Santander fined £12.4m by regulator

26 March 2014 Last updated at 09:59

Santander UK fined £12.4m by FCA for poor advice

Santander has been fined before for advice failures

High Street bank Santander UK has been fined nearly £12.4m by the UK financial watchdog over failures in investment advice in its branches.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that there was a risk that Santander customers could have been given unsuitable advice.

This is one of the biggest fines levied on a bank for such shortcomings.

The bank has apologised and will contact affected customers who could be in line for compensation.

Failings

Tracey McDermott, director of enforcement and financial crime at the FCA, said that Santander had "let customers down badly".

"Customers trusted Santander to help them manage their money wisely, but it failed to live up to that responsibility," she said.

"If trust in financial services is going to be restored, which it must be, then customers need to be confident that those advising them understand, and are driven by, what they need."

Among the failures identified by the FCA were:

• Advisers failed to consider how much risk customers were willing to take with their investments
• A failure to ensure that customers were given clear advice
• Ongoing checks to ensure that investments were suitable were not carried out for Premium Investment customers
• A failure to make sure new advisers were properly trained before being allowed to give investment advice
• Poor advice was not always picked up owing to poor monitoring

Santander stopped giving investment advice in branches in late 2012, after concerns about operations were raised by the regulator at the time, the Financial Services Authority.

Overhaul

Steve Pateman, head of UK banking at Santander, said that there had been very few complaints from customers.

"We regret that elements of Santander UK's historic branch-based investment sales processes did not meet the required regulatory standards and apologise to any customers who have concerns," he said.

He said that the bank had responded quickly to concerns. Since December 2012, it has completely overhauled its branch-based investment advice service and was confident that mistakes would not be repeated.

The FCA said the value of the stock markets had risen since many of these investments were first made, so customer losses could be relatively small.

Those who held a Premium Investment, promoted as offering a tailored service, could be given compensation if they paid for a service they did not receive.

Santander has been fined before by the City regulator. In February 2012 it was fined £1.5m for being too slow to explain to customers whether investments were covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme safety net.

Deaf 'marginalised' by Italian love of gesture

26 March 2014 Last updated at 01:31

Italian hand gestures trump deaf sign language

By William Mager See Hear

In Italy, the local sign language for deaf people isn't legally recognised. But the well-known, expressive hand gestures have their own dictionary and wider appeal, to the frustration of deaf people.

There are many things we associate with Italian culture - espresso coffee, scooters, gelato, expensive designer clothing. But perhaps more central to the Italian character is the way they use their hands to animate their speech.

Whether rubbing thumb and forefinger to signify money, flicking the chin to show how little you care, or even tapping underneath the eye with an index finger to show agreement, gesture is widely used and understood.

Prof Isabella Poggi at Roma Tre University recently formally categorised around 250 gestures in a detailed research paper that also explored the use of rhetoric, irony and context.

She told See Hear, the BBC's programme for the deaf community, that gestures may be more important in Italian culture than in any other. "We inherited the language of gestures from the Greeks," she says. "When the Greeks moved to southern Italy and colonised Naples, the Italians used gestures as a way to communicate without being overheard [but] the gestures continued to have a tradition as a way of communicating."

Sicilian film-maker Luca Vullo has documented Sicilian gesture - an even more free-spirited and expressive variant of that found on the Italian mainland - in a humorous documentary La Voce del Corpo, (The Voice of the Body). He is emphatic that gesture is a special part of everyday life in Italy.

Italian gestures, left to right: Fed up, get out of here, stingy

"When you are in Italy, you need to go on the street, in the markets, in the square and just watch the faces, the hands and the body of the people," says Vullo. "I think the Italian people are more physical but because it is in our blood."

The earliest collection of gestures, called The Ancients' Mimic Through The Neapolitan Gestures, was published in 1832 in Naples by Canon Andrea de Jorio. It is included in a dictionary of gestures published in 1958. There are also numerous online glossaries and videos.

The work of Poggi and Vullo have received worldwide attention, but this has left some in the deaf community asking where they fit in.

Italian Sign Language, known as Lingua Dei Segni Italiana - or LIS - is used by thousands of deaf people and is a richer and deeper visual language than gesture, according to Barbara Pennacchi, a deaf research assistant and linguist.

She says gesture is more of an enhancement to everyday speech rather than a language in its own right.

There are some similarities, though. Deaf See Hear presenter Memnos Costi found it surprisingly easy to order a few basic items in an Italian street market using simple gestures he'd picked up (see video). He described the market culture and communication as marvellous and said he wouldn't have bought anything if he'd had to resort to using a pen and paper. "I'd just walk off and go to the supermarket," he said.

"England is different," says the presenter. "People don't tend to use facial expressions, and it's difficult."

Britons may not use helpful gestures as widely, but the local sign language, BSL (British Sign Language) does have a high status. It was given official recognition in March 2003, which has led to more rights for deaf signers under the Equality Act and the Disability Discrimination Act. Provision of interpreters has grown as a result.

Italian gestures: What, where or why (left) and thank you

In contrast, in 2011 the global deaf community erupted in protests at the Italian government's attempts to downgrade LIS to Linguaggio Mimico Gestuale (LMG), essentially a language of mime and gesture, which, it was feared, would diminish the rights of deaf sign language users. Since then, changes in government mean the plans have been dropped for now.

Tiziana Gulli, who is deaf and from Rome, explains the wider situation: "Twelve minority languages have been given official status, but LIS has been ignored. It's important this goes on the list as a language," she says. "It means access to communication and information. It means we can access life, work, school, university, medical access and other elements. It means we can fully participate in life and in society."

You can find out more in our Italy Special on See Hear, on Wednesday, 26 March at 10.30 GMT on BBC Two.

26 March 2014 Last updated at 12:49

Just what is 'consciously uncoupling'?

Magazine Monitor A collection of cultural artefacts

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Gwyneth Paltrow has described her separation from Chris Martin as a "conscious uncoupling". But what is that, asks Tom de Castella.

The couple said they had "come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much, we will remain separate". It went on: "We hope that as we consciously uncouple and co-parent, we will be able to continue in the same manner."

It's a new one in the celebrity split lexicon. Seal and Heidi Klum said they'd "grown apart". Dawn French and Lenny Henry, on splitting, said they "fully intend to maintain their close friendship". Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston said: "We happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another."

The new formulation comes from an essay, On Conscious Uncoupling, written by Paltrow's spiritual advisers Dr Habib Sadeghi and Dr Sherry Sami. "Although it looks like everything is coming apart; it's actually all coming back together," they conclude. The Oxford English Dictionary has a citation of the use of "uncoupling" to describe the end of relationships from 1942.

Divorce lawyer Sarah Thompson, of Slater and Gordon, says uncoupling reminds her of two railway carriages being separated. The addition of the word "conscious" is there to tell people it's amicable. She says she wouldn't be surprised if Paltrow and Martin use collaborative law - both parties sitting down at a table with a lawyer each and going through everything. "It's often described as the nicest way to get divorced."

When, as in the Paltrow-Martin case, there are children involved, it's a good idea to use age-appropriate language, says Denise Knowles, a counsellor at Relate. People getting divorced have a lot of "anger, sadness and conflict," she says. But agreeing to split can be a step in the right direction.

These phrases can smack a little of euphemism, says relationship expert Judi James - the uncoupling terminology hints at an attempt to suggest that rather than being a wholly bad thing, this could actually be another step in life's surprising journey.

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VIDEO: Dramatic escape from building blaze

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Houston fire: Man rescued as burning building falls

26 March 2014 Last updated at 09:34 GMT

A construction worker has been rescued from a burning building in Houston, Texas moments before it collapsed.

Footage recorded by an eyewitness shows the man jumping from floor to floor before climbing onto crane.

He is then lowered to safety as the top floor of the property crashes down.

VIDEO: Laptop ruling 'victory for consumer'

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Laptop ruling 'victory for consumer', says Richard Durkin

26 March 2014 Last updated at 13:31 GMT

A man has won a 16-year dispute over a laptop which he bought from the Aberdeen branch of PC World.

Richard Durkin claimed the HFC bank ruined his credit rating after he tried to pull out of a credit agreement when he returned the £1,499 computer.

Mr Durkin, 44, took his case to court and initially won damages of £116,000 but that ruling was overturned.

The Supreme Court in London has now allowed his appeal and ruled he should receive £8,000 in damages.

Mr Durkin said the ruling was a victory for the consumer but a blow for him personally.

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Richard Durkin wins 16-year laptop credit wrangle with HFC bank

Richard Durkin's laptop wrangle with HFC bank under way

VIDEO: US mudslide death toll rises to 16

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Washington mudslide death toll reaches 16

26 March 2014 Last updated at 06:45 GMT

US authorities say they have located 10 more bodies in the area of Washington state that was devastated by a landslide on Saturday.

That means so far, rescuers in the town of Oso have identified twenty four people who died in the disaster, with more than 150 people still unaccounted for.

David Willis reports.

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Washington mudslide death toll reaches 16

VIDEO: Outrage as Danish zoo kills lions

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Outrage as Danish zoo kills healthy family of lions

26 March 2014 Last updated at 13:25 GMT

A zoo in Denmark that provoked outrage after putting down a healthy giraffe has killed a family of four lions to make way for a new young male lion.

Copenhagen Zoo says it "had to euthanise" two cubs and their parents after it failed to re-home them.

The 16-year-old male and 14-year-old female were nearing the end of their natural lives in captivity, it added.

Last month, the zoo killed a healthy giraffe because it was deemed surplus to requirements.

Malcolm Brabant reports from Copenhagen.

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Danish zoo that culled giraffe kills family of lions

UK-wide energy 'likely' post Yes

26 March 2014 Last updated at 13:47

Scottish independence: SSE says single energy market 'likely' post Yes

The future of energy in Scotland is a key battleground in the independence debate

Continue reading the main story

A single UK energy market is "likely" if Scotland votes to be independent, according to SSE.

In a statement to investors the Perth-based energy giant also said post-independence negotiations could lead to changes in the existing single market.

The Scottish government has insisted current energy market arrangements would continue following a "Yes" vote.

But UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey has said such a plan "goes against all commercial logic".

In a business update, SSE, the UK's second largest energy supplier, said it had been undertaking work to manage the "uncertainty" and "increased legislative and regulatory risk" associated with the referendum, which takes place on 18 September.

It concluded that "a single energy market in Great Britain would be the most likely outcome in the event of a Yes vote".

The statement also recognised that post-independence negotiations between the Scottish and UK governments could be "complex" and might result in changes to the existing market.

It added: "SSE has already put in place arrangements to ensure that it takes account of this uncertainty in its decision-making and is undertaking work to ensure that it has a clear view of the issues that would arise should there be a 'Yes' vote, and is in a good position to engage constructively with the Scottish and UK governments in the event of Scotland ceasing to be part of the UK.

'Key battleground'

Energy has emerged as a key battleground in the referendum debate.

The Scottish government's White Paper on independence states "a single GB-wide market for electricity and gas will continue with the current market trading arrangements".

However, speaking at a Scottish renewables conference last week, Mr Davey insisted the Scottish government's plan "goes against all commercial logic" and independence would not mean "a continuation of business as usual".

Last month, Labour's Shadow Energy Secretary Caroline Flint said energy bills would go up in an independent Scotland, a claim Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing described as a "political threat".

Mr Ewing welcomed SSE's intervention, saying a single UK energy market was "in everyone's interests".

He added: "Affordable home energy and the ability of vulnerable consumers to heat and power their homes is of utmost concern for this government.

"We welcome that SSE supports our intention to remove costs of vital energy efficiency measures from customers' bills and to meet these from central government resources.

"Scotland's huge offshore renewables resource will have a major role to play in meeting future UK energy needs - but UK government's half-hearted and delayed reforms to the energy market are a serious threat to the vital investment required."

Kenya restricts Somali refugees

26 March 2014 Last updated at 12:15

Kenya restricts Somali refugees to camps

Some half a million Somalis live in the Dadaab refugee camp

Kenya has ordered all urban-based Somali refugees to move into designated camps in a bid to end attacks by militant Islamists.

Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said the directive had been issued because of the "emergency security challenges" facing Kenya.

A refugee group condemned the decision as illegal.

Somalia's al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group has carried out a spate of attacks in Kenya in recent years.

It was behind the four-day siege at the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi in September in which 67 people died.

'Harassment and extortion'

On Sunday, at least six people were killed when gunmen opened fire on a church near the coastal city of Mombasa.

No group said it carried out the attack.

Kenya has repeatedly claimed that refugees crossing over from Somalia are threatening its security.

Mr Ole Lenku said refugee registration centres in Kenya's main cities would be closed.

All refugees living in cities and towns should report to the Dadaab and Kakuma camps in eastern and north-western Kenya, he added.

"Any refugee found flouting this directive will be dealt with in accordance with the law," Mr Ole Lenku added in a statement.

Somali militants have carried out a series of attacks in Kenya

The BBC's Abdullahi Abdi in Nairobi says the decision will affect hundreds of thousands of Somalis - many of whom live and work in cities - and could worsen overcrowding at the camps.

Around half a million refugees live in Dadaab and more than 100,000 in Kakuma.

The US-based Refugees International (RI) group said the government should immediately withdraw the directive.

"Kenya has signed international conventions that allow freedom of movement for refugees, and Tuesday's decision flies in the face of those assurances," the group said in a statement.

A similar decision in 2012 was declared unconstitutional by the Kenyan High Court, but not before it sparked violence, harassment, and extortion against refugees at the hands of the security services, RI said.

"For years, Kenya was a generous host to Somali refugees, permitting many to become self-sufficient and contribute to the country's economy and society. This decision marks a disturbing shift in the wrong direction, and it should not stand," it added.

Ambulance response times 'disgrace'

26 March 2014 Last updated at 13:16

Ambulance response time targets missed in February

Figures show there were 32,788 emergency calls to the Welsh Ambulance Service in February

A big drop in ambulance response times have been dubbed a "national disgrace".

In February, 52.8% of life-threatening calls saw an ambulance arrive in eight minutes compared with a 65% target.

The figures were released as the Welsh government announced a change in the indicators used to measure performance to show clinical benefit "rather than on the basis of time alone".

The response times have been criticised heavily by the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.

"It would seem our ambulance service has reached crisis point," said Kirsty Williams leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

"These figures are a national disgrace. People deserve better than this.

"These alarming figures come on the same day the health minister has said he plans to change the way our ambulance service is monitored."

Her party says the figures are "worst" since the monitoring system was last changed in 2011 and come on the same day Health Minister Mark Drakeford announced a new change in monitoring performance of A&E units and the ambulance service.

The figures show there were 32,788 emergency calls, 5.5% down on January 2014 but 0.8% up on February 2013.

• Of these, 13,266 were Category A (immediately life-threatening) calls, 3.4% down on January 2014 but 1.6% up on February 2013.

• 52.8% of emergency responses to Category A calls arrived at the scene within eight minutes - down from 57.6% in January 2014 and from 60.8% in February 2013 - and below the target of 65%.

• 57.7% of Category A calls received an emergency response within nine minutes, 62.1% within 10 minutes, 79.1% within 15 minutes and 88.3% within 20 minutes.

'Response time fiasco'

The ambulance service hit the key national eight-minute target for life-threatening calls last October, the first time it had been achieved since May 2012.

Conservative Shadow Health Minister, Darren Millar AM, said: "Labour's ambulance response time fiasco continues and it's patients who are paying the price.

"Despite the hard work of staff, the performance of the Welsh Ambulance Service remains entirely unacceptable.

"The disclosure of these figures - on the same day that Carwyn Jones and Welsh Labour have announced radical changes to the way that NHS performance is measured - suggests an attempt to bury bad news, and communities across Wales will rightly question the motives behind the timing."

Elin Jones AM, Plaid Cymru's health spokesperson, said: "This poor performance happened despite receiving significantly fewer calls than in previous months which should be a huge cause for concern for the Welsh government.

"The Welsh government should get to grips with the ambulance service instead of seeking to shift the goalposts by changing targets."

The Welsh government has yet to comment on the latest figures but on the change in indicators, Health Minister Mark Drakeford told BBC Wales: "I want us to judge the success of our services by measuring things which make a difference to patients and the effectiveness of the treatment they receive.

"This development work will make sure what we measure is more meaningful in terms of clinical benefit and outcomes for patients, rather than on the basis of time alone."

N Korea fires mid-range missiles

26 March 2014 Last updated at 04:12

North Korea test-fires mid-range missiles

The North has launched dozens of short-range rockets in recent weeks

North Korea has test-fired two medium-range ballistic missiles, just hours after the US, South Korea and Japan met in the Netherlands for talks.

It is the first launch of a Nodong missile since 2009 and marks a step up from the short-range rockets Pyongyang has fired in recent weeks.

The launches also came on the fourth anniversary of the sinking of a South Korean warship.

Washington and Seoul have condemned the launch, which violates UN resolutions.

The US State Department described the launch as "a troubling and provocative escalation".

"We urge North Korea to exercise restraint and refrain from further threatening actions," deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.

'Grave provocation'

The South Korean defence ministry said the missiles were fired from the Suckon region north of Pyongyang and flew for about 650km (400 miles) before falling into the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.

"This missile is capable of hitting not only most of Japan but also Russia and China," ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said.

The ministry described it as a "grave provocation".

In recent weeks, North Korea has launched multiple short-range missiles - actions which have coincided with annual US-South Korea military exercises.

But this is the first launch of a Nodong missile - which has a range of about 1,000km - since 2009. A similar launch also took place in 2006.

Ballistic missile launches by Pyongyang are banned by the United Nations.

North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests, the most recent in February 2013. It is also developing a three-stage missile that experts believe could be capable of hitting parts of the US.

But it is not yet believed to have the expertise to miniaturise a nuclear weapon so it could be delivered via a missile.

The US State Department said North Korea did not issue any maritime notification warning of its latest test.

"We are closely co-ordinating with our allies and partners, including in the UN Security Council, to take the appropriate measures in response to this latest provocation and to address the threat to global security posed by the DPRK's [North Korea's] nuclear and ballistic missile programmes," the statement said.

The launches took place in the early hours of Wednesday, which marks four years since South Korea's Cheonan warship sank with the loss of 46 lives near the disputed inter-Korean western maritime border.

South Korea says North Korea torpedoed the ship. North Korea denies any role in the incident.

They also came just hours after US President Barack Obama met his South Korean counterpart, Park Geun-hye, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the nuclear summit in The Hague for talks that focused on North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

It was the first meeting between Ms Park and Mr Abe since both took office, amid strained ties over historical and territorial issues.

Mr Obama pledged his "unwavering commitment" to Tokyo and Seoul in the face of North Korea's nuclear programme.

Pyongyang says its rocket tests are self-defence exercises and says the military drills by Washington and Seoul are invasion preparations.

Pakistan holds Taliban peace talks

26 March 2014 Last updated at 12:34

Pakistan team meets Taliban for talks in North Waziristan

Thousands have been killed and many more injured in Pakistan's militant violence

Continue reading the main story

A team of Pakistani government representatives have arrived in the tribal region of North Waziristan for peace talks with the Taliban.

It is the first direct contact between the two sides since peace moves began last month.

The government team flew by helicopter from Peshawar to meet Taliban negotiators at an undisclosed location.

Militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been waging an insurgency in Pakistan since 2007.

Thousands have been killed in the violence.

The talks initiative was announced this year by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after a spate of attacks.

The government says extending a one-month ceasefire is top of the agenda at Wednesday's talks.

The militants, who are fighting for their austere version of Sharia law across Pakistan, have repeatedly rejected the country's constitution. Many observers say that makes any lasting deal unlikely.

The TTP also comprises many factions, which makes a deal complicated to reach.

Since taking office last May, Mr Sharif has come under mounting pressure to bring the violence under control, with many accusing his government of lacking a strategy to deal with the militants, correspondents say.

Earlier this year he said he wanted to end the insurgency by peaceful means, but has indicated that stronger military action will be used if talks fail.

Correspondents say some in Pakistan are worried the talks will only allow the militants time to gain strength and regroup. Previous deals and attempts to engage the Pakistani Taliban in dialogue have all failed.

Kerry flies to Amman for Abbas talks

26 March 2014 Last updated at 11:45

Kerry flies to Jordan for Abbas talks as deadline looms

If the prisoner release issue can be resolved, John Kerry wants both sides to approve a "framework" accord

Continue reading the main story

US Secretary of State John Kerry has interrupted a trip to Europe to press the Palestinians and Israelis to extend their peace talks as a deadline looms.

Mr Kerry has flown to Jordan to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

He will also talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone or video conference in the next few days.

A dispute over the release of a fourth batch of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails threatens to derail his plan to continue talks beyond 29 April.

Mr Abbas has insisted that they must be freed by the end of this month, in keeping with a promise made by Israel before direct negotiations resumed last summer following a three-year hiatus.

But with little sign of progress, Israeli officials have said that they are reluctant to proceed with the release unless the Palestinians commit to extending the talks and refraining from taking their case for statehood to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court.

The Palestinians have also said the 26 prisoners should include 14 Arab-Israelis, but the Israelis have insisted they made no such commitment.

The previous three releases were deeply unpopular with the Israeli public because many of the prisoners were convicted of murdering Israelis.

'Narrow the gaps'

Mr Kerry flew to Amman from Rome on Wednesday morning for talks with Mr Abbas to "continue to narrow the gaps", state department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters.

The releases of Palestinian prisoners have been deeply unpopular with the Israeli public

"Obviously we've said both parties have had to make courageous decisions throughout this process to keep the negotiations going, and we certainly hope that will continue," she added.

Mr Kerry will meet Jordan's King Abdullah II before attending a working dinner with Mr Abbas. He will then return to Rome to join President Barack Obama at a meeting on Thursday with Pope Francis.

The US's peace envoy, Martin Indyk, has been meeting representatives of both sides in the region since Saturday in an effort to prevent the talks from falling apart before the end of the nine-month period set for the negotiation of a comprehensive peace treaty.

If the prisoner release issue can be resolved, Mr Kerry wants both sides to approve a "framework" accord on core issues that must be resolved.

The issues include:

• The borders between Israel and a future Palestinian state
• The status of Jerusalem
• Israel's insistence that it be recognised as a Jewish state
• The Palestinians' demand that their refugees be allowed to return to their former homes in what is now Israel
• Security in the West Bank, with Israel wanting a long-term presence in the Jordan Valley

Arab League leaders attending a summit in Kuwait on Tuesday expressed their "total rejection" of Israel's call to be recognised as a Jewish state.

The Palestinians recognise the State of Israel, but say recognising its Jewish character would have implications for refugees and Israeli-Arabs.

McConville accused Bell granted bail

26 March 2014 Last updated at 13:31

Jean McConville: Belfast republican Ivor Bell granted bail

Ivor Bell pictured at an earlier court hearing

Continue reading the main story

A former IRA leader advised that the life of Disappeared victim Jean McConville should not be spared just because she was a woman, the High Court in Belfast has heard.

The widowed Belfast mother-of-10, who was one of the Disappeared, was taken from her flat by the IRA and murdered in December 1972.

Ivor Bell, 77, was arrested at his home in west Belfast last week.

He was granted bail on Wednesday.

The case against him is based on an interview he allegedly gave to researchers at Boston College in the US.

Mrs McConville, 37, was kidnapped in front of her children after being wrongly accused of being an informer.

The claim that she was an informer was dismissed after an official investigation by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman

She was held at one or more houses before being shot and buried in secret. Her body was eventually recovered on a beach in County Louth in August 2003.

Nobody has ever been charged with her murder.

Widow Jean McConville left behind 10 children

The Disappeared are those who were abducted, murdered and secretly buried by republicans during the Troubles.

The IRA admitted in 1999 that it murdered and buried at secret locations nine of the Disappeared.

The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains was established in 1999 by a treaty between the British and Irish governments.

It lists 16 people as "disappeared". Despite extensive searches, the remains of seven of them have not been found.

Mr Bell was part of an IRA delegation, which also included Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, that held secret talks with the British government in London in 1972.

The Boston College tapes are a series of candid, confessional interviews with former loyalist and republican paramilitaries, designed to be an oral history of the Troubles.

The paramilitaries were told the tapes would only be made public after their deaths. However, after a series of court cases in the United States, some of the content has been handed over to the authorities.

Court suspends Turkish Twitter ban

26 March 2014 Last updated at 11:24

Court in Turkey suspends ban on Twitter

People have demonstrated against the Twitter ban in the streets

Turkish users of Twitter are expected to regain access shortly after a court ordered the suspension of the ban on the social media site.

The court in the capital, Ankara, issued a stay of execution on last week's decision by the country's telecommunication authority (TIB).

Once the court informs the TIB, the ban is expected to be lifted.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to "wipe out Twitter" after users spread allegations of corruption.

At a rally ahead of important local elections on Sunday, Mr Erdogan was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying: "I don't understand how people of good sense could defend this Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. There are all kinds of lies there."

Ban 'illegal'

A ban was imposed on Friday on the grounds that Twitter had failed to remove the allegations of corruption involving senior officials.

However, users found many ways of circumventing the prohibition, which was widely criticised and ridiculed.

A number of complaints were filed to courts, arguing the ban was illegal and unconstitutional.

The administrative court in Ankara issued a temporary injunction on Wednesday ordering the TIB to restore access to Twitter, the Associated Press reports.

While the TIB has a right to object to the injunction, access to Twitter should be reopened before a second decision is made, unnamed legal experts told Turkish daily Hurriyet in an article.

The private broadcaster NTV television was quoted by AFP news agency as saying the TIB was expected to grant access to Twitter in the coming hours.

Germany's 'bishop of bling' resigns

26 March 2014 Last updated at 12:24

German 'bishop of bling' resigns over spending scandal

The Vatican did not elaborate further on the bishop's future

Pope Francis has formally accepted the resignation of a senior German Church leader suspended over his alleged lavish spending.

The Vatican made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday.

Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst has been accused of spending more than 31m euros (£26m) on renovating his official residence.

The cleric, dubbed the "bishop of bling" by the media, offered to resign when the scandal broke last October.

In response, Pope Francis temporarily suspended Bishop Tebartz-van Elst and instructed a Church commission to investigate the matter.

Pope Francis has repeatedly expressed his disapproval of senior clerics whose lifestyles seem too lavish.

'Docility' call

On Wednesday, the Vatican said the inquiry found that the senior cleric could no longer exercise his ministry.

The Church called on the diocese of Limburg to accept the decision "with docility" and to work toward restoring a "climate of charity and reconciliation".

The bishop's official residence in Limburg (L) has been described as luxurious

Germans made clear what they thought of the cleric during a carnival parade in Mainz in early March

The Vatican did not further elaborate on the future of Bishop Tebartz-van Elst, but said he would get a new position "at the opportune time".

Auxiliary Bishop Manfred Grothe has been appointed to run the Limburg diocese.

Bishop Tebartz-van Elst and his luxury lifestyle have become infamous in Germany, where many people pay a Church tax to the state. The tax raised 5.2bn euros for Catholics and 4.6bn euros for Protestants in 2012.

At the heart of the criticism was the refurbishment of the cleric's official residence, originally set to cost 5.5m euros.

German media reported that the quarters were fitted with a 15,000-euro bath, a conference table for 25,000 euros and a private chapel worth 2.9m euros.

The bishop was also under fire for a first-class flight to India to visit the poor.

The story attracted heavy coverage and stoked controversy among Catholics.

It was in Germany that Martin Luther launched the Reformation five centuries ago in response to what he said were excesses and abuses within the Church.

Schools shut as teachers strike

26 March 2014 Last updated at 14:35

National teachers' strike: Schools shut across Wales

NUT Cymru says teachers are being asked to work longer and pay more into their pensions

Almost half of schools in Wales are closed or partially shut as teachers strike over pay and conditions.

Teachers in the NUT union in Wales and England are protesting against the UK government's changes to pay and pension terms.

Despite the Welsh government having power over education in Wales, pay is controlled by the UK government.

The UK government has criticised the strike, saying it will cause disruption for children and parents.

More than 13,000 teachers from hundreds of schools across Wales have taken part in the action.

Over 470 Welsh schools are partially closed and more than 300 completely shut.

While some schools were forced to close completely, most secondary schools were open for pupils studying for their GCSEs and A-levels.

The strike was called after a row over a new performance-related pay structure and tougher pension package planned by the UK government.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has said that introducing performance related pay would be a way of raising teaching standards.

The idea is designed to bring automatic pay rises to an end, with schools given the flexibility to offer higher salaries to their best teachers.

But the fear is, with budgets so tight, it would be difficult to reward the best teachers without penalising those who are struggling.

NUT Cymru members took part in a rally on Wednesday morning outside the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff Bay.

The union's Wales secretary David Evans, speaking from the rally, told the BBC: "Teachers are being asked to pay more into their pensions and are being asked to work longer.

"So it's pay more, work longer, receive less."

David Evans, NUT Cymru secretary, says parents understand it is a "fight for education"

Earlier, he had said that nobody could accuse the union of taking strike action lightly, adding previous planned action had been called off twice.

"Unfortunately teachers across Wales really do feel as if they are left with little alternative," he said.

"In many cases they are not simply fighting for a fair deal for teachers, opposing the unfair pay and pension's raids they have faced, but are standing up for the very nature of education services on offer in our communities.

"No teacher wants to strike.

"The individuals doing so will be sacrificing a day's pay, but it is a decision based on securing the long-term sustainability of public education in Wales and the UK."

Teachers were taking part in a rally outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay

The other big teaching union, the NASUWT, has walked out alongside the NUT in the last two national strikes but will not strike on Wednesday.

The UK government said the strike action would damage children's education and would be unpopular with parents.

A spokesperson for the UK government's Department of Education said: "Parents will struggle to understand why the NUT is pressing ahead with strikes over the government's measures to let heads pay good teachers more.

"They called for talks to avoid industrial action, we agreed to their request, and talks have been taking place weekly.

TEACHERS' STRIKE:
COUNCIL	PARTIALLY CLOSED	FULL CLOSURES
Council websites will update any new closures
Anglesey	9	19
Blaenau Gwent	19	7
Bridgend	2	2
Caerphilly	48	23
Cardiff	48	41
Carmarthenshire	21	15
Ceredigion	2	5
Conwy	0	0
Denbighshire	9	2
Flintshire	23	17
Gwynedd	20	18
Merthyr	4	4
Monmouthshire	16	4
Neath Port Talbot	49	22
Newport	25	10
Pembrokeshire	24	2
Powys	12	12
Rhondda Cynon Taf	70	35
Swansea	30	41
Torfaen	12	3
Vale of Glamorgan	26	13
Wrexham	14	15

Benefits test 'led to suicide'

26 March 2014 Last updated at 03:40

Benefits assessment led to woman's suicide says watchdog

By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent

The Mental Welfare Commission looked at the case of a woman who killed herself after an Atos assessment

The way a woman was assessed for benefits led to her suicide less than a month later, according to a mental health watchdog.

The woman had a history of depression and was on significant medication, but scored zero points in a Work Capability Assessment (WCA), carried out by Atos.

A Mental Welfare Commission report said it could see no other factor "in her decision to end her life".

The Department for Work and Pensions said correct procedures were followed.

The woman, who is identified only as Miss DE, was in her early 50s and had been out of work for just under two years due to stress-related depression when she was assessed for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

ESA replaced incapacity benefit as part of changes to the benefits system, introduced by the UK government in 2007.

'Nothing untoward'

Miss DE did not receive a self-assessment questionnaire and no evidence was requested from her psychiatrist or GP.

The doctor who conducted the hour-long assessment for Atos, on behalf of the DWP, concluded that Miss DE showed "no evidence that she has a significant disability of mental health function" and she was notified by letter that she had scored zero points in the assessment on 9 December 2011.

When a welfare rights officer informed Miss DE that this would mean her £94.25 per week incapacity benefit would be reduced to a Jobseekers Allowance of £67.50 per week she became very upset and said she did not know how she was going to pay her mortgage.

She took an overdose on New Year's Eve.

"This lady had a lot to look forward to," said the chief executive of the MWC, Dr Donald Lyons.

"She was getting married. She was being treated. She was undertaking voluntary work. She had a good social network.

"There wasn't anything else which we could identify that would lead us to believe that there was any other factor in her life that resulted in her decision to end her life."

When a DWP representative analysed the process, he told the MWC that the steps taken showed "nothing untoward."

The MWC said a survey of psychiatrists conducted as part of its investigation found that 13% reported that at least one of their patients had attempted suicide as a result of the assessment process.

A total of 75% said they had not been asked by the DWP or Atos to take part in benefit assessments, although the majority said their patients had asked them to provide medical evidence.

About 85% of the psychiatrists said that the benefits assessment had led to patients needing more frequent appointments.

'Tragic case'

The MWC said there were examples of patients who had stopped receiving ESA despite their doctors being adamant that they were completely unable to work.

A spokesman for the DWP said: "This was a tragic case and our thoughts go out to the family. We conducted an internal investigation which found our procedures of the time were correctly followed and the relevant safeguards implemented.

"This report is narrowly focused using a single case from 2011 to make conclusions about the Work Capability Assessment process without taking into account the significant improvements we have made - and continue to make - for people with mental health conditions.

"We worked with the Mental Welfare Commission throughout their review and formally responded to their recommendations with a commitment to further improve our processes where required. "

The mental health watchdog, however, has said that more change is needed.

Dr Lyons added: "There are some things that haven't changed and we still don't see a commitment from the DWP to changing.

"One of those is the need to have more than one piece of evidence before making a decision like this.

"We think the DWP should pay very careful attention to the lessons in this report. If they do, it will make it less likely that others will be as distressed or - heaven forbid - take their own lives the way that Miss DE did."

The MWC has recommended that medical reports should be routinely obtained for anyone with a mental illness or learning disability and says that it has "major concerns" that the Work Capability Assessment is not sensitive enough to capture the elements of mental illness which mean that a person is unable to work.

Atos, which is in the process of negotiating an early exit from its contract with the DWP, said: "We understand that applying for benefit can be a difficult and emotional time which is why we work very hard to try to make the part of the process we are responsible for as comfortable as possible.

"The Work Capability Assessment was designed by the government as a way of assessing how an individual's disability or illness impacts on their day-to-day life. It is not designed to diagnose or treat a medical condition.

"In line with guidance from DW, so as not to overload the GP community, we will request further medical evidence only where this is likely to mean that a person will be eligible for benefit without the need for a face-to-face assessment. We do this in about a third of all cases."

VIDEO: Jackson and Johannson on movies

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Jackson and Johannson talk nudity and middle names

26 March 2014 Last updated at 10:34 GMT

Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L Jackson are promoting their latest film Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

They spoke to Breakfast's Louise Minchin about choosing movies, good causes, and middle names.

VIDEO: Footage from inside a flying insect

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3D insect flight: footage captured from inside a fly

26 March 2014 Last updated at 10:08 GMT

A team of scientists from Oxford University, Imperial College, and the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland have used very intense X-rays to film inside an insect as it flies.

The footage is a 3D reconstruction, made up of several X-ray images, and shows a blowfly's flight motor - the anatomy that powers its flight.

The researchers say the videos offer a glimpse into the inner workings of one of nature's most complex mechanisms.

Dr Simon Walker from Oxford's animal flight group told the BBC: "We hope that this research will [prove] useful towards the design of micro-mechanical systems, including micro air vehicles that aim to replicate insect flight."

The results are published in the journal Plos Biology.

Footage courtesy of Simon Walker, University of Oxford

Prison van escapee cleared of murder

26 March 2014 Last updated at 14:33

John Anslow trial: Prison van escapee cleared of murder

John Anslow went on the run to Cyprus

A drug dealer who escaped from a prison van as he was being driven to court has been cleared of murder.

John Anslow, 33, from Tipton, had been charged with killing Richard Deakin when he was freed by a masked gang near HMP Hewell, Redditch in January 2012.

The fugitive was arrested in Cyprus and brought back to the UK, but was cleared by a jury at Woolwich Crown Court.

He admitted a charge of conspiracy to escape from lawful custody and was jailed for seven years in December.

Richard Deakin was shot in the chest as he lay in bed

Staffordshire Police said they were disappointed with the verdict but revealed for the first time that Anslow was already serving a "significant prison sentence".

Masked gunman

Det Ch Insp Darren Harding said Anslow had also been sentenced, in September 2012, to 22 years for his involvement in large-scale drugs supply.

"Reporting restrictions in place at the time meant Anslow's involvement could not be revealed," he said.

"We are satisfied this longstanding investigation has finally come to an end.

"It also means we can expose Anslow's involvement in the previous cases and the public can finally learn what a pivotal role he played in drugs supply in the region."

Mr Deakin was shot by a masked gunman as he lay in bed at his home in Chasetown, Cannock, on the morning of 5 July 2010.

Anslow was charged over the killing in January 2012 but was freed from a prison van as he was being driven to a court hearing.

Police launched an appeal to find him and he was eventually traced to the Alancak region of Northern Cyprus, in March 2013.

Upon his return to the UK, Anslow was charged over the prison van ambush. He admitted escaping lawful custody in September, but denied any role in Mr Deakin's murder.

Two men - David Harrison, 63, and Daryl Dickens, 34, from the Bilston area, were handed life sentences for Mr Deakin's murder in December 2012.

Nations League tournament 'from 2018'

26 March 2014 Last updated at 13:07

Nations League: New European tournament to be confirmed

 

A "League of Nations" that would be a third major tournament for European countries after the World Cup and European Championship is expected to be given the go-ahead by Uefa on Thursday.

Games would be played in odd-numbered years on dates reserved for friendlies, starting after the 2018 World Cup.

No exact details have been confirmed, but there would be up to four divisions with promotion and relegation, plus a 'final four' competition in the summer.

England would likely be in a top tier.

The 54 member associations of European football's governing body will vote on the proposal at its annual congress in Kazakhstan.

Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino has confirmed an agreement to set up the new tournament should be reached on Thursday.

He said: "What has triggered what is being called the Nations League is the international calendar and the dates for friendly matches.

"We have been looking at optimising the structure of the calendar without bringing in any more dates.

"There are teams everyone wants to play against and other teams who struggle to get the opponents they'd ideally like. For all national associations, the fact is that national team matches are key for their development."

On rankings, England would be in the top division alongside the likes of Spain, Germany and Italy. Each division would then be divided into groups with the winners qualifying for a semi-final and final, played at neutral venues.

Winners of the lower divisions could be granted entry to the European Championship.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - ranked 31, 34 and 39 respectively by Uefa  - could find themselves playing each other in the third of four divisions using the current national team coefficient.

While matches will be played on dates reserved for friendlies, there will still be flexibility for smaller countries to arrange high-profile fixtures with bigger European teams and for nations to play friendlies against national sides from outside Europe.

The Football Association is in favour of the plan, with chairman Greg Dyke saying earlier this month: "The hard thing is the detail but I think a Nations League where we played the top nations would be very attractive."

 

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  Comment number 99.

  David Luiz - Chelsea Cult Hero
  Just now

  @92 Pushing it a little with Greece, Czech Republic, Ukraine & Croatia aren't we? Give it your unbiased view, if you own it
  We're on a similar level to Sweden, Russia & maybe Switzerland imo
  Should have added Bosnia though, they're a good side on the rise & currently better than a 2/3 on that list
  
  Assume they will use FIFA rankings for this seeing as I can't find any UEFA national team rankings

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  Comment number 98.

  Ray
  1 Minute ago

  Isn't it time the home nations associations backed down in favour of a GB team - or even British and Irish (like the rugby tours) ?
  Is there any other political entity on the planet that has more than one national team ?
  Isn't it tragic that George Best, Giggs, Bale, etc. will never play in a World Cup. Am I the only Englishman to support Scotland, Wales, N Ireland, Ireland whenever they play ?

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  Comment number 97.

  dave owens
  2 Minutes ago

  Oh brilliant! Yet another brainless idea which will fill the coffers of Wembley PLC. The other downside is this will add to the injury lists of all the top clubs in the premiership, and will the clubs get compensation for the loss of top players for up to 6 months?
  
  We need LESS games, not more, and especially glorified friendlies arranged just for an FA ego trip.

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  Comment number 96.

  Renster
  4 Minutes ago

  David Luiz
  
  "Name 14 teams better in Europe than England"
  
  Spoil sport. Why stop at 14?? I could name more.

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  Comment number 95.

  Rob04
  6 Minutes ago

  #90 And the huge exposure given to the EPL by top-paid Sports presenters and analysis.Astonishing.
  
  Compared to the cheap low grade exposure the remainder of the UK receives.
  
  Its the BBC but its really the EBC and we have known it for years.

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