Adele announces she will headline Glastonbury Festival

Pop star Adele has announced she will headline the Pyramid Stage at this year's Glastonbury Festival.

Adele's current tour has received rave reviews

She revealed the news live on stage at London's O2, where she is in the middle of a six-night residency.

"Who's going to Glastonbury this year?" she asked. "See you there. I'll be there. I'll be headlining on the Saturday night this year."

"I've had to keep that secret for years!" the star added. Glastonbury later confirmed the news on Twitter.

Adele now joins Muse and Coldplay at the top of the bill when the festival takes place in June.

"What a great honour it is to have the wonderful Adele confirmed for this year's Saturday night headline spot!" said festival organiser Emily Eavis.

• Adele: The full story

Adele's latest album, 25, has sold more than 19 million copies worldwide, and is currently number one in the UK albums chart.

Earlier this week, the singer teased fans in Manchester that she would "see them at Glastonbury" even she didn't perform.

"I'll be dressed as Elsa and my kid will be Olaf," she said, referring to characters from the Disney film Frozen.

Last November, Adele told Beats 1 radio that she had been put off playing the festival after watching Kanye West's headline set in 2015.

"I wasn't anywhere near the stage and it was the biggest crowd I'd ever seen," she told Zane Lowe.

"I froze with fear, I just thought: 'I don't know if I can do that.'"

'Amazing'

Online reaction to Adele's booking has largely been positive.

"Adele wouldn't be my choice of headliner, but I'll bet she will be amazing," wrote Dave Gray on Twitter.

"If you don't think Adele is the best possible booking Glastonbury could make, other than Led Zeppelin, you're mad," added Haydn.

Beth Howard said she couldn't "wait to be crying my eyes out to Adele at Glastonbury."

But Hally Golightly was less positive, writing: "Adele and Coldplay headlining Glastonbury, so you can take your Mum I guess."

This year's Glastonbury festival takes place in Somerset from 22 to 26 June.

Jeff Lynne's ELO have been announced for the Sunday afternoon "legends" lot, which in recent years has been filled by Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers.

PJ Harvey and Jess Glynne are the only other confirmed acts on the bill. The festival traditionally waits until the final tranche of tickets have been sold, following the spring resale, before revealing its full line-up.

From BBC News-Entertainment

Progressive rock legend Emerson dies

Keith Emerson, the co-founder and keyboardist of progressive rock group Emerson, Lake and Palmer, has died aged 71, according to his former band mates.

"We regret to announce that Keith Emerson died last night at his home in Santa Monica, Los Angeles," read a statement on the band's Facebook page.

Yorkshire-born Emerson was one of the top keyboardists of the prog rock era.

He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Santa Monica police confirmed to the BBC.

His death was being investigated as a suicide, police added.

'Gentle soul'

A police spokesman said Emerson's body was found in the early hours of Friday morning by his girlfriend Mari Kawaguchi at their flat in the Californian city.

Former band mate Carl Palmer said: "I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and brother-in-music, Keith Emerson.

"Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come.

"I will always remember his warm smile, good sense of humour, compelling showmanship, and dedication to his musical craft."

Inspired by Jimi Hendrix's theatrics with the electric guitar, Emerson was famous for his showmanship and outlandish on-stage performance style.

"That part of the act was something that just felt natural to do; something that allowed me be more expressive," he told Counterculture magazine.

ELP achieved an international following and were particularly popular in Britain and Japan. Several of the group's albums, including Tarkus, Trilogy, and Brain Salad Surgery entered the top five on the British chart.

Tarkus, released in 1971, featured an opening track lasting more than 20 minutes, inspired by the fictional Tarkus character - a half-tank, half-armadillo creature that would appear on stage at gigs.

Synthesizer tribute

Before ELP, Emerson - who was born in Yorkshire in 1944 - was a member of The Nice, which formed in 1967 but disbanded three years later.

In later life he pursued a solo career and remained active in the music business. He was forced to call off a tour in 2010 due to an abnormal growth in his colon, but had a tour of Japan scheduled for next month.

His last concert took place in July 2015 at the Barbican in London, where he performed alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra in a tribute to Robert Moog, the inventor of the Moog synthesizer.

Inspired by Jimi Hendrix's theatrics with the electric guitar, Emerson was famous for his showmanship and outlandish on-stage performance style.

"That part of the act was something that just felt natural to do; something that allowed me be more expressive," he told Counterculture magazine.

ELP achieved an international following and were particularly popular in Britain and Japan. Several of the group's albums, including Tarkus, Trilogy, and Brain Salad Surgery entered the top five on the British chart.

Tarkus, released in 1971, featured an opening track lasting more than 20 minutes, inspired by the fictional Tarkus character - a half-tank, half-armadillo creature that would appear on stage at gigs.

Comedy writer, producer and radio DJ Danny Baker also paid tribute to Emerson, who he described as "the maestro".

He tweeted: "ELP, Pavilion Piccadilly 1971. Still got the ticket still got the program still got the sound in my ears. RIP Keith."

A message of admiration was also made by chart-topping musician Mark Ronson, who paid tribute to Emerson by tweeting a link to a live video performance of ELP.

Steve Hackett, former lead guitarist with Genesis, praised his talent, saying: "I think a lot of pop stars are there because they've got great hairstyles or could dance wonderfully.

"But he was, above all, a fantastic musician, arranger and writer - and a great showman, of course.

"He was the real thing, the genuine article. "

From BBC News

Virtual tour of Buckingham Palace launched by Google

Buckingham Palace has teamed up with Google to produce a 3D tour of parts of the Queen's home in London.

Using a smartphone and a cardboard viewer, schoolchildren will be able to go on what Google is calling a "virtual field trip" around Buckingham Palace. (BBC News)

Beatrix Potter story Kitty-in-Boots discovered after 100 years

A new story written by Beatrix Potter more than 100 years ago, featuring Peter Rabbit, is to be published for the first time.

Artist and illustrator Quentin Blake has created illustrations for Kitty-in-Boots

The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots was rediscovered by publisher Jo Hanks after she found a reference to it in an out-of-print Potter biography.

Quentin Blake, best known for his work with Roald Dahl, has illustrated the story, to be published in September.

Potter had only completed a single drawing to go with the manuscript.

She sent the story to her publisher in 1914, saying it was about "a well-behaved prime black Kitty cat, who leads rather a double life".

The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots also features an appearance from an "older, slower" version of Peter Rabbit.

Ms Hanks, a publisher at Penguin Random House Children's, found a reference to Potter's letter to her publisher and the unedited manuscript in the 1970s literary history about the author.

Three manuscripts were then found in the Victoria and Albert Museum archive, handwritten in school notebooks - a rough colour sketch of Kitty-in-Boots, a pencil sketch of villain Mr Tod and a dummy book, with some of the manuscript laid out.

Potter intended to go back to the story but never did

Potter said in letters, also kept in the archive, that she had wanted to finish the story but "interruptions began", including the First World War, her marriage and illness.

Ms Hanks said: "The tale really is the best of Beatrix Potter.

"It has double identities, colourful villains and a number of favourite characters from other tales [including Mr Tod, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, Ribby and Tabitha Twitchit].

"And, most excitingly, our treasured, mischievous Peter Rabbit makes an appearance - albeit older, slower and portlier!"
From BBC News

READ MORE

The woman who delivers lunch from her pram

When Chloe Edwards moved with her family to Lewes in East Sussex she commuted daily to her teaching job in London.

Then, she had to leave work when her young daughter became seriously ill with cancer.

During her daughter's recovery, Chloe came up with a novel way to get back into work.

Video Journalist: Susannah Reid

David Bowie dies of cancer aged 69

Singer David Bowie (1947.2016) one of the most influential musicians of his era, has died of cancer at the age of 69.

Music legend and cultural icon David Bowie has died, his son has confirmed.

The 69-year-old, who released a new album two days before his death, had cancer.

R.I.P.

A statement was issued on his social media accounts, saying he "died peacefully, surrounded by his family" after an "18-month battle with cancer".

Tributes have been paid from around the world to the "extraordinary artist" whose last album was released days ago.

Sir Paul McCartney described him as a "great star" who "played a very strong part in British musical history".

Bowie's son Duncan Jones, who is a Bafta-winning film director, wrote on Twitter: "Very sorry and sad to say it's true. I'll be offline for a while. Love to all." (BBC News)

Bowie's ability to transform himself again and again made  a real chameleon out of him

David Bowie's last album Blackstar was released on the day of his 69th birthday-8th January just two days before the day of his death

Skeleton found under school playground could have belonged to a 16th-century pirate

A skeleton was found under the playground of a Scottish school and experts think it could belong to a 16th century pirate.

A reconstructed image of what the man could have looked like (left) and a digital image of the skull City of Edinburgh Council

A human skeleton found under the playground of an Edinburgh school could have once belonged to a 16th-century pirate, archaeologists have said.

The skeleton was found by council workmen at Victoria Primary School in the Newhaven area of Edinburgh, and later carbon dated by experts to the 16th or 17th century.

The school is near Newhaven Harbour, the closest port to Scotland's capital, which was once the site of a gibbet in which the bodies of executed criminals were displayed as a warning to others.

At first, archaeologists thought the man's skeleton was from the Bronze Age, due to the poor condition it was found in.

However, further investigation and carbon dating revealed the man had died much more recently. Due to the condition of the skeleton and its proximity to the harbour and gibbet rather than any of the three nearby graveyards, it is believed he was executed, either for piracy or another crime, and displayed in the gibbet before being buried in a shallow, unmarked grave.

The firm which uncovered the skeleton, AOC Archaeology, worked with forensic artist Hayley Fisher to create a reconstruction of the face of the man, who is believed to have been in his fifties when he died.

Laura Thompson, the headteacher of the primary school, said: "The pupils think it's fantastic that a skeleton was found deep underneath their playground."

"The archaeologists will hold a special lesson with some of the children about how they have used science to analyse the remains and it will be a good learning opportunity for them."

From Independent

Two of the 7 new UK coins to feature Beatrix Potter and Shakespeare

New coins in 2016 will feature images from Shakespeare plays and Beatrix Potter stories.

The latest portrait of the Queen also appears on all seven new coins.

A skull and rose, and a crown and sword are just some of the pictures that will be on £2 coins to represent Shakespeare's work.

To mark 150 years since the birth of Beatrix Potter, a 50p coin has been designed with Peter Rabbit on.

The Royal Mint, who make all of the UK's money, say the new coins are meant to give a snapshot of Britain over the past 1,000 years.

CBBC Newsround

The Royal Mint has released a series of new coins for 2016 including a £2 with a 

representationof Hamlet's court jester Yorick's skull to mark the 400th anniversary of 
William Shakespeare's death. The coins that have been revealed today (1 January) will 
feature three designs to represent the Bard's work.The skull placed next to a thorny 
rose represents Shakespeare's tragedies while the history plays are represented by a £2
coin with a crown design, and his comedy works are reflected by a motif of a jester's 
hat.
Another new £2 coin shows the London skyline ablaze to mark the 350th Anniversary 
of The Great Fire of London in 1666.

Another new £2 coin for this year is entitled The Army UK £2 and has a design of soldiers 
marching shoulder-to-shoulder. The three Shakespeare coins were designed by renowned
 sculptor John Bergdahl, and carry an inscription of the playwright's name.

Royal Mint designs for new 50p coins have also been revealed with two celebrating 
thelife and works of children's author Beatrix Potter on the 150th anniversary of her 
birth.One features a silhouette of the author and the second a portrait of her most 
famous children's character, Peter Rabbit.

READ MORE _At the Royal Mint site

London bus stops embrace e-paper

Transport for London is trialling e-paper bus stops that can display real-time travel information.

Fitted with solar-powered panels, they show how long passengers have to wait for the next buses, as well as route maps and timetables.

Four bus stops have been fitted with the tech so far. Chris Foxx quizzed TfL's head of technology Simon Reed about the innovation.

From BBC News.Technology

Tim Peake: UK astronaut set for space milestone - BBC News

Astronaut Tim Peake blasted off into space today to become the first British man ever to board the International Space Station.

He'll now spend six months on board the ISS carrying out science experiments and trying to get young people more excited about space travel.

The European Space Agency (ESA) have confirmed that Tim and the crew have successfully connected to the International Space Station.

Now there will be two hours of checks and work before the three men can float into the ISS and meet the rest of the astronauts.

Tim Peak (on the left ) and his crew

After a few failed attempts to connect automatically Tim and the crew are now controlling the approach to the International Space Station manually. (CBBC Newsround)

Read the whole article

Bone marrow transplant girl meets German perfect match donor

A donor from Germany who was a perfect match for a girl whose life was saved by a bone marrow transplant has gone to Warwickshire to meet her.

Esme Clayson, now aged seven, of Bidford-on-Avon, had Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukaemia, which affects one in a million.

Andreas Haber, a 30-year-old Berlin policeman, has now met her for the first time since the bone marrow transplant in 2012.

Speaking while meeting her, he said: "I don't find words for this feeling."

BBC News-Health

Slower melting ice cream developed by scientists

Scottish scientists believe they have ound the secret to making an ice cream that does not melt so quickly on hot summer days.

Researchers at the universities of Dundee and Edinburgh have found a naturally occurring protein that makes the ice cream mixture more stable meaning it melts more slowly and is smoother in texture.

Prof Cait MacPhee, from the University of Edinburgh, says the new ingredient will mean ice cream will "melt eventually, but hopefully by keeping it stable for longer, it will stop the drips".

A new ingredient developed by scientists in Scotland could mean that ice-cream lovers can enjoy their treats longer before they melt.

A naturally occurring protein can be used to create ice cream which stays frozen for longer in hot weather.

The scientists estimate that the slow-melting product could become available in three to five years.

The development could also allow products to be made with lower levels of saturated fat and fewer calories.

Teams at the Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee have discovered that the protein, known as BsIA, works by binding together the air, fat and water in ice cream.

It is also said to prevent gritty ice crystals from forming - ensuring a fine, smooth texture.

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE

From BBC News

Battle of Britain: Flypast for 75th anniversary of 'Hardest Day'

Aircraft including 18 Spitfires and six Hurricanes have flown over south-east England to mark 75 years since the Battle of Britain's "Hardest Day".

The event recalled 18 August 1940, when Bromley's Biggin Hill and other South East military bases came under attack from the German Luftwaffe.

It became known as the "hardest day" as both sides recorded their greatest loss of aircraft during the battle.

The Battle of Britain lasted throughout the summer of 1940.

The special commemoration honoured the pilots engaged in the 1940 battle

The day was marked with three flight formations

Marking the 75th anniversary of the 'Hardest Day'

Live updates

The Luftwaffe flew 850 sorties, involving 2,200 aircrew, while the RAF resisted with 927 sorties, involving 600 aircrew. The RAF and German Air Force lost 136 aircraft in one day.

The special commemoration, staged from the former RAF airfield at Biggin Hill, now a commercial airport, honours the pilots, engineers, armourers, operations staff and ground crews who faced attack that day.

Battle of Britain

July to October 1940

1,023

aircraft lost by RAF

1,887

aircraft lost by Luftwaffe

• 3,000 aircrew served with RAF Fighter Command
• 20% were from the British Dominions and occupied European or neutral countries
• 544 RAF Fighter Command pilots were killed
• 2,500 Luftwaffe aircrew were killed

Source: RAF

More than 3,000 spectators went to Biggin Hill to see the aircraft including squadron leader Tony Pickering who flew on the "Hardest Day".

He said: "I don't think I was ever afraid. You've got to make sure you don't get too enthusiastic. You couldn't take on the German air force by yourself.

"It's lovely to see these aircraft. Beautifully designed aircraft and there's no doubt about it. The people who made them... they did a good job."

The day was marked with three flight formations, which took off from the airport at 13:00 BST:

• Grice flight: Eight aircraft will head south and west to fly over Surrey and West Sussex to the Solent, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and return via Dunsfold
• Mortimer flight: Eight aircraft will head over Eynsford, Chelsfield, Detling, Farningham, Downe and RAF Kenley
• Hamlyn flight: Eight aircraft will fly over Sevenoaks, Yalding, Ashford and the former RAF Hawkinge, with a special salute over the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-Le-Ferne on the white cliffs of Dover

On 10 July, aircraft including Hurricanes and Typhoons took part in a flypast over Buckingham Palace as part of the 75th anniversary. (BBC NEWS)

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE

Living in Versace: if you loved the outfit, you can buy the flat (?)

It's the kind of place that when you press the doorbell, you may hear a distinct "bling, bling" coming from the inside.

Designer views; what residents may see from their Versace apartments in London

Welcome to the UK's first block of flats where the style and interiors have all been designed by the global fashion-house, Versace.

As a result, fashionistas who choose to live their lives smothered in Versace, will soon be able to live under its roof as well.

Every morning they'll be able to wake up in Versace sheets, drink tea from a Versace cup, wallow in a Versace bath and walk on Versace-patterned carpets - even before accessing their Versace wardrobe.

From now on, let no one else tell you that they live in a designer flat.

The top of the so-called Jenga tower

In fact no one will be moving in for another five years or so, but such is the hype surrounding this week's launch, that dozens of the apartments have already been sold.

That will leave many people wondering which is the more frightening trend: the fact that developers may be able to charge an even higher premium for their bricks and mortar or that the boundaries of taste may be shifting ever further from the simple and the understated.

'Feature wall'

The quickly-nicknamed Jenga tower - after the game with wooden blocks - is due to open in the Nine Elms area of London in 2020.

All the residents will have access to a Versace-designed communal lounge, a "sky garden" on the 24th floor, a 900 sq ft pool on the 23rd floor and a Versace-designed children's' play area.

All kitchens will be fitted with Versace breakfast bars

All bathrooms will have Versace tubs, taps, tiling and a floor made from a single sheet of marble, while all kitchens will contain a Versace breakfast bar.

The reception rooms will be carpeted with a classic "Greek key" designs, and the bedrooms will have a "feature wall".

The word from Milan is that aficionados have not lived, or loved, till now.

"Versace is synonymous with fashion and luxury, and its participation in the real estate business provides the opportunity to fully experience the Versace lifestyle," says Gian Giacomo Ferraris, the company's chief executive.

Versace house style - understated it's not

'Flamboyant look'

Prices start at £1m for a two bedroom apartment, and £3m for a three-bedroom.

And those spending that amount will be able to immerse themselves even more fully in the world of the Italian fashion house.

They will be flown free of charge to its Milan headquarters, where they will be able to discuss their interior design needs in greater detail with a Versace consultant.

"Each one will be overseen by Donatella Versace, as she does all her designs," says Krete Luca, sales manager with Hamptons International, which is handling enquiries for the development.

Even your wine glasses can be Versace - if you want

At that point, a whole new world of "Versace-ness" opens up.

The owners will then be able to buy branded cutlery, glasses and tablecloths with the word Versace embossed in the corner and pictures, sofas, table lamps and cushions bearing the signature Medusa head.

"Versace is a very specialised taste," says Daniel Hopwood, presenter of BBC Two's The Great Interior Design Challenge and a designer himself.

"It was big in the 1980s. It's quite excessive and quite baroque in design - shiny surfaces and a lot of gold. But it's bling in a nice way."

However most of the design and the colours in London will be muted, says Mr Luca.

"The bathroom's a light grey marble, with a subtle finish. However, if you want a more flamboyant look, you can have that," he says.

'Scary future'

In the future, more and more interiors may come from fashion designers. After all, they are already established brands. Few other interior designers - apart from perhaps Kelly Hoppen - are household names.

The developers of the Nine Elms project, Damac, have already used Versace to design apartment blocks in Saudi Arabia and Beirut.

And its Italian rival Armani is currently building a block of apartments in Florida, with prices of up to $6m for ocean-front units.

"We are going to see more of this," says Daniel Hopwood.

"It's a scary future, but it will happen, especially with internationalism."

Fashion designers are also moving into hotels

Fashion brands are moving into the hotel market too, providing further impetus for their interior design products. An Armani hotel already occupies 11 floors of the Burj Khalifa hotel in Dubai. There is also a branch in Milan.

The Bulgari hotel in London's Knightsbridge provides other clues as to what the future may look like.

The website explains that the hotel "offers subtle quotations from Bulgari's beginnings as a Roman silversmith".

In other words, there's a lot of shininess here too.

'Socks and underpants'

Branded interior design doesn't have to be posh, of course.

"It could be Armani, Versace, or even Ikea," says Hopwood. Indeed Ikea has been helping to build affordable homes in Sweden since 1997.

Nevertheless, for those who like to put their own stamp on their homes, the idea is unlikely to be popular universally.

"As a concept, for most people, walking into a branded house will feel very alien," says Hopwood.

"Do you have to take it right down to the socks and underpants, for goodness sake?"

From BBC News Business