and women 's charity Smart Works .
Will Harry relinquish the position of Captain General Royal Marines ?
- Sean O'Callaghan The ceremonial head of the Royal Marines is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Harry will have to let go .
He inherited it from Prince Philip , who held it for 65 years .
Losing it is likely to be a sad moment for the duke , who has maintained a strong bond with the military since he left the Army in 2015 .
As well as bowing and curtseying to the Queen , will they have to do this with every other royal ?
- Lisa Townsley No .
Apart from to the Queen , members of the Royal Family do n't tend to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often .
Are all these measures reversible if Harry changes his mind ?
- Andrew C Barquin In theory , the title HRH would still stand , Frogmore Cottage would remain available , and there would be plenty of work for him .
But some doors will be closed .
The Royal Marines will , in all likelihood , look for a replacement as Captain General , and the same goes for his other military appointments .
Of course , the answer also depends on what he does next .
The couple have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the values of Her Majesty '' in their future work , but they may decide to branch out into areas outside of other royals ' remits .
A return would be possible , but it seems unlikely that it would be to the same role .

Harry and Meghan's future: Your questions answered Published 19 January 2020
Image source, Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer use their HRH titles and will not receive public funds for royal duties, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Here we answer some of the questions we have received from readers about what this means.
What will they be called? - Elle
Prince Harry and Meghan have said they will no longer use their HRH titles.
From this spring, they will become known as Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Prince Harry will remain a prince, having been born one.
Will Harry still be sixth in line for the crown? - Margaret Wyatt
Yes, his position in the line of succession will not change.
Which royal patronages will they keep? - Steve Oltmanns
Image source, Chris Jackson/Getty Images Image caption, The prince has been the driving force behind the Invictus Games
The statement from Buckingham Palace said the duke and duchess will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations "with the Queen's blessing".
Harry holds 16 patronages, according to the Sussex Royal website - including the Invictus Games Foundation, the Royal Marines and the Rugby Football League (RFL), for which he hosted the 2021 World Cup draw on Thursday.
The RFL has confirmed he will continue as patron.
Meghan holds four: the National Theatre, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, London-based animal charity Mayhew, and women's charity Smart Works.
Will Harry relinquish the position of Captain General Royal Marines? - Sean O'Callaghan
Image source, PA Image caption, The prince said quitting the Army had been a "really tough decision"
The ceremonial head of the Royal Marines is a very important position - and one that Harry will have to let go.
Losing it is likely to be a sad moment for the duke, who has maintained a strong bond with the military since he left the Army in 2015.
As well as bowing and curtseying to the Queen, will they have to do this with every other royal? - Lisa Townsley
No. Apart from to the Queen, members of the Royal Family don't tend to bow and curtsey to one another that often.
Are all these measures reversible if Harry changes his mind? - Andrew C Barquin
In theory, the title HRH would still stand, Frogmore Cottage would remain available, and there would be plenty of work for him.
But some doors will be closed. The Royal Marines will, in all likelihood, look for a replacement as Captain General, and the same goes for his other military appointments.
The answer also depends on what he does next.
The couple have said they will "continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty" in their future work, but they may decide to branch out into areas outside of other royals' remits.
A return would be possible, but it seems unlikely that it would be to the same role.
What will Harry do for income? - Pam
Harry and Meghan have said they want to become "financially independent", and Buckingham Palace has confirmed they will no longer receive public funds for royal duties.
What that means in practice for their future work is not clear - but they will be independent and, according to BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond, the Palace will have no oversight of them.
Will they pay rent for Frogmore Cottage? - Gary O'Brien
Yes. Palace officials have confirmed they will pay rent for the house, which will remain their UK family home - although we don't know how much it will be.
They intend to repay £2.4m of taxpayer money that was spent on its refurbishment.
Will they still take money from the Prince of Wales? - Lucy Baldwin
Image source, PA Wire
Yes. It's thought - but not confirmed - that they have received just under £2.5m a year from Prince Charles.
That money comes from the income the Prince of Wales receives from his estate, the Duchy of Cornwall.
It's not clear whether the same level of funding will continue.
Will they pay for any required security? - Judith Aselton Delaney
We don't know.
Buckingham Palace did not comment on the details of security arrangements, but said there are independent processes to work out what is needed.
A former senior palace official told Jonny Dymond that discussion around the cost of the couple's security may be blown out of proportion.
Who will cover the public engagements previously carried out by Meghan and Harry? - William Ransford
There will be extra work for the remaining royals, especially the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
According to tables compiled each year by retired insurance broker Tim O'Donovan, Harry attended 201 engagements last year, while Meghan had 83.
The Prince of Wales is already carrying out a lot of the Queen's former duties, and the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince of York have stepped down from public life.
Members of the Royal Family carried out more than 3,500 engagements last year.
The working royals will need to assess how many of the Sussexes' appointments they can handle.
Image source, BBC
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bbc--2020-01-19--Australia fires: Have gum trees made the bushfires worse?

Several readers have asked whether Australia 's famous eucalyptus trees have helped spread the bushfires which have raged for months .
Also known as the gum tree , these forests are some of the most flammable in the world .
Eucalyptus trees cover more than three-quarters of Australia 's forested area and almost all of the hundreds of species are native to the island nation .
Strips of bark that hang off the trunk and the branches can ignite and carry a fire up the tree and then through the forest spread by the wind .
`` When the bark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , starting new fires , '' says Dr Jane Cawson , an expert in vegetation flammability at the University of Melbourne .
This process , called spotting , can ignite 30km ( 18 miles ) ahead of the main fire and is very difficult to suppress .
`` The trees themselves exacerbate the fires mostly through spotting , '' says Dr Cawson .
Some gum tree leaves contain oil that can also ignite easily and burn quickly .
There is also the vegetation on the floor of a eucalyptus forest , which tends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have adapted to their environment where drought and fires are common , and the trees themselves are usually very resilient .
Some species have developed the ability to survive , and recover , from bushfires and soon resprout through buds that lie dormant .
Burning also releases seeds from their capsules stored in the canopy which can also aid the regeneration process .
However , new research shows that if the same patch of forest is burned by high-intensity fire more than once over a short period of time , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resilient species of eucalyptus may struggle to recover .
Is there an alternative to eucalyptus ?
These natural forests , often in protected areas , provide a habitat for huge numbers of plant and animal species .
`` There is no public discussion [ in Australia ] about replacing them with alternative species , '' says Dr Cawson .
Aboriginal communities have used the tree for a multitude of practical purposes from crafting tools to using the oil as medicine .
However , there are debates about how to look after the forests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these options is prescribed burning , and there has been a political row about whether more of this `` controlled burning '' as a means to stop fires spreading should have been done .
• Why Aboriginal planners say the bush 'needs to burn' Other countries have gum trees too The main species that has been exported and planted widely outside of Australia is the Eucalyptus globulus .
`` It 's actually one of the less flammable eucalyptus trees , but it is nevertheless much more flammable than some of the native landcover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doerr , an expert in wildfires at Swansea University .
These trees have contributed to wildfires in California and Portugal , which suffers from some of the worst fires in Europe .
The eucalyptus was regarded as being one of the main reasons fires were so deadly in Portugal in 2017 .
They are grown for paper across large areas of the central and northern parts of the country .
• Why are Portugal 's wildfires so deadly ?
At the time , an environmental group said the fires reflected a `` situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replacement of pine trees with eucalyptus trees .
Elsewhere eucalyptus trees are commonly used for reforesting and commercial purposes because they are fast-growing , despite ecologists warning they can be bad for native species .
These varieties are often bred to be more productive and are much less of a fire hazard , says Fangyuan Hua , a conservation ecologist based at Peking University in China .
`` These 'tree farms ' are typically under fairly careful management which can lower their fire risk , '' she said .

However, new research shows that if the same patch of forest is burned by high-intensity fire more than once over a short period of time, which has happened in Australia, even the most resilient species of eucalyptus may struggle to recover.


bbc--2020-01-19--UFC 246: Holly Holm beats Raquel Pennington in Las Vegas

Former UFC women 's bantamweight champion Holly Holm bounced back into the win column with a unanimous decision victory over Raquel Pennington at UFC 246 .
Holm , who famously knocked out Ronda Rousey with a head kick to win the title back at UFC 193 in 2015 , used her slick footwork and kickboxing skills to outmanoeuvre Pennington during their three-round co-main event bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas .
The 38-year-old American , who captured multiple world titles as a boxer before transitioning to mixed martial arts , was determined to get back to winning ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knocked out by current champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 239 last July .
And `` The Preacher 's Daughter '' did just that with a controlled performance that saw her win a unanimous decision , with scores of 29-28 , 30-27 , 30-27 from the three octagonside judges .
• UFC 246 : All the action as it happened '' I feel like I dominated , but I just did n't do enough damage , that 's what I want to do - damage , '' said Holm .
`` I never want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened this camp , but my coaches are so amazing and always worked with me when I was available and we made it happen . ''
Holm and Pennington 's meeting in Las Vegas - the co-main bout before Conor McGregor took on Donald Cerrone - was the second of their respective careers , with the pair battling all the way to the scorecards at UFC 184 in February 2015 .
Holm took the victory via split decision that night in a fight that Pennington believes she had done enough to win .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ around , with Holm claiming a more comfortable victory almost five years on from that contest .
It was a welcome tonic for Holm , whose career since rocketing to stardom against Rousey has been plagued by inconsistency .
The Albuquerque , New Mexico native lost her title to Miesha Tate in her first defence , then dropped two more defeats to Valentina Shevchenko and Germaine de Randamie ( for the inaugural featherweight title ) as she fell into a three-fight losing streak .
She picked up a much-needed victory with a spectacular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but alternated losses and wins leading into Saturday 's fight with Pennington .
Now Holm will look to register her first back-to-back wins in the UFC since that Rousey fight as she attempts to make another run at championship gold in 2020 .

All three judges scored Holm as the winner in Las Vegas
Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm bounced back into the win column with a unanimous decision victory over Raquel Pennington at UFC 246.
Holm, who famously knocked out Ronda Rousey with a head kick to win the title back at UFC 193 in 2015, used her slick footwork and kickboxing skills to outmanoeuvre Pennington during their three-round co-main event bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The 38-year-old American, who captured multiple world titles as a boxer before transitioning to mixed martial arts, was determined to get back to winning ways and re-establish her championship credentials after being knocked out by current champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 239 last July.
And "The Preacher's Daughter" did just that with a controlled performance that saw her win a unanimous decision, with scores of 29-28, 30-27, 30-27 from the three octagonside judges.
"I feel like I dominated, but I just didn't do enough damage, that's what I want to do - damage," said Holm.
"I never want to make any excuses, a lot happened this camp, but my coaches are so amazing and always worked with me when I was available and we made it happen."
Holm and Pennington's meeting in Las Vegas - the co-main bout before Conor McGregor took on Donald Cerrone - was the second of their respective careers, with the pair battling all the way to the scorecards at UFC 184 in February 2015.
Holm took the victory via split decision that night in a fight that Pennington believes she had done enough to win. But there was no dispute this time around, with Holm claiming a more comfortable victory almost five years on from that contest.
It was a welcome tonic for Holm, whose career since rocketing to stardom against Rousey has been plagued by inconsistency.
The Albuquerque, New Mexico native lost her title to Miesha Tate in her first defence, then dropped two more defeats to Valentina Shevchenko and Germaine de Randamie (for the inaugural featherweight title) as she fell into a three-fight losing streak.
She picked up a much-needed victory with a spectacular knockout of Bethe Correia in June 2017, but alternated losses and wins leading into Saturday's fight with Pennington.
Now Holm will look to register her first back-to-back wins in the UFC since that Rousey fight as she attempts to make another run at championship gold in 2020.


bbc--2020-01-13--How having a son with Down's syndrome changed rocker's music

The Northern Irish rock musician Cormac Neeson says having a child with Down 's syndrome has changed his life in a `` joyful and positive '' way .
In 2014 Neeson was , in many ways , living the rock ' n ' roll dream .
His band , The Answer , had sold hundreds of thousands of records and had toured the globe with the likes of The Rolling Stones , The Who and AC/DC .
But the singer 's world was shaken to the core when his wife , Louise , gave birth to a very premature baby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an unbelievably dark and troubled time , '' says Neeson .
Their son , Dabhog , was born weighing just 1lb 12ozs ( 0.8 kg ) and was immediately taken into intensive care .
He stayed in hospital in Belfast for the next four months .
`` For a large portion of that time we were n't sure on a daily basis whether he was going to make it through , '' Neeson adds .
Two weeks into that time they had to deal with the news that Dabhog had Down 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affects a person 's learning abilities .
`` That was something else that just added to the whole very intense experience . ''
Around that time The Answer were releasing an album .
`` I would have to take myself away from the incubator for 20 or 30 minutes and do interviews to promote the album .
`` I had to pretty much pretend I was in a place where I was comfortable releasing good time rock ' n ' roll music .
It was a complete collision course with where my head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dabhog did survive and was discharged from hospital , although he had to have surgery aged one to fix a hole in his heart .
The experiences have had a profound effect on Neeson 's outlook on life and his music .
`` Whenever the dust settled and Dabhog was home and his health started to turn and life settled down a bit I realised that creatively I was not in a place where I could genuinely write the kind of music we had spent the last 10 years writing , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he worked with American songwriters and musicians to put together a new album .
`` The result was really a collection of songs that was so introspective and intense and so truthful that they really could only be part of a solo project .
`` It 's a world away from the stuff that I had spent my career making up till that point . ''
One of the songs , Broken Wing , is a tribute to Dabhog .
`` It 's a good opportunity to talk about Down 's syndrome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but also to celebrate my son for being the individual that he is , '' Neeson says .
He says he wanted to get over in the song that raising a child with a learning disability has a unique set of challenges , but `` it 's unique in a really great and powerful way '' .
Neeson says he also wrote the song to help new parents of children with Down 's syndrome .
`` I was kind of placing myself back in the hospital whenever we were told that Dabhog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking that if I 'd heard this song back then I might have taken some comfort from it .
`` If your child has Down 's syndrome that is not what defines your child .
Your child is unique and amazing like every other child .
I 've never met a person like my son , Dabhog .
`` The joy that he brings into our lives is something that I could not have anticipated when we were just worrying day to day about his health and getting him out of that hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , White Feather , is a reference to an incident early in Louise 's pregnancy with Dabhog .
At around three weeks they were told it was as an ectopic pregnancy , when a fertilised egg is implanted outside the womb , often in a fallopian tube .
The egg can not then develop into a baby and the pregnancy has to be terminated due to the risk to the mother 's health .
After taking Louise into surgery the doctors realised it was not an ectopic pregnancy , but said they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being able to scan for a heartbeat and confirm if the baby was still alive .
The night before the scan , Neeson went for a walk by himself in the hills near his hometown of Newcastle , County Down .
`` A lot of soul searching went on .
I said out loud , ' I need a sign ' .
At that point I was stopped dead in my tracks . ''
He had spotted a white feather in the trees .
`` In Ireland a white feather represents life , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scan revealed a `` gigantic '' heartbeat .
Dabhog is now five and in September started school , where Neeson says he has made friends and won certificates for being pupil of the week .
`` Just to be able to experience our little boy thriving like that and being so communicative and being such a life-affirming character and for him to bring so much joy into our lives , it 's a massively positive experience for us and we 're thankful for that , '' Neeson says .
Dabhog now has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ambassador for the learning disability charity Mencap in Northern Ireland .
Dabhog attended a Mencap centre in Belfast for specialist learning and early intervention support .
`` Before my wife became pregnant with Dabhog I suppose my sole focus in life was essentially myself and I think you become much less selfish when you have a child , '' he says .
Looking back to 2014 , he adds : `` There are moments in your life when you do n't know how you 're going to get past these obstacles that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Whenever you come out the other side there 's a real sense of victory and that 's where we are at now . ''
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"Just to be able to experience our little boy thriving like that and being so communicative and being such a life-affirming character and for him to bring so much joy into our lives, it's a massively positive experience for us and we're thankful for that," Neeson says.


bbc--2020-01-19--Harry and Meghan: No other option but to step back, says duke

The Duke of Sussex has said he is `` taking a leap of faith '' in stepping back from his life as a member of the Royal Family but said `` there really was no other option '' .
Speaking at an event on Sunday evening , he said he wanted to make it clear he and Meghan were `` not walking away '' .
`` The UK is my home and a place that I love , that will never change , '' he said .
It is the first time the duke has spoken since it was announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ titles .
Earlier this month , Prince Harry and Meghan said they intended `` to step back as 'senior ' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent '' .
• Harry 's speech in full on his royal future Beginning his speech at a fund-raising reception in central London for Sentebale , the charity he co-founded which helps children living with HIV in southern Africa , he said : `` I can only imagine what you may have heard and perhaps read over the past few weeks .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth from me as much as I can share , not as a prince or a duke but as Harry . ''
During his address , the prince said he would always have `` the utmost respect for my grandmother , my commander in chief '' .
`` Our hope was to continue serving the Queen , the Commonwealth , and my military associations , but without public funding .
Unfortunately , that was n't possible , '' he said .
`` I 've accepted this , knowing that it does n't change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am . ''
As part of a deal finalised on Saturday between the Queen , senior royals , and the couple , Harry and Meghan agreed they will no longer formally represent the monarch .
From the spring , they will stop using their HRH titles and withdraw from royal duties , including official military appointments .
However , the statement by Buckingham Palace said they would continue to maintain their private patronages and associations .
In the speech , posted on the couple 's Instagram account , the prince said that when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were excited , we were hopeful , and we were here to serve '' .
`` For those reasons , it brings me great sadness that it has come to this .
`` The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly , '' he said .
`` It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges and I know I have n't always got it right , but as far as this goes there really was no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they plan to divide their time between the UK and Canada , after they spent six weeks on Vancouver Island with their son Archie over Christmas .
• Why Meghan and Harry have Canada in their sights • The big question Canadians have about royal move The prince told attendees it was a `` privilege ... to feel your excitement for our son Archie , who saw snow for the first time the other day and thought it was bloody brilliant ! ''
The duchess is currently staying on Canada 's west coast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the UK earlier this month .

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bbc--2020-01-19--Isabel dos Santos: Africa's richest woman 'ripped off Angola'

Leaked documents reveal how Africa 's richest woman made her fortune through exploiting her own country , and corruption .
Isabel dos Santos got access to lucrative deals involving land , oil , diamonds and telecoms when her father was president of Angola , a southern African country rich in natural resources .
The documents show how she and her husband were allowed to buy valuable state assets in a series of suspicious deals .
Ms Dos Santos says the allegations against her are entirely false and that there is a politically motivated witch-hunt by the Angolan government .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK her home and owns expensive properties in central London .
She is already under criminal investigation by the authorities in Angola for corruption and her assets in the country have been frozen .
Now BBC Panorama has been given access to more than 700,000 leaked documents about the billionaire 's business empire .
Most were obtained by the Platform to Protect Whistle-blowers in Africa and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists ( ICIJ ) .
They 've been investigated by 37 media organisations including The Guardian and Portugal 's Expresso @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Corruption Watch , says the documents show how Ms Dos Santos exploited her country at the expense of ordinary Angolans .
`` Every time she appears on the cover of some glossy magazine somewhere in the world , every time that she hosts one of her glamorous parties in the south of France , she is doing so by trampling on the aspirations of the citizens of Angola . ''
The ICIJ have called the documents The Luanda Leaks .
One of the most suspicious deals was run from London through a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company Sonangol .
Ms Dos Santos had been put in charge of the struggling Sonangol in 2016 , thanks to a presidential decree from her father Jose Eduardo dos Santos , who kept a tight grip on his country for the 38 years he was in power .
But when he retired as president in September 2017 her position was soon under threat , even though his hand-picked successor came from the same party .
Ms Dos Santos was sacked two months later .
Many Angolans have been surprised at the way that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business interests of his predecessor 's family .
The leaked documents show that as she left Sonangol , Ms Dos Santos approved $ 58m of suspicious payments to a consultancy company in Dubai called Matter Business Solutions .
She says she has no financial interest in Matter , but the leaked documents reveal it was run by her business manager and owned by a friend .
Panorama understands that Matter sent more than 50 invoices to Sonangol in London on the day that she was fired .
Ms Dos Santos appears to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after she was sacked .
Although some consultancy work had been carried out by Matter , there 's very little detail on the invoices to justify such large bills .
One asks for €472,196 for unspecified expenses , another asks for $ 928,517 for unspecified legal services .
Two of the invoices - each for €676,339.97 - are for exactly the same work on the same date and Ms Dos Santos signed them both off anyway .
Lawyers for Matter Business Solutions say it was brought in to help restructure the oil industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were for work that had already been carried out by other consultancy companies it had hired .
`` Regarding the invoices related with expenses , it is common for consultancy companies to add expenses to invoices as a general item .
This is often due to those expenses involving large amounts of paperwork ... Matter can produce documentary evidence to confirm all expenses incurred . ''
Ms Dos Santos 's lawyers said her actions with regard to the Matter payments were entirely lawful and that she had not authorised payments after she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` All invoices paid were in relation to services contracted and agreed between the two parties , under a contract that was approved with the full knowledge and approval of the Sonangol Board of Directors . ''
The ICIJ and Panorama have also uncovered new details about the business deals that made Ms Dos Santos rich .
Much of her fortune is based on her ownership of a stake in the Portuguese energy company Galp , which one of her companies bought from Sonangol in 2006 .
The documents show it only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price upfront and that the remaining €63m ( $ 70m ) was turned into a low-interest loan from Sonangol .
Under the generous terms of the loan , her debt to the Angolan people did n't have to be repaid for 11 years .
Her stake in Galp is now worth more than €750m .
Ms Dos Santos 's company did offer to repay the Sonangol loan in 2017 .
The repayment offer should have been rejected because it did n't include almost €9m of interest owing .
But Ms Dos Santos was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and she accepted the money as full payment of her own debt .
She was fired six days later and the payment was returned by the new Sonangol management .
Ms Dos Santos says she initiated the purchase of the stake in Galp , and that Sonangol made money from the deal as well .
`` There 's absolutely no wrongdoing in any of those transactions .
This investment is the investment that in history has generated the most benefit for the national oil company and all the contracts that were drafted are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrongdoings . ''
Her lawyers say the repayment offer in 2017 covered what Sonangol had indicated was owed .
It 's a similar story in the diamond industry .
They were supposed to be 50-50 partners in a deal to buy a stake in the Swiss luxury jeweller De Grisogono .
But it was funded by the state company .
The documents show that 18 months after the deal , Sodiam had put $ 79m into the partnership , while Mr Dokolo had only invested $ 4m .
Sodiam also awarded him a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so he did n't have to use any of his own money .
The diamond deal gets even worse for the Angolan people .
The documents reveal how Sodiam borrowed all the cash from a private bank in which Ms Dos Santos is the biggest shareholder .
Sodiam has to pay 9 % interest and the loan was guaranteed by a presidential decree from her father , so Ms Dos Santos 's bank can not lose out .
Bravo da Rosa , the new chief executive of Sodiam , told Panorama that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single dollar back from the deal : `` In the end , when we have finished paying back this loan , Sodiam will have lost more than $ 200m . ''
The former president also gave Ms Dos Santos 's husband the right to buy some of Angola 's raw diamonds .
• Educated in UK , where she currently lives • Reported to be Africa 's richest woman , with a fortune of some $ 2bn • Has stakes in oil and mobile phone companies and banks , mostly in Angola and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were sold at a knockdown price and sources have told Panorama that almost $ 1bn may have been lost .
Ms Dos Santos told the BBC she could n't comment because she was not a shareholder of De Grisogono .
But the leaked documents show that she is described as a shareholder of De Grisogono by her own financial advisers .
Mr Dokolo did put in some money later .
His lawyers say he invested $ 115m and that the takeover of De Grisogono was his idea .
They say his company paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diamonds .
The leaked documents also reveal how Ms Dos Santos bought land from the state in September 2017 .
Once again she only had to pay a small up-front fee .
Her company bought a square kilometre of prime beachfront land in the capital Luanda with the help of presidential decrees signed by her father .
The contract says the land was worth $ 96m , but the documents show her company paid only 5 % of that after agreeing to invest the rest in the development .
Panorama traced some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make way for the Futungo development .
They 've been moved from the Luandan seafront to an isolated housing development 30 miles ( 50km ) from the capital .
Teresa Vissapa lost her business to Ms Dos Santos ' development and is now struggling to bring up her seven children .
She said : `` I only ask God to make her think a little more about our situation .
Maybe she does n't even know it , but we are suffering . ''
Ms Dos Santos declined to comment on the Futungo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only land deal involving Ms Dos Santos that displaced the local population .
About 500 families were evicted from another stretch of the Luandan seafront after Isabel dos Santos got involved in another major redevelopment project .
The families are now living in desperate conditions next to an open sewer .
Some of their shacks are flooded with sewage whenever the tide rises .
Ms Dos Santos says there were n't any evictions linked to her project and that her companies were never paid because the development was cancelled .
The billionaire has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry in Angola .
She acquired a 25 % stake in the country 's biggest mobile phone provider , Unitel .
It was granted a telecoms licence by her father in 1999 and she bought her stake the following year from a high ranking government official .
Unitel has already paid her $ 1bn in dividends and her stake is worth another $ 1bn .
But that 's not the only way she got cash from the private company .
She arranged for Unitel to lend €350m to a new company she set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The company name was misleading because it was n't connected to Unitel and Ms Dos Santos was the owner .
The documents show Ms Dos Santos signed off on the loans as both lender and borrower , which is a blatant conflict of interest .
Ms Dos Santos denied that the loans were corrupt .
She said : `` This loan had both directors ' approval and shareholders ' approval , and it 's a loan that will generate , and has generated , benefit for Unitel . ''
Her lawyers say the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most of the companies involved in the dodgy deals were overseen by accountants working for the financial services company , Price Waterhouse Coopers ( PWC ) .
It 's made millions providing auditing , consultancy and tax advice to her companies .
But PWC has terminated its relationship with the billionaire and her family , after Panorama questioned the way the company had assisted Ms Dos Santos in the deals that had made her rich .
PWC says it is holding an inquiry into the `` very serious and concerning allegations '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Financial Crime and Security Studies , told Panorama that PWC had given legitimacy to Ms Dos Santos and her companies .
`` PWC , if not facilitating the corruption , are providing a veneer of respectability that makes what 's happening acceptable or more acceptable than it might otherwise be .
`` So if I was at PWC I 'd be conducting a pretty thorough audit of what decisions were made , and in hindsight actually : 'Did we make the wrong decision to accept this business and should we have reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' '' PWC says it strives to maintain the highest professional standards and has set expectations for consistent ethical behaviour across its global network .
`` In response to the very serious and concerning allegations that have been raised , we immediately initiated an investigation and are working to thoroughly evaluate the facts and conclude our inquiry .
`` We will not hesitate to take appropriate actions to ensure that we always stand for the very highest standards of behaviour , wherever we operate in the world . ''
Panorama : The Corrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on 20 January .

"So if I was at PWC I'd be conducting a pretty thorough audit of what decisions were made, and in hindsight actually: 'Did we make the wrong decision to accept this business and should we have reported what we had been presented with?'"


bbc--2020-01-19--Harry and Meghan: PM says the country wishes them well for the future

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the whole country will want to wish the Duke and Duchess of Sussex well for the future as they give up royal duties .
It came as the Queen went to church near Sandringham , in her first public appearance since it was announced the couple were giving up their HRH titles .
In her statement yesterday she wished them `` a happy and peaceful new life '' .
But Thomas Markle , Meghan 's father , accused them of `` cheapening '' the Royal Family .
Earlier this month , Prince Harry and Meghan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as 'senior ' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent '' .
It prompted intensive discussions between the prince and other senior royals , led by the Queen .
On Saturday , the Queen and Buckingham Palace announced that they had reached a new arrangement - that the couple would no longer use their HRH titles , receive public funds for royal duties or formally represent the Queen from spring .
• Queen 's statement on Harry and Meghan in full Speaking briefly to reporters at a summit in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been confident the Royal Family would find a way forward for Prince Harry and Meghan , adding : `` I think the whole country will want to join in wishing them the very best for the future . ''
However in comments made for a forthcoming Channel 5 documentary , Meghan 's father , Thomas Markle , accused the couple of `` destroying '' the Royal Family which he called `` one of the greatest long-living institutions ever '' .
`` Every young girl wants to become a princess and she got that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
`` It looks like she 's tossing that away for money . ''
Dickie Arbiter , former press secretary to the Queen , said the new arrangement had turned a crisis for the Royal Family into a `` workable situation '' that was `` the best sort of deal they could have come up with , without totally upsetting the apple cart '' .
Diana Pearl , a former Royal reporter at People , agreed , saying perception of the Royal Family would not ultimately be damaged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cambridge `` look very solid and drama-free after this whole experience - and they really are the future of the family . ''
However Katie Nicholl , Vanity Fair royal correspondent , said Harry and Meghan have won their independence , but the Royal Family has lost their `` very magical and unique brand '' .
• The party prince who carved his own path Who has won ?
, some ask .
Harry and Meghan have got what they want .
And for some that is enough .
Round one to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , much higher than it was originally thought .
The Sussexes and the palace first hoped there might be a way to keep the couple half-in half-out , perhaps with select but high visibility royal duties in and out of the UK .
That 's not happening .
Royal through blood and marriage they will always be .
But professionally Royal , publicly Royal , they no longer are .
They will carry out no duties , no tours , use no royal title .
That Royal part their life - all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is a huge step .
Only Edward VIII went further , and his is a bitter example .
No one has won .
Everyone - family , Crown and country - has lost .
Last year , Prince Harry and Meghan spoke of the difficulties of royal life and media scrutiny , with the duke saying he feared his wife would fall victim to `` the same powerful forces '' that led to his mother 's death .
In her statement on Saturday , the Queen said she was pleased that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ her ] grandson and his family '' had been found .
She said she recognised the `` challenges '' they had experienced `` as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years '' .
Buckingham Palace said the duke and duchess understood that under the new arrangement , they were required to withdraw from royal duties , including official military appointments , but would continue to `` uphold the values of Her Majesty '' .
The duke and duchess intend to repay £2.4m of taxpayer money used for the refurbishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The house in Windsor , for which they will pay rent , will remain their family home as they divide their time between the UK and Canada .
The pair will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations - the duke currently holds 16 patronages , including the Invictus Games Foundation , the Royal Marines and the Rugby Football League ; and the duchess four - the National Theatre , the Association of Commonwealth Universities , London-based animal charity Mayhew , and women 's charity Smart Works .
They will no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His/Her Royal Highness , which is part of the title of some members of the Royal Family .
Some questions about the couple 's future status remain unanswered , including what their tax and immigration status will be in the UK and Canada .
It is not yet known whether Meghan still intends to gain British citizenship , which would entail her spending a certain amount of time in the UK .
Another question is the issue of their security bill when they are in Canada , said David McClure , an expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not keen on picking up the tab , so I 'm sure there will be quite heated discussions between the Canadian government and the British government as to who pays for it , '' he said , adding that the Sussexes might come under pressure to contribute to the cost .
The couple have already begun a transition phase of living in Canada and the UK .
The duchess is in the Commonwealth country with son Archie , where the Sussexes were for six weeks over the festive period .
On Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaigns for teenage girls living in poverty .

But the price is high, much higher than it was originally thought. The Sussexes and the palace first hoped there might be a way to keep the couple half-in half-out, perhaps with select but high visibility royal duties in and out of the UK.