Huge fire breaks out in west London car workshop

flames in West DraytonImage copyright@COMEALONGMILLER/TWITTER
Image captionThe fire broke out at a car workshop in West Drayton on Saturday morning
A huge fire has broken out at a car workshop on a west London industrial estate.
Ten fire engines and 72 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze in Trout Road, West Drayton, London Fire Brigade said.
Shaun Coltress, from the service, said: “The fire has been contained to the unit of origin but firefighters are likely to remain for some time.”
There are no reports of casualties and the cause of the fire is not yet known.
building fire being tackledImage copyrightLONDON FIRE BRIGADE
Image captionFirefighters have been at the scene since about 11:35 GMT

Man, 22, stabbed to death in north London

St Mary's Close, TottenhamImage copyrightGOOGLE
Image captionA 22-year-old died in St Mary’s Close in the early hours
A 22-year-old man has been stabbed to death in north London.
Police were called to St Mary’s Close in Tottenham, close to Harlington Park, at about 01:30 GMT.
Paramedics and the London Air Ambulance attended, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim’s next of kin has been informed. A murder investigation has been launched but no arrests have yet been made. Witnesses are urged to contact the Met Police.

Airlines probed over ‘confusing’ seating policy

Plane cabinImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
A review is being launched into airlines’ seating policies, the Civil Aviation Authority says.
It will examine whether companies are deliberately splitting up groups of passengers so they pay to sit together. Airlines allocate seating via computer algorithms.
The CAA said it wanted to make sure the practices were “fair and transparent”.
A spokeswoman for Ryanair said: “Our policy is very clear for our customers.”
CAA research of more than 4,000 passengers who had travelled as part of a group on 10 airlines in the last year found that just over half of respondents were told they would have to pay more to sit together before they booked.
However, almost half believed that their airline would automatically allocate them seats together.

‘Confusion’

Of the group of respondents that paid extra to sit together, six in 10 said they did so because of the risk that their airline might split up their group.
Andrew Haines, chief executive of the CAA, said airline seating practices were “clearly causing some confusion” and its research showed some passengers were paying to sit together when they might not need to.
“We will be looking into how airlines decide where to seat passengers that have booked as part of a group and whether any airlines are pro-actively splitting up groups of passengers when, in fact, they could be sat together,” he said.
“We will not hesitate to take any necessary enforcement action should it be required at the end of the review,” he added.
A spokeswoman for Ryanair said the airline was happy to co-operate.
“Our policy is very clear for our customers and seats can be purchased from just €2 and kids travelling in families get free seats,” she said.
In a statement, EasyJet said: “Unlike some airlines, if passengers choose not to pay to select their seats, EasyJet’s seating system is programmed to try and seat families together when they check-in online by using an algorithm.”

Harvey Weinstein: UK police look into more allegations

Harvey Weinstein in 2013Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionHarvey Weinstein, pictured in 2013, was one of Hollywood’s most powerful men
UK police investigating Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein are looking at allegations of sexual assault against two more women, it has emerged.
The alleged offences, reported to police in October and November, took place in the Republic of Ireland in 1991, Westminster in 2011 and abroad in 2010, the Metropolitan Police said.
These bring the number of women making accusations to the Met to nine.
Mr Weinstein has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.
On 31 October a woman told UK police that she had been assaulted by Mr Weinstein in the Republic of Ireland.
This allegation has been passed on to Garda Síochána – the Irish police force.
On 13 November a ninth alleged victim told police she had been attacked in Westminster in 2011 and a location outside the UK in 2010.
Scotland Yard says the allegation will be passed to the relevant force.
Uma Thurman at the Golden GlobesImage copyrightAFP
Image captionUma Thurman says the alleged incident took place in Mr Weinstein’s suite at London’s Savoy Hotel
This comes on the same day that actress Uma Thurman alleged that Mr Weinstein assaulted her in a London hotel room after the success of the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction.
In a New York Times article, she says Weinstein pushed her down and “tried to expose himself” before she managed to “wriggle away”
“He did all kinds of unpleasant things,” she says.
“But he didn’t actually put his back into it and force me. You’re like an animal wriggling away, like a lizard.”
A spokeswoman for Harvey Weinstein – who is in rehab – said: “Mr Weinstein acknowledges making an awkward pass 25 years ago at Ms Thurman in England after misreading her signals, after a flirtatious exchange in Paris, for which he immediately apologised and deeply regrets.
“However, her claims about being physically assaulted are untrue. And this is the first time we have heard those details.”

Gerry Kelly: Sinn Féin MLA removes car wheel clamp

Gerry Kelly
Image captionA spokesperson for Sinn Féin said Mr Kelly removed the clamp “after an early morning gym session”
Sinn Féin has confirmed that one of their MLA’s has removed a clamp from the front wheel of his car, using what appears to be bolt cutters, in Belfast.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the party confirmed that Gerry Kelly removed the clamp at about 07:20 GMT on Friday outside a gym.
A recording of the incident has been posted on social media.
The party spokesperson said that the matter is being dealt with by Mr Kelly’s solicitor.They said: “Gerry Kelly returned to his car​ after an early morning gym session to find that his car had been made immobile by a clamp just after 07:20 GMT.
“He removed the clamp from the front wheel.
“He left the device nearby and drove off to pre-arranged meetings.
“His solicitor is dealing with the matter and he will be making no further comment at this time.”

US hunter knocked unconscious by Canada goose

A Canada goose stands in a fieldImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionA Canada goose, similar to this one, knocked Robert Meilhammer unconscious
A hunter in the US has been knocked unconscious by a dead goose that fell out of the sky.
Robert Meilhammer was hunting in Easton in the state of Maryland, when he was hit by a Canada goose that had been shot by a fellow hunter.

The 51-year-old suffered injuries to his face and head but is in a stable condition in hospital.

Spain cracks King Ferdinand’s 500-year-old secret code

Script on paper in Spain's Army Museum in Toledo, SpainImage copyrightRADIO TELEVISION ESPANOLA
Image captionThe men used “over 200 symbols” to communicate with each other
A 500-year-old secret code used in letters between one of Spain’s most famous monarchs and a military commander has been cracked.
Ferdinand of Aragon’s letters have tantalised historians for centuries.
Constructed using more than 200 special characters, they were deciphered by the country’s intelligence agency.
He was behind the final recapture – Reconquista– of Spain from the Moors in 1492 and Columbus’s journeys to the Americas.
The letters between Ferdinand and Gonzalo de Córdoba include instructions on strategy during military campaigns in Italy in the early 16th Century. They were written using secret code in case they fell into enemy hands.
The letters are on display at Spain’s Army Museum in Toledo and it took intelligence services almost half a year to decipher four of them, some of which went on for over 20 pages.
The code-cracking has been described by some as a “Rosetta Stone” moment, amid hopes that it could lead to more coded letters being deciphered.
Ferdinand of AragonImage copyrightRADIO TELEVISION ESPANOLA
Image captionThe letters were written by Ferdinand of Aragon, who was the first king of what became modern-day Spain.
Details outlined in the letters range from instructions on troop deployments to admonishing the commander for not consulting the king before launching diplomatic initiatives.
In the early 16th Century, it would have taken 15 days for the letters to get between the monarch’s residences to south-eastern Italy where the commander was based.

What the code looked like

The mysterious coding system used by Ferdinand of Aragon and Gonzalo de Córdoba was highly complex. It was constructed using 88 different symbols and 237 combined letters.
For each letter there were between two and six figurative characters such as triangles or numbers.
To complicate matters even further, the symbols used in the letters were written without separating words and phrases.

Who was fighting whom?

At the start of the 16th Century, Spain and France battled for control of the Mediterranean.
Between 1499 and 1504, the fight centred on the Kingdom of Naples.
Spain wrested control of Naples from France in 1504 and ruled it until 1647.

Uma Thurman breaks silence on Weinstein attack

Uma Thurman in June 2017, photographed in front of a wall of white rosesImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionIn November, Thurman said she would tell her story “when I’m ready”
Actress Uma Thurman has detailed long hinted-at allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein.
In a New York Times article, she says Weinstein pushed her down and “tried to expose himself” at the producer’s hotel room in London during the 1990s, before she managed to “wriggle away”.
Harvey Weinstein’s spokeswoman said the claims about an assault “are untrue”.
The 47-year-old star also said she was forced into sex as a teenager by an unnamed actor 20 years older than her.
Thurman had expressed anger at Weinstein last November, saying: “I’m glad it’s going slowly – you don’t deserve a bullet.”
Harvey Weinstein, dressed in a dark jacket and shirt, is pictured smiling at the camera in a sunny outdoor setting in 2017Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionHarvey Weinstein has been at the centre of a string of abuse allegations

What does Uma Thurman say?

Among the revelations in the article are that Thurman was sexually assaulted at age 16, at the beginning of her career.
She met an actor – who is not named – at a Manhattan nightclub, and was “coerced” when she returned to his home for a late-night drink.
“I was ultimately compliant,” she told the newspaper. “I tried to say no, I cried, I did everything I could do. He told me the door was locked but I never ran over and tried the knob.”
“When I got home, I remember I stood in front of the mirror and I looked at my hands and I was so mad at them for not being bloody or bruised.”
Her allegations regarding Weinstein took place in the time period after the success of the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction, which was produced by Weinstein. The alleged incident took place at his suite in London’s Savoy Hotel.
“He pushed me down. He tried to shove himself on me… He did all kinds of unpleasant things,” Thurman told the Times.
“But he didn’t actually put his back into it and force me. You’re like an animal wriggling away, like a lizard.”
She said a bunch of flowers arrived the next day with a note reading: “You have great instincts.” And that in the aftermath, Weinstein’s assistants kept calling about new film projects.

What was Harvey Weinstein’s response?

A spokeswoman for Harvey Weinstein – who is in rehab – issued a statement in the wake of the story’s publication.
It said his team had contacted the New York Times and sent photographs “that demonstrate the strong relationship Mr Weinstein and Ms Thurman had”.
The newspaper acknowledged receiving “chummy photos” of the pair at premieres and parties.
“Mr Weinstein acknowledges making an awkward pass 25 years ago at Ms Thurman in England after misreading her signals, after a flirtatious exchange in Paris, for which he immediately apologised and deeply regrets,” the statement said.
“However, her claims about being physically assaulted are untrue.”
“There was no physical contact during Mr Weinstein’s awkward pass and [he] is saddened and puzzled as to why Ms Thurman… waited 25 years to make these allegations public”.

What about Quentin Tarantino?

Thurman also detailed the rift between herself and director Quentin Tarantino, who – alongside Weinstein – made Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, two of Thurman’s most successful films.
Left to right: Quentin Tarantino, Uma Thurman, and Harvey Weinstein, pictured 2004Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionQuentin Tarantino, Uma Thurman, and Harvey Weinstein, pictured at the Kill Bill Vol 2 after party in 2004
But she revealed that she fell out with Tarantino over a car crash scene in Kill Bill.
She alleges that there were known issues with the convertible car, that Tarantino was “furious” at her insistence that they use a stunt driver during filming, and persuaded her to drive the car – which crashed, injuring her.
The incident would mar the pair’s relationship. Thurman threatened to sue Weinstein’s studio but says she was denied access to the crash footage for 15 years.
Tarantino has yet to issue any public statement about Thurman’s claims.

Corsica Macron: Nationalist protest ahead of visit

People hold flags during street protests in Ajaccio, Corsica on 3 February 2018.Image copyrightAFP
Image captionThousands of Corsicans protested in Ajaccio to back linguistic recognition and greater devolution
Thousands of Corsicans have held a rally to call for greater autonomy from France.
Correspondents say the rally was staged as a shot across the bows of the French government ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s visit on Tuesday.
The nationalists are not seeking independence, but they do want more financial devolution and recognition for the Corsican language.
Mr Macron has said he will not agree to changing France’s constitution.
Tuesday’s visit will mark the 20th anniversary of the targeted killing of France’s top official on the island, Claude Érignac, during a wave of violence orchestrated by the National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC),
The FLNC, a separatist militant group, declared a ceasefire in 2014.
Image copyrightAFP
Image captionSome demonstrators wore backpacks with signs reading “#democracy”
The local authorities said about 6,000 demonstrators were at Saturday’s protest in the capital Ajaccio.
But the protest’s organisers put the figure at 25,000.
People gather in DeGaulle plaza in Ajaccio, on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica.Image copyrightAFP
Image captionThe protest aimed to put pressure on Mr Macron to give the island greater autonomy
Corsican nationalists have been emboldened by a resounding win in December’s elections.

Although a ceasefire has been in place since 2014, Corsica’s current leader, Gilles Simeoni – a moderate nationalist – issued a warning earlier this week in an interview with Reuters that Paris would be “playing with fire” if it did not engage with Corsica’s issues.

US House Speaker Paul Ryan deletes $1.50 tax cut gain tweet

House Speaker Paul Ryan participates in a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, 30 January 2018Image copyrightEPA
Image captionPaul Ryan was a staunch supporter of the Republican tax reform bill
US House speaker Paul Ryan has come under fire after citing a school worker who was $1.50 (£1) a week better off because of recent tax cuts.
Mr Ryan deleted a tweet about a school secretary who, he said, was “pleasantly surprised” by the increase.
The post was widely derided with many social media users saying $1.50 was not a significant pay hike.
It comes after President Donald Trump approved the most sweeping overhaul of the US tax system in decades.
Republicans say the tax reforms will help businesses and individuals, and boost economic growth.
Democrats, who opposed the changes, say the cuts will mainly benefit the ultra-rich.
Mr Ryan, the most senior Republican in the US House of Representatives, had tweeted a link to a report by the Associated Press in which Julia Ketchum, a secretary at a public high school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said she would be $78 a year better off, which she said would more than cover her annual membership for the wholesale outlet Costco.
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Mr Ryan deleted his “embarrassing tweet” because it was a “blatant admission” of the tax bill’s unfairness.
In a tweet, she also referred to reports that Mr Ryan’s fundraising committee had received $500,000 from billionaire Republican donor Charles Koch days after the tax overhaul was passed.
Others also said the tweet showed Mr Ryan was out of touch with Americans on low incomes.
Mr Ryan has not yet responded to the reaction.
Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started