General news

• Six Nations 2015: Jonathan Joseph is ready to step up and swivel against Wales' formidable pair

  04-02-2015 23:42
  The kick, step and turbo acceleration are already part of the Jonathan Joseph showreel. That explosive burst of creativity for Bath at Toulouse was a repeat dose of the heat dished out at the Recreation Ground all season. On Friday Stuart Lancaster throws Joseph the keys to the Millennium Stadium for a Six Nations debut that he hopes might unlock the England midfield.
  
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• Pete Jenson: Chelsea's new acquisition, the versatile Cuadrado, fits the Mourinho blueprint to a tee

  04-02-2015 23:37
  Jose Mourinho’s ability to buy character and avoid buying “characters” has served him well across 15 years of management, and everything about his latest acquisition, Juan Cuadrado, says he has done it again.
  
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• Common cold could be 'stopped in its tracks' thanks to science breakthrough

  04-02-2015 23:35
  
  The common cold could be a thing of the past, as scientists have found a way to "jam" the genetic code.
  
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• Kai the dog finds new owner after being abandoned outside Scottish railway station

  04-02-2015 23:28
  
  The shar-pei cross who was found abandoned at a railway station with a suitcase with his belongings has found a new home.
  
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• Shock Big Brother double eviction

  04-02-2015 23:26
  
  The Celebrity Big Brother contestants were reduced to five tonight after the surprise eviction of two housemates.
  
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• Bryn Terfel interview: Britain's best-loved baritone looks back on his 'wonderful journey' through the world's greatest operas

  04-02-2015 23:15
  Gods. Murderers. Dictators. Ghosts. Bryn Terfel is used to playing them all, and more. The towering bass-baritone from north Wales, who turns 50 this year, is probably the best-loved figure in British opera today: gigantic in stature and personality, with a booming voice that is effortlessly flexible and expressive even when speaking, never mind singing. So huge a presence is he that it is almost startling to find him arriving for a rehearsal of Wagner's Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dut
  
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• Labour warns over huge drop in first-time voters

  04-02-2015 23:12
  
  The number of young people who are registering to vote as they reach the age of 18 has dropped by 100,000 since last year, according to new figures to be published today.
  
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• Wolf Hall episode 3, TV review: Astonishing levels of sex overshadow the political shenanigans as the BBC drama really hits its stride

  04-02-2015 23:03
  Be in no doubt, Wolf Hall has hit its stride - this is television you could eat up with a spoon. An episode that Machiavelli himself would describe as "a bit much", this was an hour of revenge and threats, of fixes and sex, and it’s about as good as television gets.
  
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• Wolf Hall recap: episode three – the purse strings are in Cromwell's hands

  04-02-2015 23:00
  
  Cromwell is now ‘the man who writes the laws’, but he wants an improved role. Meanwhile, the king’s marital merry-go-round is moving – and a baby is on the wayPeter Straughan, whose ways we’re getting to know, likes to work his episodes around hinted themes. Often it’s only with hindsight we can pick them up, but it’s one of the joys of his richly satisfying (so far) adaptation.The third instalment opens in 1531. Two years on. The camera lingers a minute or two in close up on the f
  
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• Liverpool through as Philippe Coutinho breaks Bolton hearts at the death

  04-02-2015 22:57
  
  The prospect of signing off from English football at Wembley on his 35th birthday lives on for Steven Gerrard. With five minutes remaining of a gruelling FA Cup fourth round replay, the Liverpool captain’s FA Cup story was ending on Burnden Way, Bolton. But Wembley Way remains in Liverpool’s path after a stunning finale at Bolton Wanderers.Neil Lennon’s team were down to 10 men following the dismissal of Neil Danns but a goal up courtesy of 36-year-old Eidur Gudjohnsen as the clocked ticke
  
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• Bolton v Liverpool: FA Cup fourth-round replay – as it happened

  04-02-2015 22:50
  
  Liverpool are the last team to make it to the fifth round, and they left it late, wonderful goals from Raheem Sterling and Phillipe Coutinho putting the gloss on an average performance against ten-man Bolton 9.42pm GMT Liverpool scrape through, just, and will travel to Crystal Palace in the fifth round. What a second half, and what a finale. Bolton can consider themselves very unfortunate, but the dismissal of Danns was their undoing. And the brilliance of Phillipe Coutinho, Emre Can and Raheem
  
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• Norway proposes to criminalise beggars and those trying to help them

  04-02-2015 22:49
  
  Norway has proposed a controversial law which would make it illegal to help beggars on the streets.
  
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• Jack Wilshere reignites smoking debate by being pictured with shisha pipe

  04-02-2015 22:49
  
  • Picture from nightclub posted on Instagram then Twitter
  • Arsenal midfielder involved in two previous smoking rowsJack Wilshere could find himself at the centre of another smoking row after pictures emerged of the England international holding a shisha pipe at a nightclub.Wilshere, 23, is recovering from ankle surgery after an injury in the defeat by Manchester United on 22 November and is expected to be in contention for a first-team return by the end of the month. Continue reading...
  
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• Mexico's president mocked following complaint that reporters didn't applaud

  04-02-2015 22:36
  
  Hashtag #YaSeQueNoAplauden spawned in response to Enrique Peña Nieto’s jokey complaint that reporters greeted an announcement with silence
  Mexico’s president Enrique Peña Nieto has become the butt of a wave of social media ridicule following a jokey complaint about the silence with which reporters greeted his announcement of a government probe into allegations of corruption by his family and the finance minister.Turning away from the microphone at the end of the announcement on Tues
  
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• Wladimir Klitschko on Ukraine crisis: 'It's a war that nobody wants to see'

  04-02-2015 22:35
  
  Heavyweight champion addressed Ukraine crisis Wednesday in New York38-year-old made remarks at press conference to announce April title fightKlitschko to defend titles against Bryant Jennings at Madison Square Garden
  Salesmanship gave way to social consciousness on Wednesday when Wladimir Klitschko concluded a news conference at Madison Square Garden with impassioned remarks about the conflict in his native Ukraine.The occasion was the announcement of his forthcoming title defense against Philad
  
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• First picture of 'beautiful, vibrant' baby who died after 'incident' at her home

  04-02-2015 22:34 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  THIS is the first picture of a "beautiful, vibrant" 10-month-old baby who died after an "incident" at her home.
  
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• Computers 'could diagnose illness'

  04-02-2015 22:33
  
  People who are feeling unwell could be diagnosed at home by their computers under plans being considered by the Government.
  
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• War with Isis: Jordan's pledge to fight militants on the ground is a coup for US and its allies

  04-02-2015 22:29
  
  Hours after one of his pilots was seen being burned alive, an impassioned and angry King Abdullah told members of the US Congress that Jordan would be stepping up air strikes against Isis. “The only problem we are going to have,” he declared, “is running out of fuel and bullets.” Around the same time on Tuesday, US officials were forced to admit that the United Arab Emirates, a crucial ally, had dropped out of the mission.
  
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• King Abdullah of Jordan promises his country will wage a 'relentless' war against Isis in wake of pilot's execution

  04-02-2015 22:27
  King Abdullah of Jordan has swept aside any suggestion of caution in confronting Isis, declaring that his country would fight a “relentless” war against the jihadist group after the murder of one of his air-force pilots.
  
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• Silk Road internet marketplace founder Ross Ulbricht found guilty on all counts

  04-02-2015 22:25
  
  Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous Silk Road internet marketplace, has been found guilty on all counts by a Manhattan jury.
  
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• Ivory Coast survive wobble against DR Congo to reach Cup of Nations final

  04-02-2015 22:20
  
  • DR Congo 1-3 Ivory Coast
  • Mbokani 24pen; Y Touré 21, Gervinho 41, Kanon 68Could it be that one of the longest waits in football is at last coming to an end? For a decade, Africa has expected Ivory Coast’s golden generation at last to reach fulfilment and perhaps now, as the Elephants approach their third final in nine years, the itch will be scratched. Yet perhaps this isn’t even the golden generation any more: after all, only four players remain from the squad that lost to the hos
  
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• Go Set A Watchman: Concerns that Harper Lee was 'pressured' into publishing new book

  04-02-2015 22:16
  
  Amid widespread excitement at the discovery of a "lost" work by Harper Lee, some have raised concerns that the 88-year-old novelist may have been pressured into publishing it.
  
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• Can going to the theatre boost academic achievement?

  04-02-2015 22:15
  
  On a cold winter's day in east London a class of eight- and nine-year-olds are wrestling with some big questions. Is it right to steal from the rich to give to the poor? Should someone's choice of job be restricted because of their gender? These are just some of the issues thrown up for the children after watching a production of Robin Hood.
  
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• Silk Road's 'Dread Pirate Roberts' convicted of running online drug marketplace

  04-02-2015 22:00
  
  Ross Ulbricht faces up to life in prison after being found guilty of ‘aiding and abetting the distribution of drugs over the internet’ and other chargesThe jury in the trial of Ross Ulbricht, charged with masterminding the online drug emporium Silk Road, returned a guilty verdict at Manhattan district court on Wednesday.Ulbricht was convicted on all seven charges, including drug trafficking, criminal enterprise, aiding and abetting the distribution of drugs over the internet, computer hackin
  
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• Fox host denounces popular movie Frozen for anti-male propaganda

  04-02-2015 21:56
  
  Fox & Friends host Steve Doucy laments the ‘Frozen Effect’, by which Hollywood turns ‘our men into fools and villains’If you believe what you hear on Fox News, Disney’s Frozen is nothing but misandrist propaganda.During Wednesday’s Fox & Friends – the crown jewel program at a network known for its loose interpretation of facts – host Steve Doocy raised awareness about Hollywood’s latest nefarious plot to undermine American masculinity. Doocy took issue with Disney’s F
  
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• Udo Lattek, most successful coach in Bundesliga history, dies aged 80

  04-02-2015 21:56
  
  • Lattek won six league titles with Bayern and two at Mönchengladbach
  • Former West Germany assistant won all three European club trophiesUdo Lattek, the most successful Bundesliga coach of all time and one of a select few managers to win all three major European club competitions, has died at the age of 80.Lattek, who helped take Bayern Munich to the top of European football in the 1970s and coached Borussia Mönchengladbach and Barcelona among others, passed away in a nursing home.
  
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• DR Congo v Ivory Coast: Africa Cup of Nations semi-final – as it happened

  04-02-2015 21:52
  
  Yaya Touré, Gervinho and Wilfried Kanon score 8.52pm GMT Ivory Coast sweep into the final with an impressive victory over a valiant DR Congo side. Their attacking power proved too much for the underdogs. Now only Ghana, Equatorial Guinea or themselves can stop them. 8.49pm GMT 90+1 min: Ivory Coast substitution: Bony off after a fine performance even if he wasn’t used involved as much as he could have been if Ivory Coast served him better; replaced by Traoré. 8.48pm GMT 90 min: So unl
  
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• Driver who caused Metro-North train crash is identified

  04-02-2015 21:46
  
  The woman whose SUV got stuck in the path of a Metro-North train barrelling north, causing the deadliest crash in the railroad's history, has been identified.
  
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• Scientists developing drone technology are turning to the insect world for inspiration

  04-02-2015 21:45
  
  Amazon wants to use them to make deliveries. They were a big hit at Christmas. And the US military has been recruiting an army of video-gamers to pilot them into enemy territory. You'd be forgiven for thinking that we're already in the middle of a drone revolution. But in truth, it has barely started.
  
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• Jeb Bush lashes out at 'liberal mindset' in presidential appeal to middle class

  04-02-2015 21:44
  
  Bush lays out ‘plan of action’ that distances himself from family legacy and points to education record in Florida as proof he can help to ‘close the opportunity gap’In a leap from the blocks at the earliest presidential campaign starting gun in American history, Jeb Bush attempted a major rebranding of his family and his party’s political legacy on Wednesday.The former governor presented “a new vision” and a “plan of action” on behalf of economically struggling families, argui
  
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• Labour struggles to gain backing of business leaders after Ed Balls gaffe

  04-02-2015 21:43
  
  Left-leaning City figures lend support to Labour, after shadow chancellor made ‘Bill somebody’ TV slip-upLeft-leaning bosses helped Labour begin a belated fightback over its relationship with business on Wednesday night, as the party battled to shrug off Ed Balls’s gaffe when he told Newsnight viewers he had won the backing of “Bill somebody”.Lord Allen, chair of Global Radio and a long-time Labour supporter, spoke out in the Daily Mirror, warning that a Tory government could lead Brit
  
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• Archbishop calls for living wage

  04-02-2015 21:37
  
  A living wage, good and affordable housing, and excellent education and training are all key to a good economy, the Archbishop of Canterbury said tonight.
  
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• Emmanuel Adebayor says he is focused on Tottenham despite West Ham blow

  04-02-2015 21:36
  
  • Striker frustrated that Daniel Levy blocked move to Upton Park
  • I’m very happy to stay at the club and do my job, Adebayor addsEmmanuel Adebayor has spoken of his frustration at how Daniel Levy blocked his proposed January loan move to West Ham United but he insisted that he is now ready to focus on helping Tottenham Hotspur.The Togolese striker has endured a difficult season, in which he has fallen from favour under Mauricio Pochettino and been booed by a section of the home support.
  
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• How hedge fund super-rich 'donated £19m to Tory party'

  04-02-2015 21:33
  
  A spotlight has been thrown on the Conservative Party’s close links with the hedge fund industry, as new research showed that around half of the wealthiest fund managers in Britain have given money to the Tory party, and Labour accused David Cameron of fashioning government tax policy in the interests of the sector.
  
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• Indonesian courts reject Bali Nine judicial review

  04-02-2015 21:26
  
  Courts turn down application for review into cases of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who face executionLawyers for the two Australian men sentenced to death for their part in the Bali Nine drug smuggling attempt have hit out at an Indonesian court’s decision to reject a last-ditch application for a review of their case.Hasoloan Sianturi, spokesman for the Denpasar court, told media on Wednesday afternoon neither application could be accepted and the documents would not be sent t
  
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• Police officer who killed veteran, 95, with beanbag gun acquitted

  04-02-2015 21:24
  
  Craig Taylor was charged with reckless conduct for firing at close range‘Nothing criminal’ in his actions judge tells courtroom packed with police A suburban Chicago police officer was acquitted on Wednesday of felony reckless conduct for killing a 95-year-old second world war veteran by shooting him with a beanbag gun at close range.Officer Craig Taylor of Park Forest police was charged after the July 2013 death of John Wrana. Cook County judge Luciano Panici cleared Taylor of the charge, i
  
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• Indiana woman Purvi Patel found guilty of killing foetus with abortion drugs bought online

  04-02-2015 21:22
  
  An Indiana woman has been convicted of feticide and child neglect after she used abortion drugs she bought on the internet to kill her foetus before throwing it into a dumpster.
  
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• Least romantic destination in Britain revealed

  04-02-2015 21:18
  
  Hull has been named the least romantic destination in Britain in the lead up to Valentine's Day, while London has overtaken last year's winner as the most romantic.
  
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• Vaping may not be as safe as smokers think, research suggests

  04-02-2015 21:16
  
  Study of mice finds that e-cigarettes generate free radical toxins and may harm the lungs and immune systemE-cigarettes generate toxic chemicals similar to those found in tobacco and may harm the lungs and immune system, new research suggests.The findings, from a study of mice, indicate that vaping may not be as safe an alternative to smoking tobacco as many people believe. Continue reading...
  
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• Labour will have to move to the left – or lose the election

  04-02-2015 21:16
  
  Ed Miliband must stand up to his corporate tormentors if he’s to win back support from the SNP and GreensThe way the corporate barons are carrying on, you’d think Ed Miliband was planning to do something terrifying to them. Day after day they’ve issued blood-curdling warnings about the catastrophe that would be unleashed by “Red Ed’s anti-business policies”.The onslaught was kicked off by the Monaco-based chairman of Boots, Stefano Pessina, a man who even “disappointed” Boris Joh
  
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• Rise of the robots – how long do we have left until they take our jobs?

  04-02-2015 21:09
  
  Google’s Ray Kurzweil predicts robots will reach human levels of intelligence by 2029, but this is assuming they can overcome their current limitationsThey have mastered the art of poker, helped write a cookbook and can cope with a basic conversation. The decision by a Japanese bank to staff their frontdesk with a bevy of robots is just the latest in a series of advances and predictions that at times appear to suggest we will all be replaced, professionally and socially, by automatons.Ray Kurz
  
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• VIDEO: 'Biggest year for England Rugby'

  04-02-2015 21:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Stuart Lancaster tells BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan that this is the biggest year ever for rugby union in England.
  
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• Golf champ given mobility car by benefits chiefs 'drove it to play at weekend tournaments'

  04-02-2015 21:04 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  A GOLF champion given a mobility car by benefits bosses after claiming he was too handicapped to walk drove it to play at weekend tournaments, a court heard today.
  
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• FGM trial: CPS accused of 'show trial' as UK's first female genital mutilation case collapses

  04-02-2015 21:01
  
  The Crown Prosecution Service has been criticised for staging a misguided female gentital mutilation (FGM)  “show trial” – after a young doctor was cleared by a jury in the first such case brought before the UK courts.
  
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• There is nothing heroic about watching Isis's high-definition murder porn

  04-02-2015 21:00
  
  Piers Morgan and Fox News claim to be viewing terror videos so that you don’t have to. But poring over this death cult’s propaganda is playing into their handsI am not going to watch something obscene and then describe it to you, coldly honing my vocabulary to let you know how utterly awful murder is. You already know that. There is a lot of posing around death, after all. Shock and awe. I am not going to delineate the latest atrocity exhibition. I will leave that to the likes of Shepard Smi
  
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• Jeff Bridges releases sleep album to help the world's stressed-out dudes gets some shut-eye

  04-02-2015 21:00
  
  I went to bed with The Dude last night. And you can, too.
  
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• The Guardian view on child sex abuse: this time it really must be never again

  04-02-2015 20:57
  
  From Westminster to Rotherham, some hard lessons have been learnedIt is more than two years since the infamous revelation that BBC Newsnight had dropped a report exposing Jimmy Savile as a serial sexual abuser. It is seven months and two false starts since Theresa May promised an inquiry into allegations of an establishment cover-up of abuse in Whitehall and Westminster, and it is six months since Alexis Jay uncovered the extent of abuse in Rotherham. At last it feels as if the end of the beginn
  
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• The Guardian view on Islamic State’s attempt to disrupt the links between the monarchy and Jordan’s tribes

  04-02-2015 20:57
  
  The cruel games over the fate of the captured pilot may well backfire on the jihadi groupTerror is a double-edged weapon in war. It can intimidate and undermine the enemy, but it can also reinforce an opponent’s resolve. Morality aside, the question raised by the killing of Lieutenant Muath al-Kasasbeh is whether Islamic State (Isis) has any kind of coherent strategy in the Middle East. Cruelty is not a strategy, murder is not politics. Consider the impact on Jordan had Isis shown a degree of
  
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• Rotherham council faces takeover

  04-02-2015 20:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Government commissioners are lined up to intervene at Rotherham Council after a report exposes its "culture of denial" over the town's child abuse scandal.
  
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• Universities told counter-terror bill will not endanger freedom of expression

  04-02-2015 20:53
  
  Government concession follows outcry by professors against counter-terror bill proposalsThe government has tried to reassure universities that the new counter-terror bill will not endanger freedom of expression by requiring them to tackle non-violent extremism on campuses.The House of Lords agreed on Wednesday to include a Home Office amendment in the counter-terror bill that made clear that colleges must consider freedom of expression when complying with the new legal obligation to tackle extre
  
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