General news

• UK economy set to grow at fastest rate in more than 70 years

  06-05-2021 13:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Economy expected to grow by 7.25% in 2021 as lockdown restrictions are eased, says Bank of England.
  
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• Trump rebuked as hush-money trial judge warns against juror intimidation

  16-04-2024 23:50 via theguardian.com
  
  Juan Merchan admonishes ex-president for ‘gesturing and speaking in the direction of the juror’ as jury selection continuesDonald Trump met a stern rebuke on Tuesday from the jurist presiding over his criminal hush-money trial, with the judge warning: “I won’t have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom.”Trump’s apparent misbehavior did not derail the trial’s progress; seven jurors were picked by day’s end.A guide to Trump’s hush-money tria
  
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• MPs in Georgia agree draft of ‘repressive’ foreign agents bill amid protests

  16-04-2024 23:47 via theguardian.com
  
  Legislation is seen as similar to an anti-democratic Russian law and Brussels has said it would undermine hopes of EU membershipGeorgian lawmakers have agreed an early draft of a controversial “foreign influence” bill, sparking fresh street protests against the legislation criticised for mirroring a repressive Russian law.The bill has sparked outrage in Georgia and concern in the west, with many arguing it undermines Georgia’s bid for European Union membership. Continue reading
  
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• US provides assurances to prevent Assange appeal against extradition

  16-04-2024 23:45 via theguardian.com
  
  Death penalty not to be imposed, but Wikileaks founder’s wife says Assange won’t be afforded first amendment protectionsThe US has provided assurances to the high court in London in an attempt to prevent a last-ditch appeal by Julian Assange against extradition, but the WikiLeaks founder’s wife has dismissed them as “weasel words”.Last month, two judges deferred a decision on whether Assange, who is trying to avoid being prosecuted in the US on espionage charges rel
  
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• Tory rebellion against Sunak smoking ban rekindles leadership talk

  16-04-2024 23:25 via theguardian.com
  
  Prospective contenders Badenoch, Braverman, Jenrick and Mordaunt abstained or voted against the ban In his speech to the Tory faithful at the Conservative party conference in Manchester in October, Rishi Sunak declared that he wanted to ban smoking for future generations.His announcement – confirming a plan first reported by the Guardian – was met with applause from grassroots members then. But Tuesday night’s vote demonstrates the challenges for a Tory prime minister championi
  
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• It’s Showtime! review – this wild racehorse story is well worth backing

  16-04-2024 23:20 via theguardian.com
  
  The mates from Darlington who clubbed together to buy an unlikely winner is a story fit for Hollywood, and the men all have moving stories to tell in this charming documentary … even if the makers are too heavy-handed‘Basically we got pissed, got relentless and ended up buying a horse.” It might need a little light translation from the County Durhamese when they pitch it to Hollywood, but that is the essence of the hour-long documentary It’s Showtime! A group of mates fr
  
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• Mbappé inspires PSG to comeback victory in Barcelona after Araújo red

  16-04-2024 23:19 via theguardian.com
  
  Just when Montjuïc roared, clinging to the hope that there might be a way back into this, one last chance to see Barcelona reach the semi-final for the first time in five years, there was Kylian Mbappé and his Paris Saint-Germain teammates sprinting across the running track in celebration. A goal down from the first leg, two down on aggregate within 12 minutes of the second, Luis Enrique’s side had come back to lead 3-1 on the night, 5-4 overall, but had been on edge until the
  
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• Borussia Dortmund’s Sabitzer sinks Atlético Madrid in seesaw thriller

  16-04-2024 23:13 via theguardian.com
  
  Just another raw and savage night of Champions League football at the Westfalen: the colours vivid, the sounds ear-shattering, the defences in utter disarray. Late goals from Niclas Fullkrug and Marcel Sabitzer secured Borussia Dortmund’s passage to the semi-finals, breaking open an Atlético Madrid who look a grey scale model of the battleships Diego Simeone once produced.It was flawed and it was chaotic, and even amid Dortmund’s elation there remains the eternal question of w
  
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• Clustering of AI firms in south and east of England will foil levelling up – report

  16-04-2024 23:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Hi-tech ‘golden triangle’ of Oxford, Cambridge and London risks deeper regional inequalities, says thinktankInvestments in new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) are “profoundly skewed” towards the “golden triangle” of Oxford, Cambridge and London, and risk deepening existing regional inequalities in England, according to research.Ministers have promised to level up the country, narrowing the gap between the best- and worst-performing areas, but
  
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• Fed chair Jerome Powell: high inflation likely to delay rate cuts this year

  16-04-2024 22:51 via theguardian.com
  
  US central banker says ‘recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence’ that inflation coming fully under controlThe Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, cautioned on Tuesday that persistently elevated inflation will probably delay any Fed interest rate cuts until later this year, opening the door to a period of higher-for-longer rates.“Recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence” that inflation is coming fully under control and “instead indi
  
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• California pilot and his dog survive plane crash after swimming to shore

  16-04-2024 22:33 via theguardian.com
  
  The Piper PA-32, a single engine plane, crashed off the coast across from Trump’s LA golf club in Ranchos Palos VerdesA pilot and his dog survived a plane crash off the California coast, swimming to shore where they were met by authorities responding to the incident.A 911 call came in on Sunday afternoon at 5.22pm about a plane crashing into the ocean off the coast across from the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, in Ranchos Palos Verdes, the Los Angeles county sheriff’s departme
  
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• Whistleblower urges Boeing to ground all 787 Dreamliners after safety warning

  16-04-2024 22:23 via theguardian.com
  
  Engineer Sam Salehpour calls on planemaker ahead of testimony before Senate homeland security committeeA whistleblower has urged Boeing to ground every 787 Dreamliner jet worldwide after warning they are at risk of premature failure ahead of a high-profile hearing on Capitol Hill.The planemaker has been grappling with its latest crisis since a cabin panel blowout in January raised fresh questions about the production of its bestselling commercial jet, the 737 Max. Continue reading...
  
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• Netanyahu aims to trap west into war across Middle East, warns Iranian diplomat

  16-04-2024 22:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Iran’s chargé d’affaires in London said his country would respond more severely if Israel attacked it again in ‘another mistake’Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to trap the west into a total war across the Middle East that would have incalculable consequences for the region and the world, Iran’s top diplomat in the UK has claimed, in his first interview since Tehran launched an unprecedented missile and drone attack against Israel at the weekend.Seyed Mehdi Hoss
  
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• MPs vote for smoking ban despite Tories’ division over policy

  16-04-2024 21:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Rishi Sunak suffers blow to his authority as 57 of his own MPs vote against his plan and over 100 abstainA ban on smoking for future generations moved a step closer last night, but Rishi Sunak suffered a blow to his authority after dozens of Conservative MPs voted against it.The House of Commons voted by 383 to 67 in favour of the prime minister’s plan to make it illegal for anyone born in 2009 or later to buy tobacco products in the UK. Continue reading...
  
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• For the Love of Dogs review – Alison Hammond brilliantly fills Paul O’Grady’s shoes

  16-04-2024 21:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Hammond takes over presenting duties at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home – and gets all the tails wagging. Just like that, canine TV’s top dog should stay the leader of the packWe are living through canine television’s golden (retriever) era. Idly flick through the channels and it’s odds on that you’ll land on a minor celebrity on a walking holiday, a documentary about air fryers, or a programme about dogs who either need a home or be better trained in the one they al
  
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• Arsenal arrive in Munich with destiny and opportunity still in their hands | Nick Ames

  16-04-2024 21:29 via theguardian.com
  
  Sunday’s defeat by Aston Villa has added jeopardy, and Mikel Arteta knows ousting Bayern will take some doingArsenal landed in a gusty Munich aiming to show they have not been blown off course. A week is a long time in football and it was only last Tuesday, when Mikel Arteta’s players emerged for their first leg to a rapturous reception at the Emirates, that they were being favoured to dethrone a wobbly Bayern Munich. The picture has clouded since then and there is a sense of being c
  
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• Republican senator Tom Cotton calls for vigilantism to break up Gaza protests

  16-04-2024 21:03 via theguardian.com
  
  Outcry as Cotton says those inconvenienced by protesters blocking roads and airports should ‘take matters into own hands’The Republican senator Tom Cotton has urged Americans to “take matters into their own hands” when encountering pro-Palestine supporters, an apparent call to vigilantism as Israel’s military strikes in Gaza continued despite global calls for a ceasefire.Demonstrations on Monday by supporters of Palestine blocked roads in major US cities, including
  
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• Birmingham airport suspends operations after plane security incident

  16-04-2024 20:59 via theguardian.com
  
  Spokesperson says aircraft has landed safely and all passengers and crew have disembarkedBirmingham airport temporarily suspended operations on Tuesday because of a security incident on an aircraft.There had initially been reports of a suspicious item on a plane, but West Midlands police later confirmed that the item was not suspicious, and the airport reopened at 6pm. Continue reading...
  
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• US supreme court skeptical of using obstruction law in January 6 cases

  16-04-2024 20:47 via theguardian.com
  
  If court curtails use of statute in connection with Capitol riot it could eliminate two of the four charges against Donald TrumpThe US supreme court expressed concern on Tuesday with prosecutors using an obstruction statute to charge hundreds of January 6 Capitol riot defendants, with the justices leaning towards a position that could jeopardize those prosecutions and the criminal case against Donald Trump.The Trump case was not mentioned at the argument. But a decision curtailing the use of the
  
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• Rwanda bill delayed for at least a day after Lords pass amendments

  16-04-2024 20:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Legislation to return to the Commons with changes that would ensure conformity with UK and other law and protect claimantsThe Rwanda deportation bill has been delayed for at least one more day after the House of Lords voted for amendments that would ensure that it adheres to international and key domestic laws.The plan to spend £541m to send 300 people seeking asylum to east Africa was sent back to the House of Commons after peers voted several times to add protections for claimants to the
  
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• Jude Bellingham says joining Real Madrid was a ‘no-brainer’

  16-04-2024 20:25 via theguardian.com
  
  England midfielder moved to Spain from Dortmund last summerBellingham faces Manchester City in Champions LeagueJude Bellingham has said joining Real Madrid was a “no-brainer” despite interest from many other elite clubs including Manchester City, who they face in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg.The midfielder signed for Real last summer from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth up to £115m after discussions with a host of clubs. Bellingham was asked how
  
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• US man who deflected hockey puck flying directly at boy, 4, hailed as hero

  16-04-2024 20:22 via theguardian.com
  
  Mother of Nasir Davis calls Andrew Podolak, 33, who averted a potential tragedy in Cleveland, Ohio, ‘a really special person’An Ohio man who used his arm to deflect a hockey puck flying directly toward a four-year-old boy – sparing him from serious injury or worse – is being heralded as a hero.The heroic – and coordinated – feat took place last Thursday at a minor league hockey game in Cleveland. The Cleveland Monsters match was nearly finished when a hockey p
  
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• High court upholds top London school’s ban on prayer rituals

  16-04-2024 20:18 via theguardian.com
  
  Muslim pupil loses case against Michaela community school, run by former government social mobility tsar Katharine BirbalsinghA high court decision to uphold a prayer ban at one of the highest performing state schools in England has been welcomed by Rishi Sunak and Kemi Badenoch, who described it as a “victory against activists trying to subvert our public institutions”.The case against Michaela community school in Brent, north-west London, which is famous for its strict discipline c
  
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• Nigel Farage is cancelled at last and he’s never been happier | John Crace

  16-04-2024 20:08 via theguardian.com
  
  Thanks to the Brussels police the National Conservatism usual suspects could feel they really were relevant and importantYou’ve seldom seen Nigel Farage look quite so happy. Beatific bordering on ecstasy. And all because he had been cancelled. Something he has longed for all his career. Failing to be elected as an MP on seven separate occasions was just proof of the limitations of democracy. Winning the Brexit referendum was almost a disappointment. What was there left for him to do? Other
  
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• Middle East conflict risks sharp rise in oil prices, says IMF

  16-04-2024 20:08 via theguardian.com
  
  In the UK, anxiety over the crisis after Iran’s missile strike on Israel drives down UK shares An escalating Middle East conflict risks leading to higher oil prices, a reversal of the recent fall in inflation and a puncturing of the optimistic mood in financial markets, the International Monetary Fund has warned.The Washington-based IMF said it was closely monitoring events in the region after Iran’s missile strike on Israel at the weekend and stressed the possibility that a war betw
  
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• Rafael Nadal makes winning return in first round at Barcelona Open

  16-04-2024 19:57 via theguardian.com
  
  37-year-old beats Cobolli 6-2, 6-3 in first match since January‘I’m just having fun and happy to start with a victory’Rafael Nadal made a winning return to the court with victory over Flavio Cobolli in the first round of the Barcelona Open.The 37-year-old was playing his second tournament in 15 months after suffering another injury problem in his hip at his comeback event in Brisbane in January. Continue reading...
  
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• Survey finds generative AI proving major threat to the work of translators

  16-04-2024 19:49 via theguardian.com
  
  While AI tools have been used by some translators to support their work, three-quarters of those surveyed believe the emerging technology will negatively impact their future incomeMore than a third of translators have lost work due to generative AI, a survey by the Society of Authors (SoA) has found. More than four in 10 translators said that their income has decreased because of generative AI, while more than three-quarters believe the emerging technology will negatively affect their future inc
  
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• UK households face second year without improved living standards, says IMF

  16-04-2024 19:42 via theguardian.com
  
  Growth per head will remain flat this year as the effects of high inflation take time to abateBritain’s households will endure a second year without an improvement in their living standards in 2024 as the effects of high inflation take time to abate, the International Monetary Fund has revealed.In its flagship World Economic Outlook (WEO), the Washington-based IMF said it was forecasting modest 0.5% UK growth this year – but only as a result of a rising population. Continue reading..
  
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• Emma Hayes hopes Chelsea players’ WSL success is never taken for granted

  16-04-2024 19:42 via theguardian.com
  
  Chelsea Women have chance to go top with win over Aston VillaClub’s FA Cup and League Cup hopes over after recent defeats Emma Hayes has said she hopes Chelsea supporters do not begin to take her players for grantedafter an unprecedented successful period at the club.Hayes’s side welcome Aston Villa to Kingsmeadow on Wednesday night as they return to Women’s Super League action after two consecutive losses in cup competitions. Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United f
  
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• Rishi Sunak and Belgian PM criticise mayor’s halting of NatCon conference

  16-04-2024 19:38 via theguardian.com
  
  Emir Kir ordered police to close down radical rightwing conference attended by Suella Braverman and Nigel FarageUK politics – latest updatesThe UK prime minister has rounded on Belgian authorities for closing down a radical rightwing conference in Brussels that was addressed by British politicians including Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman.After a day of chaos, claims and recriminations, the decision by a local Belgian mayor to stop the National Conservatives (NatCon) event was also conde
  
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