Mexico will not pay for Donald Trump's border wall, the country's president has said in a message to the nation.
Enrique Pena Nieto said he "lamented" the plans for the barrier, adding that "Mexico doesn't believe in walls".
But he made no mention of cancelling or postponing a trip to Washington on 31 January to meet the new US president.
Mr Trump has signed an executive order for an "impassable physical barrier" and has insisted Mexico would reimburse the US for it.
Mr Pena Nieto said: "I've said time and again; Mexico won't pay for any wall.
"It comes as our country is talking on new rules on cooperation, trade, investment, security and migration in the North American region.
"As president I assume the complete responsibility to defend the interests of Mexico and Mexicans.
"Based on a final report by the functionaries in Washington DC and advice from the chamber of commerce, governors, and so on, I will decide the right next steps to take.
"Mexico offers its friendship to the American people and its willingness to reach accords with their government. Agreements that will be in favour of both Mexico and the US."
Billions of dollars
Mr Trump said in a TV interview with ABC News that Mexico would "absolutely, 100%" reimburse the US for his wall.
But Congress would have to approve funding for the structure, which is estimated to cost billions of dollars.
Building a 2,000-mile barrier along the Mexican border was one of Mr Trump's key pledges in the presidential election campaign.
He spoke of a "crisis" on the southern US border as he signed the directives during a ceremony at the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday.
The orders also called for hiring 10,000 immigration officials to help boost border patrol efforts.
"A nation without borders is not a nation," he said. "Beginning today the United States gets back control of its borders."
The executive orders are among a flurry expected on national and border security this week.
Mr Trump is next expected to announce immigration restrictions from seven countries with Muslim-majority populations in the Middle East and Africa. This could affect refugee programmes.
These countries are believed to be Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Frozen star Idina Menzel criticised for wrist-slit joke
Actress Idina Menzel has been accused of inappropriate behaviour after making a joke on TV about slashing her wrists.
The Broadway star, known for voicing main character Elsa in Disney's hit movie Frozen, has been criticised by a mental health charity for mocking suicide.
In a TV interview on Tuesday, Menzel was asked which songs made her cry.
"You'd think because I'm a singer I listen to a lot of music, which I do, but there's certain music that I think is so devastatingly beautiful that it's too painful to listen to sometimes," she said.
"There's this Meshell Ndegeocello album, Bitter, that I just can't listen to.
"It's so good. It makes me just want to slit my wrists."
The phrase did not please the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which accused Menzel of showing "a lack of education".
"Self harm and suicide is a very serious situation. Some people may not realise the impact of that type of statement," they said.
"It shows a lack of education around the pain families and individuals go through and further stigmatises mental health."
Jessica Cruz, the charity's director, said it was "joking about self harm when self harm is not a joke".
"It's not an appropriate metaphor. She needs to consider the impact of her statement," the charity added.
It is not the first time Menzel has joked about self harm.
In an interview to the New York Times in 2014, the actress said: "I suppose if Christmas makes you depressed this album might make you want to slit your wrists."
The Broadway star, known for voicing main character Elsa in Disney's hit movie Frozen, has been criticised by a mental health charity for mocking suicide.
In a TV interview on Tuesday, Menzel was asked which songs made her cry.
"You'd think because I'm a singer I listen to a lot of music, which I do, but there's certain music that I think is so devastatingly beautiful that it's too painful to listen to sometimes," she said.
"There's this Meshell Ndegeocello album, Bitter, that I just can't listen to.
"It's so good. It makes me just want to slit my wrists."
The phrase did not please the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which accused Menzel of showing "a lack of education".
"Self harm and suicide is a very serious situation. Some people may not realise the impact of that type of statement," they said.
"It shows a lack of education around the pain families and individuals go through and further stigmatises mental health."
Jessica Cruz, the charity's director, said it was "joking about self harm when self harm is not a joke".
"It's not an appropriate metaphor. She needs to consider the impact of her statement," the charity added.
It is not the first time Menzel has joked about self harm.
In an interview to the New York Times in 2014, the actress said: "I suppose if Christmas makes you depressed this album might make you want to slit your wrists."
David Cameron calls for more funds to fight dementia
David Cameron has put pressure on Theresa May to come good on a pledge he made during his time in Downing Street to increase dementia funding.
The former Prime Minister has called for more spending on research into the condition, saying it should not be so far behind stroke and cancer funding.
His comments come as he announces he has become the president of Alzheimer's Research UK - his second major role since leaving Number 10.
In an article for The Times newspaper, Mr Cameron wrote: "We must win the battle for priorities.
"Cancer research and stroke research deserve all their funding - but dementia shouldn't be so far behind.
"Dementia steals people's lives, turns their relationships upside down, destroys their hopes and dreams. We owe it to them, their families and their carers to find a solution."
He said that "just as we did in the past with cancer and HIV", people must be educated about the condition and it should not become just "an inevitability of later life".
It is estimated that around one million people in the UK will have dementia by 2025.
Downing Street responded by saying the Prime Minister was committed to increasing support for the fight against dementia.
A spokeswoman for Mrs May said: "We are committed to taking forward the plans that have been already set out for increased support for helping people with dementia and tackling this vital issue."
Tackling the problem was a key "personal priority" for Mr Cameron during his tenure in Downing Street.
In 2013 he hosted a G8 dementia summit, pledging to double spending on dementia research by 2025. In 2015 he announced £300m would be spent on research by 2025.
The Alzheimer's role is the second he has taken on since standing down - in October he was announced as chairman of National Citizen Service Patrons.
The former Prime Minister has called for more spending on research into the condition, saying it should not be so far behind stroke and cancer funding.
His comments come as he announces he has become the president of Alzheimer's Research UK - his second major role since leaving Number 10.
In an article for The Times newspaper, Mr Cameron wrote: "We must win the battle for priorities.
"Cancer research and stroke research deserve all their funding - but dementia shouldn't be so far behind.
"Dementia steals people's lives, turns their relationships upside down, destroys their hopes and dreams. We owe it to them, their families and their carers to find a solution."
He said that "just as we did in the past with cancer and HIV", people must be educated about the condition and it should not become just "an inevitability of later life".
It is estimated that around one million people in the UK will have dementia by 2025.
Downing Street responded by saying the Prime Minister was committed to increasing support for the fight against dementia.
A spokeswoman for Mrs May said: "We are committed to taking forward the plans that have been already set out for increased support for helping people with dementia and tackling this vital issue."
Tackling the problem was a key "personal priority" for Mr Cameron during his tenure in Downing Street.
In 2013 he hosted a G8 dementia summit, pledging to double spending on dementia research by 2025. In 2015 he announced £300m would be spent on research by 2025.
The Alzheimer's role is the second he has taken on since standing down - in October he was announced as chairman of National Citizen Service Patrons.
Corbyn offers condolences to family of 'dead' policeman - who's alive
Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of making a "jaw-dropping gaffe" after he offered his condolences to the family of a "dead" policeman - who is still alive.
Theresa May opened her weekly Prime Minister's Questions session by saying her thoughts were with the officer, who was seriously injured in a shooting in Belfast at the weekend.
The Labour leader followed up her comments by "expressing condolences... to the family of the police officer who lost his life over the weekend in Northern Ireland".
:: PMQs: As it happened
However, the officer survived being shot in the arm three times and is currently recovering in hospital.
Mark Lindsay, chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, said: "I'm appalled that the leader of Her Majesty's Opposition should get this so badly wrong on the floor of the House of Commons.
"It was a jaw-dropping gaffe and he should immediately apologise to the officer and his family.
"Mr Corbyn was either poorly briefed by his staff or he's that much out of touch with what is happening.
"Either way, it's a shocking error to make and needs to be corrected."
Speaking during PMQs, DUP MP for Belfast North Nigel Dodds used a question to Mrs May to put Mr Corbyn right, pointing out that the officer had "fortunately" not been killed.
The DUP's Ian Paisley later called for Mr Corbyn's mistake to be formally corrected.
He said: "For the family and for police officers generally, could we have that corrected by the frontbench spokesman as urgently as possible so as the record does not contain the spurious fact that a police officer was murdered in Belfast."
However, House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said "it was a mistake" and there was "no need for any further correction".
A spokesman for the Labour leader later said afterwards: "He meant to say 'nearly died'. Obviously, the last thing that was intended was any offence."
Dissident republicans have been blamed for the shooting, which has sparked fears of a terror resurgence in the wake of the collapse of the Northern Ireland assembly.
Theresa May opened her weekly Prime Minister's Questions session by saying her thoughts were with the officer, who was seriously injured in a shooting in Belfast at the weekend.
The Labour leader followed up her comments by "expressing condolences... to the family of the police officer who lost his life over the weekend in Northern Ireland".
:: PMQs: As it happened
However, the officer survived being shot in the arm three times and is currently recovering in hospital.
Mark Lindsay, chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, said: "I'm appalled that the leader of Her Majesty's Opposition should get this so badly wrong on the floor of the House of Commons.
"It was a jaw-dropping gaffe and he should immediately apologise to the officer and his family.
"Mr Corbyn was either poorly briefed by his staff or he's that much out of touch with what is happening.
"Either way, it's a shocking error to make and needs to be corrected."
Speaking during PMQs, DUP MP for Belfast North Nigel Dodds used a question to Mrs May to put Mr Corbyn right, pointing out that the officer had "fortunately" not been killed.
The DUP's Ian Paisley later called for Mr Corbyn's mistake to be formally corrected.
He said: "For the family and for police officers generally, could we have that corrected by the frontbench spokesman as urgently as possible so as the record does not contain the spurious fact that a police officer was murdered in Belfast."
However, House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said "it was a mistake" and there was "no need for any further correction".
A spokesman for the Labour leader later said afterwards: "He meant to say 'nearly died'. Obviously, the last thing that was intended was any offence."
Dissident republicans have been blamed for the shooting, which has sparked fears of a terror resurgence in the wake of the collapse of the Northern Ireland assembly.
Jennifer Lawrence 'celebgate' hacker jailed for nine months
A man who hacked the online accounts of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrities has been jailed for nine months.
Edward Majerczyk, from Chicago, was also ordered to pay £4,600 towards the counselling costs for one undisclosed celebrity whose photos were distributed online.
Majerczyk, aged 29, was accused of being behind a phishing scheme which illegally accessed more than 300 email and other online accounts.
The private information which was stolen included some nude videos and photos, and became known as 'celebgate'.
Other stars targeted included actress Kirsten Dunst, model Kate Upton and her boyfriend, Detroit Tigers baseball pitcher Justin Verlander.
Majerczyk pleaded guilty at a Los Angeles court last year to felony computer hacking.
The self-confessed computer nerd signed a plea agreement for his case to be transferred to Chicago.
:: Hacker Ryan Collins jailed for stealing nude celebrity photos
Both he and the prosecution agreed that he should receive a nine-month jail term. The maximum sentence is five years.
Majerczyk's lawyer said his client was "suffering from depression".
Federal agents have said Jennifer Lawrence broke down and became distraught during a meeting in 2014 about nude photos of her which appeared online.
"I was just so afraid. I didn't know how this would affect my career," the actress told Vanity Fair magazine.
"Just because I'm a public figure, just because I'm an actress, does not mean that I asked for this. It does not mean that it comes with the territory."
Edward Majerczyk, from Chicago, was also ordered to pay £4,600 towards the counselling costs for one undisclosed celebrity whose photos were distributed online.
Majerczyk, aged 29, was accused of being behind a phishing scheme which illegally accessed more than 300 email and other online accounts.
The private information which was stolen included some nude videos and photos, and became known as 'celebgate'.
Other stars targeted included actress Kirsten Dunst, model Kate Upton and her boyfriend, Detroit Tigers baseball pitcher Justin Verlander.
Majerczyk pleaded guilty at a Los Angeles court last year to felony computer hacking.
The self-confessed computer nerd signed a plea agreement for his case to be transferred to Chicago.
:: Hacker Ryan Collins jailed for stealing nude celebrity photos
Both he and the prosecution agreed that he should receive a nine-month jail term. The maximum sentence is five years.
Majerczyk's lawyer said his client was "suffering from depression".
Federal agents have said Jennifer Lawrence broke down and became distraught during a meeting in 2014 about nude photos of her which appeared online.
"I was just so afraid. I didn't know how this would affect my career," the actress told Vanity Fair magazine.
"Just because I'm a public figure, just because I'm an actress, does not mean that I asked for this. It does not mean that it comes with the territory."
Theresa May faces tricky PMQs as MPs plot dozens of Brexit amendments
Theresa May is to be challenged by MPs to reveal more about the Government's Brexit plans after her Supreme Court defeat on Article 50.
In what could be a testing Prime Minister's Questions, she will be challenged on the legislation the Government has now been forced to introduce.
She will also face potentially embarrassing questions from MPs on the Trident test cover-up row and her meeting with new US President Donald Trump later this week.
But the Article 50 legislation will dominate PMQs and Parliamentary business for the next two months, because MPs are planning to table dozens of amendments.
The chairman of Vote Leave Watch, Labour MP Chuka Umunna, told Sky News: "Parliament is free to add amendments to the Article 50 Bill and the Great Repeal Bill to make sure it delivers, whether they voted Leave or Remain.
"So I would like to see, for example, a commitment to put £350m a week into the NHS that Boris Johnson, Priti Patel, Liam Fox and Chris Grayling committed to during the referendum campaign."
The Scottish National Party has said it will table 50 amendments to the Article 50 Bill, which Brexit Secretary David Davis has told MPs will be introduced in the Commons later this week.
"The SNP forms the real opposition at Westminster and is already preparing detailed and substantive amendments to the legislation that will be required to trigger Article 50," Joanna Cherry QC, the SNP's legal affairs spokeswoman at Westminster, told Sky News.
The Nationalists will also attempt to force the Prime Minister to seek the approval of the devolved administrations - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - before Article 50 is triggered, even though the Supreme Court rejected this in its ruling.
Another demand from pro-Remain MPs on all sides of the Commons is for a Government white paper setting out a detailed Brexit plan, a move Mr Davis has not entirely ruled out.
Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve told Sky News publishing a white paper would be to the Government's advantage, since it would strengthen its hand in Brexit negotiations with other EU countries if it had been approved by Parliament.
But hardline Brexiteers are warning opponents, in the Commons and the House of Lords, against thwarting the will of the people, as expressed in last year's referendum.
"This was the biggest vote in history, for any issue," former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson told Sky News. "If it is seen to be delayed, stymied or watered down, the whole credibility of the political establishment will be damaged. So the House of Lords would be very unwise to delay."
The Prime Minister still insists she will meet her deadline of triggering Article 50 before the end of March, but the timetable is tight and the Government will need to guillotine debate to get the legislation through in time.
In what could be a testing Prime Minister's Questions, she will be challenged on the legislation the Government has now been forced to introduce.
She will also face potentially embarrassing questions from MPs on the Trident test cover-up row and her meeting with new US President Donald Trump later this week.
But the Article 50 legislation will dominate PMQs and Parliamentary business for the next two months, because MPs are planning to table dozens of amendments.
The chairman of Vote Leave Watch, Labour MP Chuka Umunna, told Sky News: "Parliament is free to add amendments to the Article 50 Bill and the Great Repeal Bill to make sure it delivers, whether they voted Leave or Remain.
"So I would like to see, for example, a commitment to put £350m a week into the NHS that Boris Johnson, Priti Patel, Liam Fox and Chris Grayling committed to during the referendum campaign."
The Scottish National Party has said it will table 50 amendments to the Article 50 Bill, which Brexit Secretary David Davis has told MPs will be introduced in the Commons later this week.
"The SNP forms the real opposition at Westminster and is already preparing detailed and substantive amendments to the legislation that will be required to trigger Article 50," Joanna Cherry QC, the SNP's legal affairs spokeswoman at Westminster, told Sky News.
The Nationalists will also attempt to force the Prime Minister to seek the approval of the devolved administrations - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - before Article 50 is triggered, even though the Supreme Court rejected this in its ruling.
Another demand from pro-Remain MPs on all sides of the Commons is for a Government white paper setting out a detailed Brexit plan, a move Mr Davis has not entirely ruled out.
Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve told Sky News publishing a white paper would be to the Government's advantage, since it would strengthen its hand in Brexit negotiations with other EU countries if it had been approved by Parliament.
But hardline Brexiteers are warning opponents, in the Commons and the House of Lords, against thwarting the will of the people, as expressed in last year's referendum.
"This was the biggest vote in history, for any issue," former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson told Sky News. "If it is seen to be delayed, stymied or watered down, the whole credibility of the political establishment will be damaged. So the House of Lords would be very unwise to delay."
The Prime Minister still insists she will meet her deadline of triggering Article 50 before the end of March, but the timetable is tight and the Government will need to guillotine debate to get the legislation through in time.
Bird flu detected in 10,000 pheasants at farm in Preston
Bird flu has been discovered in a "flock" of about 10,000 pheasants at a farm in Lancashire, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said.
The H5N8 strain of the disease was confirmed by the UK's chief veterinary officer.
An unconfirmed number of breeding pheasants at the site in Preston have already died, and the rest are going to be culled.
Public Health England has stressed that the risk to public health from the outbreak is "very low".
However, a 1.8 mile (3km) protection zone and a 6.2 mile (10km) surveillance zone has been enforced around the infected area to try to prevent the disease spreading.
:: France orders cull of ducks after severe bird flu outbreak
The Food Standards Agency added the case does not pose a food safety risk for British consumers.
A full investigation has begun to determine the source of the infection.
On 16 January, Defra confirmed a case of avian flu in a flock of approximately 6,000 turkeys at a farm in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire.
And at the start of the month, the strain was also detected in two small backyard flocks of chickens and ducks at a property near Settle in North Yorkshire, and in Carmarthenshire in southwest Wales.
An avian influenza prevention zone, which requires owners to keep poultry and captive birds indoors - or take measures to keep them separated from wild birds - remains in place until 28 February.
The H5N8 strain of the disease was confirmed by the UK's chief veterinary officer.
An unconfirmed number of breeding pheasants at the site in Preston have already died, and the rest are going to be culled.
Public Health England has stressed that the risk to public health from the outbreak is "very low".
However, a 1.8 mile (3km) protection zone and a 6.2 mile (10km) surveillance zone has been enforced around the infected area to try to prevent the disease spreading.
:: France orders cull of ducks after severe bird flu outbreak
The Food Standards Agency added the case does not pose a food safety risk for British consumers.
A full investigation has begun to determine the source of the infection.
On 16 January, Defra confirmed a case of avian flu in a flock of approximately 6,000 turkeys at a farm in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire.
And at the start of the month, the strain was also detected in two small backyard flocks of chickens and ducks at a property near Settle in North Yorkshire, and in Carmarthenshire in southwest Wales.
An avian influenza prevention zone, which requires owners to keep poultry and captive birds indoors - or take measures to keep them separated from wild birds - remains in place until 28 February.
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