Boris Johnson has declared Britain is "first in line" for a trade deal with the US, after meeting Donald Trump's senior advisers for talks in Washington.
Barack Obama, who leaves office on 20 January, warned during the EU referendum campaign that Britain would be at the "back of the queue" for a trading agreement if it opted to leave the EU.
But the Foreign Secretary, who once quipped he would not visit parts of New York because of the "real risk of meeting Donald Trump", praised the President-elect's "very exciting agenda of change".
:: Analysis: Diplomats look to mend uneasy relations between May and Trump
Monday, January 9, 2017
Drivers seek millions from Volkswagen over emissions scandal
Thousands of UK motorists have signed up to legal action against Volkswagen over the German carmaker's diesel emissions scandal, the law firm behind the claim said.
Harcus Sinclair said around 10,000 drivers had signed up to the group action, each seeking £3-4,000 per car.
The case centres on the difference between the price paid by motorists for vehicles and the "inherent value" of what they received, the lawyers said.
Volkswagen said it would "robustly" defend the case - which could cost it more than £30m if claims made so far succeed - and that it did not believe customers would miss out due to the scandal.
The German company admitted in September 2015 that nearly half a million diesel vehicles in the US were fitted with defeat device software to cheat on emissions tests.
It later said 11 million vehicles were affected worldwide, including almost 1.2 million in the UK.
Volkswagen is involved in lawsuits in several countries and has already agreed a $15bn (£12bn) settlement with US authorities and owners of affected vehicles.
In October a Spanish court ruled that the owner of an affected car should be paid €5,000 (£4,300) by the company, but there have been no such payouts in the UK.
British authorities have been accused by some consumers and MPs of being too slow to act for not pursuing compensation or criminal proceedings.
It emerged last month that the UK is one of four countries facing legal action by the European Union for not imposing penalties on Volkswagen over the issue.
Mary Creagh, chair of the Commons Environmental Audit Committee, said: "In the absence of Government action it is inevitable that motorists would take matters into their own hands and pursue private action in the courts."
The group legal action involving Harcus Sinclair is the first in relation to the scandal on behalf of UK customers.
It is pursuing a case against the group's brands VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda at the High Court, with an application due to he heard on 30 January.
Damon Parker, head of litigation at Harcus Sinclair UK Ltd, said: "It is only right that UK car owners affected by the scandal have the opportunity to seek compensation.
"We have secured funding so that those affected can bring this claim against VW at no cost to themselves.
"The group action aims to ensure that, if VW is found to have misled consumers about the environmental damage caused by their cars, they are penalised accordingly so as to discourage this sort of behaviour from happening again."
Industry figures last week showed Volkswagen's UK sales had fallen by 7.5% in 2016.
Harcus Sinclair said around 10,000 drivers had signed up to the group action, each seeking £3-4,000 per car.
The case centres on the difference between the price paid by motorists for vehicles and the "inherent value" of what they received, the lawyers said.
Volkswagen said it would "robustly" defend the case - which could cost it more than £30m if claims made so far succeed - and that it did not believe customers would miss out due to the scandal.
The German company admitted in September 2015 that nearly half a million diesel vehicles in the US were fitted with defeat device software to cheat on emissions tests.
It later said 11 million vehicles were affected worldwide, including almost 1.2 million in the UK.
Volkswagen is involved in lawsuits in several countries and has already agreed a $15bn (£12bn) settlement with US authorities and owners of affected vehicles.
In October a Spanish court ruled that the owner of an affected car should be paid €5,000 (£4,300) by the company, but there have been no such payouts in the UK.
British authorities have been accused by some consumers and MPs of being too slow to act for not pursuing compensation or criminal proceedings.
It emerged last month that the UK is one of four countries facing legal action by the European Union for not imposing penalties on Volkswagen over the issue.
Mary Creagh, chair of the Commons Environmental Audit Committee, said: "In the absence of Government action it is inevitable that motorists would take matters into their own hands and pursue private action in the courts."
The group legal action involving Harcus Sinclair is the first in relation to the scandal on behalf of UK customers.
It is pursuing a case against the group's brands VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda at the High Court, with an application due to he heard on 30 January.
Damon Parker, head of litigation at Harcus Sinclair UK Ltd, said: "It is only right that UK car owners affected by the scandal have the opportunity to seek compensation.
"We have secured funding so that those affected can bring this claim against VW at no cost to themselves.
"The group action aims to ensure that, if VW is found to have misled consumers about the environmental damage caused by their cars, they are penalised accordingly so as to discourage this sort of behaviour from happening again."
Industry figures last week showed Volkswagen's UK sales had fallen by 7.5% in 2016.
Amazon Echo orders doll houses after 'hearing' TV presenter talking
A US TV station has been inundated with complaints after viewers' voice-commanded Amazon Echo systems "heard" a presenter's remarks about doll houses - and started ordering them.
Using the device's voice command assistant, which is called Alexa, a six-year-old girl in Dallas, Texas, managed to order a $160 (£130) doll house and a tin of biscuits.
That sparked a news report on CW6 in San Diego, California, after which presenter Jim Patton said: "I love the little girl saying 'Alexa order me a doll house'."
According to the TV station, the broadcast on Thursday sparked complaints from "viewers all over San Diego" who said Mr Patton's words had been interpreted by their Amazon Echo devices as a command to buy more doll houses.
Amazon has said any "accidental" purchases can be returned for free.
Users have also been advised a four-digit security code can be added to the Echo to stop unauthorised orders.
This option has now been taken up by the parents of the girl in Dallas, who had asked her mother's device: "Can you play doll house with me and get me a doll house?"
Stephen Cobb, a researcher for IT security firm ESET, said the incident revealed the shortfalls of voice-commanded gadgets.
"All of these devices which record the internet of things will have some sort of website control, some sort of setting, sometimes the setting is on the device that is communicating," he told CW6 San Diego.
"Down the road the technology will be more sophisticated where it will be able to identify certain individuals and register people can access it."
At last week's CES tech show in Las Vegas, Ford, Huawei and Inrix were among a number of firms that revealed they have integrated Alexa into their new products.
LG said the voice command assistant would allow customers to "talk" to its smart fridge, to find out what food is on its shelves and to order items.
Using the device's voice command assistant, which is called Alexa, a six-year-old girl in Dallas, Texas, managed to order a $160 (£130) doll house and a tin of biscuits.
That sparked a news report on CW6 in San Diego, California, after which presenter Jim Patton said: "I love the little girl saying 'Alexa order me a doll house'."
According to the TV station, the broadcast on Thursday sparked complaints from "viewers all over San Diego" who said Mr Patton's words had been interpreted by their Amazon Echo devices as a command to buy more doll houses.
Amazon has said any "accidental" purchases can be returned for free.
Users have also been advised a four-digit security code can be added to the Echo to stop unauthorised orders.
This option has now been taken up by the parents of the girl in Dallas, who had asked her mother's device: "Can you play doll house with me and get me a doll house?"
Stephen Cobb, a researcher for IT security firm ESET, said the incident revealed the shortfalls of voice-commanded gadgets.
"All of these devices which record the internet of things will have some sort of website control, some sort of setting, sometimes the setting is on the device that is communicating," he told CW6 San Diego.
"Down the road the technology will be more sophisticated where it will be able to identify certain individuals and register people can access it."
At last week's CES tech show in Las Vegas, Ford, Huawei and Inrix were among a number of firms that revealed they have integrated Alexa into their new products.
LG said the voice command assistant would allow customers to "talk" to its smart fridge, to find out what food is on its shelves and to order items.
Emergency NHS care is 'patchy', Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt admits
NHS emergency care is "patchy" and has "fallen over in some places", the Health Secretary has admitted.
Jeremy Hunt told Sky News there were "real problems" at some hospitals, including Worcestershire Royal, where it was disclosed last week that two people had died after lengthy waits on hospital trolleys.
The Health Secretary said the NHS had been prepared for winter this year with 3,000 new nurses and 2,000 new doctors, but that this didn't "stop things falling over in one or two places".
However, he robustly rejected comments from the British Red Cross that the health service was facing a "humanitarian crisis" and said it was coping better than last year.
When pushed on patients dying after waiting on trolleys, Mr Hunt said the incidents were being investigated but added: "I'm afraid you do have tragedies in a huge organisation like the NHS."
Mr Hunt said he would be giving a statement to MPs in the House of Commons later on Monday to "put pay to some of the myths".
He said: "We have some of the best care in the world in our hospitals, some of the cancer care, some of the mental health provision, some of the emergency care is bloody brilliant... but it is patchy as you say and what we want is the same high quality of care across the whole system."
The scale of the crisis was underlined on Monday by figures that show a third of health trusts in England have issued alerts for urgent action to help them cope.
Figures last week showed A&E departments across the country had closed their doors to patients 140 times in December.
Speaking to Sky News, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth called on Mr Hunt to "get a grip" and start "banging on the door" of Downing Street to demand more money for the NHS.
He said the promise of £10bn extra NHS funding repeatedly pledged by Theresa May had been widely discredited, including by her own MPs, and that the Prime Minister was presiding over the "biggest financial squeeze" in NHS history.
Mr Ashworth said descriptions of patients waiting on trolleys in corridors and dying of starvation and dehydration were a "disgrace".
He said: "I really hope that Theresa May or Jeremy Hunt can come to the House of Commons today and tell us what they are going to do to get the NHS through this very severe winter crisis."
Jeremy Hunt told Sky News there were "real problems" at some hospitals, including Worcestershire Royal, where it was disclosed last week that two people had died after lengthy waits on hospital trolleys.
The Health Secretary said the NHS had been prepared for winter this year with 3,000 new nurses and 2,000 new doctors, but that this didn't "stop things falling over in one or two places".
However, he robustly rejected comments from the British Red Cross that the health service was facing a "humanitarian crisis" and said it was coping better than last year.
When pushed on patients dying after waiting on trolleys, Mr Hunt said the incidents were being investigated but added: "I'm afraid you do have tragedies in a huge organisation like the NHS."
Mr Hunt said he would be giving a statement to MPs in the House of Commons later on Monday to "put pay to some of the myths".
He said: "We have some of the best care in the world in our hospitals, some of the cancer care, some of the mental health provision, some of the emergency care is bloody brilliant... but it is patchy as you say and what we want is the same high quality of care across the whole system."
The scale of the crisis was underlined on Monday by figures that show a third of health trusts in England have issued alerts for urgent action to help them cope.
Figures last week showed A&E departments across the country had closed their doors to patients 140 times in December.
Speaking to Sky News, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth called on Mr Hunt to "get a grip" and start "banging on the door" of Downing Street to demand more money for the NHS.
He said the promise of £10bn extra NHS funding repeatedly pledged by Theresa May had been widely discredited, including by her own MPs, and that the Prime Minister was presiding over the "biggest financial squeeze" in NHS history.
Mr Ashworth said descriptions of patients waiting on trolleys in corridors and dying of starvation and dehydration were a "disgrace".
He said: "I really hope that Theresa May or Jeremy Hunt can come to the House of Commons today and tell us what they are going to do to get the NHS through this very severe winter crisis."
Streep tells Globes that Trump disabled mockery 'broke my heart'
Meryl Streep has used her moment in the spotlight at the Golden Globes to attack Donald Trump.
The actress said Mr Trump's impression of a disabled reporter during his campaign for the presidency "kind of broke my heart".
The billionaire, who will become President on 20 January, was apparently doing an impression of Serge Kovaleski when he waved his arms around erratically during a rally.
The episode was widely criticised.
Streep, who was collecting the Cecille B DeMille Award, said the widely criticised episode in November 2015 "sank its hook in my heart".
She said she was shocked that the "person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country" was imitating a disabled reporter, "someone he outranked in privilege, power, and the capacity to fight back".
"It kind of broke my heart, and I saw it, and I still can't get it out of my head because it wasn't in a movie. It was real life," said the actress.
:: Golden Globes: British actors among the winners
Streep did not mention Mr Trump by name, but warned against the consequences of bullying and mockery by high-profile people.
"This instinct to humiliate when it's modeled by someone in the public platform by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody's life because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing," she said.
Mr Trump told the New York Times he had not seen the comments but was "not surprised" at the attack by "liberal movie people", the newspaper reported.
Streep, 67, was at the Beverly Hills awards to pick up her award for outstanding contribution to entertainment.
She also alluded to the anti-immigrant sentiment felt by some in the US after Mr Trump's victory.
Paying tribute to the diversity of the nominees, she pointed out that "Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners, and if we kick them all out, you'll have nothing to watch".
Streep ended her acceptance speech with a tribute to Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher, who died last month.
She told the assembled A-listers: "We should all be very proud of the work Hollywood honours here tonight.
"As my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia said to me once, 'Take your broken heart. Make it into art.'
"Thank you, friend."
The actress said Mr Trump's impression of a disabled reporter during his campaign for the presidency "kind of broke my heart".
The billionaire, who will become President on 20 January, was apparently doing an impression of Serge Kovaleski when he waved his arms around erratically during a rally.
The episode was widely criticised.
Streep, who was collecting the Cecille B DeMille Award, said the widely criticised episode in November 2015 "sank its hook in my heart".
She said she was shocked that the "person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country" was imitating a disabled reporter, "someone he outranked in privilege, power, and the capacity to fight back".
"It kind of broke my heart, and I saw it, and I still can't get it out of my head because it wasn't in a movie. It was real life," said the actress.
:: Golden Globes: British actors among the winners
Streep did not mention Mr Trump by name, but warned against the consequences of bullying and mockery by high-profile people.
"This instinct to humiliate when it's modeled by someone in the public platform by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody's life because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing," she said.
Mr Trump told the New York Times he had not seen the comments but was "not surprised" at the attack by "liberal movie people", the newspaper reported.
Streep, 67, was at the Beverly Hills awards to pick up her award for outstanding contribution to entertainment.
She also alluded to the anti-immigrant sentiment felt by some in the US after Mr Trump's victory.
Paying tribute to the diversity of the nominees, she pointed out that "Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners, and if we kick them all out, you'll have nothing to watch".
Streep ended her acceptance speech with a tribute to Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher, who died last month.
She told the assembled A-listers: "We should all be very proud of the work Hollywood honours here tonight.
"As my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia said to me once, 'Take your broken heart. Make it into art.'
"Thank you, friend."
UK to remain home of Rolls-Royce after 'remarkable' sales
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has promised to keep its roots in Britain after the German-owned company announced its second highest sales record in over a century.
The West Sussex-based firm - which is owned by auto giant BMW - sold 4,011 cars in more than 50 countries in 2016, up 6% on 2015.
The company saw a 26% sales spike in its UK home market, while sales in the US jumped 10%, China rose 23% and Japan soared 51%.
The figures affirm the brand's strength and resilience in a year of challenging market conditions for luxury goods, which have been dampened by economic and political uncertainties.
They come as rival Jaguar Land Rover - Britain's biggest carmaker - also reported a record year.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief executive Torsten Muller-Otvos said: "This remarkable result emphatically affirms the global appeal of the very finest British luxury goods to the world's most discerning patrons."
He added: "We are deeply committed to a long term, sustainable, successful growth strategy and this result, amidst a backdrop of global uncertainty, affirms this approach. 2016 has proven the perfect year to sign off the successful first chapter of the renaissance of Rolls-Royce.
"Success for Rolls-Royce is success for Great Britain and we reaffirm our commitment to maintaining the home of Rolls-Royce in the UK."
The Brexit vote has raised questions as to whether foreign-owned firms will maintain manufacturing hubs in the UK, especially if the Government opts to leave the EU's single market, resulting in higher tariffs for exported goods.
Mr Muller-Otvos's comments follow reports that the chief executive wrote to workers in March, warning them that an exit from the EU would drive up costs and prices and could affect the company's "employment base".
However, Rolls-Royce says it is planning to extend its 30,000 square metre Technology and Logistics Centre in Bognor Regis - close to its manufacturing hub in Goodwood, West Sussex - in 2017 by nearly 10,000 square metres "to meet growing demand and in readiness for future models".
The company now employs 1,700 people, a near 500% increase on its 350-strong team in 2003.
Meanwhile Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India's Tata, said it sold 583,000 cars in 2016, up 20% on the year before.
The UK company admitted in November that its future in the country could be jeopardised by a "hard Brexit" with new tax and tariff barriers.
The West Sussex-based firm - which is owned by auto giant BMW - sold 4,011 cars in more than 50 countries in 2016, up 6% on 2015.
The company saw a 26% sales spike in its UK home market, while sales in the US jumped 10%, China rose 23% and Japan soared 51%.
The figures affirm the brand's strength and resilience in a year of challenging market conditions for luxury goods, which have been dampened by economic and political uncertainties.
They come as rival Jaguar Land Rover - Britain's biggest carmaker - also reported a record year.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief executive Torsten Muller-Otvos said: "This remarkable result emphatically affirms the global appeal of the very finest British luxury goods to the world's most discerning patrons."
He added: "We are deeply committed to a long term, sustainable, successful growth strategy and this result, amidst a backdrop of global uncertainty, affirms this approach. 2016 has proven the perfect year to sign off the successful first chapter of the renaissance of Rolls-Royce.
"Success for Rolls-Royce is success for Great Britain and we reaffirm our commitment to maintaining the home of Rolls-Royce in the UK."
The Brexit vote has raised questions as to whether foreign-owned firms will maintain manufacturing hubs in the UK, especially if the Government opts to leave the EU's single market, resulting in higher tariffs for exported goods.
Mr Muller-Otvos's comments follow reports that the chief executive wrote to workers in March, warning them that an exit from the EU would drive up costs and prices and could affect the company's "employment base".
However, Rolls-Royce says it is planning to extend its 30,000 square metre Technology and Logistics Centre in Bognor Regis - close to its manufacturing hub in Goodwood, West Sussex - in 2017 by nearly 10,000 square metres "to meet growing demand and in readiness for future models".
The company now employs 1,700 people, a near 500% increase on its 350-strong team in 2003.
Meanwhile Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India's Tata, said it sold 583,000 cars in 2016, up 20% on the year before.
The UK company admitted in November that its future in the country could be jeopardised by a "hard Brexit" with new tax and tariff barriers.
Kim Kardashian robbery in France: 16 people arrested
Sixteen people have been arrested over the robbery of Kim Kardashian West in Paris in October, according to reports.
The reality TV star was tied up and robbed of around €10m (£7m) worth of jewellery when a gang of masked men burst into her apartment during Paris Fashion Week.
French media say DNA traces led police to the suspects.
According to French channel LCI, the alleged robbers are "old figures of the French mob and organised crime", with "many of them on their fifties and even a 72-year-old man".
According to Europe 1, the arrests took place at 6am in and around the city.
The operation was co-ordinated by the Banditry Repression Brigade of the French police - a special unit in charge of armed robberies.
The robbers, wearing ski masks and dressed as police, broke into the apartment at around 3am on 3 October and held a gun to Kardashian West's head before tying her up and locking her in the bathroom.
They were let into the building near the historic Madeleine Church in the 8th arrondissement by the building's concierge.
A police source said a jewellery box containing a ring worth €4m (£3.5m) had been taken along with other valuables worth between €5m and €6m (£4.4m - £5.2m).
According to police, the star was "badly shaken but physically unharmed".
The socialite returned to social media last week after taking a three-month break from the limelight following the incident.
The 36-year-old shared a picture of her alongside husband Kanye West and their two children, three-year-old daughter North and one-year-old son Saint.
The apartment where Kim was staying is said to have cost up to €15,000 (£13,000) a night.
She also stayed there before her wedding to Kanye West in 2014.
The rapper cut short a concert in the US following the raid.
In footage shot by members of the audience, he was heard saying, "I'm sorry, I have a family emergency. I have to stop the show" - before walking off stage.
The reality TV star was tied up and robbed of around €10m (£7m) worth of jewellery when a gang of masked men burst into her apartment during Paris Fashion Week.
French media say DNA traces led police to the suspects.
According to French channel LCI, the alleged robbers are "old figures of the French mob and organised crime", with "many of them on their fifties and even a 72-year-old man".
According to Europe 1, the arrests took place at 6am in and around the city.
The operation was co-ordinated by the Banditry Repression Brigade of the French police - a special unit in charge of armed robberies.
The robbers, wearing ski masks and dressed as police, broke into the apartment at around 3am on 3 October and held a gun to Kardashian West's head before tying her up and locking her in the bathroom.
They were let into the building near the historic Madeleine Church in the 8th arrondissement by the building's concierge.
A police source said a jewellery box containing a ring worth €4m (£3.5m) had been taken along with other valuables worth between €5m and €6m (£4.4m - £5.2m).
According to police, the star was "badly shaken but physically unharmed".
The socialite returned to social media last week after taking a three-month break from the limelight following the incident.
The 36-year-old shared a picture of her alongside husband Kanye West and their two children, three-year-old daughter North and one-year-old son Saint.
The apartment where Kim was staying is said to have cost up to €15,000 (£13,000) a night.
She also stayed there before her wedding to Kanye West in 2014.
The rapper cut short a concert in the US following the raid.
In footage shot by members of the audience, he was heard saying, "I'm sorry, I have a family emergency. I have to stop the show" - before walking off stage.
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