Why Africans in the UK pay so much to send relatives' bodies home

"My father's dream was for him to be buried in his birthplace and have the call to prayer resonate over his grave," says Nadia Elbhiri, whose father passed away last year in London. Ms Elbhiri, who was born and raised in west London, fulfilled her father's dream when she repatriated his body to Morocco last year, where he was laid to rest in Larache, a small fishing village in the north of the country. "London was always his home but Morocco was always in his heart," she says. This desire to be buried in the place you were born is strong for many first generation African migrants in the UK. The demand is so huge among the British Moroccan community that, according to embassy officials, at least 95% of first generation migrants are buried in Morocco. Advertisement A system is now in place to cover repatriation costs. Image caption Londoner Nadia Elbhiri fulfilled her father's wish for his body to be sent from the UK to Morocco when he died "There are three Moroccan banks which provide free repatriation and a free plane ticket for a relative to assist the transportation of the body back to Morocco," says Souad Talsi from the Council for the Moroccan Community Abroad. She says that if the deceased person is not registered with a Moroccan bank, his or her next of kin can go to the Moroccan embassy and the government will take care of the repatriation charges which can cost around £7,000 ($10,500).

Extra soldiers sent to stricken areas

 Some 500 soldiers have now been brought in to deal with "unprecedented" flooding in Yorkshire and Lancashire. A thousand more are on stand-by after David Cameron vowed to help people in "their hour of need". Rescuers have been evacuating homes in York where water levels are still rising, and thousands of people in north-west England are without power. There are scores of flood warnings in England, Wales and Scotland - more than 25 severe, meaning danger to life. On Sunday, the government said it was deploying a further 200 soldiers to affected areas on top of the 300 who were already on the ground. Advertisement After chairing an emergency conference call of the government's emergency committee Cobra, the prime minister said the "level of the rivers plus the level of rainfall has created an unprecedented effect, and so some very serious flooding". "We will do everything we can to help people in this, their hour of need," added Mr Cameron, who is expected to visit some of the flood-affected areas on Monday.

New system aims to make online banking more secure

 A new system that uses images and a one-time numerical code may provide a secure, inexpensive and easy-to-use alternative to current password systems used in online banking and other such services, a new study suggests. Researchers at the Plymouth University in UK believe their new multi-level authentication system GOTPass could be effective in protecting personal online information from hackers. It could also be easier for users to remember, and be less expensive for providers to implement since it would not require the deployment of potentially costly hardware systems. Researchers say the system would be applicable for online banking and other such services, where users with several accounts would struggle to carry around multiple devices, to gain access. They also publish the results of a series of security tests, demonstrating that out of 690 hacking attempts -- using a range of guesswork and more targeted methods -- there were just 23 successful break-ins. "Traditional passwords are undoubtedly very usable but regardless of how safe people might feel their information is, the password's vulnerability is well known," said PhD student Hussain Alsaiari, who led the study. "There are alternative systems out there, but they are either very costly or have deployment constraints which mean they can be difficult to integrate with existing systems while maintaining user consensus. "The GOTPass system is easy to use and implement, while at the same time offering users confidence that their information is being held securely," said Alsaiari. To set up the GOTPass system, users would have to choose a unique username and draw any shape on a 4x4 unlock pattern, similar to that already used on mobile devices.

Two men found guilty and face death for UK killings

Two Burmese men have been found guilty and sentenced to death for murdering two UK tourists in Thailand last year. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo killed Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey, judges said. The backpackers' bodies were found on a beach on the southern Thai island of Koh Tao on 15 September 2014. The accused retracted their initial confessions saying police had tortured them, but Mr Miller's brother said justice had now "been delivered". The flawed case of the Thailand beach murders Advertisement Jump media player Media player help Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue. Media captionDavid Miller's brother, Michael, said the verdict was "justice for David and Hannah" But at a Thai court in Koh Samui, three judges found the two bar workers - who were migrants from Myanmar - guilty of murder and ordered that they face the death penalty. Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller were found bludgeoned to death, and a post-mortem examination showed Miss Witheridge had been raped. Prosecutors claimed DNA evidence collected from cigarette butts, a condom and the bodies of the victims, linked Lin and Phyo to the deaths.

Russian ex-tycoon Khodorkovsky may seek UK asylum

Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, says he is considering applying for political asylum in the UK and feels safe in London. He was speaking in a BBC interview after a Russian court declared him "under arrest in absentia" over the 1990s murder of a Siberian mayor. "Definitely I'm considering asking for asylum in the UK," he said. Mr Putin "sees me - it's obvious now - as a serious threat", he said. Once Russia's richest man, the former head of the now defunct Yukos oil firm spent 10 years in a Siberian prison on fraud charges, which he says were politically motivated. Mr Putin pardoned him in 2013 and he now lives abroad, mainly in Switzerland. "I'm considered by President Putin as a threat, economically, because of the possible seizure of Russian assets abroad, and politically, as someone who will potentially help democratic candidates in the coming 2016 elections," he said. Russia will hold elections to the lower house of parliament - the State Duma - next year. The Duma is currently dominated by Mr Putin's supporters.

Love and carriage hits London

 
 Power, adrenaline, thousands of screaming fans and "The Devil's Horseman" -- welcome to the world of carriage racing. Forget the Roman chariots racing around Circus Maximus, it's all about the world's best drivers trying to steal the show at London's Olympia this week. The FEI World Cup Driving competition comes to the UK, with home favorite Dan Naprous -- known as "The Devil's Horseman" -- hoping to thrill fans with victory in Friday and Saturday's competitions. Around 90,000 fans will flock to the London International Horse Show, where carriage racing features alongside dressage and showjumping. But it's the pulling power of the four-horse speedsters which gets people off their seats as riders try to navigate their way around some of the trickiest courses in the sport.

Syria war: UN Security Council unanimously backs peace plan

The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution outlining a peace process in Syria. The 15-member council reached rare agreement on the issue in a session in New York on Friday. The resolution endorses talks between the Syrian government and opposition in early January, as well as a ceasefire. The Syrian war, which is heading towards its fifth year, has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced millions more, the UN says. However, disagreements remain over the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Advertisement The US, UK and France called for his departure, saying he had lost the ability to lead the country. Russia and China, however, argued against a requirement for Mr Assad to leave power as a precondition for talks. The resolution itself makes no mention of his future role. There is also disagreement over the definition of which armed groups fall within the remit of the ceasefire.

'Essex sign Kiwi paceman on three-year contract'

 

Essex have signed New Zealand A fast bowler Matt Quinn on a three-year deal. Auckland-born Quinn, 22, holds a UK passport and will not therefore count as an overseas player. He is the first signing by the county since Thursday's appointment of former England paceman Chris Silverwood as head coach. "Matt is a tall, fast bowler who can swing the ball. We've made no secret of the fact we want to bolster the bowling attack," said Silverwood. "Having looked at Matt play, alongside his record in New Zealand, he's got a good pedigree."