bbcuk--2020-01-18--Guildford pub bombings police 'seize files'

Police investigating the 1974 Guildford pub bombings have `` seized '' archives and may destroy some of them , a memo seen by the BBC has claimed .
The records at Surrey History Centre were gathered by retired officers and deposited by ex-Ch Supt Bob Bartlett .
Correspondence said one file , dated 1967-74 , covering the year of the bombs , had information on wanted people but `` will be destroyed '' on retention .
Surrey Police said no papers had been destroyed and files would be audited .
Five people were killed and 65 injured in the IRA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and spent up to 15 years in jail .
For decades , questions have been asked about the police investigation after no-one else was prosecuted .
Lawyers representing the family of victim Ann Hamilton and survivor Yvonne Tagg in the resumed Guildford pub bombings inquest said if files were being retained , closed or marked for destruction , it raised `` serious concerns '' .
Correspondence given to the BBC said police `` entered the Surrey History Centre to recover any Guildford bombings related material because there is to be an inquest '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ files on 14 November covering both the terror attacks and other `` diverse material '' including retirement certificates , photographs of the Operations Room and pocketbooks , along with information on a rabies alert and disruption in the countryside , without consulting Mr Bartlett , who runs the Surrey Constabulary History website .
It also claimed `` archivists felt compelled to comply with police demands '' and went on to criticise the move as `` over-interpreting the law '' and `` over-zealous '' .
The papers included an appendix setting out reasons given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , citing General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR ) , the Data Protection Act 2018 , Management of Police Information ( MoPI ) , the Public Records Act , the Freedom of Information Act and other guidance .
Files listed as withdrawn included a major incident handbook from the 1970s ; photographs of the interiors and exteriors of the bombed pubs ; and a file dated 1973-75 covering actions in dealing with incendiary devices , which were closed and may now apparently be retained for 100 years .
An open file containing four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war photographer and Fleet Street journalist Terry Fincher was also listed as retained while the force checked whether he was working for them .
Mr Fincher 's daughter , Jayne Barlow , who holds his work in a separate archive , has said he was not working for the police .
Christopher Stanley , from KRW Law , said : `` If files in the public domain which could have any relevance or significance to the pub bombings in Guildford , Woolwich and Birmingham - or the IRA bombing campaign in England between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retained , closed or marked for destruction by the Surrey Police or other agency , then this is cause for serious concern .
`` These files need to be independently assessed for their relevance , if any , to the resumed inquest and other inquiries and investigations which are ongoing or in the future - for example the current live investigation into the Birmingham pub bombings being undertaken by the West Midlands Police . ''
He said material that might have evidential value to answering questions about the Northern Ireland conflict was too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by agencies of the state .
`` The practice represents a corporate culture of secrecy and evasion which robs the relatives of victims of the conflict and survivors of the possibility of truth and reconciliation , '' he said .
This month it also emerged the Home Office had taken more than 700 files out of The National Archives in a move that campaigners said was `` a disgrace '' .
The resumed inquest has also heard Surrey Police destroyed five boxes of police files `` in error '' .
Retired lawyer Alastair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Four , said police had in effect seized private property and the basis they claimed for seizing the files needed to be legally examined .
He said the file covering 1967-74 that was apparently earmarked for destruction could be relevant to the inquest and to the history of the matter of the Guildford bombings , adding : `` There appears to be no public oversight on what is happening . ''
`` That file could point to people other than the Guildford Four as potential culprits - we do n't know , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is if it were to indicate that advance knowledge could have prevented the offences - that would be extremely important to the coroner . ''
On that particular file , the full reason for withdrawal stated in the memo was : `` Breach of GDPR and unknown if any are MoPI 1 .
This information will be destroyed under MoPi guideline when it has reached retention . ''
• What we know about the Guildford pub bombings The total number of files seized is not known but , of those listed as withdrawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on 26 September when it was established many of Mr Bartlett 's files held at the archives were closed .
That request went to the Surrey History Centre but a revised request has since been submitted to Surrey Police to see day book entries from 1974 .
The BBC has been seeking to view first-hand records of police activity on the night of the bombings after hearing claims of a discrepancy in timings by Charles King , whose son Rob , a reporter who went on to work for national newspapers , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosion happened 20 minutes earlier than the time given .
A statement issued by the force said : `` Surrey Police fully recognises the importance of recording information for historical value and works closely with the Surrey History Centre to encourage and support the archiving of material where it is lawful . ''
It said it came to light last summer that alongside material deposited by Surrey Police through an agreed process , other material gathered by retired officers had been submitted directly by a former officer .
The statement said : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Surrey Police should be submitted to the information management team who will assess and identify whether it is suitable for archiving .
`` Submission of material directly to an archive does not satisfy our legal obligations .
As the owner of this material and a data controller , Surrey Police is subject to strict guidelines . ''
Surrey Police met archivists last September to advise them the collection would need to be removed and audited and the centre agreed the removal `` would be done by appointment '' on 14 November , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ material has been destroyed , '' the statement added .
`` It will be audited against the relevant legal guidelines and , where possible , returned to the history centre . ''
It said any material that was still within retention must remain within the possession of Surrey Police .
Surrey County Council , which runs Surrey History Centre , said it was not its place to comment .

Christopher Stanley, from KRW Law, said: "If files in the public domain which could have any relevance or significance to the pub bombings in Guildford, Woolwich and Birmingham - or the IRA bombing campaign in England between 1973 and 1975 generally - are being retained, closed or marked for destruction by the Surrey Police or other agency, then this is cause for serious concern.


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Council probe after workers burn memorial benches in Edinburgh

An investigation is under way amid claims about 70 memorial benches were burned by Edinburgh council workers .
The Edinburgh Evening News reports damaged benches were removed from West Princes Street Gardens and held for more than a year at the Inch depot .
Some of those destroyed were dedicated to Victoria Cross holders , it reported .
A council spokeswoman confirmed a probe had been launched and said `` appropriate action will be taken '' .
A whistleblower claimed managers told staff to burn the benches - after the memorial plaques had been removed - instead of patching them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money .
Until 2018 City of Edinburgh Council was in effect maintaining benches in perpetuity but it decided to end the practice , due to cost , and instead introduce a 20-year maintenance warranty .
A council spokeswoman said : `` We have a very clear policy in place to decommission benches respectfully when they reach the end of their life .
`` This involves storing the benches and plaques and reaching out to donors to discuss future arrangements and this was correctly followed .
`` Standard practice is to recycle the parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and very regrettably this part of the process was not followed .
`` An investigation is under way to understand why this has happened and appropriate action will be taken . ''
Wooden benches cost families £3,925 , while a metal bench costs £1,965 .
Both come with a 20-year warranty .
If a seat is deemed to be damaged beyond repair , the commemorative plaque is removed and stored until it can be returned to the donor , if they wish .
The donor is also contacted and offered the opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wooden model , if the original was in either Princes Street Gardens , Saughton Park or the City Chambers Quadrangle .
In the event of the council being unable to contact a donor , the seat is removed and stored for 12 months .
If the donor does not respond within a year then the bench is decommissioned .
This usually involves it being broken up so any salvageable parts can be recycled .

If a seat is deemed to be damaged beyond repair, the commemorative plaque is removed and stored until it can be returned to the donor, if they wish.


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Claims sonic boom over London and Home Counties 'cracked' windows

Four compensation claims were made after a sonic boom caused by military aircraft `` shook houses '' , the Ministry of Defence ( MoD ) says .
The Royal Air Force Typhoon jets were scrambled to intercept an unresponsive aircraft on 1 December .
The MoD said claims had been made for a cracked ceiling and windows but they were rejected and no compensation paid .
It said there was one claim for a cracked window in Hertfordshire and another in north London , while the claim for a cracked ceiling came from a resident in south London .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detail and location was unknown but the claim was not pursued , it said .
The MoD said after `` due consideration of the facts no compensation payments were agreed '' .
People across parts of the capital and the northern Home Counties said the sonic boom woke them at about 04:20 GMT .
There were reports of houses shaking and police sirens very soon afterwards .
When an aircraft approaches the speed of sound ( 768mph or 1,236km/h ) , the air in front of the nose of a plane builds up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nowhere to escape '' , said Dr Jim Wild of Lancaster University .
A sonic boom would happen when that air `` escaped '' , creating a ripple effect that can be heard on the ground as a loud thunderclap .
It can be heard over such a large area because it moves with the plane , rather like the wake at the bow of a ship spreading out behind the vessel .
London 's Metropolitan Police subsequently confirmed the bang was the result of the RAF aircraft being cleared to go faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jets would only be given permission to go supersonic in emergencies , usually when they were required to intercept another aircraft .
The jets were launched from RAF Coningsby after an aircraft lost communications in UK airspace , a spokeswoman said at the time .
The MoD said military flying training rules did not routinely permit supersonic flight over land in the UK , unless there was an `` operational priority '' .
It said such events were rare however , the RAF `` must continue to robustly secure the UK skies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous world '' .

When an aircraft approaches the speed of sound (768mph or 1,236km/h), the air in front of the nose of a plane builds up a pressure front because it has "nowhere to escape", said Dr Jim Wild of Lancaster University.


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Man on attempted murder charge in Sheffield after boy, 12, shot

Police investigating the shooting of a 12-year-old boy in South Yorkshire have charged a man with attempted murder .
Stephen @ @ @ @ @ boy , an `` innocent bystander '' , was hit in the leg in in @ @ @ @ @ , last Sunday .
Mr Dunford , of Fellbrigg Road , Sheffield is due to @ @ @ @ @ city later .
He was remanded in custody and is also accused of being in @ @ @ @ @ intent to endanger life .
The boy , who remains in a stable condition in @ @ @ @ @ a wound to his left thigh .
He was injured when a gun was fired @ @ @ @ @ at about 15:45 GMT , South Yorkshire Police said .
The victim was with three @ @ @ @ @ 15 and 16 , when he was injured outside a sandwich shop in Northern Avenue @ @ @ @ @ Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news @ bbc.co.uk .

He was remanded in custody and is also accused of being in possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Bury FC: The football fans without a team

When Bury FC was expelled from the English Football League in August 2019 , its supporters were left with no team to follow and a hole in their Saturday afternoons .
Many have found it too painful to watch any football since .
But they hope the club can somehow be revived .
Photographer Madeleine Penfold has been following them .
Every other Saturday , Kenny Hindle would leave his sheltered housing , take the bus into town , go for a pint and then watch the team he has supported for more than 70 years .
Not any more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ football in August after the collapse of a takeover bid and its failure to provide financial guarantees .
`` What do you do without bloody football ? ''
says Hindle , who is 78 .
`` Bit boring when you just watch TV . ''
Kenny is n't alone in feeling bereft .
The new MP for Bury North , James Daly , used his maiden speech in the House of Commons to say the loss of football at Bury FC `` has increased social isolation '' and that some supporters `` no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over a lifetime '' .
When the turnstiles closed for the last time at Bury 's ground , Gigg Lane , fans left shirts , scarves , flags and messages outside .
Some of them are inscribed with the words `` Dale out '' - a reference to the deeply unpopular owner who bought the club for a £1 and did n't pay the players for weeks on end .
For fans who have a long relationship with the club , it 's difficult seeing Gigg Lane lie empty .
Joy Hart , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chained herself to a drainpipe outside the stadium during protests in August last year .
Her father , Les - a former Bury player and manager - has a stand named after him , and she has faith that Bury FC will rise from the ashes .
She says , `` I think we will all come together , and that 's all we need for Gigg Lane to rise again . ''
No football will be played at Gigg Lane this season but the company that owns the club has not yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has worked at Bury FC - nicknamed the Shakers - for over three decades , continues to keep the pitch match-ready .
Without football on Saturday afternoons , many of the pubs around Gigg Lane began to suffer financially , because supporters were no longer meeting there for drinks before and after matches .
Some fans came up with a plan - Saturday afternoon meet-ups at three of the pubs and clubs that have suffered the most , with recordings of old Bury matches played on the screens and memories shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gigg Lane is Daphne 's Cafe .
When the players trained nearby they came to Daphne 's for their breakfasts .
These days Debra Melia runs a quieter cafe , with the main morning trade coming from students at the local college .
Former club photographer Zoe Hitchen put together an exhibition in Manchester celebrating the club 's 134-year-history from the point of view of the fans .
She wanted to hold it because she felt `` the true value of Bury FC - which is people and community - has been forgotten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care because that football club was my extended family . ''
In October 2019 some fans organised a fundraising match between former players which took place at nearby Radcliffe FC .
The teams were led on to the pitch by Kenny Hindle .
The match was sold out and raised over £14,000 to revive the club - either to support any buyer who came forward to purchase the existing Bury FC , or to set up a new , `` phoenix '' side .
A new club , named Bury AFC after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ join the North West Counties League .
They are looking into ground-sharing for the 2020-21 season and hope , eventually , to play at Gigg Lane .
Dominic Martinez is a project manager by profession .
In recent months he has been one of the volunteers devoting any available time to setting up the phoenix club .
`` I could live without Bury football club for the rest of my life , I 've got the memories , I 've been to Wembley , I 've seen championships , '' he says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next generation : `` My son is never going to have that unless I do something . ''
Four hundred fans came to Bury Town Hall in December to hear about options for the future of football in Bury .
They were told that a consortium was in talks to buy the club from its current owner .
Entrepreneur Robert Benwell outlined his plan if the current club goes into liquidation .
Chris Murray from the phoenix club said : `` We 've ensured that there will at least be some football @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Byron Rudravajhala was born on the day in January 2019 that Bury came back from 3-1 down to beat MK Dons 4-3 , when both teams were still playing in League Two .
His dad , Sanny , managed to take his son to one game before the club stopped playing .
He says : `` One thing I really was looking forward to as a new dad was taking my son to the football .
Hopefully that can happen again in the future . ''
You may also be interested in ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means to them to have been left without a team , and why they 're determined to fight for something that `` brings people together '' .
Bury Football Club 's fans fight to keep their club alive

Byron Rudravajhala was born on the day in January 2019 that Bury came back from 3-1 down to beat MK Dons 4-3, when both teams were still playing in League Two. His dad, Sanny, managed to take his son to one game before the club stopped playing. He says: "One thing I really was looking forward to as a new dad was taking my son to the football. Hopefully that can happen again in the future."


bbcuk--2020-01-18--My 'butterfly skin' could kill me but I want to raise awareness for others

`` I get asked a lot if I feel like I 'm on borrowed time ...
I definitely do n't - it 's my own .
And I 'm going to use it to the best of my capabilities . ''
Lucy Beal Lott is 20 and lives with a rare condition called epidermolysis bullosa ( EB ) .
It means her skin can tear and blister at even the slightest touch , and Lucy often has to bandage up painful wounds .
Young people with EB are sometimes called `` butterfly children '' because their skin is fragile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The question I get asked quite a bit online is : 'Does it hurt ? '
And I 'm like , ' I mean , yeah .
Open wounds can be quite painful ' , '' she says .
`` Right now , I also have a large open wound on my ankle , and I can really feel that . ''
It can also affect Lucy internally - for example , she had to have multiple throat surgeries during her teen years to treat scar tissue .
People with the condition can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which means Lucy inherited it and it ca n't be caught .
There is no known cure .
It is estimated that more than 5,000 people are living with EB in the UK , and 500,000 worldwide .
Lucy , who is originally from Austin , Texas , is currently studying at St Andrews University in Scotland .
She says her EB was first diagnosed when she was born without skin in some places on her body .
`` They knew that something was really wrong whenever a nurse removed a monitor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire patch of skin away with it , '' she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat .
'It 's like my shadow' '' EB grew up with me like my shadow , '' says Lucy .
`` I learned the name of my condition and the word 'terminal ' around the same time I learned my own name . ''
But far from allowing her condition to define her life in a negative way , Lucy has taken the opposite approach .
She 's become a positive voice for fellow sufferers and has helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving a Ted talk and has just finished her first novel - all while she 's still been studying .
She attributes her drive to the fact that her condition led to her missing school as a child .
`` I loved school .
I was that weird kid .
I 'd get so upset that I had to miss out on learning , '' she says .
`` I saw that the only thing EB could n't limit for me was my ability to learn . ''
Lucy also posts pictures of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a great way to connect with other people living with a wide range of skin conditions .
`` It 's hard enough being a teenager but being one that looks different is very , very hard , '' she says .
`` So if a teenager can see someone who looks like them in the media , it can really help . ''
Now , she gets messages from people around the world who have visible skin conditions like hers .
`` I wake up every day with people telling me : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart so full . ''
'They are an amazing group of people' Lucy 's attitude is n't unique among the EB community , according to Caroline Collins , who 's the director of research at EB charity Debra .
`` They are some of the most positive and forward-looking young people I have ever met , '' she says .
`` When I look at how many of them are going through school , going to university , having careers and living the best life that they possibly can in the face of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honest .
They are an amazing group of people . ''
But the fact of EB is that it shortens people 's lives .
There are three main types .
The form of the condition that Lucy lives with is recessive dystrophic EB , where the symptoms range from mild to severe .
The more extreme form of the condition - called junctional EB - is the rarest .
Caroline is leading a meeting , which Lucy will also attend , with other EB specialists from around the world in London next week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind .
`` We 've come a long way in the last few years , '' says Caroline `` but more research needs to be done .
Since it 's a genetic condition , you may end up having some sort of genetic treatment - and those treatments are in their infancy , '' she adds .
`` For certain types of EB , it can be fatal within weeks or months , '' says Caroline .
`` Other young people may go on and live through their teens and 20s , into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Lucy right now , it 's all about focusing on the future .
She 's got what seems like an endless list of goals : `` I hope to do much more for awareness this year .
I have a lot of internships to apply for and I hope to get my masters soon as well . ''
`` If it were up to me , I would just go to school forever . ''
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .

"When I look at how many of them are going through school, going to university, having careers and living the best life that they possibly can in the face of adversity, I'm astonished to be honest. They are an amazing group of people."


bbcuk--2020-01-17--Harry and Meghan: The big question Canadians have about move

Many Canadians have an affection for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex .
But one big question is hanging over the shock news of the couple 's part-time relocation to Canada - what will it cost ?
There has been plenty of chatter in Canada since Prince Harry and Meghan said they would be stepping back as senior royals and spending part of their time in North America .
The duchess is spending time on Canada 's west coast with their infant son as the couple flesh out the details of their move away from their role as full-time royals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the main preoccupation hovering over the royal couple 's decision to spend part of their time in Canada comes down to who will foot the bill - especially if they are spending the bulk of their time as private citizens .
Some have outright rejected the idea of the public shouldering any costs for the couple .
The leader of the Bloc Quebecois - a federal party that represents the interests of Quebec , a province where attitudes towards the monarchy tend to be frostier than in the rest of Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay a dime .
Yves-Francois Blanchet quipped he was already paying for a Netflix subscription , where he could watch The Crown , a drama about Queen Elizabeth II 's reign .
He is not alone in not wanting to fork out any cash .
A public opinion poll released this week by the non-profit Angus Reid Institute indicated that 73 % of Canadians have no interest in paying any of the costs for security and other expenditures associated with their relocation .
`` This view is consistent across demographic groups including age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the organisation said in a release .
Just 3 % of respondents told the pollster that Canadians should pick up the tab for security and other necessary costs , and 19 % said they were fine with paying a portion of the bill .
• Dividing time in two countries ?
How I make it work The Canadian Taxpayers Federation , a taxpayer advocacy group , says the current debate over who should ante up for costs related to the members of the monarchy is different from those that regularly bubble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a constitutional monarchy - its head of state is Queen Elizabeth II - and things like Royal tours and the office of the Governor General , who is the Queen 's representative in Canada , are paid for by the public purse .
`` Normally when we get into debates about the cost of the monarchy in this country there 's a pretty clear line - people who are monarchists and people who are small ' r ' republicans , '' says Aaron Wudrick , the organisation 's federal director .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` changed the dynamic '' .
`` The distinction is a bit like a friend who comes over for dinner and you 're happy to prepare their meal versus them deciding they 're going to move in and still expecting you to cook for them all the time , '' he said .
• Why Meghan and Harry have Canada in their sights • Harry and Meghan step back : What will happen next ?
`` I think that 's how a lot of Canadians see this .
I actually do n't think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's a general view that people who have a lot of means and the capacity to pay for themselves should be doing it . ''
The duke and duchess themselves have not said they expect Canadians to pick up the tab , Mr Wudrick notes , and federal officials have admitted it 's not clear yet how costs may be divided - or what those costs would be .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told broadcaster Global News this week that `` there 's still a lot of decisions to be taken by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves as to what level of engagement they choose to have '' .
The question of security costs is `` part of the reflection that needs to be had and there are discussions going on '' , he said .
So while the Queen has agreed to the couple 's wish to step back as senior royals , become financially independent and to split their time between the UK and Canada , the details of the transition are still being worked out .
Mr Wudrick says that `` in the interests of settling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tempest in a teapot - it would be helpful if the duke and duchess could provide some clarity on what their expectations are '' .
• Why Meghan Markle gets compared to Princess Diana • Where do Prince Harry and Meghan get their money ?
John Michaelson , with the Monarchist League of Canada , agrees answers should come sooner rather than later .
Most Canadians do n't spend much time thinking about the Royal Family or their official role in Canada , he says , and the benefits of the institution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of community , ceremonial , and constitutional engagements the family and the Queen 's representatives there carry out annually across the country .
The league have released regular reports on costs related to the Canadian Crown for the past 20 years `` to try and bring the point home that this is something that we get great benefit from and it does n't cost a great deal '' , he said .
The tally is approximately C $ 1.68 ( $ 1.29 ; £0.99 ) a year per Canadian for the general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their most recent study .
Mr Michaelson says Prince Harry and Meghan 's relocation is also an opportunity for the pair to deepen their engagement with organisations like the Prince 's Trust Canada , a charitable endeavour established by Prince of Wales in 2011 .
Meanwhile , a columnist with the National Post newspaper said the debate over the likely negligible relative cost of protecting direct close relations to Canada 's head of state `` has revealed one of the ugliest elements of the Canadian national character '' .
`` It 's true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cheapskates , '' wrote Matt Gurney .
Richard Powers , with Toronto 's Rotman School of Management , told the BBC that Canada could see some economic benefits from having the famous couple in the country , primarily in the non-profit sector .
Both Prince Harry and Meghan have said they are interested in continuing with their charity work , with the duchess visiting two Vancouver-based women 's organisations this week .
But Mr Wudrick dismisses the idea that doing charitable works should be enough to open the public purse strings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-sports player with a lot of money moved here and they donate to charity and they do good things , they [ still ] pay for themselves , '' he said .

Most Canadians don't spend much time thinking about the Royal Family or their official role in Canada, he says, and the benefits of the institution are often hidden from view - the thousands of community, ceremonial, and constitutional engagements the family and the Queen's representatives there carry out annually across the country.


bbcuk--2020-01-17--Rough Trade: We're selling more records than ever

At the Rough Trade East record shop in London 's Brick Lane , a man dressed as a giant hot dog is on stage introducing a song .
`` Put your hands up if you 're afraid of spiders , '' says frontman Murray Matravers of fast-rising band Easy Life , before launching into one of their typically quirky compositions .
Easy Life 's in-store live appearance has attracted a throng of enthusiastic teenage fans , all clutching newly purchased copies of their new album , Junk Food .
The majority of the audience pre-ordered the album online and admission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price .
Perhaps you thought young people did n't buy records and CDs ?
Or that streaming is killing the physical album ?
Well , welcome to the new reality of music retail .
`` The idea that physical and digital are incompatible , I think , is outdated , '' says the shop 's assistant manager , Alex Bailey .
`` We 're selling more records now than we ever have . ''
Rather than seeing digital music as the enemy , Rough Trade embraces podcasts and playlists , keeps a keen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its stores as community hubs .
The Rough Trade Edit podcast , newly launched in the past week , is billed as `` your first stop for new music '' , featuring staff picks , recommended albums and guest appearances by bands .
Customers who visit Rough Trade shops are also invited to sign up to its Rough Trade Edit playlist on the Apple Music platform .
`` This is a world-first streaming and vinyl retailer partnership , showing how the two formats are symbiotic , complementary , benefiting artists and audiences alike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephen Godfroy .
`` We proudly and warmly endorse streaming as an affordable way to discover and enjoy music , it being very much a driver of vinyl sales , '' he adds .
`` If someone develops a love for a recording , the best way to cherish that is to follow up the discovery by owning and enjoying it on vinyl . ''
Thanks to a mini-tour of Rough Trade shops , including the chain 's outlets in Bristol and Nottingham , Easy Life have sold enough physical albums to earn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ albums of the week .
And many of the people singing along with the band 's songs at Rough Trade East have travelled specially to London for the performance .
Receptionist Conor Austin and waitress Rebecca Foulger have come up to town for the day from their home town of Sandwich , in Kent .
Conor , 18 , explains that he got a record player for Christmas and is keen to expand his vinyl collection , even though he has Spotify on his phone .
`` I think it sounds different , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he says .
Rebecca , 17 , bought the CD to listen to in her car .
`` I do n't have Spotify Premium , so I get all the ads , '' she says .
`` It 's easier to have just CDs . ''
• UK music consumption grows for fifth year in a row As the runner-up artists in the BBC 's Sound of 2020 poll , Easy Life are still building their fanbase , and Murray Matravers , speaking before donning his hot dog suit , sees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do it .
`` People go to Rough Trade just to see what 's happening , and nine times out of 10 , they curate a really good record , '' he says .
`` In this shop , there will be at least 20 or 30 people who have no idea who we are and who are hearing us for the first time . ''
Stephen Godfroy recalls that when he opened the Rough Trade East store in 2007 , many people thought it was `` commercial suicide '' .
The MP3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decisive blow to physical music formats and many record shops were closing down .
But more than a decade later , business is booming .
`` I 'm pleased to say that Rough Trade is positively thriving , with our like-for-like 2019 UK sales up 25 % overall , '' says Mr Godfroy .
Vinyl is Rough Trade 's top seller these days , accounting for three-quarters of all sales .
`` Rough Trade can represent 75 % of total release week vinyl sales for a top 10 UK album chart entry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Mr Godfroy adds .
Even so , Rough Trade East 's Alex Bailey says CDs still have their market .
`` We 've got a few customers that will come in without fail every Friday and buy a pile of CDs , '' he says .
`` I notice that more than with people coming in to get vinyl releases .
CDs are still a viable product , 100 % . ''
Rough Trade seems to be riding high at the moment , but can its success last ?
Mr Godfroy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not emblematic of wider music retail '' and that the chain occupies a `` unique position '' in a `` very cautious , very fragmented , very distorted '' retail climate .
But according to music industry observer Graham Jones , of Proper Music , who has written two books about record shops and the vinyl revival , Rough Trade is still the benchmark by which other shops are judged .
After the publication of his book Last Shop Standing , Mr Jones says he was approached by a number of people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record shop .
`` My advice was always , 'go and visit some other shops , ' '' he says .
`` But the one I always advised them to visit was Rough Trade .
As a model , they 're the best .
They 're the ones you should definitely seek out before you open a record shop . ''
In Mr Jones 's view , Rough Trade has flourished because `` they 've managed to stay fashionable - they 're an independent brand that music fans like to be associated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virgin Records in the 1970s enjoyed similar cachet as a hip place to go before it expanded and lost that insider status .
As long as Rough Trade has its integrity , its place in people 's affections seems assured .
But credibility is hard to win and easy to lose - a truth that must surely weigh on Mr Godfroy 's mind as he steers Rough Trade Retail through a changing music industry landscape .

"People go to Rough Trade just to see what's happening, and nine times out of 10, they curate a really good record," he says. "In this shop, there will be at least 20 or 30 people who have no idea who we are and who are hearing us for the first time."


bbcuk--2020-01-17--Q School: PDC tour spot is prize for builders, warehouse workers & ex-world champions

`` It 's only a game .
It 's not real life , it 's la-la land . ''
There is a row of jauntily angled people with names on their luminous shirts like Hillbilly , Bad Medicine and Sonic Boom Boy .
We are in a leisure centre next to a Next store on the outskirts of Wigan .
The huge hall normally houses four indoor tennis courts .
Today it is covered in carpet , with 32 temporary blue cubicles around the edge .
Each contains a number , board , scorer and oche .
Welcome to darts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competitors from 17 countries , including Australia , Brazil and the United States .
Darts will be thrown more than 400,000 times at this four-day flinging festival .
Scott Mitchell is among those taking a shot at glory - with coveted cards for the main Professional Darts Corporation ( PDC ) tour on offer .
He may call it la-la land , but knows there is a lot at stake - this is a potential pathway to a better life .
'Scotty Dog ' is a beef farmer and freelance landscape gardener , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ village to compete here - a week after reaching the semi-finals in the lower-profile BDO World Championship , where he won the title five years ago .
`` With a card , it takes you into the top 128 and you play on the pro tour so you can test yourself against the best in the world , '' said the Dorset dartist , 49 .
`` If I got to being a 60-year-old man and had n't come to Q School and tried , there would have been a little piece of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missing . ''
Mitchell was discovered through the BDO structure of county organisations and had not told his father , a staunch supporter of darts ' original governing body , that he was contemplating a switch before he died in October .
The decision felt more comfortable as this year 's BDO tournament suffered a cut in prize money after poor ticket sales when it was moved from the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green , Surrey - its home for 34 years - to the Indigo at London 's O2 .
BDO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed from the £100,000 Mitchell and other recent winners had received .
Peter 'Snakebite ' Wright collected £500,000 for winning the PDC version at Alexandra Palace just under a fortnight earlier .
`` Even as a semi-finalist I 'm not in profit , but at the end of the day I kind of knew that before we went , '' said Mitchell , who earned £5,000 this time .
BDO runner-up Jim Williams , two-time champion Scott Waites and previous finalists Tony O'Shea and Andy Hamilton are all competing in Wigan .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School hopefuls snakes out of the front door of the Robin Park Tennis Centre , opposite Wigan Athletic FC 's DW Stadium .
It is only a few degrees Celsius outside , but that is no bother to players in their short-sleeved shirts .
Some arrive with rucksacks , others just carrying a beer towel and their darts case .
One is reading the book `` Inner Engineering : A yogi 's guide to joy '' .
It takes all sorts .
Every morning at 10:30 , there is a random draw .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greaves , who reached the BDO women 's semi-finals on her 16th birthday , as she loses her opening best-of-nine-leg match to Brisbane Masters champion Damon Heta .
Beau will be back .
She has n't even taken her GCSEs yet .
Keane Barry , a year older , is another early loser with time on his side .
He beat Leighton Bennett , 14 , to win the world youth title at the O2 and has dreamed of hitting the darting big time .
`` When lads were at school saying I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wanted to be a professional darts player , '' said Irish player Barry , who is nicknamed 'Dynamite ' .
`` They laughed at the start but later on they realised I had a talent and saw the crowds on TV and respected it . ''
This is darts in its simplest form .
No big shouts of `` one hundreeeeeeed and eighteeey '' , just the gentle thud of tungsten hitting the target , more snooker 's hushed Crucible than the Ally Pally hullabaloo .
It 's friendly too .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walks out to One Step Beyond at tournaments , a veteran well versed in the madness of the darts circuit .
Meanwhile , the self-styled 'Gingerami ' earns the biggest cheer of the day - his total PDC prize money is £50 after all - as he claims a surprise 5-0 opening win .
He 's Nathan Richards , a 21-year-old from Peterborough who works in a warehouse , but is perhaps a bit too wired after his triumph .
There is talk of sambucas before he stumbles to defeat in his next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fallon Sherrock - the new golden girl of darts who needs to keep hydrated because of a kidney condition .
She is one of a record 16 female participants , joining multiple BDO women 's world champions Mikuru Suzuki and Lisa Ashton .
Sherrock made headlines around the world when becoming the first woman to beat a man at the PDC World Championship .
The 25-year-old from Milton Keynes then defeated the 11th seed , but is keen to show she is not a two-hit wonder .
`` I want to play week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men , '' said the former mobile hairdresser , whose pink flights match her pink top .
She wins three matches , including an impressive 5-4 defeat of friend Paul Nicholson , which boasted a very solid three-dart average of 93 and a 131 checkout .
`` That game gave me confidence as it proves I can hit the averages .
Now I can go in all guns blazing .
I 'm really determined to prove a point , '' said Sherrock .
`` I know I 've probably got a massive target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to be better , to beat me .
But I 'm just going to take it in my stride , and whatever they throw at me , I 'm going to try and throw back , and see how it goes . ''
While only a handful of spectators watch some matches , there are 30 or 40 craning their necks to check her scores .
She is beaten in her fourth match but has won points which could count at the end of four days .
`` When I walked in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cuddles , people shaking my hand .
That was really nice , '' she said .
But it is Ashton who nearly created history on Friday night , narrowly missing out on becoming the first woman to win a tour card .
After defeating seven men in succession during the day , she lost 5-4 to Hong Kong 's Kai Fan Leung in the last four .
Ashton remains a front-runner for qualification , which would make her eligible to enter 30 Players Championship events , each with a top prize of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the razzamatazz of the cameras of Premier League and World Championship darts that John Part and Peter Manley were once used to .
Canadian Part , or 'Darth Maple ' to darts connoisseurs , is a three-time world champion now aged 53 but willing to chance his arm at Q School .
He brings his own dartboard to practise on in his hotel room .
`` If you 're in the World Championship , that 's a one-off for three weeks .
It 's a lot easier to tackle than looking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` The PDC main tour has become a whole different beast .
It will chew you up and spit you out if you 're not absolutely at your best . ''
While one `` hopeful '' could only muster a three-dart average of 30 , many are in the 80s and 90s with a Friday qualifier , Ashton 's conqueror Kai Fan Leung , hitting 107.4 at one stage .
'One Dart ' Manley , who earned his nickname through clinical finishing , is busier tidying up paperwork these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Players ' Association , although he may enter qualifying on Sunday .
`` Unfortunately we get a lot of wives and family members who think their husband , brother or whatever is so good at darts , they pay for their entry as a Christmas present , '' said Manley .
`` They tend to believe they 're the best , because they 've won the Wednesday night singles , they think they 're the bees ' knees .
But this is a different level . ''
Manley does not begrudge the prize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even if he never quite realised his own ambition of becoming a millionaire .
`` When you hear a top darts player now , European Tour , £25,000 for the winner , turn round and say , ' I do n't need to go to that one . '
That 's just phenomenal , that 's how the game was grown , '' he said .
One of Thursday 's two automatic qualifiers was 47-year-old builder Jason Lowe , who almost did not even enter .
`` I 'm totally shocked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was 2pm and I entered at half past one , '' said Lowe , of Cradley Heath in the West Midlands .
`` I 've come here with no illusions of doing well but everybody 's got a chance , have n't they ?
My eldest , Lawson , is 15 and he 's darts mad - he 'll love this .
I 'm looking forward to playing the big boys . ''
The other automatic spot in Wigan went to Gary Blades .
No special shirt , no nickname , no idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the golden ticket , '' said the 39-year-old from Lincoln , a planner for Anglian Water .
`` Two years where you 're not paying entry fees , you 're going around the country , hopefully around the world eventually .
`` You are playing the best players , it can only make you better .
Imagine drawing Michael van Gerwen , Peter Wright , Gerwyn Price , Gary Anderson or Rob Cross and beating them .
I 'm going to have to practise a lot . ''

Fallon Sherrock posed for a photo during a break in practice
"It's only a game. It's not real life, it's la-la land."
There is a row of jauntily angled people with names on their luminous shirts like Hillbilly, Bad Medicine and Sonic Boom Boy.
We are in a leisure centre next to a Next store on the outskirts of Wigan. The huge hall normally houses four indoor tennis courts. Today it is covered in carpet, with 32 temporary blue cubicles around the edge. Each contains a number, board, scorer and oche. Welcome to darts' Q School.
There are 506 competitors from 17 countries, including Australia, Brazil and the United States. Darts will be thrown more than 400,000 times at this four-day flinging festival.
Scott Mitchell is among those taking a shot at glory - with coveted cards for the main Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tour on offer. He may call it la-la land, but knows there is a lot at stake - this is a potential pathway to a better life.
'Scotty Dog' is a beef farmer and freelance landscape gardener, who has left his flooded New Forest village to compete here - a week after reaching the semi-finals in the lower-profile BDO World Championship, where he won the title five years ago.
Mitchell bought a tractor for the family farm with his prize money after winning the BDO world title in 2015
"With a card, it takes you into the top 128 and you play on the pro tour so you can test yourself against the best in the world," said the Dorset dartist, 49.
"If I got to being a 60-year-old man and hadn't come to Q School and tried, there would have been a little piece of my darting life that would have been missing."
Mitchell was discovered through the BDO structure of county organisations and had not told his father, a staunch supporter of darts' original governing body, that he was contemplating a switch before he died in October.
The decision felt more comfortable as this year's BDO tournament suffered a cut in prize money after poor ticket sales when it was moved from the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey - its home for 34 years - to the Indigo at London's O2.
BDO champion Wayne Warren received £23,000 - far removed from the £100,000 Mitchell and other recent winners had received. Peter 'Snakebite' Wright collected £500,000 for winning the PDC version at Alexandra Palace just under a fortnight earlier.
"Even as a semi-finalist I'm not in profit, but at the end of the day I kind of knew that before we went," said Mitchell, who earned £5,000 this time.
BDO runner-up Jim Williams, two-time champion Scott Waites and previous finalists Tony O'Shea and Andy Hamilton are all competing in Wigan.
What is Q School? Entries: 853 - including 16 women, playing for 31 two-year tour cards (£450 entry) Wigan: 20 tour cards - both "finalists" on each day and 12 from an order of merit Venues: UK - 500+ at Wigan, Lancashire; Germany - 300+ in Hildesheim Germany: 11 tour cards - winner each day and seven from order of merit
At 08:30 GMT, the queue of Q School hopefuls snakes out of the front door of the Robin Park Tennis Centre, opposite Wigan Athletic FC's DW Stadium.
It is only a few degrees Celsius outside, but that is no bother to players in their short-sleeved shirts. Some arrive with rucksacks, others just carrying a beer towel and their darts case. One is reading the book "Inner Engineering: A yogi's guide to joy". It takes all sorts.
Every morning at 10:30, there is a random draw. It is tough for teenage star Beau Greaves, who reached the BDO women's semi-finals on her 16th birthday, as she loses her opening best-of-nine-leg match to Brisbane Masters champion Damon Heta. Beau will be back. She hasn't even taken her GCSEs yet.
Keane Barry, a year older, is another early loser with time on his side. He beat Leighton Bennett, 14, to win the world youth title at the O2 and has dreamed of hitting the darting big time.
"When lads were at school saying I want to be a professional footballer, I wanted to be a professional darts player," said Irish player Barry, who is nicknamed 'Dynamite'.
"They laughed at the start but later on they realised I had a talent and saw the crowds on TV and respected it."
Gingerami, The Miracle and The Hammer are just some of the darts nicknames
This is darts in its simplest form. No big shouts of "one hundreeeeeeed and eighteeey", just the gentle thud of tungsten hitting the target, more snooker's hushed Crucible than the Ally Pally hullabaloo.
It's friendly too. A cheery hello from Daryl Fitton, who walks out to One Step Beyond at tournaments, a veteran well versed in the madness of the darts circuit.
Meanwhile, the self-styled 'Gingerami' earns the biggest cheer of the day - his total PDC prize money is £50 after all - as he claims a surprise 5-0 opening win.
He's Nathan Richards, a 21-year-old from Peterborough who works in a warehouse, but is perhaps a bit too wired after his triumph. There is talk of sambucas before he stumbles to defeat in his next match.
It's water only for Fallon Sherrock - the new golden girl of darts who needs to keep hydrated because of a kidney condition.
She is one of a record 16 female participants, joining multiple BDO women's world champions Mikuru Suzuki and Lisa Ashton.
Sherrock made headlines around the world when becoming the first woman to beat a man at the PDC World Championship. The 25-year-old from Milton Keynes then defeated the 11th seed, but is keen to show she is not a two-hit wonder.
"I want to play week in, week out with these quality men," said the former mobile hairdresser, whose pink flights match her pink top.
She wins three matches, including an impressive 5-4 defeat of friend Paul Nicholson, which boasted a very solid three-dart average of 93 and a 131 checkout.
"That game gave me confidence as it proves I can hit the averages. Now I can go in all guns blazing. I'm really determined to prove a point," said Sherrock.
"I know I've probably got a massive target on my back now, because everyone wants to be better, to beat me. But I'm just going to take it in my stride, and whatever they throw at me, I'm going to try and throw back, and see how it goes."
While only a handful of spectators watch some matches, there are 30 or 40 craning their necks to check her scores. She is beaten in her fourth match but has won points which could count at the end of four days.
"When I walked in, I had a lot of congratulations, cuddles, people shaking my hand. That was really nice," she said.
But it is Ashton who nearly created history on Friday night, narrowly missing out on becoming the first woman to win a tour card.
After defeating seven men in succession during the day, she lost 5-4 to Hong Kong's Kai Fan Leung in the last four.
Ashton remains a front-runner for qualification, which would make her eligible to enter 30 Players Championship events, each with a top prize of £10,000.
Fallon Sherrock: 'I've just proved you wrong!'
It is a far cry from the razzamatazz of the cameras of Premier League and World Championship darts that John Part and Peter Manley were once used to.
Canadian Part, or 'Darth Maple' to darts connoisseurs, is a three-time world champion now aged 53 but willing to chance his arm at Q School. He brings his own dartboard to practise on in his hotel room.
"If you're in the World Championship, that's a one-off for three weeks. It's a lot easier to tackle than looking at a whole block of absolute quality," he said.
"The PDC main tour has become a whole different beast. It will chew you up and spit you out if you're not absolutely at your best."
While one "hopeful" could only muster a three-dart average of 30, many are in the 80s and 90s with a Friday qualifier, Ashton's conqueror Kai Fan Leung, hitting 107.4 at one stage.
'One Dart' Manley, who earned his nickname through clinical finishing, is busier tidying up paperwork these days as chairman of the Professional Darts Players' Association, although he may enter qualifying on Sunday.
"Unfortunately we get a lot of wives and family members who think their husband, brother or whatever is so good at darts, they pay for their entry as a Christmas present," said Manley.
"They tend to believe they're the best, because they've won the Wednesday night singles, they think they're the bees' knees. But this is a different level."
Manley does not begrudge the prize money earned by today's top players, even if he never quite realised his own ambition of becoming a millionaire.
"When you hear a top darts player now, European Tour, £25,000 for the winner, turn round and say, 'I don't need to go to that one.' That's just phenomenal, that's how the game was grown," he said.
Joy for journeymen players
One of Thursday's two automatic qualifiers was 47-year-old builder Jason Lowe, who almost did not even enter.
"I'm totally shocked. It was last minute - the deadline was 2pm and I entered at half past one," said Lowe, of Cradley Heath in the West Midlands.
"I've come here with no illusions of doing well but everybody's got a chance, haven't they? My eldest, Lawson, is 15 and he's darts mad - he'll love this. I'm looking forward to playing the big boys."
The other automatic spot in Wigan went to Gary Blades. No special shirt, no nickname, no idea he would win through.
"It is the golden ticket," said the 39-year-old from Lincoln, a planner for Anglian Water.
"Two years where you're not paying entry fees, you're going around the country, hopefully around the world eventually.
"You are playing the best players, it can only make you better. Imagine drawing Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price, Gary Anderson or Rob Cross and beating them. I'm going to have to practise a lot."


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Transport for Wales lost property: The things we leave on trains

If you have ever lost anything on a train in Wales the chances are Gill Miles has it .
She is on a mission to reunite passengers with their lost property from her small , packed office .
Among the items she has recovered are urns of cremated ashes , war medals , adult toys and a boat rudder - as well as mobile phones , passports and bags .
More than 800 items are reported lost each month on Transport for Wales trains - those found end up in Newport .
While she admits the bulk of her work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on finding the owners of everyday items like bags and coats , she has also been called in to find homes for more exotic items too .
`` I 've been asked to find if I had a prize pigeon because he 'd lost it on the train , '' Gill recalled .
`` I had an ostrich egg that was patterned .
That was lovely .
We found that .
`` You 'd be surprised , these little things - and it 's unique to those people - and they really want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , items are checked and the challenge is on - can Gill find their owners ?
`` You 're like a detective really trying to find out the most about the customer as possible , '' said Gill .
`` When it comes in I check against the log that they 've sent me and we tag it up and find out what 's inside . ''
They are then placed on to a database before being archived on the packed shelves of Gill 's office for 12 weeks .
Any longer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Around 30 % of items are reunited with their owners with the rest donated to charity .
Given the range of passengers that use the trains , matching up lost items can be a truly international project for Gill , who joined the railway in 2006 .
She regularly delivers suitcases overseas to tourists who left them behind - with postage arranged as far away as Australia , Canada and the United States .
But as well as the everyday items there are some that have become a personal passion for Gill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with no means of identification .
For the things she can send home though there comes a real satisfaction in reuniting passengers with possessions they often feared had gone forever .
`` If I can see a smile on their face it puts a smile on mine and I think well , I 've done my job and I 've done my duty .
`` Every day I go home and I think I 've done something good today . ''

While she admits the bulk of her work at the city's railway station centres on finding the owners of everyday items like bags and coats, she has also been called in to find homes for more exotic items too.


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Is Scotland leading the way on climate change?

A major UN climate conference will take place in Glasgow later this year and the spotlight will fall on Scotland 's efforts to deal with climate change .
The Scottish government has set itself a legally-binding target to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2045 , five years ahead of the date set for the UK as a whole .
The Scottish government says its targets are `` the toughest anywhere in the world '' .
Are they the most ambitious in the world ?
They are certainly among the most ambitious .
However , other countries - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed legislation with the same goal .
Sweden did so two years before Scotland , and it has also set milestones along the way .
But Scotland 's targets are more ambitious and include emissions from aviation and shipping .
They also do n't rely on international credits , which is where countries can pay for emissions to be reduced elsewhere instead of reducing their own .
How is Scotland doing ?
Much progress has been made but the hardest changes are still to come .
Emissions of greenhouse gases - such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about half of what they were 30 years ago .
However , experts say much of this progress has been accomplished by picking off the `` low hanging fruit '' - the most cost-effective or publicly acceptable changes to make .
The areas that need tackling are transport ( about a third of all emissions ) , farming and land use ( about a quarter ) , business and heavy industry ( about a fifth ) and how we heat our homes .
Tricky decisions will have to be made , especially with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the oil and gas industry .
Over the next 18 months , a Scottish government-appointed commission will grapple with the question of how to protect the economy and ensure a `` just transition '' as the world makes the move away from fossil fuels .
The Scottish government has set a target of having the equivalent of 100 % of Scotland 's electricity demand coming from renewable energy sources by the end of this year .
The most recent official figure was 76.2 % , based on 2018 data .
In order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been moving away from burning fossil fuels , with the last coal-fired power station , Longannet , closing in 2016 .
The only remaining gas-fired power station is at Peterhead in Aberdeenshire .
Last year , wind power output hit a record high , with claims that the energy produced by turbines could power every home in Scotland and some in England .
Scotland 's single largest source of renewable energy - the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm - is capable of generating enough to power for 450,000 homes .
The Seagreen Wind Farm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will eventually be even bigger , being able to power one million homes when it is finished .
Transport accounts for about a third of Scotland 's greenhouse gas emissions and some steps have been taken to reduce this but the overwhelming majority of vehicles on the road are still greenhouse gas-emitting petrol or diesel engines .
There are now more than 1,000 charge points in Scotland for electric vehicles and the number of new EV and hybrid cars registered in the UK was up nearly 40 % on the same period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an EV is prohibitively expensive and concerns over the range the cars can currently offer is a concern for some potential owners .
Their popularity is expected to increase significantly as the technology gets better but this will see demand for electricity generation rise too .
• Should my next car be an electric one ?
• Workplace parking levy : Will you have to pay to park at work ?
In a bid to discourage commuters from taking their cars to work , the Scottish government has brought in the Workplace Parking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax businesses on staff parking spaces but , so far , none have committed to introducing the levy this year .
Low emissions zones that will see polluting vehicles facing charges when entering the city centre are planned for Aberdeen , Edinburgh and Dundee but so far only Glasgow has introduced any measures and , in its first phase , this only applies to 20 % of buses that enter the zone .
As well as cutting road transport emissions , the government needs to find a way to stop the growth in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , emissions from international aviation from Scotland have increased by 181 % and they are still increasing .
The Scottish government scrapped plans to cut the amount of tax paid by passengers flying from Scottish airports after facing a backlash over the environmental impact .
Electric-powered planes could be a solution but they are still at an early stage .
Plans for the shortest scheduled flight in the world - the 1.7 mile jump between the Orkney islands of Westray and Papa Westray - to use an electric-powered plane could happen soon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dairy produce is fuelling global warming , and researchers based in Scotland have been investigating ways of reducing the environmental impact of farming .
For example , one group of scientists have found a way of reducing the methane produced by cattle .
About 15 % of Scotland 's emissions come from domestic housing , with most homes ( about 80 % ) still relying on gas central heating systems .
But new rules say that by 2024 no new-build homes should be connected to the gas grid .
Instead of gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or rely on low-carbon alternatives such as heat pumps .
And 16,000 households have benefitted from better insulation and new , more efficient - although still often gas - heating systems , funded by the Scottish government .
Trees are still the most effective way of absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere .
To meet targets , the UK needs a net increase of 32,000 hectares of woodland planted every year for the next 30 years - equating to about 1.5bn trees .
The most recent figures say most of the trees planted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - 11,200 of the 13,400 hectares planted in the year to March 2019 .
But there 's more to it than just planting trees - it 's important that the right trees are planted in the right places , taking into consideration factors such as soil type , water levels , temperatures and the surrounding landscape and tree species .
Setting tough ambitions is easy but the hardest task is achieving them .
This year the Scottish government will update its Climate Plan which should offer more of an insight into how it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streets ahead of most other countries in aiming for a 2045 `` net-zero '' target but it means the world is watching for progress .
The potential rewards could be high .
Done well and we could end up with skills and an industry which helps the rest of the world follow our lead .
But already there has been evidence of strain in the unity achieved at Holyrood when the target was set .
The Workplace Parking Levy - meant to get people out of cars and onto public transport - was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would `` fleece '' workers ; Labour added that it was `` regressive '' .
The Scottish Greens will be pushing hard for more policies like this when ministers come knocking for their votes to get the budget through next month .
A `` Just Transition '' commission has been asked to report to ministers on how oil workers and farmers do n't lose out .
But inevitably there will be winners and losers in that transition and charting a path will not be easy .
Use the tool below and we @ @ @ @ @

But there's more to it than just planting trees - it's important that the right trees are planted in the right places, taking into consideration factors such as soil type, water levels, temperatures and the surrounding landscape and tree species.


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Jazz musician Rex Martey signs record deal aged 82

An 82-year-old south-Londoner has had his lifetime ambition come true by getting a record deal .
Rex Martey suffers from @ @ @ @ @ three times a week .
He wanted a deal so he could leave a legacy @ @ @ @ @ record company The Animal Farm .
One of the songs on his album is dedicated @ @ @ @ @ 's treated him for the last few years .
He has pledged a quarter of @ @ @ @ @ Guys Hospital .

An 82-year-old south-Londoner has had his lifetime ambition come true by getting a record deal.
Rex Martey suffers from prostate cancer and needs dialysis three times a week.
He wanted a deal so he could leave a legacy and has been signed by record company The Animal Farm.
One of the songs on his album is dedicated to the cancer nurse who's treated him for the last few years.
He has pledged a quarter of all sales will go to Guys Hospital.


bbcuk--2020-01-18--The Papers: 'Alarm' over school isolation booths and 'Mugxit'

The chancellor 's interview with the Financial Times - in which he warns British businesses the UK will not stay closely aligned to EU rules - is picked up by Bloomberg .
It describes Sajid Javid as `` firing an early salvo '' in what 's likely to be a `` fractious year '' , as London and Brussels attempt to agree their future relationship .
The news agency also notes a report in the Daily Telegraph that Boris Johnson is planning to formally open trade talks with the US as soon as next month .
Bloomberg suggests that Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU 's trade team , even before officially quitting the bloc at the end of the month .
The Guardian leads on a warning from the children 's commissioner for England that more schools are converting toilets and classrooms into isolation booths for `` disruptive '' pupils .
Anne Longfield tells the paper she has heard `` horror stories '' of children sitting in silence for hours - an experience they described as `` distressing and degrading '' .
She says she 's also concerned that isolation is being used as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Department for Education is quoted as saying that use of isolation `` must comply with pupil safeguarding '' and that time spent there must be `` as constructive as possible '' .
President Trump 's high profile legal team for his impeachment trial provokes plenty of comment in the US-based media .
The New York Times says , in appointing the former independent counsel Ken Starr , and the celebrity lawyer , Alan Dershowitz , the president has `` assembled his view of an all-star television legal team '' .
Politico points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be speaking to a broader , and perhaps more important , audience - the American public .
It says the president sees his defence , during the nationally televised Senate trial , as a critical part of his re-election campaign in November .
An angry exchange on the BBC 's Question Time programme on Thursday is the basis for the Daily Mail 's top story , which it headlines as `` Meghan race storm '' .
The actor Laurence Fox was described as a `` privileged white male '' by an audience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's wife was hounded out of Britain by racism .
The paper says the row `` exploded '' on social media after Mr Fox replied that putting that label on him was also racist .
The Times adds that Mr Fox were condemned by the actors ' union Equity , which describes his comments as `` disgraceful playing to the gallery '' and called him a `` disgrace to our industry '' .
The Sun 's editorial praises the actor for `` having the guts to defy the suffocating liberal-left consensus in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a picture of the best-selling author , Lee Child , on its front page alongside the news that he 's to stop writing any more novels about his most famous character , Jack Reacher .
But that 's not the end of the story .
In what the paper thinks is a literary first , he is allowing his younger brother , Andrew Grant , the rights to continue the series , although he has to change his name to Andrew Child .
With the first of the new Reacher novels out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twist most authors would be proud of .

The Department for Education is quoted as saying that use of isolation "must comply with pupil safeguarding" and that time spent there must be "as constructive as possible".


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Doncaster property training debt soldier killed himself

A soldier killed himself after paying £13,000 for training with a property company that promises to help people become `` financially free '' .
The family of army reservist Danny Butcher , 37 , said he never made the money he thought he would .
Dozens of people want refunds from Property Investors , which has been described as operating like a `` cult '' .
The company , run by former illusionist Samuel Leeds , said : `` People should only purchase courses they can afford . ''
Mr Butcher , from Doncaster , had spoken about his mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he had existing debt before he took on loans and credit card debt to pay Property Investors .
His family said he had been led to believe he would make enough money from property deals and rental income to replace a wage or salary .
Mr Butcher 's widow Charlotte , 32 , said : `` I think that he felt that he 'd let everyone down , that he 'd messed everything up and that there was no way out of it .
`` All he wanted was his own chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his son , he saw this as his opportunity .
`` Obviously taking out all of the loans , he put himself on the line , but it was a bit like 'yeah it 's scary but without risk there 's no reward ' .
`` He genuinely thought this was his chance because of how easy they made it all sound . ''
Property Investors puts on free two-day crash courses , offering people the option to sign up to a training academy where they will learn how to become `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The company described Mr Leeds as having `` found his own success '' after attending training courses , with his wealth coming `` primarily from his property investment activity '' .
Mr Leeds posts videos on YouTube nearly every day promoting his methods .
In one he joked that he would punch people in the throat unless they subscribed to his YouTube channel .
In one clip he promises to work one-on-one with his customers , to provide `` a custom , tailored , bespoke plan '' and `` hold your hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Butcher attended a free course in March with his brother-in-law Glyn Jones .
Mr Jones said : `` It felt like brainwashing , like a religious cult kind of thing but done on a much smaller scale .
`` What he 's offering never appears , I do n't see how it can . ''
According to his wife , Mr Butcher 's `` gut instinct '' told him not to sign up for the academy and he held out for two days before changing his mind , swayed by the promise of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Butcher 's family said he did not get the support he had been promised .
The company said academy members had access to weekly video calls and monthly webinars with specialist property coaches .
After failing to make any money , Danny Butcher took his own life in October .
At the time , Mr Leeds made a public statement on Facebook : `` I am deeply saddened to hear that Danny Butcher took his own life .
`` This tragic news comes as a great shock to many and I am heartbroken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and prayers are with Danny 's family at this time . ''
The BBC has become aware of dozens of people who have said they signed up for Property Investors ' training and now wanted their money back .
At least 78 people are trying to claim back more than £200,000 between them .
Dianne Granville got a refund from Property Investors in 2018 and has been helping a group of people to try to get their money back .
She said : `` There are very vulnerable people out there and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm lucky .
I realised what was happening to me and I dealt with it . ''
In a statement , the company said it was `` proud to run the largest property investment training business in the UK '' .
`` We are humbled to have the opportunity to help thousands of people on their journey towards financial freedom through property investments every year , '' the statement said .
Army veteran Andrew Whyte , who served in the Falklands and Afghanistan , said he intended to pursue the company through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handed over his armed forces pension payout to cover the cost of the training .
Mr Whyte said : `` I ended up having to skip meals or have Pot Noodle sandwiches , stuff like that , the cheapest tins and cheapest noodles , just to have food and to eat .
`` If I was living on my own I 'd probably be on the streets by now .
I 'd be surviving off the street if I had n't had the support from friends and family members . ''
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While we are not lenders or financial advisors , our stated view is that people should only purchase courses that they can afford . ''
It said there was no obligation for people who attended the crash course to sign up for further paid training , while there was a two-stage application process for the training academy and a 14-day cooling-off period during which people could request a refund .
The company said any requests for refunds outside the cooling-off period would be considered on a case by case basis but it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to attend courses and then `` seek not to pay for them with no legitimate reason '' .
A BBC reporter went undercover on one of Property Investors ' crash courses and filmed a speaker telling people it was possible to make up to £50,000 a month from something called `` deal sourcing '' .
This involved finding houses for sale on property websites such as Rightmove and working out how much rental income they could generate before selling this information to investors .
On the first day of the course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reporter was invited to apply for the training academy .
During a selection interview the next day , she was encouraged to sign up despite saying she was unable to afford it and would have to increase her credit card limit to cover the costs .
Property expert Bruce Collinson said : `` There 's nothing easy about property investing , you get out of it what you put in to it .
`` This is a scheme , an investment , a gamble , where you could lose the lot and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start with then where are you going to end up ?
Bankrupt , repossessed , if you have property , or worse . ''
In a statement , the company said : `` Investing in property is not for everyone .
We do not advise those who can not fully commit to the time and effort it takes to participate . ''
There is currently no regulation of the property training industry in the UK , anyone can set themselves up as a trainer and no-one verifies whether they are what they say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the training they promise .
This is something Mr Butcher 's family said they wanted to see changed .
His father Alan said : `` The only thing I can do for Danny is to try and make people aware so they do n't end up wasting their money and putting themselves in a bad place .
If it does that , what 's a meaningless loss of life wo n't be quite so meaningless . ''
In a statement , the company said : `` We think that debate about standards and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing and it is something that we look forward to actively leading as it develops . ''
If you or someone you know has been affected by the issues raised in this story , help and support is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline Inside Out ( Yorkshire and Lincolnshire ) investigates the company charging thousands for training courses on BBC One at 19:30 GMT on Monday 20 January and can be seen afterwards on BBC iPlayer .
Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news @ bbc.co.uk @

The company said any requests for refunds outside the cooling-off period would be considered on a case by case basis but it was not "fair or right" for people to attend courses and then "seek not to pay for them with no legitimate reason".


bbcuk--2020-01-18--People with at least two Northern Isles grandparents needed for genetics study

People with at least two grandparents who were born in Orkney or Shetland are being sought for a genetics study aimed at improving health .
The research aims to better understand the causes of conditions such as diabetes , stroke , heart disease and cancer , and in turn find treatments .
Those taking part in the University of Edinburgh study-led Viking II project will complete an online questionnaire about their health and lifestyle .
They will also provide a saliva sample .
The team believes the `` unique genetic identity '' of those with Northern Isles ancestry offers a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detailed picture on how genes are implicated in health .
Lead researcher Prof Jim Wilson said 4,000 people would be invited to take part .
The study is not limited to those who currently live in Orkney or Shetland , as many descendants have dispersed around the world .
There are believed to be significant numbers of people of Northern Isles descent living in areas such as Saskatchewan in Canada , Chicago in America , and Dunedin in New Zealand .
Prof Wilson said `` Adding 4,000 more volunteers from these special populations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our research into the genetics of health and disease .
`` We hope in the long term , this will bring us a better understanding which is the basis of new approaches to treat or prevent disease . ''
The saliva test will be returned by post and then analysed by researchers , including for genetic sequencing purposes .
The work also involves the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian clinical genetics doctors Prof Zosia Miedzybrodzka and Dr John Dean , who have been holding clinics in Shetland and Orkney for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Better understanding the genetics of the Northern Isles will lead to better health care in the long run , both directly to the islanders but also worldwide '' .
For those living in the UK who volunteer to be part of the study , they can choose to have information on limited genetic results returned to them through the NHS .
It is believed this information could be useful in terms of their future healthcare , including taking preventive actions to reduce the impact of health conditions .
The study is being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People wishing to take part can register their interest by visiting the study website at www.ed.ac.uk/viking .

For those living in the UK who volunteer to be part of the study, they can choose to have information on limited genetic results returned to them through the NHS.


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Youth suicide: At-risk in Wales 'falling through gap'

Children at risk of suicide in Wales are still `` falling through the gaps '' , the children 's commissioner has warned .
Sally Holland said some young people were being `` bounced around the system '' and wants a more joined-up approach .
It comes as the youth suicide prevention charity Papyrus opens its first Welsh office - calling youth suicides a `` scandal '' .
The Welsh Government said it would invest £5m for support in schools .
First Minister Mark Drakeford said it was everybody 's responsibility to `` weave together a safety net '' for young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commitment but warned : `` There 'll be some children who need more support than the school or universal services can offer and that 's where we need to make sure they do n't get lost in the system .
`` Children tend to often now , with their families , fall down through the gaps so they sit on a waiting list for one service , perhaps get turned away from that , get told to go and try somewhere else , what we might say is being bounced around the system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's a no-wrong-door approach - if you reach out for help you do n't keep being told you 're at the wrong door . ''
Gemma Bowen 's son Alfie was 14 when he took his own life in 2018 .
`` He was a gorgeous boy .
He was really clever .
He had taken up with a load of friends at his new school .
He was a really talented , artistic young man , very thoughtful .
He was brilliant fun , '' she said .
Gemma , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Papyrus since Alfie 's death and is pleased the charity has opened a Welsh office .
`` I 've been looking out for them to come to Wales and to meet with the team so I think it 's brilliant that it 's going to shine a spotlight on the problem of young suicide in Wales .
`` The number of young lives that are being lost is an absolute tragedy . ''
Despite not having an office in Wales at the time , Richard Owen from Morganstown in Cardiff said Papyrus were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son Rhod killed himself in 2010 .
`` We really welcome the fact that Papyrus has opened an office in Wales .
Suicide is preventable and Papyrus do marvellous work in equipping people to deal with people in crisis . ''
In recent months , Ms Holland has travelled across Wales asking organisations to work together through the regional partnership boards .
`` I 'm pleased to say that some regions are rapidly changing how they respond to those kinds of calls for help so that they get support really quickly from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas still have some way to go . ''
According to the Office for National Statistics , 38 young people aged 10-24 took their own life in Wales in 2018 .
From its new Cardiff office Papyrus will provide advice over the phone to young people contemplating suicide , and those who are worried a young person might be at risk .
The charity will also do outreach work with schools and youth clubs .
Papyrus ' head of Wales Kate Heneghan said : `` One is too many , 38 is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more outreach work we do within our Welsh communities the more calls we receive to our helpline from young people struggling , and from concerned others too , not knowing where to turn for support . ''
Asked if the Welsh Government was doing enough in this area , Ms Heneghan said : `` We always say it 's not enough , more can be done . ''
Speaking at the official opening of Papyrus ' new office , Mr Drakeford said : `` The only way that we manage to weave together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reach out to those young people who 've reached that desperate point in their lives is by making it everybody 's responsibility . ''
On Wednesday , Assembly Members will debate how much support is available to families who have lost a child to suicide .
Lynne Neagle , chairwoman the Young People Committee , said : `` It 's crucially important , not just because suicide bereavement is a uniquely devastating loss , but also because we know that people bereaved by suicide are much more likely to die by suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know is having suicidal thoughts , you can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or jo @ samaritans.org ; or see their website .
The confidential Papyrus line for young people is 0800 0684 141 .
Or you can visit the BBC Action Line website .
You can also contact the Community Advice and Listening Line for Wales , which offers a free confidential support service with help to find local mental health services , on 0800 132 737 or text 'Help ' to 81066 .
• Politics Wales is on BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 19 January

"Children tend to often now, with their families, fall down through the gaps so they sit on a waiting list for one service, perhaps get turned away from that, get told to go and try somewhere else, what we might say is being bounced around the system.


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Medieval matrix and Tudor ring belonged to 'higher status' people

Medieval and Tudor silver artefacts dug up by detectorists in two Bedfordshire villages belonged to `` higher status '' people , experts believe .
A seal matrix was found in Wilden near Bedford in 2017 , while a hawking ring was dug up in Bletsoe a year later .
Peter Reavill , officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme , said the seal was made for a merchant or landowner .
Ian Richardson , treasure registrar at the British Museum , said they `` add more to our knowledge of the past '' .
He said the ring , or vervel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been tied to a falcon 's leg to identify its owner .
He said it was not very `` common '' as only 100 had been reported under the Treasure Act since 1997 .
It belonged to Lord St John of Bletsoe , who was `` upper class '' , and was similar to a vervel found in the area more than 20 years ago .
`` This does n't appear to be the matching twin to the earlier vervel , so it speaks to either the longevity or the breadth with which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
The seal matrix would have been used to leave an imprint in the wax which was used to seal letters and other correspondence which would identify the sender .
It dates from the 13th-14th Centuries and the Anglo-French/Norman inscription can be interpreted as `` I am true '' , Mr Reavill discovered .
He said : `` It is one of the finest , is very deeply cut , has been produced in high quality material and is well-made by a skilled craftsman who understands the needs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belong to 'higher status ' people such as merchants , landowners and the lower nobility '' , he added .
Both items , which were found by different people , were declared treasure by the senior coroner at a hearing for the Bedfordshire and Luton Coroner Service .
The Higgins museum in Bedford has `` expressed provisional interest in acquiring these items , subject to valuations , and is awaiting further details before any final decision is taken '' , a spokeswoman for Bedford Borough Council said .
• Under the Treasure Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England , Wales and Northern Ireland are legally obliged to notify their local coroner • An inquest then determines whether the finds constitute treasure • The act contains a number of definitions of `` treasure '' , including prehistoric objects , coins that contain gold or silver and are at least 300 years old , or more recent valuable objects that have been deliberately hidden • Items are recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme , which is run by the British Museum and National Museum Wales • If the find is declared treasure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer it for sale to a museum at a price set by the British Museum 's Treasure Valuation Committee • A reward is then offered to the finders and other relevant parties

"This doesn't appear to be the matching twin to the earlier vervel, so it speaks to either the longevity or the breadth with which falconry was practised by the St Johns," he said.


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Harry and Meghan drop royal duties and HRH titles

Prince Harry and Meghan will no longer use their HRH titles and will not receive public funds for royal duties , Buckingham Palace has announced .
The couple will also no longer formally represent The Queen .
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex intend to repay £2.4m of taxpayer money for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage , which will remain their UK family home , the statement added .
The new arrangement comes into effect in spring this year , the palace said .
The statement comes after senior royals held talks on Monday about the future role for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to `` step back '' as senior royals .
• Queen 's statement on Harry and Meghan in full • Harry and Meghan : What will happen next ?
The Queen said following `` many months of conversations and more recent discussions '' she was `` pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family '' .
`` Harry , Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family , '' the statement continued .
`` I recognise the challenges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life .
`` I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country , the Commonwealth and beyond , and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family .
`` It is my whole family 's hope that today 's agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life . ''
Buckingham Palace said the royal couple understood they were required to step back from royal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The palace added that they would continue to maintain their private patronages and associations .
`` While they can no longer formally represent the Queen , the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty , '' the statement added .
`` The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family . ''
HRH , an abbreviation of His/Her Royal Highness , is used as part of the title of some members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The palace said it would not comment on what security arrangements would be in place for the royal couple .
Their new website , sussexroyal.com , has been updated following the Queen 's statement .
`` In line with the statement by Her Majesty The Queen , information on the roles and work of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be updated on this website in due course , '' it said .
The new post also invited visitors to the website to explore the site in the meantime to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Highnesses '' .
• The party prince who carved his own path The announcement marks the conclusion of talks about the couple 's future with senior members of the family and royal aides .
Earlier this month , they said they wanted a `` progressive new role '' within the institution , where they would be financially independent and divide their time between the UK and North America .
Last year , they both spoke about the difficulties of royal life and media attention .
The duke said he feared his wife would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces '' that led to his mother 's death .
'Harder to think of a much cleaner break' They will always be , the Queen writes , 'much loved members of my family ' .
But that 's about it .
No royal title , no royal duties , no military appointments , no tours , most of their time spent in Canada , no public money .
It is harder to think of a much cleaner break than this .
Harry and Meghan are still members of the Royal Family , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The early talk was of a much more mixed life - one where perhaps Harry and Meghan continued with some royal duties , dividing their time equally between the UK and Canada .
But the contradictions and conflicts of interest were too many .
There are still lots of details to thrash out .
And the whole thing will be reviewed after a year .
But a new life awaits Harry and Meghan - celebrities , certainly , but a different kind of royalty .
BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said questions remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the couple 's tax and immigration status will be in the UK and Canada .
Our correspondent said royal officials had not given a clear answer about whether Meghan still intended to gain British citizenship , which would entail her spending a certain amount of time in the UK .
He said that while they would divide their time between the UK and North America , it was expected that they will spend the majority of their time in North America .
Duncan Larcombe , former royal editor of the Sun and author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said a `` scaled down Royal Family '' had been `` on the cards for some time '' .
`` He is not going to be able to turn off that global fame .
He still has an important role to play within the institution , that 's probably why these discussions have dragged on a little bit longer than expected , '' he said .
Royal expert Penny Junor said the new arrangement was `` the best possible outcome and an outcome which will actually avoid catastrophe '' .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patronages which I think is absolutely terrific because they both care passionately about making the world a better place . ''
However , she added : `` The British public have lost out because these are two fantastic people who sprinkle fairy dust wherever they go and we are going to miss that , but clearly it was not making them happy . ''
Meghan and Harry have already begun a transition phase of living in Canada and the UK .
The move was agreed by the Queen , Prince of Wales and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Commonwealth country with son Archie , where the Sussexes spent six weeks over the festive period .
On Tuesday she visited a charity in Vancouver which campaigns for teenage girls living in poverty .
On Thursday , the Duke of Sussex hosted the Rugby League World Cup draw at Buckingham Palace - his first public event since he and the Duchess of Sussex said they would step back from royal life .
What questions do you have about Prince Harry and Meghan 's decision to step back as senior royals ?
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She said the question that will "hang over them" for the next year is what their commercial life will look like. "This will be a test of the integrity of Harry and Meghan," she said.


bbcuk--2020-01-18--Brexit: Price rises warning after chancellor vows EU rules divergence

Businesses have warned that food prices may rise and jobs may be affected after the chancellor vowed to end alignment with EU rules after Brexit .
Sajid Javid told the Financial Times the UK would not be a `` ruletaker '' after Brexit , urging businesses to `` adjust '' .
The Food and Drink Federation said the proposals were likely to cause food prices to rise at the end of this year .
The Confederation of British Industry said for many firms , keeping existing EU rules would support jobs .
The automotive , food and drink and pharmaceutical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that moving away from key EU rules would be damaging .
• Clock to illuminate No 10 as UK leaves the EU • How soon will Brexit happen ?
In an interview with Financial Times , the chancellor said the Treasury would not support manufacturers that favour staying aligned with EU rules , as companies had known since 2016 that the UK was going to leave the EU .
`` Admittedly they did n't know the exact terms , '' he said .
The UK 's 11-month transition period begins after it leaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Javid declined to specify which EU rules he wanted to drop , but said some businesses would benefit from Brexit , while others would not .
He added : `` There will not be alignment , we will not be a ruletaker , we will not be in the single market and we will not be in the customs union - and we will do this by the end of the year . ''
Tim Rycroft , chief operating officer of the Food and Drink Federation , told BBC Radio 4 's Today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death knell '' for frictionless trade with the EU .
Acknowledging that some industries might benefit from Brexit , he said : `` We also have to make sure the government clearly understands what the consequences will be for industries like ours if they go ahead and change our trading terms . ''
The Confederation of British Industry ( CBI ) said it welcomed the chancellor 's `` ambitious '' vision but said the government should not feel an `` obligation '' to depart from EU rules .
Carolyn Fairbairn , CBI director-general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly in some of the most deprived regions of the UK '' , keeping the same rules would support jobs and maintain competitiveness .
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said the automotive industry in the UK and EU was `` uniquely integrated '' and its priority was to avoid `` expensive tariffs and other 'behind the border ' barriers '' .
It said it was vital to have `` early sight '' of the government 's plans so companies could evaluate their impact .
And the Chemical Industries Association said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alignment with our European counterparts , which represents the largest single market for our products . ''
BBC business correspondent Katy Austin pointed out that the association 's members were concentrated in the north of England , an area the government is particularly keen to be seen to support .
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell tweeted that Conservative promises about frictionless trade with the EU after Brexit were `` now exposed as not worth paper they were written on '' .
This tough tone from the chancellor appears to have a two-pronged intention .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ business , which is , effectively , that Brexit is going to happen so just get on with it .
Getting on the wrong side of businesses has never been familiar ground for the Conservatives , but a majority government gives you the freedom to do the uncomfortable stuff .
It means the Tories can now be emboldened to say some companies will suffer because of Brexit in a way they never would have before .
And with the general election now behind them , they can also pay little heed to warnings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could lead to food shortages and job cuts .
The second motivation for this tough talk is likely to be about positioning ahead of the trade deal yet to be done with the EU .
The rhetoric around not being a `` rule-taker '' suggests the Conservatives want to be seen as preparing to have a tough battle with the EU to secure a deal without regulations - if they can .
• Could the UK and EU sort a trade deal in months ?
The government has not yet agreed a future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to do so during the 11-month transition period .
During this period the UK will continue to follow EU rules and contribute to its budget .
The chancellor also said he wanted to double the UK 's annual economic growth to between 2.7 and 2.8 % .
The outgoing governor of the Bank of England , Mark Carney , told the Financial Times last week he thought the UK 's trend growth rate was much lower , at between 1 and 1.5 % .
Mr Javid said the extra growth would come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Midlands and the north of England - even if they did not offer as much `` bang for the buck '' as projects in other parts of the country .
He also pledged to rewrite Treasury investment rules , which have tended to favour government investment in places with high economic growth and high productivity .

It means the Tories can now be emboldened to say some companies will suffer because of Brexit in a way they never would have before. And with the general election now behind them, they can also pay little heed to warnings from the shadow chancellor that no alignment could lead to food shortages and job cuts.