General news

• Brian blessed withdraws from 'King Lear' production, after collapsing on stage

  30-01-2015 23:42
  
  Brian Blessed has withdrawn from a production of Shakepeare's King Lear, a week after collapsing on stage.
  
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• Olivia Williams: The actor on poor pay for women in Hollywood, Bill Murray, and Bolivian spectacled bears

  30-01-2015 23:30
  
  Hilary Swank recently said men get paid 10 times more than women – is that something you've experienced?
  
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• David Hlynsky's images of Soviet Union shop windows shine an unexpected light on our consumerist culture

  30-01-2015 23:30
  
  David Hlynsky was born and raised on the American shores of the Great Lakes at the height of the Cold War, when Washington and Hollywood tag-teamed to depict the land of his grandparents as backwards and bad. Instinct, and later work with a gang of creatives in 1970s Toronto, challenged that view, and in 1986, he packed his camera and travelled to Kraków.
  
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• Chelsea vs Manchester City: Manuel Pellegrini pours scorn on anti-Chelsea 'campaign' but refuses to discuss Jose Mourinho's 'Pellegrino' slight

  30-01-2015 23:30
  Manuel Pellegrini, the Manchester City manager, has insisted there is no “campaign” against Chelsea, contrary to the claims of Jose Mourinho.
  
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• 25 years of Disney: How Darth Vader, Iron Man, Elsa and Pixar's geniuses helped the company conquer the world (again)

  30-01-2015 23:30
  Big Hero 6, this weekend's big new family animation. So are the two new Pixar movies coming this year, plus a new live-action Cinderella, and a few other surprises. When it comes to the question of which studio is going to dominate 2015, it's looking like a one-horse race.
  
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• Australian Open 2015: Thanks to Amelie Mauresmo, it's no longer Andy Murray against the world

  30-01-2015 23:11
  
  The changes in Andy Murray have been evident in subliminal ways. A little more laughter, sometimes at his own expense, a little of the weight lifted from his shoulders and evidently a little more contentment with his own company.
  
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• BT vows to plug pension shortfall as shares fall 2% while telecoms giant reveals ... - This is Money

  30-01-2015 23:01 via thisismoney.co.uk
  
  Telegraph.co.uk
  BT vows to plug pension shortfall as shares fall 2% while telecoms giant reveals ...
  This is Money
  BT has struck a deal to repair its spiralling £7billion pension deficit while posting robust third-quarter pre-tax profits. The telecoms giant said its stronger financial position means it will pay lower contributions despite the black hole jumping from £3.9billion three ...
  BT pensions deficit rises to £7bnshropshirestar.com
  BT to inject £1.5bn to plug pension holeFinanci
  
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• UK weather: Arctic blast set to bring more snow and sub-zero temperatures this the weekend

  30-01-2015 22:56
  
  Forecasters are warning the UK to brace itself for another bitterly cold night as sub-zero temperatures take grip, with an Arctic blast set to sweep the country over the weekend.
  
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• 11 things non-Americans might not understand about the Super Bowl

  30-01-2015 22:39
  
  Super Bowl Sunday is the most American of American holidays. That it’s widely considered a holiday – by the people, if not by the government – is all the more American.
  
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• Man is shot in both legs in Belfast

  30-01-2015 22:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A man is shot in both legs in what police describe as a paramilitary-style shooting in north Belfast.
  
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• CIA 'used British territory to interrogate terror suspects' - The Times (subscription)

  30-01-2015 22:27 via thetimes.co.uk
  
  BBC News
  CIA 'used British territory to interrogate terror suspects'
  The Times (subscription)
  CIA terror suspects were interrogated on the British overseas territory of Diego Garcia, an official in the Bush administration claimed yesterday. Lawrence Wilkerson, who served as chief of staff to Colin Powell when he was US secretary of state , said that the ...
  CIA 'used British island to interrogate terror suspects for weeks at a time,' says ...Mirror.co.uk
  Call to probe rendi
  
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• Wolfsburg 4-1 Bayern Munich

  30-01-2015 22:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Bayern Munich suffer a first meaningful Bundesliga defeat in over two years as they lose to second-placed Wolfsburg.
  
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• Secret 80s 'sex file' named diplomat

  30-01-2015 22:24 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A top British diplomat engaged in "sexual perversion" in the 1960s and was vulnerable to blackmail by foreign powers, previously secret papers reveal.
  
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• Man critical after Belfast shooting

  30-01-2015 22:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A man who was shot in the head in north Belfast is in a critical condition in hospital, police say.
  
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• Woods shoots worst round of career

  30-01-2015 22:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Tiger Woods records the worst round of his professional career with an 11-over-par 82 in the second round of the Phoenix Open.
  
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• Aaron Hernandez murder trial: Mother of man allegedly killed by professional American football player breaks down in court

  30-01-2015 21:49
  The mother of the man allegedly killed by a rising professional American Football player was overcome with emotion in court as a prosecutor showed the jury graphic photos of her son's body.
  
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• M4 re-opens after oil spill

  30-01-2015 21:45
  
  Parts of the M4 were closed earlier due to an oil spill, just before rush hour traffic was due to hit roads.
  
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• Churchill: 11 Things You Should Know

  30-01-2015 21:38
  
  David Cameron described Winston Churchill as "a great leader and a great Briton," but did he know the former Conservative Prime Minister had a stutter and once spent three days hiding in a mineshaft.
  
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• VIDEO: Escapee D-Day veteran's funeral

  30-01-2015 21:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The funeral is held of Sussex war veteran Bernard Jordan, who left his care home to attend D-Day commemorations in France.
  
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• Police Probe Roy Keane 'Road-Rage' Incident

  30-01-2015 21:29
  
  Police are looking into an alleged road-rage incident involving former Manchester United captain Roy Keane. Keane is said to have become involved in an altercation with a taxi driver in Altrincham town centre. Greater Manchester police said officers were called to a report that "a man had behaved aggressively towards another man".
  
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• Driver Who Took Child On 100mph Chase Is Jailed

  30-01-2015 21:14
  
  Judge Robert Adams said it was a miracle no-one was killed. Scott Tony Smith, 23,sped through village streets in County Durham trying to escape from police, before crashing his car into a hedge and into a field.
  
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• Churchill's funeral anniversary marked

  30-01-2015 21:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Events are held to mark the 50th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill's funeral, with the boat that carried his coffin repeating its Thames journey.
  
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• Mother denies exploiting abduction

  30-01-2015 20:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The mother of a girl who was abducted and taken to France by teacher Jeremy Forrest denies she is exploiting her daughter by writing a book on the case.
  
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• M4 lanes reopen after oil spill

  30-01-2015 20:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Two lanes of the M4 which were closed because of a hydraulic oil spill around Newport reopened.
  
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• Woolworth 'haunted' mansion wrecked by fire months after Taylor Swift video shoot

  30-01-2015 20:29
  
  An elaborate mansion built by the family who set up the global chain of Woolworth’s stores and which was reputed to be haunted, has been severely damaged by a mystery fire. Late last year, the property had been used by the singer Taylor Swift to shoot her video for the song Blank Space.
  
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• Rapper 2 Chainz could run for mayor of his hometown

  30-01-2015 20:27
  
  Fresh off his televised and wildly popular marijuana debate with Nancy Grace (see below), rapper 2 Chainz has stepped up his political ambitions from rhetorical to actionable and revealed that he plans to run for mayor of his hometown, College Park, Georgia.
  
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• CIA did use United Kingdom territory for secret terror interrogations, says top US official

  30-01-2015 20:12
  
  Terror suspects held by the CIA were interrogated on the British‑owned island of Diego Garcia despite the repeated denials of London and Washington that any such incidents took place, a senior American official said today.
  
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• CIA did use UK territory for secret terror interrogations

  30-01-2015 20:12
  
  Terror suspects held by the CIA were interrogated on the British‑owned island of Diego Garcia despite the repeated denials of London and Washington that any such incidents took place, a senior American official said today.
  
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• Arctic Blast After 'Thundersnow' Storms

  30-01-2015 20:09
  
  A fierce Arctic blast will sweep across Britain over the weekend bringing more snow and freezing temperatures, forecasters say. Motorists are urged to take extra care with overnight temperatures on Friday expected to fall to -2C (28F). Sky weather producer Rebecca Yusuf says they will recover slightly on Saturday but a chill wind will “make it feel sub-zero in many places”. “Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic will see frequent, blustery sleet and snow showers through the morning.
  
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• Hostage's brother 'haunted' by face

  30-01-2015 20:09
  
  The brother of murdered aid worker David Haines said he is haunted by the look on his face in video released by Islamic State (IS) militants.
  
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• Hardship fund to be cut by 25%

  30-01-2015 20:09
  
  A hardship fund to help welfare claimants struggling financially following housing benefit reforms is being cut by nearly a quarter.
  
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• Call to probe rendition claims

  30-01-2015 20:09
  
  Terror suspects were interrogated on the British territory of Diego Garcia for weeks at a time, a senior aide in the Bush administration has said.
  
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• Blessed withdraws after collapse

  30-01-2015 20:09
  
  Veteran actor Brian Blessed has withdrawn from a production of King Lear just over a week after collapsing on stage.
  
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• 100mph chase crash driver jailed

  30-01-2015 20:09
  
  A banned driver who flipped his car over a hedge after reaching almost 100mph with a four-year old-boy in the back while trying to escape from police has been jailed for a year.
  
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• From plus-size models to athletic silhouettes, meet the models changing the fashion industry right now

  30-01-2015 20:00
  
  A new photoshoot by Bust magazine features five up and coming models all of whom portray body types that differ from the ultra-skinny models we see on the catwalk nowadays.
  
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• Patient discontent with health and care ‘being masked’ by fear of complaining

  30-01-2015 19:58
  
  The true scale of public discontent with the NHS and social care is being masked by the genuine fear of patients and vulnerable elderly people that they will face reprisals if they report their poor experiences, according to the head of Healthwatch England.
  
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• Eugene de Kock to be freed: Is 20 years in jail enough for apartheid’s worst offender?

  30-01-2015 19:57
  
  No wonder they called Eugene de Kock “Prime Evil”. Some of the most sickeningly unforgettable testimony to South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) concerned the activities of C1, a death squad he led which kidnapped, tortured and killed opponents of apartheid.
  
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• Scientists await crucial vote in Parliament on three-parent IVF techniques

  30-01-2015 19:56
  
  There is an air of quiet excitement when you enter the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research in the medical school of Newcastle University. It’s a feeling that the time has finally come for its scientists on their long journey to help couples give birth to babies free of mitochondrial disease.
  
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• Lab on brink of IVF history - by making groundbreaking technique safe

  30-01-2015 19:56
  
  There is an air of quiet excitement when you enter the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research in the medical school of Newcastle University. It’s a feeling that the time has finally come for its scientists on their long journey to help couples give birth to babies free of mitochondrial disease.
  
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• The first baby with three parents could be conceived in UK this year

  30-01-2015 19:55
  
  The first “three-parent” baby in Britain could be born as early as next year following a study that scientists hope will convince the fertility regulator that the controversial IVF technique is safe, The Independent understands.
  
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• Isis hostages: Jordan and Japan weigh up prisoner swap as latest deadline passes

  30-01-2015 19:54
  
  The governments of Jordan and Japan scrambled for information about the fate of two hostages held by Isis yesterday, as the militants clashed with Kurdish forces in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.
  
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• Outcry as CPS drops trial of anti-drone protesters at last minute

  30-01-2015 19:53
  
  The prosecution of arms-trade protesters who occupied a British drone engines manufacturer has been dropped at the last minute, after the company refused to hand over evidence about its exports of weaponry to Israel, The Independent can reveal.
  
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• 'Prime Evil' Eugene de Kock, mastermind of Apartheid death squads, to be set free

  30-01-2015 19:51
  
  The “C-Max” high security prison in Pretoria will soon lose its highest profile inmate, a one-time police colonel sentenced to two life sentences and 212 years behind bars.
  
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• Chef jailed for £1.1m supermarket fraud

  30-01-2015 19:51
  
  A former Royal Navy chef has been jailed for conning the frozen food giant Iceland into selling customers the wrong kind of fish.
  
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• Marijuana vending machines: Seattle's first dispenser to open next month

  30-01-2015 19:51
  
  Grabbing cannabis in Seattle will be as easy as indulging in crisps, candy and cola next month, when a marijuana vending machine will open in the city.
  
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• Men in tights: getting to the bottom of the latest trend

  30-01-2015 19:50
  
  There are no two ways about it, men’s tights are having a moment. Alexander McQueen, Dries Van Noten and Givenchy all featured them in recent menswear collections. They’re all over Wolf Hall and Russell Brand went on stage in a pair this week. Meanwhile, online hosiery retailer UKTights.com has reported that 40 per cent of its business comes from men.
  
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• Stig Bergling: Spy who gave the Soviets thousands of documents and made an escape which caused a scandal in Sweden

  30-01-2015 19:49
  Stig Bergling was a Swedish security officer who sold secrets to the Soviet Union during the Cold War and brazenly escaped while serving a life sentence for espionage.
  
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• Andrew Sullivan retires: as US writer leaves thefray, has blogging had its day?

  30-01-2015 19:49
  
  In the heady days of 2008, a blogger filled with confidence wrote of how his chosen medium “heralds a golden era for journalism”. Blogging, he said, was an “exhilarating literary liberation”, offering a vividness and immediacy that could not be rivalled by old-fashioned newsprint. It was “intoxicatingly free. Like taking a narcotic.”
  
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• Andrew Sullivan retires: as US writer leaves the fray, has blogging had its day?

  30-01-2015 19:49
  
  In the heady days of 2008, a blogger filled with confidence wrote of how his chosen medium “heralds a golden era for journalism”. Blogging, he said, was an “exhilarating literary liberation”, offering a vividness and immediacy that could not be rivalled by old-fashioned newsprint. It was “intoxicatingly free. Like taking a narcotic.”
  
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• Eddie Stuart: Powerful and charismatic defender who became the beating heart of the mighty Wolves side of the 1950s

  30-01-2015 19:48
  When Eddie Stuart flexed his muscles strong men flinched.
  
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