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Ex-royal marine working with Greece to tackle crimes that impact holidaymakersA former Merseyside royal marine is leading the way in helping the Greek authorities to improve on how to respond to gender-based violence in their country... a group of Greek delegates arrived in the UK earlier this month to attend workshops with police officers from the Met, Bedfordshire and Scotland. The visit comes almost a year after British national, Caroline Crouch, was killed in front of her 11-month-old baby daughter. Husband Babis Anagnostopoulos is currently on trial accused of murder after claiming the family had been targeted by burglars.The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is funding the visits with the aim of improving the support offered to British nationals reporting gender-based violence in Greece. FCDO figures showed that almost 1,000 British nationals reported being raped or sexually assaulted between 2016 and 2018. In the three years from the start of 2016 to the end of 2018, most sexual assaults happened in Spain where at least 218 were reported, whereas in Greece, there were at least 74.UK consular staff supported 57 rape or sexual assault cases over a two year period, with British victims reporting concerns about how Greek authorities responded in a number of cases.British victims have been calling for the right to give evidence by video link to avoid the trauma of re-visiting the country where they were attacked. The UK Government is encouraging their Greek counterparts to look in to setting up the country’s first dedicated sexual assault referral centre.
‘The island lives in hope’: Alderney out to end 102-year wait for winOne hundred and two years of hurt. Alderney’s losing streak in the Muratti Vase, the annual tournament to decide the champion of the Channel Islands between themselves, Jersey and Guernsey, is something to behold. Their Muratti triumph in 1920 is not just the last time they won the competition, it’s the last time they won a match in it.Not that it is a particularly fair fight, with Jersey’s population of 112,000 and Guernsey’s 68,000 dwarfing the 1,800 on Alderney.Since the famous 1920 win, Alderney have scored 39 goals, and conceded 462 in the fixture.As the smallest island of only three square miles, Alderney alternate between playing Jersey and Guernsey in a home semi-final, with the winner facing the other team in the final. With 25 miles to Guernsey and 35 miles to Jersey the only feasible way to travel between each island is by an unreliable ferry or an expensive aeroplane.It is a problem that blights the domestic season. Alderney also compete as a club side on a weekly basis but every opponent is based in Guernsey. “An average away day costs the club close to £1,700,” Atkins says.There cannot be many places in the British Isles where it is more difficult to organise a game of football. Last season there were six home games and 16 away, costing more than £25,000. There are no Football Association grants to subsidise this, with money raised through annual player subs (a princely £700 each) and fundraising: club membership, player and match sponsors, scratchcards, raffles, programme sales.There are further problems beneath the surface. "Until recently we had problems with rabbit holes and moles on the pitch," says Atkins. "But there was a big culling so we’re OK now. But there are no indoor training facilities, no floodlights. In the past we’ve even had car headlights and head torches to light up the pitch for training during winter."A quarter of the island’s population, about 450 fans, are expected to turn out on Saturday, some making the mile-long train journey from town aboard a steam train with decommissioned London Underground carriages (the Channel Islands’ only railway).
Robot rats invented to search for survivors at disaster sitesResearchers have developed a rat in the shape of a robot that could soon be used to help search for survivors at disaster sites.The tiny rescuer, named SQuRo (small-sized quadruped robotic rat), has been created by a team at the Beijing Institute of Technology in China.The robot’s small size means that it would easily be able to fit through -narrow spaces and navigate a variety of terrains. It can even pick itself back up after being knocked down.
Greece is home to more than 80% of the Eleonora’s Falcon’s (Falco eleonorae) global breeding population, which is extremely vulnerable to climate change.
Police dog slips lead, takes football and causes chaos at Brazilian finalThe first leg of Brazil's Campeonato Pernambucano final was - as a lot of finals tend to be - a tense affair. Fortunately, thanks to an unexpected intervention from a police dog, those in attendance had something to take their mind of the football for a couple of minutes... play had to be temporarily halted as the dog entered the field of play.It quickly emerged that it dog belonged to the police and had made a break for the pitch after slipping its lead.Clearly having the time of its life, the dog spent 30 seconds charging around between bewildered players from both sides before a police handler eventually entered the field with a lead to try and capture it.The dog clearly had other ideas, initially evading the handler and picking up the match ball in his mouth before continuing to run rings around everyone for another minute or so.
Nadine Dorries says dyslexia made her muddle words in videoThe culture secretary has said dyslexia caused her to mix up her words in a video that has been shared on social media.In the TikTok video, Nadine Dorries talks about being able to "downstream" instead of download films online and refers to tennis courts as "pitches".She said it was tough seeing commentators "mock me for something that is beyond my control"."I have dyslexia, which means that when I speak I often run my words together."In the video, posted on Friday by Conservative MP Luke Evans on his TikTok account, he asks the cabinet minister about what her government department does.She tweeted on Saturday to defend herself against the criticism she faced over the terms she used in the video, saying it can be difficult finding the right expression when speaking. In her tweet, Ms Dorries said it can be "difficult" being in front of a camera, writing a book or just speaking to a friend. The NHS describes dyslexia as a common learning difficulty that mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling.
Why olive oil could be ruining your finest pans - and your foodLe Creuset, John Lewis and chefs all warn it burns too quickly and damages the surface of kitchenwareNo self-respecting amateur chef would get to work without a bottle of olive oil by the hob - but the country’s obsession with the ingredient is wrecking some of our favourite pans....
QuoteNadine Dorries says dyslexia made her muddle words in videoThe culture secretary has said dyslexia caused her to mix up her words in a video that has been shared on social media.In the TikTok video, Nadine Dorries talks about being able to "downstream" instead of download films online and refers to tennis courts as "pitches".She said it was tough seeing commentators "mock me for something that is beyond my control"."I have dyslexia, which means that when I speak I often run my words together."In the video, posted on Friday by Conservative MP Luke Evans on his TikTok account, he asks the cabinet minister about what her government department does.She tweeted on Saturday to defend herself against the criticism she faced over the terms she used in the video, saying it can be difficult finding the right expression when speaking. In her tweet, Ms Dorries said it can be "difficult" being in front of a camera, writing a book or just speaking to a friend. The NHS describes dyslexia as a common learning difficulty that mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61201792Good to know we have a government that reflects some of the realities of society: Owen Patterson jumped before he was pushed overboard for corruption, Matt Hancock was shagging outside of marriage (not that the same did BoJo any great harm), Rees-Mogg proudly (and without even realising it) revealed the UK was largest laundry of dirty Russian money, Tom Hunt hasn't got a clue where Rwanda is, Sunak's family dodge taxes, Priti Patel confuses terrorists with counter-terrorists (no big deal, she's only the Home Secretary), Dorres finds it difficult to talk coherently. We should be sympathetic to their afflictions. Including BoJo, incurable serial shagger and congenital liar.OK, I have some sympathy for people fluffing their words, it's something I do now and again and again. But I don't tell lies.Memo to self: must tell missus not to boil my hankies, they seem to be shrinking in't wash.