The Independent - 22 March 2017

WEDNESDAY 22 MARCH 2017 WWW.INDEPENDENT.CO.
UK
Matthew Norman Sean OGrady Hannah Fearn Ben Chu

Labours sorry spiral Fast-forward to A swimsuit becomes a No, the rich are not
into irrelevance Scotland 2027... political football paying too much tax
The IRA chief who turned peacemaker
Martin McGuinness, who died yesterday, was instrumental in implementing the Good Friday Agreement
Terror threat prompts

laptop ban on UK flights
Move follows US warnings over plans to hit jets with explosives
JOE WATTS AND new terror threat. The move using a laptop bomb. The UK
KIM SENGUPTA affecting thousands of passen- Governments decision follo-
gers coming from Turkey, ws the receipt of specific
Britain has taken the dramatic Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tuni- intelligence reports,
move to ban laptop computers sia and Saudi Arabia mirrors a according to security officials.
and tablets from the cabins of similar measure imposed by No 10 refused to discuss any
the US, citing an attempt by individ-ual plot, but said
planes flying to the UK from the Islamist al-Shabaab group action was taken after
six countries, amid fears of a to bring down a jet in Somalia Theresa May met aviation
experts yesterday.
WEDNESDAY 22 MARCH 2017
News
Editorials
Rising inflation is just the start

of the bad news for Brexit
Britain
The news that inflation has jumped to a four-year high should come as no surprise to anyone. The most
powerful drivers of this surge in the rate of price rises are fuel and food prices, and behind much of that is
the effect of the devalued pound post-Brexit. The bad news is that that is not the end of the bad news.
Not only is inflation up, but it is up more than the economists expected it to be. It either means that the
push-through form the weaker pound is arriving more rapidly than thought possible or that retailers are
finding it more difficult to absorb rising import costs, or a combination of the two. Should inflation push
towards 4 per cent, say as a result of a further decline in the value of the pound as the Brexit negotiations
drag on, then inflation will surge still higher. In that case the Bank of England may feel impelled to raise
interest rates to dampen the pressure.
They have not done so during previous episodes such as this, and are inclined to see through currency
movements. Much depends on the movement in wages. If the bank detects signs that they are starting to
push upwards then they will act to defuse a potential inflationary spiral before it is too late.
So far, salary growth remains relatively subdued, though it has picked up since the economic downturn.
The good news is this lessens the chances of higher borrowing rates for homebuyers, businesses and
consumers. The bad news is more immediately apparent: that prices are rising as fast as, or faster than,
pay, and thus living standards are undergoing yet another squeeze. Real wages are stagnating for longer
than at any time in modern British history. What marginal amelioration the Chancellor offered for some
hard-pressed families last week will be precisely that.
Only pensioners, with their well-known triple lock, can feel truly insulated from the pinch. Their
benefits will rise more quickly than either real wages or their minimum entitlement of a 2.5 per cent
annual increase. Some regard this as another example of intergenerational unfairness, but the recent
reduction in pensioner poverty comes after three decades of constant real terms cuts in the value of the
state pension.
For now, as a Conservative manifesto commitment, the triple lock may be judged safe.
Wage restraint, voluntary or not, will in fact be the way the UK deals with the burden of Brexit over the
next decade or so. Whatever happens, we know that the Brexit deal will offer less access to European
markets than enjoyed today. It means higher costs for British industry and perhaps new tariffs to
overcome. When wages are 70 per cent of the cost of production in the UK economy, they will have to
adjust downwards in order to protect jobs and investment. The squeeze will go on.
News
Britain bans laptops on flights

from six majority-Muslim
countries
The new rules to be introduced in the UK are driven by intelligence similar to that being used to explain the US Department of
Homeland Securitys ban (PA)
KIM SENGUPTA AND JOE WATTS
Britain has taken the dramatic move to ban laptop computers and tablets from the cabins of planes flying to
the UK from six countries, amid fears of a new terror threat.
The move affecting thousands of passengers coming from six predominantly-Muslim countries mirrors a
similar measure imposed by the US, citing an attempt by the Islamist al-Shabaab group to bring down a jet
in Somalia using a laptop bomb.
The British Governments decision follows the receipt of specific intelligence reports, according to
security sources.
Downing Street officials refused to discuss any specific terrorist plot, but action hitting 15 airlines with the
extra restrictions was taken after Theresa May met aviation experts yesterday morning. Ministers said they
understood the frustration the extra measures would cause passengers but said they are working with the
industry to minimise the impact.
A No 10 spokesman said: The safety and security of the travelling public is our highest priority. That is
why we keep our aviation security under constant review and put in place measures we believe are
necessary, effective and proportionate.
The six countries affected are: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. Devices
measuring more than 16cm in length, 9.3cm in width, or 1.5cm depth will be banned from the cabin and
need to be placed into hold luggage and checked-in before going through security.
Downing Street said the measure was effective immediately, but would not give details as to why the
decision had been taken now. No 10 did say UK security services have been in close touch with their US
counterparts during the decision to implement the ban.
COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY UK BAN

Turkey
Lebanon
Jordan
Egypt
Tunisia
Saudi Arabia
The US electronics measure, announced late on Monday, affected nine airlines flying from 10 specific
airports in Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar and the UAE, including Dubai,
the worlds busiest airport for international travellers.
An incident last year appears to have caused particular alarm, after al-Shabaab smuggled an explosive-filled
laptop on a flight out of Mogadishu. The explosion was small, but the bomb was particularly placed by the
extremist so as to blow a hole in the side of the passenger cabin.
Experts said that if the plane was at a higher altitude, the small blast in the passenger area could have
triggered a bigger explosion due to the pressurised cabin and caused the jet to crash. As it was, the plane
managed to land after reaching an altitude of only 11,000 feet.
While the countries affected by the new ban all have Muslim-majority populations, sources stressed that
the rule change was entirely intelligence-led. They said the rationale behind the changes should not be
confused with the anti-immigrant sentiments widely thought to have driven highly controversial policies
Donald Trump is seeking to introduce in America, described collectively as a Muslim ban.
AIRPORTS AFFECTED BY US BAN
Queen Alia International, Amman, Jordan
Cairo International, Egypt
Ataturk, Istanbul, Turkey
King Abdulaziz International, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
King Khalid International, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Kuwait International
Mohammed V International, Casablanca, Morocco
Hamad International, Doha, Qatar
Dubai International, UAE
Abu Dhabi International, UAE
However, King's College London and Geneva Centre for Security Policy research fellow Jean-Marc Rickli
said that when faced with specific intelligence it was more usual for a global ban to be issued, rather than
limiting action to certain countries. Dr Rickli cited incidents including the attempted 2001 shoe-bombing
plot, that sparked global footwear checks for passengers, and the restrictions that followed the 2006
attempt to detonate liquid explosives disguised as soft drinks.
If they have critical intelligence that something could happen fine, but the measures that they are taking
shows a mismatch with the threat, he added. As soon as you issue a ban like this, from a terrorist
perspective you will just change your operating plan instead of flying from Doha or Dubai you just fly
from Amsterdam or Paris.
The ban came amid warnings Isis could move into insurgency mode with the loss of key strongholds
across Syria and Iraq, focusing its attention on inciting terror attacks abroad rather than gaining territory.
The move is also likely to further antagonise the government of Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, whose relations with western European countries have become increasingly acrimonious. Turkey
has already condemned the American action as unfair and demanded that it should be reversed.
Kindles and other e-readers will also be among devices affected, along with hybrid items such as the
Microsoft Surface and iPad Pro, and the new Nintendo Switch gaming system. Some travellers will be
forced to pay extra fees for a checked bag if they want to use the gadgets at their destination.
Most smartphones, including the iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S7, will still be eligible to travel in
cabin baggage. However, travel organisation Abta warned laptops and tablets are not typically covered by
travel insurance policies for loss, damage or theft if placed in the hold.
Air industry consultant John Strickland warned that the ban will cause headaches for airlines and
customers but said carriers have no choice but to put security first when official advice is given.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: We understand the frustration that these measures may cause
and we are working with the aviation industry to minimise any impact. These new measures apply to
flights into the UK and we are not currently advising against flying to and from those countries. Those
with imminent travel plans should contact their airline for further information.
Downing Street said all airlines affected were being informed of the new requirements. UK carriers
include British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomson.
Foreign carriers affected by UK ban are Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airways, Atlas-Global Airlines, Middle
East Airlines, Egyptair, Royal Jordanian, Tunis Air, Saudia.
On the launch of the US restrictions the Department of Homeland Security said extremists were seeking
innovative methods to bring down passenger planes, adding in a statement: Evaluated intelligence
indicates that terrorist groups continue to target commercial aviation, to include smuggling explosive
devices in various consumer items.
News
Security experts astonished by

electronic devices ban on
Middle East airlines
Airline passengers are to be banned from carrying laptops in cabin luggage on inbound direct flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan,
Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia (PA)
SIMON CALDER
TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT
Aviation security figures have reacted with astonishment to the UK Government's decision to copy the US
ban on electronic devices in cabin baggage from some Middle Eastern and North African nations.
No 10 announced that new aviation security measures on all inbound direct flights to the UK from
Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia would involve anything bigger than a mobile
phone being checked into the hold of aircraft.
Philip Baum, editor of Aviation Security International magazine, said: If we cannot, in 2017, distinguish
between a laptop that contains an IED and one that does not, then our screening process is completely
flawed. And encouraging people to check laptops, and other such items, into the luggage hold simply
makes the challenge even harder.
The Governments announcement was the latest twist in an extraordinary series of events that began on
Monday evening with a now-deleted tweet from Royal Jordanian Airlines. The carrier warned passengers
of a ban on electronic devices as cabin baggage.
Yesterday the US Department for Homeland Security confirmed a ban on devices bigger than a mobile
phone on flights from 10 Middle Eastern and North African airports. Officials cited as evidence for this
move a bomb attack on a domestic flight in Somalia last year, which killed only the terrorist.
But as Mr Baum pointed out: The laptop used to bomb the Daallo Airlines flight from Mogadishu to
Djibouti was handed to the passenger after the security checkpoint. It is not clear why the UK has not
applied the measure to the UAE and Morocco, which were included in the US ban.
The Royal Jordanian airline has banned electronic devices on flights to the US (Bjrn
Strey/Wikimedia)
Airlines and airports are coming to terms with the implications of the ban, which spell serious disruption
for an estimated 5,000 passengers a day. A significant proportion are travellers who are flying in transit via
Istanbul airport on Turkish Airlines from Asia and Africa, heading for Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham,
Manchester and Edinburgh.
While the ban applies only from Istanbul, in practice passengers will not be able to keep their devices with
them for the first leg of the journey from, say, Hong Kong or Cape Town to the Turkish transit point. They
will be obliged to check them in at the airport on departure. The scope for petty criminals to rummage
through baggage in search of expensive tablets, laptops or camera is considerable.
All the flights covered by the US are, by definition, long-haul, and the vast majority of passengers on such
services will check in baggage. But on low-cost links from Turkey and Egypt to the UK, many travellers
choose a hand-baggage only option to save money or time, or both. But they will now be obliged to
procure a case that will provide suitable protection for their electronic devices, and check it in. It is not
clear whether the airline or passenger will cover the cost.
The additional items being checked in will, in turn, put extra pressure on baggage systems at both the
departure and arrival airports.
The Government spokesperson said: The additional security measures may cause some disruption for
passengers and flights, and we understand the frustration that will cause, but our top priority will always be
to maintain the safety of British nationals.
News
Tories tell May to stand firm

against EU legal threat over
Brexit divorce bill
The International Court of Justice at the Hague where unnamed EU officials have warned Britain will be held to account if it tries
to leave without paying its dues (Reuters)
ROB MERRICK
DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR
Furious Conservative MPs have urged Theresa May to stand firm against an EU threat to take Britain to
the International Court of Justice to enforce a 50bn Brexit divorce bill.
A draft plan obtained by a Dutch newspaper revealed the EU is readying for a long legal battle at The
Hague if Britain tries to walk away without meeting its huge liabilities.
In that case it is: see you in The Hague! it quoted an EU official in response to the Prime Ministers
vow to leave with no deal if necessary, perhaps seeking to avoid any exit bill.
Neither Downing Street nor the European Commission denied the prospect of a court fight if the
negotiations break down, both declining to comment on a leaked document.
A Government source told The Independent that it recognised the divorce bill as among a wide range of
issues for the UK and the EU that will need to be addressed as we leave the EU and agree a new
partnership.
But the tough EU stance sparked an angry response from Brexit-backing Tory MPs who insisted it was an
empty threat which Ms May could easily ignore.
It came as Spains deputy minister for European affairs insisted the UK must agree in principle to pay the
exit bill before any talks on a trade agreement can begin.
John Redwood, the former Cabinet minister, said: There is no case to answer on the so-called divorce bill.
It is not a divorce.
The UK is leaving a treaty organisation under the rules of that organisation. The treaty makes no
provision for charging an exit fee.
Jacob Rees Mogg dismissed the idea of any case reaching The Hague, which simply existed for arbitration
and was not a court as we know it.
This is one of those things said by people who have not bothered to read the legal situation, he said.
And Sir Bill Cash who has pointed to the UK helping Germany waiving half of its war debt in the 1950s
said: I dont think the International Court has any jurisdiction in this matter.
I have no doubt that there will be all kinds of the usual academic suspects running around saying we
should do this, that or the other. There is no reason for us to make any payment.
But Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, said the prospect of the fight ending up at the International
Court exposed Ms Mays position as utterly risible.
The Government is going to have to go to The Hague to try to fight a Brexit bill that they are forcing on
us, Mr Farron said. They have made a choice to pursue a hard Brexit and we will all pay the price.
A lengthy battle at the International Court would hold up attempts to reach a new trade agreement with
the EU, if it insists on settling the controversy over money owed first.
The leak, published by the respected de Volkskrant newspaper, said the EU strategy would also:
* Insist access to the EU single market depends upon the UK accepting the "four freedoms" including,
crucially, freedom of movement.
* Propose a deal guaranteeing both the future rights of EU nationals in the UK and Britons in EU
countries.
* Demand that the UK loses some of its existing trade advantages, as the price of leaving.
The newspaper billed its story as the secret EU Strategy for separation from the British, based on
information provided by key EU insiders.
The EUs apparent strategy was published shortly after Mr Tusk announced that EU leaders will meet to
agree their strategy at a special summit on 29 April.
Significantly, he vowed to make "the process of divorce the least painful for the EU" without mentioning
what pain may lie ahead for Britain.
News
May should not sacrifice EU

cooperation on security in
Brexit talks, MPs warn
JOE WATTS
POLITICAL EDITOR
Theresa May must not gamble the UKs security away in Brexit talks, an influential group of MPs has said.
A report from the cross-party Justice Committee said security cooperation must remain as close to existing
arrangements as possible or risk hamstringing law enforcement in the future. In particular, the European
Arrest Warrant and Court of Justice should retain authority in UK law, despite opposition from Brexiteers.
The committee warned Ms May not to let cooperation with Europe fall victim to tactical bargaining in
Brexit talks and called for it to be separated from other parts of negotiations, amid fears it may fall foul of
attempts to use it as leverage to secure concessions.
It comes after EU Commissioner Sir Julian King wrote exclusively for The Independent warning that Brexit
risked boosting international networks of cyber-criminals if co-operation drops off.
The EAW has been heavily opposed by Brexiteers who claims it is overused by EU states, but the
committee highlighted it as a key to ensuring rapid extradition [of criminals] from one member state to
another.
Since 2009 Britain has issued some 237 EAWs every year, of which 64 per cent led to arrests and 56 per
cent to successful extradition, including for drug trafficking, child sex offences, fraud, and rape. The UK
made 2,102 arrests In the 2015/16 alone from warrants issued elsewhere.
The report stated: The numbers on both sides represent substantial gains for justice.
Meanwhile, the reports conclusions on the European Court go against Theresa Mays desire to end the
bodys authority in Britain. It said the court would still be needed to deal with legal procedural matters
such as jurisdiction, determining the applicable law and recognition and enforcement of judgments.
The report concluded: We believe that a role for the Court of Justice of the European Union in respect of
these essentially procedural regulations is a price worth paying to maintain effective cross-border tools of
justice.
Brexit Secretary David Davis has said maintaining strong co-operation will be a priority in talks, but some
have urged the Government to use respected British intelligence services as a bargaining chip.
Justice Committee chair Bob Neill said: We welcome the Governments signals that it intends to continue
to cooperate with the EU on criminal justice. The seriousness of the matter and the degree of mutual
interest give weight to the suggestion that this aspect of negotiations be separated firmly from others it is
too precious to be left vulnerable to tactical bargaining.
The report set out four priorities including co-operation on criminal justice, maintaining access to the EU
regulation in lucrative inter-state commercial law, enabling cross-border legal practice rights and retaining
efficient mechanisms to resolve family law cases.
Sir Julian, the most senior British EU official, warned in The Independent last week of the need for strong
security co-operation in Europe. He said it was vital nations worked closely to combat international cyber-
attacks, terrorists and hostile states and be prepared for whatever the future holds.
News
Galloway announces he will

stand in Manchester Gorton
by-election
The former Respect MP has a history of overturning large Labour majorities (AFP/Getty)
JON STONE
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
George Galloway is to stand for Parliament at an upcoming by-election in Manchester, he has announced.
The veteran left-winger accused Labour of being a divided, ineffective opposition and said he would
contest Manchester Gorton to replace the late Labour MP Gerald Kaufman.
The seat, which has been held by Labour since 1935, is ultra-safe. Mr Kaufman took 67.1 per cent of the
vote in 2015, with the Green Party in second place on 9.8 per cent and Conservatives on 9.7 per cent in
third place.
Mr Galloway, however, has a history of overturning large major Labour majorities; in 2005 he unseated
Labour MP Oona King in Bethnal Green and Bow in east London. In 2012 he pulled off a similar feat,
ousting Labour in the Bradford West by-election.
The former MP, who was kicked out of the Labour party in 2003 for comments he made about the Iraq
War, hoped to emulate his previous successes. I have decided to seek election for Manchester Gorton in
the forthcoming by-election precisely because of my admiration for its late MP and I hope to persuade
voters of every background that I am the best person to try to fill his shoes, he wrote in an article for the
Westmonster website.
I want to continue his work on international issues which are particularly important in Gorton
especially the issues of Palestine and Kashmir but also the broader questions, the dangerous confrontation
between the West and the Muslim world which threatens all of us. I would like to be the big voice for
Manchester Gorton it still needs.
He added: I opposed Tony Blair with all my heart and soul and paid for it with my expulsion from the
party in 2003 after 36 years of membership. This week is the 14th anniversary of the Iraq War, against
which I was one of the leaders of the greatest mass movements ever seen in this country. I make it plain
here if I am re-elected to Parliament I will seek to put Mr Blair on trial for war crimes, crimes against
humanity and lying to the British Parliament and people.
The declaration comes after Labour reveals its shortlist for the election with Unite and Momentum-
backed left-winger Sam Wheeler absent. Mr Wheeler was rumoured to be the favourite of Labour leader
Jeremy Corbyn.
News / Martin McGuinness 1950-2017
Tributes paid to former

Northern Ireland Deputy First
Minister, dead at 66
Martin McGuinness retired from politics in January on health grounds after being taken ill with a rare heart condition (Reuters)
SAMUEL OSBORNE AND MAY BULMAN
Northern Irelands former Deputy First Minister and ex-IRA commander Martin McGuinness has died
aged 66.
His death comes just months after Mr McGuinness stood down in January in protest at the Democratic
Unionst Partys (DUP) handling of the cash for ash energy scandal, triggering a snap election. His
retirement came amid health concerns, but he, his family and colleagues did not specify the nature of his
illness.
Responding to the news, Sinn Fein said in a statement: It is with deep regret and sadness that we have
learnt of the death of our friend and comrade Martin McGuinness who passed away in Derry during the
night. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
Hundreds of people lined the streets of Londonderry yesterday as Mr McGuinnesss coffin, draped in the
Irish flag, was carried past. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and the partys leader at Stormont, Michelle
ONeill, draped the flag over his coffin in Derrys William Street and crowds applauded as he was borne
through the streets of his native city where the Northern Ireland conflict began in 1969 and ended 30
years later.
The former Deputy First Ministers wife Bernie bore him past the Free Derry Corner before his two sons,
Fiachra and Emmett, shouldered his remains into his house.
After hearing of his death, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams paid tribute to his lifelong friend, saying:
Throughout his life Martin showed great determination, dignity and humility and it was no different
during his short illness. He was a passionate republican who worked tirelessly for peace and reconciliation
and for the reunification of his country. But above all he loved his family and the people of Derry and he
was immensely proud of both.
A woman touches the coffin of Martin McGuinness as it is carried through the

streets of Derry yesterday (Reuters)
During his time in office Mr McGuinness forged an unlikely friendship with the then DUP leader Ian
Paisley and the two earned the nickname the Chuckle Brothers. A Twitter account in the name of Mr
Paisleys son Kyle said: Very sorry to hear about the passing of Martin McGuinness. Look back with
pleasure on the remarkable year he and my father spent in office together and the great good they did
together. Will never forget his ongoing care for my father in his ill health.
Prime Minister Theresa May said: While I can never condone the path he took in the earlier part of his
life, Martin McGuinness ultimately played a defining role in leading the republican movement away from
violence. In doing so, he made an essential and historic contribution to the extraordinary journey of
Northern Ireland from conflict to peace.
While we certainly didnt always see eye to eye even in later years, as Deputy First Minister for nearly a
decade he was one of the pioneers of implementing cross community power sharing in Northern Ireland.
He understood both its fragility and its precious significance and played a vital part in helping to find a way
through many difficult moments.
At the heart of it all was his profound optimism for the future of Northern Ireland and I believe we
should all hold fast to that optimism today.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Twitter: Martin McGuinness played a huge role in bringing about
peace in Northern Ireland. He was a great family man and my thoughts are with them.
Mr McGuinness was described as a great guy by former Labour communications chief Alastair
Campbell. He tweeted: So sad Martin McGuinness has died. Some will never forgive his past but without
him there would be no peace. The man I knew was a great guy.
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins led tributes from the Republic, saying Mr McGuinnesss death
leaves a gap that will be hard to fill. The world of politics and the people across this island will miss the
leadership he gave, shown most clearly during the difficult times of the peace process, and his
commitment to the values of genuine democracy that he demonstrated in the development of the
institutions in Northern Ireland, he said.
Mr Higgins said Mr McGuinness made an immense contribution to peace and reconciliation in Northern
Ireland. But former Tory Cabinet minister Lord Tebbitt denounced Mr McGuinness as a coward who
never atoned for his crimes. The peer, whose wife Margaret was paralysed when the IRA bombed a
Brighton hotel during the 1984 Conservative Party conference, said the world is a sweeter and cleaner
place now the former Deputy First Minister is dead.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said: I grew up watching and hearing about the Martin McGuinness
who was a leading member of the IRA engaged in armed struggle. I came to know the Martin McGuinness
who set aside that armed struggle in favour of making peace.
There will be some who cannot forget the bitter legacy of the war. And for those who lost loved ones in it
that is completely understandable. But for those of us able finally to bring about the Northern Ireland
peace agreement, we know we could never have done it without Martins leadership, courage and quiet
insistence that the past should not define the future.
He added: Whatever the past, the Martin I knew was a thoughtful, reflective and committed individual.
Once he became the peace maker he became it wholeheartedly and with no shortage of determined
opposition to those who wanted to carry on the war.
Mr McGuinnesss successor as the partys leader at Stormont, Michelle ONeill, paid tribute. She tweeted:
My heart is broke this morning. We have lost a legend, a giant of a man. Im very proud to say he was my
friend and mentor x.
Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Martin McGuinness
today. His passing represents a significant loss, not only to politics in Northern Ireland but to the wider
political landscape on this island and beyond. Martin will always be remembered for the remarkable
political journey that he undertook in his lifetime. Not only did Martin come to believe that peace must
prevail, he committed himself to working tirelessly to that end.
Martin was one of the chief architects of the Good Friday Agreement and he worked resolutely in the
years that followed it in pursuit of its full implementation. I got to know Martin well in recent years,
including through our working together in the North South Ministerial Council. His commitment to
securing enduring peace and prosperity for all of the people of Northern Ireland was unwavering
throughout this time. He strove to make Northern Ireland a better place for everyone, regardless of
background or tradition.
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who was central to the Good Friday Agreement being signed, described
Mr McGuinness as an extraordinary person, honest in his efforts and an upfront negotiator.
Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with Martin McGuinness in 2012 (Reuters)
In negotiations when there is a lot at stake and it cant be a winner-takes-all, Martin understood
compromise, he told RTE Radio. He listened and he was able, I think, to arbitrate between different
points of view.
He added: He moved from a very difficult past where he took a particular side and he was a good person
to negotiate with and certainly I considered him as a good friend as we went through 25 years of
discussions.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said Mr McGuinnesss death is a significant moment in the history of this
island. He described the journey of the former IRA man to the forefront of the political scene as
remarkable. Extending sympathy to Mr McGuinnesss wife and children, he said: It is appropriate that
we reflect on Martins remarkable journey, made possible by men and women from all traditions across
this island who forged a peace process from the fire of a terrible conflict.
History will record his political career as a journey one born in a tradition of violence but, in a testament
to Martins character, that arrived at his true calling in politics, people and the art of persuasion. Those
who knew him will know that his warm and affable nature undoubtedly made it easier to reach beyond his
own political base.
Mourners gather in Sinn Fein

stonghold of West Belfast for
McGuinness vigil
Hundreds of People gather for a candle lit vigil in West Belfast marking the death of Martin McGuinness (AP)
SIOBHAN FENTON
IN BELFAST
Mourners in republican West Belfast have gathered for a candle lit vigil in memory of Martin McGuinness.
At least a thousand people gathered in the Andersonstown area to pay tribute to the politician, bringing
the city to a standstill as mourners overflowed into nearby streets and parks.
The former IRA commander, who renounced violence and became one of the leading figures in the
Northern Irish peace process, died in the early hours of Tuesday morning aged 66. The Sinn Fein
politician had been suffering from a genetic condition for several months and had resigned from front line
politics in January after appearing to be increasingly frail.
West Belfast has long been known as the most Republican part of the city and is a stronghold of support for
Sinn Fein.
Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill adjust an Irish flag on the coffin of the late
Martin McGuinness, watched by his wife Bernadette McGuinness (Getty Images)
The vigil's location perhaps embodies the journey Northern Ireland has undergone through the peace
process. The site was once where security forces spent much of the Troubles stationed as they sought
intelligence on local Republicans.
Since peace came to Northern Ireland, the barracks has been demolished and now stands as a grassy park
for local children to play, a fitting venue which in many ways mirrors the transition from conflict to peace.
As mourners gathered in swathes, the park soon overflowed and spilt out into nearby roads, blocking off
traffic while the vigil was underway.
The park was ablaze with both the lit candles of some mourners, while the bright mobile phone screens of
younger crowd members added to the glow.
A local Sinn Fein organiser addressed the crowd, celebrating Mr McGuinness' legacy as a Republican icon.
She said: "Martin was a dear friend and a dear comrade to the Republican struggle, but also to the
community right across Belfast and across Ireland. His loss will be especially felt in the Republican family."
During the vigil another Sinn Fein activist lead the crowd in singing a number of Irish Rebel songs
including a rendition of 'The Bold Fenian Men' in the Irish language, as well as 'I wish I was in Derry' in
tribute to Mr McGuinness' home city. A local priest also led mourners in a decade of the rosary, in both
the Irish and English languages.
Mr McGuinness was a controversial figure throughout his life. He openly admitted to joining the terrorist
group the IRA, while he was living in Derry during the conflict. He had since renounced violence and was
praised for entering power-sharing as part of the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Critics argued he should not have been allowed to hold the position of Deputy First Minister due to his
connection with the terror group. The surviving families of IRA atrocities have also accused him of not
doing enough to reveal the truth about past attacks to assist police enquiries and help families achieve
closure.
During his political career at Stormont he became known for forming a close friendship with Loyalist
politician and Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley, a former sworn enemy. The unlikely
friendship earned the pair the local moniker of 'the Chuckle brothers'. Mr Paisley died in 2014.
Mr McGuinness' funeral will be held in Derry city on Thursday afternoon.

News / Martin McGuinness 1950-2017/ Obituary
Derry zealot who resisted

British rule through violence
and democracy
The IRAs gradual transformation from a terrorist group to a political
movement would have been almost impossible without McGuinnesss
involvement, recalls Andy McSmith
Martin McGuinness, who died yesterday, was prepared to bomb and kill to drive the British out, but alongside fellow Sinn Fein MP
Gerry Adams brought about the Good Friday Agreement (AP)
Martin McGuinness, the IRA commander turned republican politician, was unusually free from the kind of
vanity common among public figures, but would sometimes react angrily to things written about him.
In his book, Rebel Hearts, the British journalist Kevin Toolis described McGuinness as a zealot, whose
followers bombed the commercial centre of his home town, Derry, until it looked like a war zone, and who
implicitly endorsed what can only be described as needless cruelties. He mentioned Marta Doherty,
tarred and feathered, with her head shaven, for being engaged to a British soldier, and Joanna Matthews,
murdered solely because she was collecting forms for a census the IRA was boycotting. Toolis also
witnessed a verbal confrontation between McGuinness and fifteen heavily armed British soldiers.
After the books publication, the author had a telephone call from an aggrieved McGuinness. He was not
angry at being portrayed as a man steeped in political violence, but that Toolis had alleged that he called
the British soldiers fuckers. I never used that word! he protested.
McGuinness was prepared to bomb and kill to drive the British out, but he was also an incorruptible,
church-going Catholic and a loyal family man, a combination that made him one of the most dangerous
enemies the British state ever had.
By the age of 22 McGuinness was already head of the IRA in his native Derry (PA)
Born in 1950, the oldest of seven children, in the heavily Catholic Bogside district of Derry known to
Protestants as Londonderry McGuinness might have lived the ordinary life of a skilled working man had
he grown up in a less divided community. His father was a welder, his brothers were bricklayers and
carpenters. He left school at 15 to work as a butchers assistant. His law-abiding parents, William and
Peggy, were horrified when they found an IRA beret in their teenage sons bedroom.
His involvement in violence began when Derry erupted in riots after the Royal Ulster Constabulary had
baton-charged a civil rights march in 1968. The 18-year-old would go out during his lunch break and again
after work to hurl stones at the police. Then his anger was directed at the provinces unionist
administration and the RUC. Later it shifted to the British state. By the end of 1970, he had joined the
newly created Provisional IRA, a very much more effective and dangerous organisation than the half-
defunct Official IRA.
More than 100 people died in the political violence in Derry between 1971 and 1973, including 54
members of the security forces. Within this deadly organisation, McGuinness stood out for his physical
courage and a quiet air of authority that commanded respect.
President of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams, with McGuinness at the funeral in May 1987 of Patrick Kelly,
the reputed IRA commander in East Tyrone (PA)
As head of the IRA in Derry, aged only 22, he was part of a seven-man delegation flown on 7 July 1972 to a
secret meeting with the Home Secretary, William Whitelaw, at the home of millionaire Tory minister Paul
Channon in Londons Cheyne Walk, overlooking the Thames. Another delegate was the 23-year-old Gerry
Adams. The meeting collapsed as the IRA men refused to accept anything less than a rapid British
withdrawal from Northern Ireland. At this stage, McGuinness did not hide his IRA membership, for which
he spent the larger part of 1973 and 1974 in prison in the Irish republic.
After 1974, he maintained that he was just a politician in the IRAs political wing. He was never convicted
of a terrorist offence in the north, but British intelligence believed that while living quietly on a Derry
council estate with his wife, Bernadette, and four children, he was the IRAs director of operations in
1976-78 and Chief of Staff in 1978-82.
The IRAs gradual transformation from a terrorist group to a political movement would have been almost
impossible without McGuinnesss involvement. Gerry Adams was the political strategist, but it was
McGuiness whom the IRA gunmen respected and were prepared to follow. He ceased being IRA Chief of
Staff in 1982, after the IRA had been persuaded to adopt the strategy known as the Armalite and the ballot
box, though his influence over the gunmen did not cease.
McGuinness was a candidate in every UK general election from 1983 to 2010, firstly in Foyle, and then
Mid-Ulster, which he won in 1997 though like all Sinn Fein MPs, he refused to be sworn in. He resigned
from Parliament in January 2013. He was Sinn Feins chief negotiator in the all-important talks that began
in 1993 and finally brought peace to Northern Ireland through the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The
following year, by now a grandfather, he became minister for education in the newly created devolved
administration. Northern Ireland had retained the 11-plus exam decades after it had been abandoned in
Britain and McGuinness, who was an 11-plus failure educated at a Catholic school run by the Christian
Brothers, must have enjoyed abolishing it.
McGuinness appeals to nationalists not to react violently to the RUC as the police moved them from
the path of an Apprentice Boys march along Derrys walls (PA)
With the creation of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2007, McGuinness was chosen by Sinn Fein to be
Deputy First Minister, a post he held for nearly ten years. The First Minister was the Democratic
Unionist, Ian Paisley. The former IRA commander and the fire-and-brimstone Protestant preacher made
one of the most unlikely pairings in political history. Curiously, they got on so well that they were
nicknamed the Chuckle Brothers. When Paisley died in 2014, McGuinness declared our relationship
confounded everybody I have lost a friend.
Another extraordinary upshot of the peace agreement was the sight of the former IRA commander
greeting the Queen at Hillsborough Castle in 2016. He asked after her health, and she replied: Im still
alive unlike, she might have added, her second cousin, Louis Mountbatten, killed by an IRA bomb when
McGuinness was the organisations Chief of Staff.
His relations with subsequent first ministers were not so cordial. The gradual souring culminated in
McGuinnesss refusal to work with the First Minister Arlene Foster, whom he held responsible for the
expensively bungled attempt to convert the province to renewable energy. He insisted that his decision to
resign as Deputy First Minister, on 9 January, was political and not caused by ill health but it soon
emerged that he was seriously ill from amyloidosis, a rare disease that attacks the bodys organs.
He died yesterday after being ill for several weeks with a rare heart condition.
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness, born 23 May 1950, died 21 March 2017
How the adolescent acid

bomber became a giant of
Irelands peace process
Few individuals in Northern Ireland divided opinion as much as McGuinness, pictured here as the 22-year-old who was part of the
IRAs negotiating team that flew to London in 1972 (Getty)
DAVID MCKITTRICK
Although Martin McGuinness was for decades deeply involved in violence, he was brought up in a non-
violent household in the family home in one of Londonderrys overcrowded Catholic ghettos. His family
was well-regarded and known for religious devotion: his parents went to mass every day, and each evening
they and their seven children said the rosary together in their home, which had two bedrooms and a
scullery but lacked a proper kitchen.
But the late Sixties brought the outbreak of the Troubles, and one day a local priest came to Peggy
McGuinness to tell her that her son Martin had been caught stealing acid from his school. She was, she
said, embarrassed and ashamed. But this was no mere adolescent prank. McGuinness intended to use the
acid in bombs to hurl at the security forces in the rioting which involved hundreds of local teens.
Far more unwelcome news was to come later for Mrs McGuinness, when she was shocked to find that her
son had hidden gloves or other paraphernalia in the house. It immediately traumatised her, McGuinness
recalled. She did not hit me with it or anything like that, or if there were gloves there was no smack across
the face with the gloves. I think that it was a moment in time and she was obviously annoyed at the
prospect that all of our lives were changing and maybe mine more dramatically than anybody elses.
Neither mother nor son could have had any idea of just how dramatic McGuinnesss life would be in the
IRA, Sinn Fein and politics. Three violent decades lay ahead for him before he publicly declared in 2002:
My war is over.
By 1971 he had become fully radicalised and, after spending a few months preparing pre-packed meats in a
local butchers shop he became a full-time street fighter. By the age of 21 he was second-in-command of
Londonderrys fearsome IRA. Frequent arrests and interrogations had no impact on a man later described
by a Royal Marine major as excellent officer material.
Even with limited manpower and resources in the early IRA, he proved a major danger to life and
property. His unit was heavily outnumbered and outgunned, as he was later to describe in evidence to the
tribunal investigating the deaths of Bloody Sunday. He had 40 or 50 volunteers, he testified, mostly in
their early 20s, though he said thousands of people ready to help in different ways. They had ten rifles of
various kinds, he said, plus half a dozen short arms, and perhaps two or three sub-machine guns.
They had titles such as explosives officers and intelligence officers but, he explained: We accorded
ourselves these grand titles which bore very little relationship to the reality. All of us were very young we
were not like a conventional army, we were not well organised, we were making it up as we went along.
He spoke, with a trace of regimental pride, of the skills of his gunmen, telling the tribunal: A number of
British soldiers were killed in what were known as single-shot sniping situations. The IRA had a small
number of people who were probably more accurate in their sniping than the average British soldier, and a
number of British soldiers lost their lives. He did not clarify whether he himself was one of the snipers,
but at another time he related being fired at by the British army on countless occasions over 20 years. It
seems highly unlikely that all those bullets were going in one direction.
In fact the statistics show that his IRA in Londonderry, although facing hundreds of troops, killed 27
soldiers during 1971 and 1972. At the same time its bombing teams laid waste to much of the city centre,
one observer describing central Londonderry as looking as though it had been bombed from the air.
McGuinnesss views prevailed over traditional IRA old-timers at a Sinn Fein annual conference
In his evidence to the Bloody Sunday tribunal McGuinness had no hesitation in displaying detailed
knowledge of IRA tactics. He would have regarded it as an awful waste, he explained, to use nail bombs
against armoured military carriers. The sole purpose of nail bombs, he said, was for them to be used as
anti-personnel devices, maybe where soldiers would have got out of a vehicle.
The IRA was much troubled by informers, he added, and there were many occasions when people who
betrayed republicanism went over to the British, and were executed by the IRA. The background, he told
the tribunal, was a state of war between the IRA and British military forces. As for McGuinnesss
involvement on Bloody Sunday, the tribunal concluded he was probably armed with a sub-machine gun,
but that there was insufficient evidence to judge whether he had fired his weapon. He hotly denied that he
had.
A few months after Bloody Sunday he had his first taste of high-level in fact cabinet-level politics.
Northern Ireland Secretary William Whitelaw secretly arranged for IRA leaders to be flown to London for
an exploratory meeting. The republican delegation, which included McGuinness and Gerry Adams, was
driven in a blacked-out van to a helicopter, then flown to London by RAF plane. It was a formative
experience for a young Bogsider who had been brought up in a house without a modern kitchen.
I was 22 years of age, and I couldnt be anything but impressed by the paraphernalia surrounding that
whole business, and the cloak and dagger stuff of how we were transported from Derry to London,
McGuinness recounted. At the military airfield in England we were met by a fleet of limousines. They
were the fanciest cars I had ever seen in my life: it was a most unreal experience. We were escorted by the
Special Branch through London.
Their destination was Cheyne Walk, the plush Chelsea street which had at various times housed figures
such as Lloyd George, Ralph Vaughan Williams, John Paul Getty, George Eliot and Diana Mitford. If the
idea was to overawe McGuinness and the others it failed. He pronounced himself completely unimpressed,
later commenting: The only purpose of the meeting with Whitelaw was to demand a British declaration of
intent to withdraw. All of us left the meeting quite clear in our minds that the British government were not
yet at a position whereby we could do serious business.
At that point he wrote off the idea of relying solely on political negotiation, remaining committed to the
idea of pursuing victory through violence. Decades were to go by with many more people dying before he
became committed to a purely political path. The idea developed among the leadership of the IRA
however that its aims could be pursued by a mixture of politics and the gun, a theory that came to be
known as the Armalite rifle and ballot-box strategy.
Newly elected Sinn Fein MPs McGuinness and Adams in May 1997 after challenging an order barring
them from Parliament for refusing to swear allegiance to the Queen
It was coined by McGuinnesss associate Danny Morrison, who declared at a Sinn Fein conference: Who
here really believes we can win the war through the ballot box? But will anyone here object if, with a ballot
paper in this hand and an Armalite in the other, we take power in Ireland?
Working closely with Adams, he deftly staged a remarkably peaceful coup against traditional IRA old-
timers. In a key intervention at a republican conference McGuinness pointed to the old guard and
declared: They tell you it is an inevitable certainty that the war against British rule will be run down, that
Sinn Fein and the IRA are intent on a constitutional path. Shame shame shame. Our position is clear
and it will never, never, never change: the war against British rule must continue until freedom is
achieved.
McGuinness and Adams won the vote and from then on took control, so once again the conflict went on.
Much later however they were, with infinite caution, to steer the republican movement away from
violence and into politics, eventually running down the IRA and building Sinn Fein into a highly effective
political machine on both sides of the Irish border. They set about reorganising the IRA for the long haul,
adopting a strategy known as the long war. It was partly reorganised into a cell structure in order to tighten
internal security and guard against the effects of informers and interrogation. It also widened its range of
targets, killing a number of senior business figures and prison staff, and smuggling in powerful new
weaponry.
At the same time as the Troubles dragged on, McGuinness developed a new role in the very grey area
between violence and politics which ultimately came to be known as the peace process. To calm doubts
among the militant IRA grassroots that Adams might be turning into too much of a peacenik, McGuinness,
with his reputation for implacable militancy, played a key role in providing assurance to hardliners.
Designated as Sinn Feins chief negotiator, he took part in years of negotiation with British intelligence
officers, officials and eventually ministers, giving vital cloud cover to Adamss pragmatic
compromises. And finally he devoted the last ten years of his life seeking to build peace, having evolved
from the young lad making acid bombs at the start of the Troubles to the political figure working to bring
the conflict to a close.
Even British politicians

warmed to the man with the
clear, chilling eyes
McGuinness told Tony Blair in 1997 that Northern Ireland was a political rather than a security problem, saying the dispute could
only be resolved politically (Getty)
ANDREW GRICE
When UK ministers involved in the tortuous Northern Ireland peace process began talking to Sinn Fein
leaders, they wondered privately whether the men across the table were former IRA hard men who had
ordered or carried out killings, or mere civil rights activists.
As a former IRA commander, ministers had little doubt to which category Martin McGuinness belonged.
Jonathan Powell, Tony Blairs chief of staff, noted his clear, chilling eyes. It was odd for Blair to shake
hands with men once banned from appearing on UK television or, in McGuinnesss case, even
prohibited from entering Britain.
McGuinness denied being the IRAs chief of staff, although he admitted he had been a member. When he
attended his first talks with Blair at Downing Street in 1997, along with his close friend Gerry Adams, the
Sinn Fein President, McGuinness looked out from the Cabinet room to the garden where an IRA mortar
bomb landed during a meeting of John Majors Gulf War Cabinet six years earlier. He remarked: So this is
where all the damage was done.
But Blair and his aides had read McGuinness wrong; he wasnt talking about the IRA attack, as they
believed. No, I meant this [room] was where Michael Collins signed the treaty in 1921, he explained,
referring to the treaty of Irish independence that led to the Irish civil war. It was a sign that McGuinness
knew his history but had also moved on to become a man committed to a lasting peace.
It is widely believed that Adams, although often seen as the senior partner in their Republican leadership
but who was not an IRA member, could not have secured the IRAs continuing support for the path to
peace without McGuinness. He was instrumental in consulting key IRA figures at all stages to prevent the
efforts to end the armed struggle ending in bloody failure as in the past.
McGuinness was a man with whom British politicians could build good personal relationships. He
developed one with Powell, a key go-between in the peace process, joking with him about Unionist MPs,
and the late Mo Mowlam, the then Northern Ireland Secretary, who called him babe and discussed her
disputes with Blair.
McGuinness led the peace negotiations after apparently sending a message to the UK Government in 1993
offering a total end to violence. He told Blair in 1997 that Northern Ireland was a political rather than a
security problem, saying the dispute could only be resolved politically, whether now or in 25 years.
The Good Friday Agreement was struck four months later. McGuinness was Education Minister in the
Northern Ireland executive from 1999-2002, controversially scrapping the 11-plus, an exam he had failed as
a child. In 2007, McGuinness became Deputy First Minister in the devolved administration under the Rev
Ian Paisley Sr, the Democratic Unionist Party leader. Their unlikely double act became even more
remarkable as they became friends who respected each other.
In almost 10 years as Deputy First Minister, McGuinnesss energy was devoted to keeping the show on the
road and proving that Sinn Fein could make the new devolved institutions work. He learnt to bite his lip
when Unionists angered him; he did not think they were sufficiently committed to reconciliation. A key
reason for his self-restraint was to build support for Sinn Fein in the Irish Republic, where he stood
unsuccessfully for the presidential post in 2011, coming last in a three-horse race.
His relationship with Peter Robinson, who succeeded Paisley in 2008, was less cordial than with Paisley.
On a personal level it was better with Arlene Foster, who became First Minister in 2016. But their
relationship soured over her role in a green energy scheme that hugely overspent, dubbed the cash for
ash scandal. In January, McGuinness urged Foster to stand aside while an inquiry took place. She refused,
and he pulled the plug on 10 years of devolved government by resigning, sparking the elections earlier this
month to the Northern Ireland Assembly which have failed to end the stalemate and may result in the
return of direct rule from Westminster.
Although McGuinness insisted his resignation was on political rather than health grounds, it was clear that
his health was failing. He was suffering from amyloidosis, which attacks vital organs. He announced that he
would not stand in the elections in order to avoid the pressures of the campaign and to fight his illness. I
hopefully will overcome this illness through time. I am very determined to be an ambassador for peace,
unity and reconciliation, he said. Reconciliation, I have always believed, is the next vital stage of the
peace process.
With the process now under threat, however strongly Unionists feel about McGuinnesss paramilitary
past, they may miss his departure and the stability he brought to the table through experience and good
judgement.
Whatever the next twists and turns in Northern Ireland, McGuinnesss place in history is secure as a man
of war who became a man of peace. As he said in 2008: My war is over. My job as a political leader is to
prevent that war and I feel very passionate about it.
News
UK rate of inflation rose to 2.3

per cent in February
Fuel prices were the largest driver of the latest jump in the cost of living (iStockphoto)
BEN CHU
ECONOMICS EDITOR
Consumer price inflation jumped to 2.3 per cent in February as the slump in the value of the pound since
last years Brexit vote fed through into the cost of living.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the annual rate of inflation is now higher than the Bank of
Englands 2 per cent target for the first time since November 2013. The rate was up from 1.8 per cent in
January and outstripped City expectations for an increase to 2.1 per cent
The news sent sterling up 0.45 per cent against the dollar to a three-week high of $1.2460. It was still
trading higher at $1.2478 at market closing time in London.
The Bank of England expects the rate of inflation to hit 2.7 per cent this year, as prices respond to the 13
per cent slump in trade-weighted sterling since last Junes Brexit vote. But other analysts have forecast that
it will rise above 3 per cent in 2017 and could prompt the Bank of England to raise interest rates earlier
than expected.
The Banks Monetary Policy Committee voted last week to keep rates on hold at 0.25 per cent and the
Bank has suggested it will tolerate a time limited overshoot of its inflation target while growth is expected
to slow due to Brexit-related uncertainty.
But one MPC member, Kristin Forbes, voted for a rate rise and the minutes of the meeting suggested
some others could switch their vote if the prices data turned out stronger than expected. In February the
Banks Governor, Mark Carney, stressed the Banks tolerance for price rises was limited.
The import price shock is hitting the economy much sooner than the MPC expected, said Samuel
Tombs, economist at Pantheon.
The ONS reported that the biggest contributors to the large monthly increase in the CPI rate in February
were from transport (including fuel), recreation and food and non-alcoholic drinks.
Motor fuel prices rose 1.2 per cent in February and were up almost 20 per cent on a year earlier due to the
jump in the import cost of dollar-denominated oil. But core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as
food and energy, rose to 2 per cent, up from 1.6 per cent in January.
Total average wage growth in the three months to January was 2.2 per cent, which implies that in real
terms wages are now declining again.
While there is little that can be done to prevent oil price rises and a falling pound driving up inflation,
todays figures reinforce the risks to living standards of weak wage rises, especially in the context of the
recent slowdown in employment growth, said Stephen Clarke, an analyst at the Resolution Foundation
think tank.
Responding to the figures a Treasury spokesperson said: The Government appreciates that families are
concerned about the cost of living, and that is why we are cutting tax for millions of working people,
increasing the National Living Wage to 7.50 per hour from next month, and freezing fuel duty for the
seventh year in a row.
Other data from the ONS showed factory input prices for factories rising by 19.1 per cent year on year in
February and output prices up by 3.7 per cent.
Suren Thiru, economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, described rising inflation as a key risk to
the UKs growth prospects. Businesses continue to report that the rising cost of raw materials are
squeezing margins, forcing many firms to raise their prices. Higher inflation is also likely to materially
squeeze consumer spending in the coming months as price growth increasingly outpaces earnings
growth, he said.
Average house prices grew by 6.2 per cent in the year to January, up from 5.7 per cent in December.
There was slightly better news on the public finances, with ONS data showing government borrowing of
1.8bn in February, lower than the 2.1bn expected by the City and leaving the Government on track to
meet its recent downwardly-revised 2016-17 full year target of 51.7bn.
News
Justice Secretary Liz Truss to

unveil plans for 5,000 new
prison places
Ms Truss has previously rejected calls to cut prison numbers, suggesting it would be 'reckless' to public safety to reduce the number
of custodial sentences in an effort to meet targets (PA)
ASHLEY COWBURN
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
Justice Secretary Liz Truss is set to unveil plans for 5,000 new prisoner places and four new prisons in
England and Wales in an effort to tackle overcrowding in Britains jails.
Ms Truss will outline plans to replace old and overcrowded establishments with new, fit for purpose
buildings. They will include sites in Yorkshire, Wigan, Kent and South Wales as part of the
Governments intention to create 10,000 modern prison places by the end of this Parliament.
It comes after the Council of Europe claimed Britain had the largest prison population in Western Europe
at 95,248.
Ms Truss has previously rejected calls to cut prison numbers, suggesting it would be reckless to public
safety to reduce the number of custodial sentences in an effort to meet targets.
In a statement she said: We cannot hope to reduce re-offending until we build prisons that are places of
reform where hard-work and self-improvement flourish.
Outdated prisons, with dark corridors and cramped conditions, will not help offenders turn their back on
crime nor do they provide our professional and dedicated prison officers with the right tools or
environment to do their job effectively.
She continued: This significant building programme will not only help create a modern prison estate
where whole scale reform can truly take root, but will also provide a thriving, economic lifeline for the
local community creating hundreds of jobs for local people and maximising opportunities for
businesses.
Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "This massive investment in new prisons is not
matched by a credible plan to reduce our reckless overuse of prison in the first place.
"The prison estate certainly needs an overhaul, but reducing demand would mean closing prisons, not
opening them."
Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon added: "We need modern prisons fit for the modern age. But
simply replacing one prison with another prison doesn't deal with the overcrowding crisis."
Last year, in a effort to tackle the growing prison populations, senior cross-party politicians wrote to Ms
Truss calling for the number of inmates to be reduced by 40,000 almost a half to levels seen under
Margaret Thatchers premiership.
But in February the Justice Secretary said: "I want to see the numbers of people in our prison go down but
it has to be for the right reasons.
"The wrong approach would be reducing sentences for serious crimes or letting people out early.
Reductions by cap or quota, or by sweeping sentencing cuts are not a magic bullet, they are a dangerous
attempt at a quick fix. This would be reckless and endanger the public. And it would restrict the freedom of
the independent judiciary to choose the most appropriate sentence for each offender.
News
Nearly one in seven retiring

with no financial safety net
A pensioner retiring after 6 April and relying solely on the new flat-rate state pension would have a weekly income of 159.55, or
just short of 8,300 a year
JOSIE COX
BUSINESS EDITOR
Nearly one in seven people retiring this year have made no financial provision for their retirement, and
more than one in ten will be either totally or partially dependent on the state pension when they stop
working, according to new research.
The analysis, published today by life insurance company Prudential, shows that thousands will enter into
retirement this year with an income that is up to 1,400 a year below the Joseph Rowntree Foundations
minimum income standard for a single pensioner.
That standard, set at 186.77 a week, is established by the Foundation a social policy research and
development charity as a benchmark of the income required to support an acceptable standard of living
in the UK.
The Prudential research shows that a pensioner retiring after 6 April this year and relying solely on the
new flat-rate state pension would have a weekly income of 159.55, or just short of 8,300 a year. On
average, those expecting to retire this year estimate that the state pension will account for more than a
third of their total income in retirement.
But while the data indicates that retirees could be facing a pension squeeze in coming years, it also shows
that the gender gap, while still significant, is narrowing. While 19 per cent of women retiring this year will
not have a pension, dramatically outnumbering the 9 per cent of men, it is a marked improvement on 2016
when women were more than three times more likely to retire without a pension than their male
counterparts, according to Prudential.
Of those retiring in 2017 who have a pension of their own, 42 per cent have the majority of their pension
savings in a workplace final salary scheme; 13 per cent have cash in a workplace defined contribution
scheme and 13 per cent have savings in a personal pension scheme, not through their employer.
During his Budget statement earlier this month, Chancellor Philip Hammond confirmed a rise of 2.5 per
cent in the state pension from April, which translates into 3.90 more a week for pensioners on the flat
rate. But some said that the move was unlikely to counteract the problem of people not saving.
The fact that the Chancellor did not take the opportunity to simplify pensions could well put more people
off saving for their pension, Saga director Paul Green said at the time. Pension saving lifetime and
annual limits are complex and deter people from saving for their retirement and we feel this regulation
should have been abolished in the Budget, he added.
Stan Russell, retirement income expert at Prudential, echoed Mr Greens comments in todays
report. While saving is not always easy, especially when the multitude of costs in everyday life get in the
way, it is important to try to save as much as you can from as early as you can, to help to avoid financial
struggles during retirement, he said.
News
UKs most deprived state

schools could face further cuts
in new funding formula
Inner London schools face a cash-terms cut in per pupil funding of 2.5 per cent between 2017-18 and 2019-20 (Getty)
RACHAEL PELLS
EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT
State schools in England are to face spending cuts of up to 7 per cent per pupil, a new in-depth report into
government funding reforms has revealed, with children from the most deprived areas of the country likely
to miss out.
Proposals for a new single national funding formula (NFF), to be introduced for all schools starting from
September next year, have been praised by industry experts as a long-overdue and welcome reform to
school spending.
Its goal is to ensure similar schools in different parts of the country receive a similar level of funding per
pupil, but experts from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) have warned the NFF the largest school
spending reform in more than 25 years is unlikely to be rolled out across all schools until at least 2024.
In a briefing note published as consultation for the NFF closes, researchers also warned the proposed
reform diverts funding away from schools with the most deprived student population. The Government is
to be applauded for making specific proposals and setting out the reasons for the choices it has made, the
report's authors said. School funding per pupil has been frozen in cash terms between the 2015-16 and
2019-20 academic years [however], resulting in a real-terms cut of 6.5 per cent.
This would be the largest cut in school spending per pupil over a four-year period since at least the early
1980s and would return school spending per pupil to about the same real-terms level as it was in 2010-11.
The briefing follows a report published by the Education Policy Institute last week which claimed
secondary schools set to experience the largest cuts will, in real terms, lose out by an average of 291,000.
The most deprived secondary schools with more than 30 per cent of children receiving free school meals
will see falls in funding, while the highest relative gains will go to pupils in the least deprived areas, the
EPI claimed.
Announcement of the spring Budget earlier this month was met with industry-wide protest, with a wave of
headteachers claiming they were ready to resign as a result of cuts to their schools funding.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said the safety of pupils will be at risk as vital services are
underfunded and underresourced.
In their briefing, researchers from the IFS highlighted that grants to local authorities are currently based
on information that is nearly 15 years out of date. As a result, funding is being diverted from schools with
very high levels of deprivation to those with average levels, meaning children from the countrys poorest
local authorities are expected to miss out. There is also a shift in funding towards small primary schools
and large secondary schools, it said.
A large number of the countrys most deprived schools are in inner London, which will experience some of
the largest cuts of around 2.5 per cent in cash-terms per-pupil funding between 2017-18 and 2019-20.
While proposed protections would prevent any school from losing more than 3 per cent of funding per
pupil in cash terms before 2020, only 60 per cent of schools will be on the main formula by this point,
researchers said. As a result, around 1,000 schools are to face further cuts of 7 per cent per pupil after
2019-20.
Commenting on the report, Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers
said the challenges facing schools were stark. As the National Audit Office and many others have
confirmed, our schools will have to make a staggering 3bn in savings a year in real-terms by 2020 due to
the significant cost pressures they face, she said.
A cross-union analysis of Department for Education figures suggests funding will be cut for every child in
98 per cent of schools in England as a result.
Schools with the most deprived children will lose funding, said Dr Bousted. These cuts will lead to
increased class sizes, fewer teachers and support staff, less support for vulnerable children, especially those
with SEND, and in some cases schools will close.
To make this formula a success the Department for Education must urgently secure more funding from
the Treasury. Failure to do so will deny a generation of children the quality education they are entitled to
and parents rightly expect.
Chris Belfield, who co-authored the report, said: Somewhat inevitably, this reform creates winner and
losers, and it comes at a time of severe pressure on school budgets as we are currently in the tightest four
year period for per-pupil spending in English schools since at least the early 1980s.
The Government has put in place transitional protections to help smooth the transition process up to
2019-20. However, there is significant uncertainty about what will happen after 2019-20.
"This is a big omission considering only 60 per cent of schools will be on the main formula in 2019-20. The
formula could imply around 1,000 schools would face a further 7 per cent cut to their budgets in the next
Parliament.
News / Obituary
King of the whodunnit men

Author Colin Dexter, who has died aged 86, will be remembered for
the creation of Inspector Morse, one of fictions most popular and
distinctive detectives
Colin Dexter with the Jaguar featured in the Inspector Morse TV shows. In the books, however, the detective drove a Lancia (PA)
PETER GUTTRIDGE
If I am categorised, Colin Dexter said, it would have to be as a whodunnit man. Well, that and as the
man who made Oxford the murder capital of Europe. By the time Inspector Morse died in The Remorseful
Day, the 30th novel in the best-selling crime series, more than 80 people had met fictional ends in the city
many more on TV, especially once the spin-off dramas Lewis and Endeavour kicked in.
That murder rate isnt bad going for a man with an impish sense of humour and a fondness for crosswords,
beer and single malt whisky although perhaps his love of Wagner gave a clue.
Norman Colin Dexter was born on 29 September 1930 in Stamford, Lincolnshire, to Alfred Dexter, a
grocer, and Dorothy May Towns. It was Alfreds second marriage. Dexter attended Stamford School and
did his national service with the Royal Corps of Signals, where, neatly but misleadingly, he was a Morse
operator that did not prompt the name for his world famous creation.
He studied classics at Christs College, Cambridge, graduating in 1953. (His honorary masters followed in
1958). He married Dorothy Cooper in 1956. They had a daughter and son, Sally and Jeremy. He went into
teaching, first as assistant classics master at Wyggeston School, Leicester, then at Loughborough Grammar
School. In 1959 he became senior classics teacher at Corby Grammar School, Northamptonshire.
He was, by all accounts, a popular and successful teacher, getting better results for his pupils than they
expected. I think teaching is truly more satisfying than writing, he once said. He was national crossword
champion half a dozen times and from the Fifties met and became friends with many crossword compilers.
They included the compiler of the Observer newspapers Ximenes and Azed cryptic crosswords. His name
was Jeremy Morse.
Dexter gave Morse his own interests: that fondness for Wagner, pleasure in cryptic crosswords and liking
for real ales and single malt whisky
Morse, who was later knighted, was a career banker who ended up chairing the International Monetary
Funds C20 committee. He is just about the cleverest man Ive ever met, Dexter said. He also knew
Dorothy Taylor, who for years wrote The Observers Everyman crossword under the name Mrs B Lewis.
In 1966 the onset of deafness ended Dexters teaching career. He took a senior job in Oxford at the
Universitys Delegacy of Local Examinations. He remained there until retirement in 1988. In his spare
time he began writing general studies textbooks for Robert Maxwells locally-based Pergamon Press. He
wrote a page a day between Radio 4s The Archers and his nightly visit to the pub. A page a day quickly
built up, he said.
In August 1973, during a family holiday in Wales, he began writing his first crime novel. It was a Saturday
and it was raining. The children were moaning. I was sitting at the kitchen table with nothing else to do,
and I wrote the first few paragraphs of a potential detective novel.
One of the things the classics had taught him was "initium est dimidium facti the beginning is half of the
deed". He explained: My own view about beginning to write is that you shouldnt think youre going to
write the best first sentence or the best first paragraph. I used to think, Im probably going to write the
worst first sentence ever written. Once youve done that youre there, arent you?
Over the next 18 months he carried on with the book hed started. He wrote it in longhand and had
someone type it up, as he did all his future novels.
Last Bus To Woodstock was turned down by Collins but picked up by Macmillan who published it in 1975.
It introduced the curmudgeonly, tight-fisted, middle-aged policeman Inspector Morse and the equally
grumpy middle-aged Welshman Sergeant Lewis. Morse drove an old Lancia and didnt reveal his first
name.
Dexter gave Morse his own interests: that fondness for Wagner, pleasure in cryptic crosswords and liking
for real ales and single malt whisky. Both men were heavy smokers. (Dexter had to give up booze and
smoking when diagnosed with diabetes something that ultimately Morse died from in the novels. It was a
heart attack on TV.)
John Thaw portrayed Dexters character Morse in the hugely successful TV series (Rex)
Both creation and creator were pessimists. He [Morse] expected that if it was going to turn out either
good or bad, the odds were slightly on it being bad rather than good. Ive always felt a little bit that way as
well."
He won the Crime Writers Associations Silver Dagger for Service of All The Dead in 1979 and The Dead
of Jericho in 1981. In between, in 1980, he was elected to the august Detection Club. He took the Gold
Dagger for The Wench Is Dead (1989) and The Way Through The Woods (1992).
Dexters interest in crosswords was reflected in his plotting, with lots of red herrings and misdirection.
The name of the killer in all but one of the books was based on the winner of the Observer Azed crossword.
Dexter was mischievous and enjoyed weaving private jokes into his books. Quotations were regularly used
as chapter headings. Dexter made up about a third of them. He often cited Diogenes Small, who had
compiled a dictionary and written many books. Dexter gave Smalls dates as 1797-1805 but nobody seemed
to query the reality of this child genius.
The fortunes of the novels changed massively when they were adapted for TV with John Thaw as Morse
and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. The pairing of the older with the younger man was reflected
thereafter in Dexters writing in the novels too, Lewis got younger. Morse on television wasnt quite so
mean, nor a smoker and the producers swapped the Lancia for a vintage Jaguar simply because they
couldnt find the right Lancia to film.
Elements of the TV productions were as playful as Dexters novels. Composer Barrington Pheloung
incorporated the Morse code for the name Morse in the theme tune and sometimes spelled the name of
the killer in the incidental music. Dexter made cameo appearances in all but three Morse episodes. He
continued his cameos in the TV spin-offs, Lewis and Endeavour.
In 1996s Death Is Now My Neighbour he revealed Morses first name on the last page, intending it to be
the last novel. He claimed that he had already decided on the first name when he saw a sticker for
Endeavour Garages on the windscreen of Jeremy Morses car.
In 1997 he was awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger for his outstanding contribution to the crime genre.
He killed Morse off two years later in The Remorseful Day. (The title came from A E Houseman, one of
Dexters favourite writers.)
His decision to kill him off caused a furore, especially as the TV series was still running. The 33 episodes
between 1987 and 2000 (but still repeated today) reached a global audience of 750 million people in 200
countries.
Dexter ended the series not because he was fed up with Morse but because he felt he was getting clichd.
Things lacked freshness, he explained. I felt that I was getting older, and I dont think many people get
better as writers when they get older. Certainly I was feeling a little tired ... but probably above all I felt I
was running out of potential ideas.
The final TV episode was screened in 2000. Dexter was made an OBE in the same year. Tragically, John
Thaw died 15 months later from cancer. He and Dexter had become good friends. They shared a passion
for music. On their separate appearances on Desert Island Discs they made three identical selections. (For
his luxury Dexter chose a manicure set.)
Although Dexter never knew the beginning of a novel, he always knew the ending, except in one book
where he had to change it.
"I always had one idea and that was going to be the terminus ad quem. I knew exactly what was going to
happen in the last chapter but certainly not in the middle. There was, like Philip Larkin said, 'a beginning,
a muddle, and an end.' But I did know where the end was, so that makes me a whodunit man." And one of
the greats.
Colin Dexter, born 29 September, 1930; died Oxford 21 March 2017

News
New test can predict when

people will get Alzheimers
People with the highest PHS score were found to have an earlier than expected age of onset of the disease by up to 10 years (Getty)
KATIE FORSTER
New forms of genetic testing could allow people to discover their risk of developing Alzheimers at a
particular age, scientists have said.
An individuals genetic data can be used to estimate how likely they are to develop the debilitating disease
in the future, according to a new study published in Plos Medicine.
Alzheimers disease is the most common form of dementia, which mainly affects people over 65 and can
cause a deterioration in memory, thinking and behaviour. Dementia affects 850,000 people in the UK and
recently overtook heart disease to become the leading cause of death in England and Wales.
Rahul Desikan, a researcher from the University of California, analysed genetic data from more than
70,000 elderly people, some who had Alzheimers and some who didnt. By identifying known genetic
risk factors for the disease in each persons genetic fingerprint, he and his team created a scoring system
known as the polygenic hazard score (PHS).
The researchers then combined this score with statistics on the incidence rates of the disease to predict an
individuals Alzheimers risk and even predict the age of the onset of the disease. They tested their risk
calculations in two independent groups of patients and found people with the highest score were several
times more likely to develop Alzheimers than those with lower scores. People with the highest PHS score
were also found to have an earlier than expected age of onset of the disease by up to 10 years.
Our genetic risk score may serve as a risk factor for accurately identifying older individuals at greatest
risk for developing Alzheimers, at a given age, Dr Desikan told The Independent. This score may also be
helpful for identifying non-demented older individuals at greatest risk for developing Alzheimers
neurodegeneration.
Dr Desikan said while there may be justified fear among patients about finding out they have a disease
for which there is currently no cure, knowing your personalised risk for Alzheimers can really help with
planning for the future.
For example, if you know that you are at elevated risk for this disease, you may want to make decisions on
making a will, getting your finances in order, figure out when to stop driving and perhaps reprioritise your
life, he said.
Dr James Pickett, head of research at the Alzheimers Society, said the study was fairly successful at
predicting the likelihood of someone developing dementia over the coming year. He said the study,
which focused primarily on individuals of European descent living in the US, needs to be tested further in
mixed, non-US populations.
This genetic risk score could help identify people to take part in research studies, but is not opening a
door to genetic testing for dementia risk in the clinic, he added. For anyone concerned about dementia
the first step is to visit your GP. If youre looking for ways to reduce your risk, remember whats good for
your heart is good for your head, and it may be possible to lower your risk by staying active, eating
well and learning new skills.
Early diagnosis of dementia can help patients receive treatment to help with symptoms more quickly and
help them and their families to develop coping strategies, which in some cases can save lives. Professor
Paul Morgan, director of the Systems Immunity Research Institute at Cardiff University, said the study
adds to the strong evidence that an approach that takes into account the polygenic nature of Alzheimers
disease can be a useful way of aiding risk prediction.
As effective therapies emerge, the approach might be used more widely to enable early intervention in
those at highest risk, he added.
News
Google to clamp down on

extremist content, after uproar
from major firms
Banks and retailors have suspended advertising deals with the tech giant (Getty)
JOSIE COX
BUSINESS EDITOR
Google has said that it is hiring significant numbers of people to crack down on adverts appearing
alongside extremist content, after several major corporations suspended publicity deals with the
technology giant and its YouTube video platform.
In a blog post, Philipp Schindler, Googles chief business officer, wrote that the company had started to
ramp up changes around ad policies, our enforcement of these policies and new controls for advertisers.
We know advertisers dont want their ads next to content that doesnt align with their values. So starting
today, were taking a tougher stance on hateful, offensive and derogatory content, he wrote. This
includes removing ads more effectively from content that is attacking or harassing people based on their
race, religion, gender or similar categories. This change will enable us to take action, where appropriate,
on a larger set of ads and sites, he added.
He said that Google would also crack down on YouTube content. The YouTube team is taking a hard look
at our existing community guidelines to determine what content is allowed on the platform not just what
content can be monetised, he wrote. At the annual Advertising Week Europe event in London on
Monday, Matt Brittin, Googles president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, apologised to companies
affected by adverts appearing on extremist content.
As well as corporate giants, including Marks & Spencer and HSBC, the Government last week said that it
had suspended its advertising on YouTube for appearing alongside content deemed homophobic,
extremist or anti-Semitic. Mr Schindler said yesterday that Google is changing the default settings for
where adverts appear so that they show on content that meets a higher level of brand safety and excludes
potentially objectionable content that advertisers may prefer not to advertise against.
Companies and brands will still be able to advertise on broader types of content if they choose to do so. He
also said that Google will offer advertisers and agencies more transparency on where their adverts are
running. To implement the changes, Google will be hiring significant numbers of people. According to
Reuters, Britain is the largest market for Google outside the US, generating $7.8bn (6.3bn) largely from
advertising in 2016, or nearly 9 per cent of the firms revenue.
News
Studies based on mice thrown

into doubt because they were
carried by the tail
Pick of the squeak: some mice react to the news yesterday (Getty)
IAN JOHNSTON
SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT
Scores of scientific studies based on mice are being called into question because their behaviour is affected
by the way they are handled during experiments.
The usual way they are moved to a different place in the lab is by picking them up by the base of their tail.
But a new scientific study, funded by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement & Reduction
of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), found that while this does the mice no physical harm, it causes stress
and anxiety.
And that, the researchers say, had a significant impact on the way they behaved during testing.
However, when a specially designed tunnel was used to take the mice somewhere else, the problem
disappeared and the mice appeared to be a lot happier.
They also seemed more willing to approach a lab assistant who used a tunnel than one who held them by
the tail.
One of the researchers, Professor Jane Hurst of Liverpool University, said: The method used to pick up
laboratory mice has a surprisingly strong influence on their anxiety, and our study shows that this has a
major impact on the reliability of their behavioural response to test stimuli.
A simple change to picking up mice up in a tunnel rather than by the tail could have a really positive
impact on the wide range of research that relies on behavioural testing, as well as improving the wellbeing
of test animals.
And Dr Mark Prescott of NC3Rs said: This study provides further evidence for the need to shift away
from tail handling of laboratory mice, this time for scientific reasons.
Tunnel handling should be the method of choice for researchers conducting behavioural tests with these
animals.
A paper about the study, published in the Scientific Reports journal, described how the scientists had tested
the mices behaviour using urine from the opposite sex, which they normally find attractive.
However mice who had been recently picked up by the tail to be transferred to the test area unusually
showed little interest in the scent. Some completely failed to sniff the urine even once.
But those who had been transferred in the tunnel explored the test area enthusiastically and were very
interested in the scent.
Normally a new smell is more intriguing to mice and this was seen in those transferred in a tunnel, but tail-
picked mice showed now difference between the two scents, on the relatively rare occasions when they
smelled them.
Mice are one of the most common animals used in lab experiments, including ones designed to help
understand memory, learning, how drugs affect the brain and other cognitive processes.
If the mices behaviour was altered by the way they were handled, this could have an effect on the results
of numerous studies.
In the Scientific Reports paper, the researchers wrote: Handling laboratory animals during test procedures
is an important source of stress that may impair reliability of test responses.
Picking up mice by the tail is aversive, stimulating stress and anxiety. Responses among anxious animals
can be confounded further by neophobia [fear of something new] towards novel test environments and
avoidance of test stimuli in open areas.
However, handling stress can be reduced substantially by using a handling tunnel, or cupping mice
without restraint on the open hand.
NC3Rs, Prof Hurst and colleagues have now created a video showing how to handle mice in the lab to
reduce their stress.
NC3Rs has announced 2017 to be the Year of Laboratory Rodent Welfare.

News
Home news in brief
Nicola Sturgeon speaks in the chamber on the first day of the 'Scotland's Choice' debate at Holyrood, Edinburgh (Getty)
Nicola Sturgeon insists Westminster would be "wrong" to deny second Scottish

independence referendum
Nicola Sturgeon has insisted it would be wrong, unfair and utterly unsustainable for Westminster to
deny Scotland a second independence referendum if MSPs back her call for another ballot to be held. The
First Minister said it was 'entirely legitimate for the UK Government and opposition parties at Holyrood
to robustly oppose independence. But with the Scottish Parliament expected to back her call for another
referendum in a vote on Wednesday evening, she insisted she has an unquestionable democratic
mandate for such a vote to take place. Her comments come as Ms Sturgeon and the Prime Minister are
engaged in a constitutional stand-off.
The SNP leader wants another vote to take place between autumn next year and spring 2019, when she
says there will be clarity over the outcome of the Brexit negotiations. Theresa May has declared now is
not the time for another ballot, indicating the UK Government will reject the SNP's preferred timetable.
With the PM due to trigger Article 50 and start the formal two-year-long Brexit process on March 29, Ms
Sturgeon told MSPs: As a country, we can't avoid change. But we can choose what kind of change we
want. The First Minister spoke out at the start of a two-day debate at Holyrood in which MSPs are
considering a motion to mandate the Scottish Government to take forward discussions with the UK
Government on the details of a section 30 order - the mechanism to transfer the legal powers for a vote.
Snow set to blanket parts of the north of England

Commuters could face frosty conditions on Wednesday morning with the risk of up to 2ins of snowfall
overnight on high ground. The Met Office has issued a weather warning for the north of England,
including Cumbria, Northumberland and parts of Yorkshire.
Forecaster Craig Snell said: "Generally on the higher ground and higher routes we could see 2-5cm (0.7 -
2ins) of snow, lower levels could see a dusting. The cross-Pennine routes could be a fairly tricky commute
tomorrow morning." Heavy rain is expected and temperatures will also drop. A warning is still in place in
Scotland and Northern Ireland for slippery, icy conditions. Fine and sunny spells are forecast for the
weekend, but temperatures could still fall below freezing overnight.
Amazing doctor faces tribunal over Ebola nurse screening

A doctor who misled other medics before Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey was struck down with the Ebola
virus is amazing, a colleague told a tribunal today. Dr Hannah Ryan was one of the first UK medics to
travel to Sierra Leone with Ms Cafferkey and other volunteers to undertake dangerous work helping treat
victims of the deadly outbreak that killed thousands in West Africa in 2014. Another volunteer, Dr Sharon
Irvine, told the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service: Hannah is amazing. She's one of the best doctors I
have worked with ever.
But the tribunal has heard when they returned to the UK Dr Ryan took Ms Cafferkey's temperature while
being screened for Ebola and acquiesced in not reporting a raised temperature indicative of infection.
Ms Cafferkey was allowed to leave Heathrow Airport but fell seriously ill the next day. Dr Ryan admits
misleading medics from Public Health England (PHE) doing the screening but denies misconduct at the
hearing in Manchester.
Strangers' personal data revealed to Three users after technical fault

Some Three Mobile customers have been affected by a technical fault which saw them presented with the
personal information of strangers when logging into online accounts. Users logging into the firm's My3
app claim they saw the names, addresses, phone numbers and the call history of other users rather than
their own information. Three said the incident was a technical issue involving no outside factors or
breaches and is so far only aware of a handful of affected customers.
The telecoms firm, which has around nine million customers in the UK, said it was investigating the
incident, which comes just four months after hackers broke into the firm's database and compromised
details of more than 130,000 customers. In a statement, Three said: We are aware of a small number of
customers who may have been able to view the mobile account details of other Three users using My3.
No financial details were viewable during this time and we are investigating the matter.
World
Obamas policy of nuclear

disarmament could be
scrapped by Trump
The former President on a visit to Hiroshima last year, the city where the US dropped the worlds first atomic bomb in 1945
(AFP/Getty)
LIZZIE DEARDEN
The Trump administration is to review whether the US will keep its policy of nuclear disarmament.
Christopher Ford, the National Security Councils senior director for weapons of mass destruction and
counter-proliferation, said an assessment of US policy will examine whether the aim was realistic.
Like all administrations were reviewing policy across the board, and that necessarily includes whether or
not the goal of a world without nuclear weapons is in fact a realistic objective, especially in the near to
medium term, in the light of current trends in the international security environment, he told the
Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference. Its too early to say what the answers will be looking
at things with fresh eyes is not saying we will necessarily end up with different positions.
Mr Ford said there was a tension between the goal of nuclear disarmament and the security
requirements of the US and its allies. He argued that the headspace for reducing nuclear arsenals had
diminished in the years since the Cold War and cuts by the US and Russia seemed unlikely while other
nuclear states continue development. Mr Trump will not accept a second place position in the nuclear
weapons arena but is open to broader engagement with Russia on the issue, Mr Ford said.
He added that the current threat environment had changed substantially from when the review that
established Americas current aims took place under Barack Obama in 2010. The nuclear adviser said the
Trump administration would continue American opposition to a dangerous and misbegotten proposed
treaty to ban nuclear weapons. UN member states voted overwhelmingly to start negotiations on a legally
binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination last year. A
conference on the issue will be held in New York starting on 27 March but the treaty was opposed by
nuclear powers including the US, Britain, Russia, France and Israel.
Donald Trump has not made any official policy statement on nuclear weapons but has touched on the issue
repeatedly in his speeches and tweets. Questioned about his warm statements towards Vladimir Putin at a
press conference in February, the President warned that war between the US and Russia would be a
nuclear holocaust like no other.
Mr Trump has repeatedly hit out at a dangerous landmark agreement struck with Iran to limit its
capability, accusing the country of being the number one terrorist state. But Mr Ford said that unless
otherwise decided, the US would adhere to the terms of the Iran nuclear deal. The US President has also
criticised North Korea in recent days, accusing Pyongyang of behaving very badly with continued efforts
to develop a long-range nuclear weapon. Before being appointed as Mr Trumps top nuclear advisor, Mr
Ford was chief council for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and worked in the bureau of arms
control and international security under George W Bush.
Shortly after his inauguration in 2009, Mr Obama declared his ultimate aim of a world without nuclear
weapons, saying their spread could lead to the extermination of any city on the planet. In a visit to
Hiroshima last year, he told survivors of the atomic bombing: Among those nations like my own that hold
nuclear stockpiles, we must have the courage to escape the logic of fear and pursue a world without them.
We may not realise this goal in my lifetime but persistent effort can roll back the possibility of
catastrophe.
Mr Obama was the first serving American president to visit the Japanese city, where the US dropped its
first atomic bomb in 1945, killing an estimated 140,000 people.
World
Mercy on the rescue boat

Woman gives birth to the girl on the ship rescuing refugees in the
Mediterranean Sea as charities brace for spring surge
Baby Mercy, who was born yesterday on the Aquarius refugee rescue ship operated by MSF and SOS Mediterranee (MSF)
LIZZIE DEARDEN
A baby has been born on a ship rescuing refugees in the Mediterranean Sea as charities brace to save
thousands of migrants launched by smugglers from Libya with the start of spring.
The infants mother was in labour for eight hours on the Aquarius before she was born at a healthy 8oz and
taken to hospital after docking in Sicily. The little girl, described as perfect by ecstatic SOS Mediterranee
and Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) crew members, was named Mercy.
It wasn't an easy birth, said midwife Elizabeth Ramlow, following the surprise delivery yesterday
morning. I don't know how her mother was able step on that raft in Libya. She must have felt she had no
choice.
Mercy was one of 947 men, women and children to be taken to safety after a hectic weekend that saw more
than 3,000 people rescued on one day between Libya and Italy.
Aid agencies fear the mass launches seen on Sunday are a sign of things to come as seas calm with the
arrival of spring.
Conor Kenny, an MSF doctor on the Aquarius, said rescuers feared the quality of unseaworthy dinghies
used by Libyan smugglers were deteriorating, placing those crammed on board in even greater danger.
He told The Independent the ship would head back to the rescue zone as soon as possible, having received
reports of at least 40 people killed when a boat capsized over the weekend.
Taiwo and her baby Mercy (MSF)
The figures have gone up since January and I see no reason why they shouldnt continue to rise, Dr
Kenny added. Within the medical clinic the patients have been victims of torture or sexual violence while
in Libya in detention, by their employers or police or armed gangs as well.
Dr Kenny said refugees rescued over the weekend were suffering from hypothermia, dehydration and
chemical burns from leaked fuel, as well as fractures and sprains sustained in beatings in Libya. You
simply dont know what youll find with each boat, he added, saying approaching rescuers routinely check
for refugees suffocated at the bottom of boats. Its a fine line between life and death in the Mediterranean.
Weeks ago we came across boat at 2am with people suffering from hypothermia. Had they been found a
few hours later, at least eight of them would have died.
Almost 20,000 migrants have arrived by sea in Italy so far this year, with a record of 587 dying in the
attempt, according to figures compiled by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The Central Mediterranean
now the deadliest crossing in the world has become the main sea route to Europe following moves to
prevent crossings over the Aegean Sea with the EU-Turkey deal.
MSF is deploying a second vessel to the search and rescue zone lying to the north of Libyas volatile coast,
with the ship expected to start operations this morning. The Prudence will be able to transport 600 people
with emergency capacity for another 400, as well as 13 MSF staff members manning an emergency
department, clinic, pharmacy and morgue.
Save the Children is also launching a rescue boat in April, while numerous smaller charities from across
Europe are working alongside naval forces and cargo ships enlisted for missions by the coordination centre
in Rome.
Stephane Jaquemet, the UNHCRs regional representative for southern Europe, said unpredictable
weather conditions can see several days without any arrivals followed by the launch of hundreds of boats.
What is certain is that there has been an increase for the first three months of this year, he told The
Independent, saying more people have already arrived than were seen by the end of March last year. We
are not talking about 2015 scenario like we had from Turkey to Greece, but we may have an increase in
numbers, probably to a maximum of 250,000.
The Prudence, a new MSF rescue ship starting rescue missions in the Central Mediterranean (MSF)
The arrivals are putting huge pressure on the Italian government, which is already housing around 176,000
migrants in reception facilities, while thousands more remain trapped in Greece, Serbia and across
Europe.
Rising arrivals have alarmed EU leaders, sparking attempts to stem the flow by increasing cooperation
with authorities in Libya, where 90 per cent of boats crossing the Central Mediterranean are launched.
But the countrys fragile Government of National Accord is failing to regain territory controlled by warring
factions including a powerful general backed by Russia, while armed gangs and smugglers have capitalised
on widespread lawlessness to detain, extort, enslave and eventually export migrants for profit.
Interior ministers from Libya, Tunisia, Italy, Germany, Malta and other nations affected by the refugee
crisis released a declaration to tackle the root causes of migration and combat smuggling on Monday.
Delegates agreed to work with Libya to better patrol its coasts, with the coastguard already undergoing
training from Britain and other EU nations despite allegations of officials murdering and torturing
refugees.
Marco Minniti, the Italian interior minister, said the plans would help govern illegal migration, adding
that the first 90 sailors were finishing up their seaboard training and Italy expected to deliver 10 patrol
ships within months. The plans have raised alarm among human rights groups amid continued allegations
of widespread abuses in Libya including rape, torture, kidnapping, forced labour and arbitrary detention in
squalid camps.
Dr Kenny said one of the refugees rescued on Saturday had been on a boat caught and forced back to Libya
by the coastguard two weeks ago, and was detained and beaten before managing to depart for a second
time on Saturday. What these guys undergo when they are detained is brutal, he added. That is really
concerning.
Mr Jaquemet said that current proposals would see new camps complying with international humanitarian
standards erected in Libya, but such a benchmark could take a long time to realise.
People who move to Libya with the hope of going to Europe are just a small proportion of the migrants
trapped there, he added. There are a number of vital issues that need to be addressed regarding Libya.
The EUs migration official has warned member states against failing to host refugees and help alleviate the
pressure on countries like Greece and Italy as the summer season looms.
It is important for governments to understand that they should be part of it, Dimitris Avramopoulos told
a news conference in Warsaw yesterday. If some of them do not comply ... the Commission has the power,
the tools to convince these countries.
Fewer than 14,500 asylum seekers have been relocated from Greece and Italy under a two-year plan that
was supposed to resettle 160,000 people elsewhere by September. The vast majority of migrants arriving
in Italy are from sub-Saharan African nations including Guinea, Nigeria and Gambia, and Bangladesh,
while those reaching Greece are mostly Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans.
World
Trump tells Republicans to

vote for Obamacare repeal or
lose their seats
Mr Trump and his Health Secretary Tom Price urged Republicans to rally behind the bill (AP)
ANDREW BUNCOMBE
IN NEW YORK
Donald Trump has urged fellow Republicans to rally behind the plan to repeal and replace Obamacare or
else risk losing their seats as a result of angry voters.
The President travelled to Capitol Hill to try and cement support for the American Health Care Act, the
bill crafted by Republicans to replace the Affordable Care Act, passed by Barack Obama and better known
as Obamacare.
The bill is expected to be voted on by the House of Representatives tomorrow evening. But the legislation
has faced intense criticism from both wings of the party.
Conservatives believe it still provides too many entitlements to people, while other Republicans, along
with Democrats, are concerned that an estimated 14 million people will lose their health insurance next
year.
Mr Trump campaigned for the presidency with a vow to replace Obamacare, which he repeatedly said was
a disaster. But as he and congressional Republicans have sought to find an alternative to the Democrats
complicated, hard-won legislation, they have realised just what a challenge it is.
Mr Trump said recently: Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated.
On Tuesday, Mr Trump reportedly told Republicans that they faced losing their seats if they did not back
it. We wont have these crowds if we dont get this done, he said, according to Reuters.
He added: I honestly think many of you will lose your seats in 2018 if you don't get this done.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has been the driving force behind the bill, said afterwards: He was truly
spectacular. This is part of the job that he enjoys and excels at closing the deal.
He said the President had told Republicans theyd made a promise to voters last year to repeal and replace
Obamacare. Now its time to keep that promise, he said.
John McDonough, professor of the practice of public health at Harvard University, told The Independent
that although Mr Trumps name was not attached to the bill, he was desperate to get it passed.
Its his first big legislative goal and he has promoted it at the highest level, he said. He has a Republican-
controlled House and Senate. By any normal calculation, he should be able to get the bill passed. If he does
not get it passed, not only would it mean failure for one of his marquee plans, it could also impact on
everything else he tries to do.
Republican leaders recrafted the bill on Monday to satisfy critics mainly fellow Republicans in part by
proposing major changes to tax credits and provisions to alter the Medicaid insurance programme for low-
income people. The House leadership needs to win over conservatives who believe the bill does not go far
enough in repealing the law.
Party leaders hope to move the legislation to the House floor for debate as early tomorrow, according to
reports. But the administration and House leadership can only afford to lose about 20 votes from
Republican ranks or risk the bill failing. There are going to be adjustments made but I think we'll get the
vote on Thursday, said Mr Trump. The Senate also will vote on the legislation and more changes could
still be made.
An independent analysis of the Republican plan to replace Obamacare, has found it would leave many
millions of people without heath insurance. The analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which
is similar to Britains Office for Budget Responsibility, said earlier this month that 14 million more people
would be uninsured next year under the legislation than under under the current arrangement a figure
anticipated to rise to 24 million by 2026.
World / Analysis
Donald Trump can blame only

himself for this FBI
investigation but he wont
FBI director James Comey speaks during the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Russian actions during
the US election campaign (AFP/Getty)
DAVID USBORNE
IN NEW YORK
FBI director James Comey told the House Intelligence Committee this week not just that his agency is
indeed investigating possible collusion between Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia and its
meddling in the presidential race but also that it began the effort as long ago as July last year.
My guess is that 27 July is the day it started, a Wednesday. The Democrats were midway through a
national convention in Philadelphia that had opened under the cloud of a huge leak of hacked Democratic
National Committee memos suggesting that its officials had deliberately plotted to ease Hillary Clintons
path to its partys nomination at the expense of Bernie Sanders.
The day before, meanwhile, Donald Trump, already crowned at the Republican convention a week earlier,
had boldly stood before reporters and, in terms, invited Russia to quarry for emails he said Clinton still
hadnt surrendered from her private email server. Jaws slackened across the land. The following day as
the FBI was presumably swinging into action there was a 76 per cent spike in ordinary Americans
looking online for definitions of the word treason.
Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,0000 emails that are missing, Trump said. At
the time, I wrote that should we discover that his campaign had egged Russia on in any way, the resulting
scandal would make Watergate look like small-fry. I also said Trump was building a manure hill that would
bury him well before the November vote.
So much for that. Like others, I was underestimating Trumps teflon armour. As we were to find out later,
even fall-out from recordings of his boasting about grabbing the body-parts of women wouldnt be enough
to penetrate it.
But if my timing was off, my death-by-manure prognostication may yet come to apply the day of
reckoning may only have been delayed. Now when he is meant to be in the salad days of his presidency
with public support strong (its not) and gratitude from his own party bottomless (questionable also) he
finds himself under the cloud of an investigation that could dog him for months or even longer and maybe,
just maybe, end up removing him from power entirely.
If not Trump himself, who are the targets of the now eight-month-old probe? Names mentioned in the
course of the House hearing, though not by Comey, included Paul Manafort, who last July was still
Trumps campaign chief having previously steered the successful election campaign of pro-Moscow
Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych (subsquently overthrown), Roger Stone, a long-time adviser who
seemed last year to have inside knowledge of when damaging leaks of Democratic communications were
coming, and Carter Page, another Trump campaign adviser.
Everyone may yet be exonerated. But the mere fact of the investigation happening is terrible news for
Trump and his team, who should be focusing all their energies on the repeal and replacement of
Obamacare and the implementation of all the rest of the Trump agenda from immigration to fighting Isis,
remaking the federal budget and tax law and reworking trade policy.
Theres a big grey cloud that youve now put over people who have very important work to do to lead this
country, the House Intelligence Committee chair Devin Nunes, a California Republican, informed
Comey at Mondays hearing, as if he wasnt already aware of it. The faster that you can get to the bottom
of this, its going to be better for all Americans.
Speed was not something the Republicans looked for when they blew on the embers of scandal
surrounding former President Bill Clinton in the 1990s, leading quickly to the appointment of Kenneth
Starr as special prosecutor. Starr spent five years yes, five dreary years looking into everything from the
Presidents land speculation deals in Arkansas to the death of Deputy Counsel Vince Foster and, finally,
his liaison with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
There is ample reason why a special prosecutor would be appropriate again now. Confidence in the FBI
being able to insulate itself from political pressure is low. Note the barrage of tweets coming from Trump
and the White House even as Comey was testifying on Monday. It hardly helps that the US Attorney
General, Jeff Sessions, was forced to recuse himself from the matter entirely soon after being sworn in after
it emerged that he had himself met with top Russians while advising the Trump campaign last year and
then testified to the contrary under oath.
And there is the sheer gravity of what has been alleged. Congress began impeachment proceedings against
Bill Clinton because he had lied under oath about an affair. Richard Nixon was forced from office because
his party broke into the offices of the opposing party for electoral advantage and he then sought to cover it
up. Bad hombres, both, you might argue. But these were sins of the home and the homeland, domestic in
nature in the broad sense of the word.
Comey summed up why what we are discussing here is of a different order. One of the things we radiate
to the world is the importance of our wonderful, often messy, but free and fair democratic system and the
elections that undergird it, he said. When theres an effort by a foreign nation state to mess with that, to
destroy that, to corrupt that, it is very, very serious. It threatens what is America. And if any Americans are
part of that effort, its a very serious matter.
It reminded me of what Trump says about strong borders: without them, America doesnt exist. Comey is
saying that America would also cease to exist the day a candidate recruits a foreign power to subvert its
democratic process. America last, not first. And remember, we are talking Putins Russia here.
I think most of us could give our own definition of treason without having to look it up.
News
Gorsuch reassures senators of

his independence from the
White House
Neil Gorsuch appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be an associate justice of the Supreme
Court (EPA)
MYTHILI SAMPATHKUMAR
IN NEW YORK
Donald Trump's pick for the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, has assured a Senate committee that he has
never been asked to make any promises on rulings by the President's administration; and that that he
would have "walked out the door" if he had been asked to overturn the groundbreaking abortion-rights
case, Roe v. Wade.
The Senate Judiciary Committee are meeting for the second day of Mr Gorsuchs confirmation hearing for
a Supreme Court seat, amid concerns from Democrats that Mr Gorsuch will be beholden to the man that
nominated him. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chair of the Judiciary Committee, began by
questioning Mr Gorsuch on his independence from politics.
Mr Gorsuch said that was a softball question, easy for him to answer definitively. I decide cases...it
makes me think of [Supreme Court Justice] Byron White, Mr Gorsuch said. He noted that he admired Mr
Whites fierce, rugged independence.
Mr Gorsuch went on to cite the Oath of Supreme Court Justices, saying [I will] administer justice without
respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich.
I leave all the other stuff at home, said Mr Gorsuch.
When I became a judge, they gave me a gavel not a rubber stamp, Mr Gorsuch said, adding that no one,
including the President, was above the law. One of the biggest concerns for Democrats and womens
rights advocates groups is President Trumps promise to nominate a Supreme Court judge that would
overturn Roe v. Wade.
The Supreme Court in part makes decisions on new cases based on rulings in past Supreme Court cases,
and Mr Grassley questioned Mr Gorsuch regarding precedent.
Mr Gorsuch said Supreme Court precedents deserve respect, even as he sidestepped answering whether
he thought a series of contentious cases from the past had been decided correctly. He said it would be
"beginning of the end" of the independent judiciary if judges had to indicate how they would rule in future
cases. Bringing in Roe v Wade, Mr Gorsuch said precedent is like judges shared family history, it
deserves respect.
He noted that he would not sit in front of the committee and say what was his favourite or least favourite
precedent, noting that good judges would not do that because it signals pre-judgement rather than ruling
on the facts presented in a case. I didnt want that kind of judge as a lawyer, Mr Gorsuch said.
California Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein pushed Mr Gorsuch on whether he thinks Roe v. Wade had
super precedent. Mr Gorsuch said following precedent adds to the determinacy of lawits part of the
reason the rule of law works so well in the US.
Roe v. Wade has been reaffirmed...dozens of times when challenged in subsequent Supreme Court
cases, Ms Feinstein pushed again. Mr Gorsuch agreed, it has been reaffirmed several times.
Mr Trump has repeatedly assailed the judiciary both as a candidate and since taking office. Mr Trump
condemned federal judges who have put on hold his two executive orders to ban the entry into the United
States of people from several Muslim-majority countries.
In a Twitter post during the hearing on Tuesday, Mr Trump praised Mr Gorsuch as the kind of judge we
need for the high court.
Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse pressed Mr Gorsuch to call for the anonymous financial backers
behind the Judicial Crisis Network conservative legal advocacy group's $10m campaign supporting his
nomination to identify themselves, but the nominee refused to do so, saying he would not engage in
politics. But Mr Gorsuch added, Nobody speaks for me.
If Mr Gorsuch is confirmed by the Senate, as expected, he would restore a narrow 5-4 conservative court
majority. The seat has been vacant for 13 months, since the death of conservative justice Antonin Scalia.
Democrats have only a slim chance of blocking his nomination in the Republican-led Senate. Some
Democrats have said Republicans stole a Supreme Court seat last year when the Senate refused to
consider Democratic former President Barack Obama's nominee to replace
The Court's ideological leaning could help determine the outcome of cases involving the death penalty,
abortion, gun control, environmental regulations, transgender rights, voting rights, immigration, religious
liberty, presidential powers and more.
World
Greek police find eight more

parcel bombs intended for EU
officials
Security sweeps have been increased in the Greek postal service after it was used to send parcel bombs (AFP/Getty)
LIZZIE DEARDEN
Eight more parcel bombs intended for EU leaders, institutions and multinational companies have been
intercepted in Greece amid an anarchist terror campaign. The Conspiracy of Cells of Fire (CCF) group
warned of further targets in Operation Nemesis after sending explosives to the German finance ministry
last week.
That package was intercepted and destroyed before reaching Wolfgang Schuble but the following day, a
secretary at the International Monetary Funds (IMF) headquarters in Paris was injured after opening a
second device. The explosion, meant for the IMFs European representative, Jeffrey Franks, had also been
sent under a false name from Greece and triggered a crackdown by the Hellenic Police.
Officers seized eight suspicious parcels from a post sorting centre in Kryoneri, north of Athens, on
Monday and authorities are contacting their intended recipients. The parcels had been falsely labelled as
being sent from academic institutions and were believed to contain explosives linked with fireworks
manufacturing, which have been used in previous attacks.
They were addressed to European finance officials and businesses in several countries. Officials said they
would not release the names of the targets until everyone had been informed, but sources told Kathimerini
newspaper they included Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem.
The Dutch finance minister represented European creditors in negotiations with Greece over its
controversial bailout agreements following Syrizas victory in the 2015 elections. If Mr Dijsselbloem is
confirmed to be among those targeted, it would fit the CCFs pattern of singling out officials linked to the
Greek financial crisis, which sparked its formation in 2008.
Many Greeks resent the austerity measures imposed by the IMF and EU in exchange for Athens to receive
billions of euros, while anarchists additionally oppose state and international financial systems. A previous
parcel bombing campaign by the CCF forced authorities to suspend international post leaving Greece for
48 hours in 2010, when devices were sent to targets including Angela Merkel, Silvio Berlusconi, Nicolas
Sarkozy, Europol and international embassies.
Police crackdowns have since resulted in a series of arrests and prosecutions but a message posted online
claimed the groups comrades would continue their violent struggle in Operation Nemesis a campaign
of attacks in revenge for the imprisonment of activists.
For each comrade in prison, new comrades are ready to take his place and continue the path of attack,
said a Conspiracy of Fire Cells statement, signed off with the phrase LONG LIVE ANARCHY. We sent
parcel bomb to the German finance minister as part of the second act of the Project Nemesis campaign.
Watch for more announcements in the future.
The CCF characterised its campaign as attacks on tyrants supported by militants in Chile and Italy,
claiming its ideals could not be contained.
The Hellenic Police are now attempting to prevent any more explosive packages being sent out via the
Greek postal service, which is investigating how they evaded airport security checks in Athens.
World
Van Gogh paintings back on

display 14 years after heist
Axel Ruger, director of the Van Gogh Museum, and Dutch education minister Jet Bussemaker reveal the two recovered paintings in
Amsterdam yesterday (Reuters)
MIKE CORDER
IN AMSTERDAM
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has welcomed home two paintings by the Dutch master, more than
14 years after they were ripped off the museums wall in a night-time heist.
Theyre back, said museum director Axel Rueger. He called their return one of the most special days
in the history of the museum. The paintings, the 1882 View of the Sea at Scheveningen and 1884-85 work
Congregation leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen were discovered last year by Italian police
investigating suspected Italian mobsters for cocaine trafficking. The works have never been sold, so their
value is unknown but Van Gogh landscape paintings have sold for 50m at auctions.
The two paintings were wrapped in cotton sheets, stuffed in a box and hidden behind a wall in a toilet, said
Gianluigi DAlfonso of the Italian financial police, who was on hand at the museum to watch the
ceremonial unveiling. They were found in a farmhouse near Naples as Italian police seized 20m (17.3m)
worth of assets, including villas, apartments and even a small airplane. Investigators contend the assets are
linked to two alleged Camorra drug kingpins, Mario Cerrone and Raffaele Imperiale.
View of the Sea at Scheveningen 1882 (Reuters)
After years shrouded in darkness, they can now shine again, Jet Bussemaker, the Dutch education
minister, said as an orange screen slid away to reveal the two paintings behind a glass wall. Italys interior
minister, Angelino Alfano, said last year the paintings were considered among the artworks most
searched for in the world, on the FBIs list of the top 10 art crimes.
They are now back on display at the museum before being taken to its conservation studio for repair,
although they suffered remarkably little damage as thieves who had clambered up a ladder and smashed a
window to get into the museum in 2002 ripped them out of their frames and fled. Speaking to a Dutch
documentary team, one of burglars who was jailed over the theft, said it took under four minutes to take
the paintings. Octave Durham, 43, was caught by police in Spain in 2003 and was released from prison in
2006.
It is not only a miracle that the works have been recovered but its even more miraculous almost that they
are in a relatively unharmed condition, Mr Rueger said. The museum director was on holiday when the
call came last year from Italian authorities who believed they had recovered the paintings. He didnt
celebrate right away; hed had calls like this before. I was hopeful but also a little hesitant because over the
course of the years we had multiple occasions when people phoned us, contacted us, claiming that they
knew something about the whereabouts of the works and each time it was false, the trace went cold, he
said. So ... the way has been peppered with disappointment.
Congregation leaving The Reformed Church in Nuenen 1884-85 (Reuters)
But museum experts dispatched to Italy to check the authenticity of the works quickly turned Mr Ruegers
doubts into delight. It was something we had secretly been hoping for for all those years, he said. The
two small works are not typical of Van Goghs later and better-known works, but are still vital pieces for
the museums collection, Mr Rueger said.
The Scheveningen seascape, with a fishing boat and rough sea under a typically grey, cloudy Dutch sky, is
one of Van Goghs earliest works and the only painting in the museums collection painted during his time
in The Hague. It suffered a missing rectangular chip from the bottom left-hand corner. The painting of the
church in Nuenen portrayed the village where his parents lived. He had painted as a gift to his mother, so
its a very personal and emotional connection, Mr Rueger said.
Mr Rueger said the paintings are now back for good at a museum which is home to dozens of works by Van
Gogh, whose paintings fetch millions of pounds on the rare occasions they come up for auction. The
security, I can assure you, is of triple-A quality now so Im very confident that everything is safe in the
museum, he said.
AP
World
World news in brief
Indian Hindu devotees bathe in the polluted river Ganges near Sangam in Allahabad (Getty)
India gives rivers human rights

Two of India's most famous rivers have been given the status of living entities to save them from further
harm caused by widespread pollution. The High Court in the northern state of Uttarakhand ruled that the
Ganges and Yamuna rivers - considered sacred by nearly a billion Hindus in the country - be accorded the
status of living human entities, meaning that if anyone harms or pollutes them, the law would view it the
same as harming a person. The judges cited the example of New Zealand's Whanganui River, revered by
the indigenous Maori people. The Whanganui was declared a living entity with full legal rights by New
Zealand's government last week.
The Uttarakhand court, in the Himalayan hill resort town of Nainital, appointed three officials to act as
legal custodians responsible for conserving and protecting the two rivers and their tributaries. Judges
Rajeev Sharma and Alok Singh declared the Ganges and the Yamuna and their tributaries legal and living
entities having the status of a legal person with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities. The case
came to court after officials complained that the governments of Uttarakhand and the neighbouring state
of Uttar Pradesh were not co-operating with federal government efforts to set up a panel to protect the
Ganges.
AP
Bulgarian nationalists block roads to prevent arriving voters from Turkey

Several hundred Bulgarian nationalists have blocked the three main checkpoints at the Bulgarian-Turkish
border for a few hours Tuesday to prevent what they called electoral tourism by Bulgarian citizens living
permanently in Turkey. The organizers from the nationalist United Patriots coalition claimed they had
information that some 1,000 buses with at least 50,000 voters from Turkey were expected to cross the
border ahead of Sunday's parliamentary elections. The protesters claimed that Turkish officials were
forcing expatriate voters to support a pro-Ankara party, which the nationalists consider a threat to
Bulgarian national interests.
TV footage from the scene showed protesters carrying Bulgarian flags and posters with the slogan We are
defending Bulgaria and Europe. Piles of car tires were placed on the road to stop traffic. Valeri Simeonov,
one of the leaders of the nationalist coalition, told reporters that some 500 people from nearby towns had
joined Tuesday's protests. If necessary, we will bring together many more and we will block the traffic
24/7 if attempts to bring buses with foreign elements do not stop, he added.
AP
Australia face fresh criticism on indigenous human rights record from UN

Australia came under fresh criticism over its treatment of its indigenous population on Tuesday as a UN
investigator examined the impact of a government takeover of remote communities and as Canberra
pushes its bid to join the UN Human Rights Council. Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders make up just
three percent of Australia's population of 23 million people but have disproportionately high rates of
suicide, alcohol abuse, domestic abuse and imprisonment, tracking near the bottom in almost every
economic and social indicator.
U.N. special rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuz this week started a 15-day tour to review the impact of laws
surrounding the government's 2007 intervention, which was aimed at curbing alcohol abuse, domestic
violence and improving health. The special rapporteur's visit comes at a time we're hearing harrowing
allegations from young people brutalised by the youth justice systems, Tammy Solonec, Indigenous
Rights Manager of Amnesty International Australia, said in a statement on Tuesday. Prime Minister
(Malcolm) Turnbull must show federal leadership in setting a national plan to address it.
Reuters
South Korea's ousted president apologizes as she arrives for questioning

South Korea's ousted president has apologised to the people before being questioned over a corruption
scandal that led to her removal from office. The questioning of Park Geun-hye came 11 days after the
country's constitutional court ruled unanimously to dismiss her as president over claims that she colluded
with a confidante to extort money from businesses and committed other wrongdoings. Her power had
been suspended since she was impeached by parliament in December.
It was a dramatic fall for Ms Park, a daughter of murdered dictator Park Chung-hee, who was elected as the
country's first female president in late 2012 amid a wave of support from conservatives who remembered
her father as a hero who pulled the country up from poverty despite his suppression of civil rights. I am
sorry to the people. I will sincerely undergo an investigation, Ms Park said when she arrived at a Seoul
prosecutors' office. She did not elaborate and went inside the building amid a barrage of camera flashes.
Prosecutors later said they began questioning her with her lawyer present.
AP
Voices
The super-terrorist who became

a super-statesman like so
many before him
Martin McGuinness (right) with Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams in 1987 (PA)
ROBERT FISK
Martin McGuinness followed along the familiar trail of so many enemies of

Britains weary colonial history. A super-terrorist becomes a super-statesman.
Jomo Kenyatta comes to mind. And Archbishop Makarios. And of course,
Menachem Begin. With blood on their hands, they pass through that mist of
nobility bestowed by colonial power and former rulers and re-emerge as
statesmen of compromise, eloquence, even humour.
Ive never been sure they really changed that much. Begin blew up the King David Hotel, murdered two
British army sergeants because the Brits were executing Irgun fighters, and became Prime Minister of
Israel. He signed a peace agreement with Egypt, met Margaret Thatcher then invaded Lebanon in 1982:
17,000 died.
In fact, most of these folk recalled their past with a certain amount of caution. Father of the Nation, they
liked to be called although that hardly applied to McGuinness. Michael Collins went through a similar
transmogrification. There he was, killing Churchills Cairo Gang intelligence men in Dublin and then
sitting in Downing Street with Lloyd George and Churchill himself, who told of meeting Collins whose
hands had touched directly the springs of terrible deeds. Doubtless, he would have said the same of
McGuinness.
In 1972 I saw him first, standing beside a table on the Creggan already no-go Derry after Bloody Sunday
for a frantic press conference. They said he was the IRA commander in Derry (he was actually number
two), but he was a rather frightening young man, 22 at the time, high cheekbones, fluffy, curly hair, red-
faced, sharp, narrow eyes, unsmiling. A very dangerous man, I thought at the time to his enemies, at
least. There was a rifle in the room, though I dont think he touched it. People later said it was a
Kalashnikov, but there werent many AKs around at the time and I rather think it was an old American
Garand.
The British were claiming at the time that McGuinness was the most wanted man in Derry or Northern
Ireland or all of Ireland but they did that on a regular basis to all their most tenacious enemies. Thats
what they once called Begin. Thats what they said about Collins in the early 1920s, who passed through
that infamous mist of nobility when he signed the grim Treaty which the Brits had prepared for him,
Griffith and the others. It cost him his life, of course, so he never travelled to Buckingham Palace to meet
the King. But Collins did meet James Craig, one of Northern Irelands most sectarian Protestant prime
ministers, before he was killed by his own people. Avoiding assassination, McGuinness was to sit down
with Ian Paisley and his cronies and become deputy minister of the state he tried so hard to destroy. That
alone was worth a handshake from the British monarch.
But we should not be too romantic about violent men who pass through the archway of British political
acceptance. Sadat was a German spy in Cairo in the Second World War. Then he became the beloved
peace-maker. Nasser was at first greeted by Eden, who only later called him the Mussolini of the Nile,
although Nasser did for the British Empire at Suez. Yasser Arafat was a super-terrorist when I first met
him in Beirut in the 1980s, blathering on about the Zionist military junta; then he signed the Oslo
agreement and became a super-statesman and shook hands with Bill Clinton and Yitzhak Rabin. Yet
under the brutal Sharon, he reverted to super-terrorist status, up to and including his moment of death.
What moral transformartions! His body must have been spinning even before it was put in the grave.
Its a heady, giddy business to undergo these constant conversions. Saddam was our man when he sent his
Iraqi legions into revolutionary Iran in 1980 but then became the Hitler of the Tigris when he invaded the
wrong country (Kuwait) 10 years later and got bombed for it, and was then invaded in 2003 for the one
crime he didnt commit (9/11). Off with his head, we cried, and the noose surely strangled him. Then take
Muammar Gaddafi, whose Libyan coup was at first welcomed by the Foreign Office. But then he went a bit
mad, issuing Trump-like statements of mind-numbing inanity, and then tried to fix up McGuinness and his
mates with explosives and organised a bomb in a Berlin nightclub where it killed an American serviceman
and then got bombed by Ronald Reagan who dubbed him the Mad Dog of the Middle East.
But the Mad Dog outlived Saddam and got slobbered over by the Brits for deconstructing nuclear
weapons he never had, and Saint Tony bestowed a kiss upon him and all was well until the Libyans decided
theyd had enough and the much-kissed Muammar was butchered by a mob. No wonder he had a strange,
puzzled look in his eyes at the time. Then there was Bashar al-Assad, son of the ferocious Hafez, invited to
Bastille Day but then post-Arab Awakening loathed by the French, whose foreign minister declared
that he did not deserve to live on this earth. The Quai dOrsay did not suggest which particular planet he
should fly to. But reader alert: with the Europeans back-peddling on their demands for his overthrow and
Putin welcoming him to the Kremlin, we may yet see Bashar back in the halls of western Europe.
McGuinness, of course, maintained his statesmanship to the end, seeing off the grousing old Paisley,
watching Peter Robinson slip in the Unionist mire and then observing the Democratic Unionists swamped
in financial scandal. A good time to go, you might say, and join all the other most wanted men in the sky.
But one of them, we would do well to remember, had a wanted poster all his own more than 100 years ago,
way back in the Boar War: his name was Winston Churchill. And much to talk about theyll have, Im sure.
Voices
May wont call an election when

Labour is destroying itself so
spectacularly
While the Government prepares for the negotiations that will define our future, Jeremy Corbyns party seeks sanctuary from its
irrelevance within its tragicomic internal affairs (PA)
MATTHEW NORMAN
If Theresa Mays Government had form in executing a tyre-melting U-turn, on

some minor Budget measure or whatever, you might sprinkle any pledge from No
10 with the contents of the Saxa warehouse. As it is, what reason could there be to
doubt Downing Streets word that the Prime Minister wont add a snap general
election to the local elections on 4 May.
The force is so strong with this one that many of her own whips and backbenchers are baffled. Why
wouldnt she want to celebrate Star Wars Day by unsheathing her trusty light sabre and lopping off
Labours head? Among various explanations is protecting the brand. She approved the Budget but didnt
deliver it, and the punters still trust her word. Reversing a categorical promise would undermine that.
Another theory is that the last thing she needs right now is a huge majority. The power of 20
(comparatively) centrist Tory MPs to derail legislation partly nullifies the frothing Brexit right wing to
whom compromise is a synonym for treachery. David Cameron needed protection from his nutters (in that
case from his Liberal Democrat partners), and so might she. A sprint past the idea that she was spooked by
Diane Abbotts Pollyannaish insistence that Labour would storm to victory brings us to Napoleon, who
advised against interfering with an enemy while hes in the process of destroying himself.
The Governments best relief for its Brexit agonies lies in its lack of serious opposition. Why risk such
precious analgesia by creating conditions whereby Labour, traumatised by crushing defeat, might elect a
leader with a vague idea what he or she is doing? Already the Tories are almost 20 points ahead. Imagine
their poll lead after almost four more years of this. Finding the words to describe this becomes harder by
the week. Raid the lexicon by all means. But unless Susie Dent from Countdown knows about some secret
new noun that is 27 times stronger than fiasco, there will be nothing adequate in the Oxford English
Dictionary any time soon.
Even the hyperbolic compounds megadebacle, uberdissaray, gigafarce, terrashambles barely cut it.
Days before Article 50 is triggered, with Britain wobbling halfway over the cliff edge like the van at the
end of The Italian Job, Labour speaks only to itself. Or, more accurately, bits of itself scream at other bits
like a loft full of mad aunts and uncles. On one side of the attic, a leaked tape suggests a planned
Momentum-Unite alliance to ensure the far left retains power in perpetuity. On the other, surviving
Blairites stagger lividly about beneath the pulverising weight of their sense of entitlement denied.
Wandering morosely about in the middle are the undead, whose craving to be rid of Jeremy Corbyn is
outmatched only by fear of strengthening him with another laughable leadership challenge.
Meanwhile, Tom Watson, the Glastonbury tent bopper who moonlights as deputy leader, pours petrol on
the fire by exaggerating any pact between Jon Lansman of Momentum and Unites Len McCluskey into an
existential threat. Predictably, given the girth, Watson is way off the pace. The existential threat predates
this latest eruption, and indeed Corbyn, by years. Any civil war against the Momentum-Unite axis powers
would be symptom rather than cause. So while the Government prepares for the negotiations that will
define our future, Labour seeks sanctuary from its irrelevance within its tragicomic internal affairs. On
Monday, after Corbyns people had briefed against Watson, another doozy of a PLP hate fest was
enlivened by the screech of so called leader, while a former minister delved into the Alex Ferguson Post-
Defeat Team Talk Primer to tell him to look in a mirror.
Inevitably, with the Home Guard bitching over banalities while the hostile forces mass across the Channel,
Corbyn cast himself to type as dear old Jonesy. He made the obligatory Dont panic rallying cry in the
most convincing YouTube film from a Labour leader, so called or otherwise, since Gordon Browns Death
Rictus Address on MPs expenses. Sometimes spirits in the Lab party can run high, he began with a tiny
false chuckle in place of the demented grin. This has been one of those days. Thats because were a
passionate party. Well, yeah, thats one word for it. Its not the right word. But then those, as discussed
above, are hard to come by in this context.
He continued with a barely coded show of support for Momentum (we need members to be activists in
local communities), which at least made some sense. The last thing a massively unpopular Emperor does
is antagonise his Praetorian Guard. In conclusion, Corbyn instructed the whole party stop fannying
about with that bayonet, Private Watson, hes talking to you to focus on the challenges ahead. Finally,
with no discernible ironic intent, he solemnly observed that to win Mays elections we need unity. He
didnt specify which unity. For all the difference it would make, it might as well be the Hitler-admiring
Mitford in her new from-beyond-the-grave role as Labours chief election strategist.
And so he goes on, this likable, honest, empathetic man, in the quest to keep proving that combat politics
is not the game for the well meaning amateur. Whatever Stars Wars Day brings forth for May in the local
elections, let alone if the Prime Minister performs another spectacular volte-face by also going to the
country, the subtitle for Labour will not be A New Hope.
Voices
This is what independence could

look like, Scotland...
In for a penny, in for a punnd: Scots will be in for change when the country goes it alone (PA)
SEAN OGRADY
The year is 2027. The UK, or whats left of it, has been out of the European Union
for almost a decade. Scotland has been out of the United Kingdom for more than
five years.
Both divorces were more acrimonious than any side thought possible. Like all such splits, it ended in some
messy compromises, raggedy deals and weird, unexpected and unintended outcomes. Looking to the
future, the strangest things may be these
The hard border
During the debate on Scottish independence that began, again, in 2018, the question of the Romanian
electrician started to loom large. When Scotland become independent, and therefore stayed inside the
EU and accepted the principle of free movement indeed invited anyone from the EU to come and settle
in Scotland Romanian and other Eastern Europeans started to pack the flights from their homelands to
Glasgow and Edinburgh.
But when they got there they made for the train or bus station, and took the first service to London.
Without any customs or border controls on the many crossings between England and Scotland, the
arrangement made nonsense of the English desire to take control of our borders.
Border controls had to be introduced to prevent the free movement of people from Scotland to the UK, an
unforeseen consequence of independence, and a great nuisance for businesses and tourists. Nigel Farage,
still active, suggested the English put up a big beautiful border wall and send Scotland the bill.
The new money
Under pressure from both the EU and England, Scotland was forced to resort to a new national currency,
pending full integration into the eurozone. Although there was no practical or ideological problem with
Scotland continuing to use the pound after independence, the flat refusal by English ministers to permit
the Scottish state to have an operational or policy role in the activities of the Bank of England made the
proposition unacceptable to Edinburgh.
Reluctant to immediately join a still crisis-ridden eurozone, the Scots therefore proposed to adopt a new
national currency of their own. If Denmark, with a similar population, can have their krone, then Scotland
can have its own money too, went the argument.
A referendum gave the Scots the options of calling their new money either Alba, Scottish pound or
punnd, and the latter won. The punnd was divided into 100 pennies.
The new subsidies
All too grateful that Scotland decided to stay in the EU, Brussels created a special transitional relief fund
which more than made up for any shortfall in grants after the split from HM Treasury.
Across Scotland, new infrastructure projects sprung up, covered in the European flag and the Saltire, all
symbols of the new cooperation between Scotland and the 27 other members of the EU. They helped boost
Scottish economic growth to the top of the European league.
The new banks
Having refused to carry on supporting the Royal Bank of Scotland, the European Central Bank agreed to
help out the troubled institution, while the UK governments shareholding was transferred to the
European Union, making this the first company to be directly nationalised by the EU.
A new team of Scottish and German management promised a more stable tomorrow by breaking RBS up
into smaller, more competitive units. Looser regulation and ultra-low taxes helped tempt some banks to
move from the City to a new financial hub in Renfrewshire. Branches of the English public schools opened
nearby.
The auld alliance
Edinburghs property market boomed as never before after independence. Every EU member and many
foreign governments upgraded their diplomatic representation in the new capital city, to give it a global
character. Especially keen on making their presence felt were the French, many of whom migrated from
their traditional homes in Londons Kensington to the New Town. French restaurants, bistros and cafes
became a common part of the scene for the new elite ecosse.
The new party system
Faced with the monolithic SNP and its enduring dominance of Scottish politics, the former unionist
parties in Scotland Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats decided to sink their differences and
form a proper opposition grouping. They named it the Scottish Democratic Party, or SDP. Its policies
were remarkably similar to the SNPs.
The Republic of Scotland (Poblachdas na h-Alba)
The passing of Elizabeth II gave Scotland an opportunity to rethink its relationship with the monarchy.
SNP leaders declared that it was no longer acceptable to have a head of state permanently resident in
London. A kilted PR campaign tour by King Charles, Queen Camilla and William and Catherine, Prince
and Princess of Herefordshire (Wales having rejected their claim to the ancient title), failed to stop
President Alex Salmond eventually taking the oath of office in his new ceremonial role.
Independence for Shetland and Orkney
Dissatisfied with government by a remote swamp in Edinburgh and determined to control what was left
of their energy and fishing resources, the Shetland and Orkney Party (SOP) was formed to combat the
sheer arrogance of remote SNP rule from Holyrood. They too sought independence within the
European Union, arguing that if such status is viable for Malta, then it is viable for them too.
Out of Nato
After a series of wrangles with US President Pence, the Scottish governments refusal to retain nuclear
arms, to host US forces on Scottish soil or to devote 2 per cent of Scottish GDP to defence pushed the
Edinburgh government towards formal neutrality on the Swedish and Irish models.
An increased incidence of the crews of Russian subs turning up unannounced in the Western Isles looking
for whisky caused only wry amusement. Before its abolition, the Royal Scottish Air Force consisted solely
of rescue helicopters. Most of the Scottish defence budget was transferred to overseas aid.
Into a new enlightenment
The influx of migrs and intellectuals that followed President Salmonds appeal at the UN General
Assembly to bring me your huddled masses sparked a tumult in philosophical and artistic activity unseen
since the late eighteenth century.
With a laser focus on promoting education at every level, in the year following independence, Scotland
showed every sign of leading Europe in the arts and sciences. The immigration wave altered Scotlands
demographics markedly for the better, with a young workforce ready and able to provide to the
traditionally ageing populations calls on health and social care.
The second Scottish enlightenment is grudgingly acknowledged by the envious English.

Voices
Pregnant immigrants avoid the

NHS because of fear how have
we come to this?
One woman was asked by NHS staff to pay 5,000 before her child was delivered (Getty)
SIOBHAN FENTON
A pregnant woman clutches her rounded stomach and winces at the pain.
Something is wrong. She can feel it. Alone and frightened as the pain becomes all
consuming, she reaches for her mobile phone to ring 999 for help. Then, she stops.
She is an undocumented immigrant, who fears she could face deportation or impossible fees for using the
NHS. She is faced with two choices: get medical help and risk deportation, or stay away and risk serious
harm to her or her babys health.
So she stays where she is, alone and without help, as thoughts of harm to her child flash through her mind,
but the fear of Home Office agents appearing by her hospital bed on a maternity ward is the only thing
which terrifies her more.
She is not alone. There are many undocumented immigrants and refugees who are too frightened to access
NHS natal care during their pregnancies for fear of being rounded up and deported.
The charity Doctors of the World runs clinics for women who have been trafficked, are refugees or
undocumented migrants. It says women in the UK have been sent letters from the NHS demanding
thousands of pounds in exchange for standard healthcare relating to their pregnancies and threatening the
withdrawal of care unless they bring their credit cards to appointments.
Phil Murwill, who runs a Doctors of the World clinic in east London, said his team regularly see women
whove been put off getting care, which puts both mother and child at risk. We see women who are 40
weeks pregnant turning up at our clinic having received no antenatal care at all. This includes extremely
vulnerable women such as survivors of trafficking and sexual violence.
One worrying case he cited was that of a Chinese woman who was granted asylum in the UK after fleeing
persecution in China after she was accused of promoting Christianity. She lacked sufficient
documentation and was allegedly turned away from her GP while she was pregnant and seeking treatment,
after the GP wrongly said she could not get healthcare treatment on the NHS without proof of address.
When she did manage to register with a GP, she was asked by NHS staff to pay 5,000 before the child
was delivered. She said: I felt very scared. Theres no way I can pay that much. I thought about not going
to hospital, but I knew I couldnt deliver a child by myself. I couldnt cut the umbilical cord... When I was
in labour I was thinking about money all the time.
It is unclear why this is happening. NHS guidelines state that hospitals and healthcare workers are entitled
to ask for payment but that if none is forthcoming they cannot deny emergency medical care to someone
who needs it. The Department for Health has confirmed that it does not share patients non-clinical
information with the Home Office to trace immigration offenders unless there was a clear basis to do so.
Yet despite official policy, the charity says women are facing these demands and ultimatums regardless and
fear is growing among refugees and undocumented migrants.
The causes are unclear; it could be that amid a growing funding crisis, NHS hospitals and clinics are
desperately trying to recoup costs where they can. Alternatively, growing anti-migrant sentiment in the
NHS could result in staff misapplying the rules. This scenario is not hard to imagine, given that earlier this
year it was revealed that 20 NHS hospitals would require patients to show their passports in order to get
treatment as part of a pilot scheme to crackdown on health tourism.
The causes may be unclear but the larger picture is becoming apparent: pregnant refugees and immigrants
have become caught in the crossfire of two of the most dangerous policies of the Government.
Firstly, the idea being rolled out by the Conservatives that free, safe and compassionate healthcare is not a
human right, but rather a free market commodity. Over the last seven years we have seen the
Conservatives consistently run the NHS into the ground amid creeping privatisation.
The second is the constant attempt to degrade immigrants and refugees, to present them as other, as
lesser, as alien.
It is a damning indictment of our society that anti-immigrant rhetoric has whipped us into a frenzy which
views pregnant women with distrust and disdain, rather than compassion.
Voices
No, the rich are not paying too

much of the nations tax
The libertarian novelist Ayn Rand claimed that taxes on the rich were economically destructive (Getty)
BEN CHU
ECONOMICS EDITOR
Death and taxes, as we all know, are the two great guarantees of life. But a strong
candidate for a third is crude anti-tax lobbying by the right-wing press. Their
favoured argument in recent years has been that the burden of taxation is falling
ever more heavily and unfairly on the very rich.
The Daily Telegraph this week presented an analysis showing that the top 1 per cent of income tax payers
pay 27 per cent of all income tax receipts, up from just 11 per cent in the 1970s. The report also noted that
the top 10 per cent of taxpayers account for 59 per cent of total receipts, up from 35 per cent in 1976.
It asserts that the wealthy are making a bigger contribution to the UKs income tax receipts than they
have done at any other point during the post-war era. The piece throws in references to the pledge from
the late Labour Chancellor Denis Healey to squeeze some unfortunate souls until the pips squeak and
warnings from a Conservative MP about how oppressive taxes are in danger of deterring smart people
from working.
But the analysis, like many previous ones in the same vein, is misleading because it neglects to mention a
crucial piece of context, namely that the very rich have been getting richer in recent decades especially
those at the very top.
According to the World Top Incomes database, the total pre-tax income share of the top 1 per cent of UK
earners has doubled since the 1970s from 6 per cent to around 12 per cent, largely a reflection of the
explosion in pay of financiers and senior company executives. The pre-tax income share of the top 10 per
cent has also risen since over that time from 30 per cent to 40 per cent. These groups are paying a larger
share of the total income tax take because they have larger slices of the pie than they used to.
This says little about the direction of tax policy. Rather, its an arithmetic property of a progressive income
tax system, whereby above certain thresholds a fixed proportion of earnings go to HMRC.
Another vital piece of context which these analyses omit, as Jonathan Portes of Kings College London
exhausts himself in stressing, is that income tax is not the only tax. In 2015-16 the Government raised
630bn in taxes. Of this just 27 per cent (169bn) came from the income taxes. Very large chunks came
from National Insurance (114bn), VAT (116bn) and corporation tax (45bn).
It is either ignorant or disingenuous to imply that the entire national tax burden is accounted for by the
income tax take. Any consideration of the social fairness of the tax system has to factor in the incidence of
other levies to be even vaguely credible.
There are, it is true, challenges presented by the disproportionate reliance of HMRC on a relatively small
number of high-income individuals. But despite the complaints of Tory MPs and right-wing newspapers
these challenges have nothing to do with equity or Ayn Rand-style effort deterrence.
This is rather an issue of practicality. The rich can shift their incomes about ominously easily, as we saw
vividly last year when a change in the taxation of dividends prompted large-scale income forestalling. An
army of well-resourced accountants generate (entirely legal) avoidance schemes, leaving HMRC
outgunned and ministers chasing their tails.
A part of the solution ought to be to shift the focus of taxation from income to residential property, where
wealth inequality is vast and avoidance is much harder. The capital gains and inheritance tax systems are
also in crying need of reform. The tax rates on the income of company owner managers should be brought
into line with that of employees to eradicate an obvious avenue for avoidance by the very wealthy.
But we should also be trying to reform the structure of our economy, which throws up such large pre-tax
disparities in pay. Pay at the very top is sometimes a reward for outstanding effort, inspiration and
entrepreneurial activity. But often it is merely zero-sum wealth extraction and the exploitation of
uncompetitive markets.
A more equal distribution of earnings would make the tax system less fragile. There are also reasons to
suspect this could result in more sustainable GDP growth due to higher corporate investment and
productivity.
A new tax campaign angle for the right-wing press? Dont hold your breath.
Voices
Why exactly did Macron and Le

Pen waste so much time talking
about the burkini?
Marine Le Pen receives make-up prior to the start of Mondays presidential TV debate (EPA)
HANNAH FEARN
France is facing a political crossroads. When the polls open in the race for president
at the end of next month, it will mark a battle between two ideological futures for
the nation: Marine Le Pens anti-immigration, nationalistic, far-right rhetoric
versus Emmanuel Macrons centrist, inclusive, Eurocentric vision of a nation of
equals.
Despite their myriad differences, though, when the two candidates clashed on a TV debate on Monday
night, they came back to an age-old debate that should never form part of a modern political platform
what women should do with their bodies.
The pair disagreed over the rising use of the burkini by Muslim women in France to cover themselves
while bathing or spending time on the beach. It is, for reasons inexplicable, a controversial garment in
France, and was for a brief period banned in Cannes and other French resorts for being culturally
provocative (this being a nation that is perfectly comfortable with a bit of naturism at the seaside). French
law courts saw sense, overturning such bans because they violate basic freedoms freedoms that one
hopes the French people will seek to secure when they cast their ballots in April and May.
Of course the two candidates were coming at the matter of the burkini from opposing positions. Le Pen
used its popularity as an example of why she believes French multiculturalism must come to an end, while
Macron accused his rival of deliberately making enemies of the French Muslim population. But whether in
support or defence of the burkini wearers, the spectacle of two presidential hopefuls slugging it out over
womens bodies and how they choose to cover them (or otherwise) in public leaves me queasy.
Not the EU, not the Eurozone crisis, not working with Trump or handling Brexit, but two political
powerhouses trading blows over a swimsuit. Is this really the pinnacle of political debate in a country on
the verge of an election that could prove defining in its cultural and geopolitical future?
After all, what business is it of politics to police womens appearance?
Womens bodies and what they do with them, how they dress them up, and with whom they choose to
share them should always be a personal matter and yet it never is. When feminists talk about the personal
being political, this is exactly what they mean. However hard women fight for the right to make decisions
about their bodies, those decisions are all too often the playground or the tool of political advancement
of others. Even today, even in modern-day France.
For all his attempts to protect the rights and freedoms of all women in France, Macron is playing the same
game by allowing Le Pen to use the burkini as a political football. Instead of deferring to the law courts and
closing down Le Pen by reminding her that French institutions defend the freedom of their citizens and
something as trivial as a piece of clothing is not worth the crucial, limited time he has on the stump in the
run-up to the election, he chose to jump in and use the issue for political capital.
The burkini is not just an issue of race or culture; it is about women and their bodies. No modern politician
should allow the choices of individual women to be abused in this way. But sadly, the policing of femininity
is with us as much today as it was centuries ago when the first edicts ordering women to cover their bodies
were issued.
Voices / Letters
McGuinnesss death sheds light

on a little-known illness
I have just heard the news of Martin McGuinnesss death, and despite the varying
views appearing in the media one aspect that has resonated with me has been the
portrayal of the human side of his passing. He suffered with the rare degenerative
disease that I also am being treated for since 2013, amyloidosis, which basically
attacks all the vital organs of the body. It is incurable but is treated with
chemotherapy and other drugs such as thalidomide which I have to take 21 days each month on top of
kidney dialysis three days a week in the Ulster Hospital. Last week I sent a card to Martin McGuinness
informing him that there were people in Bangor praying for him. I have no idea if the card, addressed to
Stormont, would have got to him in time, but I hope it did. Amyloidosis is a difficult disease and there is
little public awareness about it. Maybe one last legacy of Martin McGuinness will also be to help shed
more attention on this debilitating and serious illness.
Colin Nevin Address supplied
Gathering Momentum
Its a pity your commentators are more interested in Labour Party splits than in politics in action. At my
last Momentum meeting open to all with an interest in making things better for local people there was
informed debate about the problem of car traffic. Members had done their research on the streets with
interviews and data on the volume of cars. The discussion clearly linked in to broader political issues. It
was friendly, purposeful and a model of socialism in action. But the Labour party doesnt want to know.
Nicola Grove Wiltshire
The hypocrisy of the SNP

The SNP complains that Theresa May did not give the devolved administrations advance warning of her
intention to trigger Article 50 on 29 March. Actually, the Prime Minister told us all ages ago that she
would do this in the second half of March. Anyone remember how much notice Sturgeon gave the Prime
Minister of her intention to call for another Scottish independence referendum? Oh, thats right: none.
SNP hypocrisy knows no bounds.
Jill Stephenson Edinburgh
En vogue
In The Independent (News, yesterday), it was highlighted what Theresa May thought about being featured
in the April issue of American Vogue: Theresa May has said she is not interested in being popular, while
posing for superstar photographer Annie Leibovitz. Im just wondering how long the PM will be in vogue.
Robert D Dangoor London

Section 2 / The Big Read
ON CALL IN KARACHI
Who would risk their safety to tend to the injured in a city caught
between the dual pressures of poverty and violence? Samira Shackle
rides along with a driver from the worlds largest voluntary ambulance
service in Karachi
A relative mourns the death of a family member after a shooting in Baldia Town
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
AKHTAR SOOMRO/REUTERS
The impact of the explosion sent Muhammad Safdar flying backwards. He looked up from where he had
landed and saw that the glass on his parked ambulance had shattered.
As he tried to pick himself back up, fellow ambulance drivers from the Edhi Foundation gathered around
him; it looked as if Safdar was bleeding. But he had not suffered any external injuries. Human flesh got
stuck to me, he recalls now, as we sit in the ambulance control centre in downtown Karachi. My friends
were checking me for injuries, but it was pieces of other people. I was trembling hard and I couldnt hear
my own voice when I spoke. It sounded juddering. I could only hear whistles.
It was 5 February 2010 and Safdar had already dealt with the fallout of one explosion that day: an hour
before, a motorbike laden with explosives had slammed into a bus carrying Shia Muslims to a religious
procession. Safdar had raced to the scene to load the dead and injured into his ambulance and take them to
nearby Jinnah Hospital. With more than 30 injured people and 12 dead, the emergency room was chaos,
with people crying and screaming as doctors struggled to cope. He was still inside the hospital when the
second bomb exploded just outside the entrance.
Ambulance driver Safdar Mohamma attends an emergency
He did not realise until later that he had suffered head injuries. At the time, he followed his first instinct,
which was to get up and continue to help. A further 13 people were dead, with scores more injured.
Everything was a mess, there was blood everywhere, the whole place was like that, Safdar remembers.
The hospital entrance was badly damaged and there were fears that a third bomb could hit. Ambulance
drivers took the worst injured to other nearby hospitals for treatment. Three ambulances were completely
destroyed, so they worked with what they had.
Across the crowds of injured people, Safdar kept his eyes on his boss, Abdul Sattar Edhi, who was sitting
inside an ambulance. Despite being the famous founder of a huge charitable empire, Edhi made a point of
remaining at the frontline of rescue work. He had been collecting the dead and injured alongside his
workers. Safdar ran over to Edhi. I came to pick him up in case of a third blast, but he said, I am not
going. Wherever I am, there isnt a blast, so I am not moving. Safdar continued to haul bodies to
ambulances parked outside. Amid the dirt and blood of the explosion, he spotted something suspicious: a
noticeably clean-looking motorbike in the car park with a TV set strapped to the back. Safdar ran back to
Edhi to tell him what he had seen. Edhi alerted police and stayed put as they defused what turned out to be
a third bomb.
In 13 years as an Edhi ambulance driver, Safdar has lost count of the rescue jobs he has done. He has
entered burning buildings, dived into water after shipwrecks, retrieved bodies and survivors after terror
attacks and industrial accidents, and navigated running gun battles.
Safdar (centre) transports an injured paramilitary soldier who slipped from his bike
Sporting red T-shirts emblazoned with EDHI in bold white letters, these workers are a familiar sight at
Pakistans all too common disaster scenes. Here in Karachi, a throbbing megalopolis of around 20 million
people, there is no state ambulance service, despite overwhelming need.
For decades, Karachi has been troubled by violence. This is the countrys economic epicentre, where
Pakistans different ethnic groups come in search of work. Ethnic conflicts have been simmering since the
1950s, ramping up as conflict and natural disasters elsewhere in Pakistan pushed more people into the city.
For years, a brutal gang war raged in the slum of Lyari, and as terrorism drastically increased in Pakistan
after 2001, Karachi became a key militant operating ground. Since 2014, a bloody crackdown led by the
army has brought a semblance of calm, but tensions bubble under the surface.
Safdar, in his rudimentary ambulance, has been at the frontline of the multifaceted conflicts consuming his
city, placing himself at huge personal risk for very little money. What does it mean to be an ambulance
driver in an uncertain, violent and shifting context? And why would anyone choose to do it?
***
It was 2003 when Safdar first stumbled into the Edhi Foundations main office, shouting that his brother
had waited too long for an ambulance. Safdar was around 22 (it is common in Pakistan for people to be
unsure of their exact birth date), and his brother Adil was 20. Muhammad Liaqat was on duty. Our
reaction was not to reply in any aggressive way, he says. He has a very good heart, but he is hot-headed.
Adil had contracted polio as an infant, and the disease eradicated in much of the world but still endemic
in Pakistan left him disabled. He needed a series of painful leg operations. With no car and limited funds,
the family relied on Edhi ambulances low-cost transportation services.
The tea shop near to the office brews vats of traditional masala chai
Despite Safdars anger, he was impressed. I saw other people waiting at the hospital for hours for
transportation, he recalls. Edhi Sahib [a term of respect] alone was trying to help. Safdar had dreamed of
joining the army, but needed to stay at home because of Adils illness. So, he got a drivers licence and
joined the ambulance service. He saw the work we were doing and he got activated to join, says Liaqat.
Now he creates trouble for us every day.
Karachis ethnic conflict and violent gang war was in full flow. On his first day, Safdar went with another
driver to collect one of the unclaimed bodies frequently found on the streets. He couldnt look. The other
driver slapped him in the face. What do you think this is? he said. Its a human being. What are you? A
human being. Why are you behaving like this? Safdar picked up the corpse.
It takes time to get used to this work, he says. A lot of people leave after a week or so as they cant take
it. They have fear in them.
Walking the line: the Edhi Foundation office in Karachi
Safdar is a thin man with a meticulously stylish haircut, equally quick to laugh as to fly into a rage. His
boss, Anwar Kazmi, ironically introduces him to newcomers as our most polite driver. Safdar is
constantly chewing a betel nut derivative, which has an amphetamine effect a common habit among
drivers in Pakistan. He is outspoken and talks a million miles a minute, his rapid hand movements
expressing a world of emotion. He wants to punch the boss of the rival Chhipa Ambulance Service in the
face, and refuses to enter a government hospital where the proprietor was once rude to him. But he cannot
stand to see suffering, sometimes getting in trouble for using his siren for non-emergency call-outs, and
stopping to help if he spots anyone injured or lost on the road.
His usual base is at the Edhi Ambulance Services main control centre in Kharadar in Karachis bustling old
town. The office is open to the street, with a kiosk at the front for donations.
In a city where media groups and hospitals have armed guards, this accessibility is unusual for a high-
profile organisation. Inside, drivers sit and chat in between shifts, the overhead fan whirring and causing
the dim electric light to flicker over their faces. They standardly work shifts of 18, 24 or 36 hours. At night,
some nap on their ambulance stretchers. High up on a wall, stuck to peeling paintwork, are photographs of
nine drivers killed in service.
The bosses sit in this room too, behind two large desks. Kazmi, general manager and spokesman, is always
stationed at the right-hand desk, two phones and a mobile in front of him.
The organisation was founded by Kazmis friend, Abdul Sattar Edhi, a poor man from an Indian village who
came to Karachi at Partition in 1947. Starting with a small pharmacy tent, his work rapidly expanded,
powered by donations from ordinary citizens. With the help of his wife Bilquis, he set up a maternal health
clinic and a centre for abandoned children. A big donation allowed Edhi to buy his first ambulance, a
second-hand truck.
Rescue workers make way for an ambulance carrying victims of an attack on a bus
Pakistan can sometimes be a cruel environment, its residents caught between the dual pressures of poverty
and violence. Yet it is also a place of great kindness, with a strong culture of charitable giving. Donations
from what Edhi called the common man still power the foundation. It refuses state money, and has
politely turned away donations from businessmen it deems unethical. It fills many gaps left by the state,
operating a dizzying array of services, from homes for victims of domestic violence to food banks to a
shelter for stray animals.
Kazmi has a persistent cough and frequently quotes Karl Marx. Despite the heat, he wears a woolly hat and
a waistcoat over his salwar kameez. Im leftist-minded. Edhi Sahib was too, he tells me. Some 40 years
ago, he said to me, You cant say when the revolution will come, but this is a way to serve the common
man. Come and work with me. So I joined.
***
Pakistan is a conservative, religious state. Unusually, the Edhi Foundation ignores caste, creed, religion
and sect. This strict stance led to some criticism from the religious lobby while he was alive. Edhi lived in a
humble, ascetic way, even as his charity became a multimillion-pound enterprise. He never took a salary,
and refused to pander to his growing celebrity, preferring to sit outside the office with a begging bowl. He
lived with his wife and four children in a small, two-room apartment, and continued to take a leading role
in rescue operations like that at the Jinnah Hospital. He often took his sons with him.
Faisal Edhi, his eldest son, remembers the first time he saw the aftermath of a terrorist attack. It was 1986
and he was 10. People were burned. They were in pieces. I took a shroud from somebody and his face and
leg was next to each other. I still remember those scenes. It was very strange for me, that his leg is next to
his face. Actually, he was ripped apart.
When Edhi died on 8 July 2016, Pakistan entered a period of national mourning. He was hailed
internationally as the worlds greatest humanitarian. Leadership of the organisation passed to Faisal.
Criticism from religious conservatives about the familys beliefs ramped up. Donations dropped. Pakistan
is watching to see if Edhis legacy can be continued.
All bodies taken to the morgue are given a funeral service
Like other Edhi ambulance drivers, Safdar is technically a volunteer and works for a basic salary of 4,300
rupees a month ($43). A household driver would earn 10,00015,000 rupees. This basic salary covers the
high-risk rescue work; the easier patient services jobs moving people between hospitals and
transporting corpses incur a small fee, so drivers receive a commission of around 100 rupees ($1) per trip.
Sometimes patients tip. But clearly, money is not the motivating factor.
When Safdar talks about his medical knowledge, his face lights up. Edhi drivers receive a few days of basic
instruction, and those who display an aptitude later get more specialised training on an ad hoc basis. Safdar
can rattle through the procedure in the event of a heart attack, electrocution, broken bones, fire, bombs.
He has tricks for picking up heavy people, and uses the grubby cushion in his ambulance to prop up the
unconscious to keep their airways open. Doctors giving me these trainings would ask me how long I have
studied for, and I would show them my thumb, he says, proudly. This signifies illiteracy: those who
cannot sign their name use a thumbprint for official documents. Theyd say, You seem like youve
studied for a long time, because you know the right questions to ask.
He and other workers care passionately about continuing Edhis legacy. Staunchly non-hierarchical, Edhi
had a personal relationship with even his most junior staff. Safdar visits his grave regularly, and keeps in
his ambulance a dog-eared newspaper obituary, which quotes him saying that Edhi was like a father.
Safdar likes to look at the page, knowing his tribute is recorded.
***
Between jobs, Safdar can usually be found in one of the small shops near the Kharadar base. The biryani
stall dishes up heaps of steaming rice and meat to drivers on their breaks. The juice bar, with white walls
and bright orange plastic seats, sells fried chicken and canned drinks. Safdar loves to cook and sometimes
takes over the kitchen here. The tea shop nearby brews vats of traditional masala chai; milky, sweet, spiced
tea which fuels everyone at the Kharadar office through their long shifts.
Until recently, ambulance drivers were constantly on the go. Now that the security situation has calmed,
what drivers term gunshot incidents targeted killings, bomb attacks and gang battles are less
common.
Sitting in the tea shop, Safdar pours a small amount of his tea into the saucer so it will cool quicker,
slurping it up from the plate. I am always on call even though Im free right now, he says. A call comes
through. In an instant, Safdar is in his ambulance. There has been an explosion in the Defence Housing
Authority, an upmarket suburb.
As far as ambulances go, we are the dons and these guys are just kids
Safdar drives at alarming speed, weaving between lanes of traffic, careering down alleyways, siren blaring.
Edhi ambulances small Suzuki Bolan minivans equipped with a single stretcher and oxygen canister are
not set up for pre-hospital care. But their small size means they can zip through Karachis five lanes of
frequently gridlocked traffic at high velocity. Safdar shouts through his loudspeaker for people to move.
Hey Muslim! Go quicker! he calls to a man with a long beard wearing a prayer hat. Rickshaw driver, get
out of the way! Old lady, move it! Son of a bitch, are you drunk? He screeches to a halt outside the flats
where the explosion has taken place. A crowd of journalists has assembled, and blue-clad drivers from the
Chhipa Ambulance Service greet Safdar warmly.
The foundations ambulances transfer bodies to a graveyard
The Edhi Foundation has around 500 ambulances in Karachi, out of a fleet of more than 1,500 across
Pakistan. This makes it the worlds largest voluntary ambulance service. The Chhipa Ambulance Service is
also philanthropic, running on a similar model to Edhi. Founded in 2007, it is Karachis second-largest
ambulance fleet.
I dont consider them ambulances, mutters Safdar. As far as ambulances go, we are the dons and these
guys are just kids. Once, he got into a physical fight with some Chhipa drivers. Edhi was still alive then
and made sure Safdar was arrested. He wanted to teach me a lesson, Safdar says.
The Defence explosion was a domestic gas cylinder, and four people were badly injured. The rate of injury
and death from poor health and safety standards is particularly noticeable now violent crime has reduced.
The security crackdown began in earnest in 2014, triggered by two major incidents. One was a Taliban
attack on a school in Peshawar, one of the countrys northern cities, on 16 December, in which 150 people,
mostly children, were slaughtered. The other, on 8 June, was a brazen assault on Karachis airport. Around
11pm, ten heavily armed militants entered the airport and launched an assault. Heavy fighting with the
Airports Security Force ensued.
A group of Edhi workers arrived at the scene soon after the first blast and provided medical back-up to the
security forces. Clad in bulletproof vests, Safdar and his colleagues were inside the airport for 16 hours as
the gun battle raged. During the active fighting, our job was to keep in a corner and watch for injuries and
see if someone was shot, says Safdar. Workers darted out with their stretchers to pick up the wounded. Of
the 28 who died, 14 were security officials.
In Karachi, the security operation that ensued involved a substantial number of alleged extrajudicial
killings by police. Sometimes, ambulances are called to clear up the mess. On this subject, Safdar is
uncharacteristically reticent. Whether it is a big raid or a small one, back-up is needed. Sometimes we
arrive and find police in masks. It is our job to check if anyone is alive, not to ask any questions.
A woman arrives at a hospital in Karachi after an explosion at a shrine in Balochistan
Edhi workers have not always had an easy relationship with the police. In April 2012, Lyari was consumed
by a new iteration of an old gang war. The police staged a crackdown, shutting down electricity and water
supplies. Whole streets resembled a warzone as police and gangsters battled. With thousands of people
trapped inside without basic supplies, Edhi announced that his ambulances would deliver water, rice and
powdered milk door-to-door. This allegedly angered police, and led to widespread conspiracy theories and
(unsubstantiated) allegations that ambulance drivers distributed arms.
My job was to take groceries to homes, says Safdar. We couldnt do much for the injured as the
government was involved. But lots of families had other emergencies heart attacks, going into labour. We
catered for that despite the operation.
One day, Safdar claims that he and a colleague were apprehended by Chaudhry Aslam, the then police
superintendent. He cut open the sacks of rice, looking for weapons, and took them into custody. The
incident demonstrates the dangers of operating an ideologically independent organisation in a corrupt and
unpredictable state. Safdar is sanguine. My only regret is that I was not able to slap Chaudhry Aslam in
the face as he arrested us.
***
The call comes in the early afternoon. A dead body has been spotted in the sea, near the port. Siren
blaring, Safdar weaves between cars. It is not common for us to have accidents, and when we do, it is
usually the publics fault, he says. A large truck fails to give way. I dont think you can even hear the
horn! he shouts, glaring at the driver.
At the port, Safdar picks up the sheet from his stretcher. Bodies are harder to lift when they are
waterlogged: limbs are fragile and parts can come away. When the wooden rescue boat comes in, he and a
colleague climb nimbly down the rocks and onto the boat. They roll the corpse onto the sheet, wrap it
around, and carry it up to the waiting stretcher. It is a fresh corpse, a few hours old, and has not started to
smell. The man was in his 60s.
When a body is found, a strict procedure follows. The ambulance takes it to a government hospital, where
the death is logged and if possible, relatives contacted. If the person was not carrying ID, the body goes to
a police station. From there, it is taken to the Edhi mortuary, where further efforts are made to track its
identity. If this proves impossible, the body ends up in the Edhi graveyard.
There were so many bodies, in all conditions, fully mutilated, so there were just parts of them. When I saw
that, it was like the ground was pulled from under me
The Edhi mortuary is in Sohrab Goth, an impoverished area that until recently was an urban hotbed of
militancy. The mortuary is set back from the road, with a large open waiting area lined with benches where
relatives can wait. To the left are rooms where bodies are washed. To the right is the cold storage facility. A
strong smell of disinfectant pervades the building. This is the only functional morgue in Karachi.
Although state hospitals are equipped with cold storage facilities, most are not operational, with funds
earmarked for their maintenance frequently diverted elsewhere. The mortuary deals with unidentified
bodies and the aftermath of disasters, but families can also pay for deceased relatives to be stored while
they await burial, or for the bodies to be washed in the traditional Islamic way.
Ghulam Hussain, the senior clerk, has worked at the mortuary for 12 years. After his first day, he walked
out. There were so many bodies, in all conditions, fully mutilated, so there were just parts of them. When
I saw that, it was like the ground was pulled from under me. It is impossible to forget. It stays with me, it
never fades, he says. Two months later, he returned, and stayed. Slowly, I got used to it. Human beings
tend to manage things. He says that on average, between four and six unidentified bodies come in each
day, rising to between 10 and 12 in the summer. Up to 30 also arrive from families.
This is difficult work, and Hussain takes refuge in systems. He describes the details of procedures for
treating and identifying the bodies. Until a few years ago, bodies were buried within three days, in keeping
with the Islamic tradition of swift burial. Now that Pakistans ID card system is biometric, fingerprints are
taken from corpses and sent to the ID authority to check for a database match. This can take anything from
24 hours to several weeks.
It is our job to check if anyone is alive, not to ask questions
Two men arrive, looking for a relative who went missing eight years previously. Hussain gives them the
catalogue, a macabre photo album. When an unclaimed body arrives, staff take three photographs of the
face: one from the front and one from each side. These are filed along with a serial number that marks the
shroud and then the grave, so that even after burial relatives can find their loved ones.
The cold storage facility is a metal room with its own diesel generator to ensure the temperature remains at
zero degrees despite Karachis frequent power cuts. The bodies are laid out on metal grills, with three
levels. There are two halls. Both smell overpoweringly of disinfectant, but this does not entirely cover the
cloying smell of the corpses. In the first room are bodies brought by families for temporary storage,
entirely covered by white shrouds, with labels stating their name, age and religion. In the second are the
unidentified bodies. Their faces are showing a practical measure to ease identification. A stray hand or
foot sticks out in places. Some bear signs of violence, their shrouds bloodied. One mans face is caved in.
He was killed by a bullet to the head. It is not shocking at all to me to see bodies in such a state of
disarray, says Hussain.
When there is a big disaster a terror attack, a fire, a flood or heat wave the bodies usually pass through
the mortuary. Hussain is troubled not by things hes seen, but times when due process could not be
followed. On 11 September 2012, there was a huge fire at a textile factory in the district of Baldia Town.
The fire broke out near the compounds locked gates: there was no escape. Over 600 people were injured
and more than 200 died.
I am always on call, says Safdar
Safdar worked solidly for four days to retrieve dead bodies and survivors. The bodies were so badly burnt
that if you tried to hold them, they would crumble. It was so jelly-like that there was no way to hold on to
them or carry them out, he says. Youll hate me for saying this, but we had to use hooks from the
butchers shop to drag the bodies out, wrapped in plastic sheets. You dont think about it at the time. You
just have to do what the situation dictates.
Most of the bodies went to the hospital and then, too charred to be readily identified, to the mortuary. For
Hussain, it stands out not because of the overwhelming volume of bodies to process, wash and identify, but
because of the pressure to do so quickly. Karachi is highly politicised, and occasionally after a big disaster,
pressure is exerted by one criminal or political element or another to release bodies quickly. Thats what
happened in this case. We couldnt follow our procedures, says Hussain. We couldnt test the bodies.
He is sure that some went to the wrong families. That still distresses him.
***
On 12 December 2016, scores of ambulances line up opposite the Kharadar base. It is a public holiday, the
Prophet Muhammads birthday, and a conservative Sunni group is running its annual procession.
Overnight, shipping containers and blockades went up around the planned route, with paramilitary forces
standing guard. The Edhi Foundations logistical machine has kicked into action.
Safdar is late for work; he spent the morning preparing celebrations at home, ordering food and planning a
Quran recital for the evening. He is dressed up and wears a blue salwar kameez, not his usual cargo
trousers. Ignoring Kazmis sarcastic comment about his excellent timekeeping, Safdar pulls his red Edhi T-
shirt over the top.
Vehicles are stationed along the parade route, and Safdar drives to his spot. The rally fills up in the early
afternoon. Whole families drive in on motorbikes. Trucks with loudspeakers blast out religious music and
prayers and distribute free snacks. Sitting in his ambulance, looking at the crowds, Safdar remembers the
same event, exactly ten years before. The explosion had come in the evening, so loud that Safdar couldnt
hear for a few minutes. His ambulance filled with the injured and he tried to drive to the nearest hospital.
When a blast happens, people leave their cars, their bikes, their bags, everything. I drove my ambulance
over all this debris. I was trembling and there was a major problem with the vehicle. Only I can ever know
how I was able to drive my ambulance that day. A total of 57 people died.
Safdars worst memory is of the procession on the Shia holy day of Ashura in December 2009. Safdar and
his colleague Farrukh were stationed near an entrance. They left their vehicles to buy a drink from a
roadside stall. A man in a bulky heavy jacket entered. He detonated his suicide vest metres away from the
ambulances. Safdar, stunned by the impact but not injured, snapped into action. He realised quickly that
both ambulances were badly damaged, so he lifted the injured up, away from the crowd, awaiting back-up.
Through all this, I saw the top half of Farrukhs body lying there. More than 30 people died and dozens
were injured. Farrukhs face is displayed on the wall of dead ambulance drivers at the Kharadar office,
second from the left.
This year, the procession passes without incident, although the day before, police arrested a group of men
on suspicion of planning an attack, highlighting the continued threat at public gatherings. I havent spent
an Eid night at home since I started this job, says Safdar. Always I am driving, hoping nothing happens,
wearing these fancy clothes.
***
On an average day, a steady stream of people come into the Kharadar office, paying in small donations or
seeking help. One morning, a man comes in with his four-year-old daughter writhing in pain, her limbs
contorting. She cannot walk, he repeats, desperately. Staff pull out a dusty childs wheelchair. The family
leaves with it, without having to fill in a single piece of paperwork. Another day, a young woman with a
black eye walks in and declares she is running away from home. Within half an hour, an ambulance driver
has fetched a female case worker from the womens shelter.
The ambulance is the backbone of everything, says Faisal. Shelter homes and adoption centres run
because of the ambulances. The babies are found in the bushes, ambulances go and collect them. People
are lying on the street, ambulances get them.
The final stage of the journey that a body can make is to the cemetery. The day after the procession, Safdar
drives to the Edhi graveyard, a huge, flat expanse. Graves are demarcated with wooden signs bearing a
number, which are stuck into the earth. This number has followed each body from the morgue to its final
resting place. It corresponds to the number of bodies buried here. On this day, the latest number is 83,390.
Each of these 83,390 bodies was given a full funeral service, with four or five Edhi staff present. In Islam, it
is believed that you must join funeral prayers if you can, as it eases the persons journey to the next world.
Sometimes, other mourners join the prayers, and passers-by stop their motorbikes to join in. Safdar, who
has led the funeral prayers on many occasions, remembers times when 30 or 40 people have attended.
Some sections of the graveyard correspond to major disasters; there is a whole section for bodies still
unidentified after the Baldia fire, and a long trench where victims of the disastrous 2015 heatwave lie.
Some graves are no longer unmarked; families who have later tracked down a dead relative have paid to
erect proper gravestones, which stand out against the endless lines of wooden sticks.
If you see someone drowning and you can be of use, why wouldnt you help?
Most cemeteries in Pakistan are strictly divided along religious lines: Shia and Sunni are buried separately;
Hindus and Christians have their own burial grounds. Here, because the identity of the corpses is
unknown, people of different faiths lie side by side in eternity. Most people do not choose to exhume their
relatives to bury them on consecrated ground. Safdar points towards a grave marked with a wooden cross.
Edhi Sahib thought that all humans are equal, he says. Look at that Christian grave, whose relatives left
the body here even though it is a Muslim majority. This is a very beautiful thing to see in Pakistan.
He gets back into his ambulance to drive back to the base. Driving along, he sees an old man knocked off
his motorbike and immediately stops to help, administering first aid at the side of the road, expertly
checking for broken bones. As the man leaves, he grips Safdars hand. May you always be happy, he says.
Safdar gets back into his ambulance and drives on. If you see someone drowning and you can be of use,
why wouldnt you help? Its about help, not money, he says.
Since Edhi died, many onlookers in Pakistan have questioned whether the organisation can continue.
Safdar is adamant that things will not change. On his rare days off, he sometimes drives to Edhis grave in
Hyderabad, where he speaks to his mentor and promises to continue his legacy. Faisal admits that
donations are down 30 per cent since his fathers death, but ignores naysayers. When my father was alive
and people would criticise him, he used to say, We do not need to respond, our response is our work. So
thats what I say now. Our response is our work.
This article was first published by Wellcome on Mosaic and is republished here under a Creative Commons
licence
Section 2 / Features
RISE FROM THE ASHES

Syrias bloody civil war has reduced ancient cities to rubble, but there
is still hope that once vibrant cultural centres can be restored. After six
years, the conflict still shows no sign of abating, but Ataa Alsalloum
says its vital to start rebuilding
The ancient city of Damascus became a World Heritage site in 1979, but has been heavily damaged in the war (Yousseff Badawi)
As a Syrian architect, my enjoyment is complete when I wander through the districts of Old Damascus. I
used to walk with my daughter and tell her stories about each significant place we passed. In Old
Damascus one of the longest inhabited cities in the world 5,000 years of history come alive. The tight
network of traditional streets are complemented by stunning architectural masterpieces, such as the
ancient Umayyad Mosque (completed AD715), the Roman Temple of Jupiter and the Byzantine arches.
Al Asruniyeh souk was our favourite destination on special occasions. Al Asruniyeh is a commercial
neighbourhood located between the Citadel of Damascus and the Great Mosque of the Umayyads, inside
the walls of the ancient city. The souks of Damascus are part of daily life bustling marketplaces where
political, social and cultural differences are forgotten. But since the start of the armed conflict in Syria six
years ago, much has changed in my home town. Although the city remains relatively safe compared to
other parts of Syria, many have fled, lives and livelihoods have been lost, and treasured cultural heritage
has been destroyed.
In April 2016, a fire raged through Al-Asruniyeh. For the local community, losing part of Old Damascus is
like misplacing part of their own soul, their memory and identity. Yet history has shown that despite
attempts to destroy Damascus, it has always risen from the ashes, stronger and brighter, powered by the
local community. Time and time again, the Damascenes have proven adept at rebuilding their lives, and
their city, in the wake of disaster.
For the local community, losing part of Old Damascus is like misplacing part of their soul (Bryn
Pinzgauer/Flickr)
For example, in 1860 when Syria was under occupation by the Ottoman empire, the quarter of Bab Tuma
in the north-east of the city was ransacked. More than 3,500 houses, churches and monasteries were
comprehensively looted and set ablaze. Hundreds of people were killed and thousands were displaced.
The district was rebuilt between 1863 and 1880 by local builders who returned after the clash. Elements of
the old Bab Tuma were preserved by using traditional materials to create similar urban forms. Yet
innovative features were also added. Builders used new decorative techniques, and added open windows to
the faades as a reflection of new social needs, opening them up to the street outside.
Bab Tuma, the Christian quarter of the city, was rebuilt in the 1800s (Ataa Alsalloum)
Again, on 18 October 1925, the city was bombed by the French army in an attempt to quell a revolution
against French rule. As a result, the western district known at that time as Sidi Amoud was mostly
destroyed. Several traditional masterpieces were burnt or damaged, and hundreds of lives were lost.
The destruction after the French attack, with the minarets of the Umayyan mosque on the horizon
The district was remodelled in 1926 by the French, this time according to modern European
characteristics. The local community, who had no voice in this reconstruction, changed the districts name
into Al-Hariqah which means fire in Arabic to commemorate the terrible event. This rebuilt area has
a peculiar character. The orthogonal road network and the heights of the buildings differ from the organic
urban fabric of Old Damascus, and the new structures do little to reflect what was lost.
Today, Damascenes are once again confronted with the task of rebuilding and this time, they control the
outcome. Yet the loss of Al-Asruniyeh raises critical questions about what should rise in its place. The
history of Damascus shows that when ruins are rebuilt by the local community, the new layer is imbued
with the soul of the city. Rather than covering up the citys history, the new buildings become a part of it.
For that reason, community input is needed now more than ever before.
The heritage of Syria has been a source of pride and dignity for the Syrians, despite differences in religion
and political opinion. Their built heritage has been always a source of shared memory and history, as we all
enjoy its authentic and aesthetic character. Old Damascus, with all its souks, khans and districts, embodies
Syrians cultural, social, educational and economic values. Because of this, safeguarding the architectural
characteristics of the old city should be a cornerstone of the reconstruction process. City authorities must
develop a plan to manage Old Damascuss urban heritage, in a way that upholds its social and cultural
integrity.
The district of Al-Hariqah which means fire in Arabic (Ataa Alsalloum)
Whats more, rebuilding the Al Asruniyeh souk presents an opportunity for reconciliation. Although the
armed conflict continues, Syria has been enduring it with dignity and pride. Starting the reconstruction
now is vital, to encourage Syrians to return and participate in rebuilding their country, spreading a feeling
of safety, ownership and pride in the city once more.
Ataa Alsalloum is a research fellow in architecture at the University of Liverpool. This article first appeared on
The Conversation (theconversation.com)
Section 2 / Features
THE SCARS OF WAR

The city of black and white stones lies in ruins, but while Homs must
move on from the destruction unleashed upon it, keeping reminders of
the devastation within the citys fabric will ensure it never happens
again, says Ammar Azzouz
Prior to the war, Homs had approximately 800,000 residents (Chaoyue Pan/Flickr)
As the conflict in Syria enters its seventh year, the toll it has taken on my home town of Homs continues to
grow. Much of the citys built environment has been damaged or destroyed: as of 2014, 50 per cent of
Homss neighbourhoods had been heavily damaged, and 22 per cent had been partially damaged. This has
affected every aspect of daily life for the Homsians who remain.
Prior to the war, Homs had approximately 800,000 residents, the third-largest city in Syria in terms of
population. The city is renowned for its rich history, multicultural communities and unique historical
architectural style namely the Ablaq architecture, which involves alternating rows of light and dark
brickwork. For this reason, Homs is fondly known as the city of black and white stones.
Ablaq-style architecture at the Khalid ibn al-Walid mosque in Homs (Beshr Abdulhadi/Flickr)
Over the centuries, Homs has attracted many different civilisations including Greeks, Romans and
Ottomans which have all had an impact on the citys cultural, religious, architectural and political
landscapes. Each of these transformations has helped to make Homs a massive museum, full of ancient
treasures. For instance, the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in the heart of Homs was originally a temple of
worship for the Syro-Roman sun god El-Gabal. Later, it was converted into the Church of St John the
Baptist, then transformed into a mosque.
But over the past six years the eyes of the world have been forced to witness the savage destruction of
Homs. Many have fled from the fighting. Lives and livelihoods have been lost and some of the citys most
treasured architecture has been reduced to rubble. Observing the destruction from afar, the only way to
avoid feeling powerless is to believe that Homs can be resurrected.
The ancient market in the heart of the city (Getty)
Scholars Lawrence Vale and Thomas Campanella have written about how traumatised and wounded cities
can recover after disasters. They point out that for as long as cities have existed they have been destroyed
and in almost every case they have risen again like the mythical phoenix. Cities such as Baghdad,
Moscow, Aleppo, Mexico City, and Budapest lost between 60 per cent and 90 per cent of their
populations due to wars, yet they were rebuilt and eventually rebounded, they say.
Similarly, I believe Homs can regenerate itself. But there are some important lessons to consider when
reweaving its damaged urban fabric.
Lesson 1: engage the community
The local communities of Homs should be involved in the rebuilding process to ensure that all members of
society are accounted for in the new designs. Regeneration programmes should include a deep and
detailed understanding of local priorities and careful consideration for the people affected.
This can be achieved by bridging the gaps between local authorities, designers, planners, researchers and
most importantly the local community. Local people should be consulted through workshops,
conferences and research to record their thoughts and understand their needs. This way, regeneration
projects will unite Homsians from all walks of life and give them a voice and a sense of belonging.
Lesson 2: respect local traditions
In many post-war reconstructions, the urban memory of cities has been replaced with new, forgetful
landscapes. After the civil war in Beirut, Lebanon (1975 to 1990), the city centre was completely reshaped
and replaced with a post-modern construction. Scholars reckoned that the original fabric was completely
cleared on around 80 per cent of the area. In the end, far more buildings were demolished during the
reconstruction than had been destroyed during the civil war.
Beirut was completely reshaped after the Lebanese Civil War (Shutterstock)
Post-disaster reconstruction should not bury the scars of the war by creating a completely new face for the
city. Instead, a faithful reconstruction should preserve and respect the pre-war memories, values and
traditions of Homs. Developers should consider the varied architectural styles of the city, while avoiding
previous planning problems such as poor public transportation systems, impractical architectural styles
that do not fit the lifestyle in Homs and neglect of the old city of Homs and its legacy.
Lesson 3: remember the war
Though it is difficult, a post-war Homs should not try to revive the pre-war era. Memories of war will no
doubt be recounted by families, artists and writers. Likewise, the destruction of the city should be
memorialised in its architecture, to serve as a powerful warning to future generations about the cost of
conflict.
Some of the Berlin Wall still stands as a reminder to future generations (Fabiano Rebeque/Flickr)
Many post-war cities have done this very effectively. In Berlin, the wall that divided the city into East and
West still stands, but has been colourfully painted by artists, residents and tourists. In England, Coventry
Cathedral was left without a roof after being bombed in the Second World War, creating a garden of
remembrance. And the ruins of an exhibition hall in Hiroshima were transformed into the Genbaku Dome
Peace Memorial, to remember the tens of thousands of people who were instantly killed by the first atom
bomb ever used in war.
Most of all, the reconstruction of Homs must not generate new divisions
The next generations of Homsians should have sites like this, which they can explore, and hopefully avoid
repeating history and its mistakes. Most of all, the reconstruction of Homs must not generate new
divisions. Instead, more public spaces should be created to bring people together, where formerly
architecture has separated them into different spaces for living, working and socialising based on social
class, income and religion.
In this way, new sites can address problems such as inequality and segregation, while helping to heal the
wounds of the city and create a united civic society. It will take a lot of imagination. But Homs is a resilient
city, precisely because of the power, faith and patience of its resilient inhabitants.
Ammar Azzouz is a PhD Candidate at the University of Bath. This article first appeared on The Conversation
(theconversation.com)
Section 2 / Traveller
DIG THE NEW SCENE

In the Ruhr region countryside lie the scars of a long dead coal mining
industry. Chris Beanland visits a former mine thats gone from
eyesore to Unesco World Heritage status
You wouldnt think a defunct coal mine could be a tourist attraction, but Germanys Zollverein is not your average coal mine (Frank
Vinken/Stiftung Zollverein)
The worlds most beautiful coal mine: it sounds like a contradiction in terms, but Zollverein will stop you
in your tracks. My first sight of the site is arresting: Shaft 12s unique double pit head tower, featuring two
winding wheels to drag coal to the surface. The pit head tower is, in a sense, generic shorthand for a mine
but this one, double-headed, is literally twice as good, a testament to German engineering innovation.
Shaft 12 has also become a kind of shorthand symbol of the city of Essen and the Ruhr region which
surrounds it an odd, sprawling concoction of a dozen towns pock-marked with the handsome scars of
former industrial achievements. Its a land of deserted buildings and post-apocalyptic splashes of unkempt
green space.
Surrounding the pit head tower are some refined, modernist brown brick buildings sporting neat lines of
windows. These are the beauties to coal minings beast. They were designed by Martin Kremmer and Fritz
Schrupp, two students of Walter Gropius, who brought the slick Bauhaus style to the world of grit, grime
and gloom. They were finished in 1932 but few of the thousands who toiled here ever saw them their
days of hacking, drilling and sweating began and ended in darkness.
Since its closure, Zollvereins been turned into a park-like space beloved by locals
(GNTO/Zollverein)
You can go inside these unique, Unesco World Heritage-designated buildings on English language tours
every Saturday and Sunday at 3pm. Over two hours (and for 9.50 a head), youll learn about the history of
the 19-century mine and about the black gold that was dug up here to fuel Germanys industrial
revolution.
Slick audio-visual tricks bring the process to life in the coal sorting hall youll hear the sound of the
clanking tubs that scuttled around and contained the rocks and coal from below. You cant go underground
these days the shafts have long been sealed but you dont feel the lack. Urbane tour guide Karl a
former heavy industry manager himself is exceptional, bringing the story to life with verve.
The old coal washing room not a place where the dirty rocks were cleaned but rather where the coal was
mixed with water on its journey to becoming coke has been turned into a visitor centre and the official
Museum of the Ruhr, telling the story of this enigmatic collection of mines, factories, smelters and the
towns that housed their workers. To get up to the coal washing room, you travel upwards on some of the
longest outdoor escalators in the world, their sides illuminated in bright orange light to evoke the fiery past
of the place.
The museum and visitor centre used to be the coal washing room (Stiftung Zollverein/GNTO)
But this is only half the story of Zollverein. To fully appreciate its weirdness and wonderful solitude, you
need to peel off from the tourist trail and go rambling without a guide or map. Allowing myself to get lost
for hours is a dream come true (if you were the sort of child who loved exploring especially in places
where you werent allowed this place is for you). Scrambling up a hill, I see old pipelines stretching into
the distance. I squeeze through holes in fences, feel my heart quicken as a I stray onto railway lines that
(Im pretty sure) are not operational any more, and admire the alien shapes of towers and boilers and
warehouses. Its urban exploration at its finest.
There are huge holes in the ground and atmospheric open spaces Zollverein is a work in progress, still
having its rough edges smoothed. From behind some trees, the terrifying outline of a coal cutting machine
as tall as a five-storey building looms like a monster with gnashing teeth. Most unexpectedly in this
industrial zone, everywhere there is green. The natural world is slowly reclaiming this once-polluted area,
and the Zollverein gardeners thoughtfully plant trees and shrubs too. Locals come here to walk, bike and
hold outdoor events in winter, theres even ice-skating. From industry to nature, from a scar on the
landscape to an integral part of it: Zollverein has come full circle.
Its now a great place for some safe urban exploration (GNTO/Zollverein)
Essentials
Getting there
Flybe flies to Dsseldorf, 45 minutes away, from London City, Manchester, Southampton, Birmingham,
Cardiff, Guernsey and Jersey. From Dsseldorf, regular DB trains connect to Essen Zollverein Nord
Station. The journey takes 40 minutes.
Staying there
The writer stayed as a guest of the Swissotel Dsseldorf Neuss. Doubles from 123, B&B.
More information
germany.travel
zollverein.de
Section 2 / Traveller
DISCOVER A RIGHT KIP

Ever let loose on holiday only to find you cant sleep? Theres a
biological reason for that, discovers Dawn Emery, who hears a sleep
expert explain how to tackle the phenomenon
Cocooning yourself with an eye mask and ear plugs helps prepare for a new time zone (Rex)
We all go on holiday for some rest and relaxation and then often find we cant sleep.
The bad news is that theres a biological reason why most of us wont sleep very well on the first night.
Scientists have discovered that we sleep poorly when we first arrive at an unfamiliar place because one half
of our brain stays more alert to keep watch in case of danger.
It goes back to our evolutionary past, says Dr Guy Meadows, clinical director of The Sleep School and
brand ambassador for Bensons for Beds. Its a natural survival tendency. We see it in wild animals and
birds too. Dolphins will sleep with one eye closed while the other is looking out for sharks. On the first
night in a hotel, our brains are more vigilant, looking out for lions and tigers. Its the same area of the
brain that we see activated in chronic insomnia sufferers.
The key is to try to dilute the sense that its a foreign environment. Humans are very routine-based. If you
have a pillow that youre quite particular about, pack it itll give your body a sense of recognition. Or take
a family photo to keep by your bedside to give a sense of home away from home.
For the best chance of catching some holiday shut-eye, Meadows talks us through the techniques that
work best.
Sleeping pills sound like a good idea, but theyre best avoided (Rex)
Before you go
Pre-empt jetlag by tweaking your sleeping patterns in the lead-up to your trip. Jetlag is a confusion
between your internal body clock and the actual time, and it gets much worse when youre travelling east
as youre losing time, says Meadows. But you can adapt your body clock before arrival. Adjust the time
you go to sleep and wake up in the days before you leave, so that youre moving towards your new time
zone. Even if youre flying longhaul, and cant sleep to your destinations schedule, getting closer by a few
hours will take less time to adapt.
Dont overstimulate your brain if you want to sleep on the flight (Rex)
On the flight
Sleeping tablets may seem oh-so-tempting when youre desperate for a quick fix. But theyre not always
ideal to take on flights as you need to be awake when you land. Its increasingly becoming a really big
problem for cabin crew, who have to try to wake up drugged individuals who are out for the count, says
Meadows. I would not advise taking them, especially if youre not used to them. Instead, he advises
upping your comfort levels. Ill wear comfortable clothes, a top with a big hood, an eye mask and ear
plugs, to make myself a little cocoon, says Meadows. Ill tell my neighbour that I dont want to be
disturbed, so I dont get woken up every time the cabin crew comes round offering drinks. He doesnt
indulge, either. Planes can be incredibly stimulating. I know it makes the flight more boring, but its best
to avoid caffeine, alcohol and watching films, as they keep your brain more awake.
To get some shut-eye, Meadows says its best to recline your seat just know that the person behind you
might hate you. The British Chiropractic Association recommend leaning back at a 135-degree angle to
help reduce pressure on the spine. Window seats obviously mean you have less chance of being disturbed
if you want to nap. And if youre willing to look utterly ridiculous on the plane, try an ostrich pillow,
which envelops your head.
Even sleeping well in a hotel takes some planning (Maxpixel.Freegreatpicture.com )
Before arrival
Dont leave things to chance if youre easily disturbed by noise, you should tee up your hotel room when
you book it. Midway down a corridor is usually the safest bet that means youre away from lifts and exits.
In large hotels, try a room on a higher level, reducing the chance of being kept awake by the sound of large
groups, restaurants and ballrooms. For low-rise hotels, rooms towards the back are often quieter even if
you do have to sacrifice a view. But above all, try not to worry. If the noise is really bad, you can always
ask reception if they can move you, says Meadows. But often the thing that keeps people awake isnt the
actual noises from outside its the chatter in the mind around that. Its your mind telling you, Im never
going to sleep here and the anxiety around that.
Dont go all out with a big dinner on your first night, either. Heavy meals arent ideal before bedtime, as
your body has to work harder to digest them. Try to have protein with your last meal of the day one thats
rich in tryptohan, an amino acid thats used to make melatonin, the hormone which regulates our sleep
cycles (turkey has it in high quantities, as do fish, seeds, eggs and tofu). Omega-3 fatty acids (in fish, nuts
and seeds) can also help to relax the mind and muscles.
In your hotel room
The amount of light stimulation is a problem these days, says Meadows. Especially when youre away
for work, its tempting to be on your laptop until you go to sleep. But Id recommend switching off phones
and laptops 30-40 minutes before you go to bed. Light from screens and outside sources can affect
melatonin production. Keep your room as dark as possible this includes switching off standby lights
and televisions if you have to, says Meadows. Its also worth checking whether your hotel has blackout
blinds, and if it has a pillow menu, dont feel guilty about requesting several options.
Be careful with the air conditioning, too. We tend to sleep better when the temperature is 16-17 degrees,
says Meadows. It can be challenging when youre away. If you have the air con on, then the air can be
really dry and you need more humidity, so its about striking a balance between the two.
Hands off your phone if you want a good nights sleep (Rex)
Nodding off
Mindfulness is one of the techniques used by The Sleep School to successfully cure insomnia. It helps
calm those threat-detecting areas of your brain, says Meadows. Practise it on the plane or when youre in
bed ready to sleep. You might lie there just focusing on the movement of your breath, as a way to notice
and let go of thoughts in a non-judgmental, accepting manner. This is also why you should stay away from
your phone and computer: the physical act of sending emails and texts, he says, can increase stress levels,
which is also counteractive to getting a restful sleep.
Section 2 / Travel question
SHOULD WE CANCEL
OUR VENICE TRIP?
Have a question? Ask our expert Simon Calder
A visit to St Marks Square could be jeopardised by high water (Getty)
Q We are supposed to going to Venice this weekend but news reports suggest the acqua alta (high water)
has caused the worst floods for 22 years and that St Marks Square is under five feet of water. We don't
want to go and sit in a hotel room for three days. Can we claim on travel insurance?
JW
A First, I have been unable to substantiate a media report about severe acqua alta, where high winds and
high tides combine to cause flooding in Venice. The last spring tide (when the peak water level is higher
than usual) was on 14 March, and the next is on 29 March. You will avoid both. But if high water is a
problem, your rights depend on the nature of your trip.
If you have booked a package (ie flights and accommodation in the same transaction), then you can argue
to your tour operator that the flooding constitutes a significant alteration to the contract terms, and that
you should be able to change destination or get a refund.
You may, though, have bought flights and accommodation separately. In this case, the airline is able to say:
Your flights are unaffected. Since our contract with you is to fly you to Venice Marco Polo airport, and we
are still able to do that, you have no grounds to cancel. Similarly, if the hotel is still to host you
adequately, the fact that the water levels are too high for you properly to enjoy your break is not, with
respect, their problem.
Travel insurance is intended to make good financial losses, not loss of enjoyment. I fear you would have no
joy seeking compensation for the cost of the holiday, though sometimes good insurers will give
policyholders the benefit of the doubt.
Should you be in the position of holding separate reservations for train and plane, I suggest you ask the
hotelier if you can cancel or postpone your booking. But fly to Venice as booked, but go west from the
airport in Venice to Padua easily accessible by train from Mestre station, the closest to Marco Polo
airport.
Padua is in the shadow of Venice, but full of wonders such as the Scrovegni Chapel, a church oddly
located close to the railway station, which contains an early 14th-century fresco cycle by Giotto. Prices are
lower than in Venice, and the old town is full of family-run bars and restaurants.
If time allows, you could also make side-trips to Verona or Vicenza, also easy to reach by train.
Every day, our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, tackles a readers question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv
or tweet @simoncalder
Section 2 / IndyBest
JUST THE TICKET

Becca Meier picks out a dozen travel wallets, from budget to
luxurious, to help keep all your cards, documents and ID safe
Some organisers put security at the top of the list, others go for sheer decadence and looks
Whether youre jetting off on a city break, trekking through the Andes or going on a school trip to
Disneyland, going on holiday comes with admin. Passports, currency, boarding passes, bank cards,
booking confirmations, travel insurance you need it all, and it all needs a place to go. Yes, you may have
your airline app on your phone, but you still need somewhere to put your money and your passport at the
very least.
That is where a travel wallet can come in, to keep everything in one place. Weve found the best of the
bunch, from practical, durable options that feature RFiD-blocking tough material that stops anyone
electronically skimming your details from the chips on your cards and passport and weatherproof
materials, to the more luxurious leather numbers. Weve got it all here so you can forget the faff, kick back
and relax.
1. Kipling Travel Doc Travel Document Holder: 29, Kipling
You can rely on Belgian accessories brand Kipling for hard-wearing accessories in playful designs and a
variety of colours. This fun, zip-around wallet comes in five different patterns (our favourite is this
monochrome, spotty one) and is made from the brands water-repellent and crinkle-free nylon. It also
features a pen loop, slip-in pockets for cards, an ID window, and a zipped pocket for any loose change.
Kiplings circular logo adorns the exterior. For us, it strikes the ideal balance between stylish and practical.
2. GoTravel Glo Travel Wallet: 4.66, Amazon

This is a simple PVC organiser for those who like a pop of colour in their luggage (or a wallet that is easy to
spot). This one comes in either blue, yellow, orange or pink with a white holiday-related motif printed on
the front with a little motto, such as the sky is the limit, or check in and chill out. Although slim, it
features five internal compartments inside, which can fit a passport alongside other cards and tickets. The
small, italicised print quotation on the move with you is a subtle detail on the otherwise low-key
interior. All in all, a lovely option for solo travellers who want a bright, lightweight way to keep organised.
3. Busy B Travel Wallet: 14.90, Amazon

This large, faux-leather wallet from family-run brand Busy B can fit up to six passports and features simple,
slip-in compartments for any travel documents you might have. The cute, multi-colour polka-dot exterior
secures with an elastic band and would provide a lovely addition to anyones travel luggage, particularly if
they need to carry several passports.
4. LifeVenture RFiD Mini Travel Document Wallet: 20, Blacks
This compact, weather-proof wallet from backpacking specialist LifeVenture is super-practical. The
charcoal-coloured wallet uses anti-RFiD material, so your bank details and identity should be safe. Deep
sky blue detailing features in the interior, along with a zip compartment, a smartphone stash pocket, an
external slip pocket and a central pen loop. It can also fit two passports. We think its a steal for 20 quid.
5. GoTravel RFiD Blocking Organiser: 19.99, John Lewis
Like the LifeVenture wallet, this also protects your digital data with its RFiD-blocking material. The jet-
black wallet features a pen loop, seven slip-in card compartments, two zip pockets, and a wealth of other
slip-in compartments. It can fit at least four passports, and a nifty cotton handle attached with poppers also
enhances how practical it already is. It may not be as style-focused as some on the list, but if youre a
traveller responsible for multiple passports and tickets, this is the product for you. Teachers and parents,
were looking at you.
6. Cath Kidston Breton Stripe: 22, Cath Kidston

This glossy Breton-striped wallet is eye-catching and so slim that it could easily pass for a small notebook.
Silver letter detailing inside labels its compartments for boarding pass, currency and passport, and
the currency wallet is detachable with its own zip for extra security. A plastic ID window makes for a
cherry on top of how useable it is. If you like Breton stripes, you can also match it with several other Cath
Kidston luggage products. This is a great, nautical-style wallet lovely for a beachy holiday (and the PVC-
coated cotton makes it easy to wipe any sand off).
7. Ted Baker Voyagers Travel Wallet and Pen: 30, John Lewis
This reasonably priced leather wallet is great for those who like to travel light. Made of smooth black
leather, it is no bigger than a passport, but is still roomy enough for any insurance cards or flight tickets. A
simple line of laser-cut circular detailing and copper-print branding on its exterior provides a subtle
decorative touch, alongside the italic well-travelled motif on the interior. A small navy pen also hides
behind its suede interior for scribbling down your travel itinerary. It also comes in an illustrated box,
which makes it a great gift option.
8. Scaramanga Leather Travel Wallet: 37.50, Scaramanga

We think this is a beautiful product from the Scottish leather specialist. Scaramanga hand-makes its pieces
using traditional methods, so the natural properties of the buffalo leather are the star of the show here. The
wallet itself is a relatively simple design. It features two slip-in compartments, a zipped pocket for any
loose change and theres subtle branding under the front flap. It comes in a beige muslin drawstring bag
with multi-coloured strings, making it an ideal one to gift someone off on their travels.
9. Fjallraven Travel Wallet: 55, Cotswold Outdoor

Fjallraven is best known for its canvas backpacks that come in a rainbow of colours, but we think its other
products are worthy of attention too. This wallet has a caramel-coloured tan, polyester-cotton interior with
a central leather pen loop. Its roomy enough to be able to fit two passports, seven bank cards, and also has
a small zip compartment for coins, so is ideal for those travelling in a pair. A small, tan leather fox on the
front exterior completes the products branding. It also has an open slip-in compartment on its back
exterior. It comes in seven different colours, and gets points from us for its combination of practicality and
looks.
10. Radley Abbey Large Travel Wallet: 75, John Lewis

This one looks like a standard, if stylish, leather travel wallet from the outside. But open it up and things
get interesting. Using four different colours white, fuchsia, baby pink and a blue there are pockets for
cards, passport and tickets, denoted in silver foil lettering, as well as a few left blank for extra papers.
The double popper-closure keeps everything secure, as does the zipped pocket at the back. It comes in a
drawstring dust bag, again, making it another good pressie. Also comes in black.
11. M&S Luxury Leather Double Travel Wallet: 89, M&S

M&S is a master of accessories, but we think this leather wallet is one of its best-kept secrets. Made of 100
per cent black leather, it has multiple tabs and compartments, labelled with silver embossing helpful
labels under either passport, currency or documents. Inside, you also get multiple zips for extra
security and to keep all your coins in check, and theres a detachable strap, which makes it just that bit
more portable.
12. Aspinal of London Classic Travel Wallet: 130, Aspinal of London

This beautiful, lizard-print Italian calf leather wallet is a structured, yet classy, affair. It comes in twelve
different colours, ranging from midnight blue to grass green lizard, and has options for personalised
embossing or engraving, and gift wrapping. The interior is lined with cream suede, and features capitalised
silver print branding and labelling on each of the four tabbed compartments for tickets, passport,
documents, and other. There is also a zipped pocket for currency and a long slip-in compartment for
any boarding passes. Its like an indulgent file organiser, and by no means a bargain, but for those who like
to travel in luxury, its a no-brainer.
The Verdict: Travel wallets
If you really want to strike the balance between durability and style, wed opt for the polka-dot Kipling
number. Its pretty, secure, and doesnt cost the world. If practicality and security are the order of the day,
go for LifeVentures Mini RFiD wallet instead to bump up the security. Backpackers, parents and
teachers: consider either the Busy B, or the GoTravel RFiD Blocking Organiser, both of which can fit
multiple passports and docs. And if you have a higher budget and just cant resist a bit of leather, wed have
to recommend the Aspinal.
Section 2 / Arts
TIPS OF THE TONGUE

Linguist Jessica Coon was a consultant on the alien movie
Arrival. She talks to Jack Shepherd about how to make contact with
extraterrestrials, whether emoji can replace written words and Donald
Trump's effect on language
Jessica Coon of McGill University, Montreal, advised the filmmakers on how characters would communicate with an alien life form
When it comes to the Best Picture category, the Oscars often ignore science-fiction. Yet, last year, the
academy made an exception as Denis Villeneuves Arrival was nominated thanks to its complex story,
superb choreography and wonderful leading character, Louise Banks, played by the ever-brilliant Amy
Adams. (While the thinking mans Independence Day lost to Moonlight for Best Picture, Arrival managed
to bag Best Sound Editing, besting the nights big winner, La La Land.)
In the film an adaptation of a short story by Ted Chiang, Story of Your Life Earth is visited by
extraterrestrials, known by humans as heptapods. They appear in huge, black spacecraft and, although
they dont attack mankind, various leaders of the world view them as a threat. Unable to communicate
with the aliens, Dr Banks, a linguistics teacher, is employed by the US army to translate their language into
English.
Jessica Coon, an associate professor in the Department of Linguistics at McGill University, Montreal,
acted as a consultant on Arrival, helping Villeneuve and Adams accurately bring Dr Banks to life. As well
as providing pointers to what the characters office would look like, Coon looked over the films script,
discussing with the filmmakers how a linguist a person who studies linguistics, defined as the scientific
study of human language would go about communicating with an alien life form.
It would be surprising if they were similar-to-human language because human languages are directly tied to
out genes to our humanness
There were a lot of things the film got really right when it comes to doing fieldwork, Coon says. Earlier
on in the film, shes the first person to take off her helmet and really try to interact with the heptapods in a
meaningful way. As linguists, were interested in the more abstract properties of languages, but you cant
get at those directly. You have to interact with speakers of those languages, whether that be human
language or alien languages.
Another prominent point the filmmakers get right is how Banks asks simple questions at first, rather than
complex. You have to understand the smaller parts first because theres so much room for
miscommunication and certainly in this case the stakes are very high. You want to make sure you
understand whats being communicated, and what the possible ambiguities are.
In many ways, Coon explains, the way Banks translates the alien language is similar to how we would
translate another human language into our own. First, you have to establish that both parties are trying to
communicate with each other. One starting point is then looking at common objects and attempting to
interpret how each group communicates what that thing is. For instance, the scientists in Arrival names
the two heptapods Abbott and Costello. After learning how the aliens say these, Banks can act out walking
and get the sentence Costello is walking from them. By taking away the known word for Costello, the
scientists can work out the action itself.
In Arrival, Amy Adams plays a linguistics teacher employed by the US army to translate aliens'
language into English
While building from simple to complex sentences is a tactic used when communicating between unknown
languages, when it comes to human languages we have a huge head start. Human languages share certain
things in common," Coon says. "We know how to find certain patterns, and when we find one common
property we are able to find others. Human language seems to be very directly linked to other more
general aspects of human cognition."
Humans are born ready to learn human languages and humans can do this effortlessly. When it comes to
alien languages, we do not have this luxury. It would be very surprising, actually, if they were similar-to-
human language because, really, human languages are directly tied to out genes to our humanness and
so we can expect alien languages to differ hugely from our own.
This directly ties into a leading theory within the study of linguistics: universal grammar. Often credited to
Noam Chomsky, the idea postulates how human language is innately tied to what makes us human; that
whatever the case, humans will develop languages that share certain properties. Toddlers are very bad at
doing basic things like tying their shoes or adding numbers, Coon says. But they learn very complicated
linguistic decisions effortlessly.
What of the evolution of language? Have these innate properties we pick up effortlessly as toddlers
changed over time? Languages, of course, change over time we dont speak Latin anymore but they
dont change in any qualitative way. Theres no evidence language is improving in any meaningful way.
People talk about human languages evolving, but really theyre just changing. At least, as far as we have any
record of, human languages share fundamental properties.
Talking about changes is language, one subject long brought up in English classes is how Shakespeare
helped form our modern language. At the risk of sounding ridiculous, I bring up Donald Trump and his
peculiar way of talking using words such as bigly. Could we be witnessing another large change in the
English language?
Linguists have done some analysis of Trumps style of speaking and his tendency to say very short
phrases: there do seem to be some peculiarities with the way he speaks, Coon says. In terms of words,
maybe. New words are introduced into our language all the time.
Any human language can express an infinite number of things. But with emoji you dont have the same kind
of complexity of expression. Youre fairly constrained in what you can do
While Trump might be a special case and there are some very interesting linguistic challenges to his
speech, Coon says theres no such thing as people speaking a worse language or a language being
qualitatively worse or better than another. Theyre just different and there are speakers of one language
who might have feelings about another, but they are just feelings and often come from our stereotypes of
people who speak these languages.
Another interesting idea researched by some linguists is the growing use of emoji. However, while older
generations may worry about the symbols becoming part of our everyday language, theres no chance of
those symbols ever replacing our vocabulary completely. Any human language can express an infinite
number of things," she says. "With emoji, you dont have the same kind of complexity of expression.
Youre fairly constrained in what you can do."
My understanding is that theres a consortium of people who decide what emoji can be used, and thats
not how human language works. For example, Trumps use of the word bigly. People can say whatever
they want and if it catches on it catches on. With emoji you have to lobby a consortium to get one
working.
Linguists may not be worried about emoji replacing words, they are nervous about the internet's huge
impact on language. Despite the world wide web bringing researchers from across the world together, now
is actually a time in history where linguists are most worried about the future of languages.
Amy Adams in Arrival: the way the character translates the alien language is similar to how we
would translate another human language into our own, says Jessica Coon
Coon explains how, while English may be in no danger of being replaced by emoji, there are more than
6,000 languages being spoken and a very large percentage between 50 and 90 per cent are no longer
likely to be spoken in the next 100 years unless something drastic happens to reverse this. Many languages
that are in critical danger are only spoken by elderly people and when they die the language is gone.
Because the likes of English, Spanish and Mandarin are becoming so widely spoken, speakers of lesser
known dialects are less inclined to impart that knowledge to future generations. Linguists are worried from
both a scientific and cultural viewpoint about this phenomena.
From a scientific perspective, if our goal as linguists is to work out how human languages work, were not
doing very good science if we only look at a handful of closely related European languages. Culturally,
there are communities where the language carries their identity. A lot of cultural information can be lost
when these are lost. For example, many languages have words for different medicinal plants that a majority
language, like English or French, may not have. A lot of studies have shown that the health of a
communitys indigenous language correlates to a lot of other health and wellness factors.
While its a critical period for languages and linguistics, films such as Arrival, Coon says, will hopefully get
people interested in the subject before its too late. To get started, all you need is access to a speaker of
the language youre interested in working on, she says. Taking classes or becoming educated about the
huge amounts of diversity that comes from human languages or understanding how human languages are
all equally expressive and carry lots of value, those are all things that will hopefully come out of this film.
Arrival is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray

Section 2/ Arts
FILTH AND FURY

Filthy Business, Hampstead Theatre, London
Sara Kestelman delivers a spellbinding performance as an East End matriarch in Ryan Craigs play (Dominic Clemence)
REVIEW BY PAUL TAYLOR
Ryan Craig's new play is hysterically funny; it's historically fascinating (as it charts the various waves of
immigration and the mutations of xenophobic prejudice in London from 1963 to 1982); and like
Hangmen, Martin McDonagh's recent play about the abolition of the death penalty in England it situates
itself in a heightened, near-cod version of the Sixties so that it can be all the more a Play for Today.
Above all, Craig has written the kind of phenomenal role that you pray that an actress of Sara Kestelman's
unflagging calibre will come by at the summit of her career. She excels at characters who have been seared
by a terrible past but who don't give an inch of ground by succumbing to a speck of self-promoting
sentimentality characters whose cruel to be kind approach displays a terrible moral authority and
entitlement.
She can be as slyly funny as any actress alive. Her last London engagement was at Hampstead in Tony
Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scripture, in
which she drew the most appreciative laughter of the evening as the protagonist's provokingly serene
sister who has covered the ideological and spiritual waterfront Catholic nun; Maoist; Shining Path
follower in Peru; you name it. If one of Saki's cats were to develop the weird ability to miaow its way
through an over-stoic version of I'm Still Here, the effect would not drive one up the wall with more,
erm, feline mischief.
And now all these various strands come to a momentous consummation in Filthy Business. Yetta Solomon
pulped rabbit skins in the London Underground when anti-Semitic violence in Eastern Europe drove her
to this country as a very young girl, cut adrift by history from her family. Her eventual husband sliced his
hands to ribbons every day working in a tram factory but, starting with the offcuts of rubber he brought
home, Yetta gradually built up the emporium in Holloway (If it's made of rubber, we sell it).
She makes the average tigress look lackadaisical in her fierce determination to keep her cubs together. But
it's the 1960s now and the young folk have ideas of their own. When her wholly straight young grandson
Mickey (excellent Callum Woodhouse) reveals that I wanna cut hair... styling and that, she reacts as
though he'd just expressed a holiday preference for Palestine.
Punch da face she challenges others, and she would certainly punch yours if you suggested she was an
immigrant. If she thinks you are plucky survivor too, she will take you under her wing. But woe betide you
if you show the least disloyalty. And the little matter of 70 that has gone missing from the till results in a
floating spotlight of possible culpability that raucously severs some of these hard-won connections.
We certainly don't hear the first stirrings of political correctness when Yetta gets going on the estranged
Nigerian husband of one of the protegees: Yah yah, I don't want to hear no sob story shit from you. You
want to talk suffering mit me? My people got five t'ousand years of suffering. Beat dat. She's majestically
indifferent to the idea that his country has suffered from the map-making stupidity and broken promises of
her adopted British: Listen, mister I got my own problems.
She left me feeling as weak with laughter as Dame Edna does. But there is also the chilling sense that she is
inching towards the blasphemous binary: the matriarch who, in defence of her values, ends up as isolated
and self-authoring as Richard III or Milton's Satan.
Ed Hall directs a stunningly well-cast and clear production that's alive to the deliciously silly aspects of the
script as well as the whiffs of sulphur. I can't recommend this enough. And I predict Kestelman will be
competing with Imelda Staunton (Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) for this year's Best Actress gongs.
Section 2/ Arts
IVORY TOWERS
Maurizio Pollini, Royal Festival Hall, London
Pollini followed his Chopin and Debussy recital earlier this month with an evening dedicated to Schoenberg and Beethoven
(Matthias Bothor)
REVIEW BY MICHAEL CHURCH
This great Italian poet of the keyboard is now 75, but he still keeps his annual double tryst with the
Southbank Centre. Earlier this month he gave a Chopin and Debussy recital, and for this second event it
was Schoenberg and Beethoven: all composers whose music it has been his life-work to interpret. But hes
a nervy beast, and his playing can be very uneven.
First up were Schoenbergs Three Piano Pieces Opus 11, followed by the same composers Six Little Piano
Pieces Opus 19. In the first set the composer was still working uneasily within the realm of tonality, and in
the second he had proclaimed himself free of it. Pollinis playing had a watchmakers dry precision, while
judiciously allowing shafts of emotion to shine through.
We had been looking forward to seeing what he would make of Beethovens hackneyed Sonata Pathtique,
but were terribly disappointed. His playing in the Allegro was hurried and technically messy, while the
great Adagio had no mystery, and the Rondo came and went with brisk impatience. How on earth would
Pollini survive the much greater technical demands of the late Sonata Thrse?
Brilliantly was the answer, with a lovely piece of pianistic tightrope-walking. And if the Appassionata,
which followed, had smudges galore, it also had a chaste beauty. Then, with a smile, came two Beethoven
Bagatelles as encores. These were perfection incarnate: job done.
Section 2 / Last nights TV
ON YOUR HEAD BE IT
The Scottish Bounty Hunter (BBC1)
Primodos: The Secret Drug Scandal (Sky Atlantic)
Christian Matlock, originally from Brechin, now spends his time roaming Virginia looking for men and women with a price on their
head (BBC Scotland/Mentorn Scotland)
SEAN OGRADY
Who hasnt entertained the fantasy of becoming a human bounty hunter? Well, I admit I have. Theres
something quite seductive about the idea of tracking down some miscreant, bringing them to justice,
delivering closure to their victims and getting a nice juicy cash bonus into the bargain. I lazily imagine
you can do all this on your sofa armed with nothing more lethal than an iPad and a broadband connection.
You then pop the address into your satnav and get round there. Then you shop them to the police or
something. Job done.
The Scottish Bounty Hunter demonstrated why its not really like that. Christian Matlock, originally from
Brechin, now spends his time roaming Virginia looking for men and women with a price on their head.
Unlike me, he is the real thing covered in tattoos, over 6ft tall, and all muscly. He also has a business
model. This is how it works. Someone gets done for something and turns up in court. They are asked for
bail say, $10,000. They havent got that kind of money, so they borrow it from what you might call a
boutique finance house a bondsman (not my sexism, that, just the common term for them). The
bondsmans fee is 10 per cent of the bail. When the crim fails to turn up for their hearing, the bondsman is
liable for the entire bail, and is obviously down on the deal and unhappy at the default. If the bondsman
cant then get his hands on the fugitive, he hands over the file to a bounty hunter. The bounty hunter then
finds and delivers the fugitive back into the criminal justice system, and everyones a winner, except the
miscreant. Thats the idea, anyway.
The real world is also different because before long you start to feel sorry for the accused, which usually
have mitigating circumstances, to say the least. The first bounty we met was a US army veteran,
suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, and in his own pathetic, poetic words of attempted exculpation: I
drink a lotta alcohol to get rid of the sorrow an all. You also have to feel the pain of the girl who got
addicted to heroin to block out the agonies of abuse. At times Matlock resembles a kind of tough-love
tooled-up social worker. He even turned down a job offer in Florida where bails and rewards for bounty
men are set much higher to stay in Virginia to help ex-bounty prey who teeter on the verge of becoming
his friends.
The Scottish Bounty Hunter reminds us how fragile family and economic security are and how vulnerable
we are to find ourselves so desperate we turn to drink, drugs and crime
So far from becoming a bounty hunter myself, by the end of my time with Matlock, I realised Im more
liable to become a bounty. The Scottish Bounty Hunter reminds us of a universal truth, no least for those of
us in the advanced, rich West: how fragile family and economic security are for most of us, and how
vulnerable we are to find ourselves so desperate we turn to drink, drugs and crime. In difficult economic
times the demand for the services of bounty hunters can only go up. How long, I wonder, before their ilk
appear in Britain, legally or otherwise?
Lynda Ramsey talks to Sky Newss Jason Farrell in Primodos: the Secret Drug Scandal. She took the
pregnancy testing drug Primodos; her son died aged 12 days (Sky)
Im not qualified to judge on whether the accusations contained in Sky Atlantics Primodos: The Secret
Drug Scandal were true or not, but it was certainly painstakingly researched and moving documentary.
Whereas the sad and scandalous story of Thalidomide has been well-told, another drug taken by pregnant
women around the same time a pregnancy tester called Primodos has not attracted the same attention.
The allegations about it ran into each other at bewildering pace: that the drug caused terrible and life-
threatening deformities; that the drugs company that made it refused to tell the truth about this when it
knew it; that the drug was never properly tested before release; that the medical establishment colluded
with the pharma industry to suppress vital research; that the legal system failed the victims; and that even
now the giant Bayer company, who bought the original maker, Schering, a few years ago, maintains that
the law at the time was complied with and that the evidence for a causal association between Primodos and
congenital malformations is extremely weak.
Sky Newss Jason Farrell, who believes he has found new evidence in official and company archives, may
yet reproduce the trailblazing investigative journalism of the Sunday Times Insight team that brought
justice to the victims of the Thalidomide affair. The Government has appointed an expert working group
to try to determine what happened and why, and theyll report in the autumn. The surviving children and
parents have waited too long to find out why they have had to lead the lives that they have, and it is
heartening to see journalism at its very best playing its part in that.
Section 2 / Daily recipe
CAULI GOOD SHOW

Blitzed cauliflower in this colourful salad makes a great rice substitute
that cooks in half the time and is low carb, too
Taste the rainbow: this quick and healthy lunch is a treat for the eyes as well as the palate
Sweet potato, bulgur wheat and cauliflower rice salad

Vegetarian | Vegan | Gluten-free | Dairy-free | Serves 4
4 medium sweet potatoes, cut into thin wedges

2 red onions, cut into wedges
2 tsp smoked paprika
90ml olive oil
130g bulgur wheat
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cauliflower, blitzed
125g kale, chopped
2 avocados, peeled, stoned and diced
bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp mixed seeds, to serve
For the dressing
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tbsp clear honey
tbsp wholegrain mustard
100 ml olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 220C (425F/ Gas 7). Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Toss the sweet potatoes and onions in the paprika with 5 tablespoons of the oil. Season well and place on
the tray. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until caramelised, stirring halfway through.
Pour the bulgur wheat into a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for
810 minutes or until tender. Drain, rinse and set aside.
Heat a medium saucepan over a medium heat with the remaining olive oil, add the garlic and cook for 1
minute, then add the cauliflower rice and stir in the pan until lightly golden. Add the kale and cook for a
further minute until bright green.
Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients. Season to taste.
Arrange the salad by tossing together the roasted vegetables, bulgur wheat, cauliflower and kale mixture,
avocados and parsley. Pack into lunch boxes, with the dressing in a separate container, and store in the
fridge overnight. Serve at room temperature with a sprinkling of seeds.
Love Your Lunches by Bec Dickinson (Hardie Grant, 12.99) Photography Bec Dickinson
Section 2
BIRTHDAYS
Actor William Shatner is 86 today
Fanny Ardant, actress, 68; Michael Aron, Ambassador to Sudan, 58; George Benson, jazz singer and
guitarist, 74; Simon Boyle, Lord-Lieutenant for Gwent, 76; Lord Browne of Ladyton, vice chairman,
Nuclear Threat Initiative, and former MP, 65; Deborah Bull, Assistant Principal, Kings College London,
54; Sheila Cameron QC, former Dean, Arches Court of Canterbury, 83; Mario Cipollini, former world
cycling champion, 50; Bruno Ganz, actor, 76; Maj-Gen Buster Howes, Defence Attach, British Embassy,
Washington, 56;
David Ingman, former chairman, British Waterways Board, 89; David Jones MP, Minister of State,
Department for Exiting the European Union, 65; Beverley Knight, singer, 44; Yayoi Kusama, artist and
writer, 88; Lord Lloyd-Webber, composer and impresario, 69; John Mullin, journalist, 54; Stephen Nash,
former diplomat, 75; Alan Opie, baritone, 72; Dick Pound, former president, World Anti-Doping Agency,
75; Paul Schockemhle, former showjumper, 72; William Shatner, actor, 86; Stephen Sondheim,
composer and lyricist, 87;
Lord Turnberg, former chairman, National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of
Animals in Research, 83; Michael Emmet Walsh, actor, 82; Dame Fanny Waterman, pianist, teacher and
chairman, Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, 97; Roger Whittaker, singer and songwriter, 81;
Reese Witherspoon, actress, 41; Pete Wylie, singer, songwriter and guitarist, 59.
Section 2 / From the archive
22 March 2003: Our coverage of the first massive air attack on

Baghdad intended by America to induce shock and awe
ROBERT FISK
Saddam's main presidential palace, a great rampart of a building 20 stories high, simply exploded in front
of me - a cauldron of fire, a 100ft sheet of flame and a sound that had my ears singing for an hour after. The
entire, massively buttressed edifice shuddered under the impact. Then four more Cruise missiles came in.
It is the heaviest bombing Baghdad has suffered in more than 20 years of war. All across the city last night,
massive explosions shook the ground. To my right, the Ministry of Armaments Procurement - a long
colonnaded building looking much like the facade of the Pentagon - coughed fire as five missiles crashed
into the concrete.
In an operation officially intended to create "shock and awe", shock was hardly the word for it. The few
Iraqis in the streets around me - no friends of Saddam I would suspect - cursed under their breath.
From high-rise buildings, shops and homes came the thunder of crashing glass as the shock waves swept
across the Tigris River in both directions. Minute after minute the missiles came in. Many Iraqis had
watched - as I had - television film of those ominous B-52 bombers taking off from Britain only six hours
earlier. Like me, they had noted the time, added three hours for Iraqi time in front of London and guessed
that, at around 9pm, the terror would begin. The B-52s, almost certainly firing from outside Iraqi airspace,
were dead on time.
Police cars drove at speed through the streets, their loudspeakers ordering pedestrians to take shelter or
hide under cover of tall buildings. Much good did it do. Crouching next to a block of shops on the opposite
side of the river, I narrowly missed the shower of glass that came cascading down from the upper windows
as the shock waves slammed into them.
Along the streets a few Iraqis could be seen staring from balconies, shards of broken glass around them.
Each time one of the great golden bubbles of fire burst across the city, they ducked inside before the blast
wave reached them. At one point, as I stood beneath the trees on the corniche, a wave of Cruise missiles
passed low overhead, the shriek of their passage almost as devastating as the explosions that were to
follow.
How, I ask myself, does one describe this outside the language of a military report, the definition of the
colour, the decibels of the explosions? When the Cruise missiles came in it sounded as if someone was
ripping to pieces huge curtains of silk in the sky and the blast waves became a kind of frightening
counterpoint to the flames.
There is something anarchic about all human beings, about their reaction to violence. The Iraqis around
me stood and watched, as I did, at huge tongues of flame bursting from the upper stories of Saddam's
palace, reaching high into the sky. Strangely, the electricity grid continued to operate and around us the
traffic lights continued to move between red and green. Billboards moved in the breeze of the shock waves
and floodlights continued to blaze on public buildings. Above us we could see the massive curtains of
smoke beginning to move over Baghdad, white from the explosions, black from the burning targets.
How could one resist it? How could the Iraqis ever believe with their broken technology, their debilitating
12 years of sanctions, that they could defeat the computers of these missiles and of these aircraft? It was the
same old story: irresistible, unquestionable power.
Well yes, one could say, could one attack a more appropriate regime? But that is not quite the point. For
the message of last night's raid was the same as that of Thursday's raid, that of all the raids in the hours to
come: that the United States must be obeyed. That the EU, UN, Nato - nothing - must stand in its way.
Indeed can stand in its way.
No doubt this morning the Iraqi Minister of Information will address us all again and insist that Iraq will
prevail. We shall see. But many Iraqis are now asking an obvious question: how many days? Not because
they want the Americans or the British in Baghdad, though they may profoundly wish it. But because they
want this violence to end: which, when you think of it, is exactly why these raids took place.
Reports were coming in last night of civilians killed in the raids - which, given the intensity of the Cruise
missile attacks - is not surprising. Another target turned out to be the vast Rashid military barracks,
perhaps the largest in Iraq.
But the symbolic centre of this raid was clearly intended to be Saddam's main palace, with its villas,
fountains, porticos and gardens. And, sure enough, the flames licking across the facade of the palace last
night looked very much like a funeral pyre.
Puzzles
DAILY MISCELLANY
SCIENCE QUESTION
Why does foil make your teeth hurt?
This is a well-known phenomenon when metallic objects come into contact with fillings. If the object is
made out of a different type of metal than the filling, there will be galvanic action between the two.
Galvanic action occurs because different types of metal have a different likelihood of becoming ions. In
order for atoms in the metal to become ions there must be electrons available, usually from a solution such
as water. So, if you have two metals, with different likelihoods of becoming ions, and water (or saliva) in
between, electrons will move from one to the other. The movement of electrons is the same as saying that
an electric current is flowing. So you get a tiny electric shock that sets off the nerve endings in your teeth,
which hurts!
WORD OF THE DAY
pulchritude [plkr-tood, -tyood]

The Venus de Milo: disarmingly pulchritudinous
Beauty. From the Latin pulcher. Pulchritude and the adjective pulchritudinous appeared in English as early
as the 1300s.
That there is a great pulchritude and comeliness of proportion in the leaves, flowers and fruits of plants, is
attested by the general verdict of mankind. (anon, 1816)
Cathy, you are talking to an expert, her husband pronounced. I am the one person in this house who can
give out a dispassionate appraisal of the pulchritude of any female human being, living or dead, and I say that
you are beautiful. End of discussion. (Tom Clancy, Patriot Games, 1987)
Business
Car prices could soar after a

hard Brexit, study suggests
The auto industry is broadly considered one of the sectors most vulnerable to the implications of a hard Brexit (Reuters)
JOSIE COX
BUSINESS EDITOR
The cost of a new car in the UK could be about to soar. According to research published yesterday, Britain
moving to a World Trade Organisation regime after Brexit would lead to the introduction of a 10 per cent
tariff on finished vehicles and a 4.5 per cent tariff on component parts for cars.
If manufacturers pass that cost directly on to customers and taking all the stages of production into
account the price tag for a new vehicle could soar by as much as 2,372 per car, according to PA
Consulting, which conducted the study.
The management consultancy group found that EU exports account for around 57.5 per cent of cars sold in
the UK and that a hard Brexit would therefore be the worst-case scenario for manufacturers.
Any change in tariffs and regulations will immediately impact the automotive supply chain and make
sourcing of assembly parts and distribution of finished vehicles more costly, forcing organisations to
rethink their medium to long-term strategies, the group wrote. Although the final position is still
unknown, what is without question is that the automotive industry must assess the impact, generate
options and be prepared, it added.
The auto industry is broadly considered one of the sectors most vulnerable to the implications of a hard
Brexit. In January, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said
that a failure by the UK to clinch adequate trade deals with the EU after Brexit could damage UK
automotive manufacturing beyond repair.
Toyota earlier this month committed to investing 240m into modernising one of its plants in Derbyshire,
but confidence among other major global manufacturers seems to have been bruised by Brexit. Late last
month Nissan said it may adjust its business in the UK depending on the outcome of Brexit, potentially
jeopardising 7,000 jobs at its Sunderland plant
The study by PA Consulting also shows that European based manufacturing companies would likely face
additional costs for exporting to the UK from mainland Europe under a hard Brexit.
Increased time delays at borders, as a result of necessary administrative processes, could also impact just-
in-time supply chains that are currently standard for the industry, PA Consulting said. Just-in-time
strategies are generally used to increase efficiency by receiving goods immediately before they are
required in the production process.
Both the EU and the UK would benefit from keeping free trade and supply chains unaffected because any
tariffs would be damaging for both sides based on todays complex supply chain arrangements, said Tim
Lawrence, global head of manufacturing at PA Consulting.
Business / Comment
The BHS pensions deal has a

major sting in its tail
Sir Philip Green stands to get millions back from the 363m settlement (PA)
JAMES MOORE
CHIEF BUSINESS COMMENTATOR
When it comes to pensions theres almost always a devil in the detail and it almost always takes forever to
emerge. It probably wont surprise anyone to learn that the settlement agreed between retail tycoon Sir
Philip Green and the Pensions Regulator contains a big, fire-breathing example, complete with a forked
trident. At least according the chairman of the Work and Pensions Select Committee. Frank Field has
complained that the 363m settlement has a sting in its tail.
If the majority of largely younger scheme members with smaller pots take up the offer of a lump sum
rather than a place in the new BHS scheme that has been topped up with 343m from Sir Philip, he
stands to get a substantial chunk of a 15m contingency fund returned to him (the total settlement
amounted to 363m with 5m of it set aside to cover expenses). An analysis by the committee has also
found that the people who will benefit most from the new BHS scheme are the 16 top BHS managers with
the biggest pots. Sir Philips loyal lieutenants, in other words.
Its report holds that those lower down the corporate food chain will do comparatively less well out of the
deal. The benefits they will accrue will not be as generous as they would have been had BHS remained in
business. However, according to the committee, the headline figure that scheme members will receive 88
per cent of their promised benefits masks a great deal of variation. Owing to less generous indexation in
the new scheme, some pensioners, the report says, will receive less than 80 per cent of what they would
have received under the original BHS scheme rules.
Thats depressing, but hardly surprising. Its still the case in Theresa Mays Britain that works for
everyone that those at the top of the tree with the least need inevitably suffer the least pain when things
get sticky. The problem facing the committee is that the deal is now done. The Pensions Regulator has
dropped its action against Sir Philip and signed it off. Ditto the trustees. The suggestion that Sir Philip be
forced to forfeit that Sir also appears to have evaporated. Funny that.
So there is nowhere for the committee to go. Morally, of course, Sir Philip should put anything left in that
15m after the lump sums have been accounted for into the fund. That way it could go towards providing
better benefits for however many of the 19,000 or so BHS pension holders remain with the scheme. After
all, it wasnt just the top managers that worked hard for Sir Philip, made him a lot of money, did their
damndest to make a success of BHS to the best of their abilities in the roles they had.
But since when did morality come into this? If morality had entered the picture at any stage, BHS would
not have been sold to former bankrupt Dominic Chappell for 1, a man, remember, who is as close to
being a retail guru as I am to taking the field for the British Lions with my mobility impairment. You
shouldnt expect however much remains of that contingency money to end up anywhere other than back
with Sir Philip, unless he fancies kicking a bit over to charity for a bit of PR. This is still a country that
works best for the few.
Business
Goldman Sachs to move

hundreds of jobs out of London
before Brexit
The Wall Street banking giant employs around 6,000 people in the capital (AP)
ZLATA RODIONOVA
Banking giant Goldman Sachs will relocate hundreds of staff out of London before any Brexit deal is
struck, the companys Europe chief has confirmed. Richard Gnodde, chief executive of Goldman Sachs
International, revealed the bank had begun contingency plans to move people out of the capital just a week
before the Prime Minister triggers Article 50.
We are going to start to execute on those contingency plans, Mr Gnodde told CNBC yesterday. For
this first period, this is really the period as we put in place contingency plans, this is in the hundreds of
people as opposed to anything greater than that, he said. Mr Gnodde added that the bank would initially
start hiring staff in Europe and moving people out of London, as well as investing in infrastructure and
technology over the next 18 months. He did not specify which locations would benefit from the move,
though he stated that Goldman Sachs had banking licences in France and Germany.
In the next 18 months we will upgrade those facilities, we will be taking extra space in a number of them,
and we will be increasing headcount and capability and infrastructure around those facilities, Mr Gnodde
said. What our eventual footprint will look like depends on the outcome of negotiations and what were
obliged to do because of them. Whatever the scenario, whatever the outcome, London will remain for us a
very significant regional hub and a very significant global hub.
The company employs around 6,000 people in London. The comments from the chief executive
underscore the extent of Brexit-related uncertainty gripping the UKs financial industry. For months,
there has been widespread speculation that thousands of financial jobs currently based in London could be
migrated to cities like Dublin, Paris or Frankfurt, so that the banks affected can continue to offer their
services to EU clients. Xavier Rolet, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, previously warned the
UKs vote to leave the EU posed a risk to the global financial system and could cost the City of London up
to 230,000 jobs if the Government failed to provide a clear plan for post-Brexit operations.
Business
UK to crack down on bank

money laundering after reports
of Russian scam
City minister Simon Kirby said the Government would do what it takes to seek out abusers the system (YouTube)
BEN CHAPMAN AND JOSIE COX
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury has vowed that the Government will crack down on money
laundering practices, after several of the UK's biggest banks were accused of processing money from a
Russian scam, believed to involve up to $80bn (65bn).
Speaking in the House of Commons, Simon Kirby said the Government will do what it takes to seek out
anyone who abuses the system, and would examine closely whether recent information in the press,
regarding money laundering from Russia, would allow the progression of an investigation.
We need to ensure that sophisticated criminal networks cannot exploit our financial services industry,
the City minister said.
The Guardian yesterday reported that HSBC, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and Coutts had waved
through hundreds of millions of pounds of transactions linked to a major scam in Russia.
The Independent first reported on the money laundering operation in 2014, shortly after it was shut down
by investigators in the former Soviet republic of Moldova.
The scheme, which ran from 2010 to 2014, allowed at least 15bn to be moved out of Russia. The latest
documents suggest that figure may be as high as 65bn, according to The Guardian. Much of the money is
believed to be linked to organised crime and corrupt officials, who were seeking to clean their cash so
that it could be spent without suspicion.
The process involved using a series of front companies in the UK, which allow the actual owners behind
them to remain a secret. The companies conducted fake business deals between themselves then sued each
other in courts in Moldova, demanding the repayment of hundreds of millions of pounds of loans.
Vasile Sarco, an investigating officer in Moldova, told The Independent at the time of its original
investigation: This money was routed from Russia, but the companies incorporated in Britain were
instrumental to transit the funds.
The new documents reportedly reveal that, once laundered, some of the money was spent on diamonds
from a jewellers in Bond Street, furs, chandeliers from a Chelsea boutique and boarding fees at Millfield, a
prestigious public school in Somerset.
Banking records detailing the scheme were obtained by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting
Project (OCCRP) and Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.
The evidence includes details of 1,920 transactions totalling nearly 600m that went through UK banks,
with a further 373 routed through US banks, according to The Guardian. All of the UK banks involved in
the scheme said they have appropriate measures in place to prevent money laundering.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell called for the scandal to be investigated by the National Crime
Agency. Britain cannot be a haven for the criminals of the world who are looking to hide their money.
He said it was deeply disappointing that there are British banks involved in yet another banking scandal
as the actions of a few shouldn't overshadow the hard work of the thousands of employees in the sector
who will have had nothing to do with this case.
But it appears that some of these big banks haven't learnt the lessons of the past, and are clearly not doing
enough to clamp down on financial crime and money laundering.
A Barclays spokesperson said: Barclays complies with the rules and regulations in all the jurisdictions in
which it operates and has systems and controls in place to mitigate the risk of the bank being used to
facilitate financial crime."
A spokesperson for HSBC issued a similar response: The bank has systems and processes in place to
identify suspicious activity and report it to the appropriate government authorities."
RBS, which owns Coutts, said: We are committed to combating financial crime and money laundering in
line with our regulations and have controls and safeguards in place to identify, assess, monitor and mitigate
these risks.
Mr Kirby said yesterday that the Government already does more than any other to tackle the global threat
of money laundering. He said that since 2010 the Government had already seized 1.4bn in illegal funds
and put hundreds of millions more "beyond the reach of criminals.
He also said that the Government was now preparing to introduce a landmark piece of legislation allowing
banks to share more information to help uncover money laundering and give law enforcement agencies
new powers to bring criminals to justice.
Business
Business news in brief
Sir Philip Green could receive a 15m refund from the 363m payment he made to the BHS pension schemes last month (Getty)
Best-paid former BHS executives gain most from Green pension deal
British retail tycoon Sir Philip Greens deal with the regulator to plug a hole in the pension schemes of
collapsed department store BHS will see a small number of the highest-paid former managers benefit the
most, a parliamentary committee said yesterday. A report by the House of Commons Work and Pensions
Committee also found billionaire Sir Philip could receive a 15m refund from the 363m payment he
made to the BHS pension schemes last month.
Sir Philip owned BHS for 15 years before he sold the loss-making 180-store chain to Dominic Chappell, a
serial bankrupt with no retail experience, for one pound in 2015. BHS went into administration in April
2016. Some 11,000 jobs were lost.
In a July report, MPs accused Sir Philip of greed and disregard for corporate governance that led to the
collapse of BHS. Sir Philip said the report was biased and unfair. His deal with the pensions regulator gave
the 19,000 members of the BHS pension schemes the option of the same starting pension they were
originally promised by BHS, and higher benefits than they would get from the lifeboat scheme, the
Pension Protection Fund.
Reuters
888 surges as online gaming company presents income attractions
888 Holdings shares surged in London as the UK online gaming company promised more cash to
shareholders and said revenue growth shows no sign of slowing. For a fifth year running, 888 will pay a
special dividend, which combined with the ordinary distribution leaves the stock yielding about 6.7 per
cent, almost double the average of the UK FTSE All-Share Index. The shares rose as much as 10 per cent
yesterday. Theres no point sitting on the cash, chief executive Itai Frieberger said. If we do, we dont
get any value on that. Were relatively small and we have enough to do what we want to do.
Constantly introducing new products and entering new countries has made 888 the UKs top performer
among listed consumer-facing gaming operators, according to Investec analysts. Revenue and earnings
beat estimates last year, and the company said its made a good start in 2017, a year that is likely to see the
continuation of a wave of industry consolidation. Mr Frieberger, who last year teamed up with Rank Group
to make an unsuccessful takeover bid for bookmaker William Hill, said 888 has no immediate need for
acquisitions. The industry is speed dating, but we dont feel compelled to do a deal right now, he said.
The results coming out of the business are so strong.
Bloomberg
Brazil tainted-meat probe triggers bans from China to Chile
Some of the worlds biggest protein buyers are slapping limits on supplies from Brazil as producers in the
country become embroiled in a tainted-meat scandal. China, the largest importer of Brazil chicken and
beef, has temporarily suspended shipments from the South American country, while the EU, Chile and
Japan have restricted purchases. Singapore authorities said theyre monitoring meat shipments from
Brazil, as South Korea lifted its short-lived ban on chicken imports from BRF SA after confirming that it
never purchased rotten chicken from Brazil.
The move to protect meat supplies comes after Brazilian federal authorities said last week theyre
investigating evidence that companies including BRF and JBS, the nations largest meat producers, bribed
government officials to approve the sale of spoiled meat. Prosecutors allege some sausages and cold cuts
contained animal parts such as pig heads, that some meat products were adulterated with cardboard, and
that in some cases, acid was used to mask the smell of tainted meat.
Bloomberg
Co-Op Bank senior creditors jumping ship as maturity nears
Co-Operative Bank senior bondholders are losing their nerve in the final stretch amid concern the
beleaguered UK lender will impose last-minute losses. Co-Ops 400m of bonds due on 20 September fell
to 86 pence on the pound, compared with 90 pence on 7 March and an average of 98 pence since they
were issued in 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The yield has more than doubled since the
start of the year to 39 per cent, the data show.
Investors are ditching Co-Ops senior notes months before theyre set to be repaid as the Manchester-
based lender hasnt ruled out imposing losses as part of a planned 750m recapitalisation. Co-Ops
September repayment date is seen as an informal deadline for the bank to raise new funds or ask senior
creditors to share the burden if a private solution fails. If it goes well, you make 10 points, but if it goes
badly, you lose a lot and you lose face, said Peter Doherty, the chief investment officer of Tideway
Investment Partners, which manages more than $200m and considered buying Co-Ops notes. They
probably will pay the senior but is it worth me taking that risk? Not really." Co-Op officials declined to
comment on the bond moves or the banks plans to repay senior securities.
Bloomberg
Dong Energy wins order to sell onshore wind power in the UK
Danish utility and wind farm developer Dong Energy has signed an agreement with Britain's Banks
Renewables, in what would be its first move into distributing onshore wind in the UK, the company said
yesterday.
The 15-year order includes buying power from three onshore wind farms under development by Banks
Renewables, a unit within UK land developer Banks Group, and reselling it on the UK's power market.
This is the first time Dong will manage the production of onshore wind farms and the biggest PPA (Power
Purchase Agreement), we've entered. We consider the order an important milestone, a Dong Energy
spokesperson said.
Dong Energy declined to provide financial details about the order, which will enter into force when the
wind farms in northeast England and Scotland have come online, due to be by early 2019. Dong Energy's
Distribution and Customer Solutions accounted for around 37 per cent of the company's 2016 core profit.
Reuters
BMW fights back against Mercedes with biggest model launch ever
BMW plans the biggest roll-out of new and revamped models in its history as the luxury-car maker fights
back after losing the sales crown to Mercedes-Benz. Over the next two years, the Munich-based
manufacturer will unveil 40 variants, including the new X2 compact sport utility vehicle and full-sized X7
SUV. Chief executive Harald Krueger is seeking to revitalise growth after profitability fell to a six-year low
in 2016 and sales slipped behind Mercedes for the first time in more than a decade.
We are launching the biggest model offensive ever, Mr Krueger said at the annual press conference. We
have started a transformation unlike anything our company has seen before. The combative tone marks a
turnaround after Krueger, who took charge in 2015, stumbled out of the gates. The revamped 7-Series
sedan failed to challenge the Mercedes S-Class, while the redesign of the 5-Series was cautious. Krueger is
focusing on profitability instead of sales to conserve resources for a costly shift to an era of self-driving,
electric vehicles, with a plan to release the autonomous iNext in 2021.
Bloomberg
Volkswagen owner shrugs off impact of former patriarch Piech's exit
Volkswagens controlling shareholder downplayed the potential exit of former patriarch Ferdinand Piech
as his relatives will retain their sway over the worlds largest automaker. A transfer of Mr Piechs voting
stake will not bring any major change, Hans Dieter Poetsch, Volkswagens chairman and chief executive
of Porsche, said yesterday at a press conference in Stuttgart. It remains the case that the common stock
will be held by the Porsche and Piech families.
Volkswagens 18-month-old diesel-emissions cheating scandal has intensified a clash between Mr Piech, a
former VW chairman and chief executive, and one of the most powerful members of the billionaire clan
that controls the German automaker. Piech like other descendants of Ferdinand Porsche, the creator of the
VW Beetle, control all of the voting stock of Porsche, which in turn owns 52 per cent of the carmakers
common shares. Porsche said on 17 March that Mr Piech was in talks to sell the bulk of his stake in the
holding company. Internal rules specify that he must first offer the shares to other members of the clan.
Bloomberg
BNP Paribas to cut investment bank staff in France, UK and Luxembourg
France's BNP Paribas plans to cut investment banking staff in France, the United Kingdom and
Luxembourg by the end of 2018, although staffing levels at the business should remain stable in Europe
overall, it said in its annual report. Many European banks from HSBC to Deutsche Bank are cutting costs
to boost profitability, with mounting compliance and regulatory pressures weighing on higher risk
activities such as investment banking.
In Europe, BNP Paribas' corporate and institutional banking workforce should remain stable up to the end
of 2018, France's largest bank said, as it hires in lower cost countries, such as Poland, Portugal and Spain.
In France, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg, reductions in employment levels are planned, the bank
added, citing a presentation made to its European Works Council in May and November 2016.
BNP Paribas added in the report that its overall headcount rose to 192,419 by the end of 2016 from 189,077
a year earlier.
Reuters
Google affiliate offers tools to safeguard elections
An organisation affiliated with Google is offering tools that news organisations and election-related sites
can use to protect themselves from hacking.
Jigsaw, a research arm of Google parent company Alphabet Inc., says that free and fair elections depend on
access to information. To ensure such access, Jigsaw says, sites for news, human rights and election
monitoring need to be protected from cyberattacks.
Jigsaw's suite of free tools, called Protect Your Election, is mostly a repackaging of existing tools. One
helps websites guard against denial-of-service attacks, in which hackers flood sites with so much traffic that
legitimate visitors can't get through. Others are meant to help prevent password stealing and unauthorised
account access.
AP
Sport / International
Southgate tells players to think

like Germans
Southgate has also set winning the World Cup as his side's 'ultimate aim' (Getty)
IAN HERBERT
IN ESSEN
Gareth Southgate declared on the eve of his first game as permanent England manager that the national
football team must learn from the German mentality and also abandon a blinkered island outlook, if they
are to achieve the ultimate target of winning the World Cup, which he has set them.
The 46-year-old, who revealed that he is already implementing ideas from Eddie Jones record-winning
rugby union team in his attempt to broaden thinking, said that the squad need the same mindset as
Joachim Lows players. I think we can learn from their mentality, he said. When weve played German
teams, they just have that belief in the way they play.
He also warned against the narrowness of thinking which an island mentality can bring. Look at Spain,
said Southgate, echoing comments he made at the weekend. We're an island, we've got to get off the
island and learn from elsewhere. We need to look in the mirror and change the way we do things tactically,
physical preparation, our style of play and mentality.
We've had success in every other sport in our country. We're probably the missing piece. We have some
great strengths if we couple those with some other traits we could be more powerful than anybody but we
have a lot of work to get to that point.
The new permanent manager is without Manchester Uniteds Phil Jones who was injured by a training
ground collision with his club teammate Chris Smalling and Manchester Citys Raheem Sterling as
England seek their fourth consecutive win on German soil.
Confirming that he had told the players on Monday that the World Cup has to be the ultimate aim
because then that drives your behaviour, Southgate said that Germany had a vital advantage over England
in that the Bundesliga supported the dFB German football association.
Weve probably got some work to do in terms of the connection between the dFB and Bundesliga is
immensely strong and the opportunity for the young German players to play in the League, there is a real
buy-in on that partly because of the ownership model of the clubs.
I guess to highlight the difference, they postponed the start of the Bundesliga because they got a team in
the Olympics. We cant even get a team in the Olympics. So thats the collaboration they have.
Southgate offers plenty but

he still has his work cut out
with England
Southgates talk of throwing off the small-minded island outlook feels appropriate (Getty)
IAN HERBERT
IN ESSEN
It was the detailed picture Gareth Southgate painted of what he has learned from the swagger and success
of rugby unions Eddie Jones which told you most about the face of his new England.
There have been times across the past five years when the talk of the national team learning from other
sports has sounded less than genuine, though Southgate is certainly the most modern and receptive of
those who have occupied English footballs most challenging role.
Jones three training sessions per day impressed Southgate, as did the work Jones undertook on situations
when the game was in a mess; stuff in transition rather than when teams are set. And so, too, the wider
culture in rugby. Southgate liked the way Jones players present the opposition analysis, rather than it
being fed it by the coach. The FA like the tough Australian mindset and have added several of that
nationality to performance services chief Dave Reddin's staff.
Southgates talk of throwing off the small-minded island outlook feels modern too a statement for the
Brexit age if ever there was one though the challenge is the same as it has always been. How to make
world beaters out of players who hint of that type of international class but who are either deprived of
regular first team football or cannot make the fullest commitment to England, amid the white heat of the
Premier League game.
It was liberating that Southgates first press conference as permanent manager did not begin with too
much preoccupation with the talisman of the past. He did not want to talk of Wayne Rooney a player
who had wanted the 2018 World Cup to be his swansong yet has done nothing since the ignominy of
Iceland in Nice, last June, to hold such a sense of entitlement.
Southgate is hoping to usher in a new, more down to earth England era (Getty)
In Rooneys absence, though, you wonder who will carry the torch up to Russia and beyond. One by one,
the so-called golden generation have slipped away and those one or two special individuals whom we
expected to take up their places have simply not materialised.
Jack Wilshere has not set Bournemouth on fire. Ross Barkleys talents glowed, faded, and are faintly
beginning to flicker again, allowing Southgate to see more positives than simply the uplift in his Everton
form. He feels Barkley is in better physical condition and views the more advanced role Ronald Koeman
has found for him as one which brings his power around the penalty area. You need players who can
maybe beat someone one to one and he has the strength, the power and the guile to do that.
Then there is also Manchester Uniteds Marcus Rashford; another who made the English nation gasp 12
months back, though his second season has not fulfilled the promise of his first. Some physical
development is required. In an ideal world, Rashford would have played far more games than Jose
Mourinho has allowed him this season, though Southgate reflected that the 19-year-old has actually been
given more football than the other members of Englands under-17 European Championship winning
team, who are labouring.
Joe Gomez has been unfortunate with his injury, Patrick Roberts is playing a little bit for Celtic.
No-one else in that year group is playing Premier League football, Southgate said. Im looking at Tom
Davies at Everton whos doing really, really well and I know weve got older players that are better than
Tom now that arent getting opportunities.
Articulate, outward looking, intelligent and creative: Southgate brings a lot but he still has his work cut
out.
Germanys conveyor belt of

talent keeps on giving
An older generation have stepped aside to make way for a new cohort of youngsters (Getty)
IAN HERBERT
IN DORTMUND
It will be the Lukas Podolski show here on Wednesday night, as a nation prepares to bid farewell to the
individual whose 130th game - against England - is expected to be his last. Joachim Low conjured a tribute
befitting an individual whose levity and wit have somehow made him seem much than a football player.
"He is always one for looking on the bright side of life, always on the light side of things, Low said. "He
brought that respect and human touch to the team and, of course, he's helped me out with many a one-
liner over the years."
The changing of the guard was manifest in so many ways, on the day that Manchester United announced
that Bastian Schweinsteiger whose own, tearful departure from the international stage came last summer
was being released to the Chicago Fire. Low said the decision was short-sighted of the English club. "I
have seen some Man United games where they could have well done with a central midfielder, a kind of
chief organiser in midfield, who puts things right, Low said.
The significant questions, now that this pair, Phillip Lahm, Miroslav Klose and Per Mertesacker have all
gone, is: What kind of Germany has emerged? And how do they compare with the world champion class of
three years back? Wednesday nights encounter with the old enemy in Dortmund provides a unexpectedly
profound insight, given that Manuel Neuer, Mesut Ozil, and Mario Gomez have all reported injured Low
suggested theyve suffered minor hamstring injuries and so, too, has the flourishing Julian Draxler of
Paris Saint-Germain. Ilkay Gundogan, Marco Reus and Mario Gotze are also all out of the picture.
What Lows press conference translator called the German transit transition since the 2014 World
Cup was won has been seamless, it has to be said. A combination of the pathways into elite football which
the German club game offers, as well as that emphasis on the development of articulate, thinking, self-
motivating individuals means that the conveyor belt has not stopped giving.
The transition has been gradual, like all the best of them, so a hierarchy remains, with Thomas Muller,
Toni Kroos, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng and Sami Khedira the leaders now, along with captain Neuer,
whose absence raises the prospect of Podolski taking the armband on Wednesday for the first time.
But there is 21-year-old Julian Weigl, whose mere four caps belie the indispensable defensive midfield
presence he has quietly become in Thomas Tuchels Borussia Dortmund side. Leroy Sanes development
at Manchester City has earned him a justifiable call up and so, too, Leverkusen forward Julian Brandt. The
German propensity for developing consistent central defenders which England lack dreadfully sees
Bayern Munichs Joshua Kimmich, one of the surprises of last summers European Championships, in the
picture now.
And then there is the new prospect the German nation will most look out for at the Westfalenstadion: 21-
year-old Timo Werner, the RB Leipzig forward whose presence in the squad for the first time follows the
clamour attached to his 14-goal part in the Bundesligas surprise story of this season. There is a hope that
Werner and Sane can resolve the profligacy in front of goal which prevented Germany prevailing over
France last summer.
Podolski paid rich tribute on Tuesday to Low, who signed a new four-year contract last year. That has
given us consistency. England have been through five managers during Lows 11 years at the German
helm.
But the departing forward gave an insight into how, when an international team no longer carries such a
burden of expectation as England, all the clouds lift. "Any advice I have is to remain true to yourselves and
try to develop your characters, he said. Never forget football is, in essence, fun."
Low: Mourinho should have

used Schweinsteiger
The German made only one start under Jose Mourinho this season (Getty)
BEN BURROWS
Joachim Low believes Bastian Schweinsteiger could still have helped Manchester United as the Red Devils
prepare to say farewell to the former Germany international.
World Cup winner Schweinsteiger is set to leave Old Trafford after agreeing a one-year deal with MLS
side Chicago Fire.
Schweinsteiger fell badly out of favour under Jose Mourinho making only one start this season and is yet to
play a single minute in the Premier League this term.
But Germany boss Low, speaking before his side meet England in a friendly on Wednesday evening,
believes the 32-year-old still has plenty in the tank and could have offered something to the heart of
Uniteds midfield.
"We spoke some weeks ago and he said in training he has given everything he has got," he said in his pre-
match press conference.
"For a while there was some light on the horizon, but it was just not to be at Manchester United.
"I saw a few of United games. As a midfield organiser, I think United could have done with Schweinsteiger
in a few games."
Meanwhile, Mesut Ozil has withdrawn from the game in Dortmund, alongside Julian Draxler and Mario
Gomez.
Arsenal playmaker Ozil and Paris St Germain forward Draxler have both reported hamstring problems,
while Wolfsburg striker Gomez has a groin injury.
Schweinsteiger fell badly out of favour at United (Getty)
Germany had already confirmed goalkeeper Manuel Neuer would play no part in Wednesday's match at
the Westfalenstadion due to a calf complaint.
"Neuer has reported injured, it's the same with Ozil and Draxler," said Low.
"They have minor hamstring injuries but it is too much of a risk to play them. Gomez has a groin injury."
Coleman delighted with fully-

fit Wales squad
Chris Coleman has a fully fit squad to choose from against the Republic of Ireland (Getty)
BEN BURROWS
As opposite number Martin ONeill battles an injury crisis Chris Coleman could scarcely be happier with
his Wales squad ahead of Fridays crucial World Cup qualifier.
Group D leaders the Republic of Ireland head into the match beset with injury problems after striker Daryl
Murphy became the latest casualty on an already lengthy list.
The Newcastle forward joins injured quartet Shane Duffy, Ciaran Clark, Wes Hoolahan and Harry Arter,
as well as the suspended Robbie Brady, on the sidelines as ONeill faces the prospect of selecting a new
look side at the Aviva.
Bale is fit again after an ankle injury (Getty)
By way of contrast Coleman has a virtually fully fit group to choose from with all 23 training on Tuesday
morning including returning star men Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.
"We are a very good team when we're at our best and at our strongest," Coleman said.
"We need these players on the pitch consistently and we're in pretty good condition.
"The squad might have looked different two or three months ago.
"But we've got players back, and I've picked those who have been on the front foot and are most ready for
this challenge."
Bale has already scored four times in this qualifying campaign to move within two of equalling Ian Rush's
28-goal national record.
The Real Madrid man's recent comeback from ankle surgery is a huge boost, as is Arsenal midfielder
Ramsey's return from a calf strain.
Ramsey was arguably Wales' best player in their march to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 last summer.
But his World Cup contribution so far has been minimal, with injury ruling him out of the opening three
qualifiers.
Aaron Ramsey is also fit again (Getty)
"In these first four games we've only had Aaron in one of them," Coleman added.
"That's tough for us, and we've only had Joe Allen for two and a bit as well.
"We're looking forward to having Rambo back. He's had game time at Arsenal and he's feeling good."
Sport / Premier League
Rooney on course to join

Everton this summer
Exclusive: Old Trafford sources have said that United may even be
willing to waive a transfer fee
Rooney has endured a tough season under Jose Mourinho (Getty)
MIGUEL DELANEY
CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER
Everton are expected to beat any remaining Premier League suitors for Wayne Rooneys signature this
summer, and sources close to both the Goodison Park club and Manchester United feel at this point the
deal is likely to happen, completing what would be a romantic return to his boyhood team in what could
be a free transfer.
There had been speculation on Tuesday that West Ham United would enter the race but The Independent
understands Rooneys first choice is to return to his boyhood club, who he left for Old Trafford in 2004 as
an 18-year-old.
A tough last few months for the England captain has seen him fall out of favour under Jose Mourinho, to
the point he has also lost his place in Gareth Southgates squad for Wednesdays friendly away to Germany
and Sundays home qualifier against Lithuania.
United would have been willing to let Rooney go to the Chinese Super League at the end of February but,
as reported by The Independent at the time, the 31-year-old still felt he had more to offer at Premier League
level and was also determined to ensure he was in the England team for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
That would have been almost impossible, had he made the move to China, and it is also understood
Rooneys representatives were put off by the level of football there.
The Independent has since learned that a prospective offer from Everton was also greatly playing on the
players mind, and that the Merseyside club have been investigating a move for a few months.
Old Trafford sources have said that United may even be willing to waive a transfer fee, while Everton
would be capable of offering Rooney a deal of 150,000 a week. That would obviously mark a considerable
paycut given he currently earns around double that, but it is believed that he would be willing to accept the
offer, such is the pull of his former club.
That stance may be tested if a club like West Ham United were able to offer more, and co-owner David
Sullivan is said to be considering a bid. All of those close to the situation, however, currently believe a
return to Goodison Park is Rooneys likeliest move.
China has not been completely ruled out as a future destination either, but that will depend on how
Rooney views his England future come this summer.
Schweinsteiger quits United

for Chicago Fire
The German has agreed a one-year contract with the MLS side (Getty)
JACK DE MENEZES
Manchester United have confirmed that Bastian Schweinsteiger will join MLS side Chicago Fire, with the
midfielder set to leave as early as next week to move to the United States.
The World Cup winner has been frozen out at United after failing to feature in manager Jose Mourinhos
plans, and looked certain to be on his way out of Old Trafford at the end of the season. But his departure
looks to have been brought forwards after Chicago Fire confirmed to the Chicago Tribune that
Schweinsteiger has agreed to join them, with a Schweinsteiger needing to complete a medical and gain a
US visa before completing the transfer.
Should everything go as planned, Schweinsteiger could be a Chicago player by the end of next week,
before Uniteds next match against West Bromwich Albion on 1 April.
A United statement, issued on Tuesday morning, said: Bastian Schweinsteiger is to join Chicago Fire as a
deal has been agreed with Manchester United and the player.
The 32-year-old German midfielder's move to MLS is subject to a medical and a visa being obtained but
Chicago are keen to finalise a swift transfer.
Schweinsteiger thanked the Premier League club for allowing him to leave three months before the
transfer window reopens, meaning United cannot bring in a replacement for him until the summer, and he
also stressed his thanks to the fans for their support of him, even when he was out of the squad.
"I am sad to leave so many friends at Manchester United," said Schweinsteiger. "But I am grateful to the
club for allowing me the chance to take up the challenge at Chicago Fire.
"I have enjoyed working with the manager, the players and staff here and wish them all the best in the
future. But I have to reserve special thanks to the United fans whose support has been a very special part
of my time in Manchester.
"I was delighted to be part of the squad that won the FA Cup for them last season and will always
remember their energy and their passion. Now is the right time for me to start a new chapter in Chicago
and I am looking forward to it."
The 32-year-old had been pictured meeting with Chicago manager, Veljko Paunovic, last November,
having been a long-term target of the MLS side, and could earn as much as $4.5m according to reports in
the US, having agreed a one-year contract.
"We're adding someone who has won at every level, including the very highest levels, and has done so in a
way that is consistent with our values," Fires general manager Nelson Rodriguez told the Tribune.
"We as a club will now be forced to hold ourselves to a higher standard, an accountability level. Previously,
I think we could satisfy ourselves with what is known domestically. Now we need to rise to a standard that
is set more internationally."
Chicago Fire want a 'swift transfer' for Schweinsteiger (Getty)
The newspaper went on to quote Schweinsteiger, who joined United in 2015, as saying: "Throughout my
career, I've always sought opportunities where I hoped to make a positive impact and to help make
something great. My move to Chicago Fire is no different."
Schweinsteiger arrived at Old Trafford during the Louis van Gaal reign, and while he featured regularly
under the Dutchman during the 2015/16 season, he was clearly not a part of Mourinhos plans when he
arrived at the club last summer, having made just one start and three substitute appearances this season,
none of which have been in the Premier League. His first appearance did not come until 30 November in
the EFL Cup victory over West Ham, having been exiled from the first team at the clubs training ground
and force to join the youth team.
Schweinsteiger hasn't played much (Getty)
"We know it's going to take some time and adjustment for him coming to the new league, new coaching
staff and everything. We also know we can rely on his capacity to adapt and do that fast, Paunovic said.
"He can produce actions that few players in the world can do. He sees (things) that nobody sees. He opens
the eyes of the fans, where you can hear the people say, 'Wow!'."
Schweinsteiger retired from international football last year after amassing 121 caps for Germany, in which
he scored 24 goals.
Mourinho continues to
dismantle LVGs United
Following Schweinsteigers departure only seven of 12 signings will remain (Getty)
BEN BURROWS
Bastian Schweinsteiger is set to become the fourth of Louis van Gaal's signings to be sold by Jose
Mourinho in a little over nine months.
The German World Cup winner is leaving for Chicago Fire after penning a one-year deal with the MLS
side.
"I am sad to leave so many friends at Manchester United," the 32-year-old said. "But I am grateful to the
club for allowing me the chance to take up the challenge at Chicago Fire."
Schweinsteiger's exit continues Mourinho's systematic destruction of the squad that Van Gaal built over
his ill-fated two-year tenure at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman made 12 permanent signings totalling an outlay of over 250million.
But following Schweinsteiger's departure only seven will remain with Angel Di Maria, Victor Valdes,
Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin all now out the door.
With the likes of Luke Shaw, Matteo Darmian, Daley Blind and Sergio Romero largely out of favour under
the Portuguese that figure could well dwindle further.
Schweinsteiger is set to join Chicago Fire (Getty)
Mourinho revealed earlier this week there were several players in the United squad he would not have
signed himself as well as three in particular he would not have sold had he been in charge at the time.
I think I found a sad club," he said about what the club was like in the summer. "Manchester United sold
players that I would never sell and bought players that I would never buy but probably when I leave a club
people say that.
"I would never sell Di Maria, Chicharito [Hernandez], Danny Welbeck. Never. No chance."
How much has fixture

congestion affected United?
How genuinely influential is the intensity of the schedule on the league? (Getty)
MIGUEL DELANEY
CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER
How much fixture congestion and playing in Europe affects Manchester United, mourinho got away with
fans believing what he wants
Roy Keanes comments on Jose Mourinhos fixture complaints last week might have caused a stir, but its
worth considering the former Manchester United captain was speaking from personal experience. These
are Keanes words from his first autobiography about the triumphant 1998-99 treble campaign, when his
side ended up playing 63 games, a figure that would be one fewer than Uniteds this season if they do reach
the Europa League final.
You enter the concentration zone, live for the game and its attendant responsibilities to the exclusion of
almost everything else, Keane wrote. Football is all-consuming. For a Manchester United player,
perpetually chasing results and trophies, there is no respite. Its a selfish existence. Wonderful, yes,
exacting
Those comments also echo a recent column by Jamie Carragher about an even more relevant situation,
when Liverpool were going for the treble of the old Uefa Cup and both domestic knock-out trophies. The
buzz we had in 2000-01 was unique," the former defender wrote. "That campaign was like nothing I ever
experienced for the intensity that seemed to surround every fixture.
That buzz and wonder are a world away from the weariness Mourinho has seemingly constantly
displayed about Uniteds current schedule. Far from publicly firing up his players with the idea they are on
the brink of something brilliant, he is now talking up the prospect of mental fatigue. You could fairly
wonder about the effect that has on his squads mood, except the entire issue throws up a lot more
questions. There is a middle ground here.
If Mourinho is mostly indulging in his typical expectation-management, but does have a point about how
the English authorities treat Premier League clubs in Europe, he is also not the only one talking about it. It
feels like the number of fixtures you have, and especially the absence of continental football, has become a
more pronounced theme than ever before.
The size of a clubs fixture list is now seen as more decisive in the title race than ever with what Leicester
City did, more decisive in the Champions League chase than ever with what Liverpool are doing, and with
the consequences of all of that obviously having a significance for what all clubs can do in the transfer
market in future.
So, what is the actual truth? How damaging should a dense fixture list actually be for a club like
Manchester United? How genuinely influential is the intensity of the schedule on the league?
Mourinho has made numerous complaints (Getty)
For a start, this is nothing new or novel, making the extremity of Mourinhos complaints all the more
conspicuous. As long ago as 1967-68, John Giles was arguing about how Leeds Uniteds 65 games cost
them winning more than the old Fairs Cup that season, and Manchester Uniteds current schedule would
just about make the top five of heaviest Premier League schedules in the last decade [open itals] if [close]
they make the Europa League final.
TEAM THAT PLAYED MOST GAMES HAS WON THE TITLE FOUR OF THE LAST
10 SEASONS
Average games of champions 2013-2016 big six: 51.3

Average games of champions 2009-2013 new big four: 60
Average games of champions 2004-09 big four era: 59.2
Average games of top four 2013-2016 big six: 52.25
Average games of top four 2009-2013 new big four: 55.75
Average games of top four 2004-09 big four era: 58.4
Some of those who have faced more gruelling campaigns are instructive. They are: Liverpools double
runners-up of 2015-16 on 63; Mourinhos own 2006-07 double-cup winning Chelsea on 64; Manchester
Uniteds title-winning Champions League finalists of 2008-09 on 66; and - perhaps most relevantly given
the profile of the squad and what they were going for - Rafa Benitezs Europa League-winning Chelsea of
2012-13, who also had a mid-season trip to Japan.
If Mourinhos current United are obviously not expected to win everything as in 2008-09, nor be satisfied
with finishing eighth like Liverpool last season, it should not be beyond them to claim two trophies and a
top-four place. Benitez did very well in this regard, as Sir Alex Ferguson even said at the time.
This is the life of a big club. As Keane argued, intense schedules are part of the deal. Mourinho of course
knows this better than anyone, having guided multiple clubs through similar. In the Portugueses first spell
at Chelsea and then through the 2004-09 big four era that he played a huge part in solidifying, the
average number of games played by all English Champions League qualifiers was 58.4. Seasons like this
were par for the course.
Have United really suffered? (Getty)
That obviously means life has changed for the big clubs since then, and this is where Mourinho has
something of a point. When it was just the four same clubs always qualifying for the Champions League, it
helped insulate them, creating a gap between that quartet and the rest and also instilling them with the
European experience that meant they regularly got to the last four. This also acted as a great equaliser in
terms of amount of fixtures.
MOST GAMES OF A PREMIER LEAGUE SIDE IN LAST DECADE:
69 - Chelsea 2012-13: Europa League, World Club Cup, third place

69 - Liverpool 2015-16: Europa League final, League Cup final, eighth place
66 - Manchester United 2008-09: champions, League Cup, World Club Cup, CL final
64 - Chelsea 2006-07: FA Cup, League Cup, second place
62 - Chelsea 2007-08: second place, Champions League final
61 - Chelsea 2011-12: Champions League, FA Cup, sixth place
61 - Arsenal 2008-09: fourth place
60 - Manchester United 2010-11: champions, Champions League final
60 - Manchester United 2006-07: champions, FA Cup final
That has changed. There are now a big six rather than a big four, and a side who suddenly have more time
to keep everyone fresh and perfect training-ground approaches will suddenly have a significant advantage.
That is proved by how Liverpool finished second in 2013-14 after just 43 games, Leicester won the title last
season after the same amount, and Chelsea are doing similar this year with what would be a maximum
possible of 47. They have brought the average games for the top four in the last three years down to 52.3, a
difference of more than eight from the big four era.
At the same time, that change shouldnt be overstated when it comes to who can win what. All three of
those came from freak seasons where United had appointed David Moyes, absolutely everything fell right
for Leicester, and Chelsea dont have European football because of the chaos of last term.
They are unlikely to be repeated, and all of the big six will be in continental competition in 2017-18. Not all
of the big six, however, will have the same budgets. This is just one other way that the Premier League,
like with its broadcasting deal, has convolutedly come to a competitive balance.
Mourinho continues to voice his complaints (Getty)
The true 'wealthy four' of Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal should really have
the resources - and certainly above Liverpool and Spurs - to balance a series of competitions and do well in
them.
TOTAL GAMES OF ENGLISH CHAMPIONS SINCE 2004-05
2015-16 Leicester City 43

2014-15 Chelsea 54
2013-14 Manchester City 57
2012-13 Manchester United 54
2011-12 Manchester City 55
2009-10 Chelsea 56
2005-06 Chelsea 54
2004-05 Chelsea 59
That, again, is life at a big club. Barcelona and Real Madrid are regularly facing those seasons, and in a
league where their teams outperform everyone in the Europa League. Sevilla have played an average of
60.7 games over the past three seasons, for example, compared to Barcelonas 60.3. Back home, Sir Alex
Fergusons last few seasons regularly saw his sides play 60-game seasons. Even a patchier United got to the
Champions League final and won the league title in 2010-11 despite that exact amount of 60. Given
everything that happened that season with injuries and Wayne Rooneys contract, they arent too far ahead
of the current squad, one Mourinho said he was happy with back in August.
Its also not like the good team with the least amount of fixtures is guaranteed to win the title, let alone
qualify for the Champions League. City won it in the first of these more open seasons in 2013-14 despite
more matches than anyone on 57. In fact, that made it four of the last 10 campaigns where the most
stretched squad stole away the Premier League.
Chelsea have only played 35 games (Getty)
None of this is to say Mourinho doesnt have something of a point. The science demands that players
should have at least 72 hours between games, and it helps the development and devastating effect of a side
if the same core squad can build deeper on-pitch relationships over a greater number of games. Chopping
and changing doesnt help that.
The point is that most of the clubs face this. All managers except Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp have
these complaints this season, and it is one area where Mourinho and Arsene Wenger would find a lot of
common ground. United have actually just played three games more than City, and six more than Arsenal
and the lesser-resourced Spurs, with some of them the Community Shield and dead-rubber Europa League
games.
Whether its right or wrong, dealing with this has become a key management skill in itself, and one
Mourinho has proven himself very adept at. He does have a point, but the fixture list is not the ultimate
proof of why someone wins what.
Too many games has become far too big a topic of discussion. The numbers actually indicate that.
Indecision hands Arsenals

players an easy excuse
The confusion over Wengers future has to be removed as soon as possible (Getty)
JACK PITT-BROOKE
When Barcelona were recovering from their 4-0 defeat in Paris Saint-Germain, one of the worst in their
modern history, Luis Enrique knew that he needed some grand gesture to get the club back on track, to
refocus the players on the big games still ahead of them.
So in his press conference after beating Sporting Gijon 6-1, Enrique said that he would be leaving at the
end of the season. The news was not a shock but the timing certainly was, even to the players. But it had
the desired effect, ending all the uncertainty, distraction and speculation around the club.
The proof came one week later. Barcelona welcomed PSG back to the Nou Camp, played with clear heads
and a determination to make the most of Enriques final days. The rest is history.
It is not hard to see the relevance to Arsenal. The confusion over Arsene Wengers future is a cloud
hanging over the club, far more so than Enrique at Barcelona, whose departure was very widely expected.
And it is having far more of a damaging effect.
Arsenal are in free-fall, having lost four of their last five Premier League games, their worst league record
of the long Wenger era. As is no secret, the only teams they have beaten in their last six games are non-
league Sutton United and Lincoln City.
The Arsenal players have clearly realised that Wengers future gives them an excuse. Whatever happens
over the rest of the season, it will be blamed on Wenger. So there is no fear of the public opprobrium that
usually makes sure players keep their standards up. They are free to play as badly as they see fit, knowing
that whatever happens it is Wenger and the board who are trying to keep him on who will get it in the
neck.
That might sound pessimistic but it is the nature of footballers. They often want an excuse and will almost
always take one when offered. That is why new manager bounce exists, because once a problem is
removed the players have nowhere to hide behind. That is why Leicester City are now good again, not
because Craig Shakespeare is a better manager than Claudio Ranieri.
This is what is happening at Arsenal right now. All teams can lose matches but Arsenal are losing games
with no real professional pride. The way they collapsed in the second half in both Bayern Munich legs,
losing 10-2 in total, spoke of a team who did not mind the humiliation of a bad defeat. The way they sleep-
walked to defeat at West Bromwich Albion showed the same thing. This is what a team looks like who have
lost their standards but know they will not be held accountable.
Arsenal's players are hiding behind Wenger (Getty)

What Arsenal need to do, if they are to save their season, is return some of that accountability to the squad
as quickly as possible. The players need to know that if they keep playing this badly then they will be held
responsible. Because they have some big games coming up that could go very wrong.
Arsenals next game is against Pep Guardiolas Manchester City at home on 2 April and if City are in a
good mood then the Gunners could lose badly. That would be their fifth league defeat in six and, given the
fans frustration with Wenger and the board, it would become a spitting mutiny at the Emirates. The
discord would be so intense, in fact, that the players would be given another free pass.
To imagine that toxic situation is to know why this has to stop now. The cloud of confusion over Wengers
future has to be removed or else Arsenals players will continue to use it. It is the only way to save what
remains saveable of Arsenals season.
If Wenger has indeed decided to stay then it must be made public before the Manchester City game. Yes,
there will be uproar from fans who want a fresh start but Arsenal have run out of popular options. Unless
they win the FA Cup, there is never going to be a good moment to break this bad news.
So why not get it out of the way this week? That would at least give the Arsenal fans 11 days to process the
news before the City game. It might not clear the air for the run-in but it would help.
Most importantly, it would tell the players what was happening and remove the shield that has been
protecting them from blame. Suddenly, they would have to perform for the sake of their reputations,
which is not the case right now. Would they produce their own 6-1 moment? At this stage why not try?
The psychology behind

Wengers big decision
The Independent spoke to a sport psychologist to find out Wengers state of mind (Getty)
JACK AUSTIN
As we enter the tedious monotony of an international break, Arsene Wenger finds himself with around 10
days of wrestling with the biggest decision of his career.
There have been protests, marches and planes flown overhead against his continued leadership of Arsenal
with the general feeling of Gooners being thanks, but no thanks. Or at least the more outspoken ones.
The board have given him until the Manchester City match a week on Sunday to decide whether he will
sign the two-year contract extension already put in front of him, or whether to walk away from the club he
has plunged the last 20 years of his life into. Its hardly a decision to be taken lightly, or quickly.
Wenger told reporters following the 3-1 defeat to West Brom on Saturday you will soon know of his
decision, but it is understood that he is no closer to making that decision and changes his mind daily about
what he will do.
But how do you begin to weigh up the option of divorcing such a prominent part of your life for so long?
The Independent spoke to Professor Andrew Lane, a leading sport psychologist from the University of
Wolverhampton, on why someone with the personality of Wenger will likely react by digging his heels in,
rather than bow to fan pressure.
Will this abuse affect him? Yes, if he took it seriously, but if he did, he would not be a football manager
given how much criticism managers take, Professor Lane told The Independent. He will accept fans are
unhappy thats not new, it wont affect him. Players complaining? Thats part and parcel of the game, it
goes with the territory.
The current level of abuse is something that he wont want to go out on. Given his personality he is more
likely to dig in and have a final good season and then leave on his own terms rather than feel he left when
things are not going so well, given his investment in every part of that club and its players. Hes spent 20
years building things up and he wont want to just dismantle it on the back of losing four or five games.
To make it as at the top of your profession, you need a skin as thick as buffalo hide and an ego or air of
confidence in yourself to match. Wenger has both, which is why he has lasted so long in a sport eating
itself because its craving for instant, short-term success.
Wenger is facing increasing calls to go (Getty)
However, while this makes him the great survivor, it also makes him more reluctant and pig-headed when
it comes to moments such as this, when change is so clearly what Arsenal need. But Wenger still believes
there is no one walking this Earth who can do a better job than he can at the club.
He thinks hes the best person for the job, Professor Lane explained. Its such a demanding job that you
have to believe that what you are doing is beneficial.
His ego is far greater than those compared to a normal job but being a football manager is so demanding
that you need the strength of an elephant so it doesnt break you. Hes so heavily criticised so often in a job
that you can be so easily fired from that he has developed this backbone of steel and thats why he still
thinks hes the best man for the job.
Another fear of Wengers is what his life will be without Arsenal. He has a routine hes had it for 20 years
and at 67 years old, change is coming too late for him. He wants to see out his career at the Emirates and
likely feels that moving to another club after investing so much of himself at Arsenal, is not an option.
His life revolves around football; I dont think he sees himself taking any other role, Professor Lane
added.
In anyones mind it is a challenge to do the same job year in year out. But hes not doing the same job, its
evolved. And thats a reason why he would stay its a changing job but he has a lot of control over how it
changes. Thats a massive advantage in football.
Hes got a great deal of influence in the club and an awful lot of him invested into it. Hes committed a
lot to the club and hes not doing it just for the money, hes doing it for his own kudos.
What is evident though, is that he is struggling to motivate his players, as shown by the Alexis Sanchezs
angry standoffs with teammates and he and Mesut Ozil stalling on new contracts. While he needs to
freshen up his ways of challenging his players, his motivation hasnt wavered, which is why he will stay on,
believes Professor Lane.
The team is visibly unmotivated for games at the moment, but Im sure he is still motivated to have a very
good team.
Whether hes motivated for the potential rewards that are coming in terms of where the team is heading
is a big factor in his decision. He will also look at his long-term ambition in terms of this season and
beyond and where he sees his career going and whether he needs that. He will decide he doesnt need this
motivation anymore and he will realise it one day like Sir Alex Ferguson did.
Arsenal fans are restless (Getty)
Wenger has controlled, for the most part, how Arsenal Football Club as grown over the last 20 years, from
moving to a new stadium, to offsetting costs with player transfers, to bringing through younger stars. Hes
been the puppet master of the club.
And if youve had this much control for that long, people trying to make a decision about your exit for you,
like the fans are, isnt going to work. Wenger wants to decide when he will leave football, rather than let
football decide when it leaves him. All the signs point to him staying.
Sport / Rugby Union
Norths bite allegation

dismissed by officials
George North complained to Wayne Barnes that he had been bitten (PA)
JACK DE MENEZES
Six Nations officials have confirmed that no action will be taken over George Norths allegation that he
was bitten by a French player during Waless controversial 20-18 defeat in Paris last Saturday after no clear
evidence was found of the incident.
North complained to referee Wayne Barnes that he had allegedly been bitten during Saturday match
during the frantic 20 additional minutes that followed the 80 minute mark when the match was due to
finish. France managed to win the game and secure third place in the table with a try in the 100th
minute that Camille Lopez converted to clinch a slender victory, but Norths allegation overshadowed the
match along with the confusing scenes during the additional time.
Norths complaint stemmed from his tackle on France full-back Brice Dulin, with his teammates Yoann
Huget and Noa Nakaitaci also entering the breakdown before play was stopped for a separate penalty.
However, North immediately complained to the touchjudge, before speaking to referee Barnes about the
incident.
The English referee asked the Television Match Official, Peter Fitzgibbon, to review the incident as there
was a clear bite mark on Norths arm, but replays did not show any clear evidence and the match
continued without any action being taken, and after being reviewed by the match citing commissioner,
John Montgomery, he elected that there was no evidence that proved further action as necessary.
"The independent citing commissioner present at the France v Wales match on 18 March 2017 has
carefully reviewed all relevant evidence regarding all relevant incidents, including the allegation that
Wales winger, George North, was bitten in the latter stages of the match.
"Based on the information available to him in the case of the alleged bite (including footage of the incident
from several angles), the citing commissioner has not been able to conclude that any particular individual
carried out an act of foul play, and accordingly he has not made a citing complaint ahead of the ordinary
deadline for doing so, ie within 48 hours after the conclusion of the match.
"While the relevant rules provide that in certain circumstances, for example where the citing
commissioner is uncertain as to the identity of the player(s) concerned, he is permitted to make a citing
complaint after the 48-hour deadline, Six Nations Rugby anticipates that this will be the end of the matter
in terms of the alleged bite."
Sport / Rugby Union
Warburton left off shortlist for

coveted gong
Farrell, Itoje & Launchbury are nominated for Player of the Championship, but not Warburton (Getty)
JACK DE MENEZES
Three of Englands Six Nations title-winning squad have been included on the shortlist for the Player of
the Championship award, but there is no place on the 12-man shortlist for Wales flanker Sam Warburton.
The former Wales captain put in a string of brilliant displays throughout the campaign that has not only
put him right back in the British and Irish Lions mix, but led to bookmakers installing the flanker as the
favourite to lead the squad for a second consecutive tour after guiding the 2-1 series victory over Australia
four years ago.
Warburton relinquished the Wales captaincy ahead of this years Six Nations, with lock Alun Wyn Jones
taking on the responsibility, but both miss out on a player of the championship nomination with their two
teammates, scrum-half Rhys Webb and hooker Ken Owens, making the shortlist.
England are represented by flanker Maro Itoje, lock Joe Launchbury and award-favourite Owen Farrell,
whose displays at centre and fly-half helped England to a second straight Six Nations title. However,
England were not able to secure back-to-back Grand Slams, with Ireland inflicting a 13-9 defeat in the
tournaments final match in Dublin, and both Conor Murray and CJ Stander are nominated for their efforts
during the campaign.
Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg and fly-half Finn Russell are included, along with France stand-off Camille
Lopez and No 8 Louis Picamoles.
Despite failing to record a single point in the Six Nations table, Italy are represented by talismanic captain
Sergio Parisse, although his inclusion over Warburton does raise eyebrows given that Italy recorded their
worst ever points difference since joining the Six Nations in 2000.
The award is a public vote that closes at midday on Tuesday, and has been dominated by Irish players since
it was first handed out in 2004, with Brian ODriscoll holding the record for the most wins with his three
triumphs. The only English recipient of the award was full-back Mike Brown in 2014, with Scotlands
Hogg claiming it last season.
Sport / Rugby Union
Jones says England have

improved. Have they really?
Jones thinks England are in a better place now than two months ago. Really? (Getty)
JACK DE MENEZES
England are Six Nations champions again, they are well on course to complete phase one of Eddie
Joness four year plan with flying colours and they once again look like a side capable of challenging in the
latter stages of a Rugby World Cup.
But are they any better that at the start of the Six Nations?
Were we at our best in the Six Nations? No it was tough for us, Jones admitted. We started the
tournament without half our forward pack, our first choice forward pack, it really tested our depth. We had
players come through exceptionally well.
I think weve improved the depth of the squad. At times we played some good rugby, at times we played
some ordinary rugby. At the end of the day weve got back-to-back Six Nations championship trophies
which is a fine achievement.
And when the question was put to him? 100%. Learned more about the players, our teams developed.
Our teams becoming more self-reliant.
Take each point one at a time. Have England improved the depth of their squad? Yes. Have they played
some good rugby, and some ordinary rugby? Definitely. And theres no argument against the back-to-back
titles, even if the Grand Slam slipped through their grasp in Dublin.
But that last point about learning more from this squad of players who are, apparently, becoming more
self-reliant raises eyebrows. England passed two early tests in fighting from behind on the scoreboard to
defeat France and Wales. While they were two games that England expected to win, given their unbeaten
run under Jones, France demonstrated that they have rapidly improved under Guy Noves while Wales are
not a fifth-place calibre side, no matter what the Six Nations table says.
Jones admitted that they needed a get out of jail free card to win those games, but that is testament to his
sides strength in depth, resilience and never knowing when theyre beat.
But two other key points in the championship oppose the Australians self-reliance claim. The first, the
36-15 win over Italy, sees the return of ruckgate. Italy chose to employ a tactic of not competing at the
breakdown and thus removing any rucks or offside lines. It took England until after half-time to work out
how to conquer these tactics, despite messages being passed onto the field during the first half.
The second point came in the finale defeat by Ireland. England were not able to alter their game in order to
combat Irelands superior areas, namely the lineout and the tackle. The introduction of Peter OMahony to
the starting line-up, a last-minute decision after Jamie Heaslip was injured in the warm-up, completely
changed Irelands lineout plan, and left England scratching their heads. What was noticeable was not just
that the Irish were able to disrupt and steal the English throw, but that England did not challenge
whenever Rory Best threw into the lineout, instead opting to contest the driving maul. This was none
more clearer than when in the 78th minute and inside their own 22, needing to go 80m to score the try
they needed to win the Grand Slam, England chose not to compete for possession on the Irish throw.
This does not meet the criteria for self-reliance, not by any stretch. It is the complete opposite as it shows
England were unable to logically put together a Plan B in order to try and defeat Ireland, as well as Italy.
The positives that were gained during the championship were the return from injury of the Vunipola
brothers, the emergence of Elliot Daly as a Test-calibre player and the demonstration of Englands world
class options in the second-row by Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury excelling in place of Maro Itoje
shifted to blindside flanker and the injured George Kruis.
Of course theres also the status of back-to-back Six Nations champions and the chance to become the first
nation to win three outright titles in a row, and Jones highlighted on Monday, so the positives heavily
outweigh the negatives. But to say the players are developing a self-reliance is a step too far at this point,
and thats why theres still plenty of work to do ahead of phase two of Joness three-phase plan.
Sport / Cricket
Duckett ready to put fluffed

Test bow behind him
Exclusive interview: Blocking out for a draw isnt something the free-
scoring Duckett wants, writes Rich Edwards
The Northamptonshire left-hander is eager to return to the England Test fold (AP)
Ben Duckett was many peoples wild card choice for Englands winter Test tours but after fluffing his
lines he now has work to do to trump those ahead of him in the current pecking order.
The Northamptonshire left-hander has barely had time to draw breath since the end of last season, making
his Test debut in Chittagong against Bangladesh and playing three further Tests as England drew against
the minnows and were then soundly thumped by India.
His return of 110 runs at an average of 15 hardly screams success, but Duckett goes into the English
summer via the North v South series and the MCC v Champion County match in Abu Dhabi this
weekend knowing that a slot in Englands top order is still potentially only a few big scores away.
He certainly came up with plenty of those last season, scoring 2706 for his county and the England Lions
across all formats. That glut, though, contrasted sharply with his struggles in Asia before Christmas.
Speaking in January, Duckett blamed his failure in his fourth and final Test of the winter for failing to trust
his instincts and following his captains orders instead.
Blocking out for a draw isnt something the free-scoring Duckett is readily associated with and he is,
unsurprisingly, determined to ensure that his Test career isnt defined by that 16-ball duck in
Visakhapatnam.
Ive experienced an England tour, my first one, so regardless of how it went thats something Ill always
look back on, he says. The conditions were extremely tough and at times I think I showed what I can do.
For me now, though, its almost a case of forgetting about it.
Im a very simple guy so I didnt really spend too much time thinking how tough the winter was going to
be. Its was always going to be difficult to play one of the best sides in the world away from home against
some world class spinners.
Duckett had a difficult time in the winter (Reuters)
I got picked for the trip on the back of being a good player of spin and a class bowler got me out a couple
of times. It wasnt like I was getting out to part-timers, I was getting out to one guy most of the time. Now
Im looking forward not back.
Duckett will be relieved that hes unlikely to come up against Ravi Ashwin who dismissed him three
times in three innings in India - again any time soon and that the turning pitches he encountered in India
will be a world away from the ones hell bat on this summer.
Theyre not massive technical issues, he says. In England the ball might turn one or two centimetres
but in India you sometimes have balls pitching leg and hitting the top of off stump.
Moving forward to this season Ive really just got to remember how I played in England last summer and
scored so many runs.
The 22-year-old has had precious little time to stew over his Test failures, having since crammed in a stint
in the Pakistan Super League, a Lions series in Sri Lanka, the North v South series and, on Sunday, the
season opener between the MCC and Middlesex, last seasons County Champions.
Duckett is eager to earn a recall (Getty)
The runs havent necessarily flowed as readily as Duckett would have liked so far in 2017 but if he needs
any inspiration he can draw on his experience of watching Virat Kohli at close quarters back in November.
It seems to a bit strange to say but it was sometimes a pleasure to watch him bat because he just made it
look so easy against a pretty good England attack, he says. Hes out of this league really - some of things
he does arent things that I could just pick up a bat and do.
Hes extremely calm at the crease but hes a very dominant batsman he gets on top of the bowlers so
quickly. In the form he was in at that time it was great to watch.
He may lack the finesse of the Indian skipper but any regular at Wantage Road will tell you that Duckett
can be similarly destructive when the force is with him, as it was countless times last season.
His strike rate in the T20 Blast tournament was over 140 last season, making him comfortably one of the
most free-scoring batsman in the domestic game. Plenty would argue that Ducketts best chance of future
international recognition lies in the shortest formats rather than the Test arena.
That, though, is not a theory that Duckett subscribes to.
I would love to play Test cricket again, I would love to play a Test in England in front of a huge crowd,
he says. For me Test cricket is different here - I wouldnt ever want to knock that back.
My big aim is still to play Test cricket for England. Obviously playing in T20 in front of a packed house
and an amazing atmosphere is great fun but if youre playing at the top level, no matter what format youre
playing in, the pressure is there and the crowds are there.
Thats why I love all the formats.
With the Champions Trophy creeping ever closer, Duckett knows time is short. Some long, long sixes in
the meantime would do his chances of a recall no harm at all.
Sport / Rugby League
Salford draw Toronto Wolfpack

in Challenge Cup
Salford enter the competition at the fifth-round stage after finishing in the bottom four of Super League in 2016 (Getty)
IAN LAYBOURN
Salford coach Ian Watson says his team could have not have been handed a tougher draw after being paired
with newcomers Toronto Wolfpack in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup.
The Canadian team, who have ambitions to reach Super League within five years, will get a chance to test
themselves against top-flight opposition after being handed a trip to the AJ Bell Stadium to take on
Watson's Red Devils in the fifth round on the weekend of April 22-23.
"It's an historic one and a real tough one for us to be fair," Watson said. "I don't think we could have had a
tougher draw even with teams like Leeds and Huddersfield coming in.
"They're a good team, a well-coached team. I know their coach Paul Rowley pretty well.
"We had a training session against each other in pre-season which was a real good hit-out so we'll be well
aware of little bits of how they like to play. They threw some good stuff at us that day and caught us a little
bit at times."
The Wolfpack began their Challenge Cup campaign with a narrow win over Halifax amateurs Siddal in the
third round before knocking out Championship club London Broncos in Ealing last Friday.
Toronto director of rugby Brian Noble, a former coach of Salford who won the Challenge Cup with
Bradford, told BBC 5 Live: "It's a fabulous tie; we'll look forward to that.
"They're a top-six Super League team who are playing really well and have a smattering of stars.
Salford host Toronto Wolfpack on the weekend of April 22-23 (Getty)
"We're clearly the underdogs but we want to put a marker down."
Toronto, who have won both their opening fixtures in League 1, gave Challenge Cup holders Hull a fright
in a pre-season friendly in January.
Salford enter the competition at the fifth-round stage after finishing in the bottom four of Super League in
2016 but they have made a promising start to the 2017 season and on Sunday became the first team to beat
Castleford.
They were joined in the draw, which was made by former Wigan and Great Britain winger Jason Robinson,
by promoted Leigh who will play Hull KR, the side they replaced in Super League.
Leeds, who won the cup back-to-back at Wembley in 2014 and 2015, have been paired with League 1 club
Doncaster.
Huddersfield, the other Super League team involved at this stage, are at home to Championship club
Swinton, and there is a Heavy Woollen derby between Dewsbury and Batley.
Hull will begin their defence at the sixth-round stage along with the other seven Super League clubs.
Ladbrokes Challenge Cup fifth-round draw in full: Leigh v Hull KR, Featherstone v Oldham, Leeds v
Doncaster, Salford v Toronto, Whitehaven or Oxford v Halifax, Dewsbury v Batley, Huddersfield v
Swinton, York v Barrow.
Sport / Cycling
Controversy during Volta a

Catalunyas team time-trial
Valverde (R) was awarded the win over Rojas, whom was punished for pushing (AFP/Getty)
SPORTS STAFF
There was controversy on stage two of the Volta a Catalunya as Movistar claimed victory despite a penalty
for pushing during the team time trial.
The Spanish team completed the 41.3 kilometre course from Pla de l'Estany to Banyoles in 48 minutes and
55 seconds, two seconds clear of BMC Racing and almost a minute ahead of Team Sky in third.
But television pictures clearly showed Movistar's Nelson Oliveira giving team-mate Jose Rojas - who was
in line to take the overall lead in the race - a shove during the stage, prompting other teams to complain.
Rules state that under such circumstances each member of the team should have one minute added to their
time, but instead commissaires chose to add a minute to Oliveira's time and three to Rojas' time, while
keeping Movistar as winners of the stage.
The overall lead passed to Rojas' Spanish team-mate Alejandro Valverde, rather than BMC's Ben Hermans
who might have expected it to come to him.
A post on the official Volta a Catalunya Twitter feed read: "Three minutes penalty for jjrojillas for pushing
a teammate. alejanvalverde, new leader"
Sky's Landa remains in contention (AFP/Getty)
For Team Sky, third place in a time of 49 minutes and 41 seconds keeps Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas
and Mikel Landa in contention for the general classification, and was a significant improvement on their
last team time trial at Tirreno-Adriatico, where a series of wheel failures cost them almost two minutes and
ended Thomas' GC bid before it had truly begun.
"We are not super happy to have lost 46 seconds, but let's see what happens," said Team Sky sport director
Nicolas Portal on the team's website. "Tomorrow we have got a hard mountain stage and we have got a
strong team with Froomey and G (Thomas).
"G was super strong today so let's hope we can bring back some time tomorrow. We've also got another
summit finish later in the week."
Wednesday's stage runs over 188.3km from Mataro to a mountain finish at La Molina.
Sport / Formula 1
Mercedes hit back at Red Bull

over engine allegations
Red Bull wrote to the FIA to clarify if the Mercedes engine used an illegal method (Getty)
JACK DE MENEZES
Toto Wolff has rejected any dirty tricks being used by Mercedes with its engine after Red Bull wrote to the
FIA to clarify if it was breaking the rules, with the German joking that their rivals must have seen ghosts
if they were questioning the legality of the power unit.
Both Ferrari and now Red Bull have raised queries over the systems being used ahead of the 2017 season,
which gets underway with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this weekend. But while Ferraris
disgruntlement stemmed from the trick suspensions being used by both of their main rivals, Red Bull have
focused more on how the Mercedes engine functions in qualifying.
Its claimed that the Silver Arrows is able to burn oil as fuel during Saturday qualifying, giving it a power
boost and ensuring that the German manufacturer remains ahead of its competition on the grid come
Sundays grand prix.
But Wolff has completely dismissed such allegations, and puts the advantage that Lewis Hamilton and
Nico Rosberg enjoyed last year down to superior engine mapping.
They have seen ghosts, Wolff told Gazzetta dello Sport. We have had for years a map that allows us to
use more horsepower in qualifying. It is nothing new. Maybe in Australia there will be protests, but
Mercedes feels safe.
Rosberg does not return to the grid this season to defend his drivers championship following his shock
retirement in December, with Valterri Bottas stepping up to partner three-time world champion
Hamilton, and the Finn fired an early warning at his teammate to stress he has not joined the Brackley
outfit to just make up the numbers.
"I don't fear that I will be the number two at Mercedes," Bottas said. Mercedes do not have a number one,
or a number two driver, so it is up to me to perform. As long as I do my job, which is to perform on the
level where the car should be, we are all good and I know I can do it.
"I am very excited about going up against Lewis. He is a three-time world champion and a great reference
point. Everybody knows exactly how good he is as a driver.
"It is great to be a team-mate of Lewis and I hope we can have a strong year in this era of Formula One. In
testing we managed to work well together and there was a good team spirit. I see no reason why it should
not continue like that."
However, while Bottas will be targeting his first drivers title, Ferrari are targeting their 16th in the hope of
ending what will be an 10-year wait for the championship, having not finished top of the standings since
Kimi Raikkonens success back in 2007.
Wolff was not surprised by the pace and reliability of the Italians during pre-season testing, despite
Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel showing pace that could rival Mercedes this season following three years
of dominance by the German marque.
"It is a solid team, with the right resources, capable engineers and energetic and motivated leader, Wolff
said of Ferrari..
Ferrari have looked very strong in pre-season testing (Getty)
Its logical to expect a competitive Ferrari. In tests it was the fastest car and covered many kilometres.
I see Ferrari on the podium on Sunday in Australia, and I hope that we will fight with them for victory.
Sport / American Football
Trump takes swipe at

protesting quarterback
Colin Kaepernick was mocked by President Trump (Getty)
JACK DE MENEZES
President Donald Trump has taken a swipe at the NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, during a campaign-
style rally in Kentucky following the former San Fracisco 49ers players protest last season against the
American national anthem.
Kaepernick made headlines not for his performances on the pitch but for the ones off it as he refused to
stand for the national anthem before games, instead choosing to take to one knee in protest against police
treatment of minorities.
29-year-old Kaepernick was criticised for his actions, but he was also defended for having the right to free
speech and was also joined by a number of black NFL players who agreed with his stance.
The quarterback, who is currently a free agent after being released by the 49ers, has confirmed that he will
not continue with his protest next season, but that has not stopped President Trump from criticising him
during a speech on Monday.
Trump was speaking at a rally in Louisville (Getty)
After claiming that he read an article in which it said that NFL owners are wary of signing Kaepernick
"because they don't want to get a nasty tweet from Donald Trump", the President laughed off the report,
much to the delight of an enthusiastic crowd.
Im sure nobody ever heard of him, President Trump said. Im just reporting the news. There was an
article today I love to report the news and then they said I made a mistake, right? I said, No, the people
reporting the news made a mistake if its wrong.
But there was an article today, it was reported that NFL owners dont want to pick him up because they
dont want to get a nasty tweet from Donald Trump. Do you believe that? I just saw that. I just saw that. I
said if I remember that one Im going to report it to the people of Kentucky. Because they like it when
people actually stand for the American flag.
The swipe came in response to an article by Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, who spoke to an unnamed
AFC General Manager who expressed concerns that some teamsthink there might be protests or
[President Donald] Trump will tweet about the team.

The Independent - 22 March 2017

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WEDNESDAY 22 MARCH 2017 WWW.INDEPENDENT.CO.

Matthew Norman Sean OGrady Hannah Fearn Ben Chu

The IRA chief who turned peacemaker

Terror threat prompts

Rising inflation is just the start

Britain bans laptops on flights

KIM SENGUPTA AND JOE WATTS

COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY UK BAN

Security experts astonished by

Tories tell May to stand firm

May should not sacrifice EU

Galloway announces he will

News / Martin McGuinness 1950-2017

Tributes paid to former

SAMUEL OSBORNE AND MAY BULMAN

A woman touches the coffin of Martin McGuinness as it is carried through the

Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with Martin McGuinness in 2012 (Reuters)

News / Martin McGuinness 1950-2017

Mourners gather in Sinn Fein

Mr McGuinness' funeral will be held in Derry city on Thursday afternoon.

News / Martin McGuinness 1950-2017/ Obituary

Derry zealot who resisted

News / Martin McGuinness 1950-2017

How the adolescent acid

News / Martin McGuinness 1950-2017

Even British politicians

UK rate of inflation rose to 2.3

Justice Secretary Liz Truss to

Nearly one in seven retiring

UKs most deprived state

King of the whodunnit men

Colin Dexter, born 29 September, 1930; died Oxford 21 March 2017

New test can predict when

Google to clamp down on

Studies based on mice thrown

NC3Rs has announced 2017 to be the Year of Laboratory Rodent Welfare.

Home news in brief

Nicola Sturgeon insists Westminster would be "wrong" to deny second Scottish

Snow set to blanket parts of the north of England

Amazing doctor faces tribunal over Ebola nurse screening

Strangers' personal data revealed to Three users after technical fault

Obamas policy of nuclear

Mercy on the rescue boat

Trump tells Republicans to

Mr Trump said recently: Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated.

Donald Trump can blame only

Gorsuch reassures senators of

I leave all the other stuff at home, said Mr Gorsuch.

Greek police find eight more

Van Gogh paintings back on

View of the Sea at Scheveningen 1882 (Reuters)

Congregation leaving The Reformed Church in Nuenen 1884-85 (Reuters)

World news in brief

India gives rivers human rights

Bulgarian nationalists block roads to prevent arriving voters from Turkey

Australia face fresh criticism on indigenous human rights record from UN

South Korea's ousted president apologizes as she arrives for questioning

The super-terrorist who became

Martin McGuinness followed along the familiar trail of so many enemies of

May wont call an election when

If Theresa Mays Government had form in executing a tyre-melting U-turn, on

This is what independence could

The second Scottish enlightenment is grudgingly acknowledged by the envious English.

Pregnant immigrants avoid the