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  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 Image caption The boy got into difficulty after entering the River Tees at Broken Scar in Darlington A body has been found in the search for a 15-year-old boy who got into difficulty in the River Tees. Durham Police said the alarm was raised shortly after 17:00 BST on Monday after the boy entered the water at Broken Scar in Darlington. The body was found shortly before midnight and although formal identification is yet to take place it is believed to be the missing boy. The death is not being treated as suspicious, the force added. Image caption A major search was launched after the boy disappeared at about 17:00 BST on Monday A spokeswoman said the boy's family "have been informed and are being supported and our thoughts are with them at this tragic time". Police were aided in the search by Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, the North East Ambulance Service, Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team and underwater search teams. Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 Over the past six months Radio 1 Newsbeat has been investigating how social media is being used to sell drugs. Britain’s most senior police officer when it comes to drugs says social media bosses would do more if it was their children dying from drugs bought this way. Research suggests one in four young people are now seeing drugs advertised on their social media feeds. Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, whose son Daniel died after taking MDMA, has been leading a campaign from a group of mums who have all lost a child to illegal drugs. They want social media companies to do more to take down content from drug dealers. Video by Jim Connolly and Matt Wareham. You can watch Dealers in Your DMs in full on Radio1's iPlayer Channel. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 08:44 Universities who fail to offer a place to students who have now met their offer after the government’s A-Levels U-turn risk being sued for breach of contract, the higher education policy website Wonkhe has warned. Students who have now met their offer grades have a right to be admitted, despite university vice-chancellors warning that this might not be possible, according to associate editor Jim Dickinson. He writes: Competition and Markets Authority guidance points out that once an offer of a place has been provided, providers are obliged to admit the student on the relevant course of study if they meet the entry requirements and enrol. The courts have viewed the “contract” (even if it’s not called that) to admit the student as a binding and enforceable agreement for the provider. Generally, if a university is unable to admit a prospective student who has met the terms of their offer, the ability of that applicant to sue for breach of the contract is widely accepted and understood. If the rumours of some universities and/or admissions tutors just leaving up recorded messages saying “sorry, we’re full” are to be believed, to avoid a legal problem those universities are going to want to swing into action with a little more reasonable effort this morning. The Guardian community team wants to hear from students who are encountering difficulties in getting a university place despite their results being upgraded. If that’s you, click here: 

  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 Exclusive: Cai Xia, who has been expelled from the elite Central Party School, says president’s ‘unchecked power’ has made China ‘the enemy of the world’ A former professor at China’s elite Central Party School has issued an unprecedented rebuke of the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, accusing him of “killing a country” and claiming that many more want out of the ruling Chinese Communist party. Cai Xia, a prominent professor who taught at the school for top officials, was expelled from the party on Monday after an audio recording of remarks she made that were critical of Xi was leaked online in June. The school said in a notice that Cai, a professor at the party school since 1992, had made comments that “damaged the country’s reputation” and were full of “serious political problems”. In her first interview with English-language media since her expulsion, Cai told the Guardian she was “happy to be expelled”. Why is Xi Jinping pitting China against the world? Read more “Under the regime of Xi, the Chinese Communist party is not a force for progress for China. In fact, it is an obstacle to China’s progress,” she said. “I believe I am not the only one who wants to leave this party. More people would like to withdraw or quit this party,” she said. “I had intended to quit the party years ago when there was no more room to speak and my voice was completely blocked.” The comments from someone once firmly part of the establishment – several of China’s leaders such as Mao Zedong, Hu Jintao as well as Xi were head of the Central Party School – are remarkable and potentially dangerous for the Chinese leadership. Cai is the latest prominent public intellectual to be punished for criticising Xi. Cai initially spoke to the Guardian in June after the recording was first released. On that occasion she went further in her denunciation of Xi, blaming him for making China “an enemy” of the world, in comments that will reverberate across the party and country where such public criticism from within the party establishment is extremely rare. On Tuesday Cai, who initially asked that her June interview not be published because of threats she and her family received, said she was now willing to speak out. “I have much more freedom now. My speech is free from any constraints. I am responsible only for my own conscience and principles,” she said. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cai Xia Photograph: Supplied She said there was widespread opposition within the party but few dared to speak out, afraid of political retaliation in the form of internal party discipline and corruption charges. In this environment, Xi’s “unchecked power” and hold on all major decision-making had led to inevitable mistakes such as in the handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, according to Cai. Beijing has blamed the suppression of information about the outbreak in Wuhan on local officials. Chinese health officials said on 20 January that the virus was contagious, weeks after it had emerged in December. But a speech published by the party magazine Qiushi showed that Xi met with the politburo and gave instructions on the needed virus response on 7 January, almost two weeks before the public was warned. “If he knew on 7 January, why did it take until 20 January to announce the outbreak? In other words, the fact that people were concealing the news from him is the result of the system,” said Cai. “But when he knew the situation on 7 January, he did not make it public or mobilise resources. So shouldn’t he bear responsibility?” Cai, who said she had wanted to leave the party since 2016 as the space for discussion within the party shrunk dramatically, also blamed the country’s international problems on Xi. “When no one can oppose him, that means that his power is unlimited,” she said. “He has made the world an enemy. At home, all these big issues are left to him to decide. In other words, whether it is a domestic or international issue, it is very difficult for others to restrict him. It is inevitable that his judgment and decisions will be mistaken. “It is a vicious cycle. After a wrong decision is made, the result is not good. But those below are too afraid to tell him and wrong decisions continue to be made until the situation is out of control. In this vicious cycle, there is no way to stop the country from sliding toward disaster.” Cai said she believed that discontent within the party was widespread, especially among her generation as well as among higher-level officials who came up through the party during China’s reform era under Deng Xiaoping, and later as China fully integrated into the global economy following its entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001. “Those within the party have experienced the last 20, 30 years and they understand in which direction is right and which is a dead end,” she said. “We are among a group of cadres who started our posts after reform and opening. So that is why I say everyone is very clear about what is happening.” Cai said on Tuesday: “Many of my good friends who saw the news of me being expelled are cheering. They think this is a good thing.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 The former first lady sharply contrasted Joe Biden’s competency and character with that of the president 'It is what it is': Michelle Obama picks Trump apart in gripping DNC speech Michelle Obama eviscerated Donald Trump during her keynote speech at the opening night of the virtual Democratic convention, accusing him of being the “wrong president for our country” and “clearly in over his head”. In her most political address and her most pointed criticism of Trump to date, the former first lady called on Americans to “vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it” in the November election. “Let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country,” she said. NBC News (@NBCNews) Michelle Obama: “Let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can: Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country ... He is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is." pic.twitter.com/9nUJDOBaij “He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.” The phrase echoed Trump’s own words earlier this month, who, when asked about the United States’ staggering death toll from coronavirus, responded: “is what it is.” Liberals, progressives, moderates and some Republicans came together at the virtual event on Monday night to warn of the threats four more years of a Trump administration pose, and promote visions for a better future. In her address, Michelle Obama specifically referenced her words at the 2016 convention, in which she told Democrats: “When they go low, we go high.” Obama said tonight, “Going high is the only thing that works.” She then added: “But let’s be clear: going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty. Going high means taking the harder path. It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top.” DNC 2020: Democrats show unity on first night of virtual convention Read more Nearly four years after leaving the White House, the former first lady remains hugely popular figure within the party, and among Black women in particular, as well as with some of those outside the party. In recent years, she published a best-selling memoir called Becoming, traveled the country on a book tour that was later made into a documentary, helped found a new voting rights organization, and recently launched a podcast. “You know I hate politics,” she said in her speech, repeating a truism that has always disappointed her most ardent supporters, some of whom attempted to draft her into the 2020 primary race. CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) Michelle Obama: “Right now kids in this country are seeing what happens when we stop requiring empathy of one another. They're looking around wondering if we've been lying to them this whole time about who we are and what we truly value” pic.twitter.com/OHLfNNSYfm But it appeared to make her an even more powerful character witness, as she sharply contrasted Joe Biden’s personality record with Trump’s, calling the former vice-president, who served under her husband president Barack Obama, a “profoundly decent man” who will “tell the truth and trust science”. “He knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic and lead our country,” she said. Trump succeeded Barack Obama in 2017 and promptly set out to undo many of Obama’s achievements on health care, the environment and foreign policy, among others. Trump also routinely criticizes Obama’s job performance. Biden’s sense of empathy was also a key focus of Michelle Obama’s speech. Speaking of the national reckoning on racism sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in May, she said: “whenever we look to this White House for some leadership or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy”. Tragedy has followed Biden, from the deaths of his first wife and baby daughter after he was elected to the Senate in 1972, to the death of his son Beau from brain cancer in 2015. “His life is a testament to getting back up, and he is going to channel that same grit and passion to pick us all up, to help us heal and guide us forward,” she said of Biden. Play Video Michelle Obama: the former first lady's DNC speech in full – video A speech like that would typically be met with thunderous applause. But this year, praise was recorded online. Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris praised Obama for “speaking truth to power” while Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called her remarks “incredibly powerful” and “deeply moving.” “Because she is not a politician and doesn’t think or speak like one, @MicheleObama is such a powerful communicator,” tweeted David Axelrod, political consultant and former advisor to Barack Obama. “As she is showing again here, she speaks with a moral authority few in public life can summon.” Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) .@MichelleObama speaking truth to power. Donald Trump is not up for the job—but @JoeBiden is. pic.twitter.com/UDCCofB0Rv Michelle Obama, who leads an effort to help register people to vote, also spoke about the importance of voting in the 3 November election, which will take place amid a coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 170,000 Americans and infected more than 5 million in the US. In the video, she wore a gold chain necklace that said “VOTE.” Her remarks came as Democrats in Washington have also railed against recent cuts to the US Postal Service, which is headed by a Trump ally and Republican donor. The changes are delaying mail deliveries around the country, raising concerns about whether mail-in ballots will be sent out and returned on time ahead of the election. Trump, who lags Biden in some national and state polls, has denounced efforts by some states to expand voting-by-mail options and spread misinformation to undermine the practice, which is seeing huge demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. Due the coronavirus, Michelle Obama’s remarks were recorded before Biden’s announcement last Tuesday that he had chosen Harris as his running mate. But the former first lady wrote lengthy posts on her Facebook and Instagram accounts praising Harris, a Black woman born to Jamaican and Indian parents, after she joined the Democratic ticket. Monday’s speech was the fourth Democratic convention address by Michelle Obama, who first introduced herself to the nation during her husband’s groundbreaking campaign. She spoke again in 2012 to urge voters to give him a second term. Michelle Obama returned to the convention stage in 2016, backing former first lady Hillary Clinton over Trump, who had spent years pushing the lie that Barack Obama was not born in the US and was ineligible for the presidency. Associated Press contributed to this report 

  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 Amenities designed so prospective users can inspect their cleanliness from the outside It sounds like the worst kind of anxiety dream – a public toilet cubicle that appears to offer the promise of blessed relief, but which on closer inspection turns out to be entirely see-through. That, though, is the design feature behind several toilets that recently opened in public parks in Tokyo. The “transparent” toilets, created by the Pritzker prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban and more than a dozen other leading designers, are made from coloured “smart glass” that turns opaque when the cubicles are occupied. The conveniences opened this month in five locations in the capital’s Shibuya neighbourhood as part of the Tokyo Toilet Project, organised by the nonprofit Nippon Foundation. Facebook Twitter Pinterest An employee of the Nippon Foundation demonstrates the transparent public toilet Photograph: AFLO/REX/Shutterstock Novelty aside, the foundation said there were important practical considerations behind the unusual toilets, which it likened to a “curious piece of playground equipment”. “There are two concerns with public toilets, especially those located in parks,” it said. “The first is whether it is clean inside, and the second is that no one is secretly waiting inside.” Using new technology, the foundation said the cubicles’ glass outer walls turn opaque after the door is locked, allowing prospective users to survey the interior before spending a penny. “At night they light up the parks like a beautiful lantern,” it added. Japan’s hi-tech WCs have long been the subject of fascination among visitors to the country. Toto, the maker of the washlet range, now markets its toilets – complete with washing and drying modes, seat warming and lids that open and close automatically – in China and several other countries. The foundation noted, however, that despite Japanese toilets’ reputation for hygiene, many people still wrongly believed public facilities were “dark, dirty, smelly and scary”. The project plans to install the toilets at 17 locations in Shibuya by next spring. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 Marks & Spencer is to cut around 7,000 jobs over the next three months, in the latest round of redundancies at the retailer as it cuts costs and changes the business following the pandemic. The job cuts will be in its central support centre, regional management, and its UK stores, adding to the swathe of job cuts announced by UK companies during the Covid-19 crisis. M&S said it expects a “significant proportion” of the job losses will be made through voluntary redundancies or early retirement, and has begun consultations with staff. The clothing, food and homeware retailer said what it called a “streamlining programme” was a important step in reducing its costs, and allowing it to emerge from the coronavirus crisis with a lower cost base and more resilient business. Marks & Spencer’s chief executive Steve Rowe said the job cuts were part of its previously-announced plans to “learn from the crisis, accelerate our transformation and deliver a stronger, more agile business in a world in which some customer habits were changed forever plans”. “The outlook is uncertain and we remain cautious,” Rowe said, “these proposals are an important step in becoming a leaner, faster business set up to serve changing customer needs and we are committed to supporting colleagues through this time.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 Departures come amid backstage turmoil and complaints of bullying, racism and sexual misconduct against three producers Three top producers on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show have exited the popular television talkshow, Warner Bros said on Monday, after an internal investigation into complaints of bullying, racism and sexual misconduct against them. A spokesperson for Warner Bros, which produces the show, on Monday said that three senior producers had “parted ways” with the show. The departures followed weeks of turmoil backstage that has undermined the show’s public message of spreading kindness and happiness. How did Ellen become one of the biggest villains of 2020? | Arwa Mahdawi Read more Reports of a hostile workplace have included criticism that DeGeneres is mean-spirited. These prompted a social media campaign calling for her replacement and public statements of support for the comedian from the likes of Katy Perry, Kevin Hart, Alec Baldwin and Ashton Kutcher. DeGeneres, 62, on Monday spoke to the staff of her show via Zoom in what Variety said was an emotional and apologetic address. Variety cited multiple sources as saying that DeGeneres told staff she was “not perfect” and that it was “heartbreaking” to read allegations about the atmosphere on the set. The accusations of a hostile working environment at the daytime talkshow were first made by former staff members in a BuzzFeed article in July. Warner Bros responded by saying it was investigating and that several staffing changes were being implemented. The Ellen DeGeneres Show has won multiple awards since it began airing in 2003, and DeGeneres herself has received the presidential medal of freedom and the Mark Twain prize for American humor. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 Charles Ehikioya, who has served for 22 years, says he was racially profiled A black police inspector has complained to the Metropolitan police about racial harassment after two white officers stopped him while he was driving. Insp Charles Ehikioya recorded the incident, which happened as he returned from work in south London on 23 May, the BBC reported. He told the broadcaster it showed an “abuse of power” and he was speaking out in solidarity with the black community. The Met said in a statement to PA Media that it had received an internal complaint on 24 May but a review “found no evidence of misconduct”. The incident took place in Croydon as Ehikioya, 55, was driving home. One of the officers said he had been stopped because of his speed and because “it looked like he had gone through a red light”. The officer asked Ehikioya for his driving licence as well as proof he was insured to drive the car, that the vehicle had not been stolen, that he was not intoxicated and that he not been using his phone. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ehikioya with his car. Photograph: Charles Ehikioya He said Ehikioya’s driving was “unusual”, which the inspector strongly disputed, according to the recording, seen by the BBC. The inspector was also accused of being obstructive, with the 22-year veteran of the force telling the broadcaster: “These were alleged offences that could have ended my whole career.” The two officers left the scene after Ehikioya informed them he was a serving colleague and showed them his police badge. The Met said in its statement that no action had been taken against the inspector as a result of the stop. Ehikioya said: “I believed I was racially profiled and received no apology. I have kids and a grandson, I would not want them treated like this.” The complaint comes amid renewed criticism of police use of stop and search powers, with the Labour MP Dawn Butler saying she was racially profiled by officers in Hackney, east London, who pulled her and a black friend over. The Met defended the officers who stopped her car, with the deputy commissioner, Sir Steve House, complaining they had faced “trial by social media” after the incident. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 The 500kg missile system was revealed days after the highest-level US visit to Taiwan in four decades A new Chinese weapons system has been unveiled on state media amid growing tensions with Taiwan and the US. Chinese state TV ran reports over the weekend about the Tianlei 500, which translates as Sky Thunder, a 500kg precision-guided munitions dispenser and air-to surface missile. The Tianlei can carry six types of submunitions and attack different targets, a senior engineer said in the report. The announcement comes amid heightened tensions with Taiwan and the US over Taiwan, Hong Kong, the South China Sea and the coronavirus pandemic. 'The next Hong Kong': Taiwan's foreign minister sounds warning over China Read more On Monday the Taiwanese government announced it was stepping up efforts to vet new arrivals from Hong Kong to prevent Chinese spies from settling on the island . The island’s Mainland Affairs Council said it was “strengthening the management” of Hong Kong and Macau residents who are originally from mainland China, or who are current or previous party, government or military officials, and aimed to prevent them from “carrying out infiltration, united front, disturbance or spying activities”, the council said. “United front” refers to the Chinese Communist party’s United Front Work Department, which is in charge of co-opting overseas Chinese and non-communists. Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly emphasised Taiwan’s claim to sovereignty since her re-election earlier this year, and in a speech last week welcomed US assistance and announced increased defence spending to improve their capabilities to fend off a land invasion, drawing rebuke from Beijing. It followed the highest level US visit to Taiwan in four decades, with a delegation lead by cabinet secretary Alex Azar, infuriating Beijing which warned the US not to “play with fire”. A recently formalised $62bn arms deal for Taiwan to buy fighter jets from US firm Lockheed Martin has also been portrayed as a provocation in Chinese state media. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and has denounced the United States for arms sales to the island. Washington is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. Meanwhile all parties have begun live fire drills in the region. The US Navy conducted exercises in the South China Sea last week, which Navy commander Joshua Fagan said were “essential to ensuring joint force responsiveness and lethality, and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific”. On Sunday the People’s Liberation Army’s Hong Kong-based garrison also released footage of a live fire drill in the north and south of the Taiwan Strait. A PLA spokesperson said, without referring to the US by name, that “a certain major country” had been continuously making negative moves on the Taiwan question, which has sent the wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” forces. Footage of US and Taiwan forces training together has also recently emerge, according to Taiwan media. Natasha Kassam, research fellow with the Lowy Institute foreign policy thinktank, said Beijing’s posturing was an act of deterrence to avoid “high risk” military conflict. It signalled its opposition to the US’s growing relationship with Taiwan, and sent a message to a potential incoming US administration led by Joe Biden, who has historically been supportive of Taiwan. “The increasingly assertive behaviour from China suggests that Beijing’s options to annex Taiwan are shrinking. In the past Beijing’s strategy has involved coercive measures, military threats and also economic inducements. It seems they’re starting to recognise Taiwan’s independent identity and resistance to unification has reached a tipping point,” Kassam said. Recent comments in Chinese state media editorials and by senior officials have called for easing tensions with the US, but laid the blame for disputes with Washington.