bbcuk--2020-02-20--Kitten joins owners on walks around Yorkshire

Nine-month old Arlo is experiencing more of the world than most cats , joining his owners on walks around the @ @ @ @ @ .
The Maine Coon cross domestic shorthair has climbed Scafell Pike and visited Hardcastle Crag @ @ @ @ @ owner Crissy Lister , from Halifax said : `` It 's nice to see him @ @ @ @ @ the streets .
`` We know that at the end of the lead he 's @ @ @ @ @ experience probably more than most cats would . ''

Nine-month old Arlo is experiencing more of the world than most cats, joining his owners on walks around the Yorkshire Dales and further afield.
The Maine Coon cross domestic shorthair has climbed Scafell Pike and visited Hardcastle Crag and Butterley Reservoir.
His owner Crissy Lister, from Halifax said: "It's nice to see him see the world rather than the streets.
"We know that at the end of the lead he's safe and he gets to experience probably more than most cats would."


bbcuk--2020-02-20--Newspaper headlines: Coal fire crackdown and London mosque stabbing

A photo from a vigil for the victims of the German shooting features on several front pages , including the @ @ @ @ @ paper leads with the government 's plans to phase out the use of coal and @ @ @ @ @ the home .
Wood-burning stoves and open fires are `` the most harmful pollutant '' @ @ @ @ @ , the environment secretary says .
The paper says the move `` risks accusations of @ @ @ @ @ '' .

But one art critic tells the Mirror that if the sketches are by the Queen, they show a precocious talent that - had she not become sovereign - could have taken her in artistic directions.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Bakerloo Line: Tube warning as drivers go on strike

Passengers have been warned to avoid using a busy London Underground line for four days while train drivers take part in two 24-hour strikes .
Bakerloo Line drivers will walk out from 11:59 GMT and at midday on Sunday in a dispute over timetable changes .
Transport for London ( TfL ) has advised commuters to complete all journeys on the line by 12:00 , with a full service not expected to resume until Tuesday .
The action is only on one line but engineering works will affect others .
The Rail , Maritime and Transport Workers ( RMT ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to `` the impact on train drivers over unworkable timetable changes '' .
`` The bottom line is that you can not place intolerable stress and pressure on Tube drivers that impacts on their safety-critical role , '' general secretary Mick Cash said .
The two 24-hour strikes meant there was `` likely to be little or no service until Monday evening '' , according to TfL .
Nick Dent , London Underground 's director of line operations , apologised for what he called the `` unnecessary disruption '' caused by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the RMT to continue working collaboratively with us to resolve these issues , '' he said .
Engineering works on several other Tube lines will add to disruption in the capital on Saturday and Sunday .
The Circle , District , Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines will be closed in central London to test a new signalling system , while the Northern Line will not run between Kennington and Moorgate for work on the Bank Station upgrade .
Details of other engineering works affecting Tube lines over the weekend can be found @ @

The Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines will be closed in central London to test a new signalling system, while the Northern Line will not run between Kennington and Moorgate for work on the Bank Station upgrade.


bbcuk--2020-02-20--Glasgow and Edinburgh council tax bills to increase by nearly 5%

Scotland 's two biggest councils have voted to increase domestic rates by nearly 5 % .
In Glasgow , the SNP-administration set the rise at 4.64 % while Edinburgh 's SNP-Labour coalition agreed 4.79 % .
Councils across Scotland have the power to raise council tax by up to 4.8 % this year .
In the coming weeks , the country 's 32 local authorities will be agreeing their budgets ahead of the new financial year on 1 April .
Glasgow 's budget was passed after an amendment from the Scottish Greens was accepted .
It included the following proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Outdoor Resource Centre in Argyll and Bute • An additional £1m for cleansing but a reduction in street sweeping services • Under-utilised bowling greens across the city to be turned into allotments City treasurer councillor Allan Gow said : `` I regret the increase in council tax but I believe that there is no other option .
It will hopefully mitigate some of the impact on our poorest people in Glasgow .
`` We have sought to protect our most vulnerable people in our community .
We will continue the holiday fund and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from P1 to P4 . ''
Also agreed was a new £10m climate emergency action fund , ahead of Glasgow hosting the COP26 climate change summit later this year , and work to identify a further £20m to invest in nature , green networks and food growing opportunities .
GMB Scotland organiser Rhea Wolfson said the council was not providing adequate funding to tackle Glasgow 's `` waste crisis '' .
She added : `` These proposals suggest we have a council that ca n't even keep the city clean yet thinks it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital , councillors were faced with the need to save £87m over the next three years .
The local authority said it would use the money from the council tax rise to invest in `` key priorities '' such as new schools .
The three-year City of Edinburgh council budget includes pledging £196m towards a redevelopment project on former industrial land at Granton which will have 3,500 new homes , a school , medical centre , cycling and walking routes and sustainable transport hubs .
Elsewhere , other significant changes which have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursery teacher numbers and a review of senior management roles • A reduction in the council 's contribution to community policing Council leader Adam McVey said : `` We 've agreed a bold budget which protects the most vulnerable in society and guarantees a fairer quality of life for future generations .
`` It prioritises those council services which work to help those who are most in need of our support - protecting our young people , our communities and our planet in the process . ''
Part of this story was provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @

City treasurer councillor Allan Gow said: "I regret the increase in council tax but I believe that there is no other option. It will hopefully mitigate some of the impact on our poorest people in Glasgow.


bbcuk--2020-02-20--Irish election: No new taoiseach as Dáil vote ends in deadlock

Leo Varadkar has offered his resignation after attempts to elect a new taoiseach ( Irish prime minister ) in the Dáil ( Irish Parliament ) ended without agreement .
There were four nominations for the post , including Mr Vardakar and Mary Lou McDonald , nominated by Sinn Féin .
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan were also nominated by their respective parties .
He and the previous government will remain in place until a new government can be formed .
With the election results failing to return a majority , voting was fractured along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for parties to agree a government structure in 2016 .
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald had the highest number of votes in her favour , with 45 , but a majority would require 80 .
The final candidate , Eamon Ryan , was left with 12 votes in his favour .
`` The responsibility is now on all of us to make sure we provide good government and indeed good opposition , '' Mr Varadkar said .
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin criticised Sinn Féin for taking aim at his party 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and said differing policies did not mean parties ' support was invalidated .
`` Some parties claim that they uniquely represent the people and deny the mandates of other parties , '' said Mr Martin .
`` We reject the idea that there is no limit to be set to the compromises that you should take .
`` We believe that a new government must also show urgency in relation to Europe and Northern Ireland , as we can all see an enormous amount of work is required in relation to securing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dublin must return to being a leader in the work of challenging sectarianism and building reconciliation . ''
However , Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said this election represented a turning point and that , Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael , which have led every Irish government since the 1930s , were adverse to giving up power .
`` Change also means that the old order must pass and you see , that 's really what the problem is here , '' said Ms McDonald .
`` Government formation is also about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality is that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have run the show for almost a century and they 're not minded to let go . ''
Ms McDonald also said a vote for her party was not a `` protest vote '' but a vote for it to be in government .
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said he respected the mandates that his colleagues from other parties had been given and those who voted for them .
Earlier , Fianna Fáil 's Seán Ó Fearghaíl was re-elected as speaker , as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the general election .
His election as ceann comhairle means that both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin now have 37 voting TDs , while Fine Gael has 35 .
Only one other candidate ran against him - independent TD Denis Naughten , who received 28 votes .
Following the failure to choose a new taoiseach , the Dáil will be suspended for about a fortnight to allow negotiations on government formation to continue .
Sinn Féin emerged from the poll on 8 February with the highest number of first preference votes and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than Fianna Fáil , which had 38 .
There were demonstrations and celebrations outside the home of the Irish parliament in the hour before the 33rd Dáil sat for the first time .
Protesters delivered messages about homelessness , healthcare , and the Middle East .

"We believe that a new government must also show urgency in relation to Europe and Northern Ireland, as we can all see an enormous amount of work is required in relation to securing Northern Ireland's special economic status and Dublin must return to being a leader in the work of challenging sectarianism and building reconciliation."


bbcuk--2020-02-20--Storm Dennis: Pentre flooded again after tree felling

A blockage believed to have caused flooding in a village was the result of woodland cut down by Natural Resources Wales , the body has said .
Pentre in Rhondda Cynon Taff flooded a second time in five days after the culvert collapsed under felled trees .
Rhondda MP Chris Bryant said the damage in the village could cost up to £5m .
Meanwhile firefighters rescued a woman who was clinging to a branch in a fast-flowing river , while another was saved from the roof of a submerged car .
Thursday 's yellow warning for rain covered 19 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with some areas in the north expected to see up to 100mm ( 4in ) of rain .
NRW said engineers had been checking flood defences and carrying out urgent repairs and clearing blockages .
However Mr Bryant said the government-sponsored body had `` questions to answer '' for not keeping culverts clear and should set up a multi-million pound compensation fund .
His comments followed flooding in Pleasant Street , Pentre , following the collapsed culvert .
Residents called the situation `` horrific '' and said houses had suffered severe damage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ woodland had been felled in a bid to tackle Larch disease .
Bill Purvis , NRW duty tactical manger , said : `` From the photographs and pictures available it is evident that wooded material entered the watercourse and ended up blocking the grid .
`` A review will be undertaken of our operations so that we learn lessons and can make improvements to ensure this does n't happen again . ''
Forecasters had predicted a month 's rain could fall in north Wales over 24 hours and the fire service warned people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firefighters from Mid and West Wales fire service rescued a woman clinging to a branch near Brecon promenade , Powys , at 03:00 GMT on Thursday .
The Welsh Ambulance Service said she was taken to hospital .
A second woman was also rescued from the roof of a submerged car on the Wales/England border near Chepstow on Tuesday , fire chiefs confirmed .
Mark Smith , 51 , told the BBC 's Victoria Derbyshire show how he waded into floodwater on the banks of the River Wye to rescue the woman who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St Briavels in the Forest of Dean .
Some Rhondda Cynon Taf council staff were moved out of their offices at Clydach Vale amid concerns of a potential landslide nearby , but have since returned .
The authority said it was also drawing up plans to rebuild a damaged wall on the River Rhondda at Blaencwm .
• Why Wales is prone to landslides Leader Andrew Morgan said up to 1,000 properties had been affected by flooding and 20 families were being housed in temporary accommodation .
`` On top of that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least three possibly four bridges will need to be completely replaced , '' he added .
In Bridgend , council engineers were checking 41 former coal mining sites in the Ogmore , Garw and Llynfi valleys to ensure they are safe .
The Coal Authority confirmed it was also checking sites they might have responsibility for .
Residents in Ynysybwl have complained that sandbags delivered on Thursday were too little , too late .
Paul Thomas lives on Clydach Terrace where 19 houses were flooded on Saturday night by water that was `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas like ours do n't get the money or support and we 've only now been given sandbags , '' he said .
`` However the level of water exceeded the four sandbags we got by about five feet , so they would have been a total waste of time anyway . ''
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn visited Rhydyfelin in Pontypridd on Thursday and criticised the UK government 's response as `` wholly inadequate '' .
Mr Corbyn said Boris Johnson was showing his `` true colours '' , adding : `` If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes in a general election he simply does not care about helping communities affected by flooding . ''
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price also questioned why Mr Johnson had not convened Cobra , the UK government 's emergency response committee .
In response , a UK government spokesman said flood defences and the response to flooding were devolved to the Welsh Government .
`` The UK government has communicated with emergency services , local authorities and the Welsh Government - including the first minister - throughout the past week and we are ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should additional help be required , '' he said .
A Welsh Government summit was held on Wednesday with councils and other agencies to look at the problems caused by flooding .
First Minister Mark Drakeford told BBC Breakfast : `` This is a genuine emergency and we are working to mobilise every bit of help we can for families . ''
Meanwhile , the Plaid Cymru leader of Carmarthenshire council has accused the Welsh Government of `` favouritism '' when it comes to dealing with the aftermath of flooding .
Emlyn Dole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had `` reacted in the areas that they are strongest '' .
He added : `` So far there has been no reaction to what happened with Storm Callum 18 months ago , whilst there has been a reaction straightaway to what has happened this time .
`` Our people had the same serious situation last time - but there was n't a penny to help . ''
A Welsh Government spokesman said the impact and severity of storms Ciara and Dennis had been unprecedented , adding : `` We will always ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone affected . ''
Prince Charles , the Prince of Wales , is due to visit Pontypridd on Friday to speak to home owners forced to leave their properties and the rescuers who saved many from rising waters .
And Hollywood actor Michael Sheen , from Port Talbot , has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help flooded communities .
`` The devastation that Storm Dennis has left behind is very real and thousands of people across the UK have lost everything , '' he said .
The Welsh Rugby Union has also set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected by the weather .
Water bottle stations were set up in Monmouth after fears hundreds of homes could be left without supply after Welsh Water 's treatment site was flooded .
Managing director Peter Perry said it could take up to 48 hours to get the Mayhill plant up and running .
• What should I do if I 'm hit by flooding ?
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service have warned of the potential dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning from using gas-powered power generators during the clean-up .
Network Rail has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wales line and the Cambrian lines , however the following lines remain closed : I have spent time at Treforest Industrial Estate and what I witnessed was dirt , damage and despair .
In the businesses I spoke to , they are only just beginning to understand the financial cost of Storm Dennis and , in each one I stopped at , they talked of it running to thousands of pounds .
But in all the mess , there is one very clear message .
They will do everything in their power to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who owns the Welsh Shop which stores its stock here , showed me piles of merchandise ruined by the flood water - he believes he has lost up to £400,000 worth of stock .
The impact is even worse as this is one of their busiest times , in the middle of the Six Nations rugby championship , and he has not been able to fulfil online orders .
A couple whose home was damaged and a roof was swept into their garden during the floods , told me they would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 18 months .
Paul Cooper said they felt a bit lost following the news and , like many others , hoped for good news soon .
'It could be months before people can go home' Roads are now crowded with skips , tractors and trailers clearing debris , rubbish , and cars that have been written off .
There 's a realisation by those affected just how life-changing this will be for them .
Self-employed builder Lynn Davies had just finished refurbishing his home when it was flooded and all his tools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , were also ruined .
He is now living in a hotel with his family and dogs and says it may be five months before they can return home .
There 's also anger here as people feel they were alerted too late to the risk of the flood waters hitting their homes .
The Teddy Bear Bridge - so-called because miners teetering across the previous rickety bridge to get to work looked like teddy bears - is one of the victims of the heavy rain in Ystradgynlais .
The more modern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's a huge crack in the wall and the structure has buckled considerably .
The storm has also caused flooding for residents in Ystalyfera , where the community is banding together and reminding people of the `` good old days '' when everyone pitched in together to help out .
On Wednesday residents were in their third day of clearing out the downstairs of their homes into bags to be collected by the council .
Lenny Jenkins has spent the day clearing out his home , ruined by the water .
Like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has no insurance as no company will `` go near us . ''
Most of his neighbours have been re-housed by the council .
He 's worried the community in the area is going to suffer as people leave the street .

The storm has also caused flooding for residents in Ystalyfera, where the community is banding together and reminding people of the "good old days" when everyone pitched in together to help out.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--White Stuff boss tennis court row 'eroding trust in planning'

Campaigners have accused a council of dragging its feet over a millionaire 's `` eyesore '' tennis court , skate park and garage - all built without permission .
Last September South Hams District Council ordered Sean Thomas , founder of the White Stuff store chain , to take down the additions to his Devon home .
But no action has been taken , which conservationists said would `` erode trust '' in the planning process .
The council said it was talking to Mr Thomas `` to try and resolve the issue '' .
Mr Thomas built the additions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beauty spot of Salcombe without planning permission .
A retrospective application was rejected last September by the council , which ordered its enforcement team to start legal action `` with regards to returning the land to its former condition '' .
Since then discussions have continued , according to the local authority .
`` At this moment in time we have n't issued an enforcement notice , '' it said .
`` But we are in communication with the owners to try and resolve the issue . ''
Conservation charity The South Hams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to act '' would `` send the wrong message and erode trust in the planning process '' .
The charity said it was also concerned that if nothing was done , retrospective applications would become `` planning approval by the back door '' .
The skate park , tennis court and garage were branded an `` eyesore '' in a `` unique and iconic landscape '' by West Alvington Parish Council .
`` The overall impression is that the owners have no respect for either the landscape in which they are privileged to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .

"The overall impression is that the owners have no respect for either the landscape in which they are privileged to live or the law," it said.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--St Paul's bomb plot: IS supporter Safiyya Shaikh pleads guilty

A supporter of the banned Islamic State terror group has admitted plotting to blow herself up in a bomb attack on St Paul 's Cathedral .
Safiyya Shaikh , of Hayes , west London , went on a reconnaissance trip to scope out the London landmark and a hotel .
The 36-year-old , born Michelle Ramsden , was arrested after asking an undercover police officer to supply bombs .
At the Old Bailey she admitted preparing an act of terrorism and will be sentenced in May .
Over the two months before her arrest in October 2019 , Shaikh built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were posing as a husband and wife extremist team .
She messaged one of them via an encrypted social media app .
`` I want to kill a lot , '' she told the officer .
`` I would like to do church ... a day like Christmas or Easter good , kill more .
`` I always send threats .
But I want to make threats real . ''
She sent a picture of St Paul 's Cathedral to the officer and wrote : `` I would like to do this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like bomb and shoot til death ...
I really would love to destroy that place and the kaffir [ enemies of IS ] there . ''
Just over a week later she visited St Paul 's and sent videos to her contact , writing : `` I will to the bomb under the dome .
`` I will also do something in hotel , then church , then kill til I 'm dead . ''
Prosecutors say she gave two bags which she wanted to be fitted with homemade bombs to the female @ @ @

Second, a cyber operation revealed she headed a significant pro-IS social media chat platform that was pumping out propaganda and urging attacks on targets in Europe. Dutch counter-terrorism investigators linked that account to numerous threats in The Netherlands, one of which had led to the evacuation of a church.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Grace Millane's mum tells killer 'she died terrified'

The mother of a woman murdered in New Zealand has told her killer she thinks about `` the terror and pain she must have experienced at your hand '' .
A 28-year-old man , who can not be named for legal reasons , has been jailed for life for strangling Grace Millane while on a Tinder date in December 2018 .
Her mother Gillian Millane told the killer `` she died terrified and alone in your room '' .
The man was sentenced at Auckland High Court to a minimum of 17 years in jail .
Mrs Millane , speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next to a picture of her 21-year-old daughter , told the man she had wanted to take her own life because of the pain he had caused her .
She said : `` Grace was n't just my daughter .
She was my friend .
My very best friend .
`` I am absolutely heartbroken that you have taken my daughter 's future and robbed us of so many memories that we were going to create .
`` The tears I shed are never-ending at the thought of never having the chance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter 's murderer held his head in his hands as he listened to the impact his `` barbaric actions '' have had on his victim 's family .
• I went on a date with Grace 's killer Sentencing the man , Justice Simon Moore described the murderer 's actions after the killing , including searching for pornography , as `` conduct that underscores a lack of empathy and sense of self-entitlement and objectification '' .
He said : `` You are a large and powerful man .
She was diminutive .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominance . ''
But he also stated the defence should not have been criticised on social media for pursuing a defence that Ms Millane had died during a consensual sex act as , even though the jury found this was not the case , this was the defendant 's right .
Just before sentencing began , the Millanes tweaked the webcam that would beam their statements from an Essex living room .
There were smiles and small talk - like the sort of video calls families make across the globe .
Then the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sister-in-law , Victoria .
Tearful as she told how her two-year-old daughter would never get to properly know her auntie Grace .
Then brother Declan .
His mental health suffering .
Part of his life taken away .
But most of all devastated that he had n't been able to protect his little sister .
The killer could n't , or would n't , watch as she spoke .
`` I want you to know I do n't think of you , '' Mrs Millane told him .
`` Because if I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I simply do n't . ''
`` I will miss my darling Grace , '' she went on .
`` Until the last breath of my body leaves me . ''
The killer 's lawyer argued he should be given a minimum term of 11 years as `` rehabilitation and reintegration remains a real prospect '' .
However , the judge said he could not see how the defendant could serve any less than 17 years .
Ms Millane , from Wickford in Essex , met her killer on the dating app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent the evening drinking before returning to the man 's room in the CityLife hotel in central Auckland where he killed her .
He then disposed of her body by burying it in a suitcase in the Waitākere Ranges , a mountainous area outside the city .
He was found guilty of murder last year .
Ms Millane 's brother Declan Millane told the court she `` had a smile to light up the room '' .
He said : `` As an older brother I felt a duty to protect my little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could do .
I was helpless and lost .
`` There is no reason behind this unspeakable act . ''
Det Insp Scott Beard , who led the investigation into Ms Millane 's murder , said Auckland City Police 's thoughts were with her family .
`` The impact of losing their daughter on her birthday while alone in a foreign country has been significant and no matter what the outcome they will forever have a life sentence , '' he said .
`` Even though their lives have been changed forever we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can now try in some way to move forward with their lives . ''
He added he did not believe `` rough sex '' should be considered a defence to murder as it `` repetitively re-victimises the victim and the victim 's family '' .
`` Strangling someone for five to 10 minutes until they die is not rough sex , '' he said .
`` In this case , the Millanes have had to sit through a trial for a number of weeks and their daughter 's background , rightly or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I understand why the defence would use it but the bottom line is the individual has killed someone . ''
Why can we not name the killer ?
The identity of Grace Millane 's murderer can not be disclosed because of a court order that bans media from naming and picturing him .
The purpose in New Zealand courts is to protect defendants before they are found guilty , but also to achieve a fair trial by ensuring the jury is not prejudiced by media coverage .
Images can also be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suppression order which prevents naming the defendant would stay in place indefinitely until lifted by the court .
The reasons for the order remaining in place are also suppressed .
Find BBC News : East of England on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .
If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews @ bbc.co.uk

But he also stated the defence should not have been criticised on social media for pursuing a defence that Ms Millane had died during a consensual sex act as, even though the jury found this was not the case, this was the defendant's right.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Baby and girl, 3, killed with parents in crash near Fort William

Two girls aged one and three have died along with their parents in a two-car crash near Fort William .
The family were in a Mini Cooper involved in the incident on the A82 at Torlundy just after 17:30 on Thursday .
Police confirmed the dead mother was aged 26 and the father was 25 .
The 56-year-old female driver of a Ford Fiesta freed from the wreckage by firefighters was taken to hospital in Fort William with serious but not life-threatening injuries .
The A82 around the scene of the crash was closed for 11 hours to allow for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appealed for witnesses .
Supt Simon Bradshaw said : `` Inquiries are continuing into the incident and I would ask anyone with information or dashcam footage who has not yet come forward to please get in touch . ''
Fort William and Ardnamurchan councillor Andrew Baxter said the `` thoughts and prayers of everyone in Lochaber '' would be with those affected by the crash .
He said : `` This is devastating news for the family and friends of those who have been tragically killed in this accident .
`` What I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great sadness . ''
Kate Forbes , SNP MSP for Skye , Lochaber and Badenoch , tweeted : `` This is extremely sad news .
Thinking of the families and friends who are dealing with the shock of all of this . ''

"However, I would ask that anyone who was in the area last night, who may have seen either vehicle involved before the collision or who may have dashcam footage to please contact police 101, quoting incident 2942 of 20 February."


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Coronavirus: Repatriation flight for Britons on Diamond Princess delayed

An evacuation flight for Britons trapped on a coronavirus-hit cruise ship in Japan has been delayed by a day , the British embassy has said .
About 70 UK nationals who have spent 16 days in quarantine on the liner had expected to fly home on Friday .
But the flight is `` logistically complicated '' and will now leave on Saturday , the embassy says .
The group are expected to land in Wiltshire before being quarantined at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral .
More than 620 people on board the Diamond Princess tested positive for the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two Japanese passengers - both in their 80s and with underlying health conditions - were confirmed to have died after contracting the virus on board the ship .
The cruise liner was carrying 3,700 people , including 78 Britons , when it was quarantined in Yokohama on 5 February , after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was found to have the virus .
• How a virus reveals the many ways China is feared • What impact will coronavirus have on the Olympics ?
• Coronavirus : What you need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also contracted the virus on board , but those flying home have tested negative .
On Wednesday , when the two-week quarantine period on the liner expired , officials allowed passengers who had tested negative for the virus to disembark .
BBC correspondent Laura Bicker says she saw one little girl `` so filled with glee as she pulled her suitcase behind her '' .
`` Remember they 've been stuck in their cabins for 14 days , only allowed out for a couple of minutes each day .
It has been both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
While citizens of other countries disembarked , the Foreign Office advised all UK nationals to stay onboard until it organised an evacuation flight for them , warning there could be administrative problems if they left the ship .
Their flight home is expected to land at Boscombe Down , a Ministry of Defence base in Wiltshire .
They will then spend 14 days in quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital , where two groups of people travelling from China have previously stayed .
`` There is no risk to the public , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as normal , '' the Department of Health said .
One of the British passengers , Alan Sandford , said he and his wife Vanessa were both `` very happy '' about the prospect of returning home to Nottinghamshire after being found not to have contracted the virus .
He told BBC Breakfast the last few weeks had been `` a major inconvenience '' but that other passengers had faced `` horrific '' circumstances such as getting ill , being separated from their partners or being trapped inside cabins without windows .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sittingbourne , in Kent , said the wait for repatriation had been `` frustrating '' , and criticised the Foreign Office 's `` slow '' response .
`` My daughter telephoned them many weeks ago asking to find out if they had anything in place , and we were told it was going to be left in the hands of the Japanese health ministry , '' she told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme .
She said she is `` relieved '' to be returning to her family in the UK , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ship with limited access to news .
But two of the British passengers who will not be returning on the flight are David and Sally Abel .
Mr Abel , who earlier this week revealed he and his wife had tested positive for the virus , posted a picture of himself in a hospital bed in Japan after they were removed from the cruise ship .
In a Facebook post , Mr Abel said he and his wife were being treated `` in the best place '' .
`` Outside the hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly passed out .
Every pore on my body opened and I was wheelchaired to our room .
`` Full health inspection and now we know what 's going on .
We both contracted a cold ( unaware of ) and it has not yet turned into pneumonia .
( we do have coronavirus ) .
`` We are both in the best place !
They do know what they are doing and our two nurses are gorgeous .
Sally likes the Dr too . ''
Mr Abel said that following treatment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-clears on coronavirus tests .
Meanwhile , British honeymooner Alan Steele , who was diagnosed with coronavirus on the cruise ship , announced on Facebook that he had left hospital and was in a hotel in Yokohama - ahead of his return to the UK .
Mr Steele wrote : `` Informed we will have to do another 2weeks quarantine back in blighty although japan has set me free as all ok. '' Japan has faced criticism over its handling of the outbreak , with one health expert calling the situation onboard `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is advising affected British nationals affected to call the British embassy in Tokyo on +81 3 5211 1100 .
Elsewhere , any British passengers on board a cruise ship docked in Cambodia amid fears of an outbreak will not be treated as being at high risk of coronavirus , Public Health England ( PHE ) has said .
The MS Westerdam made shore in Sihanoukville on 13 February , after being rejected by five countries because one of its former passengers was found to be carrying the virus .
The ship was originally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 Britons - with the majority having already disembarked - leaving 255 passengers and 747 crew members on board .
PHE said any of the ship 's passengers flying back to the UK will be asked to self-isolate when they return .
In China , Covid-19 - the illness brought on by the coronavirus - has now claimed 2,004 lives , according to the latest Chinese data released on Wednesday .
There have been 74,185 confirmed infections recorded in mainland China and about 700 cases in other countries .
In the UK , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested for the virus , as of Thursday at 14:00 GMT .
Only nine people have tested positive .
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"My daughter telephoned them many weeks ago asking to find out if they had anything in place, and we were told it was going to be left in the hands of the Japanese health ministry," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Wood burners: Most polluting fuels to be banned in the home

Owners of wood burners , stoves and open fires will no longer be able to buy coal or wet wood to burn in them , under a ban to be rolled out from next year .
Sales of the two most polluting fuels will be phased out in England to help cut air pollution , the government says .
Bags of logs sold in DIY stores , garden centres and petrol stations often contain wet wood - a type of wood which produces more pollution and smoke .
The public should move to `` cleaner alternatives '' , the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first announced 18 months ago , but the Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs has now confirmed it is going ahead .
The government said wood burning stoves and coal fires are the largest source of fine particulate matter ( PM2.5 ) , small particles of air pollution which find their way into the body 's lungs and blood .
Particulate matter is one of several pollutants caused by industrial , domestic and traffic sources .
• What does air pollution do to our bodies ?
• UK has first coal-free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires and wood-burning stoves are at the heart of many homes up and down the country , '' said Environment Secretary George Eustice .
`` But the use of certain fuels means that they are also the biggest source of the most harmful pollutant that is affecting people in the UK . ''
The changes will mean : • Sales of bagged traditional house coal will be phased out by February 2021 , and the sale of loose coal direct to customers will end by 2023 • Sales of wet wood in small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be phased out from February 2021 .
Wet wood in volumes greater than 2m3 will also have to be sold with advice on how to dry it before burning • Makers of solid fuels will also need to show they have a very low sulphur content and only emit a small amount of smoke .
It is not banning wood or coal burning stoves .
Gillian Lloyd , from the West Midlands , told BBC News she welcomed the measures as her asthma is often triggered by smoke , and many homes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she raised concerns over the impact of the changes , saying people may continue to burn wet wood .
`` A lot of people collect cut trees or fallen branches for their burners , '' she said .
Rob Power , from the rural village Clarencefield in Scotland , said he feared the changes in England may have a `` knock-on effect '' by increasing the cost of his fuel supply .
The 73-year-old said his woodburner heats his radiator and water during the winter months , adding that it is too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We 're going to find it difficult , '' he said .
`` People like us in rural areas have still got to live .
`` With my income I ca n't afford to keep up with the modern trends . ''
What is wet and dry firewood ?
Wet - also known as green or unseasoned wood - is often sold in nets and is cheaper to buy .
It contains moisture which , when burned , creates more smoke and harmful particles of air pollution ( PM2.5 ) than dry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chimneys much more , by allowing tar and soot to build up .
Dry or seasoned wood - which has been dried out , often in a kiln - has a moisture content of 20 % or less .
Open fires and wood-burning stoves have risen in popularity over recent years - offering an additional form of heating for many households in both urban and rural areas , and possibly the sole heat source for some .
Around 1.5m homes use wood for fuel across the UK , however burning wood and coal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 38 % of the UK 's emissions of PM2.5 .
By comparison , 16 % come from industrial combustion , 12 % from road transport and 13 % from the use of solvents and industrial processes .
This means a wood burning stove emits more particles per hour than a diesel truck .
The government set out its commitment to reducing emissions of PM2.5 alongside four other air pollutants , including ammonia and nitrogen oxides , in its 2019 Clean Air Strategy .
Officials said the phase-out will give the public and suppliers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cleaner alternatives , such as dry wood and manufactured solid fuels .
These alternatives produce less smoke and pollution , and are cheaper and more efficient to burn , the government added .
The government is aiming to reduce emissions of PM2.5 by 46 % by 2030 .
According to the Clean Air Strategy , air pollution is the top environmental risk to human health in the UK .
In Wales , a consultation is currently ongoing for a clean air plan , which is looking at whether wet wood could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its first week without using electricity from burning coal since the 1880s , according to the National Grid Electricity System Operator .
The government plans to phase out the UK 's last coal-fired plants by 2025 to reduce carbon emissions .
What effect could these changes have on you ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
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"But the use of certain fuels means that they are also the biggest source of the most harmful pollutant that is affecting people in the UK."


bbcuk--2020-02-21--UCL ban on staff-student relationships is 'a wake up call' - campaigners

A ban on intimate relationships between staff and their students at University College London is `` a wake up call '' for universities , campaigners have said .
Student groups said they hoped similar policies would be adopted by other universities .
UCL is believed to be the third UK university to introduce a ban and the first from the Russell Group of 24 leading universities .
It said the policy aimed to prevent abuses of power and sexual misconduct .
UCL 's new policy for employees , first reported by the Guardian , prohibits `` close personal and intimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is direct supervision '' .
An intimate relationship between a staff member and a student who they do not directly supervise must be declared by staff too .
The policy also prohibits intimate relationships with staff or students who are under the age of 18 or adults who are `` at risk '' , for example someone who may need care because of a disability .
Any breach of the policy will be investigated under the university 's disciplinary procedure , which includes possible action ranging from a formal warning to dismissal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Group , which campaigns against sexual misconduct in higher education , said the group `` strongly supported '' UCL 's new policy and hoped other universities would `` follow suit '' .
She said the policy was the `` most stringent in the UK '' , with only two other universities - Greenwich and Roehampton - having similar bans .
Dr Bull said most other universities only had policies which `` strongly discouraged '' sexual relationships between staff and students , which she said could mean staff were still allowed to ask students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We think this is a real wake up call to the sector to start to take seriously their responsibilities for keeping students safe from potential abuses of power by staff , '' she said .
The National Union of Students ( NUS ) also welcomed the move .
NUS women 's officer Rachel Watters said : `` Given the public focus on sexual misconduct in higher education and elsewhere , we would hope and expect more universities to revise their policies in similar ways . ''
A 2018 survey of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 1752 Group , found around 80 % of respondents felt uncomfortable about sexual relationships between staff and students .
A spokesperson for Universities UK , which represents the sector , said : `` All students and staff are entitled to a safe and positive experience and universities are committed to becoming safer places to live , work and study . ''
The organisation said it would be publishing guidance for universities on managing staff on student misconduct in the summer .

"He treated our meetings like dates, making me meet him at the pub instead of his office, asking me to the theatre, and eventually assuming that we had mutual feelings for each other," she said.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Dot Cotton: Actress June Brown says she has left EastEnders 'for good'

Veteran EastEnders actress June Brown has said she has left her role as much-loved character Dot Cotton after 35 years .
`` I 've left for good , '' said the 93-year-old in an interview with podcast Distinct Nostalgia .
She is one of the BBC soap 's longest-running characters and has become a firm favourite with viewers .
Her character Dot has not been in an episode since January .
An EastEnders spokesman said the `` door remains open '' .
Brown joined the show in 1985 , the year it was created .
In the last episode she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dot Cotton - or Dot Branning - left a voicemail message for character Sonia Fowler saying she had moved to Ireland .
Asked by interviewer and former co-star Rani Singh whether EastEnders had put her on a retainer , Brown replied : `` I do n't want a retainer .
I 've left .
I 've left for good .
`` I 've sent myself to Ireland and that 's where she 'll stay .
I 've left EastEnders . ''
• My life as an EastEnders superfan One of EastEnders ' best-known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50s when she joined Albert Square .
Actor Leslie Grantham , who played Dirty Den , suggested her for the role .
Until then , Brown 's career had incorporated stage , film and television , with appearances in Coronation Street and Doctor Who .
`` I think I got it because they thought I was a punctual actress , '' Brown told the podcast , which aired a special episode to celebrate 35 years of EastEnders .
`` I 'm not really but I became so .
In fact I became so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hour before I should be . ''
She said it `` was a very strange feeling '' leaving the soap .
`` I was feeling rather down the other day , '' she said .
`` I thought , 'what 's the matter ?
Why do I feel so sad ? '
It 's almost as if I 've been bereaved .
`` I 've played two people simultaneously for 35 years .
Really Dot was n't me , but spiritually she probably was . ''
Brown took a four-year break from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Brown became the first actor in a British soap to carry an entire episode alone , with an emotional monologue dictated to a cassette for her screen husband to listen to in hospital following a stroke .
That same year she was made an MBE for services to drama and charity .
Last year , Brown revealed she was losing her sight after being diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration and could no longer recognise her friends .
An EastEnders spokesman said : `` We never discuss artists ' contracts , however as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains open for June , as it always has if the story arises and if June wishes to take part . ''

Asked about the rather low-key send-off her character had on screen, he said: "I think it could've been a better exit, that's for sure, but she must have discussed this with the powers that be. It's the way it is, it's a shame."


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Essex lorry deaths: Vietnamese police charge seven people

Seven people have been charged in Vietnam by police investigating the deaths of 39 migrants whose bodies were found in a lorry in Essex .
The 31 males and eight women were discovered in a refrigerated trailer in Grays on 23 October .
The five men and two women are accused of `` organising or broking others to flee abroad or stay abroad illegally '' , police in the Ha Tinh province said .
An Essex Police team is currently in Vietnam investigating the deaths .
Those charged are Nguyen Thi Thuy Hoa , of Hung Nguyen district ; Vo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Dien Chau district ; Le Van Hue , of Yen Tanh district ; Tran Dinh Truong , of Can Loc district ; Nguyen Quoc Thanh , of Ba Lang ; and Nguyen Thi Thuy Diem , of Ruian City in Zheijang , China .
Earlier this month British police revealed a preliminary cause of death had been given as a combination of suffocation and overheating in an enclosed space .
Among those who died was 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My , who sent her family a message on 22 October saying she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a foreign land has failed '' .
Several people have been arrested in connection with the deaths and an alleged people-trafficking ring , including the lorry driver Maurice Robinson , of Craigavon , County Armagh .
At the Old Bailey in November , he admitted conspiring to assist illegal immigration and acquiring criminal property .
He has not yet entered pleas to 39 counts of manslaughter or charges of conspiracy to commit human trafficking and transferring criminal property .
Three other men are accused by the police in the UK in relation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 23 , of Mayobridge , County Down , is facing 39 charges of manslaughter as well as charges of conspiracy to traffic people and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration .
Earlier this month at the High Court in Dublin , he won the right to appeal against his extradition from Ireland to the UK .
• Christopher Kennedy , 23 , from Darkley , County Armagh , denies conspiracy to commit human trafficking offences , assisting unlawful immigration and arranging to facilitate the travel of other people with a view to exploitation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mimosa Close in Langdon Hills , Essex , faces 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration .
He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on 16 March .

Among those who died was 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, who sent her family a message on 22 October saying she could not breathe and her "trip to a foreign land has failed".


bbcuk--2020-02-21--BBC to make Watchdog part of The One Show

The BBC 's long-running consumer rights series Watchdog is to end as a standalone programme , instead becoming part of The One Show .
Watchdog began in 1980 as a strand of Nationwide , but proved so popular it became a separate programme in 1985 .
Co-host Steph McGovern has moved to Channel 4 , but Matt Allwright and Nikki Fox will stay to front the new strand .
The BBC said they would investigate viewer complaints all year round rather than for two series a year .
Alison Kirkham , controller of BBC Factual , said Allwright and Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' trusted guide '' , and would `` achieve even greater prominence and success '' in raising awareness of consumer rights .
The One Show editor Rob Unsworth said the change would mean that `` more than ever the team can react on behalf of consumers whenever stories come up '' .
More recently , it has been on air for 12 episodes per year .
The 42nd and most recent series attracted an average of 3.1 million viewers per episode .
Watchdog will be incorporated into The One Show this spring .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that Victoria Derbyshire 's investigative BBC Two programme will end as a result of cuts to BBC News .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

More recently, it has been on air for 12 episodes per year. The 42nd and most recent series attracted an average of 3.1 million viewers per episode. Watchdog will be incorporated into The One Show this spring.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Drake's Island fortress to reopen to public after 30 years

An island is reopening for a one-off public tour after more than 30 years of closure .
Drake 's Island , located about 500m off the Plymouth coast , is a former fort , prison and adventure centre , but has been closed to the public since 1989 .
Some 105 tickets are being offered for the 15 March tour , with funds going to St Luke 's Hospice .
New owner Morgan Phillips plans to open the island fully in the future , with plans for a museum and heritage centre .
The six-acre island is home to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of underground tunnels .
Its history includes tales of brandy smuggling , a sketch by Queen Victoria and a hoax `` invasion '' by a group of schoolboys in 1957 .
• The island was named after Sir Francis Drake • The fort played a crucial role in defending the maritime city from French and Spanish invasions in the late 16th Century • It has been used as a prison , a religious centre , and a refuge • In 2017 Plymouth City Council granted planning permission for a luxury £10m hotel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bought for an undisclosed sum by Morgan Phillips Mr Phillips said he chose St Luke 's as the beneficiary of the tour after witnessing the staff 's `` unwavering dedication '' during a recent visit .
The charity looks after 300 terminally-ill people every day .

Drake's Island, located about 500m off the Plymouth coast, is a former fort, prison and adventure centre, but has been closed to the public since 1989.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Lee Abbott jailed for murdering Widnes pub landlord over ban

A man who murdered a landlord who barred him from his pub for `` bragging about carrying a knife '' has been jailed for at least 28 years .
Lee Abbott stabbed Christian Thornton , 11 times in the space of 21 seconds outside the Hammer and Pincers in Widnes , Cheshire , in August .
He `` saw red '' over the ban and stabbed the 49-year-old father-of-three .
Abbott , 35 , was found guilty of murder following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court and was given a life sentence .
During the trial , the jury was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to police to report Abbott when he attacked him following a `` heated exchange '' .
Abbott had been asked to leave by Mr Thornton and started to walk away before running back towards him , pulling a knife from a backpack and fatally stabbing him , Cheshire Police said .
Abbott , of Rose Street , Widnes , had been barred from all pubs in the area for 12 months as part of the PubWatch scheme after threatening to burn down Mr Thornton 's premises .
In a statement , Mr Thornton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abbott not only took my husband 's life but also destroyed my life and the lives of our three children .
`` Since that day , the indescribable pain I have lived with has been multiplied as I watch our children try to come to terms with losing their dad in such a violent way .
`` They do so with dignity and strength that would make their dad proud . ''

"Since that day, the indescribable pain I have lived with has been multiplied as I watch our children try to come to terms with losing their dad in such a violent way.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Britain First leader Paul Golding charged with terror offence

The leader of far-right group Britain First has been charged with an offence under the Terrorism Act after refusing to @ @ @ @ @ phone .
Paul Golding was stopped at Heathrow Airport in October on his way back @ @ @ @ @ Russian Parliament in Moscow by officers from the Met 's Counter Terrorism Command .
He @ @ @ @ @ codes for a number of his electronic devices .
He is due to appear at @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
Mr Golding , 38 , is charged with refusing to comply with a @ @ @ @ @ the Terrorism Act .
In a statement he said he was not a terrorist and @ @ @ @ @ an abuse of legislation '' .
Schedule 7 allows police to interrogate , search and @ @ @ @ @ six hours at UK ports .
It is designed to determine whether an individual is @ @ @ @ @ , preparation or instigation '' of acts of terrorism .

The leader of far-right group Britain First has been charged with an offence under the Terrorism Act after refusing to give police access to his phone.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Storm Dennis: 'My business was flooded twice in two days'

`` We sat in a hairdressers across the road , which is slightly higher up , and we watched our business go under . ''
Chris Harrison runs the Dale End Cafe in Coalbrookdale , a village in the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire .
Last weekend was particularly hard , as he should have been celebrating the second anniversary of his business .
But local firms have been left counting costs amid rising river levels caused by Storm Dennis .
Chris told the BBC 's Wake Up to Money programme that it was like watching a `` sinking ship '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around him .
Volunteers arrived at 6am on Sunday to help sweep out the mud , with one 70-year-old customer offering his van to help .
`` Everybody was mucking in , cleaning up the shop and making sure everyone was safe .
But it was all undone 24 hours later , '' Chris says .
The cafe was flooded twice in less than two days .
First , when a nearby brook burst , and again when the River Severn peaked on Tuesday .
He says that thousands of pounds worth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything that was in the cafe will need to be replaced .
`` You 're watching the food you 've bought floating around your cafe , '' he says .
It 's a familiar story to business owner Mark Davies .
He runs Darwin 's Townhouse bed and breakfast in Shrewsbury - on the banks of the River Severn .
`` I was away for a business meeting when the river started rising , and I got back to complete devastation , '' he says .
Mark says that the damage has taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basement of the `` main house '' , an 18th Century property .
`` All our dry goods like coffee and tea , cleaning equipment , and even my maintenance tools are all underwater . ''
Eight rooms that sit at the back of the property were completely cut off from the main house as the river peaked .
As flood warnings remain in place across the country , local businesses are looking ahead to the weekend nervously .
Insurance analysts at PwC have estimated that damage caused by Storm Dennis and Storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £425m .
But some business owners say there has been little support .
Mark says that his business was covered for flood insurance up until 5 February .
• 'You wake up and you 've got nothing' When it expired , he says he was visited by an insurance broker who told him no commercial insurer would cover the property .
His premium is now about £3,500 a year - and does n't include flood cover .
He says : `` It 's devastating for businesses when you 're taking such a massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of stock , it comes straight off your bottom line and that can kill business . ''
Chris Harrison says that because his cafe has flooded on so many occasions , only one company would offer insurance cover .
It was so expensive that the small business could not afford it .
Despite the risk , Chris says that he 's not willing to move the cafe .
`` We 're a community cafe , and we 've seen so much support from everybody .
We 'll be back . ''
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Chris Harrison says that because his cafe has flooded on so many occasions, only one company would offer insurance cover. It was so expensive that the small business could not afford it.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Twenty-stone Scots wrestler swapped ring for the runway

At 6ft 3ins and 20 stone , former rugby player and wrestler Jonathan Geary does not cut the figure of your average male model .
The man who described himself as the `` chunky one '' at school never thought a model agency would be desperate to track him down .
But that was the whole point when he was pursued to sign on as a plus-sized model .
In recent years models like Ashley Graham have fronted an increase in plus-size and curvy fashion brands for women .
Male fashion has now apparently followed suit as brands look to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jonathan 's 42in waist , 56ins chest and quadruple-XL sizing was exactly what was in demand and he was spotted by a model agency when he went to a photoshoot with his partner Peter .
The result was that he was the one who was signed up , not his partner .
The 37-year-old from Edinburgh told BBC Radio Scotland 's Mornings programme : `` Last year , my fiance , Peter , was going into Glasgow to have a portfolio made up for his modelling career .
I just went along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` So I went with him to the Colours agency .
And that was the end of it .
Or so I thought . ''
A couple of months later , Jonathan was approached through Peter to get in touch with the agency .
They had been trying to reach him but he had not seen their messages .
He said : `` They told me the industry was changing , and they were looking for plus-size models .
They had seen me in person wanted to get a portfolio done .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mick .
I thought it was one of my rugby boys who put them up to it .
`` But I went back to Glasgow to meet them and the next thing I know I am meeting a photographer and a hairdresser and that 's been me ever since . ''
Jonathan was sought out for a campaign for Scottish menswear brand Slaters .
They had found it hard to find models for their big and tall ranges and struggled to illustrate them on its web pages using smaller models .
Slaters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is a talented man .
He is the perfect size and he has shown he can do anything . ''
He has also modelled for a kilt calendar , travelling to stunning locations across Scotland .
His model agent Mark Conlin saw his friendly personality and positive attitude as attributes that would help him succeed in the fashion industry .
He said Jonathan was what the industry is looking for as it expands to cater for all shapes and sizes .
Jonathan has played rugby for more than 20 years , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are part of the International Gay Rugby Association .
In his late teens he trained in wrestling and fought as a professional - known as Jocky Saltire - in Florida .
He now works as a care manager for a housing association in Edinburgh .
Not everyone sees him as model material .
In fact on his first shoot , he was mistaken for the photographer .
He said : `` I walked in the room and they thought I was taking the pictures .
All the other men in the room were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , boyish looks , all that nonsense , and it was really bizarre . ''
Liam Preston works for the YMCA Be Real campaign which tried to teach young people to avoid media stereotypes and appreciate their own appearances .
He is not surprised Jonathan has been a hit in the industry .
He said : `` Attitudes are changing and the industry is getting better at recognising that people need to see images of what they really look like .
`` It 's really positive to hear stories like Jonathan 's where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the real world looks like .
We want to see models of all shapes and sizes .
The Be Real campaign fights against body image anxiety and through classroom campaigns it tries to bring in body positivity at an early age , building a resistance to the media and the stereotypes they are bombarded with .
Mr Preston said : `` For young boys , it 's all about their skin , clothes , height , muscles and hair - all the ways they feel not comfortable in their own skin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ young men - the skinny rocker type or someone built-up and muscly .
`` Most young people are somewhere in between and they do n't feel there are people who look like they do . ''
Jonathan has managed to avoid anxiety over his looks , but is happy if he can help others to accept theirs .
He said : `` I was the chunky , fat kid at school but fortunately did n't suffer bullying - maybe because of my stature and height .
`` I do n't think I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 , but I think through playing rugby and through being part of the wrestling community over in America , that has helped me develop a good feeling about myself .
`` In wrestling you are wearing spandex .
It 's not forgiving , then there 's the showers after rugby , everybody 's in them so you just get over it . ''
`` I enjoy a pork pie and a pint so nothing will stop me doing that .
I stopped caring what other people thought about my body and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in life and how people perceive that .
`` That is more important to me than my looks . ''

His model agent Mark Conlin saw his friendly personality and positive attitude as attributes that would help him succeed in the fashion industry. He said Jonathan was what the industry is looking for as it expands to cater for all shapes and sizes.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Abandoned seafarers: Hungry, penniless and far from home

When a ship bound for east Africa was detained in Portland off the south coast of England in November , its Russian crew feared they would be stranded indefinitely .
They would have known of the fate that has befallen other seafarers in their situation - hundreds have been stuck on their vessels , some for years , when their ships ' owners have run out of money .
Sailors who leave their ships in these circumstances risk never being being paid and so feel they have to stay put .
With no income , dwindling supplies and no employer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rely on the kindness of strangers and the help of charities such as the Southampton-based organisation the Sailors ' Society .
In 2017 , 40 Indian seafarers aboard a flotilla of merchant ships who had been hired to transport crude oil from the UAE to Iraq were left stranded in waters just off Dubai because of a financial dispute involving the vessels ' owner .
The shipping company failed to secure permission for them to enter port and before long life on board became unbearable .
Desperate sailors began tweeting about the frightening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor physical and mental health - and all the while , bailing out seawater from their leaking vessels .
The situation on board was `` tense '' with fighting , hunger , isolation and the intense heat all taking their toll .
`` Every second on the clock felt like a year , '' said Rajesh Goli , a captain on one of the vessels .
`` We used to catch fish from morning to evening , '' he said of the 11 months he spent stranded within sight of Dubai .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to survive . ''
He said it was very hot on board , more than 50 degrees Celsius , but they had no diesel to run the generator for the air conditioner .
Sailors took to sleeping on deck because it was too hot inside .
`` The ratings sometimes fought each other , '' Capt Goli said .
`` They were all very frustrated because they had to do their duty without getting salary or food .
It was a very tense situation for me to make them understand . ''
Initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three meals a day but for the final seven months there was only enough food to eat once .
They filtered rainwater through a cloth but the unpleasant smell made it difficult to drink .
`` Everyone on board was sick - sometimes we only ate once every two days , '' Capt Goli said .
`` That affected our health a lot - everyone just dropped weight . ''
Unable to contact their families and with no clue of when they might be able to go home , many of the crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make matters worse , Capt Goli had taken out a loan to pay the agent who secured him the job .
Not only was he unable to send money home to his wife and baby son in Mumbai , the loan interest was spiralling .
After an ordeal lasting almost a year , the sailors were eventually able to return to India , and Capt Goli now works in Mumbai as a chaplain for the Sailors ' Society - a charity helping seafarers and their families all over the world .
Its chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ typically abandoned when the owners ran out of money to pay the crew or run the ship .
`` In many cases , the ship itself is in poor condition , the owner ca n't - or wo n't - invest the money needed to repair it and the situation spirals out of control , '' she said .
`` The crew are left powerless and penniless , often thousands of miles from home .
Returning home can be practically impossible for seafarers stranded with no fuel , no money and sometimes no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' She said that even if the owner or a charity offered to repatriate them , sailors often choose to stay until their wages are paid as they are afraid that if they leave the ship , they will lose any claims they have on their salaries .
One such vessel is the offshore supply ship PSD2 , which has been anchored off the east coast of South Africa since 2015 .
Two men , including the captain , have not been paid for nearly five years but remain on board in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A third crew member was forced to leave the vessel when his wife died of cancer .
He was repatriated to Bangladesh with the help of the Sailors ' Society , although he it did not make it home in time for the funeral .
The charity continues to supply essentials such as food , fishing equipment and medicine to the remaining two crew members .
According to International Labour Organization ( ILO ) figures , there are more than 160 active cases of vessel abandonment around the world , where crews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are stranded or detained .
The abandoned seafarers database shows there are millions of dollars of wages left unpaid worldwide .
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• ' I was introduced to the idea of dying young' Since January 2017 , the ILO 's Maritime Labour Convention has required ship owners to have financial protection in place for crews in the event of abandonment , death or disability , and any ships entering ports in the 96 states where the convention is in force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rule , which guarantees four months ' wages , was devised because of abandoned sailors ' reluctance to leave their ships until they had been paid .
Brandt Wagner , head of the ILO 's transport and maritime unit , said that although most providers of financial security - usually insurers - act quickly to meet their obligations , some do not .
He said this slowed down the process of repatriation and payment , and sometimes states needed to be encouraged to intervene .
Mr Wagner said there had been an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules came into force , but it was not clear whether this was simply due to more cases being reported than had been the case .
In any event , the rules meant fewer seafarers were abandoned for long periods , he added .
According to the Sailors ' Society , long-term abandonment is very rare in the UK but , in June 2016 , England 's east coast port of Great Yarmouth became the unexpected home of the crew of the Indian-registered Malaviya Twenty when it was impounded over unpaid port fees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a prohibition notice being placed on the ship .
It was eventually forcibly auctioned by the Admiralty Marshal .
While stranded , the 12 crew members were fed by local people and grew vegetables on the ship 's deck .
A replacement crew from India joined the ship in February 2017 and remained on board until September 2018 when it was bought by a Greek firm and released .
Replacement captain Nikesh Rastogi said : `` You learn to adapt , as in you read a lot more ... you try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Basically , you do that or you slide into depression . ''
The Malaviya Twenty 's sister ship , Malaviya Seven , was also sold in 2017 after being held for more than a year in Aberdeen .
The crew of that ship remained on board to ensure they would be paid .
Chief officer Bamadev Swain said at the time : `` We have gone through such a difficult time , especially our family members back in India .
Finally , God has blessed us .
We have endured so much .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
For the nine Russian crewmembers who found themselves stranded in Portland in November , their ordeal was much more short-lived .
When their vessel , the MV Jireh , was detained by UK authorities for failing to meet safety and welfare standards , the Sailors ' Society stepped in to help , supplying food , a phone and even a birthday cake for the captain .
And , although the ship remains under detention , by Christmas Eve the men had all been paid and were on their way home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be named , said : `` Knowing that someone in a foreign land cares about you makes you feel safe . ''

They would have known of the fate that has befallen other seafarers in their situation - hundreds have been stuck on their vessels, some for years, when their ships' owners have run out of money. Sailors who leave their ships in these circumstances risk never being being paid and so feel they have to stay put.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--How secure is Nicola Sturgeon's position as SNP leader?

Take a quick glance at Scottish politics and things could hardly look better for the SNP .
The party won more than three-quarters of seats in Scotland at December 's election .
The Conservatives and Labour languish far behind in the Scottish polls .
Those polls also suggest support for Scottish independence is about 50 % .
Yet things are seldom that simple in politics .
Behind the scenes , there are factions in the party increasingly willing to criticise the leadership 's strategy and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon 's record .
There are even conversations how about much longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tensions are most obvious on independence .
Some critics say Ms Sturgeon has budged too slowly - waiting too long to ask Boris Johnson for the formal powers to hold a second independence vote and then being too slow to come up with a plan B when he said no .
There is an increasingly public debate .
Some senior figures in the party , such as MP Joanna Cherry , are urging Ms Sturgeon to test the legal waters to see whether the Scottish Parliament can hold a referendum without Westminster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veteran MP Pete Wishart - are publicly rejecting that argument , saying it is uncertain and dangerous .
Others still want Ms Sturgeon to hold a consultative referendum if the UK government wo n't budge .
• Angus Robertson bids to run for Holyrood in 2021 The MP Angus MacNeil is one of those who think Ms Sturgeon has moved too slowly .
`` It may be a bit early to say yet , '' he said .
`` But if it was me , I 'd have a different strategy ; I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'd also have another strategy in parallel so that when something was to hit the brick wall , there was something else to go with it . ''
He added : `` The SNP conference last autumn did n't even want to discuss a plan B and went with plan A .
It would seem that plan A has hit the brick wall . ''
Mr MacNeil is not the only one with concerns - and that 's something rare in a party well known for discipline and unity .
Privately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has got her strategy wrong .
There is criticism Ms Sturgeon has talked repeatedly about an independence referendum this year - despite almost nobody thinking it 's a realistic prospect .
One parliamentarian said she now would look `` stupid '' if a referendum in 2020 did n't happen despite those repeated demands .
Tensions on independence are one thing - but there are also those in the party increasingly prepared to criticise the Scottish government 's record in recent years .
Some have told me they think Ms Sturgeon 's government in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are arguing there needs to be a complete overhaul of the Scottish cabinet , which they say lacks genuine talent .
This is n't a flood of criticism at the moment but some in the SNP are unhappy and think there needs to be change .
Which brings us on to Ms Sturgeon 's future , which has been a topic of conversation behind the scenes for months now .
The SNP is facing an extremely challenging few weeks .
In a fortnight , former leader Alex Salmond will go on trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He denies any wrongdoing .
There will also be an inquiry in the Scottish Parliament into how Ms Sturgeon 's Scottish government handled complaints against Mr Salmond , her predecessor .
Remember , he successfully sued the government in Edinburgh and was awarded costs of more than £500,000 .
Increasingly , there are those in the SNP considering the possibility of life after Ms Sturgeon - and even some who think she might not be around for much longer .
Figures in the party have told me recently she might be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down in the summer .
A few have used the exact same phrase : she might have to `` fall on her sword '' .
I put that point to a couple of SNP politicians who agreed to interviews .
First , Mr MacNeil , who said : `` I suppose that 's maybe a matter for events and Nicola Sturgeon - who knows ?
What I 'm concentrating on is not so much the personalities involved but it 's the issue of independence . ''
Hardly a full-throated endorsement .
I also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary in Scotland under Mr Salmond and is now an MP .
He praised Ms Sturgeon but also used a phrase that always raises eyebrows in politics : `` There is no vacancy . ''
Could there be a vacancy soon ?
`` You never say never in politics - but at the present moment there is no challenge in the SNP , nobody seeks it , we 're comfortable with Nicola 's leadership .
We 'll see what happens but she still has a lot of fuel in the tank , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sturgeon 's supporters are now prepared to discuss the prospect of her standing down - and some are taking it very seriously .
One , when asked if she would survive , simply answered : `` I do n't know . ''
As a result , some are urging the leadership to think about a contingency plan to replace Ms Sturgeon with a like-minded figure if she has to quit .
One told me : `` I 've been saying this for some time , 'What 's the plan ?
There has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are n't convinced there is one , despite names being linked with the leadership .
Derek Mackay was , until recently , one of them .
That 's one of the reasons his resignation - after the Sun revealed he had been sending a 16-year-old messages on social media - was seen as such a blow by some in the party .
Some talk about a steadying figure being brought in temporarily , such as Scotland 's Deputy First Minister , John Swinney .
Others have suggested Ms Cherry - but she may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are other names being discussed too .
Nothing is inevitable ; it would be wrong to assume Ms Sturgeon is on her way out .
Many in the SNP think all of this is overblown and she will be around for some time .
They are convinced the first minister has a way to go and are determined to protect her in the coming months .
But there are cracks emerging .
A spokesperson for the SNP said : `` The SNP has won the last five parliamentary elections in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and three at Westminster - and recent polling shows us 20 points ahead of our nearest opponents .
`` Meanwhile , support for independence is at an all-time high , while other parties flounder and struggle to make any ground at all .
`` That is a commanding position and one that our opponents can only dream of .
We take absolutely nothing for granted , and will continue to work hard to retain the trust of the people of Scotland . ''

"It may be a bit early to say yet," he said. "But if it was me, I'd have a different strategy; I would have Nicola Sturgeon's strategy and I'd also have another strategy in parallel so that when something was to hit the brick wall, there was something else to go with it."


bbcuk--2020-02-20--Grace Millane case: 'I went on a date with her killer after her murder'

Grace Millane was strangled by her killer in his Auckland hotel room following a Tinder date .
It was 1 December 2018 - the day before what would have been her 22nd birthday .
The next day , while the backpacker 's body was lying stuffed in a suitcase , the man - who can not be named for legal reasons - took to the dating app again .
The woman he met in an Auckland bar has chosen to tell her story in the hope that by doing so she can help warn others about dating safety .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describes the time she spent with Ms Millane 's murderer .
'He was really persistent' We chatted for two weeks before we met up , the conversation was quite light , quite fun .
He was an Australian so we talked about Aussie things .
He seemed like a nice , normal guy and when we agreed to meet I was happy to do that .
But then maybe five days before that he got really persistent .
He would text me multiple times in a day and if I did n't reply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He kept trying to bring the date forward and would forget I had told him I was busy .
It was unusual for someone to be that persistent .
I have had guys before who are maybe a bit persistent but from nervous excitement - a different kind of excited .
It was just unusual that he could not possibly wait until Sunday .
It felt very narcissistic .
'He had put on some weight' He messaged me at around 09:00 ( the morning after Ms Millane 's murder ) saying 'good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and again at around 10:30 .
He said it was fine if I did n't feel like going on the date and that was when I messaged and said I would meet him .
We went to Revelry .
It is a very standard bar , very popular , lots of people go there .
More of a night-time bar - I had never drank there during the afternoon or day but it is open and he wanted to go there .
He was bigger than his photos showed ; obviously he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big distinctive eyes and he was very , very clean .
His clothes looked clean and he was well-groomed .
I asked him a lot of questions and he sort of talked .
He tried to ask me a few questions but they were n't very in-depth questions .
I thought he was nervous .
I guess because he had said one thing in messages about where he worked and a different thing on the date , I started to feel a bit uneasy .
'Murder was on his mind' Because he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had met his friends and he said all his friends were police officers .
He had met them at bars and they had invited him back for barbecues .
He said his best friend was coming over to be a crown court prosecutor , so he sort of had this theme .
I think it was definitely on his mind and I think he was , in a weird way , trying to process something of what had happened , what he had done , with me .
It was a very strange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after they do something like that .
He had obviously been thinking about policemen , bodies , ways people can be killed , prosecution , justice and the court system and it just came out in a very strange way .
'It 's crazy how a guy can make one mistake' We talked about him being friends with lots of policemen .
He said they were having a tough time because of bodies going missing in the Waitākere Ranges ( where Ms Millane 's body would later be found ) .
Police dogs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they are buried deeper than that , they ca n't find them .
I thought it was a bit strange but an interesting fact .
We got talking about poisonous snakes in Australia and he became quite animated about that .
It was quite out there .
Then he told me this really bizarre story .
He said : `` It 's crazy how a guy can make one mistake and go to jail for the rest of his life . ''
He told me about a guy he knew in Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his girlfriend but ended up accidentally killing her .
It was an accident , things went wrong and he was really upset by that because he loved her , but the guy got done for manslaughter and was sent down for a long time .
What we know now is this could have been him testing out his story on me .
He could see I was a bit uncomfortable and tried to talk about more mundane things .
I did n't make a swift exit , I am quite used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it was definitely weird .
Before we said goodbye he said `` my car is this way '' .
My car was down that same road but by that stage , I was feeling uneasy and my instincts had just kicked in telling me to walk a different way .
He was also a lot bigger than me so if something went wrong I knew I would n't be able to defend myself .
In hindsight it was a good decision .
It was my intuition sense , my brain was saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strange '' .
It is really strange in hindsight to think of [ Grace being dead in his room ] .
I do n't think it is in the realm of what normal human brains can comprehend .
It is hard to look back and think that that had just happened to her .
There 's nothing I could have done , and I know that now , but it is still really hard to come to terms with that .
'It has made me go a little slower' I do think if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening potentially I could have been a victim .
I take quite a lot of solace in the fact I do have my wits about me and do take safety in online dating quite seriously .
And that is nothing against any woman who is willing to go home with someone on the first date .
I do want to just say to young women to take one more step in your thinking when you are on a date to see how well you know this person .
Since then , I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men but thought `` how well do I really know them '' ?
It has made me go a little slower , divulge less information .
I know in modern dating it is quite common to give people your Instagram handle but you are giving people access to a lot of personal information .
It is really dangerous and I want to just encourage people to step back .
There is nothing wrong with taking a step back , taking it slow and pacing yourself a bit .
Alcohol has a big effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fabric of dating and part of life these days , but it still comes with massive risk .
Women need to be really aware of how much they are drinking on dates and unfortunately drinks are sometimes spiked .
We live in this world where people are still idealistic about how things should be on dates but incidents like these take things back 10 , 20 years , where women are still having to grip their keys between their fingers or ca n't leave a drink on the table .
We are n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in areas such as dating .
Technology has got ahead of us .
I think people are as they always are .
I think with the advancement of technology we thought we would become more refined but we are just the same but with new technology .
I think the invention of dating apps is a wonderful thing and I would n't want to live in a world without that , but I just wish for a world where women do n't have to think about their safety all the time .

Because he was from Australia I asked him where he had met his friends and he said all his friends were police officers. He had met them at bars and they had invited him back for barbecues. He said his best friend was coming over to be a crown court prosecutor, so he sort of had this theme.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--The artistic wizard who brought Oz to life

Scottish artist George Gibson created the movie scenery which helped define the look of legendary films including The Wizard of Oz during Hollywood 's golden age .
Now his family hope he will finally get the wider recognition he did not receive at the time .
In the 1930s and 40s , movie backdrops had to be created on indoor sound stages by crews of scene painters who conjured up everything from cityscapes to rolling hills .
Film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ( MGM ) was one of the leading exponents of the art , all produced under the watchful eye of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of MGM 's scenic design department for 30 years .
The backdrops he created appeared in films such as the Wizard of Oz ( 1939 ) , An American in Paris ( 1951 ) and Brigadoon ( 1954 ) .
His backdrops were as large as 60ft x 150ft ( 18m by 45m ) and so realistic that the audience often did not realise the setting was a soundstage .
Gibson was born in Edinburgh in 1904 and grew up in the shadow of the castle , before later moving to Fochabers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as tailor .
His interest in drama at school led to him discovering his talent for scene painting and he returned to Edinburgh College of Art to study fine art along with engineering .
He also studied at Glasgow School of Art with the master scenic designer William E. Glover .
Gibson 's daughter Jean says her father had wanted to work in the big theatres in London , but was having trouble getting work so he decided to pack up and head to New York .
`` The day he sailed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter offering him a job in London , '' his daughter says .
In an effort to find better weather and work in America , a friend convinced Gibson to move out west to California - where he picked up odd jobs such as illustrating storyboard art at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .
By 1938 he became head of the scenic design department , where he helped construct the MGM scene painting workshop , which was arguably the finest in the country .
He convinced the studio heads to construct a pioneering new building where all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movable frames rather than the fixed scaffolding of the soundstages .
One of the first films Gibson worked on was the Wizard of Oz , one of the first movies in full Technicolor .
These days the visual effects would be done digitally but in 1939 the whole world of Oz had to be created by using backings and hand-painted scenery .
The production required three months of painting and was done in total secrecy .
Film aficionado Mark Cousins first came across Gibson when he was director of the Edinburgh film festival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that an Edinburgh man ended up painting some of the most iconic images in cinema .
He thinks the image of the city 's capital inspired his imagination when drawing the famous Emerald City .
Gibson 's daughter Jean Gibson-Gorrindo was not born until 1950 , when her father was 46 , so she can not be sure of his influences .
However , she does remember him recreating the Sistine Chapel for the 1968 drama The Shoes of the Fishermen , about the election of a pope .
`` The Vatican said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your hot lights and all your people , you 'll ruin it ' , '' she says .
`` So my dad got this emergency call from Italy .
They said : 'George , we need the Sistine Chapel .
You 've got to paint it ' .
`` They painted it in pieces and shipped it over to Italy and they build it and filmed it and you could n't tell that you were not in the Sistine chapel . ''
Jean added : `` My father and my mother attended the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Catholic bishops and cardinals behind them and he heard them say ' I thought they were n't going to let them film in the chapel ' . ''
George retired a year later but painted at home every day until he died in 2001 , at the age of 96 .
Like many scenic artists he was never credited for his work .
`` The studios did not want you to know that the actors were standing in front of a painting , '' his daughter says .
`` They wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Two years ago , a Hollywood company that had acquired backdrops from the golden age decided to cull its collection .
More than 200 were saved from the dump by the Art Directors Guild , which unrolled , photographed and catalogued each one , and then set about finding homes for them .
Six of the backdrops , including ones from Madame Curie , which starred Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon , and The Washington Story , from 1952 , have been donated to the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow .
Jean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her father might finally start to get the recognition he deserves .

Jean added: "My father and my mother attended the premiere of this film and there were some Catholic bishops and cardinals behind them and he heard them say 'I thought they weren't going to let them film in the chapel'."


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Todrick Hall: 'It was unheard of for a young, black boy to be dancing'

The Greatest Dancer judge Todrick Hall has told BBC Radio 5 Live what it was like for him growing up @ @ @ @ @ be a dancer .
Speaking to Nicky Campbell and Eleanor Oldroyd , Hall , who @ @ @ @ @ Swift , said when he was younger it was “ unheard of ” for a @ @ @ @ @ to be dancing ” .
He also spoke about how pleased he was to see @ @ @ @ @ dance , especially in areas such as ballet .
Listen to the full interview with @ @ @ @ @ .

The Greatest Dancer judge Todrick Hall has told BBC Radio 5 Live what it was like for him growing up in Texas and wanting to be a dancer.
Speaking to Nicky Campbell and Eleanor Oldroyd, Hall, who has choreographed Beyonce and Taylor Swift, said when he was younger it was “unheard of” for a “young, black boy to be dancing”.
He also spoke about how pleased he was to see more young boys taking up dance, especially in areas such as ballet.
Listen to the full interview with Todrick Hall on BBC Sounds.


bbcuk--2020-02-21--Newspaper headlines: Coal fire crackdown and London mosque stabbing

`` The end of the roaring hearth '' is how the Daily Telegraph views the impending ban on coal and certain types of wood to heat our homes .
It believes the government risks accusations that it is targeting consumers rather than industry in its efforts to cut emissions .
The paper calls the measure `` hasty '' and says it is sadly reflective of an age in which - instead of trusting individuals to make the right decisions - `` bans are politicians ' first and only weapon of choice '' .
The i newspaper - which also leads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winter nights spent around a glowing fire are set to be consigned to the history books .
`` Two faces of hatred '' is the Daily Mail 's headline above reports on the murder of nine people at shisha bars in Germany by a right-wing extremist - and the knife attack at a mosque in London .
The right-wing terror threat is , says the Daily Mirror , an evil we all must fight .
The paper depicts the German gunman as a `` deranged racist '' who ranted about wiping out entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have called for tighter security after a muezzin - a person who makes the call to prayer - was stabbed at London Central Mosque , near Regent 's Park .
Meanwhile , the Mail uses an editorial to urge the prime minister to take a few hours out of his busy schedule to commiserate personally with people forced from their homes by flooding .
This should be Boris at his bouncing best , it says , cheering people up and assuring them that their problems are his problems .
Yet his wellingtons and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cupboard .
The Daily Express highlights what it describes as `` Britain 's soft justice system '' which it says has been laid bare by three burglars who were not sent to prison - despite carrying out 75 break-ins .
The paper says the gang were given non-custodial sentences until the final offence , when one was handed a suspended jail term .
It argues that criminals escaping justice is deeply disturbing and feeds a loss of confidence in the justice system .
The Guardian reports that Airbnb has become so prevalent in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now have one listing for every four properties .
It says this has prompted warnings that the rapid expansion in short-term lets is `` out of control '' and depriving communities of homes .
Edinburgh Old Town has the highest incidence , with 29 active listings for every 100 homes , while the north-west of Skye has 25 per 100 .
Airbnb has questioned the accuracy of the figures and said unusual listings , for example caravans , do not affect local housing stock .
Get news from the BBC in your inbox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story , the Times claims that an unpublished report on the Home Office 's `` hostile environment policy '' towards migrants has been toned down after originally concluding that the department was `` institutionally racist '' .
It says the term was in an earlier draft of the Windrush review into the treatment of people from the Caribbean , but does n't appear in more recent versions .
The paper says there are concerns in Whitehall that members of the advisory panel which helped to write the review will go public and criticise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to significant changes .
The Home Office said it had not had the final report and ministers had not seen any version of it .
`` Dangers lurking in your toxic takeaway '' is the less than appetising headline in the Daily Mail .
The paper highlights research which found that 380,000 cases of foodborne illness a year are caused by norovirus - with almost two thirds linked to eating out or takeaway meals .
It says the figures come amid concern about a collapse in the number of hygiene checks carried out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premises following savage budget cuts .
In another health story , the Guardian reports the news that scientists using artificial intelligence have developed a powerful antibiotic that kills some of the most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria .
The Financial Times believes the breakthrough signals a significant new tool in the global fight against drug resistance .
The Sun describes it as a watershed moment for the world of soap - a decision by the 93-year-old actress , June Brown , to quit EastEnders after 35 years as the chain-smoking gossip , Dot Cotton .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the paper , she says leaving Albert Square is `` almost like being bereaved '' .
The paper says it followed `` disappointment '' by the veteran star with her recent storylines .
Finally , several papers publish two pencil sketches which are believed to have been drawn by the Queen when she was a child .
One shows a middle-aged woman in profile - possibly her nanny , `` Crawfie '' - while the other seems to be of the same person knitting .
Buckingham Palace has n't said whether the works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells the Mirror that if the sketches are by the Queen , they show a precocious talent that - had she not become sovereign - could have taken her in artistic directions .

But one art critic tells the Mirror that if the sketches are by the Queen, they show a precocious talent that - had she not become sovereign - could have taken her in artistic directions.