New Year Honours: 1,000 addresses published in error - BBC News

A list of more than 1,000 addresses of New Years Honours recipients, including those of senior police officers and politicians, has been accidentally published by the government.

The file was uploaded to the official website, but has since been removed.

The Cabinet Office told the BBC: "We apologise to all those affected and are looking into how this happened."

Among the addresses are those of Sir Elton John and former director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders.

Also on the list of 1,097 honours recipients are high-profile names like cricketer Ben Stokes, former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith, TV cook Nadiya Hussain, and former Ofcom boss Sharon White.

A government spokesman said: "A version of the New Year Honours 2020 list was published in error which contained recipients' addresses.

"The information was removed as soon as possible.

"We have reported the matter to the ICO [Information Commissioner's Office] and are contacting all those affected directly."

The ICO, which has the power to fine organisations for data breaches, said it will be "making enquiries".

'Much depends on the attitude of those affected'

There is no doubt that this is a serious data breach and the government, of all organisations, should be better acquainted with the law on disclosing sensitive personal information.

But while some of the celebrities and the police officers awarded honours may be concerned about their privacy and security, it would have been far more serious if the home addresses of those on the list of gallantry awards had been leaked.

The Information Commissioner's Office has so far only levied one fine under the new Data Protection Act which came into effect in 2018 - a London pharmacy was fined £275,000 for careless storage of the very sensitive medical data of half a million people.

Lawyers who specialise in data protection think the ICO will see this as a less serious case of human error and may let the Cabinet Office escape with a warning about improving its practices.

But they say much now depends on the attitude of those who have seen their data leaked - they could decide to bring civil claims against the government for putting in the public domain information many of them have been determined to keep private.

Simon Winch, a sustainability professional from London, was among those who were able to access the sensitive information.

He told the BBC: "I clicked on the link on the gov.uk website at around 11pm on Friday and the spreadsheet opened up.

"At first I thought everyone on the list had given their permission to publish their personal addresses. But then I saw that some quite sensitive names were on there."

Another source told the BBC they accessed the file just after midnight on Saturday but were unable to do so by 05:00 GMT.

The Cabinet Office said the document was visible for around an hour.

Most of the entries in the spreadsheet include full addresses - including house numbers and postcodes.

A separate list, that does not appear to be involved in the breach, covers gallantry awards for police, ambulance and fire staff and military personnel.

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2019-12-28 14:25:53Z
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Chagos Islands dispute: UK accused of 'crimes against humanity' by Mauritius - BBC News

The UK has been accused of committing "crimes against humanity" for refusing to allow people to return to their former homes on the Chagos Islands, despite a ruling earlier this year by the United Nation's highest court.

Describing Britain's behaviour as stubborn and shameful, the prime minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, told the BBC that he was exploring the possibility of bringing charges of crimes against humanity against individual British officials at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"It is a violation of the basic principle of human rights. I fail to understand why Britain, this government, is being so stubborn," said Mr Jugnauth.

Elderly Chagossians, living in Mauritius, have echoed that criticism and accused Britain of deliberately dragging its heels on the issue in the hope that the community will simply die out.

Earlier this year, Mauritius won a major victory against Britain when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled - in an advisory opinion - that the Chagos Islands should be handed over to Mauritius in order to complete its "decolonisation."

The United Nations General Assembly then voted to give Britain a six-month deadline to begin that process. Britain has steadfastly refused to comply.

It is half a century since Britain took control of the Chagos Islands from its then colony, Mauritius, and evicted the entire population of more than 1,000 people in order to make way for an American military base - part of a secret deal negotiated behind Mauritius's back as it was seeking to secure independence from the UK.

"Britain has been professing, for years, respect for the rule of law, respect for international law… but it is a pity the UK does not act fairly and reasonably and in accordance with international law on the issue of the Chagos archipelago," said Mr Jugnauth.

Philippe Sands, a lawyer representing the Mauritian government, said: "Britain is on the edge of finding itself as a pariah state.

"We now have a situation where Chagossians - a deported population, want to go back and have a right to go back. And the UK is preventing them from going back.

"Question - is that a crime against humanity? My response is that, arguably, it is."

Britain continues to insist that the ICJ ruling is wrong. But it has apologised for its past treatment of the Chagossians and promised to hand the islands over to Mauritius when they are no longer needed for security purposes.

In a statement, Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) told the BBC: "The defence facilities on the British Indian Ocean Territory help protect people in Britain and around the world from terrorist threats and piracy.

"We stand by our commitment to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when it's no longer required for defence purposes."

The FCO said Britain had pledged more than £40m to improve the livelihoods of Chagossians living in Mauritius, the Seychelles and the UK.

The UK has also begun to take small groups of Chagossians back to the archipelago for brief "heritage" visits.

But in Mauritius, those tours have been condemned as a crude attempt to "divide and rule" the Chagos community.

"I boycott those trips. The British are trying to buy our silence. That's why we say our dignity is not for sale," said Olivier Bancoult, who heads the Chagos Refugees Group.

In a graveyard in the Mauritian capital, Port Louis, the graves of several Chagossians are marked with headstones mourning their failure to return to the islands.

"I fear my wish will not come true before I die - to see my motherland again," reads the script beside the grave of Mr Bancoult's mother, Marie Rita Elysee Bancoult.

"Every day, one by one, we're dying. I believe the British are waiting for us to die so there will be no one to claim the islands," said Liseby Elyse, 66, who was 20 when she left the archipelago.

"We're like birds flying over the ocean, and we have nowhere to land. We must keep flying until we die," said 81-year-old Samynaden Rosemond.

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2019-12-28 07:01:25Z
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Amazon faces in-depth UK probe of food delivery deal with Deliveroo - New York Post

British competition regulators launched an in-depth probe Friday into Amazon’s investment in the food delivery firm Deliveroo, raising questions about the deal’s future.

Amazon’s purchase of a minority stake in London-based Deliveroo warrants a deeper investigation because the companies did not outline any steps to make sure the deal won’t harm competition, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority said.

“Amazon has failed to address our initial concerns that their investment in Deliveroo could be bad for customers, restaurants and grocers,” the authority said on Twitter.

The watchdog could block the deal or attach conditions to it if the “Phase 2” probe finds it will reduce competition.

Amazon led a $575 million fundraising round for Deliveroo that was announced in May. The deal aimed to give the American tech giant a stake in a major European competitor to food delivery companies such as Uber Eats.

The Competition and Markets Authority first raised concerns about the deal earlier this month, saying it would limit competition in a UK restaurant delivery market already dominated by just three companies including Deliveroo.

The deal would also combine two of the biggest players in the UK’s grocery delivery sector, regulators have said.

The authority referred the deal for a deeper probe after Amazon and Deliveroo failed to submit plans to address the concerns.

A Deliveroo spokesperson said the company is confident it will convince the watchdog that Amazon’s investment “will add to competition, helping restaurants to grow their businesses, creating more work for riders, and increasing choice for customers.”

“Amazon believes that this investment funding will lead to more pro-consumer innovation by helping Deliveroo continue to build its world-class service and remain competitive in the restaurant food delivery space,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.

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2019-12-27 13:02:00Z
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Legal aid: UK's top judge says cuts caused 'serious difficulty' - BBC News

The retiring president of the Supreme Court says legal aid cuts in England and Wales have caused "serious difficulty" to the justice system.

Baroness Hale, who was guest editing BBC Radio 4's Today, said it was a particular problem in family courts.

In 2013, legal aid was removed from many civil law cases to achieve a saving of £350 million a year.

The government said it was piloting early legal advice in some welfare cases, plus extra financial support.

Baroness Hale of Richmond, who retires next month, is the first female president of the Supreme Court, which is the final court of appeal in the UK.

She said: "I don't think that anybody who has anything to do with the justice system of England and Wales could fail to be concerned about the problems which the reduction in resources in several directions has caused for the system as a whole."

The outgoing president said the problem was particularly evident in family courts.

Lady Hale said: "It's unreasonable to expect a husband and wife or mother and father who are in crisis in their personal relationship to make their own arrangements without help."

She said in such family dispute cases "there may be an imbalance in resources because of the lack of access".

Most people require legal help at the beginning of cases, she said.

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Additional resources would allow many disputes to be resolved at an early stage, without the need to go to court or stretch their finances, she added.

"It is that lack of initial advice and help which is a serious difficulty."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "We are improving early legal support to reduce the number of people going to court unnecessarily and prevent undue stress and costs.

"We are piloting early legal advice in certain welfare cases, have committed £5 million for a Legal Support Innovation Fund to identify and resolve legal problems, and will soon launch an awareness campaign to improve understanding of entitlements.

"This is on top of £1.7 billion we spent on legal aid last year and ongoing work to improve the Exceptional Case Funding scheme and legal aid means testing."

The BBC found last year that about a million fewer claims for legal aid are being processed each year, with "deserts" of provision across England and Wales.

Lady Hale turns 75 years old next month, which is the mandatory retirement age for judges appointed before 1995.

She made headlines in September when she delivered the Supreme Court's ruling that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful.

Legal aid cuts

Legal aid is the money provided by the government to cover legal costs for those who cannot afford them.

Cuts to legal aid came into effect on 1 April, 2013 as part of the government's plan to save £350 million a year.

The changes meant that some types of cases, such as divorce, welfare benefits, child contact, housing law and employment were no longer eligible for public funds.

Such cuts have proved controversial, with the Criminal Bar Association, which represents criminal lawyers in England and Wales, advising its members last year to strike.

Angela Rafferty QC, chair of the CBA, said that underfunding meant the poor and vulnerable were "being denied access to justice".

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2019-12-27 11:06:22Z
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Climate change: Migrant species do well in warm and wet UK in 2019 - BBC News

It's been a good year for migrant butterflies, moths and dragonflies in the UK, according to a review of 2019 by the National Trust.

The charity says warm and wet weather saw the biggest influx of painted lady butterflies in a decade.

But the impacts of drought and wildfires in some parts mean it's not been a good year for natterjack toads and water voles.

The fires saw the habitats of mountain hares impacted as well.

The changeable nature of the weather in 2019 meant there were mixed outcomes for species around the country. The warm spells in the earlier part of the year saw lots of moths, butterflies and dragonflies from Europe arrive en masse.

Chief among them was the painted lady butterfly. This orange and black spotted species is commonly seen in the UK but the last mass arrival was in 2008. Some 420,000 of the creatures were recorded in this year's big butterfly count. This butterfly has quite the range, capable of travelling 7,500 miles from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle.

Another exotic visitor was the long tailed blue butterfly with 50 seen across the south coast of England. It was the third time in six years that the numbers of this delicate creature appeared to be increasing but successive generations haven't yet made it through a British winter.

There were also large numbers of migrant dragonflies, while a rare moth, the Clifden nonpareil was recorded in Devon. It became extinct in the UK in the 1960s but has been trying to re-establish itself over the past few years.

"Sightings of migrant insects and birds are becoming more common. This is a result of our changing climate," said Ben McCarthy, head of nature conservation and restoration ecology at the National Trust.

"Although this can seem exciting, the obvious flipside is how these changes will start to affect some of our native species already under pressure from intensive land use, habitat fragmentation and climate change."

Grey seals around the UK appeared to be doing well despite the 50% mortality rate of seal pups at National Trust locations.

But some native UK species were under pressure due to the impact of drought and wildfire.

Fires on Marsden Moor at Easter destroyed around 700 hectares of habitats, including those of mountain hares, curlews and twites.

It was also a bad year for natterjack toads, who rely on pools of water in their dune habitats to survive. Many of these dried out in May and June resulting in spawn and tadpoles being lost.

Rangers also recorded the earliest and latest spawning dates of the last decade, perhaps indicating that natterjacks are trying to adapt to a changing climate.

Water voles in the Yorkshire Dales also suffered due to the heavy and unexpected rainfall in June, July and September. Sudden flood events swept away many of their offspring who were too young to be able to swim.

There were many other species suffering or benefitting from the changeable conditions throughout the year.

Twenty-nineteen was a boom year for grass growth, which sounds like a good thing. But it could have negative impacts because more grasses can outcompete native wildflowers, which is bad news for pollinators.

Managing the environment with a variable weather picture is a challenge - and could see species become extinct.

"This brings home the importance of doing all we can to ensure that we protect our remaining habitats and ensure they are in good condition to support our threatened species," said Mr McCarthy.

"By improving the condition of our remaining habitats and increasing patch size it is easier for species to move across landscapes in response to our changing environments. It also means that when they arrive in their new location there is habitat to support them.

"If our wildlife doesn't have anywhere to move to as temperatures rise and the weather changes, over the coming years we will inevitably see more and more species at risk of becoming extinct."

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2019-12-27 00:04:19Z
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Brexit: Timmermans 'love letter' says UK always welcome back in EU - BBC News

A leading EU official has penned a love letter to Britain, expressing his "deep hurt" over Brexit and concluding: "You will always be welcome to come back."

European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans wrote the letter in the Guardian.

"Since I went to a British school, you have always been part of me. Now you are leaving, and it breaks my heart," the top of the Guardian piece reads.

The UK is due to leave the European Union on 31 January 2020.

MPs passed Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal on 20 December, just eight days after his Conservative Party won a majority in the general election.

This will trigger a transition period of negotiations, which Mr Johnson's EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill ensures will not go beyond 2020.

What did Mr Timmermans say?

The executive vice-president of the European Commission starts by saying he "recently read a delightful book of love letters to Europe. And it made me contemplate my love for Britain".

The Dutch national recalls his time at St George's British International School in Rome and says that, during his life, "Britain was always there. As part of me."

He adds: "I know you now. And I love you. For who you are and what you gave me. I'm like an old lover."

He says Britain thinks it is "unique and different" but that this is "perhaps less than you think".

• All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU
• Brexit: What happens now?

Mr Timmermans accepts there are differences between all member countries which can both be a positive and negative force, and that things can "quickly get out of hand".

He says the UK is still in two minds about the EU, and "I see it is hurting you".

He writes: "Truth be told, I felt deeply hurt when you decided to leave. Three years later I am just sad that a member of our family wants to sever our ties.

"But at the same time I find comfort in the thought that family ties can never really be severed. We're not going away and you will always be welcome to come back."

A number of social media posts were positive about the letter.

Former Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, a new House of Lords peer, tweeted the letter was "Something to remember. And thank you."

Labour peer and ex-Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis tweeted simply about the UK's return: "Just a matter of time".

Brexiteers were less impressed. Former UKIP general secretary Paul Oakley wrote: "Yuck. Just like a clingy ex, Frans Timmermans has written a soppy letter to Britain longing for our return to the EU."

What happens after Brexit?

Assuming the European Parliament also gives the green light, the UK will formally leave the EU on 31 January with a withdrawal deal - and it will then go into a transition period that is scheduled to end on 31 December 2020.

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During this period, the UK will effectively remain in the EU's customs union and single market - but will be outside the political institutions and there will be no British members of the European Parliament.

The first priority will be to negotiate a trade deal with the EU, and time is short. The EU could take weeks to agree a formal negotiating mandate, and that means formal talks might only begin in March.

It's not just a trade deal that needs to be sorted out. The UK must agree how it is going to co-operate with the EU on security and law enforcement.

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2019-12-26 13:05:43Z
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British troops move black rhinos to Malawi - BBC News

British troops have helped to move a group of critically endangered black rhinos from South Africa to Malawi to protect them against poaching.

Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles moved 17 of the animals, which are hunted for their horns, in the hope they can be better protected.

They were transported by air and road from KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa to Liwonde National Park in Malawi.

The troops then spent three months training rangers to keep them safe.

Major Jez England, the officer commanding the British Army counter-poaching team in Liwonde, said the operation had been "hugely successful".

"Not only do we share skills with the rangers, improving their efficiency and ability to patrol larger areas, but it also provides a unique opportunity for our soldiers to train in a challenging environment", he said.

The UK government says it has committed more than £36m to tackle the illegal wildlife trade between 2014 and 2021.

Part of this is to help support trans-boundary work to allow animals to move more safely between areas and across national borders.

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2019-12-26 12:01:17Z
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