News Headlines - 06 February 2019

▽Pope admits clerical abuse of nuns including sexual slavery - BBC News

Pope Francis has admitted that clerics have sexually abused nuns, and in one case they were kept as sex slaves.
He said in that case his predecessor, Pope Benedict, was forced to shut down an entire congregation of nuns who were being abused by priests.
It is thought to be the first time that Pope Francis has acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns by the clergy... The Pope's comments come amid long-running cases of sexual abuse of children and young men by priests at the Church.

▽Canada’s Sunrise Records throws beleaguered HMV chain a lifeline | Globalnews.ca

Canadian retailer Sunrise Records is pulling stricken retailer HMV out of bankruptcy in a deal that will safeguard some 1,500 jobs.
However, administrator KPMG says 27 stores will close immediately, resulting in a loss of 455 jobs.
Sunrise Records will acquire 100 stores across the United Kingdom, and 1,487 stores and head office employees will transfer as part of the transaction. Sunrise Records took over dozens of HMV Canada locations back in 2017.

▽Brexit ministers to study secret hi-tech plan to that could break the Irish backstop deadlock

Officials from DexEU have been quietly working on the blueprint - drawn up by Japanese firm Fujitsu - for 10 months. But, it has been rapidly dusted down in the last week after MPs voted to replace the current Irish backstop with a different one that could involve “alternative arrangements”... Named the ‘Drive Through Border Concept’, it ensures there is no need for any physical checks on the border or hard infrastructure.
Instead, a tracking system monitors vehicles on designated routes as they cross from Northern Ireland to the Republic via GPS as well as number plate recognition cameras.

▽U.S. D-Day flag to return home 75 years after Normandy landing | Reuters

A rare D-Day flag that flew on a U.S. Navy ship leading the allied advance at the beaches of Normandy nearly 75 years ago will be returned to America after going on display in the Netherlands on Monday.
The 48-star “Normandy” flag was on the U.S. Navy’s LCC 60, one of just three advanced fleet vessels directing troops onto Utah Beach in German-occupied France on June 6, 1944.

▽Uefa 'looking to scrap away goal rule in Champions League' after Wenger and Mourinho complaints

In the 1960s, home advantage was more of a significant factor with longer travel times and non-standardised balls.
And footie chiefs responded by introducing the concept of a two-legged tie being settled by which team scored the most away goals in 1965.
But the policy is seen as out of date in today's era, with advances in technology and governance levelling the playing field... In September, a number of top coaches - including Wenger, Mourinho, Unai Emery, Max Allegri, Carlo Ancelotti, Paulo Fonseca, Julen Lopetegui and Thomas Tuchel - met to discuss away goals.
And following the chat, Uefa competition director Giorgio Marchetti said: “They think that achieving away goals is not as difficult as in the past.