New Year's Eve: London fireworks celebrate start of 2020

Some 12,000 fireworks lit up the UK capital's skyline to usher in the start of the new decade.

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Lewis Capaldi named the UK's biggest-selling musician of 2019

The Scottish star helped the UK music industry towards a fifth consecutive year of growth.

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Smokers past and present 'live in more pain'

Smokers and ex-smokers who have quit report being in more pain than people who have never smoked.

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Who'd be a lifeguard for cold water swimmers?

Enthusiasts rave about cold water swimming - but the lifeguards must be ready to save lives in icy water.

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What year is it?

While lots of people are celebrating the start of 2020, it's a different year altogether for some.

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Taking on Germany’s tampon tax: 'Periods are not a luxury'

Their petition gained more than 180,000 signatures and led to a change in the law.

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Bodybuilding: 'It's made me address my false leg'

Craig Earley turned to bodybuilding after he was seriously injured in a car crash.

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The story of the aeroplane house in Nigeria's capital Abuja

Said Jammal has spent 20 years building the family's unusual home in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

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Are your friends bad for your health?

We tend to copy the way our friends and family behave, potentially leading us to put on weight or even divorce.

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Why mature dating apps are coming of age

An increasing number of older people are turning to dating apps for mature people, in a quest for love.

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Could relatives of measles virus jump from animals to us?

A group of viruses, of which measles is one, are adept at jumping to species barrier.

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The region which legislates who you can love

LGBT activists are mounting legal battles against the Caribbean's colonial-era homophobic laws.

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What does it mean to be a black traveller?

Four millennials on being the first black person some people meet, and other issues for black tourists.

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'How Pokémon Go has changed my life'

Players say the virtual reality game makes them happier and healthier.

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20 things to look out for in 2020

Christmas is over, it's dark and cold - but there are plenty of bright spots on the horizon.

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CAA: Held mistakenly, 4 spend 11 days in jail

After spending 11 days in jail, a government clerk and three other men who were “mistakenly” picked up by Muzaffarnagar police after December 20 clashes walked free on Tuesday. Over 73 people are in jail for their alleged role in clashes and arson in Muzaffarnagar. Local police are in the process to identify more “innocent” people it has put behind bars.

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India reserves right to strike at terror sources: New Army chief

Warning Pakistan that India reserves the right to pre-emptively strike at cross-border sources of terror if it does not stop state-sponsored terrorism, the country’s new military brass on Tuesday said the armed forces are in a high state of operational readiness and better prepared to tackle the challenges on the western and eastern fronts now.

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Rlys to hike fares for 1st time in 5 years

In its first fare hike in five years, the railways on Tuesday announced increase in passenger charges that will see ticket prices rise by Rs 55-60 if you travel between Delhi and Mumbai or Kolkata on a Rajdhani from Wednesday onwards but did not touch suburban train fares.

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'India lost 110 tigers, 491 leopards in 2019'

The country lost 110 tigers in 2019, a third of them to poaching. The year also saw the death of 491 leopards, according to figures compiled by NGO Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). As many as 38 tigers were lost to poaching, up from 34 in 2018.

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Rs 102L cr investment plan for mega infra push

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday unveiled a Rs 102 lakh crore infrastructure investment plan for the next five years, with less than a fifth consisting of new projects to begin with.

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Kim Says North Korea Not Bound to Test Freeze, Built New Weapon

(Bloomberg) -- Kim Jong Un declared that he was no longer bound by his pledge to freeze major weapons tests, saying the regime would soon debut a “new strategic weapon” and take “shocking” action toward the U.S.The North Korean leader told a gathering of party leaders in Pyongyang that the new weapon system had been “perfectly carried out” by scientists, designers and “workers in the field of the munitions industry,” the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday. The comments were released early New Year’s Day in North Korea, an occasion when Kim has previously made a televised address announcing big policy shifts.“The world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future,” KCNA said, citing Kim and referring to the country’s formal name.While showing his frustration for sputtering nuclear talks with the U.S., Kim still left an opening for President Donald Trump by not explicitly stating he would resume tests or break off the nuclear negotiations that have seen three face-to-face meeting since June 2018. Kim expressed his anger at joint U.S.-South Korean militarily drills, new U.S. weapons being deployed on the peninsula and sanctions, which have been choking North Korea’s paltry economy.Kim said the U.S. actions had forced him to reconsider a moratorium on tests of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles that could deliver them to the U.S. “He stressed that under such condition, there is no ground for us to get unilaterally bound to the commitment any longer,” KCNA said.“North Korea’s moratoriums are meant to be broken,” said Sung-yoon Lee, a professor of U.S.-East Asia relations at Tufts University’s Fletcher School. “North Korea always lays the blame for its actions on the U.S. Kim Jong Un, I believe is setting the stage for the next big provocation to come.”It was unclear whether Kim would also deliver a separate new year’s speech. Kim could replace his annual address with a policy statement from the plenary, the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported before KCNA issued the report.In a previous New Year’s address, Kim said he planned to resume tests of ICBMs, but no mention was made of new testing in the latest report. Kim didn’t specify what the new strategic weapon was, or when it would be deployed.How Kim Jong Un Keeps Advancing His Nuclear Program: QuickTakeNorth Korea had expressed increasing frustration with the U.S. since Trump walked out of their last formal summit in February. Kim resumed launches of mostly short-range ballistic missiles at a record-setting pace and repeatedly warned that his freeze on tests on ICBMs might be coming to an end. Trump was not mentioned by name in the report, a sign that Kim has not resorted to the name-calling that punctuated their relationship ahead of their detente.“In the future, the more the U.S. stalls for time and hesitates in the settlement of the DPRK-U.S. relations, the more helpless it will find itself before the might of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” Kim told the four-day party gathering that ended Tuesday.‘Fell in Love’While Trump in 2018 claimed that North Korea was “no longer a nuclear threat” and that he and Kim “fell in love,” a deal between the two countries has remained elusive.Neither side can agree on the terms of disarmament or U.S.-imposed economic sanctions. Meanwhile, North Korea has continued to conduct missile tests and build its nuclear arsenal.North Korea had suggested a “Christmas gift” would be forthcoming after demanding additional concessions as part of the stalled nuclear talks. Earlier this year, Kim’s regime set a Dec. 31 deadline for a breakthrough. Trump has downplayed any threat, saying on Christmas Eve that the U.S. will “deal with it” and joking that Kim’s “gift” could be a “beautiful vase.”Robert O’Brien, Trump’s national security adviser, said in December that the U.S. will be ready to respond should Kim fire additional long-range missiles or conduct further nuclear weapons tests.“We’ll reserve judgment, but the United States will take action as we do in these situations,” O’Brien said on ABC’s “This Week.” “If Kim Jong Un takes that approach, we’ll be extraordinarily disappointed and we’ll demonstrate that disappointment.”Kim, however, had some ominous words for the U.S. “He said that we will never allow the impudent U.S. to abuse the DPRK-U.S. dialogue for meeting its sordid aim but will shift to a shocking actual action to make it pay for the pains sustained by our people so far and for the development so far restrained,” KCNA reported.\--With assistance from Shinhye Kang.To contact the reporters on this story: John Harney in Washington at jharney2@bloomberg.net;Jihye Lee in Seoul at jlee2352@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Jon HerskovitzFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Heal divisions in 2020, says Archbishop of Canterbury

"Begin cementing our unity one brick at a time," Archbishop of Canterbury says in new year message.

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National archives: Sir John Major snubbed separate Scottish time zone

Sir John wrote that having two time zones in the UK would '"feed the separatist debate".

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Huawei: 'Survival will be our priority' in 2020

The firm admits life will be "difficult" after the Trump administration banned the firm in the US.

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National archives: MPs floated 'farcical' idea of Russia joining Nato

Including Russia in the defence alliance was considered in 1995 as a way of integrating it in the West.

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China internet: Top talking points of 2019 and how they evaded the censors

From rebellious numbers to state-backed trends, China's internet was a noisy place in 2019.

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Citizenship Act protests: Why fear has gripped Muslims in this Indian state

The Muslim community in Uttar Pradesh is living in fear after a new citizenship law came into effect.

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No One Forced To Attend Sunburn: Goa Minister On Death Of Tourists

Even as opposition parties hit out at the Goa government over the death of three tourists after collapsing at the Sunburn Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Festival, state Culture Minister Govind Gawade on...

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Biden questioned about sharing 2020 ticket with Republican

Former Vice President Joe Biden entertained the idea of choosing a Republican as a 2020 running mate as he campaigned Monday — though he conceded he didn't have anyone specific in mind. A voter told Biden during an event Monday afternoon in Exeter, New Hampshire, that her son had wondered if the Democratic presidential contender would consider choosing a Republican as a running mate. "The answer is, I would, but I can't think of one now," Biden said as the crowd laughed.

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Manoj Mukund Naravane To Take Charge As Army Chief Today

Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane will take charge as the Chief of Army Staff on Tuesday succeeding General Bipin Rawat.

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PM tweets Sadhguru video on Citizenship Law

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Rare Chinese Bureaucratic Shakeup Reveals Future Leaders

(Bloomberg) -- China’s sprawling bureaucracy is undergoing a regional reshuffle of a rare scale, with new appointments and job swaps offering hints of potential future leaders being groomed by Beijing.At least 32 new mayoral-level officials have been appointed since Dec. 21, with 29 of them being relocated to a new province for the first time, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News. The other three are being moved for just the second time. While the Communist Party has routinely relocated minister-level officials from one province to another, that’s less common among lower-level officials.“We have almost never seen the transfer of mid-level officials between provinces at a scale this massive,” said Suisheng Zhao, executive director of the Center for China-U.S. Cooperation at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies. “Grooming the party’s talent pipeline is the most important aspect of Xi Jinping’s reform of governance modernization.”Xi has repeatedly called for training more capable cadres and the Communist Party’s Central Committee vowed in March to accelerate that by promoting the exchange of officials across local areas, departments and state-owned enterprises. The equivalent of the party’s human resources department is overseeing the current spate of new appointments, underscoring their importance.The personnel moves come has Xi seeks to control a nationwide economic slowdown amid high pork prices and a trade war with the U.S. The Chinese president might touch on the challenges facing the nation Tuesday evening, when he’s expected to deliver an annual New Year’s Eve address.Future LeadersSince Dec. 21, when two officials from Zhejiang and Shandong in the east were sent to the predominately-Muslim western region of Xinjiang, new positions have been announced every day.On Monday, Huaian -- a city of about 5 million in Jiangsu -- welcomed its new mayor, Chen Zhichang, the former head of Beijing’s Shijingshan district. Born in 1974, Chen spent his whole career in Beijing aside from a short stint in Tibet. His profile is similar to most of the cadres who were moved around this month, who spent most of their working lives in one place.Of the 32 officials who got new jobs, 21 were born after 1970, signaling the emergence of a new generation of leaders.Wang Liqi, born in 1977, was appointed China’s youngest mayor. He was nominated to manage Jiuquan City in Gansu, pending rubber-stamp approval by the local legislature. Since graduating from Tsinghua University with a master’s degree in engineering in 2003, Wang spent his entire political career in Heilongjiang, a northeastern province bordering Russia.Top-down CampaignA local bureaucrat from Inner Mongolia’s Organization Department shed light on the changes when welcoming an official from Chongqing as the new mayor of its Wuhai city.The change in leadership was part of the Central Organization Department’s decision “to select and send outstanding cadres on cross-provincial and regional exchanges,” local media cited Sun Fulong, the director of Inner Mongolia’s Civil Service Bureau as saying on Dec. 24.Sun said the swapping of officials across regions was done to implement Xi’s instructions on bureaucratic organization and of “extreme significance to the modernization of national governance.”Xi has repeatedly complained about a lack of drive among some local officials, and urged cadres to be more daring and take on more challenges. He warned in January that “the party is facing sharp and serious dangers of a slackness in spirit, lack of ability, distance from the people, and being passive and corrupt.”As these reshuffles become more institutionalized, they will help “break the curse of the central government’s orders not being able to travel beyond the top leadership’s compound of Zhongnanhai,” said Zhao. “Party central wants to select people who are not only politically reliable but also have an outstanding performance record, and send them to other provinces to effectively disrupt the intertwined local interest groups.”(Updates with Xi’s speech in fifth paragraph.)To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Dandan Li in Beijing at dli395@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Sharon Chen, John LiuFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Germany's Merkel urges climate action in New Year message

Chancellor Angela Merkel is telling Germans in her New Year message that “everything humanly possible” must be done to tackle climate change. Merkel said that was the principle behind a recently agreed German package of measures aimed at addressing climate change, which include a carbon dioxide pricing system for the transport and heating sectors and lowering value-added tax on long-distance rail tickets. “It's true that, at 65, I am at an age where I personally won't experience all the consequences of climate change that would arise if politicians didn't act,” she said.

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Local shops urge action to save cash machines

The Link network should raise the fee it pays cash machine operators, say convenience store owners.

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The digital links of 2019's global protests

Protests in Hong Kong, Chile and the Middle East all shared an online presence which helped connect the movements.

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'Why I stuck by my drug addict son'

Sue Hopkins stuck by her son Martin who has been a drug addict for most of his adult life.

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2019 in news: The alternative end-of-the-year awards

From the ridiculous to the more ridiculous, the weird stories that caught the eye this year.

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Tech 2019: Our biggest technology stories

Social media scandals dominate the list of the most-read news stories by the Tech desk this year.

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The Hogmanay cinema panic that killed 71 children

Children found the exits locked as they tried to escape what they thought was a fire in the cinema.

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'Man on the Moon' moment - the year's big breakthroughs

The year of treating the untreatable: 2019 breakthroughs that could transform medicine.

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Thousands Trapped On Australia Beach Encircled By Fire

Authorities had for days been warning up to 30,000 tourists enjoying Australia's summer holidays to leave the area, which is just one of the hundreds ravaged by this devastating bushfire season.

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Microsoft says North Korea-linked hackers stole sensitive information

Thallium is believed to be operating from North Korea, Microsoft said in a blog post, and the hackers targeted government employees, think tanks, university staff members and individuals working on nuclear proliferation issues, among others. Most of the targets were based in the United States, as well as Japan and South Korea, the company said. Thallium tricked victims through a technique known as "spear phishing", using credible-looking emails that appear legitimate at first glance.

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Several Noida Routes To Be Diverted On New Year's Eve

Multiple routes leading to and from Sector 18, the commercial hub of Noida, which attracts a large number of visitors on New Years's eve, will remain diverted from 4 pm on Tuesday till 2 am on...

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National living wage to rise by 6.2% in April

The government says it will boost pay by more than four times the rate of inflation.

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Record sightings of whales, dolphins and seals in UK, says Wildlife Trusts

More than 800 sightings of whales, dolphins and seals have been logged in British waters this year.

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Rebecca Long-Bailey outlines vision for Labour's future

The Corbyn ally pledges to champion "progressive patriotism" as she considers standing to be party leader.

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Kim Jong-un calls for 'positive and offensive' security policy

The North Korean leader was speaking to senior party officials at a meeting in Pyongyang.

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The Syrian town with more cats than people

The few remaining inhabitants of a bombed-out Syrian town take comfort from hundreds, perhaps thousands, of cats.

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TV in 2020: Shows coming to small screen near you

The choice of great TV shows is strong as traditional broadcasters and online services do battle.

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Tablets to smart speakers: The 2010s in spending

What did we buy and what did we leave on the shelf during a decade of invention and changing habits?

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Autism diagnosis: 'I want 40 years of my life back'

People diagnosed with autism in adulthood describe growing up believing they were "bad" or "alien".

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'We can give a lot of the power back to the fans'

How two friends created an online storytelling platform with more than 80 million global users.

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'Why feeling the cold from a drinks can blew my mind'

Just before her first "handiversary", transplant miracle Cor Hutton explains why the smallest things mean so much.

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Soren drops stir cases filed by Raghubar govt

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Naqvi slams Meerut SP's 'go to Pak' remark, UP deputy CM supports cop

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Why Delhi is colder than Shimla, Mussoorie

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Maha cabinet expansion: Ajit may become dy CM

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On Land, Australia's Rising Heat Is 'Apocalyptic'. In Ocean, It's Worse.

Even before the ocean caught fever and reached temperatures no one had ever seen, Australia's ancient giant kelp was cooked.

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The best space images of 2019

With some blockbuster space missions underway, 2019 saw some amazing images beamed back to Earth.

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Pictures that people in solitary confinement ask for

Artists and everyday people send images of life outside prison to inmates in solitary confinement.

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Hydrogen-powered drones could point way to future travel

Hydrogen-powered drones have several advantages to lithium ion-powered ones, says Dr Enass Abo-Hamed.

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The decade in grime

Grime's prospects were shaky in 2010, but the genre has ended the decade triumphantly.

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MOTD2: Should offside be included in VAR? Keown & Wright can't agree

Match of the Day pundits Ian Wright and Martin Keown discuss changing the offside rule in light of recent VAR controversies in the Premier League.

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Rangers win at Celtic in dramatic Old Firm derby

Rangers win at Celtic Park for the first time in nine years and cut the gap at the top to two points, with a game in hand. (UK only)

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US Rep John Lewis of Georgia says he has pancreatic cancer

Congressman John Lewis of Georgia announced Sunday that he has stage IV pancreatic cancer, vowing he will stay in office and fight the disease with the tenacity with which he fought racial discrimination and other inequalities dating to the civil rights era. Lewis, the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists in a group once led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said in a statement that the cancer was detected earlier this month during a routine medical visit.

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Trump Retweet of Alleged Whistle-Blower’s Name is Back on Twitter

(Bloomberg) -- A retweet by President Donald Trump, naming the alleged whistle-blower whose complaint triggered the investigation that resulted in his impeachment, was restored to Twitter late Saturday.The post, originally from the handle @Surfermom77, was retweeted by Trump to his 68 million followers about midnight Friday and by Saturday morning was no longer visible in the president’s Twitter feed. CNN first reported late Saturday that the temporary removal followed a Twitter glitch that affected certain accounts, not deliberate action to delete the tweet by Trump or someone with access to his account.“Due to an outage with one of our systems, tweets on account profiles were visible to some, but not others,” the social media site posted on its @TwitterSupport account.The tweet identifies an individual it says is the whistle-blower: the person who first raised the alarm about the president’s conduct in his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.A mystery also surrounded the @Surfermom77 Twitter handle, which by Sunday night was wiped from the social media site. Trump’s Friday retweet was being directed to a new handle, @4Shereene4, or “Leona.” @Surfermom77 had described herself as living in California and a “100% Trump supporter” -- as did the @4Shereen4 handle.On Saturday afternoon the account, with its pro-Trump and anti-Democratic material, was shown as having been “temporarily restricted.” It was visible again on Sunday morning but by late Sunday afternoon appeared to have been erased, with followers down to five from 78,000 and no biographical information.Confirming the identify of the account holder is next to impossible, but the original @Surfermom77 handle shared some traits common to fake accounts. Since its inception in 2013, the user’s profession evolved from “historian-documentary writer” to “educator” to “image model,” according to older versions of the account archived by the Wayback Machine. The name of the account holder also changed, from “Sophia” to “Evonne” and back to “Sophia.”Surfermom77 also appeared more than 1,000 times in Twitter’s own data set detailing accounts the company has removed and attributed to state-backed operations. The handle appeared in conversations Twitter deemed to be run by Russia and its Internet Research Agency, along with Iran and Venezuela. In late 2016 the account was linked to Gab, another social media platform popular among the extreme right wing.The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment on Trump’s Twitter activity.Trump has posted about the whistle-blower dozens of times over the months and also suggested in comments to reporters that he would like to unmask or face the individual.“Like every American, I deserve to meet my accuser,” Trump tweeted in September.On Thursday Trump also retweeted a link to a Dec. 3 article from the conservative Washington Examiner newspaper that carried the name of the alleged whistle-blower.Attorney Andrew Bakaj, who represents the whistle-blower, lamented in a tweet on Saturday that U.S. lawmakers, who in the past have championed the privacy rights of whistle-blowers, including Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, have shown “deafening” silence recently.“This is a defining moment where legacies will either be solidified or destroyed,” Bakaj said on Twitter.(Updates with details of Twitter activity from eight paragraph.)To contact the reporters on this story: Ros Krasny in Washington at rkrasny1@bloomberg.net;Kartikay Mehrotra in San Francisco at kmehrotra2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: James Ludden at jludden@bloomberg.net, Ros Krasny, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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The Papers: Pensions 'scandal' and the 'Flake District'

Tens of thousands of workers losing up to £10bn of pensions savings is among the front-page stories.

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Ten questions from the past 10 years

How well do you remember events in England from the past decade?

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'There will be social vetting of NPR entries'

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N Korea begins key meeting before year-end deadline for US

North Korea has opened a high-profile political conference to discuss how to overcome “harsh trials and difficulties," state media reported Sunday, days before a year-end deadline set by Pyongyang for Washington to make concessions in nuclear negotiations. The ruling Workers’ Party meeting is a focus of keen attention as some observers predict North Korea might use the conference to announce it would abandon faltering diplomacy with the U.S. and lift its moratorium on major weapons test. The Korean Central News Agency reported that leader Kim Jong Un presided over a plenary meeting of the party's Central Committee convened in Pyongyang on Saturday.

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Premier League: West Ham Sack Manuel Pellegrini after Losing to Leicester City

Manuel Pellegrini was sacked as the West Ham manager after they lost 1-2 at home to Leicester City.

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Trump Retweets, Then Deletes, Post Naming 'Whistleblower' In Impeachment

President Donald Trump retweeted and then deleted a post naming the alleged whistleblower who filed the complaint that became the catalyst for the congressional inquiry that resulted in his...

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Eight-Year-Old Raped, Gagged To Death In Haryana

A minor girl was raped and gagged to death in Ferozepur Jhirka of Haryana's Mewat district, the police said.

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Defeated Labour MPs call for 'fundamental change' at top of the party

An "unflinching" look at the causes of Labour's defeat is needed, rather than a "simple review", ex-MPs say.

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Felixstowe Victoria Hall murder inquiry: Family's 'hope' 20 years on

Victoria Hall, 17, was abducted and killed on her way home from a nightclub.

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Almost 37,000 Scots paid less than minimum wage

A charity watchdog says the UK government needs to make the statutory rate a "legal reality".

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Ten brands that disappeared from the High Street over the last decade

Toys R Us, Borders, Maplin and BHS are some big names that have disappeared over the last decade.

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Doctor charged in 25 deaths sues hospital for defamation

An Ohio doctor accused of ordering drug overdoses in the deaths of 25 hospital patients has sued his former employer for defamation, arguing that he did nothing wrong and did not deviate from hospital policy on end-of-life care. Dr. William Husel, who is accused of murder, filed the lawsuit Thursday in Franklin County against the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System and its parent organization, Trinity Health Corp. “It would not be an exaggeration to state that Dr. Husel has suffered perhaps the most egregious case of defamation in Ohio's recent history,” according to the lawsuit.

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US saw highest number of mass killings on record in 2019, database reveals

Researchers say 41 mass killings claimed 211 lives this year, even as the overall homicide rate fell.

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Why international rock stars are flocking to India

U2, who recently performed in Mumbai, are one among many bands lining up to tour India.

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Stay-at-home dads set up father-friendly playgroup

Dan Rainsford and Sam Chatterley set up a group so other stay-at-home fathers don't feel alone.

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‘Gardening gives me a lot of peace’

Joanna is an urban gardener trying to reconnect with nature in Singapore.

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Little boxes of love help families with dementia

The boxes are given to families to support them while caring for someone with dementia.

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How crowds toppled communism's house of cards in 1989

The BBC's John Simpson recalls witnessing the communist bloc's collapse in three revolutions.

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The town that raised thousands to save their own

Christel Callow and Nick Haves both needed money for specialist cancer treatment.

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Why Canada's cannabis bubble burst

Justin Trudeau legalised cannabis in Canada. So why are people still breaking the law?

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The best science long reads of 2019

A selection of the best science and environment features published this year.

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Gym wear: The 22-year-old trying to take on the world's biggest brands

Grace Beverley just graduated from uni and has turned her side project into a full-time career.

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Delhi is punishingly cold; fog delays flights

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The Papers: Honours leak and 'troubling' police use of AI

The accidental publishing of more than 1,000 addresses of New Year Honour recipients is among the front page stories.

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Striking photojournalism from around the world in 2019

A selection of the best news photographs from around the world in 2019.

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India Citizenship Act protests: 'Our son was shot dead by police'

Muslims in India tell the BBC of police brutality, and why they fear losing their citizenship rights.

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Plastic pollution: Calls to do more to cut bag use

"Bag for life" numbers remain high with many treating them as "disposable", Welsh Government report says.

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Hawaii tour helicopter wreckage found on Kauai island

Six passengers and a pilot were on board the aircraft, which was touring Kauai island.

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10 musical moments to look out for in 2020

From Adele's comeback to Glastonbury's birthday bash, here's the best music of the next 12 months.

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Extinction: A million species at risk, so what is saved?

With around one million species at risk, how do conservationists decide what species to save?

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New Year Honours 2020: Famous names on the list

A picture-focused round-up of some of the famous names on the 2020 New Year Honours list including.....

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Transgender in Pakistan: Maya, the woman who almost broke free

Maya was one of dozens of trans women killed in Pakistan in recent years, many of the murders unsolved.

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Gare du Nord: Why Europe's busiest station needs a makeover fast

The plan to revitalise Gare du Nord will include sports areas and medical labs - but critics are not convinced.

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The anti-vaccination movement that gripped Victorian England

Opposition to vaccination has its roots in a militancy that was at its height more than 100 years ago.

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Sudan after Bashir: 'The revolution is on the curriculum'

Months after long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was toppled, how has life changed for Sudanese?

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UN backs Russia on internet convention, alarming rights advocates

The United Nations on Friday approved a Russian-led bid that aims to create a new convention on cybercrime, alarming rights groups and Western powers that fear a bid to restrict online freedom. The General Assembly approved the resolution sponsored by Russia and backed by China, which would set up a committee of international experts in 2020. The panel will work to set up "a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes," the resolution said.

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UN condemns human rights abuses against Myanmar's Rohingya

The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution Friday strongly condemning human rights abuses against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims and other minorities, including arbitrary arrests, torture, rape and deaths in detention. The 193-member world body voted 134-9 with 28 abstentions in favor of the resolution which also calls on Myanmar’s government to take urgent measures to combat incitement of hatred against the Rohingya and other minorities in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding but they do reflect world opinion.

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U.S. Contractor Is Killed in Rocket Attack on an Iraqi Base

(Bloomberg) -- A rocket attack on an Iraqi military base killed an American contractor and wounded several U.S. and Iraqi military personnel, the Defense Department said on Friday evening.Iraqi security forces were “leading the response and investigation” following the Friday night assault on the base in Kirkuk, where coalition forces are based, the Pentagon said in a statement.The names of the contractor and the wounded Americans were not immediately released, and the statement did not provide any further details.Rocket assaults on or near Iraqi installations that host American troops and personnel have occurred since the fall, and Pentagon officials, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper, have expressed increasing concern about Iranian involvement.Those attacks occurred as widespread anti-government protests intensified, eventually leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi.Tensions have been rising across the region, with Iran violently putting down its own protests, and Turkey invading Kurdish territory in northern Syria after President Donald Trump announced a pullout of American forces there.Early this month, rockets were fired at two Iraqi air bases where American forces are stationed. Seven rockets struck the perimeter of the Al Asad base, and five projectiles landed inside Balad. At Al Asad, the Iraqi army later found a truck rigged to fire rockets with seven empty tubes and eight unfired projectiles.No one was hurt in those attacks, which were believed to be the work of militants with ties to Iran, according to a U.S. official.On Thursday, Iraqi President Barham Saleh offered to resign as weeks of deadly protests showed no sign of easing. Mahdi remains in office until a successor is found. Protesters rejected one nominee, and Saleh rejected the candidacy of a second.Some 500 people have died in clashes between security forces and protesters since Oct. 1, according to Iraq’s independent High Commission for Human Rights. Iraqis, mostly from the Shiite majority population, are protesting against corruption, poor services, and Iran’s sweeping influence in the country.\--With assistance from Khalid Al-Ansary and Tony Capaccio.To contact the reporter on this story: John Harney in Washington at jharney2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, Larry Liebert, John HarneyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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IRCTC Increases Food Menu Prices Across Multiple Trains, Check Revised Prices Here

The Indian Railway board would be revising the price of meals on-board Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains. Increased fares would come into effect from March 2020.

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Huda Kattan: Hijab wearers can still express themselves

Beauty entrepreneur Huda Kattan says women can still express themselves in conservative Muslim societies.

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2019 in pictures: Striking images from around the UK

A selection of the best news photographs from around the UK in 2019.

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'We fell in love on the dance floor’

Taiwan has been declared polio free since 2000 and some of the last polio survivors have decided to band together to dance wheelchair ballroom dancing.

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How puppetry can help with trauma

After being trafficked for sex by her family as a child, puppeteer Raven wants to show people healing is possible through art.

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The man who spent 30 years caring for crocodiles in Ethiopia

Tomas Tama has spent 30 years protecting the reptiles in Ethiopia, despite once being bitten.

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Man who made 27,000 crosses for shooting victims is retiring

An Illinois man who made more than 27,000 crosses to commemorate victims of mass shootings across the country is retiring. Greg Zanis came to realize, after 23 years, his Crosses for Losses ministry was beginning to take a personal and financial toll on him, according to The Beacon-News. “I had a breaking point in El Paso,” he said, referring to the mass shooting outside of a Walmart in El Paso, Texas.

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WhatsApp Delete Messages Feature to Work as a Group 'Cleaning Tool': Report

WABetaInfo discovered that the Delete Messages feature will work as sort of a cleaning tool for group chats. Only admins can enable or disable it, and ascertain the time frame as to when the...

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£161m Euromillions winner Colin Weir dies aged 71

Mr Weir, who won the then-record jackpot along with his wife Chris in 2011, dies after a short illness.

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Duchess of Cambridge praises UK midwives' 'amazing work'

"You are there for women at their most vulnerable," the Duchess of Cambridge says in an open letter to midwives.

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Benjamin Netanyahu claims victory in Likud party leadership contest

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed victory in a race for leadership of Likud, the political party he has led for more than a decade.

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Ex-Kolkata Top Cop Rajeev Kumar Posted To West Bengal's IT Department

The West Bengal government on Thursday night named former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, currently posted as the Additional DG of state CID, as principal secretary in the Information,...

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This Travel Insider Offers A Peek Behind The Scenes Of Amtrak Auto Train

Somewhere north of Orlando, Florida, and south of Georgia, Sylvia Longmire rotates her right forearm to reveal 15 rows of three-letter abbreviations inked onto her skin. I'd first glimpsed the tattoo...

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'There was a gasp in the courtroom' - retiring Supreme Court President Lady Hale

The retiring president of the Supreme Court reflects on a momentous ruling, her career and "that" spider brooch.

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Is 'super coral' the key to saving the world's reefs?

Scientists in the Seychelles have started the world's first large scale coral reef restoration project.

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Inside China's child pop star factory

Young, mostly female, wannabe stars are trained for a booming industry worth billions of dollars.

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Soldier's mission to give shoes to vulnerable in Uganda

A British soldier has been inspiring others to donate their spare shoes for local people in Uganda.

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Has #MeToo changed Bollywood?

India's film industry was rocked by the #MeToo campaign more than a year ago - what's happened since?

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The African women standing up for change in 2019

Here are the women on the continent who've been shaking the table this year.

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End of the decade: How the 2010s changed my life

Like every decade, the past 10 years has seen huge cultural shifts and social trends.

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Mecca 1979: The mosque siege that changed the course of Saudi history

An armed takeover of the Grand Mosque in Mecca put a halt to the modernisation of Saudi society.

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Art in 2020: The exhibitions hotlist

Take your pick of art from Raphael and Jan van Eyck to the film special effects of Ray Harryhausen.

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Smoking ban: Austria's cafe society calls time on cigarettes

Once dubbed the ashtray of Europe, Austria has finally banned smoking in restaurants, bars and cafes.

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Baby video messages 'amazing' for new parents

Victoria's triplets spent nine weeks in Southampton's neonatal unit and staff sent updates via a new app.

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2 kicked out of National Guard over white supremacist ties

Two men have been kicked out of the Army National Guard after liberal activists uncovered their membership in a religious group with white supremacist ties. Brandon Trent East told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Alabama National Guard sent him a separation notice on Dec. 14. A spokeswoman for the Georgia National Guard said Dalton Woodward is no longer a member.

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Sudan's Christians enjoy holiday amid hope for new freedoms

The Sudanese Christian marchers weaved through bustling markets and traffic-clogged streets wearing “I Love Jesus” T-shirts or colorful traditional robes known as thobes. The marching group from the Bahri Evangelical Church was small, but the symbolism of the moment loomed much larger. The March for Jesus holiday tradition had been suspended in recent years under authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir, whose government was accused of harassing and marginalizing Christians and other religious minorities.

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Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu claims win in party leadership challenge

Challenger Gideon Saar, an ex-minister, concedes defeat, pledging now to rally behind Mr Netanyahu.

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Home Alone 2: Canada's CBC broadcaster defends cutting Trump scene

CBC say edits to Home Alone 2 were not politically motivated, but their decision was criticised.

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Kulubá: Dig uncovers large Mayan palace in Mexico

Archaeologists believe the palace was used at the height of the Mayan civilisation, 1,000 years ago.

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Climate change: Migrant species do well in warm and wet UK in 2019

The National Trust says it's been a good year for migrant butterflies but not for water voles.

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Free NHS hospital parking for thousands in 'greatest need'

People with disabilities and NHS staff on night shifts will be among those to benefit from April.

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NCP, Congress Upset With Farm Loan Hoardings Crediting Shiv Sena: Report

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress have expressed anger over hoardings carrying images only of Shiv Sena leaders to highlight the Maharashtra government's move to waive off farm...

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The Papers: Fury at fox-killing lawyer and MI6 HQ plans 'lost'

The papers are outraged at the admission of a leading QC and claim builders misplaced MI6 blueprints.

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130 UP ‘rioters’ asked to pay up 50 lakh

Notices were served to 28 people in Rampur, 26 in Sambhal, 43 in Bijnor and 33 in Gorakhpur for damaging property during Friday’s protests. According to the notices, properties worth Rs 14.8 lakh in Rampur, nearly Rs 15 lakh in Sambhal and Rs 19.7 lakh in Bijnor were damaged in the violence.

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Soren invites Sonia and Rahul to his swearing-in

Reports said Hemant Soren is likely to hold discussions with senior Congress politicians on government formation. Besides ministerial berths, Congress may stake claim to the post of deputy CM. JMM issued a statement saying state governor Droupadi Murmu has invited Soren to form government.

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FASTags overtake cash in NH toll collection

The average daily toll collection through FASTags increased by nearly 66% in a month. As more vehicles install FASTags, highway ministry officials are hopeful the collection will go up further. Close to 1.04 crore tags have been sold till now with an average one lakh added daily.

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Bengal politician denied Bangladesh visa

West Bengal minister Siddiqullah Choudhury had applied for visa on December 23. The minister is one of the most strident voices against the CAA within Trinamool. A senior Bangladesh deputy high commission official, however, refused to either confirm or deny the “visa cancellation” claim .

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PM Narendra Modi sharpens attack on protesters for anti-CAA riots

Addressing a gathering that included UP CM Yogi Adityanath, the PM came out strongly in support of police. “People need to respect police, who are there to protect them,” he said . The PM stressed that rights were subject to reasonable restrictions and could not be pursued in isolation from duties.

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Morpurgo's Christmas (fire) cracker

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the yuletide offering from children's author, Sir Michael Morpurgo.

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Dog walker helps men talk about mental health

Rob Osman started the group Dudes And Dogs when he realised dog walking had pulled him out of depression.

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The bakery in a mental health hospital

In an unusual bakery in a mental health hospital outside Beijing, the patients are the bakers.

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Boxing Day family puzzler 2019

This is the festive quiz in which no-one is expected to know any of the answers.

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Radio silence: The Syrian broadcasters in exile

Emma Jane Kirby meets exiled journalists who are now off air, and have nowhere that feels like home.

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Watkin's Wembley folly: London's 'Eiffel Tower' that never was

A Victorian rail magnate tried to build a taller tower than Eiffel's - but it did not go to plan.

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My Money: 'I'm exactly £1,000 lighter'

As part of a new BBC blog series, Angela Jansen shares what she spent her money on this week.

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Books 2020: What you could be reading

Titles to look forward to - from David Mitchell and Hilary Mantel to new writers and celebrities.

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The children at risk of eating themselves to death

"One sweet here, another one there - that could kill him," says a man whose son has Prader-Willi syndrome.

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The ordinary people who went viral in 2019

Including: A kombucha for the first time, a hot junior doctor, and Alex from Glasto.

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UN, Pope voice solidarity with Burkina Faso after jihadist attack

A jihadist attack that left 42 dead in the north of Burkina Faso, the worst assault in the country for five years, plunged the nation into mourning over Christmas and sparked messages of solidarity from the United Nations and Pope Francis. Thirty-five civilians, including 31 women, and seven soldiers were killed Tuesday in simultaneous attacks which lasted for several hours in the northern town of Arbinda and a military base, the army said, adding that 80 assailants were killed. Burkina Faso, bordering Mali and Niger, has seen frequent jihadist attacks which have left hundreds of people dead since the start of 2015 when Islamist extremist violence began to spread across the Sahel region.

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Trump impeachment: Lisa Murkowski 'disturbed' over co-ordination

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pledged "total co-ordination" with the White House.

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British troops move black rhinos to Malawi

The animals were moved from a South Africa park in the hope they would be protected from poachers.

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Christmas shopping online or in person - who wins?

Online shopping is on the rise, with more and more people choosing the sofa to buy goods, but which is better?

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Readers' pictures of the year 2019

Throughout the year, you've been sending us your amazing photographs and these are some of the highlights.

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Decision On Internet Suspension In Mathura On Thursday: District Magistrate

A decision on whether to suspend internet services in Mathura district would be taken after a meeting of administration and police officials here on Thursday, officials said on Wednesday.

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Solar Eclipse 2019: Date, Timings And Diet Myths Related To Solar Eclipse Busted

The annular solar eclipse 2019 will be visible in some regions of Asia that includes southern part of India and some part of North/East Africa and North/West Australia.

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Girl Buys Christmas Card In UK. Finds "Help Us" Note From China Factory

A British retailer with thousands of stores around the world said Sunday that it has suspended work with a Chinese factory as it investigates allegations of forced labor behind its Christmas cards -...

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Banks’ NPAs decline for first time in seven years

The NPA's are declining owing to a conducive policy environment and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in its report . The report also pointed out that the credit growth remained muted while the health of cooperative banks continued to decline.

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Government clears merger of 8 railway services

The new structure of the leaner railway board, the apex decision-making body is intended to streamline operations and improve decision-making, while the move to merge the eight services is aimed at ending turf war among services. Under the new system, the chairman will be the final authority on all issues.

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Elsie, 3, home for Christmas after a year in hospital

Elsie, three, has a rare form of epilepsy which can cause seizures thought to be linked to developmental delays.

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Jihadists on motorbikes kill 35 civilians in Burkina Faso raid

An attack by militants in northern Burkina Faso has killed 35 civilians, almost all of them women, the president said, one of the deadliest assaults in nearly five years of jihadist violence in the West African nation. Seven soldiers and 80 jihadists were also killed in the double attack on a military base and the town of Arbinda in Soum province. The morning raid was carried out by dozens of jihadists on motorbikes and lasted several hours before armed forces backed by the air force drove the militants back, the army said. "A large group of terrorists simultaneously attacked the military base and the civilian population in Arbinda," the army chief of staff said in a statement. "This barbaric attack resulted in the deaths of 35 civilian victims, most of them women," President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said on Twitter, praising the "bravery and commitment" of the defence and security forces. Remis Dandjinou, the communications minister and government spokesman,  later said that 31 of the civilian victims were women. The president has declared 48 hours of national mourning. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but jihadist violence in Burkina Faso has been blamed on militants linked to both al-Qaeda and Islamic State groups. Burkina Faso, which borders, Mali and Niger, has endured regular jihadist attacks which have left hundreds dead since the start of 2015 when militant violence began to spread across the Sahel region. More than 700 people have been killed and around 560,000 internally displaced by the violence, according to the United Nations. Attacks have targeted mostly the north and east of the country, though the capital Ouagadougou has been hit three times.

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Bloomberg axes company using prisoners for campaign calls

Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg cut ties with a contractor that used prisoners to make calls for his presidential campaign, he said in a statement Tuesday. Earlier Tuesday, online news site The Intercept reported that Bloomberg's campaign contracted a New Jersey-based call center company that, in at least one instance, used Oklahoma inmates to make calls on behalf of the billionaire's campaign. "We only learned about this when the reporter called us, but as soon as we discovered which vendor's subcontractor had done this, we immediately ended our relationship with the company and the people who hired them," Bloomberg said in the statement.

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Babulal Marandi's Party Extends Support To Jharkhand's JMM-Led Alliance

The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) Tuesday extended support to pre-poll alliance of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

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Welby to speak of London Bridge attack at Christmas sermon

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will say "darkness is a monster that lies" in his Christmas address.

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'I sent my seven-year-old across the border alone'

More parents are sending their children across the US-Mexico border alone to get around asylum rules.

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Burkina Faso: Many women killed in jihadist attack

Burkina Faso has declared two days of national mourning after Tuesday's attack on a base and town.

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Turkish artisans hand-craft bespoke cymbals for drummers

Artisans in Istanbul have been hand-crafting cymbals the same way for more than 600 years.

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Kartarpur: Temple of hope between India and Pakistan

Parminder Singh Sandu wanted to visit Kartarpur temple all his life - but couldn't until now.

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BBC Unsung Hero: 'My afro saved my life'

Keiren Thompson won the BBC Get Inspired Unsung Hero award for his work with children in Nottingham.

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Why I spend my weekends ringing birds

More than a million birds are trapped every year in the British Isles by volunteers.

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Call the Midwife: The real-life nurses who inspired Scottish adventure

The nuns swap Poplar for the Outer Hebrides in a Christmas special inspired by real "Hebridean Heroines".

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Gavin & Stacey: Bringing a crackin' Christmas back to Barry

The gang are back together for the first time in 10 years - and it's going to be immense.

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Communities in Calderdale 'traumatised' by 2015 floods

Hundreds of people affected by severe flooding four years ago have sought mental health support.

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New engine tech that could get us to Mars faster

Nasa wants to send humans to Mars one day, but do we have the engines to get us there?

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'Why it's OK I'm not seeing my family this Christmas'

'All the adverts are families happy in a house together. That's not what a family is these days.'

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We gave up Christmas to fight measles in Samoa

British doctors and nurses are battling to save children's lives from measles on Christmas Day.

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GoAir Cancels 19 Flights Due To Shortage Of Aircraft, Pilots: Report

GoAir suspended some of its services for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as it cancelled 19 flights across destinations, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, a source said.

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Faf Du Plessis Turns Jurgen Klopp Fan After Meeting Him In Cape Town

Faf du Plessis said on Tuesday that a chance meeting with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had turned him into a fan.

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Pope Francis: God still loves us all, even the worst of us

The comments at Christmas Eve Mass are seen as a reference to Church scandals, including sex abuse.

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Andrew Miller: Former Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston dies

Andrew Miller was elected in 1992 and served under five Labour leaders before standing down in 2015.

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Neseem Breaks Down Remembering Mother After Taking Maiden 5-Wicket Haul

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: Naseem Shah entered the record books as he became the youngest fast bowler to claim five wickets in one Test innings.

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IMF Calls For 'Urgent' Action By India Amid Economic Slowdown

India's government must take steps quickly to reverse the economic slowdown of an economy that has been one of the engines of global growth, the International Monetary Fund said Monday.

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Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn praise NHS in Christmas messages

Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pay tribute to NHS staff and other public sector workers.

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New Zealand volcano: Police call off search for missing pair

Police said their decision "follows extensive shoreline and substantial aerial searches".

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Australia fires: The thousands of volunteers fighting the flames

The thousands of men and women battling to save homes are unpaid, tired and facing a mammoth task.

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Christmas: Beware 'lethal' button batteries in toys

If accidentally swallowed, the tiny batteries can burn and choke young children, doctors warn.

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Newlyweds facing cancer look forward to first Christmas as a married couple

After a terminal diagnosis, Lauren and José had their "dream wedding" with the help of a charity.

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Measuring the cost of an invasive tree killer

A study attempts to assess the devastation caused by the invasive emerald ash borer in US forests.

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How Greta Thunberg inspired a pantomime

Greta Thunberg's role on the world's political stage has inspired an eco-friendly panto.

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Self-care: Why this band does self-care sessions with its fans

The band Milk Teeth puts on self-care sessions for fans before its gigs.

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Meet the artist who draws scientists for Instagram

Nina Chhita uses illustration to raise the profile of women in science, technology, engineering and medicine.

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How to disagree well: Two close friends who have reason to hate each other

Fiona was brought up in a nationalist family in Northern Ireland. Lee was a British soldier there. Now they are close friends.

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The Scots girl adopted by singing cowboy Roy Rogers

How a girl from an Edinburgh children's home was adopted by a pair of Hollywood film stars.

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Call the Midwife star talks tough on vaccinations for 'evil diseases'

Stephen McGann says the show highlights the importance of early vaccines against "evil diseases".

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How is Australia tackling climate change?

As the country deals with deadly bushfires, focus is on the government's climate policies.

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China is getting smarter - but at what cost?

How closely tied is tech in cities to government monitoring?

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The US Ship of Miracles that saved 14,000 North Korean refugees

For thousands of refugees in North Korea, the ship was their only chance of survival.

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US children's hospital dreaming of a bright Christmas

Sick children in hospital over the festive season are given a sparkling light show from below.

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Former US adviser warns of 'imminent' North Korea risk

Former US national security adviser John Bolton on Monday sharply criticized President Donald Trump's North Korea policy, warning that the Asian country posed an "imminent" threat. "The risk to US forces & our allies is imminent & more effective policy is required before NK has the technology to threaten the American homeland," tweeted Bolton, who was dismissed in September amid growing disagreements with Trump, particularly regarding his North Korea policy. The erstwhile advisor, a longtime hawk on North Korea, was openly skeptical of the 2018 summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and encouraged the US president to be cautious.

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Queen Elizabeth Calls on U.K. to Reconcile in Christmas Address

(Bloomberg) -- Queen Elizabeth II will urge Britons to “overcome long-held differences” less than two weeks after a bitterly-fought general election offered an end to three-and-a-half years of political deadlock over Brexit.The monarch will use her annual Christmas Day message to pay tribute to veterans of D-Day, the 1944 operation which led to the liberation of western Europe. Describing events to mark the invasion’s 75th anniversary, she will urge people to adopt the spirit of reconciliation shown as “those who had formerly been sworn enemies came together in friendly commemorations,” according to extracts of the address released by her office.“By being willing to put past differences behind us and move forward together, we honor the freedom and democracy once won for us at so great a cost,” she will say. “The path, of course, is not always smooth, and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference.”The message comes as the U.K.’s political paralysis since the 2016 Brexit referendum appears to have ended. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservatives won a large majority on Dec. 12 after promising to get Britain out of the European Union by the end of January.The first vote on Johnson’s proposed Brexit deal comfortably passed in the House of Commons on Friday, and Members of Parliament are scheduled to resume debate on the legislation in early January.This is not the first time the Queen has called for unity. In her 2018 address, the monarch urged the British people to be respectful of one another while referencing “deeply-held divisions.” She did not explicitly mention Brexit then, nor is she expected to this year.To contact the reporter on this story: Greg Ritchie in Edinburgh at gritchie10@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Thomas Penny, Alex MoralesFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Queen acknowledges ‘bumpy’ year for nation in Christmas message

The monarch refers to the importance of reconciliation and how "small steps" can heal divisions.

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US awards immigration detention contracts in California

The Trump administration awarded billions of dollars in contracts for private companies to operate immigration detention centers in California —- less than two weeks before a new state law takes effect to prohibit them. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill in October to ban contracts for for-profit prisons starting Jan. 1. Supporters hoped the law would force U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to look elsewhere after current contracts expire.

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Indian Citizenship Granted To Pakistani Woman In Jammu And Kashmir

A Pakistani woman, who is married to an Indian man in Jammu and Kashmir's border district Poonch, was granted Indian citizenship on Monday, officials said.

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The 'real' Lyudmila from Chernobyl speaks for first time

The 'real' Lyudmila Ignatenko from the HBO/Sky Chernobyl series speaks for the first time about her life during and after the nuclear disaster.

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Trump impeachment inquiry sung by a Christmas choir

How President Trump's impeachment inquiry unfolded, sung by the Washington International Chorus.

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2019 Quiz of the Year part four: October to December

How well do you remember the news of the past 12 months?

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I was a teenage code-breaker at Bletchley Park

Helen Andrews was 17 when she began working at Bletchley Park helping to intercept and break codes in World War Two.

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'I won't have many more Christmases with my kids'

Addy Willis has rectal cancer and fears she will not be able to see her children grow up.

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Fighting a goose invasion with guns, knives and forks

The number of geese on Orkney is now so huge that permission has been granted to shoot and eat them.

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Films lookahead: 20 movies not to miss in 2020

Top Gun, Wonder Woman, Mulan and Bond are just some of the cinematic treats heading our way.

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North Pole: Growing up in the town where it's always Christmas

Newsbeat's been speaking to the residents of North Pole, Alaska - the town where it's Christmas all year.

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Is India becoming a major source of space debris?

A Pakistani minister says India's "irresponsible" missions are a huge source of space debris

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'Fashion industry's pollution made me cry'

Yael Aflalo on the trip to China that sparked the growth of her California-based Reformation chain.

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Coldplay 'bodysnatched' our sound, says Travis singer Fran Healy

Frontman Fran Healy tells how Travis went from a critical mauling to inspiring a generation of bands.

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Why so many Japanese children refuse to go to school

Can free schools solve the problem of "futoko", Japan's phenomenon of refusing to attend school?

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Who has thrived since leaving Anfield? Garth Crooks' team of the week

Who is a strong contender for the PFA Player of the Year award? And which player has never looked back after leaving Liverpool? Find out in Garth Crooks' team of the week.

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Frank Lampard becomes the master over Jose Mourinho as Chelsea beat Tottenham

Frank Lampard shows his tactical prowess as Chelsea beat Tottenham and his old manager Jose Mourinho 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Bhutan’s $250 foreign fee may hit Indians

Bhutan could soon be out of reach for Indian tourists on a budget. The Himalayan kingdom proposes to extend to regional tourists the mandatory “minimum daily package” of $250 . Short-hop tourists, especially large groups visiting Darjeeling or Sikkim, account for the most Indian visitors to Bhutan.

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Detention centres exist here: Cong counters PM

Congress rejected the Prime Minister Modi's claims that the opposition was “inciting” people and said that the home minister Amit Shah's statements in Parliament were responsible for creating an environment of fear and uncertainty in the country.

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‘SIMI-affiliate’ PFI role under probe: UP dy CM

UP deputy CM Dinesh Sharma said the government is probing the alleged role of Islamic fundamentalist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) in violence in the state during anti-CAA protests. He also blamed ‘outsiders’ who had ‘infiltrated’ protesters’ ranks for arson.

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Jharkhand results today, BJP trashes all exit polls

The verdict for the polls today, will decide if Jharkhand, a tribal stronghold, reinstates the non-tribal Raghubar Das or ushers in a tribal CM. Both BJP and mahagathbandhan exuded confidence about forming the next government.

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No rules framed for all-India NRC; in Assam it was SC-mandated: PM

Addressing a massive gathering to kick off BJP’s campaign for the forthcoming assembly polls in Delhi, PM Modi sought to allay fears that his government would implement NRC to derecognise Muslims as citizens and evict them. The NRC that has been implemented is limited to Assam, said the PM.

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Votes For Jharkhand Assembly Elections To Be Counted Today: 10 Points

Votes cast for the Jharkhand assembly elections will be counted today, amid a unanimous prediction by at least three exit polls that the Congress alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and...

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"Surrounded By Police, Detained At Lucknow Airport": Trinamool Leaders

A four-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation, which was scheduled to meet the grieving families of those killed in Uttar Pradesh during protests over the new citizenship law, was "detained" at...

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Isis in Iraq: Militants 'getting stronger again'

The jihadists are managing to regroup - should the West be worried?

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Thomas Cook staff say 'benefits system has failed them'

Thomas Cook staff say the benefits system has failed them, leaving them desperate and distressed.

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Guatemala bus crash kills at least 20 people

A trailer truck collided with a passenger bus in eastern Guatemala early Saturday, killing at least 20 people and leaving a dozen wounded, according to the national disaster agency. Volunteer firefighters told reporters the truck appeared to have collided with the bus from behind in the municipality of Gualan, roughly 150 kilometers (95 miles) east of Guatemala City. The national disaster agency said the bus had been headed from the northeastern Peten region to the capital.

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Premier League: Riyad Mahrez on Target as Manchester City Beat Leicester City

Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus scored to cancel out Jamie Vardy's opener as Manchester City ended Leicester City's nine-match unbeaten run with a 3-1 win.

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Liverpool Cap Memorable 2019 as Roberto Firmino Seals FIFA Club World Cup Triumph

Roberto Firmino scored the only goal of the match that too in extra-time as Liverpool defeated Flamengo to win the Club World Cup.

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The TV repeats and old songs that help people with dementia

Familiar old films or a favourite festive song can help those with dementia reconnect with family and friends.

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Whirlpool: MPs call on washing machine firm to offer swift refunds

The company is recalling half a million washing machines but some MPs are calling on it to do more.

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2019 Quiz of the Year part three: July to September

How well do you remember the news of the past 12 months?

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The studios teaching Trans women how to be more feminine

Nicole Thornbur goes to specialist studios in Manchester which teach Trans women how to be more feminine.

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The teenage activists taking after Greta Thunberg

These three teenagers are passionate about issues they see around them, and are training to be activists at The Advocacy Academy in London.

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Quilombo cuisine: Rescuing the ancient cuisine of African slaves

The Quilombo diet is organic, gluten-free and practically lactose-free. It has its roots in African traditions and uses fresh ingredients.

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'The closest thing on Earth to interplanetary travel'

Justin Rowlatt lands in a dazzling white and blue world to join scientists checking up on Antarctic ice.

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Graham Norton reflects on 20 years of chat shows

The presenter discusses the chat show he has hosted, in various iterations, for more than 20 years.

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The year in protests: From Chile to Lebanon, what happened next?

Every continent including Antarctica saw demos this year, with many likely to spill over into 2020.

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West Africa: Is France losing ground to militants?

After attacks in Mali and Niger, questions are being raised about the intervention.

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Are US hunters becoming an endangered species?

Fewer Americans hunt now, partly due to growing urbanisation, leading some advocates to fear it's dying out.

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Take a look behind the 'small doors to imaginary spaces' within bookshelves

Artists share the inspiration behind the crafty creation of miniature scenery on their bookcases.

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A Festive Warning for World's Favorite Liquor

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Growing up in the U.K. in the 1980s, the Christmas season was associated with particular foods and drinks. Pies made from fruit “mincemeat”; the same dried fruits cooked into Christmas pudding; grandparents passing round glasses of sherry.Believe it or not, that nostalgic memory hints at a long-term risk to the most bullish corner of the global liquor market: China’s sorghum-based firewater, baijiu.The past few years have seen extraordinary growth for baijiu makers. Kweichow Moutai Co., the maker of the most prestigious brand, overtook Diageo Plc to become the world’s biggest distiller by market capitalization in 2017. Now it’s in a whole other league, overtaking even Anheuser-Busch InBev SA and PepsiCo Inc. on that measure and within spitting distance of taking Coca-Cola Co.’s crown as the world’s largest beverage company.What’s more, this success has been built on the back not of a valuation bubble, but of relatively pedestrian assumptions about earnings. Kweichow Moutai is on a lower price-earnings multiple than Brown-Forman Corp., Davide Campari-Milano SpA and Remy Cointreau SA. Luzhou Laojiao Co. is cheaper on that measure than any major western distiller.What could possibly put a cloud on the horizon of this thriving market? The most serious looming risk is embodied in those nostalgic memories of a British Christmas: demographics.Throughout baijiu’s boom, it’s struggled to shake the perception that it’s primarily a drink for older men. Its former image as an unofficial currency of corrupt government officials has receded since a campaign against official graft in the early years of President Xi Jinping’s reign. Still, the connotations of rich older men exchanging drunken toasts remain, even if the drinkers in the stereotype are now more likely to be employed in the private than the public sector.“Many young people still think that baijiu isn't for them, that no matter the flavor, it's not a drink for the young,” according to a China Daily article this year. “Drinking baijiu is increasingly seen as a dated behavior by younger Chinese uninterested in banquets and bravado,” wrote Jing Daily, a site specializing in the Chinese luxury market.That association with oldsters is a problem Spain’s sherry industry has been enduring for several decades. In the 1970s and 1980s, exports to the U.K., the Netherlands and the U.S. boomed in an unprecedented manner, to the point that bodega conglomerate Rumasa was reported to account for as much as 2% of Spanish GDP.Since then it’s been in long-term decline. Sherry’s core consumers outside Spain have reached a more abstemious age or died out, while younger drinkers shun a product they associate with their grandparents. For all that many wine connoisseurs sing its praises and lament sherry’s fall from grace, it’s hard to see the glory days returning.This trajectory is a common one in the alcohol business, which lives and dies on the changing demographics of its consumers. One reason Japan’s brewers have been so desperate to acquire overseas businesses while Vietnamese ones have been M&A targets is that beer is drunk by thirsty workers, and Japan’s labor force is declining while Vietnam’s is rising. The same goes for clear spirits like baijiu. Its success is hard to separate from the fact that China’s population of men aged 40 to 60 increased by more than half over the past two decades, adding about 78 million people to the core baijiu-drinking market. That demographic is set to stagnate over the coming decade, though, before beginning an accelerating decline after 2030.To the extent that the industry is making any inroads with women and younger people, it’s in lower-cost, lighter-flavored “rice aroma” products where margins are tighter. The giant listed baijiu-makers specialize in the complex, higher-cost “sauce aroma” and “strong aroma” varieties such as Maotai and Luzhou Laojiao, which is quite a different product.This needn’t be the end of the world. The drinks market’s best defense against unfavorable demographics is “premiumization” — counting not on a larger number of consumers, but a small group paying more and more. Premiumization is already the strategy of the high-end listed baijiu companies, so there's no reason they can’t keep going with it.Still, chasing the luxury market is notoriously expensive in marketing terms, and baijiu makers for years have been able to rely on a product that sells itself.Major distillers typically dedicate a third or more of their revenue to selling, general and administrative costs — mostly marketing and distribution. Baijiu makers are far more thrifty, one reason their profit margins are so much fatter than those of peers. As their core demographic ages out of its drinking habit, though, they’re likely to have to spend more and more converting younger drinkers.Every cellar manager knows that liquors can get better with age, but the process of maturation has to be carefully monitored and cultivated if the precious drink isn’t to turn into drain-cleaner. Marketing departments of baijiu companies will have to be no less careful over the coming decades maintaining the shine on their storied brands. To contact the author of this story: David Fickling at dfickling@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Matthew Brooker at mbrooker1@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.David Fickling is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities, as well as industrial and consumer companies. He has been a reporter for Bloomberg News, Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and the Guardian.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Best Phones of 2019: The Budget Smartphones We Loved This Year

We've rounded up some of the best budget smartphones of 2019, in one single list.

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The most read BBC News stories of the last decade

From the 2011 riots to the last general election, we look back at the website's most popular pages.

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Cuba names Manuel Marrero Cruz as first prime minister since 1976

Tourism minister Manuel Marrero Cruz is Cuba's first prime minister since Fidel Castro in 1976.

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No GST rate increase till revenue stabilises

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2 days after Yogi Adityanath's warning, UP seals assets of ‘rioters’

The UP administration started identifying and sealing properties of the people accused in rioting cases during the anti-citizenship act protests . This came after the CM Adityanath said that the cost of damage to properties during the protests would be “avenged” with fines collected from those responsible.

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Nine Women Rescued From Prostitution Racket At Posh Spa In Mumbai

Nine women were rescued from a prostitution racket at a popular spa in Prabhadevi area of Central Mumbai, police said on Saturday.

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Woman Alleges 3 Uncles Molested Her Since Childhood With Parents' Consent

A village woman in Haryana's Hisar district has accused her three uncles of sexually assaulting her with the consent of her parents when she was a child, police said on Saturday.

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London Bridge attack: Darryn Frost on using a narwhal tusk to stop knifeman

Darryn Frost reveals for the first time how he tackled Usman Khan, despite thinking he had a suicide vest.

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UK approves £4bn takeover of defence company Cobham

Ministers say the national security risks of a £4bn takeover of UK firm Cobham are "acceptable".

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Cannabis-based medicine for epilepsy available on NHS from January

NHS England says access to Epidyolex has been fast-tracked and will be available from 6 January.

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School pays for private tuition to help with exams

A school in a deprived area "levels the playing field" by paying for private tutors.

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Son of Russian spies feels "relief" to be Canadian

Alexander Vavilov, whose parents were Russian spies, spoke out after a court ruled he is Canadian.

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Boris Johnson in pre-Christmas visit to UK troops in Estonia

Boris Johnson will stress the UK commitment to Nato on a visit to the alliance's mission in Estonia.

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Trump approves Russia-Europe gas pipeline sanctions

President Donald Trump on Friday signed off on US sanctions against companies building a Russian natural gas pipeline to Germany that Congress fears will give the Kremlin dangerous leverage over European allies. The sanctions, which are opposed by the European Union, were included in a sprawling defense spending bill Trump signed at a ceremony on Joint Base Andrews, an air force installation outside Washington, DC. US lawmakers have warned the pipeline would enrich a hostile Russian government and vastly increase President Vladimir Putin's influence in Europe at a time of heightened tension across the continent.

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Bernie Sanders calls out Buttigieg's billionaire fundraising: 'exactly the problem with politics'

Exclusive: the Vermont senator speaks to the Guardian about his rivals’ support from billionaires, and his plan to beat TrumpBernie Sanders on Friday doubled down on criticism of fellow Democratic presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden over the support they’ve received from billionaire donors, arguing his 2020 rivals’ fundraising was “exactly the problem with American politics”.Sanders noted that the South Bend mayor, Buttigieg, had accepted support from 40 billionaires throughout his campaign and was “closing in on Biden”, the former vice-president who has received donations from at least 44 billionaires. The Vermont senator told the Guardian: “They will tell you, ‘It doesn’t impact me. It really doesn’t mean anything to me.’ That is clearly nonsensical. Why would billionaires and wealthy people be making large contributions if it didn’t mean something to them?”Sanders appeared cheerful and spoke confidently about the state of his presidential campaign as he sat down with the Guardian and the not-for-profit publication Capital & Main before a climate town hall in Moreno Valley, just outside of Los Angeles. He discussed his odds in the early primary states and his policy priorities in the White House, one day after the final Democratic debate of the year.On Thursday, Sanders had faced off with six opponents in an at times heated debate, which was marked by escalating attacks on Buttigieg, the 37-year-old centrist mayor who has been rising in the polls in early primary states.Buttigieg faced questions over his lack of experience in national politics and repeated criticism for a lavish fundraiser in a California “wine cave”. The mayor countered he was willing to accept money from anyone who wanted to defeat Donald Trump.That attitude has created “candidates who are not addressing the needs of working class people, but are working overtime to protect the wealthy and the powerful”, Sanders argued on Friday, rattling off statistics on the extreme expansion of income inequality over the last 30 years in the US. “The agenda of the wealthy … is implemented by their campaign contributions and their access to candidates.”Sanders also brushed aside concerns from some Democratic pundits, who have drawn comparisons between him and Jeremy Corbyn, the British Labour leader who experienced a stunning defeat in that country’s recent elections. “Our opponents will throw every reason in the world against us,” Sanders said, arguing his rise is making the Democratic establishment “very, very nervous”.> Why would billionaires and wealthy people be making large contributions if it didn’t mean something to them?> > Bernie SandersHe continued, “The United Kingdom, last I heard, is not the United States. Brexit is not a major part of what this campaign is about. The issues that I am campaigning on, in fact, are precisely the issues the American people support. Talk about raising the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour. Four years ago when I introduced that concept, it was a radical idea. Not radical anymore.”Sanders noted that there was also polling showing broad support for many of his more progressive proposals, including Medicare for All, student debt cancellation and wealth taxes.In his first weeks in office, Sanders said, he’d pursue a wealth tax, infrastructure legislation to spur new job growth, his signature Green New Deal climate plan, efforts to make it easier for workers to unionize and a push to close the wage gap for women. He’d also work on an executive order to ensure that contractors with the federal government pay workers a minimum of $15 an hour. “We have the message to appeal to working people. We are investing in this campaign very heavily in a grassroots effort here in California. It’s unprecedented, I think it is fair to say.”The Sanders campaign has invested heavily in organizing in California, recognizing the growing importance of the state in the primary race. Roughly 14 million voters will be eligible to participate in the state’s 3 March Democratic primary. Sanders has held rallies in cities across the state, and has built a large grassroots infrastructure to spread his message.California polls have shown him performing well among Latino voters, a bloc that will be critical as the race heats up. Sanders and Warren have been near the top in recent polls across the country, though the progressive senators have largely continued to trail Biden, considered the most moderate frontrunner.Among the toughest questions Sanders faced during the debate were several on race and identity. When asked about concerns regarding too many older men in power, he interjected, “And I’m white as well!” adding, “The issue is not old or young, male or female, the issue is working people standing up taking on the billionaire class.” When he pivoted to the climate crisis on a question about racism, he earned a rebuke from a moderator.Asked about the nearly all white lineup at Thursday’s debate, the senator promised on Friday, “When people turn on the television and see my cabinet and our administration, it will look like America … in terms of racial diversity, ethnic diversity, religious diversity … We’ve got to work hard to undo the racism and the xenophobia of the Trump administration and one way you do that is to create an inclusive administration.”He declined to say whether he would select a vice-president running mate who was a person of color: “It’s too early.”Asked if he had fun at the debate, the senator sighed. “Fun is the wrong word. It’s frustrating! You don’t have time to get into the issues.”

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The Former Parcel Courier Who Could Bring Down Angela Merkel

(Bloomberg) -- Saskia Esken entered a December meeting with her Social Democratic caucus in the glass-domed Reichstag holding the future of Angela Merkel’s government in her hand.The little-known former parcel carrier-turned-politician had days earlier been propelled to the top of Germany’s oldest party on a pledge to do whatever it took to reverse dismal election results. In the spacious third-floor conference room of the refurbished neo-Renaissance-style parliament building, the 58-year-old college dropout faced the old guard.According to one person in the room, the party veterans warned her not to break with conservative allies. The left-wing hardliner looked at them sternly and said she would give Merkel’s grand coalition a last chance. Instead of leaving, she would wrest concessions for greater investment and better wages.She was met with mute applause.Many of the comrades, as party members call each other, had doubts over her real intentions and her ability to negotiate. Indeed, Esken is the wild card in the political survival of Merkel and the party itself.Driven by her own working-class background, Esken is seen as ideologically-driven and headstrong but lacking leadership experience and allies, according to people who know her or have worked with her.After the meeting with her lawmakers, Esken told Bloomberg News that everything had gone well and that the atmosphere had been good. But opinions on her vary.“We haven’t been enthusiastic about the new leadership. It would be a lie to deny that”, says Carsten Schneider, deputy leader of the parliamentary group that Esken belongs to.Long DemiseIn some ways Esken is the antithesis of the stale and stuffy image the party leadership had won over the years and that many members blamed for the party’s demise. Nearly two decades ago the SPD was the No.1 political force with more than 40% support. Today, it’s a distant fourth with less than 15%.Certainly the demise of the party mirrors that of Social Democrats elsewhere in Europe that have struggled with the rise of populists and Greens. But Esken and her supporters claim that it’s the alliance with Merkel’s conservatives that blurred the party’s profile and accelerated its decline.Today she goes out of her way to highlight her working-class background as an example of the party’s return to its roots.Esken worked as a chauffeur and barwoman before she turned to programming software, Esken’s raison d’etre centers around issues of social mobility and economic justice. She blasts cut-throat competition for undermining solidarity and advocates higher taxes for the wealthy. One of her main issues is a proposal to hike the minimum wage by at least 30% to 12 euros per hour.“Today I’m a lawmaker but I haven’t forgotten where I’ve come from. I know the living conditions of the people for whom we do politics,” she told hundreds of delegates at the party convention.Yet even within her own party, many politicians question whether she has the wherewithal to extract concessions from Merkel and turn around her party. Her leadership experience, she has said, is limited to being No. 2 at a parent group in her home state.To be sure, some of the opposition she faces comes from SPD lawmakers worried they could lose their jobs if she pulls out of the coalition and eventually triggers snap elections. Still, other than an endorsement from the Young Socialists, she has no real network and few allies within her ranks, party members say, and has yet to impose her authority.Threats AliveIn the two weeks since she was confirmed as party leader, Esken has sought to reassure coalition partners by saying she wouldn’t do anything to destabilize the government. But at the same time she has kept alive the threat that the SPD could still jump ship.When a special committee of coalition partners met last week to negotiate tougher climate measures, one of the key demands of the Esken-led team, Esken herself was noticeably absent. Instead, it was Finance Minister Olaf Scholz who attended a group of representatives from the SPD.Scholz, who lost to Esken with his bid to become party chief, has no intention to follow orders from her but will do what he can to keep the grand coalition together, according to a person familiar with his thinking.All that doesn’t bode well for the new leaders of the Social Democrats, who were already mocked by Merkel allies for their radical demands that include giving up the country’s famed zero deficit spending.“Esken faces the dilemma of either disappointing the base that elected her and she’s identified with, or to torpedo the government,” said Wichard Woyke, professor of politics at the University of Muenster. “Whatever she does, she’s bound to fail because it will bring the party down.”To contact the reporter on this story: Birgit Jennen in Berlin at bjennen1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.net, ;Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Richard Bravo, Raymond ColittFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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