Two bodies recovered from sunken trawler off Queensland coast
Six of seven men on board are believed to have drowned as tragedy leaves fishing community shakenAuthorities have recovered the bodies of two men from the wreck of the fishing vessel Dianne, which capsized and sank off the Queensland coast with six crewmen on board. Police divers spent Saturday battling rough conditions and poor visibility in the waters surrounding the vessel, which was discovered late on Friday 30 metres below the surface. Queensland trawler that capsized with seven on board is found Read moreThe recovery mission would resume at first light on Sunday, weather permitting, police said. Exhausted, injured and wearing only a pair of boardshorts, McDornan spent hours treading water after the vessel sank to the sea floor. The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said the government’s “thoughts and prayers” were with the families of the missing men.
Source:The Guardian
October 21, 2017 05:03 UTC
Where can I get budget cycling gear?
Cash flow is a bit tight – is it better to go second hand on eBay or go brand new? Every week a Guardian Money reader submits a question, and it’s up to you to help him or her out – a selection of the best answers will appear in next Saturday’s paper. Cash flow is a bit tight. Is it better to go second hand on eBay or go brand new? Email your suggestions to money@theguardian.com or write to us at Money, The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU
Source:The Guardian
October 21, 2017 04:18 UTC
Speed limits through roadworks may rise to 60mph
Speed limits could be raised to 60mph through roadworks as Highways England tries to combat congestion and reduce the impact of repairs. The government-owned company, which has been testing different speed limits since September 2016, found motorists’ heart rates were lower when driving faster through roadworks. Jim O’Sullivan, the chief executive of Highways England, told the Times newspaper that the 60mph limit was “something that we want to introduce to as many roadworks as possible”. O’Sullivan said: “The volume of roadworks that the network and our users can cope with is probably reaching its peak. According to Highways England 60% of participants recorded a decrease in average heart rate in the 60mph trial zone and 56% presented a decrease on the 55mph trial.
Source:The Guardian
October 20, 2017 23:51 UTC
Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie boasts of forcing SNP to adopt radical agenda
Patrick Harvie said his party’s influence led to the bans on fracking and the smacking of children Andrew Milligan/PAThe left-wing figurehead of the Scottish Greens will today say his party is leading radical change in Scotland while claiming credit for a string of policies embraced by Nicola Sturgeon. Patrick Harvie, who co-convenes the party, will say that others are “playing catch up” and cite victories for his group of six MSPs at Holyrood. They include successfully pushing for bans on fracking and the physical punishment of children, securing extra cash for councils in exchange for allowing the SNP to pass its budget and Ms Sturgeon’s plans for a publicly-owned energy company. Mr Harvie, an MSP since 2003, has seen his party’s influence grow since last year when the SNP fell short of a majority. The Green tally rose from two MSPs to six,…
Source:The Times
October 20, 2017 23:15 UTC
Church of England to debate blessings for same-sex couples
Diocese of Hereford proposes motion to allow official blessing after civil partnership or secular marriage ceremonyThe Church of England will debate blessings for same-sex couples for the first time after a motion to discuss the issue was put forward by the diocese of Hereford. Scottish Anglican church faces sanctions over vote to allow same-sex marriage Read moreUnder the proposals put forward by the diocesan synod, official Church of England services would be held after a couple has formed a civil partnership or married in a secular ceremony. The plans fall short of calling for same-sex wedding services to take place in church but priests would be allowed to offer a formal blessing to couples. The bishop of Hereford, the Rt Rev Richard Frith, said the motion was a response to requests from same-sex couples to perform the services informally. “Clergy of the Church of England are unable to marry couples of the same sex and, under the House of Bishops’ pastoral statement on same sex marriage, ‘services of blessing’ should not be provided for those who enter into civil partnerships or same-sex marriages.
Source:The Guardian
October 20, 2017 23:04 UTC
#metoo is raising awareness, but taking sexual abuse to court is a minefield
The outrage has already prompted women in all sectors to seek legal advice about how to pursue sexual harassment claims. The most comprehensive EU-wide study on sexual harassment, (based on interviews with 42,000 women, across 28 member states, and published in 2014), showed that between 45% and 55% of women had experienced some form of sexual harassment since the age of 15. It also revealed that only 6% of women report serious sexual harassment to colleagues, only 4% contacted the police, and less than 1% spoke to a lawyer. The legislation in the US remains quite vague, according to David Sherwyn, a law professor and labour relations expert at Cornell University, and is hampered by the absence of a federal law against sexual harassment. “Litigating sexual harassment cases can take three to eight years and if they go to court and their allegations become public, plaintiffs fear they may not be hired again.
Source:The Guardian
October 20, 2017 23:03 UTC
Joe Joyce gets off to explosive start on professional debut
Joyce, right, lands another blow on his way to victory against Lewison last night Andrew Couldridge/Action ImagesJoe Joyce announced himself on an exciting British heavyweight scene last night in bold and brutal style with an eighth-round stoppage of Ian Lewison. David Haye, who is Joyce’s promoter, believes that after just one professional bout his man is ready to box for the British title, which is held by Sam Sexton. Just 14 months after winning an Olympic super-heavyweight silver medal in Rio de Janeiro, Joyce showed that he is just about ready for anyone. Anthony Joshua described his endless rounds of sparring with Joyce as like fighting an unstoppable wall that was slowly coming towards you. Certainly there are very few niceties with Joyce, but he’s fit, powerful, incredibly strong and throws punches non-stop.
Source:The Times
October 20, 2017 23:02 UTC
Share of the week: YouGov
Shares in the market research company YouGov have risen 300 per cent in the past five years GETTY IMAGESPollsters have faced a crisis of confidence in recent years, having failed to accurately predict the result of key events, including the Brexit referendum and Donald Trump’s presidential win. Yet YouGov, the online market research company, stuck its neck out to forecast a hung parliament before the June general election. Nearly all other outlets were predicting a solid Conservative majority, but YouGov’s new methodology proved correct. It floated on the Alternative Investment Market in 2005 and its shares have risen 300 per cent in the past five years. It has developed a track record of surpassing analysts’ expectations and reporting financial results that are the envy of the industry.
Source:The Times
October 20, 2017 23:02 UTC
City workers hedge their bets as Brexit countdown begins
Frankfurt is touted by heavyweights such as Lloyd Blankfein as one of several alternatives to London, but many believe no other financial centre can match up ALAMYA senior British banker was speaking to a former Labour government minister at a prestigious dinner engagement recently about the way Brexit negotiations were progressing — and, specifically, what it all might mean for the City of London. “Losing the City is not even an option on the table,” said the politician, sharing a cross-party view that, whatever your thoughts about errant bankers and recent scandals, there is no way that the UK would allow a Brexit deal that would fatally undermine London’s place as the financial centre of Europe and, arguably, the world. Yet whatever politicians and bankers might want, a drumbeat is building that suggests time may be running out for Britain and the EU to reach an agreement on a transitional deal…
Source:The Times
October 20, 2017 23:02 UTC
England youngsters aiming for historic World Cup semi-final
Foden, centre, and Brewster, right, have been thrust into the spotlight by Dortmund’s decision to withdraw Sancho Bikas Das/APEngland Under-17 will seek to enhance the reputation of the country’s young talent today by reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time. Steve Cooper’s side face the United States in Goa, India, looking to further embellish a golden period for England’s development teams which has seen the under-20s win their World Cup and the under-19s triumph in the European Championships in recent months. England have already matched their best run at the tournament, when they reached the last eight in 2011 with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jordan Pickford, Nathan Redmond and Nathaniel Chalobah in the squad, but they are intent on breaking new ground. “We would prefer the pressure of being expected to do well than being expected to fail,”…
Source:The Times
October 20, 2017 23:02 UTC
The Italian Job: they blew the bloody neighbours up, too
The van is blown up on Sydenham Common for the Italian Job, starring Michael CaineIt is one of the most famous explosions in movie history thanks to Michael Caine’s rebuke: “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off.”The man behind The Italian Job has told how life imitated art during filming of the scene in which Charlie Croker, played by Caine, and his team of bank robbers practise blowing up a van but get carried away. Michael Deeley, producer of the film, said the special effects supervisor also ended up packing too many explosives into the van — resulting in the destruction of windows across the other side of the common where it was being filmed. Michael Deeley faced nervous times over the Mini Cooper stunts REXThe British filmmaker recalled the moment in his reissued memoir, in which he also described having to set up his own…
Source:The Times
October 20, 2017 23:02 UTC
Border Force under strain as low-grade staff fail to keep up
David Bolt, the chief inspector of Borders and Immigration, said in his annual report that there were still serious issues OLI SCARFF/GETTY IMAGESDoubts have been cast on the Home Office’s ability to cope with its workload, in a series of negative reports. Much of the concern focuses on the management of the immigration system, which has struggled to recover from being branded “not fit for purpose” 11 years ago. David Bolt, chief inspector of borders and immigration, said in his annual report that there were still serious issues over management’s awareness of backlogs, reliability of management information and the availability of staff with the right training and skills. Concern remained over the Home Office’s ability to identify and remove those with no right to remain in the UK. The latest figures show that the backlog of failed asylum seekers awaiting removal has risen by more than 5,000…
Source:The Times
October 20, 2017 23:02 UTC
Kurdish dream in tatters after Baghdad fights back
In one of the battered and dun-coloured taxis north of Kirkuk, the driver assessed the lie of the land. “Where are the peshmerga?” he shouted as he tried to work out where the Kurdish territory began. He realised the checkpoint in front of him was still controlled by the Hashed, Shia militias linked to Iran. “Animals!”, the driver exclaimed. Kurdish Peshmarga fighters gather north of Kirkuk AKO RASHEED/REUTERSThe driver used to charge each of his four passengers 20,000 Iraqi dinars, the equivalent of about £13, for the 80-mile drive from Kirkuk…
Source:The Times
October 20, 2017 23:02 UTC
Egypt’s trials are a perversion of justice
From the first months of Ibrahim Halawa’s detention, there were signs that the Egyptian authorities had little interest in offering him a fair trial. At the same time that Ibrahim and his sisters were arrested, thousands of other protesters began making their way through mass trials in deeply politicised courts. Reprieve began working with Ibrahim’s family, a team of lawyers and supporters on his case. As the months wore on, it became clear that his trial would fail to meet the most basic international standards. Egypt was warned that its mass trials — where hundreds of death sentences…
Source:The Times
October 20, 2017 23:02 UTC
A tale of two islands: Réunion and Mauritius
I am flying high above translucent ripples, admiring a white scribble of reefs when my eyes are drawn to distant waves. From my helicopter viewpoint, these blue whales look like tadpoles frolicking in a clear pond. It’s a lovely half-hour ride over Réunion. Réunion is an extraordinary place, made even better if you couple it with the neighbouring Mauritius; a 30-minute flight links the islands. So this is a tale of two…
Source:The Times
October 20, 2017 23:02 UTC